# working out but not losing weight?



## rayne. (Dec 14, 2009)

i work out alot (lifting weights, etc) about 3 times a week for about 45 minutes to an hour. while i find the weight i lift somewhat hard at the time i do the exercise, i don't get the good burning feeling the next day.

now, i'm 17 & i'm overweight for my height (160lbs & 5'4'') but i think alot of my weight is muscle (or maybe i'm trying to make myself feel better, idk). in the summer, i play soccer once a week. i live in canada, so when winter comes i can't really jog outside or ride my bike on any paths since it's just too freakin' cold, lol. 

i have to be careful of how much working out i do because i have a terrible back (herniated disc L4-L5) , now i'm seeing a chiropractor about it, but honestly, i need to lose weight to get it back under control. when i was diagnoised with it, i was at 135lbs about the same height & i was 13ish. 

i don't think my diet has changed since i was 135lbs, but almost a year & a half ago i had surgery on my knee because i tore my meniscus the summer before that (oh soccer, how i love you & your non-contactness), so before that i wasn't really doing much, prior to surgery i was on crutches for about 4-5 months because i had bone on bone in my knee & it was absolutely painful. i was constantly taking painkillers to keep it under control (percocets, yummy.) once my knee started to feel a lot better, i realized i was heavily addicted to the painkillers, so i gave them up. 

if it helps any, i'm currently taking prozac (depression & anxiety), amitryptiline (migraines & the nerve pain in my back) along with the usual BCP & losac because the amitryptiline upsets my stomach.

i'm currently a wearing 28'' pants where before i was wearing 27'' pants. not a huge difference, but honestly, it's more so the weight issue than clothes. i was at 135lbs for about.. 3+ years. so i gained the 25lbs in about a year & a half, ouch..


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## Simply Elegant (Dec 14, 2009)

You're eating too much most likely. Even just a bit too much every day is enough to stop modest weight loss. Record everything, measure everything, even that one little bite of pie, one cookie etc These things dd up. Make sure you're lifting enough to exhaustion. Not being that sore the next day is ok. Just make sure you're exhausted when you finish. Or you could be in a plateau. Do lots of different workouts at different intensities and different times. It'll work. If you stick to about 200-300 calorie deficit with a 200-300 workout deficit you will lose. If you want to be really accurate a heart rate monitor is a good investment.
Forgot to add, eating clean will let you eat more and notice less of a change in hunger because you'll get to eat a higher volume of food for less calories but it's fine to eat about 10% of your calories on junk if you're prone to binging at all. Try to eat how you would for a week and record that to see how much you eat and the next week cut back a few hundred calories.


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## aussiemacluvrrr (Dec 14, 2009)

You will find that the medicines you are on and your anxiety condition are probably a significant cause of your weight gain, especially the prozac.... When you suffer from anxiety a hormone in your body is produced which makes you gain weight. Once you get the anxiety under control and come off the tablets, the weight will probably come off too.. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			



*But* taking the tablets and getting well is extremely important, so dont come off them just to lose weight!!!! You need to stay on them until your doctor thinks you are well enough to stop obviously 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Also note that anxiety causes a lot of adrenaline in the body, which would make you crave carbo-rich foods, like pastas, cakes, breads etc, because the adrenaline chews up your energy stores in the body. Try and watch your intake of those kinds of foods... Eat plenty of protein and veggies and cut back on the sugars.... 

Also make sure you aren't doing really heavy weights... For weight loss you need low weight but high repetitions. So do like 4-5kg bicep curls with 3 sets of 15. And when you do cardio training, make sure you do interval workouts... So walk for 5 mins, then jog for 2 mins, then walk for 3 mins and jog for 4 mins... Try and vary the intervals. Your body quickly gets used to a workout if you do it all the time and that workout will become less and less difficult over time... Thats probably why your weights arent causing that burn anymore.... 

HTH


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## Simply Elegant (Dec 14, 2009)

Hmm I lift heavy and have lost weight in the past when I needed to. Also if your meds are causing you to gain weight or crave foods that help to put on weight, ask your doctor about alternatives to getting off of them. Pills can help but are not the only way to get better.


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## BeccalovesMAC (Dec 14, 2009)

are u doing any cardio with ur strength training?


