Why are the scales not shifting despite loads of cardio exercise???

[PussinJimmyChoos]

Been doing a 30 min Tae Bo DVD 4/5 times a week, plus press ups and weights....although I've lost inches, clothes feel better etc. The scales are not budging!!

When can I expect to see something? I am not dieting but I have drastically reduced my junk intake and don't smoke or drink

How much water do you drink?

don't weigh yourself, muscle weighs more thsn fat

I've drunk about 4 reasonable sized glasses today plus a cup of tea.....but on my non working days when I'm running around after DS, its probably half that as I just forget to drink!

muscle weighs more than fat. did you measure yourself or check your BMI before hand?

I know I've lost inches from the look of my clothes...didn't do my BMI before though....too afraid! ha ha!!

The thing is though, the inch loss can only go so far before the weight needs to come off iyswim? I want to see something on the scales and I'm puzzled as to why I haven't. I doubt that I've gained that much muscle...also, can I ever expect to see weight loss?

are you eating better too?, if your eating the same just excersizing then you'll just really be toning up??

why are you bothered about weight if you are losing dress sizes/inches?

it's good to have muscle, even if it weighs more, means your metabolism is higher and you look much slimmer than someone of the same weight but with more fat than muscle

they're all v. wise, muscle really does weigh more than fat. It's not just a lie made up by gym bunnies.

How long have you been doing this programme?

You might need to make some really small changes to your diet too....

plus if you feel better and look better, are you really worried what the scales say?

I've cut out a lot of crap....but I'm still eating the odd treat in the evening as I just can't face an evening without a bit of choc....fark...maybe I need to cut out ALL junk??

I'm on 20mg Citalopram anti depressants too....not sure if they affect metabolism?? I'm not a yo yo dieter either. Maintained a steady weight before DS

a treat wont kill you as long as its not a family size bar of galaxy(like ive been having!)..what are you eating for meals??

Hatcam - 2weeks on Wednesday....erm...maybe I'm being a tad optimistic to expect weight loss so quickly??

if you've just kept eating habits same, but now excersizing i wouldnt expect to see any loss yet, friend did this and although was much fitter/healthier/toned, she didnt lose a lot of weight

Pink Chick

I'll give you a typical day:

Breakfast: 2 slices granary bread with marmalade, no spread, tea with no sugar and semi skimmed milk

Snack - banana or handful of almonds - maybe both if really hungry

Lunch - on a work day will be egg salad with salad cream (small sachet). Non work day is cheese and tomato sandwich (two slices of bread, no spread, small amount of cheese)

Dinner - varies from chicken salad with dressing, homemade lasagne (one sqaure) with salad, chicken curry (homemade with low fat coconut milk) or scampi, chips and peas with tartre sauce....to give you a rough idea...

The evenings is where I fall down - I've cut out the snacks lately but I do like cadburys dairy milk, ice cream and cake...but I don't have it every night - I used to, but now I just have toast or drink water...

Try working out for longer (up to 60 minutes) with less intensity.

Eat well 80% of the time and when you ahve a treat, enjoy it for what it is - don't beat yourself up about it or feel guilty.

Try and up your general activity levels (sounds stupid but makes a massive difference) i.e. walk as much as poss, don't stand still on the escalator etc.

Anti-d's can have a regulating effect on metabolism, not sure about Citalopram specifically.

2 weeks is too early to realistically expect weight loss - so pls pls don't be disheartened. I always say to clients that they'll feel better and will notice a difference in their bodies in about 2 -3 weeks but wouldn't expect significant weight change until 6 weeks+. Also bear in mind that weight loss from exercise isn't often a gradual pound per week type loss - you find you appear to drop a few pounds between one single weigh-in, then it may plateau before another drop. Be realistic about how much 'weight' you can lose and try and be really positive about what you've already done.

Life is far too short to give up a bit of chocolate, or a glass of vino. There'd be no point exercising if you couldn't treat yourself, if you make your 'dieting' regime too strict it'd be so YAWNSOME you'd be nosebagging Krispy Kremes in no time. And this from a personal trainer .

Here's some insight into cardio that I've gathered over the years from personal trainers and other gym personnel:

(1) Cardio exercise has to be 45 minutes minimum. 1 hour is good. First 20 minutes or so, you burn sugar.

(2) Heart rate is very important in cardio (as name suggests). Your heart beat should be a steady 120-140 bpm (depending on your age & general fitness) to burn fat (after the sugar).

As for food, don't eat protein (yoghurt, cheese, meat, fish) and carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread) in the same meal. And don't eat/drink any sugar immediately before or after the meal. That means no coca cola during the meal, no fruit, desert, or coffee with sugar after the meal.

Oh, and eat lots of fish.

Cote - more of a low Gi diet type thing?? Mmm..I did that before and the weight fell off me, but that was pre DS and it was hard work. I need meals that are workable...I've switched to brown pasta so when I eat lasagne its brown pasta...I do eat white rice with chicken curry but a small amount - its a kind of compromise iyswim?

Hat - thanks for all that . Why does it take 6 weeks + for the difference to become apparent? My cardio is Billy Blanks Energise by the way - the basic Taeo Bo work out...30 mins 5/6 times a week...should I up to the advanced work out 3/4 times a week instead? The reason why I'm doing the 30min one is that is more manageable with DS and working part time

(ps am 5ft 2" and 12st 7lb...was 10st pre DS but gained 4st during pregnancy)

Cote, what about alcohol with food on food combining? a no-no?

I think you are working out at too high and intensity PJC, can you get a HR monitor? then do long periods of fat-burning cario, rather than higher-intensity workouts

also, from your typical day's diet, you don't eat nearly enough veg or fruit.

make a huge vat of veg soup and eat it for lunch

snack on crudites

swap a proportion of carbs for extra veg

how old is your ds? and are you bf-ing?

Sorry CoteDAzur but you've been misled on the fat/sugar thing and esp the heart rate issue....

30 mins cardio is fine - your body will always reach for its own glucose stores first before burning fat (as it's a much more efficient chemical reaction) but as you deplete your glucose stores it's already replenishing them from other sources (e.g. fat stores), it's simultaneous rather than each way of getting enery working in isolation.

You should always try and do strength work as well as cardio, but it makes no difference to fat burning as to what order you do them in.

Worry less about heart rate, as it's very individual and you really need a proper fitness test to determine what range you should be working in, but possibly try and work with a scale of effort levels. So if 1 is lying on the sofa eating pie and 10 is sprinting as if your life depended on it you should be working at between 6-8 for the entire time. You should be able to just talk, but not in complete sentences.

It's also a myth that you switch from aerobic to anaerobic 'zones' - if you're working really hard then you are still fat burning (aerobic) but because you're working hard, your body needs an extra boost of energy. One doesn't switch off and the other switch on.

Does that make sense?

Hatcam, honestly, agree totally with Cote - every PT I have spoken to says a HR monitor is so important

I love mine, can really target your training so much with it

although, not doubting what you say - just how useful I have found a HR monitor (also get much reassurance from it, as have some heart probs in family)

Hat - yes makes total sense...blimey, haven't heard the words aerobic/anaerobic since uni!!

Really, its so hard not to get disheartened though because although I'm seeing a difference inch wise, the scales are what give you the real oooh, I'm losing weight boost iyswim?

Dinny - I do add veg to my curries - mange tout, baby sweetcorn etc. Have peppers, mushrooms, courgettes and onions in lasagne that I add myself and I have a salad with it so tomatoes, cucumber etc. I do like the idea of replacing the rice with a side of veg though if have curry