Getting in Shape

Been working out for a year, wedding is in 2 months-not losing any weight. HELP!

My wedding is June 30th and I've been going to Zumba 2/week and doing lifting/other cardio 3 times a week. I purchased my dress in October of last year and it took about 4 weeks for the dress to come in and when i tried my dress on initially, it was loose. I didn't have my first fitting until about a month ago and when they put the dress on me they could barely get it ziped all the ay! (every brides nightmare!!) I've been excersising a lot more than before i got engaged (new years 2011) and watching what i eat. I'm also on thyroid medication for an underactive thyroid. I feel stronger from the lifting but the number on the scale has not moved since before i began working out! I know muscle weighs more than fat but come on! Gimmie something! I'm just trying to figure out something or some way to help me loose the weight. Im 5'4 and weigh 145 and would like to get down to at least 130 for the wedding. I just need some suggestions to help me out. Should i do more cardio? Less weights? Supplements? Anything! Thanks!!

Re: Been working out for a year, wedding is in 2 months-not losing any weight. HELP!

  • I posted this on another user's topic, but here you go:

    Write down everything you eat, even if it's just 5 almonds. It's not just a way to remember what you ate this week, but over time you can notice trends in your eating habits and work to correct any negatives you find. 

    Make sure you are getting a good balance of lean proteins, legumes, fresh veggies and stone fruits (blueberries are so good for you). Try to limit your dairy intake, and make sure you aren't having too many simple carbs and starches. And obviously, avoid fats and sweets. 

    Also, if you are feeling bloated, make sure you aren't eating too much sodium (processed foods, canned soups, fast food, many restaurants, and frozen meals are big culprits here). If you haven't already, cut out soda and sugary juices, and limit your alcohol consumption. Drink plenty of water during the day. There are also hot teas you can drink that are calorie free and will help release excess water you might be retaining (green tea, dandelion root tea, etc, all available at whole foods type stores) 

    For exercise, up your weights - adding muscle will help you burn more calories than increasing cardio alone can. My weight loss has dramatically increased since I increased my weight lifting while keeping my cardio the same. (Small tip: If you find this difficuly, try lifting weights before doing cardio - you'll have more energy to do quality reps with proper form than if you are already tired from cardio). 

    I used to height lifting weights, and pretty much avoided them, since I enjoyed cardio. I was convinced I was doomed to always hate my arms, and then I started lifting (no more than 10 lb free weights and 20 lbs on machines) and the difference is unvelievable. I actually like my arms now!They aren't bulked up like a body builder's, but they are looking lean and toned.

    You don't have to increase the weight you lift, but add another set of reps, and make sure you life weights 5 - 6 times a week. (I do 6 days alternating upper and lower body). 

    Just make sure the healthy changes you are making leading up to your wedding are changes you can sustain after your honeymoon, and for the rest of your life.  

     Good luck!
  • NO SUPPLEMENTS. 

    What are you're eating habits like?  How many calories are you eating/burning on a daily basis?  I would recommend tracking your calories on a free site like myfitnesspal or sparkpeople.  You didn't give much dietary information but you could be going over your calories, or even UNDER and that could cause this issue.  When tracking your calories it is important to eat all of your cals per day, and this includes logging in exercise so you know how much more you will need to eat to make that "number."  

    Also, is weight gain a side effect of your medication?  In that case, this might not truly be something you can control without referring to your PCP firsthand.  I would still recommend tracking your calories.
  • Re: the exercise, I started seeing the best results when I mixed up my cardio.  Zumba is awesome because it is fun & easy to get motivated to go to, but try throwing in a spin class or do intervals on the elliptical (or both!).  

    I would say yes, if you can squeeze in an extra two cardio sessions per week, you will get better results.  Don't stop lifting in order to accomplish that though - continue to do both as long as you can fit it in.  

    Good luck! 
  • edited April 2012
    the thyroid medication i take is for an underactive thryroid. hypothyrodism can make it difficult to loose weight so medication is suspose to help, but really hasnt. im also on oral bc. i weigh the same now as i did prior to starting bc 8 weeks ago.but the BC could be causing me to plateau... in regards to my diet, i dont drink any soda,sugary drinks besides my daily coffee. if i get coffee at SBs ill get it skinny. i drink a lot of iced tea. i know i need to be better about eatibf breakfast. usually ill eat a belvita at work or instant oatmeal,or most days just  just coffee
    ive added more veggies and fruit to my diet and cut out fast food/fried food. im now tryiNg to cut out bad carbs. (being italian thats tough!)
    lunch seems to be my hardest meal,ill grab something quick and not take the time to make my meals ahead of time. dinner i can control and make at home. 
    thanks for the advice!