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## Machinegun_Cali (Dec 14, 2009)

Diet is key to loosing weight. You must burn 3,500 calories to loose a pound of weight. Lets say you run for 45 minutes..whats that 400 maybe 500 calories ? You cant run on a treadmill for 8 hours straight. You need to combine a clean diet with moderate exercise. But its good you lift weights, muscles burn more calories for your body, even when its at rest.


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## Meisje (Dec 15, 2009)

Try adding more cardio, carefully controlling your portions (Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate is great for accountability) and make sure you get enough rest.


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## GirlyGirl18 (Jan 26, 2010)

I find that diet is key and just be conscientious of what you are eating or make your calories count, if that makes sense lol like instead of say, drinking a glass of juice thats about 100 calories, I will drink water and eat a banana. I feel more full and it's easier for me to not eat so much. Also, cut back on sugar and try not to eat too much processed food(lots of sodium)


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## kaliraksha (Feb 23, 2010)

A) the meds- see if you can get your doctors to suggest alternatives with less weight gain/retention
B) muscle weighs more... you are probably toning up. how do you feel about your body regardless of the pounds you've lost?


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## COBI (Feb 23, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *kaliraksha* 

 
_B) muscle weighs more..._

 
A pound is a pound; a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh the same: a pound.

However, muscle is denser, so a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.

(Sorry, the statement that muscle weighs more is a pet peeve of mine)


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## Corvs Queen (Feb 23, 2010)

Make sure to get some protein so that when you do workout you're not burning muscle. You burn fat. It's important.


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## Shimmer (Feb 23, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *COBI* 

 
_A pound is a pound; a pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh the same: a pound.

However, muscle is denser, so a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.

(Sorry, the statement that muscle weighs more is a pet peeve of mine) 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 



















Thank you so much for pointing this out.
For those who need to see it:
Take 5 lbs of steak and hold it against your left thigh.
Now take 5 lbs of marshmallows and hold it against your right thigh.
Look at the difference and realize they weigh the same, but don't take up the same amount of space.


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## DaniCakes (Feb 23, 2010)

Do a little more cardio and watch your caloric and fat intake. Drink plenty of water!!!!! Try baked chicken, fish, lots of veggies and lots of fruit. No soda, alcohol, and excessive sugar. When I was lifting weights, it took me a little longer to lose weight. I was losing fat, but replacing it with muscle. Go by how your clothes fit and not the scale. Also, measure yourself to find out if you are losing inches. THe weight will come off eventually. Patience wins the game. I would definitely see a doctor though and get your thyroid checked out.


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## astronaut (Feb 24, 2010)

Uhh I feel you. I go to the gym 6 days a week, each time doing an hour of cardio with an extra 15-30 min of cardio, 15-30 min of weight training, or 1 hour of yoga on top and I've never lost any weight. No inches either! I'm a vegetarian, I eat fairly well. Don't keep any junk food in my home. I went to the doctor to check out my thyroid and she said it was fine (TSH 3.05. I've been reading around though that for some people normal would be around 2 and my doctor is one of those who just want to stick by the number instead of how the patient feels. She even acknowledged that my triglyceride level was abnormally high compared to the other results on my lipid panel test. So, I might look for another doctor if this continues for much longer. I'm sick and tired of working so hard while there are those out there who eat whatever the hell they want, sit on their ass all day, and still be a size 0). I actually have an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow to if it may be something I'm eating or not eating.


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## COBI (Feb 24, 2010)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *astronaut* 

 
_Uhh I feel you. I go to the gym 6 days a week, each time doing an hour of cardio with an extra 15-30 min of cardio, 15-30 min of weight training, or 1 hour of yoga on top and I've never lost any weight. No inches either! I'm a vegetarian, I eat fairly well. Don't keep any junk food in my home. I went to the doctor to check out my thyroid and she said it was fine (TSH 3.05. I've been reading around though that for some people normal would be around 2 and my doctor is one of those who just want to stick by the number instead of how the patient feels. She even acknowledged that my triglyceride level was abnormally high compared to the other results on my lipid panel test. So, I might look for another doctor if this continues for much longer. I'm sick and tired of working so hard while there are those out there who eat whatever the hell they want, sit on their ass all day, and still be a size 0). I actually have an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow to if it may be something I'm eating or not eating._

 
90-120 minutes, 6 days a week, is a LOT of time at the gym.  I often suggest to people that if they are spending that much time at the gym, it should be because they're training for something (i.e. a marathon, race, body-building competition.)  Otherwise, it just tells me that you're not training efficiently and/or effectively; especially if you're not seeing results.

