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Q.

How do I stay motivated with my diet when I see no change at all in my waistline?

I've been trying to lose weight for about two years now.  I thought I'd see a noticable difference when I went from drinking 4-5 cans of soda a day to one (and sometimes none), but no difference at all. I started doing Pilates.  No difference.  Two days of strength trainging.  No change. Added a cardio day.  No difference. Cut portion sizes in half (except for my fruits and veggies), no difference.  I don't look better, I certainly don't feel better, and now I'm hungry all the time. 

Related Topics: Hunger, Fruit, Soda, Diet, Pilates
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Answers From Experts & Organizations (2)

Nutrition
184 Answers
2,933 Helpful Votes
23 Followers
A.

You don't say whether or not you are overweight, which can be a factor, but I understand how hard it can be to make changes and not see the results you want. I think the biggest myth about eating healthy and exericse is that weight is a long-term motivator. When we focus solely on weight, we make more extreme changes for results and feel deprived and frustrated when we don't see results.

I recommend you go see a registered dietitian for strategies on how to eat a balanced diet that is also satisfying (go to eatright.org to find one in your area). She/he can also help you troubleshoot your weight and help with appetite control (you shouldn't be hungry!).  When you eat a healthy diet that  matches your lifestyle and preferences, you'll continue to eat that way even when weight loss slows.  A recent study showed that women who exercised because it made them feel good (quality of life), exercised more often than those who did it for weight and health. You are more likely to exercise, and keep at it, if you truly enjoy it and see the daily benefits including improved mood, better sleep and productivity. For more on this study, and my interview with the researcher, see this WebMD post http://blogs.webmd.com/food-and-nutrition/2011/11/the-1-health-mistake-nobody-knows-they-are-making.html

Weight is one part of a healthy lifestyle. Don't let it stop you from being healthy and enjoying your life!

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Fitness
Health Coach, WebMD
71 Answers
2,112 Helpful Votes
18 Followers
A.

I would suggest that you meet with your doctor or a dietitian for more guidance. They may be able to help you determine if there’s something that you could still improve upon or perhaps to do differently to promote better results. Your doctor may also be able to do tests to see if you have any other diseases or conditions that could be interfering with your progress.

Also, I’d recommend that you don’t just judge your progress by weight loss alone. Look for changes in body composition such as a loss of inches, a more “toned” appearance, or even whether clothes fit differently. Schedule a wellness visit with your doctor that includes blood work and try to understand what’s happening with other areas of your health such as cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure. These can also be used as indicators of progress or improvement with the changes that you’ve made.

It can definitely be very discouraging to put so much hard work and effort into something and to not see the results. It might be best to get professional assistance and to look for other indicators of progress besides weight loss. Stay positive and keep up the great work!

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Answers from Contributors (9)

4 Answers
17 Helpful Votes
A.

Keep it up!  You may start noticing the weight loss in other places before you see it in your "trouble spots"... Unfortunately, we can't control where the weight drops first but you will eventually see the changes.  Make sure to monitor your food intake too - to make sure your calorie intake is not higher than the amount of calories burned.  At the end of the day, as long as you are burning more calories than the amount of calories consumed, you will see the weight drop.

 

Most importantly, don't lose your momentum.  Stay active and you'll reap the benefits in time - just give yourself time to see it pay off!  Even a 10% loss in body weight makes a huge difference in your health.  Hopefully, while you wait to see the pounds drop, you will at least feel more energy and feel good about yourself!

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2 Answers
12 Helpful Votes
A.
You're at least on the right track in searching for answers. From what you've shared, it sounds as though you're basing your results on generalities more than measurable specifics. 


I recommend having very specific parameters for measuring progress from hereon. I mean: weight, body fat percentage (a good trainer will know how to measure best with calipers, and there are less invasive methods, like bio-impendance scales), then girth measures on specific locations across your chest, torso, abdomen, and hips. 

At the very least, having these will show you where you have improved, given your efforts. As a formerly obese kid, I can tell you that my subjective view of looking better or feeling better DID NOT correlate to my actual progress. Keep that in mind.

Lastly, since you're keeping measurements in check, you might as well keep track of the exact changes you're making in your food/drink intake, and exercise. There's a website and app that's most frequently used right now, called MyFitnessPal. I use it to see what my clients have been up to. You'll be surprised how a food/weight/exercise log makes a big difference.

Good luck.

Delf
www.DelfEnriquez.com

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Sometimes there are emotional issues/reasons why we don't lose weight.  At our office we use mind-body techniques such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique, meditation, etc.) to help resolve core beliefs that keep us stuck.  If you are interested and think it might help, feel free to contact me at excelweightloss@gmail.com.  Best to you!

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