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

Sorry for jumping into this thread at such a late stage... but I've lost nearly 3 stones since December and I have consciously not tried to do this with exercise. I am reasonably active but apart from skiing for one week and a bit of swimming with the kids (which is mostly standing around in the pool), I have not "worked out" at all. I'm not saying exercise is bad (I think it is good) and I have no view about the science re cardio and weight loss but I do know two things about my previous (failed) attempts to lose weight through exercise:

1. it makes me hungry
2. it makes me feel that I can eat more or have a treat.

No. 1 is bad when I am trying to cut down on eating and no. 2 undoes all the good work (esp. when the amount of calories burned working out is actually v. small).

Also, I think there's something a bit weird about working out so we can eat more. Why not let your body settle into a metabolic rate based on reasonable activity and learn how to eat within those limits?

It isn't about being able to eat more though, it is about a healthier lifestyle in terms of diet and fitness. The health benefits of exercise are far more important that being able to eat that bit extra. For me, exercising is about feeling fitter, getting more toned and it has also helped me in the past get through depression and off of prozac.

If you get more hungry then I think you'd be best to spread your meals out more. I've been very active today so have had small amounts of food four times so far today and will have dinner later. And the amount burned isn't necessarily that small. I did 1200 cals at the gym, I've walked 2 miles fast, and been swimming for an hour with the kids. In theory I've earned a mcdonalds.

I think it's very individual. I see from your earlier post that you're 5'11. I'm only 5'1 and it would take me about 2 and a half hours of running to burn 1200 calories. I have to accept that as a small person, my calorie needs are actually pretty low. I think as well that for a lot of people (including me) the notion that you have in theory earned a McDonalds leads to actually eating it!

evening everyone. Yes I know cakes and biscuits are rubbish but that was my little treat for the day, believe me I used to eat loads of crap in the day so that is quite good for me! I am gradually reducing the amount of rubbish I eat.

Today I have had,

No breakfast as had to rush and do school run and stables! 2 rich tea biscuits.

lunch, homemade carrot and coriander soup, was quite pleased I made this!

Apple and a low fat alpen bar.

Dinner is salad and salmon.

I will not eat any snacks in the evening and if I do it will be strawberries or grapes.

I have been riding this morning and am about to go for a run, hoping my shins will be ok so only doing 1 mile. I have brought new trainers which have made no difference at all.

Strawberries - you might be eating too much sugar and no protein to speak of so far. An Alpen Bar has nearly two teaspoons of sugar in it. A handful of nuts might be more satisfying. I'd save the sugar for real treats (i.e. cake) now and then rather than pseudo healthy bars. How about an oatcake rather than a rich tea?

Apologies as haven't read the entire thread, but have you considered doing a 'Fern' and combining gastric band surgery with your diet/exercise regime for the best result?

running for 45 mins on the treadmill? sod that. .

I tend to do predominantly brisk walking (between 4/4.5 mph) with minute long sprints at between 6/7 mph. This after I have done time on the cross trainer/the rower and my 60 stomach crunches on weights.

I have lost another lb which puts me up to 6 in under three weeks, but my period is due iminently and that always screws up my weight for a week.

I can't run at all really. I put the treadmill up to a steep hill and walk at about 5km/h for about 40 mins. It's amazing how much difference an incline makes to the calories burned.

Right. I've not been running for 2 weeks because I damaged my extensor tendons - have been at a loose end and thoroughly miserable and eating crap . So I am trying a run tonight. Resting heart rate is 60. I want to see what it is during my run - beginning (when I really struggle) and after the first mile or so when it gets easy. And then 5mins after I stop. Just out of curiosity.

If you're counting the calories burned, isn't it really about how much you can eat? I'm all in favour of exercising if it makes you feel good but 40 mins on a treadmill indoors (or any other sort of gym-based cardio machine) is so mind-numbingly tedious for me that I'd rather skip it and eat less. I really don't think cardio is worthwhile for weight loss unless you actually enjoy it.

i firmly believe that if you want to look good and feel good then you need to lead a healthy lifestyle which undoubtedly means a healthy varied diet and lots of exercise inside and out and interesting activites

yopu can look slim but still be unhealthy

our bodies are designed to be excercised and that puts them in the best position to fight disease and ageing

but if people want to not exercise or eat junk then fair play

Jumpty, it doesnt have to be tedious - I take a book or a mag, and my ipod and it's time out for me! I never get to read at home, only ever in the car or at gym. I read on the bike and the treadmill, and catch up with the news while on the xtrainer.

Putting aside the whole design issue... you can't equate eating junk with not exercising in the context of cardio and weight loss. We have a big problem with lots of people being overweight. At the same time, every year loads of people join gyms and only go a couple of times before giving up. We're constantly told that you have to exercise more to lose weight, usually by people who either enjoy cardio workouts or who are pretty zealous/puritanical about exercising. Most overweight people are not like that - they start going to the gym, hate it/are crap at it, stop, feel like a failure and reach for the biscuits. All I'm saying is if you are one of those (like me) focus on dieting not working out. When you get to a reasonable weight you'll probably feel more like being more active, in whatever way you enjoy.

