When do I lose weight?

[deathbycathe]

Hi Cathe,

First let me say that my mother and I are both BIG fans!! I'm hoping you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Granted, I have only been doing this for 3 months, and my mother says that she sees the difference, but I don't. Initially I did the whole bit, weighed in like cattle, measured all the scary parts (thighs, hips, waist, etc.). After 30 days I measured again to see if there was any difference and I had lost something like 1.5 inches. However, no weight change. But that was ok because muscle weighs more than fat and all that. Fast forward to 3 months and I'm actually gaining inches back and the weight still hasn't moved a bit.

The things I do see (but I have to look hard) is that I actually have a bicep; right after the ab work out I can see the stomach muscles (both of them - haha!) but the butt, thighs, hips and lower belly are discouraging me. NOT That I intend to quit however, the other benefits are keeping me going (no more sleeping disorder, no more back pain, and I feel strong enough to chase 3 kids :7 )

But I have to wonder, am I doing something wrong? I'm doing the beginner rotation posted here with the Low Impact Step DVD pack but I'm mostly using the 5lb weight instead of 3lbs. And I'm on month 3. Any insight would be much appreciated and easier to explain to the hubby why I'm REALLY locking myself in the bedroom every evening.

Thank you so much!!

 

[Teals]

Hi. This issue comes up on the forum from time to time. I've pasted in a thread where this issue was discussed. I'd read all of the comments. The last post is from me where I pasted in a post from Cathe responding to someone else with a similar concern.

I hope Cathe has a chance to respond to your question but just in case she doesn't have a chance to, I hope this thread helps.

Take care,

Teals

PS: You might also find some great advice in the rotation forum or the open forum. Alot of these women know their stuff and they are more than willing to share.

http://69.0.137.118/dc/dcboard.php?...ic_id=73983&mesg_id=73983&listing_type=search

 

[teddy16410]

You dont mention your food intake... What type of quality calories / nutrients do you eat every day? Working out without proper fuel will (for most of us) "only" provide internal benefits... To change the outward appearance ya gotta eat clean. Remember that "diet" is as much as 85% of the external equation.

 

[cakebaker]

Gotta agree with this post about food intake being 85% of the equation.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Deathbycathe....(too funny!) Teals is right, I did post a very similar response to another reader which I think falls right into line with what you are saying.

Here is the pasted reply:

Everybody is different so you really have to experiment with a bunch of ways to weight train (ie: heavy weight, medium weight, light weights, low reps, medium reps, high reps, total body, split workouts, cardio/weight mixed workouts, cardio and weights done separately, etc) to know what your body responds best to.

It is also important to say that all bodies hold a little extra water and gain a few pounds when initially doing new routines because it is a natural response to the adaptation phase. During the adaptation phase, microscopic muscle tears occur (which is normal and a good thing) and the body experiences some edema during the repair process. This eventually subsides as you get more conditioned.

Also, weight lifting builds LEAN muscle mass and lean muscle mass is heavier/more dense. So although the scale reflects a heavier weight, your measurements will be smaller.

While everything truly comes down to your genetic blue print, most people will respond to weight training with a leaner appearance as long as their diet it very clean and they are not in the height of an adaptation phase.

Drinking a lot of water, sleeping well, leading a low stress lifestyle, eating a very healthy and balanced diet, are also factors that keep your body responding well.

Also, 8 weeks is really not that long for someone who is starting out. It really isn't. Don't get discouraged. Sometimes it takes a few months before it kicks in, but then when it does, it just keeps kicking. Hang in there!

End of pasted reply


As I stated in this post...CLEAN FOOD INTAKE IS CRITICAL. You may find yourself getting hungrier initially too. That's normal but you need to refuel with healthy food choices rather than on-the-fly fast foods or you will end up gaining unwanted pounds.

Good luck and keep me posted

 

[deathbycathe]

Thank you so much for responding! I'm sure you're too busy to answer everything so I really appreciate it!!

I guess diet is where I've gone wrong. I try to eat healthy, but I may have mentioned that I work full time and have 3 kids (4 counting the husband), so I tend to eat on the fly a lot. Mom keeps telling me that it's what I'm eating, but I swear when I was younger it didn't matter what I ate as long as I did a little exercise. But then, I'm a tinsy bit older now...

Oh well!! If anyone can give me any pointers on what to eat to eat "Clean" that would be great! I mean are we talking vegetarian here or just no sugar? I already know that I can't eat bread without gaining a bunch of weight. But any other suggestions?

 

[dorothyrd]

There are some books out there that can help. Look for information on low glycemic index, combined with eating 6 meals a day. I am 46 years old, have always had a weight problem and this summer have lost almost 20 pounds by using the low gycemic way of eating, eating 6 meals a day. I am satisfied, don't get hungry, and it is fueling my work-outs nicely.

I eat lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, with a concentration on fish(by the way, the hubby and kids actually love fish now), only eat the ground sirloin for ground beef. Whole wheat pasta,breads, and really, really watch the portion sizes on the carbs.

I have lost weight before using Weight Watchers points, and it is a sound plan, but I was allowed "treats". This time, this is more like their Core plan, without the allowance of extra points for treats. My body looks different. The muscles are more cut, I actually have got a lot of comments on how good my legs look(not bad for a woman my age).

The book that I liked the best is Glycemic Index for Dummies. Very down to earth matter of fact method.