33 and Overweight

[Nannjm]

Hi everyone, (I'm new here) I've been married 3 years now and gained 40 pounds in that time. I spent the last 4 months exercising on a stationary bike, 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week. I was told that Areobic exercise burns fat but that this approach does take longer. I changed my eating habits, lowered calories/fat and also portion control. In 4 months time, I didn't didn't loose any weight, or any inches. I actually feel as if I've 'spread out' even more in my hips. I am very discouraged and also confused with the exercise concept. It is suggested that 30 minutes a day of ANY exercise will encourage weight loss. But as I read these posts, it seems this isn't so? I have high blood pressure and cannot do resistance training. What else can I possibly do to see some results?

Any suggestions would really help.

Nannjm

[yes]

hi!

 

your wife must be a great cook!

 

I just wanted to warn you - people with high-blood pressure should be careful about exercising, so be picky about whose advice you take. I've read on websites dedicated to blood pressure that its best to stick to light exercise such as speed-walking, swimming, etc. But don't trust me - do a search on google and read up on it.

 

Also, your diet - simply lowering the calories & reducing portion may not be enough. Are you getting enough vitamins? Do you drink lots of water? Did you change your diet too drastically, by any chance?

 

Considering your limitations imposed by high blood pressure, losing weight should take you longer than 4 months, I believe. So just stick to exercise, a good diet, and stop counting time.

 

good luck,

-yes

[Nannjm]

I'm actually 'the wife' My husband has maintained the same weight as when we first married--Only I gained. I have increased my water intake, muti-vitamin and calcium supplement. My high blood pressure is only an issue due to the extra weight I've gained. I chose the stationary bike as a 'safe' way to exercise. I haven't been drastsic in my approach to diet/exercise....

In 4 months, I think I should have seen some changes?

[yes]

haha, sorry

 

Um, i think you're best off talking to your doctor about this. Perhaps your doc can do some tests to see if everything's OK, generally. There're many causes of weight gain (e.g. birth control pills make some people gain weight).

 

but whatever you do, exercise & a good diet are part of a healthy lifestyle, so keep it up!

 

good luck,

-yes

[yes]

I think what happens sometimes is that when people begin to exercise, they begin to build muscle, which replaces the fat. But muscles are heavier than fat, so even if you've lost fat, your weight may have stayed the same. This is just my uneducated guess though.

 

-yes

[Nannjm]

Actually, my doctor sees no medical reason being the problem and I'm not taking birth control pills.

I have heard that muscle weighs more than fat--But wouldn't I have still lost inches?

[clia]

It seems to me that you should've lost some inches by now. Have you tried upping your exercise time--i.e. to 45 minutes or an hour? Maybe that will make a difference.

 

Also, have you had your thyroid checked?

[Tony T]

YOU WRITE: "I have heard that muscle weighs more than fat--But wouldn't I have still lost inches?"

 

Muscle weighs the SAME as fat, lead, concrete, rocket fuel, airplanes, etc. One pound of muscle and one pound of fat weigh exactly the same. However, muscle is more dense than fat.

 

The right diet and exercise, therefore, could theoretically result in your weighing the same although looking trimmer and more toned.

[Nannjm]

I haven't tried more than 30-35 minutes each routine--Mostly because my body is so tried the next day and I have to be moderate. I don't any thyriod complications.

In the past, I always maintained weight by simply eating as little as possible. I'm thinking I haven't lowered my calories enough to encourage the exercise to work. I'm starting to believe experts who claim 'areobic exercise' does not help change the body or actually burn enough calories to loose weight. It does help everyday stresses, anxiety, etc. But it's not effective in loosing weight overall....

Thanks for all the replies

[EnigmaXOXO]

In addition to healthy eating choices and increased activity, you must also "flip the switch" on your body's metabolism and the way it has learned through years of unhealthy eating habits to store and burn food energy. This can become increasingly more difficult as we get older and our metabolisms start to slow down.

 

Instead of consuming all of your calories during one meal, try breaking your large meal down into six smaller portions a day. This will help ward off hunger pangs and prevent those cravings to hit the snack machine during work. Consuming more water will also help "trick" your belly into thinking its "full" while at the same time flushing out unhealthy toxins.

 

Start with a 30 minute bike ride or low impact walk IN THE MORNING before eating anything. Not only will this help give you more energy to start your day off with, but your body will continue to burn calories throughout the day. After your morning exercise, reward your body with a light and healthy breakfast…THIS is the most important meal of the day! Try to avoid carbs as much as possible which will force your body to burn stored fat for energy instead of the food digesting in your stomach.

 

Than, every two hours, curb your need to "binge" by eating a handful of something healthy...a piece of fruit, low fat yogurt, unsweetened fruit juice or raw vegetables. Figure out what you like to snack on that is HEALTHY.