But to me dieting is totally soul-destroying. You can call it eating healthily, cutting back a bit, or cutting out the junk, but it all comes to the same thing - thinking and worrying about food. I have done so many different diets over the years and undoubtedly while I was sticking to them I lost weight and at first it was easy but after a while it became demoralising. When you go out for a meal and spend 10 mins angsting over whether to allow yourself chips or just salad ...well that way madness lies

Now I eat what I want but simply try to listen to my hunger. If I'm hungry I eat, when I'm not I stop, regardless of whether I've still got half a plate of food in front of me. OK I try to avoid too much bread as years of following Atkins has taught me that I'm better off without it, but apart from that I eat what I want. Just moderate amounts. It's so liberating. And for me exercise is the reason I can.

Chops, I think it's great that you enjoy your workout. I've tried reading, music, watching tv, it's still beyond boring. Gyms' business models are based on the fact that more people are like me than are like you. Every gym in business relies on the fact that people will sign up then hardly ever come. They couldn't actually accommodate all their members if they all went 2-3 times a week and wouldn't make any money if they restricted their members to numbers they could accommodate.

OrmIrian, I totally agree with you. I would call that dieting as in changing the way you eat (assuming you didn't always eat that way). I think listening to hunger is absolutely right, that's also what I do (and avoid a few things like processed foods / high carb foods (which I've lost the taste for) and cheese (which I still adore)). I've been shocked by how much less I need to eat when I listen to my hunger - and cutting down the carbs avoids low blood sugar which I used to mistake for hunger.

Maybe. I don't do low-fat though. I've found that a high-protein meal with some fat is the best thing to stop my getting hungry. I suspect most dieting gurus would be horrified at my diet

But we all get there in our own way I suppose.

I don't do low fat either, it's so unsatisfying. I eat a lot of soups and stews (some veggie, some with meat) but I always have some fat in it (softening the veggies in oil first or adding coconut milk). I think I might need to add a bit more protein, I'm filling myself up on a lot of veggies and might be missing out.

Jumpty - I hear you about it being boring sometimes. I certainly prefer to run outside but at the moment I'm just not able to so I'm making to best of it in the gym

Exercise isn't just about losing weight - you can be slim and unfit; you can be a little overweight and fit - but you can't be fit without raising your heartrate a bit and getting out of breath. My dh for instance is about a stone overweight but he can go out and run for 6 miles no problem. My friend's dh is as thin as a rake but he can't run for a bus!

I must admit to finding this whole question perplexing. I have taken regular reasonably strenuous exercise for the last 15yrs or so. Gym, step, circuit training, body pump... the works. And over the same period I have been on various diets and none and whilst I lost weight (and gained it again!) my basic body shape remained the same. Since I started running for longer (60 mins plus) 3 or 4 times a week I have changed. And even when I eat too much or the wrong things it doesn't seem to matter. I was looking at my reflection in a window today (not something ,I go out of my way to do, honestly but I had to wait ages for my DS) and I have a smaller waist, space between the top of my thighs, narrower hips, and bones stick out, it is seriously noticeable and the only think I can put it down to is running. I find it hard to beleive too.

Saggar - I'm not denying there are health benefits to exercise (I think there are). I loathe cardio workout machines but I love yoga, skiing, riding a bike, body pump classes, weights and swimming. They all make me feel great but I'm really busy right now and can't make time for them. In spite of this, I've managed to lose weight by changing my eating habits. All I'm trying to say is that it's not necessary to do cardio to lose weight, and sometimes it is even counterproductive. That is all. I think we each need to figure out what works for us and not feel it's all hopeless if we can't get into working out.

Jumpty - you are doing cardiovascular exercise, all the stuff you've said is working your heart and lungs - some aerobically and some anaerobically. Agree with you - doing a sport or class or activity that's not gym based is so much more interesting. I'm a personal trainer and I loathe the gym, think it's quite unhealthy and it doesn't really get you into good habits generally. Sometimes it's a necessary evil, but not much fun. Train all my clients at their homes or outdoors. Plus, working outside the gym is usually much harder work and better exercise - i.e. running is (according to research!) 30% more difficult outside than on a treadmill.

Agree too on finding what suits you - you do have to sweat a little and start puffing a bit to get health benefits, but it doesn't have to be the gym. If you enjoy it, you're more likely to do it on an ongoing basis, which is what makes a real differences. There aren't any quick fixes, sadly....

Ok I need some help. I have worked out alot and now have quite muscly big arms and want to get rid of some of the muscle, is this possible? How do i do it?

Sorry Jumpty - the second part of my post wasn't directed at you. It was just a general observation that people seem to come to regular exercise when they want to lose weight. Exercise for the fitness aspect (and all the other benefits) seems secondary for many. I've often had it said to me that 'you don't need to exercise/run/go to the gym' purely on the basis that I'm not overweight. They don't seem to recognise that maybe I'm not overweight because I exercise and also that it keeps me from going insane most of the time lol!

Strawberries - I have no idea. Can you do more reps but with less weight? Would that help?