One thing to consider is the intensity of your workouts.  20 minutes of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) can be far more effective than 60 minutes of steady-state cardio.  What type of cardio are you doing and at what intensity?

I see many people at the gym who spend 60 minutes a day on  the treadmill or the elliptical, and they get very frustrated that they see no changes.  And they're right: they look the same as they did a year ago and the year before that... why would they expect anything different?  They're doing the same thing they were doing a year ago and the year before that.  Plus: how boring!

I am a huge promoter of "working smarter, not longer".  The quality of your workout is often much more important than the quantity.

I have set people on routines that have transformed their bodies in less than 30 minutes a day, typically less than 5 days a week, utilizing HIIT and Tabata protocols, incorporating both cardio and resistance/weights.  The key to the success is the INTENSITY, and honestly, at least in the beginning, most people need someone there (i.e. a trainer) pushing them to maintain the intensity because it's much easier to let the intensity slip when it's just you and high intensity gets hard fast.  

After 5 rounds of tabata, if you have put 100% into it, you are sitting (some laying) on the floor recovering so you can get the energy to make it to the locker room.  If after 60 minutes of cardio, you could still skip (figuratively) to the locker toom, question your level of intensity.

I also typically recommend focusing more on muscle strength (heavier weight fewer reps) versus endurance (lighter weight, more reps) when starting to work towards a body transformation.  As they reach their goals, I shift the balance between muscle strength and muscle endurance training.

But this is just my viewpoint, and not everyone will agree.


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## DaniCakes (Feb 24, 2010)

This seems like a bit much. I once read an article in Oxygen Magazine about overdoing it and not seeing any results. Are you eating enough? I know you eat well, but are you eating enough? 




 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *astronaut* 

 
_Uhh I feel you. I go to the gym 6 days a week, each time doing an hour of cardio with an extra 15-30 min of cardio, 15-30 min of weight training, or 1 hour of yoga on top and I've never lost any weight. No inches either! I'm a vegetarian, I eat fairly well. Don't keep any junk food in my home. I went to the doctor to check out my thyroid and she said it was fine (TSH 3.05. I've been reading around though that for some people normal would be around 2 and my doctor is one of those who just want to stick by the number instead of how the patient feels. She even acknowledged that my triglyceride level was abnormally high compared to the other results on my lipid panel test. So, I might look for another doctor if this continues for much longer. I'm sick and tired of working so hard while there are those out there who eat whatever the hell they want, sit on their ass all day, and still be a size 0). I actually have an appointment with a nutritionist tomorrow to if it may be something I'm eating or not eating._


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## astronaut (Feb 24, 2010)

My mood is pretty awful and I feel sluggish if I don't workout. I feel tired just on the days I don't go as it is. My cardio workouts average at around 160 heart rate. I went to the nutritionist today and she called a dietitian. I consume around 1500 calories a day and for me to just function and maintain my weight I need ~1494 minimum according to the test they did. The dietitian actually suggested I lower that even more to 1200. NO! The food that I eat is just enough for me to not go hungry. I can't cut out soda, alcohol, cookies or anything because I don't drink/eat any of that. Cutting 300 calories is cutting one of my meals, I'd be starving myself! I could do 1200 if I didn't work out but no way with it.


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## Civies (Feb 25, 2010)

Long cardio is the best for burning fat. If you don't get pain in your muscles the next day then it means you're not pushing yourself hard enough - you're not doing anything for your muscles. The biggest reason why people can't lose weight even if they work out like crazy (and I can't stress this enough) is because of their DIET. Girl, it is sooo important! You're probably not burning enough calories than the excess amount you're taking in. We should be eating about 2000 calories a day. I can't exactly point out what is wrong in your diet since you didn't say, but try cutting down on your portions and choose healthier alternatives is the general rule of thumb. Make sure to have a big breakfast, lunch, small dinner and snacks of course!

& also, maybe you are muscular. I wear 28" pants but I'm 130lbs and 5'7" so I dunno. I have really big hips/waist.


