Half way through week 4 and still no weight loss!!!! Fitness is improving and feel great but not loosing :(

[shazndot]

I am half way through week 4 and it is going great, My health is improving, my fitness is improving. I gained 2 stone after giving up smoking and am trying to loose it again so started the running, I am also eating very healthily. I am aware that muscle increase will gain weight so I have taken measurements and they are sticking like glue!!! Why am I not loosing weight or size?????

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Take out the tape measure and take note of your vitals, i.e bust/chest, waist, hips, thighs, calf, also upper arms. Then check those measurements 4-6 weeks from now, I'll bet there will be inches/centimetres lost but may not show quite so much on the scales. Your body will be toned like never before, you will be much fitter too. The weight will come off but your body needs time to adjust to the exercise you are asking of it. Good luck with your running and weight loss.

[crox Graduate]

Don't stress about it yet, I didn't start losing weight until I was running for 45 minutes. The amount of calories burned while running doesn't equate to a lot in terms of kg, there are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat so my lunchtime run was 1000 calories which approximates to 100g.

That said, with this programme and MyFitnessPal I've lost 36kg (5.5 stone), so stick with it.

[helcl Graduate]

I used myfitnesspal as well, and 3 stone gone so far! I don't think sometimes you realise everything you eat.

[totalbeginner Graduate]

Haven't read other replies but it can take 6-8 weeks to see a difference with weight loss. After 5 or 6 weeks I started to feel more toned but I haven't really lost any weight as such. I'm around half a stone overweight but would like to lose a stone to not be at top of scale! Good on you for sticking with it and just keep plodding on. Eat regularly and healthily drink plenty of fluid especially water.

Hopefully anotger couple weeks you will start to notice a difference in your clothes.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

you need to combine with a weight loss programme such as Myfitnesspal whic is fab....good luck!

[Alaiyo Graduate]

Check out my old post on pretty much exactly this. healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

If you aren't tracking your food intake, you should know that diet is about 90% of the fat-loss equation, exercise is only a small part. Running without dieting in order to lose weight is a bit like getting a smaller coffee at the store every day instead of brewing your own in order to save money. It helps, but only a small bit proportionately.

[shazndot]

Thank you for all your replies, I know my diet isn't a major problem, maybe not eating enough! Is an average I have a portion of cereal for breakfast, a portion of cereal for lunch, fruit as snacks throughout the day and a balanced meal at night. No chocolate or cake or biscuits etc! That's pretty much it! That is more than I was eating as I normally didn't eat at all during the day so I say its an improvement but to eat more I would find a struggle! I have taken all my measurements to keep track. Really enjoying the running but I cant say I am not a bit gutted. I also have a horse so weekends especially are full of exercise!

[gingernut49 Graduate]

Just make sure you don't compensate for the running by eating your exercise calories. Even if MyFitnessPal tells you you can ignore it as those exercise calories are a bonus! I always run on my fasting days and just have a small evening meal as normal. Just make sure you drink plenty of water to rehydrate your muscles.

[shazndot]

Thank you gingermut - So the small amounts that I eat are fine? could I eat less or would my system go into starvation mode? For about 20 years I have lived on one meal a day but that doesn't seem to want to work for me anymore? Really frustrated!!

[totalbeginner Graduate]

I wouldn't eat less as such you could try something like the 5:2 diet where you restrict intake for twp days out of 7 to 500 calories, either as one meal or two smaller ones with a 12 hr fast in between. Or stay as you are.

IDefinitely make sure you are drinking enough and getting enough fibre.

[fits735]

Ditch the cereals they are not nutritious and full of sugar! Could you stomach oats for breakfast? In summer I have oats with fruit, natural yoghurt, spoon of nuts and a spoon of honey for breakfast. More protein in the lunch would be good too. Rebalance some of the evening intake to earlier in the day. It doesnt sound like you are eating enough to be honest. Also how about alcohol?

[shazndot]

Cant do oats or nuts Porridge makes me gag! just the smell is enough any other suggestions would be greatly received? Don't drink, one cider and I am legless! Thats my alcohol intake lol. Maybe one drink one o month or so!

[fits735 in reply to shazndot]

Fair enough, porridge is not for everyone. Eggs are a great breakfast option too. Thats what I have at weekends. If you're going to have cereal make sure its as unprocessed as possible. wholegrain preferable. I say protein cos it fills you up and helps you build muscle. Where I have lunch now, its buffet style. I take one dinner plate and fill half with salad/veg, take some protein normally fish or meat dish or sometimes the veggie cooked option and then small amount of potatoes or rice or a slice of bread. Cereal for breakfast and lunch really isn't nutritious.

[shazndot]

Also Fits 735, I know the health eating bit and that is fine but get a little confused on the protein, carbs etc stuff!

Could I ask, why more protein?

