What Am I Doing Wrong?weight Issues

I wonder if you're eating too few calories and your body has gone into starvation mode.

Age does affect our ability to lose weight. Our metabolism slows down. Scientific fact. Exercise will speed up the metabolism, though.

K.:

Your body is in flight or fight mode - starvation mode. You have dramatically reduced your intake so your body is storing EVERYTHING it can to save itself.

Go to a dietitian or a nutritionist so you can learn how to prepare healthy meals and not starve your body. At 28 - you aren't too old - your body changes all the time - but the problem I see with why you aren't losing weight now is that you went too far too fast and your body is storing it all.

You can even go to Weight Watchers and learn about carbs (like cooking pasta al-dente instead of limp because in al-dente it doesn't break down as fast in your body and the sugar/starch is spread out instead of one spike).

Drink water. Soda and sparkling waters will dehydrate you and make you want to drink more. Eat more fruits and veggies. Learning how to cook and eat healthy are more important than the exercise portion of your routine....learning how starches break down and how your body uses them - makes all the difference in the world!!

GOOD LUCK!!

I just started doing slim geneics. I am 31 and have lost 12 lbs in 3 Weeks. Its crazy. Basically its not calorie counting just fruits and veggies. Meat chicken and seafood. Red meat only 2 times a week. 80 ounces of water a day! That's with no exercise. They have you eat meat only for the first 3 days and raw green veggies unlimited no pork ever. Its suppose to jump start your metabolism. Hope that helps ya out.

You have to stop starving yourself. If you so dramatically reduce calories and up exercise your body goes in starvation mode and will hold on to every single calorie for dear life.
Bring up your calories to at least 1500 and make sure that you actually reach them. Also make sure you allow rest periods between exercise (take at least one or two days off per week, replacing strenuous exercise with something light like a light walk).
The type of crash dieting you are doing will in the long run contribute to you holding on to your muffin top even better and probably gaining on top (yoyo effect). It would be better to stick with a healthy lifestyle and moderate exercise year round.

In my opinion i think 1200 calories is too low.(depending on weight) i think the norm would ne 1500 ,1800, or 2000. i am 130 lb so i usually eat about 1800 to 2000 a day. I also think age is nothing but a number, my mom is 63 and she was able to lose 20 pounds..you also have to keep in mind that losing weight takes time , let your body adjust little by little, dont think of it as Diet, because sooner or later your gonna go straight for a burger with fries ..just know that is for a healthier you :) Keep it up! and dont be so h*** o* yourself . Good luck

That sounds weird. At 1200 calories a day with all that exercise, you should definitely be losing 1-2 pounds a week at least. I would lose that on your regimen and I'm 46. I would say give it a couple more weeks and if your weight still doesn't budge, go see your doctor. It could be a hormonal issue of some sort?

My first response is you are going too dramatic with your calorie reduction. There comes a point where your body thinks it is starving and packs the pounds away and slows your metabolism. I would bring your calories up to 1800 to 2000 and make sure that EVERYTHING you eat is pure food like fruits, veggies, home-juicing, etc. No refined sugar, little dairy, nothing fried, no manufactured "fat free" foods, nothing processed or from a package, no alcohol, etc. You will be surprised how quickly it comes off.

Great job by the way with what you have done so far. It takes a ton of dedication to do even what you have so far.

Good luck!

You're probably not eating enough.

When your intake and outtake is too far off your metabolism takes a nosedive as your body thinks you've just hit the near-death-jackpot w/ famine & natural disaster. It hoards every single bit of energy it can.

To give you an idea about how bad it can get... anorexics can GAIN weight on 100 calories a day with 8-10 hours of heavy exercise. In fact, the next step after that one is blowing up like a whale with edema you can sink your fingers into up to the knuckles as the cell membranes start breaking down. But say they don't get that far. If they start eating 'normally', their metabolisms stay shut off for 1-2 years. A LOT of anorexics end up doubling their weight in just a few months on 1000-2000 calories a day plus exercise.

You were seeing GREAT results doing things in moderation.

You're seeing what happens when your body gets scared and goes into survival mode.