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## Kayteuk (Feb 27, 2010)

It could also be your body fat coming down and your muscle building up at the same rate, but that is highly unlikley.

Try eating less carbs and fat, and higher protein 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


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## mizuki~ (Apr 4, 2010)

Ugh I know how you feel. I work my butt off for an hour everyday and nothign is happening 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Meisje* 

 
_Try adding more cardio, carefully controlling your portions (Calorie Counter, Diet Tracking, Food Journal, Nutrition Facts at The Daily Plate is great for accountability) and make sure you get enough rest._

 
Thank you for this! This is going to help me out A LOT!


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## slowdownbaby (Sep 11, 2010)

Stress and not eating enough or the right foods can make you stop losing weight. You have to get the right nutrients and don't starve yourself


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## PeachTwist (Sep 23, 2010)

I personally think it's what you're eating.

I've been working out for 2 weeks now and I have lost 7lbs.  I'm not going daily, I go 3-4x a week and work out for an hour max.

I'm eating 5-6x a day.  Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.  I'm also drinking as much water as I possibly can.  People often forget that drinking at least the recommended daily amount of water helps lose weight.

Also, you say you're lifting weights, but what about cardio?  Have you tried joining any classes at your gym?  Maybe you need a little push from a personal trainer or an instructor.  I know I work harder when I have someone yelling at me to push it more, to keep going, etc.  Also - music.  Use your phone or ipod or mp3 player to listen to music while working out.  Keep the songs fast - you'll work along with the song.

If you're not feeling the burn WHILE doing it or the next day - you're doing it wrong.

Speak to a professional in your gym, I'm sure someone can help.

Also, sorry if this sounds at all harsh - it's not meant to come across that way at all, I just generally do.

EDIT:  I'm also not leaving out the food I love.  I eat healthy 5 days a week, Monday through Friday and I indulge a bit on the weekend by enjoying myself.  Those are my days off from it and I allow myself that.  If you don't, you won't stick with it.

Don't make it a diet, make it a lifestyle change.


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## ruthless (Sep 24, 2010)

I have to say that although medications can contribute to weight gain and loss, the reason people gain weight on anti depressants is because they eat more and do less. 

How old are you? Prozac isn't good for younger people, it increases the risk of suicide. 

I'm not a Doctor, by any means, but if you've got anxeity a really good SSRI used to combat that is Lexapro (Escitalopram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). The sexual side effects are lesser than Paxil or Zoloft usually. 

My advice? Eat more vegetables, and less processed food. Good luck!


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## Jenna463 (Oct 20, 2013)

*Cut the salt*
Eating more than the recommended 2500mg (1 tablespoon) of sodium each day will cause you to retain water and weight gain. Sodium holds up to 50 times its weight in water. When you limit the amount of sodium you eat your body will begin to expel some that unwanted water weight.


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## DreamingOfMilan (Dec 12, 2013)

Simply Elegant said:


> Forgot to add, eating clean will let you eat more and notice less of a change in hunger because you'll get to eat a higher volume of food for less calories but it's fine to eat about 10% of your calories on junk if you're prone to binging at all. Try to eat how you would for a week and record that to see how much you eat and the next week cut back a few hundred calories.


  This is bang on. There are two important factors to a healthy lifestyle: working out and eating right. Sounds like you are doing the first of those things quite well, so maybe it's time to shift the focus to the 2nd thing. Eating healthy means giving your body the nutrition, protein, and vitamins that it needs to prosper, but not eating too much so that your body stores the excess food as fat. Finding how much this is for an individual depends on your own body and how much exercise you do, but start cutting out junk food from your diet and focus on veggies, fruits, meats (protein), etc. and see if that makes a difference.


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## shescoolie (Oct 22, 2014)

Shimmer said:


> Quote:
> 
> Originally Posted by *COBI*
> 
> ...


  What a great way to look at fat vs. muscle. I know this thread is old but I am at a total stall with my weight loss. Guess I'll up my cardio and lower my calories even more


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## Jodylicious (Nov 2, 2014)

It's less about how much you eat, and more about what you eat. For a period of my life i was working out and not losing weight because while i wasn't eating a lot, i was eating all the wrong things. I started eating healthier and that changed.


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