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

you have to be patient no shortcuts or quick fixes

yes exercise and eating healthily definitely does work

Hatcam - you are so motivational

On the plus side, I've had PND after DS (two) and although am so much better, I used to find it really hard to get motivated in the mornings and just wanted to slump and go back to sleep...now I'm exercising, that has gone so thats brilliant really as I feel I can be the energetic mum at the same time as DS is energetic iyswim?

And Quint - we are both stunning...its just buried under a layer of fat....

I started excersising last September, my heart rate was high even when walking. I was careful what I eat and made sure I didn't eat more than 2000cals (roughly) a day and excersised for 45 mins every day including weights.

After 3 months my heart rate had dropped when I ran I could actually run for more than 10 mins and the combination of running and spinning classes was really making a difference to my heart rate.

In November I had lost 18Ilb in weight and was feeling much fitter. Not only had I become fitter I hadn't had a smoke since the end of August (I still havn't had a smoke)

By January my heart rate was really getting better and i could - and still can run for 30 minutes, a combination of speeds up to 10 k per hour.

I can spend 4-5 hours on a bike and cycle 50 miles - my goal is to ride the London to Brighton this year and I will in 2 weeks time. Thus the cycle training and running to cross train. I do find the running helps my cycling and my heart rate.

I train ion the bnike and have easy rides - 20 miles, and longer harder rides with mamouth hills 40 miles over 3and a half hours.

I have stayed the same weight and have even put on a couple or three pounds. I don't spend so much time at the gym - as I am out on the road rather than inside.

I am not doing the weights and this is the difference I am finding that the pounds went back on.

What is good is the feeling that I can run and cycle like I could when I was 18, keep at the excersise - don't lose heart

It isn't all about the look or the scales but the feeling of freedom to run and play with your children as if you were 10 years younger

have read approx half way through this thread so apologies if I'm repeating.

ultimately, if you're burning more calories than you're consuming you will lose weight. However, if you're exercising then the fat can convert into muscle and muscle is heavier than fat but you will look better for it.

This is what I do:

have cut out all the junk. no crisps/chocolate/cake/biscuits/sweets.. you get the idea.
Have cereal for breakfast with water, proper lunch, ie fish/chicken etc with salad
and light tea ie a sandwich, but I try to eat my last meal before 6 pm to give it time to digest before I go to bed.

And then:

I do approx 40 mins exercise a day (I mean proper exercise on jim equipment) most days this consists of:
stomach crunches on the weights (45)
5-10 mins on the rower
15 mins on the cross trainer
15 minutes on the treadmill but not hard running I vary my speed up and down throughout with a few hard sprints in the middle and some hill climbs thrown in for good measure.

I also try to go swimming 2 x a week and swim up to 50 lengths.

I have lost 5 lb in just under two weeks.

You cannot use a set heartrate because it's all dependent on your resting heart rate and that will vary according to how fit/unfit you are.

also, it's important to have some days when you do not exercise as this gives your muscles a chance to recover.

I am not a personal trainer btw so this is just my personal experience.

i lost 5 stone with a combination of healthy eating and exercise..it definitely works

Puss - I agree about the exercise helping with your mood. I wouldn't say I get depressed but I do have periods of low mood and stress and running has kept things more even. I haven't been able to exercise much recently because of a dodgy knee and everyone at home has commented how much more irritable I am.

You've done fab zippi

Ms Demeanor, re "every study shows that not to be the case"

Every study? Like in the world, ever?

What I said is we should exercise and be careful what we eat at the same time, which, curiously, is exactly what your MSNBC link from last night says.

What I mean by 'exercise' here is cardio exercise, moderate effort sustained for about an hour. Break a sweat but don't be out of breath. Be able to talk. Heart beat around 120-140 bpm.

Don't run on the treadmill like a hamster. If I had t guess, I would say that is why you are not losing any weight.

it does help with mood too even my gp agrees with that

i havent done enough lately and it shows

Ms Demeanor, re "I am hoping that weights and running will help prevent me getting fatter"

And how is exercise supposed to prevent you from gaining weight if you are so sure it does not help you lose weight?

Either it burn calories, increases metabolic rate and thus helps regulate weight, or it doesn't. You are contradicting yourself when you say it won't ever help you lose weight but will prevent you from gaining any.

i think it definitely does increase your metabolism but it it does require lots of sustasined effort to lose weight

and you have to find a programme for yourself so if you follow a prescribed routine asnd it isnt working then you have to eat less and exercise more than that presrcibed routine eg weight watchers says

if i had followed slimming world or weight watchers i would not have lost weight because they allow me to eat too much

I've just weighed and I seem to have put on rather than lost.... we went out for a works lunch yesterday and I had a pizza, but was so full up after, I didn't eat any dinner, just had some granary bread toast with marmalade...wonder if the pizza has caused me to retain water??

I've never had any problem seeing the scales go down pre DS but they just will not shift below 12st 4lb...EVER!! I wonder if its the Citalopram anti depressants??

did you eat a whole pizza

if so that would be more than i could eat in an entire day

it has a bout 2500 calories in

so if i wanted to lose weight i have to eat about 1200 to 1500 calories max

every day

and also it is much better to spread you food throughoput the day

carbohydrate before exercise and protein after is good to as you need the carbohydrate to sustain exercise and the protein to build muscle

Yes...I er...well...ate the whole thing... It was a thin based one though... this is NOT a regular occurance btw - in fact was the first work lunch since I had DS two years ago.... I thought was ok cos made it my main meal....

i think 2500 is probably an underestimate too

and what did you drink

a lot of the problem with food is that people dont realise how much energy there is in it

especially processed foods

I don't drink alcohol at all - am tee total. I just had a glass of tap water with ice as sugary drinks make me ughh....bit hypocritical while troughing pizza but hey!

if you seriously want to lose weight you need to really look into what you eat...you will be shocked when yopu start analysing stuff

eg a piece of cheesecake has about 450 calories

now i didnt do any calorie counting or points or any such twaddle but i on the other hand i completely avoided food which wasnt fruit veg or protein

so no junk and no puddinsg no crisps and definitely no pizza or take aways etc

Puss - With all due respect (and much love for Jimmy Choos ), do you really expect to lose weight on pizzas and.... marmalade, which is basically all sugar?

From previous posts I also gather that you feel wholegrain pasta is a dieting staple. It's healthier for you than white pasta (because of vitamin B etc) but it does not contain less carbohydrates or less calories.

Rather than binging on pizza and then snacking on marmalade/toast, I think you need to eat small amounts of healthy food at regular intervals. And if you will skip a meal, eat an apple (anything but banana - high calorie)

It was a one off - not a regular occurance but I do take your point....right...what to spread on my toast in the mornings instead?? No way I can switch to porridge as it makes me ...

a whole pizza is about as far from a portion as you can get

i avoided pasta and bread altogether

i found i could feel quite full on veg or salad and cottage cheese

if you have lots of veg and they contain quite adequate amounts of carbs then you dont have room for the other rubbish

i do eat bananas tho

pears are good for low gi as is oats in some form for breakfast and oats and fruit and organic milk for breakfast is good

but you have to adapt to your own likes and dislikes

but portion control is paramount if you do eat daft stuff

Zippittippitoes--what an amazing weight loss! Wow.

for brekfast i have

oats with jordans granola and a third of a tub of thawed forzen berries with organic milk

the granola is sweet but i just put a tablespoon on

and i dont have any other sweet stuff apart from fruit ie no added sugar

ciabatta is better than ordinary bread i find which i would have with cottage cheese and tomato