I didn't lose any weight. What did I do wrong?

Question

I am a 34 year old, 5'1" tall female who weighs 185. Last week I started myself on a fitness program. I cut my caloric intake down from 2500 cal/day to 1500 cal/day. I worked out on my treadmill for an hour each day. The incline was set at 10% and the speed was 2.5mph. I work in an office at a desk all day and cook for my family in the evenings. Today, a week later, I still weigh 185lbs. What did I do wrong?

Oh, I forgot to mention that I held a 3 lb barbell in each hand as I walked on the treadmill.

Answer 1

Hey, you did everything right. You have obviously gained muscles. Because muscle weighs more than fat, it seems like you didn't lose anything. I bet your clothes aren't fitting as tightly either. Women also should remember their monthly cycle. Alot of women gain water weight at that time. It can be anywhere from 1-4 lbs. That could also account for why the scale seems to be saying you didn't make any progress.

Answer 2

That's a great start, and an hour a day is great too. I would increase the speed though, to about 3.5 mph instead of 2.5....That's a little too slow. Are you keeping track of your heart rate to make sure it's increasing while you work out? I know it's hard to walk fast when you're shorter, because I'm about the same height, but try that out. Also make sure you're watching your fat intake, not just calories. Make sure you're drinking 8 cups of water each day too, it really does help.
And just some advice so you don't get discouraged: I just started working out about 10 days ago, and I haven't weighed myself yet. I'm waiting at least another 4 days so it's been 2 weeks. I might even wait longer...Watching the scale too much can discourage you and cause you to just give up way too soon. Good luck

oh yea and you also may have decreased your calorie intake too much and too soon. 1500 is much better but you should start out slower so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and your metabolism doesnt slow. try 2000 calories a day for a while maybe, and then gradually decrease it to about 1200

Answer 3

You haven't done anything "wrong". It may take more than a week, you may be building muscle, which does weigh more than fat, but actually reducing your measurements. How are your clothes fitting? Also, with your generally sedentary life style, you may be getting only a maintenence level, which means that you have merely stopped gaining weight or will lose very slowly. Don't drop your caloric intake any further, but increase the activity level. Take up a sport, play tag, or tennis, or basketball with the children, ride a bike to the store for those items that you run out of,
Don't give up, have patience and good luck to you.

Answer 4

you reduced your calorie intake too much and too suddenly, putting your body in starvation mode, making it store everything you eat as fat. on top of that, you're doing an extended steady state cardio workout, which tends to burn lean muscle mass, so it's like a double whammy. you have to go against the conventional "wisdom" out there, because a lot of it is misguided. here's what i suggest:

first, break your meals off into 5-6 different ones throughout the day. keep the portions under control and focus on the following foods:

protein: chicken, egg whites, turkey, lean cuts of beef
carbs and fiber: veggies, fruits, whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, pasta, and bread), and beans
fats: olive oil, nuts, natural peanut butter, and fish

then change your workout. focus on strength training instead to help build muscle and reduce the fat ratio. do these basic 4 and you'll be fine: push-ups, pull-ups, sqauts, and good mornings. it'll work your entire body, AND burn calories after your workout. muscle repair takes a lot of calories, and this is why lifting is better than cardio. however, you should still do cardio for your heart. limit it to 20 mins, or do sprints/interval training, which has a similar afterburn effect to strength training.

oh, and give yourself more than a week. it's going to take at least a few weeks for anything to really change. don't obsess over the scale either. pay attention to your mood and how your clothes fit.

Answer 5

Please don't be discouraged... Losing weight is more than just a weeks worth of work.

What are you eating as part of the 1500 calories?
How does the 2.5 mph feel? Easy? Very Hard?

Also, when you tone up you build muscle which is heavier than fat.

How do you feel? How do you look in the mirror?

I would recommend buying a heart rate monitor and excercise in the 70% to 85% max heart rate range... Slow and steady. As you feel stronger, you can work faster.

For you, your target range is about 130 to 140 beats per minute.

I've seen Polar F1 at WalMart and Target for around $40 to $45.

Keep the faith and keep going for your goal.

Answer 6

It will take you more than a week to see results more than likely. Try to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so it may take a bit to see real results. Also, make sure that you are drinking lots of water, this will keep you hydrated and you may lose a bit of water weight, since your body will stop retaining it. Good luck and lots of support!

Answer 7

It takes more than 1 week to get results, keep at it for a sloid month. Don't let a scale tell you whether you lost or not. Take some measurements then compare them. If you increase your excercise you will increase your muscle which weighs more than fat.

Answer 8

You want immediate results, but loosing weight takes time.
Keep doing what you are doing, and in a few months you should see good results. That is if you are eating healthy also

Answer 9

Muscle gain probably. I'd keep up the excersice regimen and Good luck.

S

Answer 10

Might take more than a week