Giving up the exercise/gym in favour of just SW??

[raquelscatt]

HI,

I have posted many times on this forum about my despair with minimal weight loss (lost a measly 2 stone in over 12 months) and still have loads to go! but I do exercise!

I joined a gym at the same time as SW and whilst I don't go to the gym every week, I do most weeks but I am struggling to lose the weight on the scales.

I have given notice to quit my gym membership as even with sticking to SW 100% and doing a variety of exercise, 3-4 40 min - 1 hour sessions a week, I manage to lose just on average 0.5-1lb per week. I do a mix of treadmill, bike and swimming. I do also drink loads!!

My sister who does no exercise whatsover, eats the same foods as me, joined in April and has lost over 3 stone To be fair, this is really getting to me at the moment and I feel I need to give up either SW and try and concentrate on the gym and healthy eating or give up the gym and just do sw solely.

However, I love the gym, the buzz it gives me afterwards, plus it fills in my spare time in the day whilst the kids are at school!! I am wondering if quiting is the right thing to do.

I really don't know what to do, I am hearing so many conflicting stories about diet and exercise at the moment. I thought the two were meant to work hand in hand but it certainly isn't for me!

Has anyone else given up the gym for just SW or if not, how do you cope with it each week on the scales? I am seriously losing the plot with it all at the moment! I am off to Tunisa is August next year and desparetly want to be within a decent weight range! (I have still about 6-7 stones to lose.)

 

[Nikki36]

HI,

I have posted many times on this forum about my despair with minimal weight loss (lost a measly 2 stone in over 12 months) and still have loads to go! but I do exercise!

I joined a gym at the same time as SW and whilst I don't go to the gym every week, I do most weeks but I am struggling to lose the weight on the scales.

I have given notice to quit my gym membership as even with sticking to SW 100% and doing a variety of exercise, 3-4 40 min - 1 hour sessions a week, I manage to lose just on average 0.5-1lb per week. I do a mix of treadmill, bike and swimming. I do also drink loads!!

My sister who does no exercise whatsover, eats the same foods as me, joined in April and has lost over 3 stone To be fair, this is really getting to me at the moment and I feel I need to give up either SW and try and concentrate on the gym and healthy eating or give up the gym and just do sw solely.

However, I love the gym, the buzz it gives me afterwards, plus it fills in my spare time in the day whilst the kids are at school!! I am wondering if quiting is the right thing to do.

I really don't know what to do, I am hearing so many conflicting stories about diet and exercise at the moment. I thought the two were meant to work hand in hand but it certainly isn't for me!

Has anyone else given up the gym for just SW or if not, how do you cope with it each week on the scales? I am seriously losing the plot with it all at the moment! I am off to Tunisa is August next year and desparetly want to be within a decent weight range! (I have still about 6-7 stones to lose.)

Hey!

Don't give up the gym or SW .....

Firstly you have listed too many reasons to give up firstly you have lost weight it may not be as quickly as your sister but we are not all the same that's what makes us US!
secondly you said you like the way the gym feels and makes you feel, it fills your day with something positive a way of not snacking too much as well!

Equally you said your losing 0.5 -1lb a week which is a good steady weight loss.

Why don't you get in touch with your Gym and ask them to look at your programme if your not working at the right intensity this may hinder your loss and they maybe able to suggest other exercise which will help.

Also have you measured yourself? sounds silly but when your working out you can lose inches and not LBS!

Have you spoken to SW and monitored everything your eating and drinking maybe there is something hidden that you have not realised for eg I was using sports drinks they are terrible for weight loss and you tend to take more on board then use! or the other one was flavoured water.

Don't be down hearted your still slimmer than you were and maybe just having a good review or starting form the begining again and measuring HE's etc will help ?

Nikki X

 

[donna88]

I don't think giving up is a good idea for a number of reasons, like you say you like going to the gym and the feeling it gives you after. Why would you give that up, plus 2 stone is an amazing loss, if you loose steady your more likely to keep it off.

To be honest I think exercise hinders losses when you first start it, but not after you've settled into it, so I don't actually think you'd find yourself loosing more anyway even if you did give it up.

Exercise gives you a nicer shape then when you just loose weight by diet alone as well. I'd much rather weigh a bit more but look more toned, that's what people see not the number on the scales.

 

[peacelily]

Also does your food need a bit of an overhaul? If you've been doing it for a while maybe you're in a bit of a rut. Why not commit to having a few absolute 100% weeks with a menu shake up including a change of hex's and see how it goes? I know it can be disheartening to lose more slowly than others but if my weight begins to stall, I have a look at what I've had over the last couple of weeks and make some changes. Invariably, things kick back in again. With saying that you have done really well so far. If you hadn't done what you're doing you would probably not be 2st down. Keep at it

 

[raquelscatt]

I am on my second week of an overhaul after having a heart to heart with my SW consultant (who is brill and I would miss that!) as I was on the verge on giving up after yet another week of sts. Sticking to plan 100%, giving in a food diary and visiting the gym I lost a measly 1lb on Thursday. My consultant thinks it could be water retention??!!

