Losing Inches(or Not)

Hi A.,

Good for you for creating new healthy habits. I hear this all of the time from my clients and I thought I would share with you what I recommend. Visit my website at www.positivechange4u.com to learn more!

Keep up the good work!
D.

Hi A.,

For more inch loss, increase your protein and change up your exercise routine. Be sure to choose lean meats, egg whites, soy products. Check out my website www.weigh2wellness.com if you want more info or you want to join a weight loss challenge. We teach 12 weeks of nutriton during the challenge. They are in the Akron area. Good Luck!
L.

One thing about working out, especially in the beginning, is you have to get that heart rate up to the point where you're breaking a sweat. If you're able to comfortably talk at all during your workout, you aren't working out hard enough. When I first started working out to lose my baby weight, I did notice that it took about 6 weeks before the weight really started coming off, but I was also not working out as hard as I could've. I would only do 20 minutes of cardio to start out, then I would lift weights for about 20 -25 minutes. My personal trainer told me that to really lose fat in the beginning, you need to be putting in 45 minutes of cardio each workout. When she explained this to me, she said she was talking about serious cardio for the full time, like breathing fast and sweating. So, if you're really wanting to lose fat, I suggest this on top of a workout DVD. You could get some cardio in on your own time, and then do the DVD on top of it. If you can, find a used treadmill, we bought ours off of a newspaper ad for $150. Or get a jump rope, jump roping is great cardio. Don't just walk fast though, walking works too, but for the best results, really push yourself, the more you push, the faster those inches are going to drop

Our office offers the Transitions Lifestyle program....learn to eat right combined with your exercise program! We focus on losing inches! For more info, call Dr. Below at ###-###-####. Deb

Hey there, don't be discouraged. It usually takes about 6 weeks to start seeing results. I have 6 children and just recently lost about 45 lbs after several years of trying. Stick to it and pray over it as well. The Lord had a huge part in my weight loss. Good luck! God Bless!

Hang in there, honey!!! I also started working with a personal trainer and have been losing VERY slowly. Remember, though, that by taking it off slowly, the chances of it staying off are greater. Are you measuring every day? If so, I'd suggest just doing it once a week.

Also, are you doing any weight bearing exercises? This is really how you will begin to see some toning. Aerobics are great for working your heart, but you also need to use your muscles to burn fat AND tone the muscles.

Mostly, though, you have to just remember to be consistant and not get discouraged. Lifelong changes take time!!!

Kudos for sticking with it!!!

I worked out with a trainer for a long time, but still did not see the results I wanted until I combined my workouts with the right food.

The keys are resistance training, some cardio and the right eating plan. If you have to make sure that you are eating enough of the right kinds of food to power your work outs and your life. Some friends and I just finished The Abs Diet for Women by David Zinczenko. It's a 6 week plan and we all lost inches and/or pounds. Even if you do not want to do the plan, the book contains excellent advice that explains things like how your metabolism works, why eating certain foods help you lose or gain, etc. It really shouldn't be called a diet b/c it's more of a eating plan for life. I found that I ate more on the plan...3 meals and 3 snacks a day, including ice cream and other good food. Nothing strange and hard to cook or impossible to feed to the rest of your family. I highly recommend it!

First, keep up the good work! It is awesome that you have women to share this experience with you. I recently started turbo jam and in a few months have lost 4 inches and some weight. Prior to this, I struggled losing inches with another exercise program. It may depend on the program? It also takes time. I did not measure myself for 2 mos. When you mentioned food intake, I recently learned from my endocrinologist that in order to lose weight i needed to use a smaller plate at each meal (8inches) and not to let portions touch each other...and no 2nds. This has helped me a lot. I have also tried protein water (the special k kind) to help curb hunger. Just remember you want to lose weight the healthy way, which takes time. What you are doing is great and great for you!

Fabulous start! You're already setting the foundation for success.

Now, I am going to guess that you have lost some weight but your body still has the same 'shape' but perhaps a little smaller. This is common but the fix is easy.

The cardio is burning the fat. Watching your nutrition closely is also helping to drop the pounds. Now you need to do something to firm up what's been hiding underneath the weight. You need to lift weights/resistance train.

You do not need a gym membership or any fancy equipment and with a little research, you can figure out how to do a bunch of exercises at home without buying anything.

Start with push-ups. This is a fantastic exercise because it requires the triceps (back of arm), pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), and abdominals to do the work. Try to do full push-ups, but if you cannot you can do them on your knees or even from a standing position and 'pushing up' on the wall. Start with 3 sets of 10 and try to eventually do all 3 sets of 10 as full push-ups.

