feeling a bit demotivated : (

[nykkieberry]

I joined the gym at the beginning of June - i do 3 x one hour sessions in the gym a week (20 mins cardio/40 mins abs and weights), pilates twice a week and sparodic swimming, jogging, running after my partner and toddler. I've also cut out alcohol mid week and downed my overall calorie intake. Weighed myself last night after 4 weeks of this routine (previously I swam 2 - 3 times a week and still did the running around after others) and i've lost a SOLITARY POUND in weight! And before you say it, no, my clothes don't fit any better! My posture, stamina and energy have improved but no weight lost and I don't feel anymore toned. What's going on? Am I wasting my time?

[j2buttonsw]

Muscle weighs much more than fat so as you tone yourself up you may well get heavier.

[darth vader]

correct but only the weight training would account for this. Firstly is there something you're not telling us? You don't drink midweek, but how much at weekends? your probably negating any weightloss during the week. Also don't just lower your calorie intake but be aware of what you eat. I could suggest a couple of nights at weight-watchers for all the nutritional info. you'll need. Secondly you need to increase the aerobic to muscle-building exercise ratio so that aerobic exercise is the dominant one if you want to lose weight (swimming is not the best as the cold water lowers your metabolic rate - try walking instead which is the top weight-loss recommendation - you need to be breathing above normal but not heavily, and perspiring, not sweating like a navvy - Hill walking is best for a nice day out!). No your not wasting your time. I thought i was a "low metabolic rate" person who couldn't lose weight - i've shed 20 pounds in two months through education and exercise, so it is possible. more info on request :-)

[docklands77]

I've been going to the gym off and on for over 3 years but I've been going regularly since last October. Its only recently that the weight has started to drop off. Most people agree that it will take 12 weeks to start to make a significant difference. As they say, there is no quick fix and you just have to keep it up. After a while you WILL lose weight but you have to persevere. The good news is that once you start to lose weight, it drops off very quickly. Very few people lose a significant amount of weight in 3 weeks. 1 pound sounds normal.Your body was previously a fat storing machine but with your gym sessions you are converting it to an athletic fat burning machine. Once you cross this barrier, you've won most of the battle. Persevere! is all I can recommend.

[nykkieberry]

Thanks Darth Vader. However, I haven't upped my alcohol and calorie intake from before (although i do have a bit of a weakness for lager at the weekends) , so overall, I have reduced it.I also eat a very low fat, high fibre veggie diet with very little processed foods and saturated fat. I don't really want to lose that much weight - i'm 5ft 10 and 9st 6 - but I wouldn't mind losing 1/2 stone. I was 8 st after the birth of my son and after taking up smoking, lager and a sendentary job have gone up to a size 12 from a size 8/10. I am just mystified - i've increased my output and decreased my input and my body isn't playing ball! I've even upped my sex life! I suppose it could be the scales at the gym - but i don't FEEL any different - apart from sitting up straighter, not getting out of breath and having more energy.(all plusses!) also given up smoking before someone mentions that!

[treaclefight]

i'm in the same boat nykkie, except i've put weight on. i've lost inches off of thighs, waist and hips and my legs are definately getting more toned but very slowly. i'm assured that if you're new to working out in a gym (as i was) then you will put on muscle, increase bone density and increase muscle in 'invisible' areas inside your abdomen and chest cavity (especially if you're doing things like pilates). apparently there's lots of weight to gain before we reach the point of being properly fit, if you've lost one pound of total body weight, then you've lost lots more than that in pounds of fat, you're not wasting your time because the more muscle you have in your body the more calories you will burn, even at rest and this will make you lose weight, but there is definately a demoralizing few months before your body shows definate changes. a year ago i was a very unhealthy 9 stone and a size 10, 6 months ago i was 10 stone and had gone up to a size 14, now i'm 11 stone but gone back down to a size twelve and i'm very fit and healthy. i did wonder why i was bothering for a long time, but there have been results in the end. if you count your calories and every day you are eating less than you need, then you are losing fat, trust me, give it a bit longer to let your body get used to the new demands being placed on it and the results will come. :-)

[nykkieberry]

Thanks Docklands - that's motivating talk! I like myself as an aerobic fat burning machine (just as long as the lager swilling component is aware!)

[quattro]

I'd cut out the weights and concentrate on the cardio exercise as weight training can put on weight rather than loose it as has been pointed out . If you concentrate on your Pilates it will tone you up and give you long lean muscles rather than the short fat muscles that weights give you . It also makes you more supple and makes you feel younger and then try and vary your cardio exercise --run swim cycle power walk up hilland skip -- boxers always skip when they can't make the weight at a weigh in so .Most of all though just persevere you are better than you were before you joined the gym so don't give up!!