FORTUNATELY you're only a few weeks into survival mode. Eat more. Exercise a little bit less. You'll gain a few pounds, but then start shedding them again.

How much do you weigh? I can tell you I'm at the "ideal" body weight for me right now. It would be nearly impossible for me to loose any weight. What I could do, is tone up...if I wanted. Do you think your weight on the scale is OK, but you don't like you're shape? If so, I would think you need to focus on toning and weights, not cardio.

What food choices are you making when you eat? Stay away from prepared foods and keep it real, such as fruits/veggies/lean meats/no bread and pasta. Are you eating a bunch of fat? Are you overdosing on protein, fatty nuts, etc? What about your salt intake? Thyroid testing? It is crazy and I'm so sorry for your disappointment. Be proud of yourself for sticking with it hon. I'm not bragging at all, but I'm an old 42 and have a rockin metabolism. So, I'm going to disagree with the age thing.

What I would do is not count calories and not try to restrict them so much...what I have read is that if your body feels deprived it will hold on to the weight. What I think you should do is avoid bread, pasta and any refined grains. I would also eat good fats - plenty of them. Eat brown rice or quinoa or whole grain couscous or oatmeal for your grains. Make a lentil stew or quinoa salad for lunch. If you make a quinoa salad put in veggies and olive oil and a little cheese and even nuts. Don't cut out all fats. Don't eat any sugar if you can...or very very little. No sugar in your coffee. No juice or soda or sweet iced tea. Eat plenty of protein and plenty of veggies/greens. Then you should definitely exercise 3 or more times a week. I would advise you take a weight lifting class like Power Up (if you go to a YMCA) along with something like Zumba. Working your large muscles HARD really will help a lot more than an aerobic class like Zumba.

This kind of diet does not work. If you do lose weight, it will be as much muscle as fat and you will really destroy your metabolism.
Change to a healthful diet with a least 5-9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you eat properly, you never have to count calories.
There is tons of good weight management information on Dr. Oz's website.

Would the lack of loss have anything to do with your cycle right now? Water gain and bloating before your period could really make a big difference and you might not see the loss of weight until thats over and done. It might be a whole different story next week!

I'll bet you aren't eating enough. You can stay at 1200 calories, but you have to eat enough to burn your calories. Sounds weird, but you lower your metabolism by not eating enough - your body thinks it's starving. So eat early in the morning, getting protein instead of cereal. Mid-morning eat a little fruit, not much, and a veggie. Add to that snack a low-fat, low-calorie string cheese or Greek yogurt. Look at the protein grams on the yogurt and get the one with the most protein (the Greek yogurt usually has the most.) The protein keeps you fuller and helps keep your blood sugar steady, rather than dipping a lot. Veggies for lunch, another snack like I mentioned in the afternoon, and a small dinner. Water throughout the day like you are doing.

Eat within an hour of waking, eat at a minimum 5 servings of veggies, try not to eat more than 2 fruits a day (that's hard, I know, but those fruits are really sweet), and get a lot of fiber in you. Did you know that avocado has a ton of fiber? More than brocolli.

Good luck,
Dawn

Well, if you are already at or near your ideal weight then you won't lose any more! Tell us how much you weigh, and how tall you are, then we can decide if you NEED to lose weight.
Because if you were overweight and doing what you are doing, you would lose weight. I have just lost 14 pounds, I am 5'8 and was 220 lbs. I ate 1800 cals a day and exercised 3 times a week for 30 mins!

HI K.,

Age has nothing to do with this issue. The reason most think age does have something to do with it is that when we age we lose nutrients. Nutrients can be replenished and things can reverse themselves. A good absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex is your starting point. Mind you, it has to absorb properly and it cannot create free radical activity or you're doing more harm than good. After you do that, your other efforts should fall into place. If they don't then there are too many toxins in your body for it to work properly. When we are healthy, our bodies CANNOT hold additional weight. A detox is in order. First start with a digestive system detox. Then a liver detox. You need to detox your house as well so that you don't reverse your improvement. Toxins can get into your body by eating them, breathing them, and absorbing them through your skin.

