Not Losing Weight

Question:

I am trying to lose weight.  I am doing cardio and weight training.  In the morning a do a half hour aerobic video with weights then go into a total body weight routine.

Then later I do at least 3 miles on the treadmill varying the incline and speed.  I'm trying to work up to running for long periods of time.

I am seeing slimming results in my legs and mid section, however I am not losing any weight, just sort of fluctuating through the same 5 pounds.  What am I dong wrong?

Answer:

Scale Weight

First of all scale weight really does not tell you what you need to know.  Make sure you weigh yourself under the same conditions every time, preferably when you wake up in the morning.

Diet also can affect your scale weight.  If you eat extra carbs and salty foods your body stores extra water.

Body Composition

If you see results in your mid-section and legs you are most likely toning up by adding lean body mass (muscle) while you burn a little bit of fat.  Your lean mass is what you want to maintain and your fat is what you want to lose.

There is no way to guess if you are losing body fat or muscle and no reason to.

A simple caliper such as the Accu-Measure skinfold caliper will estimate your body fat % which will let you know if you're burning fat, building muscle or not achieving any results..  It is very easy, convenient (you can do it in 10 seconds at home) and cheap.

If possible you should get your body fat measured professionally.

Training

It sounds like you have a good training regimen.  Make sure you take a day or 2 every week to abstain from structured exercise.  If you exercise too much and rest too little, you may be overreaching which will lead to plateau and possibly overtraining syndrome.

Diet

Most often the reason why people do not lose weight is diet.

Keep your diet balanced and healthy.  No fried foods, no high fat foods and a moderate amount of protein and high complex carbohydrates.

Eat 4-6 small balanced meals/snacks throughout the day and drink plenty of water.

Avoid sugary fluids and if possible figure out how many calories you consume.

You can read about fat loss diets on the website

Good Luck.

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