Short bio:

41 Years Old
Male
295lbs
6'-3"

I have always been heavy...poor diet and not overly active. I believe there are some genetic issues as well, but take responsibility for my lazinees.

I am married and when I met my wife 18 years ago, I was a 34 waist at about 200lbs...now I spill over a 42" waist and routinely flirt with the 300lb mark.

About seven years ago I was under the 250lb mark and feeling OK, but needed to shed more. Last year I was at 275 and since switching jobs have put on yet more weight.

About a month ago I decided I need to make a change and really altered my eating habits and exercise patterns. I cut out almost all sweets and when I "cheat" it is really nothing major. I cut out a lot of other bad foods such as fast foods, chips and such and try not to snack after dinner. I joined a gym and go on my lunch break 3-4 times per week. I also have a bowflex (purchased last year) that I have started using again but not frequently enough it seems.

Diet during the week:
- 20oz coffee on the way to work
- Breakfast (somewhere between) 8-9am Oatmeal w/raisins (300-400 calories)
- mid morning snack of lowfat yogurt, fruit, raw carrots (or a combination of
any or all) (300-ish calories or less) sometimes I am not hungry and skip
this snack
- Lunch - tuna, V8, fruit, non fat yogurt, cottage cheese (or a combination of
any or all) (500-ish calories or less)
- Afternoon snack of lowfat yogurt, fruit, raw carrots (or a combination of
any or all) (300-ish calories or less) sometimes I am not hungry and skip
this snack
- 20oz coffee on the way home from work (most but not all evenings)
- dinner (5-6pm) is real food. Last night was 7oz of beef, baked potato and
salad
- Generally (most nights) there is nothing after dinner. If I do have
something generally it is a snack of raisins or a bowl of cereal (whole milk,
my only weakness)

Weekends are a little more difficult as I do not have a rigid schedule I maintain and generally do not work out. I do stay active w/yard work and the kids. The diet is not the best but still better than it used to be and I still attempt to limit intake and watch the times I eat.

My workouts during the week are gym 3-4 days a week (generally 4 days) for roughly a 40-45 minute work-out. I go straight for the eliptical and work my tail off. I set it on an interval type routine and generally am on it for 30 minutes, no less than 20. I keep a good pace and yesterday it said I did 3.96 miles in 30 minutes. The remaining time at the gym post eliptical is made up of doing upper body exercises with wieghts and machines.

This morning prior to work I got on the bowflex for around 30 minutes, doing chest, shoulders, abs and arms. I did 5 exercises, three reps each at a weight that was not massive for each but I had to work (had my heart rate up). I plan on doing pre-work bowflex workouts several days per week.

MY PROBLEM IS:
In almost a month, I have only dropped maybe 5-6lbs.
I would think just in my diet modifications I should have lost more than this. It has never been this hard for me to drop weight.

What gives!!!!

It sounds like you are doing everything right.

2 lbs a week is healthy weight loss. However, I have noticed gradual plateaus too, and then in one week, i literally lose 5 lbs. Your body is an amazing machine. It does many bizarre things which still baffle scientists and doctors today.

Also, while the scale is an important tool, try not to be so dependent on it. Just look at your over all appearance. If you look slimmer or if you lose a couple of notches on your belt, those are the true indicators.

Thanks for the reply.

As stated, I am spilling out of a 42 waist, so the 5-6lbs I have lost thus far haven't even been noticed - as far as clothes fitting better.

I forgot to mention my water intake. I have to drink atleast 10 .5 liter bottles of water a day. Between the water and the fiber, I am seeing waaaaay more of my bathroom than I'd like.