[Alaiyo Graduate in reply to shazndot]

I'm not Fits 735, but I can answer your question too. First, the simple answer "why protein", with more in depth to follow:

Protein is good for feeling full, and is also absolutely required by the body for building/repairing muscles and tissues. Most "regular" people don't get enough protein, and it is extra important when you are adding new stresses, like running.

OK, so the more complete answer here:

Nutrition is a bit controversial, particularly around the correct proportion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates (the macronutrients) but here's the real basics:

Your body absolutely needs a certain amount of fat to absorb/use certain micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and also uses fat as energy - which is why fat is higher in calories gram for gram. extra healthy sources include seeds and nuts, olive oil, avocados, coconut oil and so on.

Your body also absolutely needs protein, which is used to build and repair muscles, among other things. Protein is found in meat, dairy, eggs, pulses (like beans), and in varying amounts in grains and nuts (quinoa has a lot of protein.) Extra protein beyond what your body needs to maintain your tissues can be used for energy.

Carbohydrates come in two forms: simple carbs and complex carbs. In the body, both break down into sugar, which is then used as energy by the body. Simple carbs (sugar, including fruit juices and the like) are metabolized very quickly and increase blood sugar rapidly. Complex carbs are starches: corn, potatoes, grains, breads, etc. You will need to get at least some carbs in the form of non-starchy vegetables (although their carb amounts are low) in order to get the important fiber and micronutrients (vitamins) that will keep you healthy. Other carbs, however, are mostly just calories/energy - not full of nutrients. Whole grain carbs are definitely better than refined stuff like white flour.

In a conventional western diet (not all junk food, but not super-ultra health conscious either), people end up eating a LOT of simple carbohydrates and sugars, as well as a LOT of complex carbohydrates in the form of starches. Conversely, there may be a significant amount of fat, but usually only a little protein. Even conservative diets (versus low-carb ones) will recommend having less sugar and less starchy food - and replacing it with more protein and tons of non-starchy vegetables (like 5 servings every day). If you are not eating much fat, and finding that cutting some of the carbs makes you hungry, adding a small amount of fat can help. In any case, protein is great for satiety (fullness) so you feel less hunger.

Changing this pattern is a great way to improve your nutrition and manage your calories. According to my doctor, studies show that it is critical to have some protein (15-20 g) every 3-4 hours, or at least at every meal, in order to support fat loss. This means your morning cereal, which is almost entirely simple carbs and refined complex carbs, is probably not quite cutting it.

The above recommendation of oats would be a way to cut the sugar and replace the refined complex carbs with whole grain ones that have more nutrients, including a bit of protein. Even better would be to have some additional protein, and some veggies.

You are eating cereal, with snacks of fruit all day until dinner. Those are pretty much all carbohydrates. (Fruit is good and has vitamins, but it also has lots of natural sugars, so think of those perhaps as more of a treat than your primary source of energy.) If your balanced dinner is a serving of protein, a serving of vegetables and a serving of carbohydrates, that is still super-low overall on your protein and veggies, and possibly even your fats. Try adding some almonds or a slice of cheese to your snacks. Work in a salad with chicken for lunch, or vegetable soup, or something like that, along with some protein. Consider eggs in the morning, or yoghurt, or even sprinkling some protein powder over that cereal. And maybe drink some veggie juice if the idea of eating vegetables with breakfast makes you cringe. (Juice in general is not as good as straight-up vegetables because you don't get the fiber or the volume that helps you feel full, but it is certainly better than no veggies at all.)

Good luck to you!

[Khrissy Graduate]

I can't recommend the South Beach Diet highly enough (google it). Within 5 months of following that and doing C25k, I had lost 2 1/2 stone and had a BMI of 22. And carrying on running and staying on phase 3 of the diet has meant I haven't put any weight back on nearly a year later. Ooh and blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels all lowered as well!

[kickibro Graduate]

Apart from the walking uve really only done a 15 min light jog but as your fitness increases and you do longer times you will perhaps tone and shed a few pounds. You will also need to look at your diet and perhaps make some healthy adjustments. Well done for giving up smoking and getting fitter! That's a great achievement xxx

[Windswept1 Graduate]

Have you looked at the information here and worked out your calorie intake?

nhs.uk/livewell/loseweight/.... Are you eating enough calories? Some advice suggests that if you are not eating enough your body goes into 'starvation mode' and hangs on to fat.

Protein is to help with muscle build up with the exercise and also tends to be more satisfying than sweetened cereals.

Be patient, giving up smoking is the hardest thing to do. If you managed that you can lose weight. Good luck.

[ajwyld Graduate]

I've finished the programme and kept running 3 times a week. So far my measurements have not changed - but everything is firmer so I've decided not to care too much. I also suspect that I'm eating more than I really should because a bit of my brain knows I'm running and therefore thinks it doesn't matter.

I lost 8kg last year using Rosemary Conley Online, and it was some folk on that site that inspired me to do c25k. I have another 4 to go to get to my target weight, but I figure I need to get my act together again diet wise (back to using food diary) to get them to shift.