I think I am just so envious of my sister who is doing so well following SW alone that it got me thinking about ditching the exercise. In my heart tho I know I would regret it but I want to do both 100%.

 

[jaylou]

A pound is not measly!!!!

Exercise is good for you, it does not make you lose bucket loads of weight though - SW say 1-2lb extra per month and this is not guaranteed.

It is better to be slim and toned than slim and flabby surely?

Sticking to plan 100% and going to the gym resulting in a pound weight loss..... I'd say that's pretty good going.

 

[Nikki36]

Just a thought! Have you had your thyroid checked (you never know???) if you have overhauled everything else it may worth asking the GP to check ? xxx

 

[jaylou]

Just a thought! Have you had your thyroid checked (you never know???) if you have overhauled everything else it may worth asking the GP to check ? xxx

Why though?? Surely losing a pound a week isn't anything to be concerned about!!!

 

[Nikki36]

Why though?? Surely losing a pound a week isn't anything to be concerned about!!!

True! a 1lb a week is good so maybe back track on that! Just looking at all options that is all (sorry no offense meant)! x

 

[raquelscatt]

Non taken!! I had my thyroid tested about 3 months ago and it came back clear.

 

[Rochelle1]

Why don't you just try reducing the excersise first? I wouldn't give it up altogether. You sound as if its something you really enjoy, and plus the health benefits it will be giving you will be amazing!! And, 1lb a week will get you to where you want to be eventually

 

[thelandlady]

HI. I had to look if this was my post, I am exactley the same i go to the gym about 5 times a week and swimming, i also walk miles and all i lose is half a pound or a pound a week, I definatley agree exercise does not help with weigh loss.

 

[Jenna88]

Exercise may not help with weight loss but it will change your shape and keep your body in a much healthier state than if you simply focussed on diet alone.

I personally am not a massive fan of it, I could find a million better things to do with my day but last week I joined the gym simply because I wanted to see a change in my appearance and have more energy. I'm sure it will affect my loss but as Donna has said, no one sees the number on the scales and it will come off eventually. I would much rather be a size 8 and weigh 10st than 8st and a size 10/12.

You seem to really enjoy going to the gym so I definitely would not give it up. Similarly, although it can at times seem like it's ''only 1lb'' coming off (I too am guilty of feeling like this) it's MUCH better than 1lb on...all those little pounds add up. Think about it from the other side...if you put on a teeny tiny pound each week you'd be a stone heavier in as little as 3.5 months. Much better off than on

Good luck and stick with it!

 

[Jabberwocky]

I embarked on a weight loss attempt at the start of 2011... I had a personal trainer overseeing everything that passed my lips and was spinning, zumbaing, kettlebelling, swimming and even took up boxing (you do 30mins of skipping BEFORE the warm up, then 2 hours of intense ring work) ...

My shape almost certainly changed for the better. However. I didn't lose much weight at all and any I did was painfully slow. People were telling me I looked great but I was permanently knackered, spending tonnes of money and always in some form of delayed onset muscle soreness. I gave up about 4 months into it and probably put another half stone back on along with the half stone I'd lost.

Then this summer, I discovered Slimming World! I had started out with the intention of doing it plus returning to my exercise regime however I'm finding that at the moment I don't need to. Works keeping me busy and I haven't money to waste on a gym so for the most part, bar a few swimming sessions I haven't exercised at all.

I've lost 2stone 4 so far in 3 months and am not overly overweight so to lose that much this fast has been amazing.

For the moment I'm ignoring all the body magic stuff as I believe it's not something I need right now, I'll start adding it in when I get closer to target to tone my body and maintain my eventual weight. As for weight loss, exercise isn't for me.

Also when I was exercising I was totally beasting myself - this is also useless for losing weight as I have since realised my heart rate was far too high. People seem to think that exercise needs to be pushing yourself to puking point to be any good... this is rubbish... if you are going to use it to help lose weight you need to have some way of monitoring your heart rate. It needs to be in the right zone, neither too low, NOR too high otherwise you haven't a chance of losing!

 

[hollys nan]

I settled down to losing 1lb a week during my journey, sometimes only half a pound but I stuck to it and got there and you will too. 1lb is not to be sniffed at, you have done very well. Try not to compare your journey with others (I know its hard) but we all lose weight at a different rate. I was never a high flier but plodded on. You will get there, just keep on with the exercise and S W

 

[Browsie]

A lb a week between now and Christmas is 10lb lost. I wouldn't mind that at all. Combine this with toning you get from exercise and it could almost be a dress size. Plus you've said how good exercise makes you feel what will you replace that feeling with?