I'm 48 years old and weigh somewhere between 200-205. (My scales aren't very good so my weight fluctuates by 5 pounds depending on where I stand on the scale.

So....I've struggled with my weight most of my life but kept it pretty much in line with lots of strenuous dieting and vigorous excercise. Then I discovered meth and weight loss was a breeze....but after 6 years of addiction I decided I was just too old to get busted for drugs and it was time to get clean before my luck ran out.

That's been about 5 years and it took a long time to get back to feeling semi-human after getting off the meth and the pounds piled on...but held steady for the last 2 years at 194. I wasn't happy at that weight but I wasn't horribly obese as I'm 6 feet tall.

So.....I decide to quit smoking and use the prescription drug Chantix to aid me in the effort. I took the Chantix for 6 weeks and successfully stopped smoking and didn't even gain any weight. Then overnight my weight jumped 11 pounds. I'm sure it wasn't overnight but it was super quick...less than a month.

So....I made a commitment to start working out to get the weight back in line. Since I only quit smoking on June 23rd I didn't want to try diet....just watch what I eat and exercise more. (exercising more wasn't hard to accomplish as I have spent most of my life in a prone position on the couch since getting off meth)

My BF found a used Nordic track and bought it for me and I have been using it faithfully, twice a day, 20 minutes, since September 9th. Failing to lose a single pound or any inches I have upped my workout routine to my 2 20 minute workouts (one in the morning before breakfast and one in the evening after dinner) plus a 30 minute workout on the Nordic track in the mid afternoon and a 30 minute run/walk before dinner. (2.3 mile) I don't have the stamina to jog the entire distance, esp since part of it is slightly uphill...but I run as far as a I can and then walk briskly until I can run again. My average pace works out to 4.6 mph so that's a little faster than a very brisk walk.

This increased workout routine has been in place for 5 days now. Fridays are the only day I actually work so I'll only do a 20 minute and 30 minute workout today.

I'm terribly frustrated with my failure to lose any pounds or inches in spite of the excercise...and I am going to bed hungry at night. Can somebody tell me what I'm doing wrong here?

Sorry for the novella

Hi Judy. I just wanted to say that your accomplishments are awesome. Quitting meth AND smoking is quite the feat. I'm sure since you were determined enough to do that that losing weight shouldn't be a problem once you get some more help. I'm pretty new and not an expert so I can't tell you why after so much working out you haven't lost any weight, but there are plenty of people around here who can tell you. You can leave a note with Steve on his diary or any of the other people who have been around for a long time (mostly the people who started the stickied threads) and they should be able to give you some answers with a little more information. Welcome to WLF and good luck!
Shell

Hi Judy! I'm new too. I'm also looking to take the more measured approach to weight loss. I've done it before and I lost about 6 pounds in 3 months. I think that it just takes a long time when you're not taking more drastic measures. I'm not an expert or anything, just speaking from experience. I tried this approach again (watching what I eat, exercising more) several months ago and gained a pound the first week. I gave up. It can be frustrating! Nice to meet you!

Thanks so much for the feedback Shellbell and laumau.

I am seriously not a patient person but I thought I was being patient in hoping to see some results after almost a month of working out. I'm hoping to find some tip or trick that will make the scale and/or tape measure move in the right direction. It took me several years to get here so I'm not hoping to lose it overnight (well, except for that huge jump after I quit smoking and started working out...I think that should disappear as quickly as it appeared).

I'm just seriously needing to see some sign of improvement...or find out what I'm doing wrong. That or I will burn some calories throwing the Nordic track through the wall....repeatedly.

Welcome! It's amazing that you were able to quit meth and smoking. That's really something to be proud of and I know how hard it is to quit smoking, I can't even imagine how much will power you have! Oh, and welcome to the community again!

I heard something somewhere about changing up your routine when you hit a plateau. Exercise for a longer period of time or at a higher intensity on different days, then do what you're doing now on others. I'm not sure if it works, but it couldn't hurt to try! Maybe change your diet, more calories Tues and Thurs, less Mon-Wed-Fri. I think your body might've just gotten used to what you're doing now. You have to trick it by doing something different.

Then again, I'm no expert. I think there's a thread if not multiple threads on plateaus and maybe you can check those out for some more sound advice.

I hope you don't get too discouraged. Check out the before and after pics of some of the users here, that'll give you some motivation--Well, it did for me! You'll blast through this plateau and your little Nordic Track will thank you!

Thanks for the welcome and the input Rae! (Can I call you that...and do you really kick boys??) I seriously like your nic.

