Why am I not losing weight

Question
Hi,

I am a 30 year old women who gave up smoking 10 months ago. Due to doing this, I have gained around 10lbs in weight. I have been trying extremely hard since April of this year (5months after quitting smoking) to loose the gained weight. I have tried balanced diets along with introducing regular exercise 4 times a Week (one hour intervals at a time), this includes cardio, fat burning and strength training, weights etc. I have as yet not lost a single pound in weight. I started to record my progress about 8 Weeks ago REALLY seriously and even took my measurements (bust, waist, hips etc) and I have still lost anything, not even an inch. I feel like I'm working really hard and am on a constant diet. I am getting really disheartened and really fustrated and wondered if you could give me some help and advise as to what I can do?? I am 5ft 1inch and around 9 stone 10lbs, how many calories should I be eating to loose weight, taking into consideration the exercise I am doing..for example one work out burns 450 calories each time...

Many Thanks
Laura

Answer
Hi Laura,
No doubt you are frustrated. It sounds like you are putting in alot of effort.

You are doing a program of balanced diet, cardio and strength training. You are definitely on the right track. I am guessing that perhaps you are taking in more dietary calories than what you think and that may be hampering your efforts. Most people take in more calories than they think. So to make sure this isn't happening to you, I would suggest that you keep very careful records of everything you eat and drink for a couple weeks. There are many online or phone applications that you can use to help you keep track. Lose it is an IPhone app many of my clients like and FitDay is an online free program. Be sure to weigh and measure your foods for accuracy.

On calorieneedscalculator.com I calculated your calorie needs (to maintain your current weight# to be 2147 calories per day.

Age: 30
Height: 5 feet, 1 inches
Weight: 136 pounds
Activity Level: Moderate Exercise #Exercise 3-5x/wk#
Gender: female
Calories burned per day: 2147

Theoretically to lose one pound you need to create a calorie deficit by taking in 1647 calories per day. #500 calorie deficit x 7 days = 3500 calorie deficit. 3500 deficit = one pound loss. For a two pound loss a week you can decrease your calories another 500 calories a day. Please don't go below 1200 calories.

Also, for weight loss I suggest to my clients that they gradually build up to 60 minutes of cardio a week. In studies, this seems to be the level that people find helps them lose the weight and keep it off if they maintain that activity level. Vary your modes and intensities. Try to find some activities that you enjoy.  

Give this a month of effort and if still no weight loss, I would suggest you consult your doctor.

For more information on exercise and nutrition read my blogs http://blog.myactivenutrition.com and  http://myactivenutrition.blogspot.com/you can follow me, Active Nutrition, on Twitter. And friend me on Facebook, Active Nutrition Fitness and Nutrition Consulting.

Would you let me know in a few weeks if this approach works for you?

Good luck Laura!!
Maria  

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