CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT

[jdxray]

HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING WRONG. I NEED TO LOSE ATLEAST 30 POUNDS AND CAN NOT SEEM TO LOSE ANY WEIGHT. FOR THE LAST 11 MONTHS I HAVE CONSISTENTLY WORKED OUT 6 DAYS A WEEK 45 MINUTES A DAY. (CARDIO WEIGHTS AND STRETCHING). I EAT YOGURT FOR BREAKFAST, A SMALL SNACK MID-DAY SUCH AS FRUIT, SALAD FOR LUNCH AND A LIGHT DINNER BEFORE 7PM EVERYNIGHT. I HAVE A VERY PHYSICAL JOB AND WORK ATLEAST 40 HOURS PER WEEK. MY CARDIO CONSISTS OF THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE AND TREADMILL AT VERY INTENSE SPEEDS. I AM 5' 5" AND WEIGH 178 POUNDS. MY THYROID TESTS WERE NORMAL. I KNOW EVERYONE SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT BUT HAVE NO MOTIVATION. THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE PLEASE HELP I AM MORE THAN MOTIVATED BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO! THANKS IN ADVANCE

[msgorgeous]

Ranae said it all so all i can say is welcome and I wish you sucess in  your weight loss journey

[Ranaesheart]

First, WELCOME to the Weight Loss & Dieting Community.  We're thrilled you've asked this question and there are a great number of wonderful people here who are walking your same path.

From the sound of it, you are fairly severely restricting your food intake although you are expending a great deal of energy with exercise.  This can put your body into starvation mode where it will hold on to every bit of weight it can and leave you battling a plateau.

A plateau is the body’s natural defense against starvation. In all reality, it is a marvelous protective mechanism and, in time of famine, would help preserve your life. If we can learn to appreciate “what” a plateau is, then we can begin to view it as a benefit to our overall survival and not as such a dreaded enemy.

There are both physical and emotional components that are needed to survive a plateau.

Physically, you need to double-check your food intake to make sure you’re not exceeding the calories needed to lose weight.

To be sure you are physically on track, you may find it useful to journal your food intake.  You can do this in your journal right here on MedHelp.  Write down EVERYTHING you eat and the associated calories. CalorieKing is a site I have found quite useful; there are others. This site shows the calorie content, the nutritional values and serving sizes of common food items. In addition, the same information is available for many items featured at national restaurants and fast food chains.

If you are exceeding the caloric intake necessary to lose weight, adjust your food plan and reach out for additional support.

If you are physically remaining at a calorie content that will allow weight loss, then try the following activities to jump-start your metabolism.

Activity #1

Days 1 and 2 – Lower your normal caloric intake by 200 calories (example: if your daily caloric intake is 1,400 calories, lower your calorie intake to 1,200).

Day 3 – Increase your normal caloric intake by 200 calories (example: if your daily caloric intake is 1,400 calories, increase your calorie intake to 1,600). By consuming the additional calories, it sends a message to your brain that you are not starving. It signals your body to release the fat it has been holding in reserve.

Day 4 – Return to your normal caloric intake (example: if your daily caloric intake is 1,400 calories, return your calorie intake to 1,400).

Activity #2

Change your exercise routine from day to day. This keeps your muscles in a state of confusion. In this state, your body does not know what to expect and your muscles stand ready to accept the physical challenges you present. This allows your body to achieve the maximum benefit from your exercise.

You see, our bodies have a remarkable way of adapting to changes in our environment and physical activity levels. If you continue to do the same exercise routine, day after day, your body becomes accustomed to it and knows what to expect … it adapts. In doing so, it no longer requires the same amount of energy to perform a task it is becoming accustomed to. While your effort remains constant, your body has adapted and now uses less energy to perform the same function. It really is remarkable and part of the grand design that assures our survival as a species, albeit frustrating when trying to lose weight.

If you'd like to read more ... here is a link to some additional information ... http://www.ranaesheart.com/2008/06/how-to-survive-plateau.html

Hope you'll stay in touch here on the Weight Loss & Dieting Community.  Would love to have you join in and both give and receive support .. and consider participating in our current and subsequent weight loss challenges.  

Very best wishes .. and heartfelt support .. (((Hugs)))
Ranae

[mirabella45]

Ya know...just an idea...Have you considered that you are fueling muscle..which is a good thing..but muscle weighs more than fat..you may be as lean as your gonna get if you are all muscle.

[TrudieC]

My, that is tough.  You are certainly doing all the right things.  My only suggestion is that sometimes we think we are eating the right things but can be wrong.  This happened to me until I started using the s p a r k p e o p l e web site which calculates the calories, protein, fats and carbs in what I eat and measures against what I should be eating to hit my target.  I used to think gummy bears were a good snack if I needed something.  Boy was I wrong!  Don't forget to drink lots of water too.  Good luck!