I think I have to lose some pounds before I can hit a plateau....so far the scale has only gone up in the last 5-6 years.

Me again...I didn't want to start a new thread for every little thought that pops into my head...but in reading today I read that it's important to take one day a week off from working out. Why??

Because I'm an addictive personality type, I'm afraid to take a day off. One day can turn into the rest of my life so easily.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judyb Me again...I didn't want to start a new thread for every little thought that pops into my head...but in reading today I read that it's important to take one day a week off from working out. Why??

You don't have to completely not workout for that day. For instance, I bust my hump 6 days in a week (cardio/ weight training= ~700cal + deficit per day), then on Sundays I take a 60 min brisk walk around my hood and that's it. This time allows your body to recoop... release whatever stress from strenous activities. If you over do it from the get go, there's a possibility of burning out... so just becareful. Btw, welcome to the forum.

-Sheryl

Thanks for your response MsGhettobooty. Saying your name makes me chuckle....I wish I put on extra weight in my booty but I'm an apple.

I just want to say that I am soooo trying and I'm so hungry I feel like my navel is going to eat my spine. I'm burning off about 1000 calories per day in exercise....now I'm just waiting and hoping to see the numbers on the scale drop.

Judy, welcome to the forum.

From all the research I've done, looked at various "fad" diets and even some that work for some people (like Atkins) but seem too restrictive to me, I've found that the approach that works for me is just changing the way I eat. I eat sugar-free where possible, avoid highly refined foods and instead eat lots of lean meats, veggies (complex carbs), whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat breads, sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes). I don't ever go hungry, I just try to eat "healthier" and watch my portions, avoid junk food, empty calories and unhealthy fats. When I do this (which is not so much a "diet" as it is a new way of eating) I do lose at a steady pace. Of course, this approach seems perfect for me because I'm insulin resistant and hoping to avoid the development of diabetes. If you're exercising and yet still not losing, try keeping a food diary for a few days and see what you're eating and how that may impact you.

And congratulations on turning your life around. That took enormous discipline, which proves you DO have the discipline it takes to lose weight.

Welcome to the boards! Beating your addictions is probably the first and best thing you had to do to start making healthy changes for your body. Keep that in mind when getting frustrated with what the scale reads- you, and your body have been through alot it seems, and it may take some time for your body to adjust to a regular healthy routine.

I have a Nordik Trak that I work out on. It's an older model too, but I dusted it off and used steel wool to get the rust off LOL. I have met some weekly weight loss goals, and other weeks lost nothing or very little. I started out working out 3 days a week for 30 minutes, and have worked my way up to 40-45 min 5-6 days a week. We shall see the fruits of my labor when I step on the scale tomorrow, but after a sneak peek a day ago, I expect @2lb loss.

What food plan are you using? Remember, eating too little can have a negative result too! IF you are working out alot, you actually have to eat more to fuel your body! Have you started a journal yet?

Good Luck and be patient= the tortoise won the race, not the hare

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judyb I just want to say that I am soooo trying and I'm so hungry I feel like my navel is going to eat my spine. I'm burning off about 1000 calories per day in exercise....now I'm just waiting and hoping to see the numbers on the scale drop.

Just so you know... if you're burning as many calories as you claim to be doing, your caloric intake should be a bit higher. Due to my high level of activity, I eat about ~500-600 calories more. Your body needs this energy to fuel your body after a strenuous workout, so just be cognizant of such.

-MGB

Hi Judy...I was reading the thread and thought, hmmm...perhaps if you tried different exercises...getting on a bike? trying an eliptical machine? Something to change things up and muscles worked?? Ohh and even though the scale says you aren't losing any weight, are your clothes fitting more losely? How about how you are feeling? I say this b/c muscle weighs more then fat and you don't always see the number go down, but you can feel the difference!!??
But CONGRATS on kicking meth and smoking (I quit smoking over a year ago now (cigarettes) and smoked for 10+ years, so I can relate to you in the department as well. Are you drinking enough water?? I guess that's it for now...I'm new here as well, but thought I'd add my two cents!! Nice to meet you!! TTYL

Quote:

Originally Posted by valleygal2 I say this b/c muscle weighs more then fat and you don't always see the number go down, but you can feel the difference!!??

Just fyi.... 2lbs of muscle= 2lbs of fat... no matter how you look at it. However, if you're looking at density, well that's a different story. If anything, fat takes up more space than muscle if you want to look at it from that perspective. (Fat is less dense than muscle )