Next up are squats and lunges. They engage the glutes (butt), quads (front of legs) and hamstrings (back of legs). When doing a squat, imagine as if you are sitting back into a chair - don't let your knees go in front of your toes! With lunges, stand with your hands on your hips and take a step forward - the back legs bends and the knee gently touches down and 'kisses' the ground. Return to the original position and repeat with the other leg. Start with 3 sets of 15 of either the squat or the lunge.

As you can see, you can do these exercises anywhere and anytime. Of course there are many others that I have not included (dips, crunches, calf raises, etc.), but this is a good start.

Remember, if you do not strength train you will just be a 'shrunken down' version of your old self. Strength training will take your muscles and tighten them up, and in the process add more muscle mass (this will not make you look like a gross bodybuilder either). More muscle mass requires more fuel, so when your body is at rest you become a fuel burning machine!

You may want to add some dumbells to your routine. A little resistance training can give you a whole lot of results, especially when combined with another program, like the one you're on. A great book is "Smart Girls do Dumbells." You also may want to watch your portions when you eat. (That's what gets me every time!)

I gave up trying to do it on my own and hired a consultant/personal trainer. The key, because I'm in my late 30's and not my 20's, is getting the heart rate up to 125+ for OVER 30 minutes. She said you're not going to see results if you stop just as you're getting into the fat burning zone. She recommended cardio for 30 minutes, and vigorous weights (light/reps) or aerobic exercises for another 20+.

I have had good luck with the Tracy Anderson DVDs. Her post-pregnancy DVD was awesome after I had my second baby. I also like her "mat workout" DVD. They are more like doing lots of intense Yoga than aerobics. Gwyneth Paltrow is one of her big fans. Good luck! It probably took 3 or 4 weeks before I saw any results.

Dear A.,
I have a bachelor degree in physical education and I'm a personal trainer specializing in women's fitness. Not seeing results is very frustrating and getting results won't happen without a proper eating plan and an exercise plan specific for your goals. It's not about dieting, it's about making the decision to eat a heart healthy diet and smaller portions. Eating too few calories is as detrimental to your plan as eating too much. The American Diabetes Association has an excellent food plan. Another suggestion is to eliminate all white bread, white sugar, and white rice. Only drink water - not diet soda or energy/vitamin drinks.
The best exercise plan includes core essentials. It isn't just the abdominals, it is the whole midsection, from hips to shoulders. Most people don't exercise hard enough. Remember studies show - 30 minutes a day will have health benefits and it can be broken up in 10 minute sections. If weight loss and optimal health are your goal then focus on an intense 30 minute workout, where at the end you are totally spent.
Good health goes beyond being a certain clothing size. It is about defending your body against disease, disability, and death. To increase your metabolism and burn more calories turn sedentary acts into active ones - stand on one leg while talking on the phone, do calf raises while on the computer, do any motion while watching tv. Make it fun, watch a musical and dance along with it, play upbeat music while cleaning the house or doing laundry to get moving.

I hope this helps. Keep your commitment and your body will thank you. Remember, you only have one body, one life and it belongs to the Lord. Respect the home of the Holy Spirit and let Him give you the strength to exercise and say no to foods that aren't healthy. My best to you.

A.
I am a product of losing inches before I ever saw the scale move (muscle weighs more than fat as you well know) It is not only in your excercise program...it is also in your weight management program. The one I used and now use to maintain my weight is powered by an amino acid called Leucine (which is what the body builders use to maintain muscle)If you like I can get you more information.
Good Luck
S.

I tried workout videos myself and I just did not have much luck with them, mainly because I lose motivation! So boring lol. Maybe try getting outside for walks or going to a gym or workout class... I dont know what diets youre all on but I must say nothing beats fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meat! AND a food journal! Keep track of everything, every bite. You might want to weigh yourself too... I find weighing myself every morning keeps me on track. And I measure every 2 weeks but if the scale isnt budging I need to adjust something! I hope this helps some :) and good luck with everything. It can be a challenge thats for sure but stick with it!!! Be proud of the inches you have lost, thats awesome!

Join Weight Watchers
finding the right way to eat (I know you are watching but like me prior to WW you realy have no idea)
A combo of WW and workout and you will see dramatic changes
On WW you can eat what you want. It is about making choices and choice combos it is also BIG about PORTION control
measure those don't just eye ball.
you will be amazed!

Sounds like you're not being very efficient w/ the videos you are doing and/or they aren't tough enough.

There are TONS of "FULL BODY" exercises you could be doing without ever touching a piece of equipment. You need to be doing exercises that get the heart rate up but also require high demand in terms of muscle recruitment.

I do these types of exercises DAILY with my clients. They BRING RESULTS! Where are you gals located?