  • It's hard if youre on medication though. I had lupron depot injections in Dec and March for endometriosis. And I'm slowly starting to take the weight off that I gained. In total I gained about 25 pounds (I hit my heaviest point on my birthday in Feb and I just said no more), I've lost 8 since my 25th birthday.

    I've been using the myfitnesspal app to help me lose weight. It's a great app because it lets you track your meals and you can set alarms if you haven't added your meals for the day.

    Another strategy is that you can go low-carb (like less than 15 a day) every 2 days. I tried it the other week and it helped me, the scale hadn't budged in a month and I dropped 2 pounds in about 10 days.

    Also, I do cardio training...power hour mix. Run a minute, walk a minute, run...walk. Etc.

    Good luck!
  • You could try tracking calories on livestrong.com.  Maybe try replacing your lunch with a low-calorie salad.  Do exercises that burn calories AKA cardio.  Lifting doesn't actually burn that many calories, so your time might be better served in a high calorie burning workout.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_been-working-out-for-a-year-wedding-is-in-2-months-not-loosing-any-weight-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:e2a6de55-0fc2-48b2-8766-3ea85a25be50Post:24783f3d-c783-4c9e-9153-e7ab4a900f6b">Re: Been working out for a year, wedding is in 2 months-not losing any weight. HELP!</a>:
    [QUOTE]You could try tracking calories on livestrong.com.  Maybe try replacing your lunch with a low-calorie salad.  Do exercises that burn calories AKA cardio.  Lifting doesn't actually burn that many calories, so your time might be better served in a high calorie burning workout.
    Posted by epritchard[/QUOTE]

    Lifting weights builds muscle which in turn burns fat faster.
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  • Agree with PP
    Lift weight... I lift SUPER heavy 3-4 times per week... think execise that work the "large" muscle groups, such as squats, push press, lateral pull downs.  Etc.  Go for sets of 3-5 at the heaviest weight you can do.
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  • I swear by juicing!! Since you're trying to drop weight very fast, you could try going on a juice fast. Check out the film Fat, Sick, an Nearly Dead- it streams on netflix and it's all about juice fasting!! The nutritional benefits are overwhelming- it's seriously the best thing you can do for your body! Because I have a year until my wedding, I eat three light meals a day and then have fresh veggie juice three times a day.

    Also try switching up your workout routine- and the best way to burn fat is to do interval workouts- I do 60 seconds of sprinting, followed by 60 minutes of walking repeatedly for 30 minutes about twice a week, and then I do free weights and medicine ball workouts twice a week. I also do bikram yoga about once or twice a week, more if I have time for it.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!
  • *60 seconds of sprinting followed by 60 SECONDS of walking. sorry!
  • It all comes down to what you are eating. At least 80% of weight loss goals are made in the kitchen. You need to make sure you are eating at least 5-6 times per day. Never go 4 hours or more with out eating. You want to choose foods that will keep blood sugars level. The easiest thing I tell pp is to cut out anything white. Meaning sugar, anything with white flour, white potatoes, white rice etc. Replace them with whole grains and read labels. the 1st ingrediant must say whole grain or whole wheat. If it reads enriched wheat flour put it back. Every meal you need to have a lean protein such as white meat chicken or turkey, fish, egg whites, low fat- low carb protein shakes.
    Have a complex carb with breakfast and post training the other meals eat veggies with your protein.
    Drink close to a gallon of water a day and this should get you down to where you need.
    I do agree lift heavy weights, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn throughout the day. I also agree do cardio after weight training.
    I hope this helps.
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  • I'm not sure if anyone else has brought this up, but have you been getting enough sleep? Your body goes through different modes of sleep- when you don't get enough REM, or deep sleep, your body isn't getting the proper rest and you won't even know it. It can affect you in many different ways, even with your weight. Just something to keep in mind! It could also be a stressful time right now with the wedding coming up. For this, I suggest yoga! And focus on relaxation!! Take a time out and be kind to yourself. You've been working hard and it's bound to pay off.

    Also, I totally agree with the "muscle confusion" tactic. Try switching up your workouts to be sure that different muscle groups are getting attention. If it's necessary, maybe you can get a trainer to help with that.

    Good luck!
  • I joined Jenny Craig for a few months which helped me lose 25 pounds. It has been about 4 months since I have stopped dieting and I have gained back 5 pounds. I am going to use the info I have learned from Jenny Craig to help lose 5 to 10 pounds before my wedding in June. What I learned is to eat small meals ranging from about 250-330 calories for lunch and dinner. Always eat breakfast. 100 calorie snacks and desserts are good to keep the metabolism going. Also cut out soda and alcohol. Oh and lots of salad.
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