Can't Seem to Lose Any Weight!!!

Hi M.,

I have been drinking this vitamin/herbal supplement that helps curb hunger and burns fat, gives you more energy. Its all natural and tastes great. If you are interested, email me and I'll get you more information.
my email is ____@____.com

G.

Relax, M.! You've only been at it for 3 weeks -- that's NOT a long time. It took a year to gain, so seriously give yourself a good year to lose it and get back to your normal self. I was in the same boat after delivering my daughter (2nd child) 3 years ago. I had always been fit and figured I'd just bounce back like I did with my first child. NOT!

But I stuck with my plan -- because ultimately it's about a healthy life, not a thin life -- and the weight gradually came off. After a year of getting back into the fitness groove, I was back to my normal self. Don't stress it. Just have fun with your classes (embrace the "me time"), eat right (because it's the healthy thing to do and should be a lifestyle choice) and allow your habits to change your mental outlook. Then without even realizing you'll try on a pair of pants one day and realize you now need a belt!

Stay positive!

Hi M.,
Have your thyroid checked. Then buy the book From Belly Fat to Belly Flat by CW Randolph, MD. This book is a very informative quick read and really makes sense!

Good luck contact me with any questions,
K.
____@____.com

I would suggest a trip to your Primary Dr. It could be something simple like a vitamin deficiency or something more involved like your hormones/ thyroid being our of wack. A simple blood test would let you know either way.

Stubborn weight can sometimes be due to excess stress. When you are stressed, your adrenal glands put out the stress hormone cortisol that can in some instances block thyroid hormones from working or in some people can block insulin from working. So learning stress reduction techniques may be helpful.

Getting enough sleep also makes a difference for weight loss.

Also if you are toxic, and can't clear pollutants or waste products from your tissues, your body is storing the toxic waste in your fat cells. Doing a cleanse often jump-starts weight loss. However, most people need some direction for doing cleanses from a nutritionist or wholistic doctor or chiropractor so they don't feel sick while they go through the process. The detoxification process is what worked for me after years of trying just the exercise, and diet changes.

Dr. E

For me I dont lose weight unless my diet is superb, no matter how much cardio/weights I am doing. Take a hard look at what you are eating and the quality of the food. Sometimes I fool myself into thinking I am eating well but yet don't get all my F+V or overdue carbs/sugar (but still stay within my calorie range).

If your diet really is on track, make sure you are eating enough to support your activity level. Dont be one of those people who eats a yogurt and an apple and expects to get through the day!

I also like sparkpeople.com (a free website) to track activity and calories.

Hi, it is frustrating when this happens. I wouldn't rule out blood work to see if there is an unlying issue. However, you could be over-training. Also look at your food combinations. Are you eating 6 small meals every 3/4 hours to keep your metabolism in high gear? Keep a food journal as well as a workout journal. Stress can also cause alot of weightloss/weight gain. Good luck!!!

Hi M.,
Everyone's advice about checking with your MD about blood work to rule vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, or secondary effects from meds is a very good idea.

If none of those is in play, continue working out without overdoing it (so that you don't burn out), and as hard as it is, reconcile yourself with the fact that a part of dieting is being hungry for some periods of the day. I know some diets say that "you never have to deprive yourself" and this is true as long as you're eating very healthy snacks, but a healthy lifestyle means eating healthy things at set times of the day everyday, not noshing all day long. For those last stubborn pounds, doing this might not work as easily as at first. There are times that you just have to be hungry until it's the next set time to eat because the snack you've had just didn't fill you up (although it did fuel your body healthfully). Times like this might be at night before bed. You will find that if you sacrfice and not eat even though you are hungry, after a while you will not be hungry any more at that hour.

Also regarding diets, I'd recommend any diet that doesn't require you to buy special food or use meds. It's not sustainable; once you achieve your goal weight and start eating regular food again, you'd naturally gain weight again. Plus, who knows what's in that stuff...

Good luck! Remember losing and maintaining weight is a lifestyle so choose things that you like and can do for a long time!

I went through the same exact thing. After 3 trips to the lab for blood work, they found out i have PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome). It could very well be a hypo-active thyroid too. I would check in with your doctor and have him/her order lab work. And if they say nothing is wrong and you believe there is, be persistent! It took me bugging my doctors 3 times until i could finally say, "See?! I told ya so...". Good luck!

