Working out but not losing weight

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
Working out but not losing weight
7
Mon, 03-15-2004 - 7:45pm
Hey everyone!

I joined a gym about 6 weeks ago. I've been faithful to work out 4-5 times a week for between 50-75 minutes doing both cardio and weight training. However, I have yet to lose a pound. My eating habits have stayed about the same (I'm working on that part), but I'm very surprised that I've yet to lose a pound, even after increasing my exercise so greatly.

Has anyone had this experience? I know that I need to get my eating under control, but I'm still frusterated with not having lost weight.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2004
Mon, 03-15-2004 - 8:09pm
Hi, have you tried taking your measurements? Muscle weighs more than fat and it's possible that you haven't lost any weight because you're gaining muscle. If this is the case, then you should see your measurements go down and your clothes should start to feel looser. Keep it up, and in no time you should see the scale start to move as well. Good luck!

~~Linda

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-13-2003
Mon, 03-15-2004 - 8:37pm
I worked out for 2 whole years without losing a pound or an inch. Why? I didn't change my eating habits. When I cut portions and junk, I started losing within a month. The two go hand in hand.
Avatar for jess9802
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 3:19am
I had a similar experience three years ago. I was working out seven days a week, 60 minutes a day. I dropped a pant size, but did not actually begin losing fat until I upped my workouts to 90 minutes a day. I managed to lose 20 pounds that year without changing my eating habits. (Which was bad, because I gained it all back, and then some.)

I have also found that when I cut my cardio below a certain level (basically, less than 300 minutes a week) and increase my weight training that I stop losing weight, and will eventually begin to gain weight. I only lift weights a couple times a month because of this. My leg muscles are pretty strong from my cardio workouts, so I've been trying to focus on my upper body.

Anyway, I think you'll need to adjust your eating habits, but be sure to measure yourself. You might be losing inches, and before too long you could begin to lose fat. Good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 8:16am

I agree with taking your measurments.

  Shawna-- Proud Cl for 100 Pounds or More to Go 

Avatar for angelinoh
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-19-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 11:42am
well here's my experience...Jan i worked out and ate right and lost 14 lbs..Feb i ate right and exercised and lost 2 lbs..This month i decided to up my exercise min. along with eating right and have lost 5 lbs so far.

I do body measurements weekly, in Feb even thou i only lost 2 lbs i still lost inches. I think everyone is different so what works for one won't work for someone else.

A Q. are you drinking water? Water has been a great tool for me.

My suggestions is to track what you eat for a few days to see how many calories/fat you eat,what you drink(i used to drink milk&juices they ADD up) and see how you change it,

how much you exercise and take body measurements along with weight. Good Luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-2004
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 1:21pm
It all boils down to calories. If your goal is to lose weight, cut back on calories.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 03-16-2004 - 2:14pm
Did you know that it is actually WATER that is the culprit in many cases like this? This is something I very recently found out, after reading Bob Greene's "Get with the Program" Book. I've heard the thing about muscle weighing more than fat, and while it is true, I always knew that I couldn't have gained THAT much muscle in a short time - but he explains that starting a work out program, especially if you are quite out of shape to begin with, causes your body to start storing ENORMOUS amounts of water, which is much heavier than fat. I found the exact same thing - my weight actually went UP at first, even though I was doing everything right. His advice is to not worry about the numbers on the scale for at LEAST 6 weeks, but better 3 months, and to mainly pay attention to the way that your clothes are fitting.