How long until I begin to see results from going to the gym?

Question

I have been going for six weeks now- 1 and a half to two hours 5 days a week- and have not gone less than 4 days in only two of those weeks. I eat approx. 1100-1500 calories a day, so shouldn't I be seeing some results? Well I'm not. What's going on????

Answer 1

It really depends on a lot of factors, including what exercises you're doing and how you eat during the day.

For one thing, five days a week for 1.5-2 hours at a time is pretty excessive. I'm guessing a lot if not most of this is cardio? I suggest cutting back on the cardio to shorter, more intense workouts and including more strength training.

The way the body works is very efficiently. If you're doing slow paced steady cardio for long periods of time, your body starts conserving energy more efficiently, which means that any extra calories you get at any given time will be stored as fat. Also, if you're not eating enough and frequently throughout the day, the same thing happens.

I suggest a split routine of cardio and weights. Shorten the cardio to 15-20 minute intense sessions doing different types of exercises (stationary bike, stair climber, walking and running, etc). Do that every other day. Then on alternate days only warm up about 5 minutes of cardio then hit the weights. Work out only 30-40 minutes with weights, alternating weights days between upper and lower body. This will allow your muscles a chance to heal. You see, the more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at any given time.

For diet, 1100-1500 calories per day is really low, especially if you're active. This is going to be counterproductive and will actually eat away at lean muscle and bone tissue. I suggest 1500-1800 per day minimum if you're that active, eating 5-6 smaller meals per day. This will keep insulin levels down and blood sugar up as well as maintain a steady metabolism.

People often make the mistake that if some exercise is good, lots of exercise must be better, and that decreasing calories is always the best way of losing bodyfat. People spend so much time and energy doing the wrong things and making minimal progress that it can be very frustrating. I always say work out smarter, not just harder. Also, it's not just how much you eat but what you eat, how often, and how much in any one meal.

Good luck! It'll come with patience and dedication.

Answer 2

If you have had fat for a long time and are trying to get rid of it, you won't see results for a long time, You should feel better though. You should have more stamina and be more limber if you are doing it right. After fat is on you for a long time the blood supply to it diminishes and has to be re established to absorb the fat. Fat doesn't need blood supply, because it is not living tissue, it is food that you may need next week or month.
It takes time to wake up and expand the capillaries, arteries and veins to access that fat again. If it took ten years for you to accumulate it, it isn't going to go away very soon.
Keep working and be patient. If you lose a pound a month, that is 120# in ten years.

Answer 3

How tall are you and how much did you weigh to begin with? You should think about the fact that muscle weighs more than fat...
You could also be eating too few calories (depending on the aforementioned beginning weight and height) which could cause your metabolism to slow down/your body to think it is starving.

Answer 4

Eat more protein, and more calories too.

Break a sweat but don't get out of breath.

Weight train too.

Answer 5

you might have a low metabolism, or sometimes trying too hard to lose weight would put ur body under alot of presure.