Very restricted diet and intense excercise program leads to no weight loss?!
Question: I am on a very restricted, but healthy diet ( i've talked it over with my trainer, and he agrees that its fine) The diet includes lots of fruits and veggies, and about 10 bottles of water a day. On top of the diet, I am on a very intense workout training program involving about an hour of cardio and an hour of strength 6 times a week. I have been doing this program since about mid-december, and yet since then, I have only lost about 10 lbs. I would think that with the dieting and excercise that the pounds would be just shedding off, but they arent. I have about 70lbs left to lose, so i need the weight to be falling off of me.
My question is, why am i not losing weight as quickly as expected. I am not one to lose weight slowly, so this is really bothering me.
thank you!
Answers: I am on a very restricted, but healthy diet ( i've talked it over with my trainer, and he agrees that its fine) The diet includes lots of fruits and veggies, and about 10 bottles of water a day. On top of the diet, I am on a very intense workout training program involving about an hour of cardio and an hour of strength 6 times a week. I have been doing this program since about mid-december, and yet since then, I have only lost about 10 lbs. I would think that with the dieting and excercise that the pounds would be just shedding off, but they arent. I have about 70lbs left to lose, so i need the weight to be falling off of me.
My question is, why am i not losing weight as quickly as expected. I am not one to lose weight slowly, so this is really bothering me.
thank you!
If you are working out so much then what's happening is you are developing muscle. Muscle of course weighs more than fat so you aren't seeing the results you were expecting.
Keep in mind that about 1 lb/week is the recommended weight loss level and everyone loses weight at different rates. Don't get discouraged, the weight will come off if you keep at it. Good luck.
If you talked to your trainer about whether or not your diet was satisfactory, then why didn't you ask him/her this question?
You're gaining muscle in this stage (especially if you're doing super intense weight training!) and even though you're losing fat your increased muscle will not help budge the scale this early in your training.
You should never start a workout plan just to be thin... you should want to be healthy. Gaining muscle and losing body fat will help you to be a much healthier person.
If you are under 1200 calories (especially with working out that much), you are doing yourself no good, and your body could be storing fat.
Also, you are lifting weights 6 days a week. Assuming your diet really IS healthy, then you are likely just gaining muscle, which helps to burn more fat and weighs more than fat. Maybe cut 1 or 2 days a week of lifts to give yourself more time to rest, recover, and repair.
Stop watching the scale (except every 1-4 weeks) and start measuring your progress with a tape measure around your waist, hips, thighs, and arms once a week in the morning right after you use the restroom.
Note, also, that you are right on track for a HEALTHY weight loss, 1-2 lbs per week. It's not slow, it's normal.
Lastly, I hate to say if, but ask your trainer what his credentials are, and what goals he has for you on a month-by-month basis over the next 6-12 months. If he doesn't have a bachelors degree in nutrition, biochemistry, or kinetics (exercise science) and a masters (or at least on his way to one) in a similar area of study, I would shop around for a more qualified individual. It's hard for gyms to get well-qualified people, and a lot of times it's just a guy who likes to work out, reads fitness magazines and maybe has coached football or track part time.