Q.  Today at the gym, I talked with a lot of women who had something in common with me.  They said when they exercise, weight train, and do cardio, they never lose weight. These women say they can eat the same diet and lose weight but when they add exercise, the weight loss stops.  

I was able to lose almost 15 lbs by just changing my diet and eating clean.  Now that I am 10 lbs from my goal weight, I decided to add in exercise, but my weight is not budging!  I am so confused!  What am I missing?

Mary

A.  Great question Mary!  I find three reasons that this happens….  

First, when you initially begin exercising, your body does hold a little extra water.  That usually only takes a week or 2 to get past but often that is enough time for women to feel discouraged and to stop exercising.  

Second – and usually the real reason – when women are more active and exercise, they feel as if they ‘deserve’ to eat more food.  This maybe without realizing it, but how often have you thought, I had a great workout today, I can eat a little more.  If these women honestly logged their food, they would see an increase in their calories overall which indeed could be enough to negate weight loss.  We often grossly over estimate how many calories we burn through exercise and underestimate how many calories are in the foods we are eating.

Finally, I often find women expect to lose weight quickly when really it is a process and is going to take time.  Very few people lose 5 lbs in a week – usually it is .5 – 2 lbs per week.  And that is if you are really 100% on your nutrition plan and have a good amount of bodyfat to lose. Patience and consistent effort over time is the key.  If you think about how long it takes to put weight on, you gain a better appreciation for how long it will take to get it off.

Research study after study shows that when you eat a healthy diet in the right calorie range AND you exercise, you lose more weight and bodyfat than if you were to do either alone.  You will also transform your body making it harder, leaner and more defined as you get stronger and healthier.  Exercise not only burns calories are you do it, it lights your metabolic fire and changes your body.

Hope that helps!
Julie

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