[nykkieberry]

OMG! I don't like the sound of going up two stone and a dress size! The reasonI I am doing this is to get back in all my gorgeous size 10 summer clothes that keep grinning mockingly at me from my wardrobe! That's it back to the fags, booze, takeaways and maybe another baby to shed the weight !! : ) Thanks for all your advice xx feel better now - off to the gym again tonight! I'll also increase my cardio to 30 mins - and I'll let you know how i get on! (although my abs are killing me from yesterday's Pilates class!) By the way, does anyone know why the rowing machine burns so many calories when it is relatively easy? And why shopping for two hours is the equivalent of an hour of cardio work??? That seems the perfect excuse to sack the gym and head out to town!!

[darth vader]

1 pound when you're goal is 7 pounds is a very good start! - i lost 20lb as stated, but i was 20 stone to start with. It's all relational. With regard to alcohol, lager is a big fat-creator as the energy in it is hard to use by the body and therefore is stored as fat, try switching to shorts with low-cal mixers, or better still, wine which has good medical properties (if drunk in sensible amounts!). BTW you didn't mention you'd stopped smoking - congratulations, like me you have just halved your chances of heart disease. Unfortunately it is true that smoking is linked with metabolism so for a wee while you will not burn calories at the usual rate as your metabolism slows down. This is temporary - i stopped and for a couple of months gained weight. Nine months later the weight drops off (with balanced diet and regular exercise obviously) without a problem. - This may explain the lack of weight loss over the last 4 weeks but when you bear in mind most ex-smokers put on weight in the first couple of months you have done fantastic to actually lose a pound. Keep going!
Why do rowing machines = high aerobic exercise? (= high calorie burn) see my explanation re: walking - it's all about low impact, sustained aerobic exercise which increases the heart rate to an optimum (i.e. not flat out!) - walking is actually better for aerobic exercise and general weightloss, than jogging, though you put more effort into jogging.

[treaclefight]

lol, i'm five foot ten, i only ever weighed 9 stone when i had an eating disorder and it was very very unhealthy ( no t*ts), i put on of stone of pure lard and went up 2 dress sizes (big t*ts), so i went to the gym and dropped a dress size but ive put on another stone while ive lost those inches (thinner but still got big t*ts :-))...does that make more sense? point was ive only gained weight at the gym, but i am thinner and fitter etc etc stick it out. but you made a good point really, bring on the booze and fags for me too

[docklands77]

Of course the other thing I forgot to mention is - have you considered a personal trainer? No need to employ one full time, maybe just book a few sessions. They can usually provide a lot of good advice and motivation. Additionally, remember that your figure is a result of 70% diet and only 30% exercise so its very important to look at what you're eating, how much, when etc. Try not to eat foods which have a fat content of more than 5%. Not sure whether the extra sex will actually burn more calories unless you're involved in particularly athletic positions(!!) but I guess at least you're not eating while indulging in that activity.....Also, if you could give up the booze completely, you will find it makes a huge difference. Alcohol has got an enormous amount of calories in it and its completely useless as a food substance. Having a few drinks each week is supposed to be the equivalent of eating 2 or 3 extra meals.

[nykkieberry]

Thanks for all your advice although my head is spinning now! I am going to up my cardio, keep at the weights and pilates (which i REALLY enjoy) and more importantly, swap the pints of lager at the weekend for shorts and wine (I am not giving up alcohol altogether though - life is too short!) I must admit, when I was 8 stone and a size 8, I was very unhealthy and my boobs disappeared. It was also the result of starvation and stress rather than healthy living. I measured myself last night (rather than weighed myself) and I have actually lost over an inch off my waist and my boobs have gone down a size (from 36 dd to 36d which is very welcome!) so i am definitely going to persevere. I also sprinted up the stairs last night after my son without getting even slightly out of breath and for the first time in years, I am not in agony with back pain every night after work! I think, like most women, I need to focus on the physical and mental benefits of exercise rather than the mythical aesthetic ones of being a stick insect. (Although it doesn't help when your partner says quote ' Christina Aguleura is a right fat cow now! Did you see her in the paper?' Considering she's about a size 2 and works out 15 hours a day - it's not too good for your self-image! Bless him, I think he was trying to help in a bloke kind of way! Thanks again everybody - I'll let you know how I get on!

[docklands77]

wow! you sound like a very sexy gal! send pictures! more advice to get your head spinning. don't overdo it on the cardio. you should do no more than 4 sessions of 30 to 40 minutes per week. you will just overstress your body.

[nykkieberry]

Thankyou LOL Made me blush then! As a stressed out working mum of a three year old, I don't think of myself as sexy very often!

[docklands77]

Ok! I'll halt the flow of advice for the moment! I had some more suggestions but if that made you blush I had better not post it here! Let us know how it goes!

[docklands77]

How old are you nykkie?

[nykkieberry]

28 : (

[docklands77]

That's young! I'm 31

[docklands77]

When you turn 30 your body becomes more likely to store fat. Better get down that gym!

[darth vader]

give over, a common myth. there is no magical age at when your body stops burning fat and starts storing it. People tend to start putting on weight in their 30's/40's only because they a) exercise less b)eat more. It is a simple fact, if your calorific input is less than your calorific output you will lose weight whether your 18 or 88. ps. I'm 33 and just lost 20 pounds (and still going.....)