Weight loss not successful.

[Bob_Sacamano]

Hi all,

I have been attempting to lose some weight for about 7-8 weeks, I am not happy with the lack of results, so I was thinking maybe I am doing something wrong. I am21 years old and I carry excess mass around the hips ( so I have lovehandles) and a bit of excess mass at the gut and thighs.

I have tried to maintain strict diet. Usually I will eat brown rice sushi (2-3 rolls), tuna salads, cruskits, cereals, fruits, meats/chickens. So a typical day might be.

Brekky: Cereal with skim milk
Next Meal: Tuna can with a cruskits with low fat butter and vegemite
Next Meal: Two Sushi Rolls
Next Meal: Chicken or Salmon with 2 Cruskit
Last Meal: Tuna salad.

For snacks I have fruits/vegetables, I make sure all my carbs are low GI etc.

I exercise at the gym, monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. Usually 30 minutes of cycling ( burn 240 calories) then I try can make my total calories burnt to 350 by walking on the tread. 8 weeks in and I have barely lost any mass.

Am I doing something wrong? Does my total lack of sleep have anything to do with this?

 

[Cletus]

Start weighing what you're eating and work out how many kjs you're consuming. You'd be amazed how small the recommended amount of breakfast cereal is. Also weigh the other food you're eating as well, it sounds quite healthy but if you're eating too much of it your not going to lose weight. And I don't know what's in you're tuna salad but if its mayo cat that out.

 

[Thomas]

You're 21 years old. Take advantage of your body now and start lifting, Read Starting Strength and go from there.

 

[Rebel]

Sleep is a big thing actually. Try to get 8 hours a night. And maybe spice up your cardio but alternating. Cross trainer is really good.

 

[aqua_duck]

350 calories a session probably means you're not working hard enough IMO. Try using the cross trainer instead of the bike and throw in some weight training as well (try high reps, minimal rest time between sets and only compound exercises). What cereal do you have?

 

[_snafu_]

I agree with aqua duck.

I aim to burn 1000 calories in my cardio sessions.

 

[Danish]

Yeah you definitely want to try to increase your effort during exercise. Unless a machine you are using to measure your calories burnt is actually hooked up to your heart rate as well then those readings are usually pretty useless.

If you exercise for 60 mins instead of 30 (be that 30 mins on the bike then 30 mins of weights, a full hour of cardio, whatever really) you'll be in a much better position to start dropping weight.

Having said that the diet you are eating doesn't exactly look loaded with fat (unless the portions are big) so might also help to tell us your weight/height as well. If you are already in a healthy weight range then trying to drop a few kgs takes a lot more effort. If you are overweight then normally the first few kgs are a little easier.

 

[Fire]

Hi all,

I have been attempting to lose some weight for about 7-8 weeks, I am not happy with the lack of results, so I was thinking maybe I am doing something wrong. I am21 years old and I carry excess mass around the hips ( so I have lovehandles) and a bit of excess mass at the gut and thighs.

I have tried to maintain strict diet. Usually I will eat brown rice sushi (2-3 rolls), tuna salads, cruskits, cereals, fruits, meats/chickens. So a typical day might be.

Brekky: Cereal with skim milk
Next Meal: Tuna can with a cruskits with low fat butter and vegemite
Next Meal: Two Sushi Rolls
Next Meal: Chicken or Salmon with 2 Cruskit
Last Meal: Tuna salad.

For snacks I have fruits/vegetables, I make sure all my carbs are low GI etc.

I exercise at the gym, monday, tuesday, thursday and friday. Usually 30 minutes of cycling ( burn 240 calories) then I try can make my total calories burnt to 350 by walking on the tread. 8 weeks in and I have barely lost any mass.

Am I doing something wrong? Does my total lack of sleep have anything to do with this?

Don't drink alcohol.

Run.

Even if you start off at 2 minutes.

You have to build.

Run.

And build.

 

[Thomas]

If you are already in a healthy weight range then trying to drop a few kgs takes a lot more effort. If you are overweight then normally the first few kgs are a little easier.

Totally.

I want to lose the last 5 kgs to get down to my goal weight. It's bloody hard.

 

[Cletus]

Yeah I'm trying to get down to 88kgs from 95. I'm down to 92 after 2 weeks or so but I've just popped a piece of pork in the oven It might take a bit longer than I thought it would.

 

[Bob_Sacamano]

Well, I am about 176cm tall .... Weight about 80kg.

For the past week and a bit, I have been jogging, at around 9.0km/H on a 4.5-5% incline. I am very unfit, did not realise until I started working out at this speed. So I will do 35 minutes on the treadmill but I can't maintain 9.0km/H for the whole 35 minutes. I try and do like 700m distance jog intervals. At the end I only get to about 3.8 km total distance.

My best session on the tread mill was, 360 calories in 31 minutes. But after that I am just knackered. I am finding it really hard to motivate myself now. During every session I can not stop thinking about uni/ how much work I have to do and how this is a waste of time. But I know it is not since I really need to lose the weight and get fit..... if only for the girls.

'Btw, every Wednesday when i don't do cardio, I do 3 sets of push ups( usually 60- 65 in total), DB shoulder presses ( only 16 kilos each) and tricep dips.
Saturday I do chin ups, upright rows and DB bent over rows.

Should I post pics of the troublesome love handles I am trying to lose?

 

[Sydney Knight]

Time usually goes faster if you run outdoors. I feel like 20 mins on treadmill goes forever but an hour outside flies by

 

[Cletus]

If you're finding it a chore Bob try and find something a bit more enjoyable like SK said. And if you're doing weights do some squats and leg work. But it sounds like you're eating a bit too much and not exercising hard enough. How much alcohol do you drink btw?

