what am I doing wrong?

S

skatie0569

Cathlete
Over a month ago I decided to change my diet for the better because I was sick of being over weight and unwell. I cut out all the junk and started eating whole foods plus I upped my veggie and fruit and have been drinking water all the time. I take walks every day for at least an hour at a time and occasionally will even walk for up to 3 hours if I have somewhere to be. I have more or less been perfect!
The problem is I am not seeing much return on the scales and I don't understand it!
I have cut my food consumption down to a healthy level and have avoided many sugars.. I eat only healthy fats and don't over do the bread. I am quite confused.
Has anyone else had such a resistance to losing weight?
I never know if I have lost because the scale will be up one day then down the next.
I weigh just over 100kg and am a big strong girl by nature and in previous diets the weight just drops off. Could it be an age thing? I was 30 lst time I lost weight (and got to goal) and now I am 36. Is this a factor?
I am very confused because I am trying so hard.
Kelly
 
I really think that weight loss is a tricky thing and everyone as to find what works best for them.Unfortunately for me, my body is also changing and I can't eat what I use to and I am 3 yrs away from 30:eek: I am not overweight either but I have gained a few pounds over the last couple of years.They say not to cut your cals to low...but ya know what? Thats about the only thing that works for me.I exercise atleast an hour to two hours a day and I will see a difference if I stick to 1200 cals and no cheating! Easier said then done.
How often are you eating? That usually plays a big part in getting your metobolism on the go again.Have you ever concerned reading the body for life book? Even if you followed the eating patteren it may help you some.
Also, have you been writing everything down that you eat? And weigh everything out?I know this can be time consuming but sometimes a bowl of cereal is two servings and not one...and so on.In this day and age we have really forgotten what a serving size looks like.
Do you own any Cathe workouts? And have you ever tried running? Maybe on some of your walks you could run for one minute and walk for 4 and so on.This would really help get the scale moving.
Have you ever had your tyroid checked? That could be a major problem as well.
Im sure you are going to get lots of useful info.Hopefully you will get some info that you can use.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Lori
:)
 
Hey Kelly! You know.. from the looks of it, maybe you might want to up the cardio.. I know you said you walk for up to 3 hours on some days, but maybe you need to have some good huff and puff cardio. Also.. adding in some weight lifting routines I think would benefit greatly. I watch my caloric intake, meaning, I track everything I eat and make sure I stay between 1300 to 1500 calories. Maybe you might want to try that. Also, just to help your mood, try not to get on the scale as much as possible. I use the scale about 2 a month. I'm not sure if this helped, but hopefully it did. If you have anymore questions... I'll be here to answer as much as possible. There are other girls on this forum that could probably help you out better than I can. Hopefully they'll respond to this post. Hang in there! I'll happen Kelly!:D :D
 
Calorie staggering and focusing of weight workouts did it for me. it kicked my metabolism into gear. if you have cleaned up your diet, the next step is finding the right combo of calories and exercise. yes, it's frustrating and time consuming, but so worth it. play around with your calories. don't give up. your decision to be healthier is a great one!


jes
 
Thanks for the advice.
I hate the idea of counting calories so I just count the food in point form (weight watchers) based on what I know I am supposed to have in a day for my weight. That minus the exercise creates a picture in my mind of how I think my day went.
I eat portions throughout the day.. here is an idea of what I eat in a day.. spaced through out the day of course.

* half a cup of whole grain museli w/fat free milk
* 1 piece of thin grained toast with 1 tbs natural peanut butter
* 1 smoothie (made with 1 cup fat free milk, 2 tbs 'lite' vanilla
protein powder and maybe frozen berries or fat free yoghurt added.)
* 1 peice of fruit (a pear maybe.. or a banana)
* 1 large salad with lots of dark green lettuces (all the types
availiable)and tomatoes,carrots,cuccumber,snow pea sprouts..
with 1 can of salmon and an egg.
** occasionally I will have a small low fat yoghurt later in the
evening if I didn't have one in the smoothie.

That is what a typical day looks like for me.
when I was losing weight last time I ate a small breakfast and
occasionally lunch.. fruit though out the day and lots of rice..
with normal meals at night. I counted fat grams that time around.

I have made a special effort to have protein at each meal but am I
over doing it?
Can anyone comment on what I am eating. I really want to iron out
any problems I am having..

Thank you so much for your help.. I will definitely take all your
advice to heart.

Kelly
 
I wonder what you mean by not much return on the scales. Are you losing, just more slowly than you'd like? Remember, a one to two pound drop per week is healthy. It seems slow, but over time will add up. Also, have you noticed any difference in how your clothes fit? Or an increase in your energy level. Don't let the scales by your only measure of improvement.
 
Kelly-
I really think that those of us who have lost weight in the past, usually by eating much too little and basically starving ourselves, are very used to the initial huge water weight drop at the beginning. You are doing something new. You are losing weight in a very healthy, sensible way. You are not just dehydrating yourself. I'm guessing that your loss will come slowly, but will be a permanent fat loss, rather than an all-at-once water weight loss. I think you should think of what you're doing as a lifestyle change, knowing that you will slowly lose fat, and not worrying too much about how quickly it comes off. Just remember that the slower the weight loss, the more permanent it is, and keep up the great work! It sounds like everything you are doing is wonderful!

-Nancy
 
I agree with others who have posted. Hang in there and stick with the positive changes you are making. A month as we all get older isn't as long a time as it used to be when we were all younger. Give yourself 3 months or 6 months or 9 (a gestation period) or a year to evaluate. I made changes in my eating and it really took 6 months before I felt like I was getting any results. Now I am revising my eating again and I am trying to think of all of my eating and exercise efforts as a life long process towards balance and healthy eating -- not being on a diet to get thin.

:) :) Don't give up
Barb
 
Hi Kelly! I hope you won't mind me chiming in here & tweaking your workout as well as your meal plan.

First of all I would like you to pump up the volume of your cardio. You state your only walking which is steady state cardio. I would suggest more of cardio blasts (meaning plyometrics) or intervals from Cathe's DVDs (if you have any) or as someone else suggested walk/jog. Try purchasing Cardio Coach's Volumes (especially Vol. 3 or 4) from cardiocoach.com. Sean O'Malley is a great motivator.

Also I would like you to eat a larger meal in the middle of the afternoon such as chicken/turkey/fish (if your a vegetarian then replace the meat w/beans) w/sweet potato/quinoa/brown rice w/green beans or veggie of your choice. For your last meal of the day that's when you should be eating the salad w/the protein. Your metabolism slows down as the closer we get into the evening hours. Also try eating oatmeal w/protein powder (if you like it) or egg white omelette w/hummus instead of cheese w/salsa on top instead of the bread. These are just some thoughts to get you burning more calories.

I would want you to eat pasta, bread & rice on your high carb days (2 days a week) to trick your metabolism.

And one last thing, weight training is so very important to put into your routine. Let me know what you think of my ideas. Wishing you luck! Kathy:D
 
Thank you everyone!
I really appreciate your advice and I will keep you up to date with my changes if that's okay.
I actually did my very first cathe workout a few days ago but had trouble with my form (contracting the muscle with the lift..) so I need to start with light dumbbells and learn from the beginning.
I have Pyramids,PH and PS.
I am looking forward to trying some of your ideas!
Thanks again..
Kelly
 
I say start with a few days of more intense cardio for shoter duration and strength train a few days a week. Start slow!!! Building lean muscle mass does amazing things to the metabolism!!
 
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