Why can't I lose weight? I'm dieting and exercising, it's not enough. Any advice please?

Question

I need to lose 20 lbs. to be in the healthy weight range. I do the following, but still can't seem to lose weight:

7-8 hours of exercise every week, consisting of running (1.5 hour), step class (1.5 hours), weights (1.5 hours), hiking (1-2 hours), and pilates (2 hour). I also use my bike to get around town most of the time.

My resting heart rate is 56.

I eat just 1800 calories per day. If I drop below that, I am constantly starving and not functional. (I do portion control and meal planning)

My diet consists mostly of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. When I eat meat, it is either grilled fish, chicken, or turkey. I don't eat red meat nor anything deep fried.

I don't eat any junk food or fast food.

I drink only plain water, except for one 8 oz. glass of orange juice in the morning (included in the 1800 calories).

What am I missing? I need to lose the extra weight, but I seem to be doing everything I can think of and it's not enough.

I have been doing this routine for 4 months already.

Answer 1

Wow, if you are having problems with all that, what hope is there for the rest of us?

Seriously though, with a resting heart rate in the mid-50's and all that exercise every week, you probably have the cardiovascular system and metabolism of an athlete. Athletes have certain nutritional and caloric needs to function at their best.

You say you eat just 1800 calories a day. Say you burn an average of 500 calories in an hour of exercise, that means you are surviving on just 1300 calories a day. Perhaps that is just too low for your activity level. Your body may have gone into starvation mode, where your body will slow down your metabolism making it difficult to lose weight.

Also, you state "when I eat meat," which may imply that meat is not a regular part of your diet. Active people, such as yourself need a certain amount of protien and carbohydrates everyday.

In short, you may have issues with nutrition and metabolism. You should probably talk to a doctor about what is going on. He/She can make sure that you don't have an issue with your metabolism and are getting proper nutrition to lose weight.

Answer 2

Have you already lost weight before? Some time what happens is your body adapts to what exercising you are doing. So let's say for instance you started off on this regiment a month or two ago and got really good results from it. By now your body has already adapted to it as if it was a normal day....try mixing it up with circuit workouts ...low weight high reps and go through multiple machines with little to no rest.....that with a good running schedule and diet should do just fine, but it wouldn't hurt to mix up your run schedule either throw in some sprints

Answer 3

Are you sure the extra weight is fat? With all the exercising you're doing, and the healthy eating, you may be gaining muscle weight. Get evaluated for body fat percentage. You might not need to lose any weight at all.

If you do have obvious fat stores, you may need to step up the exercise (but how?) and/or eat less. Try spreading your meals out over the day in six smaller meals, to avoid getting overly hungry.

One other consideration is health - perhaps you have a metabolic disorder. That would be worth looking into with your family doctor. Let the doctor evaluate your diet and your inability to lose weight.

Answer 4

There's a lot of things you're missing.

you're missing calicium in your diet, you need it to lose weight too. Also, step class, biking, pilates, and hiking does not really help lose weight, they just helps you with your circulation and help build up your endurance. Of all those excerises only running helps (1.5 hours a week is wayy too less; go for at least a mile a day to start).

You need to eat foods that are more nutrient dense, meaning that food is small in calories and rich in high vitamins, carbs, and minerals. You;ll need to skip chicken skin and turkey skin.

Answer 5

To lose weight successfully,you should know the food that you eat can either make you THIN or FAT!!!
Yes,it is really important.You should know the truth:
1.Low Fat Foods DON'T always WORK...
2.Low Calorie Diets DON'T always WORK...
3.Low Carb Plans DON'T always WORK...
I followed the guide above and I lost 10 lbs in 7 days and then 30 lbs in less than a month.

Answer 6

jog on the treadmill at 4 mph for 25 minutes or at 7 mph for 9 minutes

Answer 7

Exercise in the morning to speed up weight loss

Answer 8

It may be WHEN you are eating- it has been proven that eating every 2-3 hours helps to increase metabolism. Are you eating small frequent meals?

It has also been proven that people grossly (by 25%) underestimate caloric intake. Have someone else look at what you are eating- they may see your problem.

Answer 9

Get off the scale and get out the measuring tape. You are probably loosing the unhealthy fat and gaining healthy muscle. Muscle actually weighs more than fat. Don't stop what your doing, Keep up the good work!!

Answer 10

you must have noticed some kind of changes like looser pants.
dont look at the scale because muscle weights more than fat.
I would say you are doing everything wright
are you eating small meals every 2-3 hours?