 

The key is to keep your body constantly digesting so that it doesn’t think you are starving it to death. Your body is in a perpetual “Feast or Famine” mode, and if its only accustomed to getting one solid meal a day, it will start hording calories and fat for its energy reserves. Also, save your largest meal for mid-day! Have that turkey on rye or mega-salad in the afternoon, and avoid eating anything six hours before bedtime. Avoiding alcohol also helps tremendously since it is full of sugars and tends to make the body “bloat.” And go ahead and treat yourself to that dinner out on the weekends. Once you have established a healthy routine, treating yourself once a week will do absolutely no harm and you’ll appreciate a good solid meal a whole lot more instead of taking it for granted as most of us do.

 

Believe me, your body will stubbornly fight you for the first month or so and it will be easy to become discouraged. It doesn’t like changing old habits any more than you do. But once it adjusts to your new regiment, the pounds will start shedding almost overnight and you will be surprised to find yourself with MORE energy and less fat then ever before!

 

Like you, I had tried just about every diet and exercise program out there and nothing seemed to work. But when I finally understood the concept of how my body swapped food for fuel, I suddenly went from a size 12 to a size 4 in only EIGHT MONTHS! My new dilemma became stopping my body from shedding pounds. Trust me, it will wreak HAVOC on that wardrobe budget!

[Nannjm]

If the right diet and exercise can equal the same weight but slim down the body, this certainly hasn't worked for me. There has been no physical change in 4 months.

I have talked with fitness specialist who all say, 'muscle weighs more than fat' and most people who work-out, gain more muscle...and they gain weight too. Normally, after building some muscle, it balances out and then one looses fat. This is the information I have read and been given....

Unfortunately, I haven't had these results.

[Nannjm]

I have actually done a lot of what you suggested, Engima. I drink tons of water all day long. I exercise in the morning before eating anything. I have cut down on carbs as well. Snacking is difficult because I seem to gain weight, whether I snack on fruit, etc. But I thank-you for your post and I will give it a try again.

[yes]

Now I know my secret to staying thin even without exercise - I eat frequently, and not much at a time. Of course, my body is also very young & has high metabolism, but it looks like this often&little eating schedule is very good. I also sometimes eat huge meals, and they don't seem to harm me.

 

Oh, and always keep drinking.

 

good luck,

-yes

 

PS Be careful with working out with an empty stomach - make sure you have some water & sugar, otherwise you may faint.

[EnigmaXOXO]

...You are absolutely right! The key is not to starve your body, but to feed it CONSTANTLY, but with healthier, smaller portions.

 

Many of us have confused our metabolisms by yo-yo dieting. When we deny ourselves food it only sends our body into "starvation mode," and the minute we put any kind of food back into our stomachs again, our body stores the fat and calories it in the event we should try to starve it again.

 

It takes a little while to reprogram our metabolisms to do what we have unwittingly "trained" it to do, but it absolutely works and CAN be done!

[Nannjm]

If "starvation" don't work, then how do people become anorexic? I'm not suggesting that starving oneself is a good thing at all--But it makes me wonder.....Most 'thin' people I know, simply don't eat or eat one small meal a day, (and don't work out) People with eating disorders, stop eating and loose so much weight, they are risking their lives. So, with that in mind....the concept of slowing the metabolism by starving the body and yo-yo dieting, doesn't quite make sense to me....

[EnigmaXOXO]

Nannjm,

 

The idea that you can swap fat for muscle is an absolute MYTH!

 

While strength and weight training will help tone and build muscle, it will not burn huge amounts of stored fat unless you are doing fast repetitions and getting your heart rate up. Guys, because they are physically stronger, have an easier time with this than we females do. You can have great muscle tone and not even be able to see it if it's lying under fatty tissue. Just take a look at those professional power lifters!

 

Aerobic exercise, such as biking, walking and/or swimming also needs to be incorporated as a part of any exercise routine if you want to force your body to tap into those fat reserves. The key is to work at a level where your heart rate is increased for at least 30 minutes after your warm-up. A great way to gage a comfortable "fat burning" rate for your individual physical condition, is to work out at a level where "you are still able to talk...but don't want to." This is a good natural indicator to let you know whether you are working too hard, or not hard enough. (Hope that makes sense)

 

You should work at this level for 30 minutes, allowing yourself adequate time for warming up and cooling down before and after. This may extend your work out time a bit, but eventually you will notice an increase in your stamina and your ability to maintain this fat-burning heart rate for extended periods of time.

 

Okay...climbing down of of my soapbox now.

[yes]

i think all this stuff also depends on your body-type. not everybody can be anorexic. some people are naturally plump. some are most comfortable when skinny. some build huge muscle easily, some cannot do it at all.

 

so... how do u say this in english... dont use one ruler for everybody.

 

-yes

[veggie]

I'd be curious to see exactly what you are eating. It is not typical to consume fewer calories and not lose weight, especially at the beginning of a weight-loss program. If this has been going on for 4 months and medical causes have been ruled out, then I would say that there's a good chance that although you may have changed your diet, you haven't necessarily reduced calories.

[Nannjm]

I have actually built up quite a good stamia--4 solid months of biking and my legs are strong. My heart rate goes up as it should and I maintain that for 30 minutes. (I do warm up and cool down as well)

I appreciate all the advice and suggestions

As for different body types--Well, most people who stop eating do loose weight. It may not be weight they can maintain and normally gain it back when they begin eating again.

