Weight Loss/Nutrition

Question
I just turned 40. I am 5'8" and I weigh 220#...I have been swimming at least 2x weekly (with my children) and we walk 6 days a week...anyway from 1-3 hours nightly...depending on our schedule..1 month ago I weighed 220...I stepped on the scales yesterday and I weigh 217....I thought that in 1 month I would have lost some weight...we do eat more processed foods than we should...I quit drinking Pepsi 2.5 months ago...so...what am I doing wrong?  Lori ann

Answer
Hi Lori,

So, it sounds like you just started this exercise program a month ago in an attempt to lose weight?  great plan!

Depending on how fast you are walking, you may be burning 200-400 calories an hour.  If you're walking 5 miles a night you'll burn about 500 calories; multiply this by 24 (days you walk in a month) and you get 12,000 calories burned; divide this by 3500 (calories per pound) and you get 3.4 pounds weight loss--pretty close to what you've lost.

Drinking pepsi (if it was not diet) should show an additional weight loss (or maybe you were gaining weight slowly before and now it has stopped)...

So you aren't doing anything wrong.  If you'd like to lose weight more quickly the best step would be to eat fewer calories.  Processed foods themselves do not have more calories than foods made from scratch, but some items may have added fats or other ingredients that add calories, that you can make with fewer calories if you prepare them yourself.

I suggest keeping a food diary for a few weeks to find your "problem" areas.... most people easily spot where they are taking in an excess of calories--maybe it's snacking at night, a high-calorie breakfast that can be changed, or large portions.

When you find out what a likely culprit is, you can choose a lower calorie option and lose another 3 pounds a month easily.

Keep up the good work, and check back with me next month to keep me posted on how you are doing :)

Laurie

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