I Eat Right and Exercise - Why Can't I Lose Weight?

I Eat Right and Exercise - Why Can't I Lose Weight? Lori Bicek - Dietitian - Personal Trainer - Exercise Physiologist

The other day during my boot camp class Mary complains, "I've been in this class 3 days a week for 3 weeks now and I have only lost one pound". Ann replies, "Well, I haven't lost any weight".

In our battle to lose weight and get fit many people claim that they are eating right, exercising and even lifting weights to drop those unwanted pounds, but ti's not working. Food and exercise records that I evaluate reveal that most people are not eating as well as they think or exercising "enough" to make a difference.

Whether you gain or lose weight depends on your energy balance - how much you eat (calories) vs. how much you burn (exercise/weights). Week to week if you eat more food than what your body needs you will gain weight. To lose body fat you must create a calorie deficit. One pound of body fat is equal to 3,500 calories. you must reduce food intake by about 500 calories a day below what's needed to maintain your current weight to shed those pounds. That should lead to weight loss of about a pound a week for people who are overweight or moderately obese (BMI-Body mass index of 25 to 35). If you are more severely obese (BMI above 35) you may need to create a calorie deficit of 750 to 1,000 calories to lose 2 pounds a week. So, you may be choosing healthful foods, but in portions too large and too many calories to allow for weight loss.

"I can't seem to lose weight, but I really don't eat that much".
Eating too few calories can also be a problem. It takes calories to burn calories. When a person cuts calories too drastically (800-1000/day) your basal metabolic rate (metabolic rate is the rate at which your body burns calories for energy) drops as a way to protect the body from starvation. As a result the body learns to function at a lower calorie level. This is not what we want for weight loss. We want to train our body to use more calories, not less.

You may be exercising, lifting weights, and eating healthy, but if you spend 60 minutes jogging on the treadmill (12 min/mile) and burn off 500 calories only to consume 2 slices of cheese pizza (500 calories) you cancel out your exercise efforts. A year ago I was training for my first marathon. because I was exercising and training a lot more than my normal workouts, I thought I would drop five or ten pounds easily. I realized I stayed the same weight and some weeks weighed more. I also found myself hungrier than usual, ate more and as a result lost no weight. The more you exercise, the hungrier you get and the more you eat o think you should because of the hours spent working out. For weight loss, it's still a must to monitor calories and portions of food eaten. Also, if you are exercising regularly, you may have added muscle weight while decreasing body fat - thus your weight is the same, but you're healthier because you have lowered your percent body fat along with your risk of developing diseases.

We often think if we exercise regularly that weight loss should be easy. The relationship of exercise to weight loss is complex and often confusing. I encourage one to exercise to improve cardiovascular health, maintain bone mass, improve strength and of course for fun. for weight loss, focus on calories and portions consumed. Keep in mind that weight loss is slow and you may be looking for results too early. It takes 30 days to develop new eating habits and eating less food before you will start to see results in weight loss. So, be patient.

The everyday "Life Living Plan" is to balance our eating (healthy) with exercise (enough) to achieve a weight to feel good, help us fit in the size clothes comfortably that we long for and ward off any diseases such as diabetes, heart, cancer, osteoporosis that can creep into our life as we age.

What can I do to get this weight off?

1) Jot it down. Tracking helps you stay on track. Identify how much you eat (portions), when you eat (eat more in the day and less at night), and why you eat (check your hunger level, eat to fuel your body, not because of stress, boredom or because food is at hands reach).

2) Start thinking of food as fuel for the body - eat a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat.

3) This is a must - eat 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day. Mix it up; variety is the key for a nutrient boost.

4) This is a must - eat 4 servings of whole grains each day - oatmeal, whole wheat noodles and rice, sweet potatoes and multi-grain breads.

5) Eat at least 3-4 servings of beans - soy beans are a great choice, lentils or peas each week.

6) Eat a minimum of 3 meals a day. Eat every 4 hours. Eating 3 meals and 2 or 3 snacks is best.

7) Drink plenty of water.

8) Watch your calorie and portion intake; it's the key to weight loss.

For a metabolism boost try:

1) Vary the intensity of your workouts. Alternating segments of high-intensity efforts with easier efforts improves your aerobic capacity.

2) Change it up. Trying another machine will work your muscles in different ways, avoids boredom, improves your overall fitness and avoids repetitive-use-injuries. Try one workout a week on a different piece of equipment.

3) Try a class. Take a break from the gym and try a workout class. Check out a boot camp, kickboxing or yoga class for a muscle boost.

4) Beat the weight. For improved strength try changing your weight-lifting routine. Try a mix of high weight/low repetitions and low weight/high repetitions.

5) Try incorporating stability balls, medic weighted balls and weighted bars into your exercise routine for added balance and core strength.

6) Wear a pedometer and track your steps. Walk 10,000 steps a day for maximum fat-burning and a "high" level of fitness.

