Slooowww metabolism!! Please help???

Question

I was just informed by a trainer at my gym that "I must have slow metabolism", and that I will need to work harder than most people do to lose body fat. After busting my butt in the gym for almost eight weeks, dropping my caloric intake down to under 1500 a day, all of that being very lean meats, high proteins, fruits and veggies, if any, only good carbs, eating every two hours, only water to drink (about a gallon a day), and only losing 8 pounds, Im pretty devastated. I was told that the normal 20-30min. of high intensity cardio that I do would need to be boosted up to an hour a day. An hour?? Im already killing myself with an hour of weight training and 20-30 of cardio! I think I may pass out if I add another 30min.!! So, any suggestions?? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

to lose 8lbs in 8 weeks is good because you have gained muscle which means you have lost more than 8lbs of fat.
i dont know what your trainer is talking about...
cardio - first 20-30min you burn carbs and only then start burning fat so ideally people should be doing 45min cardio for weight loss.
an hour of weight training? you are gaining some serious muscle

Answer 2

I had the same experience I was eating good things and working out hard. I do cardio 4 days a week at 1 hr a day and weight train 30 minutes 4 days a week and was losing very very slowly. Here is what I found I was doing wrong –

Each week I would eat one meal that was crap but tasted great. My theory for doing this was, I was boosting my metabolism by cheating 1 day. Then someone pointed out that calorie intake should be looked at daily as well as over a weeks time.

In 1 week of eating right, say 1600 calories a day I would be cutting an estimated 500 calories a day off my weight. That is 3500 calories a week. Well if I cheat at 1 meal or for a day, I can add an additional 1-3K calories in one day of bad eating. That virtually kills my weeks worth of dieting and exercise.

Well I stopped doing that and have been looking at calories each day and for an entire week. It has made a big difference. When I do cheat and eat a bad meal I make sure I cut calories somewhere else. I eat what I want within limits all the time and I have been shedding pounds (about 2-3 a week).

This may not fit you but it might help.

I would keep a log of your calorie intake and also eat 3 small meals a day and three snacks a day. You should never get too hungry.

Answer 3

Some things to remember: if you really are working out this hard, you're gaining muscle mass which "weighs" more than fat. Resist using the scale - use a tape measure or fat calipers instead. Just think - that 8 lbs could be ALL fat, and you're well on your way!
Secondly, after 8 weeks of eating right (and often) and working out, it is likely that you no longer have a slow metabolism. In this sense, your trainer may be right, it might be time to tweak your plan a bit.
Thirdly, you CAN do more cardio if you split it up and don't do weights on the same day. This saves time and keeps you from getting bored with your routine.
Whatever you do, don't lower your calories any further. In fact, if you get to that level of cardio, you could bump it up to 1800 and still get the results you want. Good luck!

Answer 4

30 minutes of cardio isn't much more than a warmup. If weight loss is your primary goal, you ought to be doing an hour minimum, and more if you can manage.

Weights are an important part of your program, but don't do much of anything for weight loss.

8 lbs in 8 weeks? A pound a week? That's not bad... what's the problem?

I doubt you've got a slow metabolism. The trainer was just talking.

Answer 5

look, your body is your body...if you have a "slow metabolism" then thats waht you have. personally i think you earn your metabolism, although a great step towards quickening it up is taking fish oil tablets which increases your metabolism. Your exerzise routeen is great! who cares how much you lost? i think loosing 8 pounds in eight weeks is perfect! keep going and you'll be having a healthy body in no time.
I will suggest not to do more exerzise till your body is ready for it, and if not then just dont. Your weight loss sounds genuine and not fake weight loss, keep up the good work!

Answer 6

I know how you feel. I started doing cardio in the morning and at night and in 2 weeks I lost 7 lbs. I know its not alot, but its gonna add up. I do my cardio in the morning, clean the house, take my son for a 20 min walk in the stroller, while hes napping I do toning and weights, I cut my calories to 1500 and I eat cabbage soup when I'm starving and lots of salad. Then I added the extra cardio at night and have seen a difference. Good luck to ya.

Answer 7

Have you considered doing an hour of cardio instead of weights? Cardio burns fat, whereas weight training builds up your muscle and muscle is heavier than fat. Maybe cut back on the weights and increase the cardio for a couple of weeks and see if you lose weight still incorporating the healthy eating plan. Fingers crossed that it works!

Answer 8

just keep going, chances are you have been gaining muscle, hence the low weight loss. my matab is really slow, it can take time to increase it, keep at a low fat/sugar high fiber diet and working out and you will see results.. also don't forget to measure yourself, this will give you an indication that you are loseing inches.

and is 1500 cals enough? usually people who are heavier need more cals then that, and of course more cals if you work out.

Standard "diet" doesn't work for someone with a low matab, in order to get my matab up, i need to eat more then normal, but better foods... then exercise exercise and exercise...understand?

Answer 9

Have you had your thyroid checked? A good way to see if it is working properly is the Barnes Method test. Take your temperature every morning before getting out of bed for a month. If your average temperature is below 97.8 you are probably hypothyroid.

Answer 10

Just maybe you could have a chat with your G.P and see if you could be referred to an endocrine specialist. Could be something to do with an underactive thyroid?...I have a similar problem, and weight-loss is a real headache!..but this can
be tested & corrected by a simple blood test.
Good luck.