No results from exercising

[betina]

I have had a wonderful personal trainer for 8 months twice a week for approx. 70 minutes each time.  I have made much progress but have seen no visible results.  At the present time I do 250 (yes, two hundred fifty ) chest presses each session using 10, 15, and 20 lb. weights. I  also do a variety of leg,abdomen, and balance exercises each session  I am 57 years old with CHF resulting from an MI 3 years ago.  My ejection fraction is 20-25. I have A-Fib and a slight mitral valve regurg.  I have a Biventricular Pacemaker with an ICD that I love and am thankful for each day.  I am  young looking for my age but tend to weigh too much.  I am very careful with my diet trying not to eat carbs, canned foods or salt.  I eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and very little if anything sweet.... yet I do not lose weight or inches.  My trainer is very puzzled as is my Cardio.  Me, I'm just frustrated and a little discourged. I take a vast amount of meds... CoQ10 and Omega 3 every day.  I do not suffer from edema except maybe around my stomach ( this could be a big wad of fat and not edema at all)  My blood pressure runs on the low side and I'm told I have pre-diabetes which I am trying to conquer with diet and exercise ( so far I'm not succeeding).  Can you please tell me why I am not succeeding in losing weight and or inches OR something else I might try to achieve my weight loss and lose a few inches or at least tighten up my flabby arms none of which have occured over the last 8 months.  Do people with CHF have an impossible time losing weight or inches.  Am I ever going to see even the slightest little bit of results ?  Thank you, Fat and Flabby Betty

[va_tony]

I 'm not a personal fitness trainer so what I'm saying is based on my own attempts to lose weight over the years (& it's been a lifelong struggle). I typically work out at a gym three times a week and walk at least 2 miles daily. I personally don't think the type of exercises you describe burn many calories.  I recommend that you spend most of your gym time on a treadmill walking. The arm and leg lifts are good for building muscle but not for losing weight. Also as others have mentioned twice a week is not enough.  My experience is that weight loss requires very careful dieting as well as exercising.  Losing a pound of weight requires cuting back on or burning away (with exercise) 3500 calories. A rough rule of thumb is that the average person requires roughly 15 times their weight in calories to maintain a constant weight.  So a 150 pound woman would need approximately 2250 calories a day (a 200 lb man needs 3000 calories/day). To lose one pound a week requires cutting 500 calories a day off one's diet or burning 500 calories though exercise. So a 150 pound woman cutting back to 1750 calories a day in her diet would lose 1 pound a week. You can substitute exercise for some of those calories. Unfortunately, one has to do a lot of exercise to burn 500 calories. So a combo of dieting and exercise is best.

Doing chest presses with 20 lb weights wouldn't seem to burn many calories to me. I think of it in terms of physics.  Not much weight is being moved (say compared to just simply walking, which requires moving 150 pounds (or your actual weight). Your weight x distance = energy used walking. Walking a mile or two (if you are able) will burn about 85 or 170 calories respectively for a 150 lb woman (a simple rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile for a 180 pound person). In my case (at 270 lbs) walking 2 miles burns about 300 calories.

I've falso ound that writing down (and estimating the calories eaten) during the day really helps me stick to a diet.

Best of luck

Tony.

[Flycaster305]

betina, I didn't notice that you are only working out twice a week.  Maggiemag is certainly correct, daily aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes is best.   I'm diagnosed with CHF and work out with weights, only once or twice a week, and now do light weights with more reps.  I do try to either swim, walk or use aerobic machines every day.

Sirenet, I had weight gain just like yours as soon as I started taking Coreg.  I would compare weight gain with Coreg with quitting smoking, your metabolism slows down.  When I was agonizing over the weight gain to my Cardiologist after starting Coreg, he told me it 'was all about him, not about me'.  After my body got used to Coreg, the pounds came off.  I do feel Coreg is a wonder drug, it has twice brought my EF up after cardiac events.  I'm hoping it will do it a third time!  As I understand, one thing it does is allow the little blood vessels to take the place of the wounded/plugged major arteries by growing in size.  

[Sirenet]

  Hello.   I was quite interested in your reference to weight gain as a result of Coreg. I was never informed of that. I have DCM which I just learned of a few months ago. I have always stayed in great shape ( had a strict running and workout routine until I had a serious MVA). I have had a 32 inch waist for 30 yrs. Hmmmm, HAD being operative word! lol.  From 2/05/08 to yesterday, somehow I have gained 11 1/2 pds !!  Yikes !  My eating habits have not changed, but I used to be very active and cannot do anything now. ( Dr's orders and body's refusal, ;-)  )  Until I get ICD implanted Dr does not want me doing ANYTHING !  ohhh, I forgot, I can walk for 15 minutes, if I can. lol
  The nurse suspected water retention, but did a few things, then said she does not think that that is the issue. She never mentioned coreg.
  I am just hoping that I do not get too out of control until I can begin some type of workout regimine. ( I like being able to see my feet, lmao)  Take care, -Steve

[maggiemag]

Wow, you are certainly trying!  However, and I really hate to say this, twice a week isn't enough.  Even if you work out for 70 min.    The beta blockers really do make it harder.  I started out at 3 times a week and gradually worked up to 5 or even 6 days a week for about an hour each time.  If I could from the cardiac standpoint, I would work out for 2 hours a day, but I can't.  :-(  You could also have your thyroid levels checked out as hyPOthyroidism is very common as we get a little older.   I would be careful with the weights also as I think 20 pounds is not recommended.  Ask your doctor as too much weight lifting may enlarge the heart more in those of us with CHF.  Personal trainers really do not know all about that kind of thing.

[Flycaster305]

Betina, if a prize could be given for cardiac effort, you would win it!  Nice job, you are an inspiration!

You didn't mention what meds other than OTC; are you taking a beta blocker, and more specifically, Coreg?  They can add weight, as well as keep your heart healthy.

I try and work out daily and have done so for quite some time.  It is extremely difficult to lose weight with exercise alone, I have found.  I've got CHF also, and just exercising didn't initially make a difference on the scale.  It was partially due to medications, but also I discovered I was snacking, having the extra glass of red wine, that sort of thing.  I lost 35 pounds over five years by simply cutting out about 100 - 200 calories a day, continuing to work out, backsliding, but always trying to cut a few calories and continuing to work out.  

A recent heart event has me starting from scratch again, exercise this time is really difficult, and I thank you for posting to remind me how important it is.  Frankly, I wouldn't worry about the weight as much as I'd worry about becoming frustrated.  The physical effort is in my opinion more important than the weight loss.