I asked for advice about exercise to change my shape. Not having much luck!

[flipchart]

I posted before Christmas about want to to lose weight and needed to get back into my clothes.

Since then I've been having 1 to 1 traing for an hour 4 times a week doing a combination of high intensity interval training and strength work. I work bloody hard, sweat and ache. I have different instructors to mix things up.

I have not lost an ounce! My jeans are still tight. Sure I'm fitter but that wasn't the only outcome I wanted!

10 weeks in and I'm disillusioned!

[orangeflutie]

Hi are you watching what you eat too? Sorry if I'm stating the obvious. I say this because I'm currently training for a marathon so doing lots of running. I haven't lost any weight but then my appetite is huge lol and it's not my aim.

Exercise is good for well being, toning and building muscle which tends to weigh heavier than fat. It's worth keeping going with it but you will need to look at your diet too if you actually want to lose weight.

[Suzannewithaplan]

agree with Orange, the two pronged approach is usually effective, ie move more and eat less

[drowninginlaundry]

10 weeks won't produce miracles with workouts alone. Are you eating sugar and wheat? Grains? You have to ditch these. It starts with the food.

[Chopstheduck]

Come and join MFP, and log your food. You may be working up an appetite and eating all you are burning. I find some foods bloat me too, like soda, or white bread.

I work out a lot and try to eat around 1700 calories, 30% protein, 40% fat and 30% carb. I'm not losing weight, but my trousers are falling down. ;)

[BikeRunSki]

You need to be in "calories deficit" of 3500 calories to lose 1lb (without accounting for building muscle) - so for 1lb a week, that 's 500 cals a day, or about 1 hr non stop vigorous exercise. It's very hard to lose weight by exercise alone. Exercise+ dieting works better than the sum of its parts.

[Ladycurd]

I read somewhere exercise was only 20% effective for weightloss! the other 80% is about food intake. But two pronged approach is best. It's hard to lose weight, I'm totally failing :)

[EauRouge]

Yes, you can lose weight by exercise alone but it's much slower than dieting as well. Some people end up eating slightly more when they are exercising more so they don't lose any weight.

If you're working out a lot then don't ditch carbs completely; you need them! Be careful that you don't cut down too much and end up making yourself lightheaded during workouts. Maybe ask your PT what they suggest? It sounds like you're working out pretty hard so just a small reduction in calories should help.

[flipchart]

I have spoken to one of my trainers. She has asked me todo a food diary for two weeks and we will go through it.

My diet was pretty grime. However I have stopped all the impulse buying of choc bars. Not completely given up but certainly reduced by an awful lot. I am only having alcohol once a week when I go to watch my team play. It used to be nearly every night.

Although I wasn't expecting to be skinny after 10 weeks I was expecting something!
( although this morning I did notice that my bust seemed a bit smaller)

[EauRouge]

Food diary sounds like a plan, then you'll be able to see what you can cut out or switch for something else.

Speaking of switching, I'm a total chocoholic and now I only eat the super-dark 90% cocoa stuff- one square does the job of a whole bar of milk chocolate. Alcohol has tons of calories so cutting that down will really help.

[Suzannewithaplan]

Some people respond quickly to exercise (in terms of losing bodyfat) for others it takes longer.

Sometimes it can feel like you have to run just to stay in the same place but the harsh truth is that most of us will see a gradual decline in health and an increase in body fat unless we exercise and stick to a healthy diet.

There is no consensus as to the optimal diet or exercise regime, and it's going to vary from person to person.

I say do your research and experiment to find what works for you!

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

I agree with others- food is crucial.

If I need to trim up increase veg and protein, drop the carbs and fat a bit. While not Atkins you do need quite a bit of protein, especially if you are weight training.

[HalleLouja]

I am doing the two pronged approach and its working slowly and surely. In the last 6 weeks I have lost about 12lbs if I use my scales. I lost a bit before starting WW.

Am doing WW plus running x 3 a week, pilates and a HIIT class. Plus walking up escalator etc.

[Meglet]

What about adding in a pilates session? It will stretch you out and improve your posture.

[Joules68]

I think sugar and carbs might bd hampering the weightloss

Also, are you drinking enough? 10 weeks isn't long to be looking for results already

[flipchart]

I am having a big re think this weekend. I weigh and measure the same as before Christmas.
However my fitness has really dot up and so has my strength. My instructors are amazed that I can leg press the whole stack of weight on the weight machine for 15 reps and 3 sets. It's far to say my legs are powerful!

I have dabbled with yoga but the classes around my way are on when I work ( I'm a shift worker)

I had hoped to be able to fit into my wet suit for March. That has not happened!

[BingoWingsBeGone]

I lost weight, toned and had a great figure when I combined running with Pilates and circuits and eating 1200 calories (net calories after exercise) per day. Steady 2lb a week loss.

[BingoWingsBeGone]

Btw the 30 day shred makes a good replacement for circuits if you would struggle to get to classes. I did 4x30-60 min sessions per week

[BingoWingsBeGone]

Posted too soon again - so 1 run (5-10k), I circuits, 1 Pilates

[BingoWingsBeGone]

Oh FFS 2 circuits

[flipchart]

What I'm struggling to understand is,I wasn't exercising before hand, I'd got into arut of being quite lazy compared to how I used to be. I still snowboarder spcycled and did mountain walks but had dropped all the classes and weights about 3 years ago.

So then suddenly I'm doing 4 hours of high intensity interval training a week on top of my normal stuff and nothing happens!
It's not like I'm eating likes hog or particular bad. In the past week and a half I've had3 shots of vodka. Before Christmas it was nearly at least one drink a day. Oh well, at least I can run for a bus now if I ever need to!

[Suzannewithaplan]

I think with exercise there are changes over the long term which mean you will be healthier and have lower body fat than if you didn't exercise, you have to stick with it and make it a way of life, consider it a form of maintenance which has to be done if you want to remain in good health.

Periods of sedentary living will damage your body/metabolism and it may be that the damage has to be undone before you see much improvement

[IpanemaMeisje]

When I exercise a lot my appetite really increases so I have to be careful to fill up on healthy stuff, try replacing some of your evening meals with a large bowl of lentil/bean and veg soup. Good for protein, low cal and cheap to make. Bit boring but it works for me.

[Suzannewithaplan]

you've said that you are fitter and considerably stronger so that's pretty damn good to be going on with, just keep at it:o

muscle mass must have gone up and so (since you weigh the same) you must have lost body fat