Exercising but can't lose weight

[writetheway]

I want to lose some extra weight, maybe five pounds or so, as quickly as possible. I've started watching what I eat (trying to eat less junk, eating smaller meals, etc.) and exercising. I hadn't been exercising at all before and now I'm riding at least 5 miles a day on my bike, fairly quickly. Still, I haven't lost any weight at all! I'm eating less, exercising more, and seeing zero difference. Any suggestions as to what to do to burn off those extra pounds? I have maybe an hour a day to exercise, but that's stretching it.

[SeaSiren]

What is your height to weight ratio now? What type of exercise are you doing now? What does a typical day of eating look like?

[Gita]

5 pounds is so little , you could gain it with water alone. Plus, muscle weighs more than fat, and by exersising you are creating muscle bulk. You need to look at whether your fatty areas are becoming more trim and toned. Are you less flabby? If you become toned and muscular, you may well weigh more than now.

[Thalia]

5 pounds is so little , you could gain it with water alone. Plus, muscle weighs more than fat, and by exersising you are creating muscle bulk. You need to look at whether your fatty areas are becoming more trim and toned. Are you less flabby? If you become toned and muscular, you may well weigh more than now.
I second that. I gain up to 5 lbs right before my period and it can come off right after. Even the clothing you are wearing or time of day can add up to 5 pounds to the scale. You are better off tracking your measurements and or body fat percentage.

[the cacao kid]

Yeah what does a daily day of eating look like???

I think green tea helps some...probably wouldnt hurt. Surely someone here knows of a good weight loss food/technique that works!!!

[writetheway]

I'm about 5'5" and eat three meals a day (plus snacks). A typical day would be a bagel w/ peanut butter and piece of fruit for breakfast, a burrito or something like that for lunch, pretzels for a snack, and pasta and salad for dinner. I'll have to try the green tea tip.

I'm not getting any more toned - I don't look any different at all! I'm eating little enough that I'm never full, so I can't figure out what's going on.

[kale]

How long have you been exercising more + eating less? You didn't mention that very relevent piece of info!

Just wondering if you are expecting too much too soon.

[writetheway]

a while :( I haven't kept track

[SeaSiren]

I would cut down on the bread products and up the fruits and veggies.
Fruits in the AM
Salad or mixed veggie mid-day
veggies and fats end of day
You should be eating 5-6 times per day, water and green tea for drinks.

What is your current weight now?

[Mskedi]

When you're close to your ideal weight (which I'm assuming is five pounds away), it's pretty hard to lose the few pounds you need to. Chances are you'll have to wait quite a while to see results and possibly exercise more than you currently are (perhaps varying your exercise).

In the meantime... exercising is doing great things for your heart and lungs. You're not wasting your time by any means. :)

[Elena99]

I agree with SeaSiren. And don't have a bagel w/peanut butter every day, consider it more like a treat.

Do you have a blender? Smoothies are great in the morning. If a smoothie isn't enough, you could add scrambled tofu with some bell peppers.

What kind of pasta are you eating? You may want to switch over to whole wheat pasta if you haven't already, or have brown rice instead. Keep your pasta/rice portions small, and don't feel like you need it every night.

[Lothar M Kirsch]

And maybe you lose fat and build up muscle. Muscle tissue is more dense than fatty tissue. Sometimes your dress size (or how you fit into your dresss) tells you more then the scales.

[butterfly_acid]

peanut.butter.is.not.the.culprit.
fruit+peanut.butter.is.a.wonderful.experience.
I.say.give.up.the.bagel,but.not.the.carbs/peanut.butter.
Bagels.go.straight.to.the.hips.
as.does.pasta,etc.

Also,you.need.to.consider.your.own.body.size.
How.much.do.you.weigh?
How.tall.are.you?
Wrist.circumference?
Your.bone.structure.and.present.weight.tells.a.lot .of.what.your.ideal.weight.should.be.and.5.pounds. is.not.a.lot.
It's.better.to.lose.5.pounds.over.a.long.period.of .time.than.over.night.
Otherwise,There's.no.change.in.lifestyle.to.lose.t hat.weight...It.will.come.back.with.lightning.spee d.and.then.some.(lose.5.pounds,gain.6....lose.6.po unds.gain.7...etc).

