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I've been heading to the gym 3-4 times a week for about 1hr and a half each day. My routine is 30-40 minutes of cario and then toning. Ever since I started a month ago I gained 10 pounds and now i've only lost 4 pounds. I'm even taking a fat burner and goin to the park on weekends and 1 a week on weekdays. I don't eat after 7 pm and I try to eat as healthy as possible. How can I speed up my metabolism fastern any suggestions?
You don't seem to be doing anything wrong. Have you had a physical checkup
recently to rule out any types of metabolic or thyroid problems?
I would definitely have myself checked for those conditions as well as
any problems with metabolizing glucose, which could indicate diabetes. Once
you have ruled out medical conditions, I suggest you just hang in there.
Losing weight seems to take forever. In addition, some exercises build
muscle density which weighs more than fat. So, you could seem to be
gaining weight, even though you're in better condition. Don't be like me, and
just give up!!
as couchcarrot said...muscle weighs more then fat...so try not to read into the numbers on the scale but look at your body...do you seem more toned? Do your clothes fit a little looser? It can take a long time to start losing weight. My doctor told me not to expect anything significant for 6 months!!!!! this was after she checked for any medical problems since I put the weight on so quickly.
Just keep working at it...you are already ahead of the game in the fact that you are going to the gym and trying to lose weight. I can't drag myself to the gym to save my life!
your body is designed to adjust to your life. when you do the same things over and over, your body adjusts to this and you dont see the results you get when you keep your body guessing.
for ex, my wife loves to run. a few years ago she was running miles everyday, and seeing her fitness was fine, but she wanted better results.
two years ago she completely changed her program. one day pilates. one day running and walking. one day tae bo. the results were incredible. within a month of cutting back the running and doing the pilates and tae bo she got a little line running down the middle of her abs. within a year of keeping at it, with less focus on cardio and more on core strength, she has a body that beats most women 15 years younger than her.
i like weights, walking, biking, hiking. tae bo was a good toss in for me because it doesnt bore me and uses muscles in a way that i just wouldnt do otherwise. pilates is unbelievable... i get bored with some long programs, but let me tell you... it rocks. if you are interested id suggest the Stott line of pilates dvds... they are really good and i can show you a couple of links if you are interested. anyone who thinks pilates is just doing poses on a mat doesnt have a CLUE about how strong it can make your body. its wicked stuff.
so... athletes cross train for a reason. you must continue to confuse your body to get the best results.
I believe the way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you are taking in. So.. you might want to check the caloric value of what you are eating. Not saying that you should calculate every time you eat a bite of food; but have some idea of the general number of calories you are taking in each meal. Try to get a target number of calories you should consume each day. Again, you don't have to be exact but if you find that you are consuming say 2500- 3000 calories per day ( which can easily be done even with supposedly " heallthy foods" that have little fat but many calories), and burning maybe 1-200 calories during a workout for the day, iit really is not a balance. By the end of the week you will see that your calorie intake has WAY surpassed the calories you burn when you work out.
That's just the way I started to lose weight & it worked pretty well at that time.
Now I don't really count calories anymore; but because I researched so much at one time I kind of know when I'm going overboard with what I'm eating & what exercises will probably burn more calories than others...
There are a lot of posts here that are dead on accurate. I have struggled with weight issues for a long time. You have to change your lifestyle. I was 240 lbs, smoked a pack a day, ate fast food and garbage all of the time, drank beer, etc. etc.
The cardio workouts helped me quit smoking. I eat a good breakfast as often as possible and if not, I do a MetRx shake. I switch back and forth so I don't get sick of it.
It's all about grazing throughout the day with proteins and veggies and fruit.
Stay away from fatty foods and carbs as much as possible. Drink a ton of water.
Pick one day a week and eat whatever you want. Just watch the portion size. This will help ease the pain a little. Get into a good exercise routine. Start off slow and don't burn yourself out. Work out with a buddy if you can so there is no cheating. After awhile it becomes part of your life. If you have to drink alchohol, train yourself to remember that 1 beer is 20 minutes on the treadmill give or take. Drink a Martini instead of 2 or 3 beers.
Believe me..........It's not easy at all! Work hard at it. Leave yourself little notes all over to encourage you. Don't even look at the scale for 3 months. Just get into a healthy routine and stay with it. You sleep better, you think better, and you will soon crave food that is good for you. I lost 50 lbs in 7 months. Trust me, it works.
I work out 3 or 4 days a week for 1 hour. 20 or 30 mins cardio, and the rest free weights.
Instead of the scale, use the mirror! I still cheat with my diet but I do it in moderation.
Good Luck!
Sometimes you will hit a plateau, also if you are eating too FEW calories and burning too many, your body wants to holds on to every single one of them. If you are really watching your calories and only eating 800-1000 calories, try INCREASING just a bit to get going again. I definately agree about the scale, when building muscle you won't see much going on. If your clothes are consistently getting loser, you;re doing ok.
If you are really watching your calories and only eating 800-1000 calories, try INCREASING just a bit to get going again.
i completely agree. love this answer.
just as cross training can throw the body off balance, keep it guessing, keep it from adjusting to the same old routine, you can do the same with your diet.
whats great about this suggestion is it gives you a little wiggle room to perhaps indulge, satiate a craving, and throw your body off... your metabolism stalls at night... if you skip breakfast you are essentially delaying the upkick in your metabolism, so one of the best things you can do is workout in the early AM and not skip breakfast and perhaps a late morning snack... something like lean meat and cheese are a fav of mine. just a few bites satiates, and the early "extra" calories keep your body from staying in "sleep" mode.
maybe this was already stated, maybe not. I glanced through the answers real quick, but you will gain wait when you first start working out. it happens because your body is building up muscle. If you gained 10 lbs and now you've lost 4 that's awesome! keep it up! don't just go by the numbers on the scale. If you really want to keep track buy a scale that has a body fat analyzer in it. I'm willing to bet that your bmi is going down even though you've gained. definitely mix up your routine though. If your body gets used to what you're doing you're not going to get results. So surprise it from time to time. good luck! =)
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