Why haven't I started to lose weight yet?

Question

I'm a 37 year old woman, 5'8 and 240lbs. 3 weeks ago I began to diet(1200-1500 calories daily) and exercise(3x weekly 45 min.cardio & 3x weekly weight training at gym). I have lost a grand total of 1lb.

What am I doing wrong? I don't understand how I can go from not being active at all to being this active and cut my calories in half and still have nothing to show for it. I hear all of these amazing stories of how people cut out soda or start walking 15 minutes a day and lose 20lbs, I go all out and get a whopping 1 lb.

Please help.

Answer 1

thats very frustrating, but .... you must be patient, it WILL work. Just make certain your changes in diet and exercise is not toooo dramatic, and that you can follow that diet and exercise routine ..indefinitely .... good luck

Answer 2

Amazing stories are just that, stories. Patience. In the real world, losing weight takes time and effort. Months and years, not days or weeks.

First off, 3 weeks isn't very long, and exercise 3 times a week for 45 minutes isn't very much. Its hard to say how much that should have contributed, but you used the word 'cardio'. That tells me you probably aren't doing anything strenuous like running or cycling. If you were, you would have said that.

The weight training is useful for general health and strength, but doesn't really contribute anything to burning calories.

Still, 1500 calories per day should have netted you 2 or 3 pounds by now. Are you sure you're counting accurately, and estimating your portion sizes correctly?

All I can say is keep at it. As you get in better shape and lose a little weight, you can accelerate your program by increasing the duration and difficulty of your workouts.

If it was easy, everyone would be skinny.

Answer 3

Alright keep exersizing the way you are. Drink a cup of Green Tea or Wu-Long tea before you go to bed.( Those types of teas help you burn calories and fat) Then watch what you are putting in your foods. Don't eat fast food unless you are out and there is no where else to go. If posible if there is a heal food store near by just get something from there. Do what the person before me said. Because it is true if you think posativly like that it will happen. And another thing that will help you lose weight is just when your at home turn on the music and dance. Don't think of exersizing as doing it for just losing weight. YOu have to have fun when your doing it. Well good luck.

Answer 4

You could also be gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat. The muscle will then raise your metabolism, causing you to lose weight. Be patient, something good will happen...even though it can be discouraging, weight often can come off all at once sometimes. Also, could you talk with a personal trainer at your gym to get some guidance with your workout and diet. Perhaps that's what you need.

You've already made a healthy lifestyle change. Keep with it. I'm sure you will see some positive results soon. I'm sure you're already starting to feel better with the exercise as well.

Answer 5

Ask someone at the gym to take measurements of your body. Let them help you figure out your what percentage of your body is lean muscle and also what your body fat percentage is. Measurements of your waist and hips are also good in judging your losses and gains.

If you do not want to let someone at the gym do it, you can order the body calipers, with the measuring tools, off the internet. They are fairly inexpensive.

It's the best way to get a complete and accurate diagnostics of your gains and losses. The scale is very deceiving when trying to determine your accomplishments, especially when you are weight training.

Just keep up with the workouts (with healthy eating), especially the weight training, I guarantee you, you will lose inches.

Don't lose hope, it will happen!!

Here is a link you may be interested in that shows it takes a combination of cardio and weight training to lose fat. This is only one, there are many more studies that shows it takes both of these to lose inches.

http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/ss/notlosingweight.htm

Answer 6

Science shows that your thoughts effect reality. So start telling yourself your losing weigh and ignore anything that says differently. Another thing to consider if your not is the what is in the meals you are eating. For cardio training I believe you would want a high carbs diet and for muscle building you would want a high protein diet.

Answer 7

Whatever you do, don't quit. Give yourself time. It might be that your metabolism just hasn't kicked in yet. You'll lose weight if you just keep at it. Don't give up.

Answer 8

donot be disappointed do as you do one day the result comes