Why can't I seem to lose any weight while training? I am keeping my calories within a reasonable amount of 1200-1500 a day (5'5" 140 pounds) - basically they have not changed since before training started. I had hoped by joining Portland Fit and increasing my workouts that I would eventually lose at least something. I'm following the training program and walking at least 15 minute miles. Where am I going wrong? I am extremely frustrated. Any thoughts?

I'm no Doctor, but I do know the body is a marvelous machine that adapts to its environment, care and feeding.

Personally, I'm not sure you're getting ENOUGH calories!?! Sound strange?

Chime in folks.

Doug

I feel for you. I, too, have lost MAYBE 2-3 lbs., and I am running a 12 minute mile. Here's what I keep telling myself:

- I am gaining muscle (weighs more than fat), and while my body hasn't changed shape as much as I'd hoped it would by this point, it is slowly firming up, and that makes me want to continue on.
- I have heard (some other thread on PFit, I think) that a lot of people didn't lost at first, but began to lose after the half marathon. Not sure why, but possibly encouraging.
- I know that I have upped my carbs (I have been doing a generally low carb diet before, though a healthy version of it), and I suspect that is playing a role, too.
- I am feeling SO much better mentally and am just so damned proud of myself for making it happily this far, that the mental benefits alone have been worth it.
- I know that I could cut back on food -- and will, this summer, once I am away from the stress of working -- and that I need to do this as I am 37 years old and VERY weight-loss resistant.
- I keep in mind that while I may not be losing weight, my heart if getting stronger, my arteries are getting less clogged, and that I am just healthier, physically, in general.

Yes, I read the odd post from those people who have lost 17 pounds already, and I am wickedly jealous. On the other had, if I can train for and run a freakin' marathon and not lose weight, well, then I suppose my body is just at its idea weight. Terribly frustrating, but oh well. There are more important things in life.

Keep at it.

Doug may have a point here. It sounds counter-intuitive but if your body isn't getting enough calories regularly ( lots of small meals) it will store what you are putting in it because it thinks it has to because it doesn't trust you to feed it again anytime soon. Basically, think of it this way, your body is in survival road and has no clue that a Mc Donalds is right around the corner. Eat lots of healthy foods, frequently and drinks lots of water and I think you'll see more impovement. I'm certainly no expert but that's my experience.

Additionally, weight training often helps as well because muscle burns calories at rest. and more when you work those muslce. Fat just sits there. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. And this certainly doesn't happen over night. You didn't put on the weight over night and you won't take it off over night. Often times even after making all of the above changes and doing all the cardio we've done, most people (women specifically) won't see any weightloss till at least 5 weeks into those changes. Then it starts coming off in layers all over, like an onion, one tiny layer at a time. It's much better than rapid weightloss however because you're reshaping and retraining your body for long term weightloss and it will look better once you've lost the weight. With rapid weightloss (crash diets) you just become a thinner form of your previous self with all the same bad areas and all the same flabby portions...just smaller portions of flab. Make sense? This is probably more than you ever wanted to know! So, I'll stop now.

The survival mode is exactly what I was thinking!

I think you are too low in calories. Your body tends to hold onto what little you are feeding it in case of famine. Of course this is evolutionary thought and there will be no famine, but your body does not know that. Up your calories for a month and see what happens.

My belief is this is exactly the issue. I was not losing weight at first and then changed my eating habits to 6 smaller meals a day. Since I started actually eating more, I have lost 17 pounds.