HI M.,
If you can rule out any health issues mentioned below, you might want to try the south beach diet. It kick started weight loss for me 4 years ago before my wedding and has been successful after my kids were born and i stopped nursing. I could never do "stage 1" with full effort but it didn't matter - just cutting out most carbs helps a lot! Good luck!
T.

Sounds familiar, before I had my daughter I did a Triathalon. I was gaining weight too so I ask my MD. He told me that I was not eating enough for the amount of exercise I was doing. I never thought I could starve my body with out noticing it.

So I would recommend eating 1200 calories a day and see how that works.
While you are exercising, I found that limiting your quantities and not eliminating food helps the best.

GOOD LUCK!

Are you taking any medication? It may be as simple as changing your birth control methods. Many of the hormonal BC cause weight gain, even when you're eating right and exercising. The shot is particularly notorious for doing this. Even switching from one pill type to another can help.

You can talk with your doctor to rule out other issues, and of course remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so maybe you're just gaining more muscle than you're losing fat, BUT...for what it's worth, I think it's probably a diet issue. I bet nearly anything that doing any of the following will help you (if you haven't already): stop drinking soda and juice; cut dairy out of your diet; stop eating pre-prepared foods, and eat more vegetables.

Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Do not worry about your weight. Keep up the exercise and healthy eating and you will slim down. Make sure not to starve yourself or your body will hold on to the fat.

I would get some blood work done to check your thyroid and also keep in mind if you are doing all these things that especially going to the gym that muscle weighs more then fat. I went to the gym before I had my second and my weight actually went up a little even though I was losing some of the fat. If you are starting to lose the fat around your belly I wouldn't be concerned about the amount of weight you lose.

You need to give it a little more time than 3 weeks - the good news is that the motivation to do something is there (that's the hardest part), but your body is getting shocked back into working out all the time. If it were 40 pounds (my issue) the weight would slide off if you worked out that often and ate well. Kickboxing always did wonders for me. If you haven't tried it yet, you might want to sign up for weight watchers as well, you can do it online. It helps really balance your eating. Even when you think you eat healthy, you probably aren't.

Keep in mind, healthy weight loss is only about a pound a week.

Good luck! : ) D.

You should check with your doctor. I friend found herself suddenly gaining weight even though she was doing extreme workouts and it turned out she had a hormonal imbalance. She has since gotten on some medication and lost a lot of weight. I also lost about 5 pounds several years ago after a routine physical (blood work) showed I had slightly low thyroid levels. I have been on a low thyroid medication ever since and it has helped keep my weight stable. So that is one possibility . . . Good luck! It sounds like you are doing everything else right!

Hi M.. What is your diet like? Is it ruining your efforts? Sometimes weight loss can be stubborn and slow. If it took you a year to put on 10 lbs, well you are not going to lose it in 3 weeks. You did lose a lb, so keep up the good work.
Weight training will go a longer way than cardio believe it or not, so make sure you are doing that three times a week.
I'm a trainer so I hear these complaints all the time.
I do agree though, it would not hurt to check with your DR. to rule stuff out.

Good luck!

Since your weight seems to be around your gut, you should look into the possibility of metabolic syndrome - this is a condition that consists of any combination of blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, fat deposits around the middle and high blood pressure. Many people don't have all 5, just a combination of any 3 or 4. If you have your blood tested for thyroid (it's called TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone), be sure you also have your sugar levels tested. This would be fasting blood sugars - so get the first appointment of the day and don't eat breakfast. I have both issues and am managing them well with a very low dose of thyroid hormone and a fantastic new product called GlucAffect which, in clinical trials, helped people reduce their fasting blood sugar levels by 30% and they lost an average of 16 pounds. Everyone added exercise, but the control group (not taking GlucAffect) did not lose weight. I've been to several conferences and the stories coming from all over the country are amazing - some people are even getting off insulin, and Type I diabetics are at least able to reduce how much insulin they take. GlucAffect only came out in November so that's really awesome. Metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes and diabetes are major health issues in the US now. I'm not saying you are diabetic, but the stubborn weight around the middle is often a sign of metabolic syndrome. Happy to share more info.

I have the same issue! Baby #2 did a number on my mid area.

I have found that sleep is also a factor with my weight. I saw something on one of the morning news casts about how to little sleep can keep those stubborn extra pounds from coming off. So make sure you're getting at least 7 hours a night. I unfortunately don't get that all the time, but when I can take a week and get a solid 7 hours, I notice a big difference.

Good luck! And I would alwasy ask your doctor as well.