Think practical in your challenge to manage your weight. Healthful eating, adequate calories/portions to promote weight loss and daily exercise need to become everyday habits. Take it slow; remember it takes 30 days to develop a new habit and see results in weight loss. Sensible changes rather than quick fixes will get you further in the long run.

Comment by Lisa Newton on March 1, 2008 at 4:12am: All excellent advice. Have you tried any of these suggestions?

Comment by Cindy Posey on March 1, 2008 at 7:33am: The hardest part about increasing exercise is keeping track of food intake. I know it sounds like the two don't relate, but as you pointed out, we do get hungrier as we expend more energy. There was a study done on people that exercise tend to justify overeating.

Finding the balance with food is a big challenge. It's what I struggle with the most. Your points are very clear and right on the mark.

Comment by Carol on March 1, 2008 at 10:47am: I'm going to be switching up my routine. But first I'm taking a break this weekend - my body is BEAT UP!!! But starting Monday, I"m going to be doing Billy Blanks. Come to think of it, I lost the majority of my weight last time doing his tapes.

I do some of the things on that list - I drink lots of water - I don't document everything I eat but I keep a basic total of calories in my head (not the best thing to do I know but I just hate keeping track of every single thing) I don't eat all those servings of vegetables and grains - way too much. I've taken classes and lifted weights before.

Comment by Metroknow on March 1, 2008 at 1:50pm: One thing that I have done from time to time (once a week, generally if I'm in weight loss mode) is to do a "fruit and vegetable day" where I eat almost exclusively fruits and vegetables, with some protein like nuts or legumes. I'm also sure to add in an avocado for fat intake (in addition to the oils in the nuts). Doing this takes a little getting used to, but I've found that it has the effect of shaking my body out of a weight loss plateau using nothing but foods I should be eating anyway (as opposed to processed fake foods). I've had success with this, and found that you can easily do it for a day if you put your mind to it.

Comment by Carol on March 1, 2008 at 4:49pm: That sounds like a great idea Metroknow! Thanks for sharing that. I'm definitely going to try it WHEN I hit a plateau. :)

Comment by Carol on March 1, 2008 at 9:54pm: Metroknow,

How much fruit would you say that you eat in a day when you're doing this fruit and nut thing? Also, does it matter what kind of nuts you eat? I really want to try this - I don't need to wait for a plateau, I can do this now.

Comment by Metroknow on March 1, 2008 at 10:55pm: Take this with a grain of salt, but on the quantities of fruits and vegetables I actually don't limit the amount - I try to be reasonable and eat fruit and vegetables until I'm full. If I need a snack, I opt for a fruit option. The key for me is to vary the types of fruit, and to avoid fruits (particularly a lot of berries or grapes) that are generally higher in sugar.

So here's what I do: I essentially treat myself to the best fresh fruit I can afford - as if I'm going out to dinner. I treat it like a special occasion. In the morning, I go to a grocery store with a good organic section. I buy fruit that looks great, regardless of price (not my normal, believe me); if they have hard-to-find pears, I buy one or two of those. If they have good organic apples that are pricey, I buy a couple of those. I like citrus fruits quite a bit, so I buy a couple of oranges, and a large grapefruit or two. I may pick up a small bag of grapes, or a couple of fresh peaches if they're in season.

On vegetables, I generally pick up some zucchini (I have a great recipe for blue cheese stuffed zucchini, which is incredible and is a good source of both protein and fat - in moderation), a red and a yellow bell pepper, and any other vegetable that might be a little more exotic but that I think I can make a good dinner out of. Eggplant is a good choice.

On protein/nuts, I am partial to almonds; Trader Joes has some great options, like the Wasabi Tamari almonds. I avoid anything sugar coated of course. I also like cashews; peanuts also work. Pistachios as well, as long as they aren't dyed.

The trick is to avoid all refined sugar, grains, and so forth. Only fresh, whole foods and as much as I need so I don't feel hungry. I also will have an egg or two if I feel like I need more protein; sometimes a little bit of high quality cheese (not low fat - its the fat I want actually). Again, its kind of a "feel" thing - I kind of know when I'm needing protein (I recognize the sensation), so I add a little bi in when necessary.

Hope that helps -

Sorry for such a long response! :)

Comment by Carol on March 1, 2008 at 10:58pm: Thank you very much! Yes that does help. :)

Comment by Lisa Newton on March 2, 2008 at 4:54am: Personally, I love the idea of eating fruits and vegetables one day a week. It throws your body off............:)

Another idea is to just go vegetarian one day a week. Oh, you can still eat the wrong foods, as a vegetarian, but for me, it's the mind set of avoiding meat that works. I think beans are an under used source of protein.

Comment by Cindy Posey on March 2, 2008 at 7:05am: I really like how you make Fruit a Special Occasion, Metroknow. I love Fruit, but don't place it on the "Special Treat" list often. What a great idea to forget price for a special treat. Great ideas on focusing with fresh, whole foods.

Carol, I'm the same way with food tracking. I've done it in the past and I tend to mentally process then numbers. It's difficult though to not underestimate the numbers. I like tracking by food groups. It's a little easier.

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