TEN WEEKS AND NO CHANGE

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Hi I am a female who is 24 years of age, am 5'4" and weigh 125 pounds.  I have been going to the gym 4 days per week for 1 hour a day (45 cardio and 15 min weight training). I stick to 1200 calories or a bit more each day consuming complex carbs and protein and veggies, eating protein after workouts and carbs mostly in the morning post workout. I have been committed to this new lifestyle for 11 weeks now but I have not lost even a quarter of an inch anywhere!I drink a ton of water everyday. My doctor said it is most likely my metabolism and some people take longer to lose weight. How long is it expected to take to see any results whatsoever? I am only about 10-15 pounds overweight (stomach, butt and thighs as with most women) and I know the weight will come off when it wants to but I don't seem to be even losing a single pound and I do not eat too much or too little for my activities. I am worried I am getting discouraged. I now do extra weight training at home to try to make my metabolism faster but everyone else seems to be able to lose at least a little in this amount of time. Should I do cardio more or reduce my calories further or weight train harder? It doesn't seem right. 11 weeks is a long time. Is my body trying to counteract my efforts? How do I overcome this?
Answer -
Lindsay, how do you know how many pounds you have to lose? If you are doing that amount of exercise, then you are carrying a lot of muscle or making a lot of muscle. Muscle weighs more. At 125 and 5.4 you are already at a normal weight for your height. You may be trying to beat your genetics. Sometimes you can over train your body. I say take a few days off from all training, then totally change your routine for a few weeks. Try just weight lifting 4 times per week doing all body parts, or just do cardio if you already carry enough muscle. Get your body fat percentage tested at a gym and see what it is.
Lastly your diet. You say you eat 1200 calories per day. Eat more protein on the days you lift. Spread your meals out to 6 smaller meals spaced out through the day. Each meal should be around 200 calories for a total of 1200 in the day. Every once in awhile you should eat more food to keep the metabolism active. Even 1200 might not be enough for you to keep you out of starvation mode, but you should lose weight eating that amount. Don't forget the water intake. Strive for at least 1/2 gallon through the day. Good Luck. Laura Kraemer,Slimkids.com

I was 10-15 pounds lighter last year and I know I need to lose around that much as my pants do not fit. I have had to buy all new pants as my waistline has grown substantially as well as some other parts. No change in measurements yet. I went to school for a year and that is where all the change happened. I waitress once again so I do not sit all day. I do eat more on certain days that require it and eat more protein on weight days. I drink around 1-2 litres of water each day as well. My meals are small like you say they should be around 200-300 calories per meal. I do not have a lot of muscle so that is why I train to keep my muscle tissue from being lost due to cardio. I am doing everything I should. I am not training too hard as I do upper body one day and lower body the next and change up the exercises. Would there be any other reason for no change in my body? My doctor said metabolism but could it be a thyroid problem? I have other symptoms of this condition.

Answer
Dear Lindsay, Thyroid problems are rare in women your age unless it's found in other women in your family, but of course there is always that chance.The only way to find out is by a blood test to test thyroid stimulating hormone TSH, and your thyroid level itself. You have to have a doctors order for those tests to be run. Just call your doctor if you have other symptoms like you say and tell your doctor you want those tests. If they are negative, then seek the help of a  trainer to really look over your diet and exercise routine.  
Good luck, Laura Kraemer, Slimkids.com  

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