Rice.tends.to.be.a.low.calorie.alternative.to.past a.starches.
You.don't.know.how.long.you've.been.excercising... has.it.been.days,weeks,months,years?

Sometimes.you.need.to.up.the.anty.on.excercise,as. the.body.tends.to.peak.out.
And.finally:
weight.shouldn't.be.your.primary.concern.
You.need.to.get.a.cloth.measuring.tape.and.measure .to.determine.fat.loss.
Muscle.weighs.more.than.fat,yes,but.if.you.are.eat ing.enough.sodium,you're.going.to.be.retaining.wat er(also.not.fat),as.well.

I.wouldn't.worry.about.5.pounds.
Green.tea.over.a.period.of.time.(3.months+continui ng).lowers.the.body.fat....
But.you.have.to.regularly.drink.3.cups.a.day.(try. to.break.it.up.during.the.day.and.have.with.meals, as.it.easily.can.upset.an.empty.stomach!)

Good.luck!

[writetheway]

I'm 114 pounds, but I have a very small frame - a little extra weight looks like a lot on me, and since I've only been exercising for a few weeks, I don't have much muscle. Thank you for all the suggestions! I'm probably expecting too much too soon, so I'll just keep exercising and eating right and hope everything works out. :)

[SeaSiren]

IMHO you should absolutely not try to lose weight! You are the same height as me and a lot less weight. I have a very small frame, my ideal weight is 125-130 (fluxuates during the month a bit), I go to about 120 for a photo shoot, but I am dehydrated and weak at that point.

That being said, the area you should concentrate on is weight lifting for definition. Now, the more you lift, you will start to gain "weight" but it will be muscle. Ditch the scale and use how clothing fits as a reference.

[writetheway]

I'm addicted to my scale :(...but I will definitely try and take your advice.

[Dirty Martini]

SeaSiren is right on. If you're exercising, you might gain weight. But the great thing about that is that you're gaining muscle! So focus less on the scale and watch how your body shape changes -- you'll notice that you get a wee bit curvier, and it's due to muscle development.

It takes a while of working out to notice a difference -- months possibly. But, ignoring your scale and monitoring your level of fitness (can you climb 3 flights of stairs without getting winded?) will do you a world of good. :up:

[Keelin]

Umm... can anyone else say ED? I weigh only slightly less than you, am 2 inches shorter, and I'm scrawny as all heck. It doesn't seem to me like you have any extra weight to try lose! Personally, I would concentrate on toning (and continuing to eat, not restricting!) in the meantime and talk to your GP before attempting to cut a few pounds.

[writetheway]

I'm thinking that the general opinion here is that I need to exercise but not worry about my weight, right? Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone, and I will definitely do the toning, etc.

(And I don't have an ED. Promise :))

[kale]

just want to throw this in:

someone (whoever it is that types without spaces between words--what's with that?) mentioned that bagels and pasta go "straight to the hips"... no offense meant, but that's utter BS.

There's nothing wrong with pasta and bagels. Yes, your body will like it more if you eat whole-wheat/whole-grain versions of these items, but banning them is kind of a gimmicky, "no carb"-hysteria kind of a move, know what I'm saying?

And yes, if your body doesn't need to lose weight (which yours doesn't), then of course it will resist.

cheers and best of luck continuing with your excerising---healthy bodies love exercise :)

[barrylove]

I'm thinking that the general opinion here is that I need to exercise but not worry about my weight, right? Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone, and I will definitely do the toning, etc.

(And I don't have an ED. Promise :))
I know someone really well that has a great toning DVD :)

Good lUCk!

[kathym]

I would like to add one more suggestion to the all the great ones posted here. If you will drink lots of water every day (if you're not already) you will loose those 5 pounds fast. I've seen it work for many people. It keeps you flushed out and has many good benefits. I can't give you answers to how, why and all those questions as I'm not in that field... I just know that it works.