Aa
weight loss
I work out for at least an hour 40 minutes cardio, the rest of the time is weights. I watch what I eat. After 2 months, I have only lost 4lbs. What is going on?
Remember that the scale only tells you your entire body weight. It does not tell you the composition of that weight. And it is body composition that really matters.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that,BY VOLUME, IT SEEMS TO WEIGH MORE. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.
Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than lead weighs more than feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that,BY VOLUME, IT SEEMS TO WEIGH MORE. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat.
By volume, muscle does weigh more than fat. Fact. :p
Sorry CuteNsweeT, muscle doesn't weigh more than fat! A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat. What Mas1964 should buy is a body fat caliper and figure her %.
If you're doing a lot of weight-training, then you've obviously put on muscle. It weighs a whole lot more than fat, so even though you're working out and LOSING FAT, you're not losing the WEIGHT because you've upped your muscle percentage. This is healthy, and muscle burns calories even at rest, so you've increased your metabolic rate (which is good!).
Being female though, you probably aren't too happy with not seeing the scale number go down, despite all the effort you're putting in! Lol. I've been there myself, it's frustrating! The best thing you can do is to forget the scales for a while and concentrate on measurements instead; I'm willing to bet that even with just 4lbs weight loss, you've noticed clothes getting looser, and your waist decreasing? That's fat loss right there! Keep track of your inches and it'll spur you on to keep going with your routine, then before you know it, the overall weight will come down too. But really, when we say we want to "lose weight" we mean "lose fat", and you're doing that already, so keep up the good work! :)
Being female though, you probably aren't too happy with not seeing the scale number go down, despite all the effort you're putting in! Lol. I've been there myself, it's frustrating! The best thing you can do is to forget the scales for a while and concentrate on measurements instead; I'm willing to bet that even with just 4lbs weight loss, you've noticed clothes getting looser, and your waist decreasing? That's fat loss right there! Keep track of your inches and it'll spur you on to keep going with your routine, then before you know it, the overall weight will come down too. But really, when we say we want to "lose weight" we mean "lose fat", and you're doing that already, so keep up the good work! :)
I forgot to mention, you said that you watch what you eat but you don't say how many calories you take in each day.
You probably know that cardio exercise is a key factor in helping you lose weight. Many people are warned to stay within their 'fat burning' zone for the best results, but you really don't burn more fat if you work at lower intensities. The most effective way to help you lose weight The Truth is The body does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat in the 'fat burning zone' or at lower intensities. But, at higher intensities, you burn a greater number of overall calories which is what you should be concerned about when trying to lose weight.
You burn more total calories and more fat calories at a higher intensity. This isn't to say that low intensity exercise doesn't have it's place. In fact, endurance workouts should be a staple of a complete fitness program along with shorter, higher intensity workouts or even interval workouts which are a great way to burn calories and build endurance. To figure out your own intensity levels, start by calculating your target heart rate zone.
In order to figure out which zone you're in, you first need to figure out what your own target heart rate is. You can do this by using the Karvonen Formula. You can also use any number of target heart rate calculators to get your heart rate zone, but many of them do not incorporate your resting heart rate (which makes it a bit more accurate).
The Karvonen Formula is a mathematical formula that helps you determine your target heart rate zone. The formula involves using your maximum heart rate minus your age to come up with a target heart rate range (which is a percentage of your MHR). Staying within this range will help you work most effectively during your cardio workouts.
This is an example of the Karvonen formula for a 23 year old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute
206.9 - (0.67 x 23 (age)) = 191
191 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 126
126 65% (low end of heart rate zone) OR 85% (high end) = 82 OR 107
82 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 147
107 + 65 (rhr) = 172
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 147 to 172
To get your resting heart rate, take your pulse for one full minute when you first wake up in the morning so have a watch at your bedside don't get out of bed and take your pulse.
You burn more total calories and more fat calories at a higher intensity. This isn't to say that low intensity exercise doesn't have it's place. In fact, endurance workouts should be a staple of a complete fitness program along with shorter, higher intensity workouts or even interval workouts which are a great way to burn calories and build endurance. To figure out your own intensity levels, start by calculating your target heart rate zone.
In order to figure out which zone you're in, you first need to figure out what your own target heart rate is. You can do this by using the Karvonen Formula. You can also use any number of target heart rate calculators to get your heart rate zone, but many of them do not incorporate your resting heart rate (which makes it a bit more accurate).
The Karvonen Formula is a mathematical formula that helps you determine your target heart rate zone. The formula involves using your maximum heart rate minus your age to come up with a target heart rate range (which is a percentage of your MHR). Staying within this range will help you work most effectively during your cardio workouts.
This is an example of the Karvonen formula for a 23 year old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute
206.9 - (0.67 x 23 (age)) = 191
191 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 126
126 65% (low end of heart rate zone) OR 85% (high end) = 82 OR 107
82 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 147
107 + 65 (rhr) = 172
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 147 to 172
To get your resting heart rate, take your pulse for one full minute when you first wake up in the morning so have a watch at your bedside don't get out of bed and take your pulse.
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