If you need any help, let me know. I helped my husband lose 110 pounds, his best friend lose 50 and my sister in law lose 10...all exactly what they needed to shed.

God bless,
M.

Your body is going into starvation mode because you are not consuming enough calories for your burn. Also when you are using machines, the calorie count is not accurate!! It is a geneal burn where it does not put each individual into prospective. I talk a lot on her about my Bodybugg, and seriously it has saved my life!! I am down 50 lbs in about 6 months, which 36 of those are since I have been wearing my BB. It is an arm band that is the only 100% accurate (clinical and private study) to track calories burned, steps, excersise. You then track your calories consumed.. (*** online apps like my fitness pal are not really accurate because anyone can add to the list). You then know exactly how many calories you have burnt and what you have consumed. From there it shows you your deficit. You want to keep your deficit at around 5-800 if you have ablout 20lbs to loose, or 1,000 if you have a lot to loose.

I have spent the last week going to the gym doing hour+ long workouts and my burn has been averaging 1900-2500 a night! Guess what?? I GAINED 4 LBS!!! Sorry for the screaming, really frustrated. So anyhow now I loered my deficit and I've lost 2lbs so far over the weekend. If you would like mor einformation just PM me as I could go on and on :)

Also get a food scale! It will be the BEST investment you can make. Here is a youtube video that proves how we as humans measure so incorrectly and thus consume way more calories than we anticipate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

Keep on track, you can do this girl!!! I know it's hard not to throw in the towel, but instead of doing that use it to wipe your sweat off! Good Luck!!

You should be eating 1500 calories a day, (eating too few can make your body hoard fat)u also want to eat good calories not empty ones.also keep your workout varied. Try new things to trick it into releasing weight.

Try yoga, bicycling, kickboxing, dancing, weight intervals

Stop counting calories and just focus on eating a healthy diet. Focus on giving your body the nutrition and food it needs.

Also, chance up your exercise routine. Try using some weights.

28 is still very young. 40 is when it gets really hard.

If I can drop 32 pounds in four months at age 44 I think a 28 year old can do it. :)

Either you're not eating enough or you're eating a lot MORE than you should be.

Cut out all soda INCLUDING diet soda. Add protein to all your meals and do an hour of serious working-out 5-6 days a week.

I've added a weighed vest to help me. The more you drop the harder it gets (watch the 'Biggest Loser' and notice the huge numbers in the beginning of the season) to drop weight.

Drink LOTS of water all day long.

Eat fruits and veggies all day long too.

1200 calories might not be enough for you and your body could be going into starvation mode and your metabolism has slowed way down. When I tried to actually diet and lose weight for my wedding for 5 months I lost maybe 5 pounds total. Now, after 3 kids I am down to about 128 pounds. I just try to eat healthier with 3 meals and 2 snacks, limit soda to once/twice a week instead of every day and have increased my activity level.

Just a quick myth buster for you: Sit ups build muscle only, it won't cause you to lose the muffin top;) I already knew this, but it was just confirmed in an article I recently read - it just builds the muscle under the fat, it doesn't burn fat per se.

I'm wondering if you're calories are too restricted. Also, be sure not to measure your weight, but your inches. I realize you said your clothes don't feel any looser, but have you actually started with your measurements and taken them over the last 4 weeks?

28 shouldn't be too old per se, but you are nearing 30 which could be causing some hormone fluctations that make it more difficult to lose, but certainly not impossible.

It's hard to say because it sounds like you're doing everything right. I'm sorry, I know how discouraging it must be for you, but you shouldn't give up - you're doing healthy things for your body and that will pay off in more ways than just weight loss. The other thing to consider - perhaps you're at your ideal weight.

While I've been really skinny in the past, it was from constant dancing and very little eating (and I was a lot younger). Now, my body has resorted back to what I call my 'normal' weight. It always sort of bounces back to a certain weight when I'm not strictly exercising or dieting. I consider it my ideal weight (give or take a few pounds) and I think the older you get the harder it is to break that ideal weight.

Good luck!