Weight Loss - one more question

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am a 21 year old female, and a few years back I decided to become a vegetarian. Unfortunately I was filling up on breads and cheese in place of meat and gained a lot of weight. Last fall (2011) I decided to do something. I weighed my self and was mortified to be about 205. Since then I have been off and on counting calories, but have really started to get serious in the last couple weeks. I limit my food intake to 1,200-1,400 calories a day (I use my fitness pal as a calorie counter). but I have no seen any results, I weigh my self every morning and usually hover around 203 pounds. I am 5" 1', and I am feeling extremely discouraged. I do exercise almost everyday (it is not a lot but I am working up to it). I recently started Nike Training Club, and if i don't do one of their workouts at night, I do 100 jumping jacks.

SO MY QUESTION IS: Why am I not losing weight?!?!

ANSWER: Make sure you're getting enough PROTEIN in your diet - which can be very difficult for vegetarians. I usually recommend that 20% to 40% of all of the calories in your diet come from protein while losing weight. Usually I recommend lean chicken breast, turkey, and fish to people, but you'll have to substitute with beans and other sources of non-animal protein.

Also, you need STRENGTH TRAINING in addition to cardio. Building muscle is critical for losing weight. See my web site for all the particulars: http://www.RicksWeightLoss.com



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the response Rick! I am no longer a vegetarian because of the weight gain! The calorie counter I have been using said I was exceeding my daily suggestion of protien, so i cut back. I have continued to eat only 1,200-1,400 calories a day and have literally gained a pound. Could there be a medical issue or just a slow metabolism? Is there a supplement to take in addition to calorie cutting to help this process go faster?

Answer
I'm not a doctor, so if you think you may have a medical condition, consult your physician. Personally, I don't believe in supplements. The ONLY exception is protein powder for people who are trying to GAIN lots of muscle weight. In your case, I would STRONGLY recommend adding some WEIGHT TRAINING to your routine. You might be losing MUSCLE weight which will actually SLOW your metabolism. Build some muscle and your metabolism will run FASTER, burning more calories each day even while you're at rest.

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