 

[bileduct]

From my own experience the most important component of losing weight is getting your eating right. Exercise definitely helps, but it is not strictly necessary to be doing cardio and a weight program in order to shed kilos.

At my heaviest I was around 125kgs at 185cm and I dropped to around 95-100kgs simply by eating more protein and less carbs, and walking around 5-6kms a day which was usually to and from work. I cut out as much sugar as possible, as well as white bread, rice and cereal. I think most people get hung up on trying to reduce fat intake to an absolute minimum without realising that foods labelled as reduced fat or fat free replace fat with loads of sugar to improve the taste.

From your diet I would probably lose the cereal, cruskits and sushi rolls. You need to establish a calorie deficit but pick the right foods and the right time of day to eat them in order to not feel hungry all the time. I will generally eat about 6 meals a day, with 3 larger meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and three smaller meals between them. For the smaller meals it could be anything from simply a protein shake to those new John West tuna & beans cans. Breakfast is usually greek yoghurt with mixed fresh berries, I'll have Zambrero's for lunch (burrito without the tortilla) and dinner is usually some kind of meat with salad/vegetables.

Don't use the scales to measure your weight loss as they are not the best indicator. Take measurements of your waist and chest and you'll notice that although your weight may stay the same your measurements will go down as fat is being replaced by muscle mass.

But anyway, like I said, you don't necessarily need to throw yourself into lots of exercise in order to lose the weight. But if that is the path you want to go down my recommendation to you would be to do yoga, particularly hot yoga if there's a studio nearby. Running may get you fit quickly but I find it to be one of the most painfully boring forms of exercise there is and it is really shit on your joints when you are carrying extra weight. In the past I have tried to build my weight loss around running and cardio but found that the fatigue saps my motivation very quickly and I go back to eating shit and putting on weight.

Plus yoga classes are 99% females and a f**king great perve.

 

[bileduct]

One other important thing to getting your eating right is giving yourself a day a week to treat yourself and eat whatever you want, but with moderation. Unless you are very, very disciplined it is near impossible to completely stop eating calorie rich foods like pizza, burgers, etc., and often when you give in to temptation you'll end up binge eating and your whole regime will go off the rails.

My guilty pleasure is chili hot chocolate from Koko Black which I have with lunch a few times a week, and that seems to keep me from wanting to eat fast foods and other calorie rich crap.

 

[Meapro Ham]

80kg is hardly overweight for your height dude. I'd say you're thinking about it too much. If its the ladies you're worried about, I would say just focus on dressing well and being a happy positive person. The ladies care more about that stuff than a couple of kilos here or there.

But if you're really set on on losing a few kgs I would say find a form of excercise that you really enjoy. Something that really gets the endorphins pumping. It won't ever feel like a chore if you can find the right thing. And yeah sleep is very important. And no booze.

 

[Frailty]

Here would be my tips:
- Stop measuring you gym effort by the 'Calories Burned' according to treadmills/bikes - These do not actually indicate accurately how much you have actually burned unless they are hooked up to a consistent heart rate monitor. The best indicator would be to regular check your heart rate and aim for 70-85% of your max HR.
- Start lifting weights - This works in a number of ways. The more muscle mass, the higher metabolic rate. It is also a good form of energy expenditure.
- Look at your training methods - If time is short for the gym, do some high intensity interval training (HIIT). This cuts down on overall time and has been linked to improve cardiovascular endurance than consistent lower intensity training.
- Measure your food - Weigh your food and keep track of what you are eating. This can be extremely difficult if you are buying pre-made food, so I would recommend making your own food. Keep track of how much energy intake your diet is, as well as track your macronutrient intake (Protein, Carbs, Fats)
- Keep track of your weight AND measurements - Keep a simple spreadsheet that you keep track of your weight, and measurements weekly (same time and day if possible). You need to be realistic about what you can achieve. The last bit of weight is always stubborn, so if you're losing 0.2kg a week, that may not seem a lot but is in the long run. Measurements will give a better indication of improvements in body fat levels.
- Compare your weight/measurements to energy intake - This is going to be key in adjusting your diet. Look at how your body is responding with a certain energy intake - if you aren't losing weight, drop it, etc. It can take some time tinkering around a bit.
- Find meal timing that's best for you - Despite the broscientists that tell you to eat 6 small meals a day to stoke the metabolic fire, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that this affects your metabolic rate. If you find it easier psychologically and physically to eat 3 meals a day, do it. If you find it easier on 1 or 8, do that. It really comes down to your overall intake.
- Don't cut out fat - Obviously people know that upping protein aids in muscle growth, the feeling of satiety, etc. but many people avoid fat. Good dietary fats (unsaturated, etc,) have been linked to body fat loss. Avocado, nuts, seeds, etc. are great sources of good fats.
- Have fun - If you aren't enjoying your training, do something that you do enjoy. This could be playing touch footy or basketball, doing boxing/mma/muay thai training, going bushwalking, etc. The more you enjoy it, the greater likelihood of you maintaining it.

 

[t-ba]

Time usually goes faster if you run outdoors. I feel like 20 mins on treadmill goes forever but an hour outside flies by

Yeah, I'm finding that now :lol:.

But I'll be f*cked if I run outside in Jakarta for an hour once a day!

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

I've just started back into training, got about 40kgs to lose. Have always hated exercise with a passion, so for me it is about finding exercises I hate the least. Mostly this is a mix of walking, cycling, boxing, and weights. Have taken up BodyPump as well to try and get the heart rate up (definately did that, though my elbows aren't working right now). But for me at the end of the day it comes down to diet. Lean meats, green veggies, and beans. Websites like Men's Health often also have some good advice for diet or training.

 

[Snoochies]

Try this website. All things about everything in there.

http://ausbb.com/