just making sure

Question
Hi Mark,

I have a question for you and im hoping you can varify what ive been told so
far.  I am a 23 yr. female, 5 foot nothing, and right now i weigh 135 lbs.  I
started working with a trainer back in may and he has taught me a lot that i
value and i am thankful for.  I now do a half hour of cardio 5 times a week,
yoga twice a week and weights for an hour once a week.  Over the past year i
have changed my eating habits so that i am eating natural foods.  I try my
best not to eat processed foods or anything with preservatives.  Ive cut out
my sugar, wheat and salt and i have added protein shakes to my diet, once in
the morning along with oatmeal and after my working out at night.  I have
also cut down my portions.  Now i eat small meals every three to four hours.  
My concern is that i weighed less before i started making these changes and
im really unhappy with results. I know that if i dropped the weight i would
have the body that i have been working so hard for.  

Last Dec.  I became very ill and i lost 15 lbs. in one week.  I wasnt trying to
starve myself i just couldnt keep anything down.  It took a good month to
recover and once i was well enough i started going back to the gym.  I have
been told by a neutritionist, who happens to be my aunt, that this is
happening because my body is scared that the drastic weight loss is
happening again so its storing everything i eat.  She says it will drop again
eventually but it will take time.  What i need to know is if this is true and if i
am doing anything that i sholdnt be doing.  If this is the case, how long do
you think it will take for my body to adapt to my lifestyle change, if that can
even happen...im ready to give up and go back to the way i was.  Please HELP!

I appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Tash

Answer
Hi Tasha,
This is a tough one I'll be honest, but I'll try my best. If the illness occurred almost one year ago, then I would say your body should be adjusted to the frequency of your meals by now.
One thing to consider is, are you unhappy with the looks of your body, or the number on the scale? If it's your body, then changes should be made. If it's the number on the scale, then I would suggest throw the scale away. A scale doesn't really tell you what your body consists of. By adding in the weight training you've built some muscle (which is a good thing), but this can sometimes increase the number on the scale, even though the body is usually better defined. However, if you're carrying more fat than you like, maybe your portion sizes are a bit too big, and may need to cut them a little bit.
Have you tracked the number of calories you consume on a daily basis? I would begin here. Don't make any changes yet, but track them to see how much you're taking in. Usually it's hard for people to over consume on whole foods, but it can happen.

-Mark Shields
www.fitnessxpressu.com

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