I believe it is about figuring out what foods to eat and how much...Any healthy diet is lower in fat/carbs etc.

[Nannjm]

Chicken, turkey, plain salads, fruits, veggies.....

I have cut out bread/pasta/butter/starches etc. No sugars, sweets. I drink only water and one small cup of coffee per day. I use a low calorie/carb protein shake for breakfast and then I eat a small dinner, chicken and veggies...all plain. If I snack, it's usually fruits or yogurt.

I agree that I may need to reduce my calories even more so....I'd say I consume less than 1000 a day.

[EnigmaXOXO]

As for different body types--Well, most people who stop eating do loose weight. It may not be weight they can maintain and normally gain it back when they begin eating again.

 

Not only do they gain it all back, but usually add 10 more pounds to their body's "comfortable" weight. Again, this is because a dieter has starved their body, and now the body is preparing itself in the event the perpetrator should ever try it again!

 

Thus the term "Yo Yo-ing."

[veggie]

Originally posted by Nannjm

Chicken, turkey, plain salads, fruits, veggies.....

I have cut out bread/pasta/butter/starches etc. No sugars, sweets. I drink only water and one small cup of coffee per day. I use a low calorie/carb protein shake for breakfast and then I eat a small dinner, chicken and veggies...all plain. If I snack, it's usually fruits or yogurt.

I agree that I may need to reduce my calories even more so....I'd say I consume less than 1000 a day.

 

Are you are sure about this -- i.e., have you actually measured/weighted what you are consuming and accounted for all calories? Many people vastly underestimate the size of their portions (for instance, 4 oz of any meat, which is considered one serving, is tiny compared to what most people are used to). If you have, then I would suggest that you add at least 200 calories to your diet. Anything below 1200 will be interpreted as starvation by your body and your body will do everything it can to preserve its energy (and fat) stores.

 

You should also consider that aerobic exercise does not really build muscle, at least not in any way that would significantly raise your metabolism nor produce a situation where you would lose inches but not pounds.

 

You mentioned that you can't engage in weight training because of your blood pressure, but I would encourage you to talk to your doctor about this. It's my understanding that, as long as you breathe correctly and don't use heavy weights, you should be able to engage in some weight bearing activitiy. The advantage would be that you will create some muscle, which will increase your overall metabolic rate... not just while you are exercising but all the time. This contrasts with aerobic conditioning, which causes you to burn calories (although not many) only while you are actively engaged in exercise.

[yes]

Do you take vitamins? Your diet sounds kind of single-sided (no grains, for e.g.), so perhaps your body is lacking some stuff. Some sugar is good, you know - just not too much =)

 

-yes

[EnigmaXOXO]

Veggie has a good point here! 1,000 calories a day IS NOT ENOUGH.

 

One of the most frequent mistakes we make while dieting is failing to eat enough. This often triggers what is called “The plateau effect.” The weight loss plateau usually occurs within about a month of starting a weight loss diet, and may reoccur periodically thereafter. Again, your body thinks there is a famine and has slowed down your metabolism in order to conserve calories.

 

Try to consume at least 1,200 minimum as this is what the average person needs per day just for the ordinary routine of walking, talking and breathing! In addition, women should not go without eating for more than 3 hours maximum. And ALWAYS eat breakfast...making sure its not just limited to a protein shake. Your body needs actual solid food in order to meet its energy needs for the day! While protien is good for building muscle, it does little to give your body the energy it needs to get through that excerise routine!

[Ryan]

Wow....this thread got active in a hurry. I've noticed a few things people have been saying along the way that need addressing.

 

 

I have high blood pressure and cannot do resistance training.

 

This requires more clarification. I do not understand the rationale behind this. Please get a more thorough explanation, because I definitely doubt this assertion.

 

 

Start with a 30 minute bike ride or low impact walk IN THE MORNING before eating anything. Not only will this help give you more energy to start your day off with, but your body will continue to burn calories throughout the day.

 

This is misleading. The body will burn calories throughout the day no matter what you do. The metabolic increase due to light activity is rather minor and equally short-lived. It is not of significance in terms of caloric expenditure.

 

 

While strength and weight training will help tone and build muscle, it will not burn huge amounts of stored fat unless you are doing fast repetitions and getting your heart rate up.

 

True, it will not burn much in the way of bodyfat.....regardless of how fast you perform the repetitions. No activity burns much in the way of bodyfat. Besides, recommending anyone to perform a FAST repetition is hideous advice and should NEVER be done.

 

 

Aerobic exercise, such as biking, walking and/or swimming also needs to be incorporated as a part of any exercise routine if you want to force your body to tap into those fat reserves.

 

Absolutely false. "Aerobic" activity (a huge misnomer that people can't even define when they use it) is just as poor as any other activity for selecting off bodyfat. The largest percentage of bodyfat-derived energy comes when humans are at their LEAST active. This is why "aerobic" is a poor name - it does not reflect what actually goes on with energy pathways. An increase in resting metabolic rate is by far more effective (it's always on) and safe (no additional stressors involved at rest). There's only one way to increase RMR - proper strength training.