I am not losing weight but I eat well and exercise!

Question
Hello Richard,

I have decided, about two months ago, to start taking care of myself by eating well and exercising. I am a 22 year old woman and I weigh 140 lbs. I am not very tall, only 4 feet 11 inches. I am 'pear-shaped' and when I gain weight, it usually builds up in my thighs, hips and buttocks. I know I am overweight (BMI) and I need your help because I feel I am doing everything right to lose weight and nothing is coming off since I started making changes in my diet and exercising.

My diet usually consists of a banana and low fat yogourt or a cup of Muslix cereal and 1% milk. Lunch usually consists of a half multi-grain bagel with a little bit of margarine, a vegetable such as baby carrots, cucumber or a salad (I mix a few croutons in there and a low-fat dressing). I always eat one to two servings of salad for dinner as well with a more consistent meal, that usually includes red meat, poultry or fish but I am careful with the size of the portion and I try to eat a lot of salad so that I feel full enough not to binge on the meat. As for dessert, I try to eat fruit most of the time, otherwise a low fat yogourt will do.

I also exercise for 30-40 minutes, usually 5 to 6 times per week. The only exercising I do is with a treadmill (I try to do various things in one session, such as increasing the incline and speed and then decreasing, jogging for 5-10 minutes, etc.) and I also have an elliptical trainer. I usually exercise on the treadmill one day and on the elliptical on the following day.

I am worrying that the exercising on the treadmill and the elliptical might be building muscle in my thighs and legs and that it might be the reason why I am not seeing any change in my weight. I feel that I am getting a bit more comfortable in my clothing but nothing significant enough. It is becoming very hard to be so disciplined and focused with the healthy eating and the exercising while not seeing any change on the scale.

I don't have any family history of thyroid disease, as I believe this can be a cause of weight gain or difficulty in losing weight.

I would greatly appreciate your help.. I don't know what to do anymore! Thank you very much

Answer
Margarine is BAD for you. Any product with SATURATED FAT is bad. Try to reduce your red meat intake and stick to lean proteins like turkey, fish, or chicken. Fruit is good for you, but it's NOT low calorie. If you're trying to lose weight, take it easy on the fruit.

Not only should you be focusing on BUILDING MUSCLE but you should be doing more to encourage it! Lift some weights. The more muscle you have the more FAT you burn.

Don't worry about the scale! Normal weight loss is only a pound or two per week?and yes, you might build some muscle while you're at it. Focus more on your waistline and how your clothes fit. That's usually a better indicator of FAT loss.

Better yet, spend a few bucks and get a scale that measures % body FAT.

For specific information and step-by-step guidelines on how to lose weight and be healthy, visit my web site for all kinds of details about proper diet, nutrition, exercise, weight-lifting routines, and more.

Most importantly, make sure to download my FREE eBook, "Rick's 18 Tips for Healthy Weight Loss."

Richard Rost
http://www.RicksWeightLoss.com

P.S. As a disclaimer, I'm not a doctor or health professional. Please seek the advice of your doctor before implementing any of my recommendations.  

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