Has anyone give up exercise in favour of just doing SW?

[raquelscatt]

I have posted many times on here and really have a decision to make this week.

I have been doing SW since September 2011 and have lost just 25.5lbs. (I have about 8 stone to lose.) At the same time I also joined the gym as I firmly believe in diet and exercise going hand in hand. Some weeks I have exercised, others I have not. The past 8 weeks I have exercised 3-4 times a week for 1 hour at a time and stuck to the SW EE plan, filling in a food diary which have been examined by my leader and are fine. I know how the plan works and have stuck to it since joining in September.

However, I cannot lose weight. I lose one week, gain the next. Weigh in today, I have lost a measly 1/2lb after again following the plan 100% and exercising. I have cried today, I am so fed up. Again, my leader has gone through my food diary and can find no reason with the food I eat why I shouldn't be losing weight. I have been to the doctors and am currenty awaiting the results of a blood test.

My leader always maintains that she did the whole gym thing and gave it up in favour of just following SW as she wasn't losing weight, so maybe I should too.

The inch loss isn't showing either yet but I love the exercise and feel great for it.

I cannot keep doing both and need to ditch one in favor of the other.

I want to know what your thoughts are on this and if you have given up exercise in favour of SW. Maybe I need to lose some more weight and then maybe exercise again?? Oh I don't know, sorry for the ramble

I just welcome any comments - Please

 

[Rochelle1]

Why not change excersise rather than give it up? To me the gyms a place for toning up more than anything. I like walking, walk my dogs for 30-60 mins every day and on my feet all day at work which probably helps. Why not try walking or a zumba dance class? I would deffo try and change it and not give it up all together

 

[hollystar100]

i wouldn't give up the gym im convinced i havnt lost a pound through exercise but my body shape is so different than what it used to be, i know is so frustrating to work so hard to not lose anything, i get so mad when I've sts and i know some people at class havnt moved all week and lost three pounds! maybe next weigh in will be better?

 

[raquelscatt]

I do change it. I do zumba, swimming, the bike and treadmill (programmes on the bike and treadmill is for weight loss.)

I alternate a lot.

 

[raquelscatt]

thanx hollystar100 but its been 8 weeks now. The first 2-3 weeks I resigned myself to the way it would be, sts, gain, small loss etc but for 8 weeks. Even my consultant is flumoxed.

I have been previously tested for thiroid and all thats fine.

 

[who_la_hoop]

If I were you, I'd wait for the results of the blood test before changing what you're doing - it does seem strange that you're losing weight so slowly if you're following the SW plan to the letter and going to the gym. I have exercised twice or three times a week since starting SW, and it hasn't had a negative impact on my losses - in fact, it's had a really positive effect not only on my body (toning, preventing loose skin, inch loss) but on my mind - I feel much more positive and energetic when I exercise regularly. I haven't been able to get the gym for a few weeks because of poor health, and it's making a sad difference to my general mood!

Sorry I can't give you more constructive advice - but I do hope you won't stop the exercise, particularly as when you stop exercising altogether, some of your losses are muscle rather than pure fat, which is obviously not what you want as it lowers your metabolism. Hang on in there.

 

[Rochelle1]

I do change it. I do zumba, swimming, the bike and treadmill (programmes on the bike and treadmill is for weight loss.)

I alternate a lot.

I don't know then could be medical. Feel for you as sounds like you're really trying. I have about 7 stone to lose to get to the healthy range for my height and am losing really well right now and I am doing so little excersise compared to you. Its not fair really.

Hope the blood tests come back with an answer for you

 

[Mizkirsty]

Your not alone I'm exactly the same I exercise 4-5x a week of not more . Spin gym swim etc and find weeks where I don't do anything I get bigger losses or a loss full stop!

I spent 8 weeks of maintaining even though I was exercising loads and loads - but I had inch loss! I think I found a happy medium - by reducing the amount it's helped me loose again! Cx

Ps I don't do ee I do red/green x

 

[Emmamb]

Personally I'd rather be fitter and more toned than see the loss on the scales-I've upped my target by 1.5 stones because I do so much exercise that my body has changed dramatically do look a lot lighter than I am x

 

[redmel]

I have 4st to lose and have also found that when I exercise I lose very little to nothing. I have decided to give up exercise for now and concentrate on shifting pounds.

I will take up exercise again once I have only 1-2st max left to lose, as around this point I will also need to start toning up.

The few friends who have lost large amounts of weight via SW didn't execise, they just fitted in a little extra walking each day/a few times a week.

I hope you work out what's best xxx

 

[CryLittleSister]

Sounds to me like you're only doing cardio though..? You need to work in some strength moves too if you want to really get rid of fat. More and more cardio does little more than make you fit enough to do even more cardio.. The real body changes come from combining it with strength. I'd highly recommend the 30 day shred, it's a simple 20 minute workout every day for thirty days guaranteed to shed inches. I've never heard of anyone complete it without being impressed by the results

 

[Beegee]

Is it worth trying a different SW plan, maybe one of the others would suit you better? x

 

[Beautifullily]

If you've managed to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle I would think very hard before giving it up. Apart from a daily energetic dog walk I don't manage much more but wish I could.

I think trying a different SW plan might be the way to go, or perhaps try 50/50 for a week - eat 50% superfree on your plate rather than a third.

Let us know what you decide and how you get on.

 

[Wegle]

Sounds to me like you're only doing cardio though..? You need to work in some strength moves too if you want to really get rid of fat. More and more cardio does little more than make you fit enough to do even more cardio.. The real body changes come from combining it with strength. I'd highly recommend the 30 day shred, it's a simple 20 minute workout every day for thirty days guaranteed to shed inches. I've never heard of anyone complete it without being impressed by the results

This is exactly what I was going to say. Strength training is definitely the way to go for fat loss. There are loads of fit overweight people, cardio will give you a calorie deficit but unless you combine it with strength you won't be burning fat.

Have you tried Body Pump classes? It's an hour long class of weights to music and you choose your weight level. My instructor says in the hour you do 800 reps working all the major muscle zones (glutes, quads, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs) and on average you burn 650 calories. I do this twice a week now as well as my usual 4 runs and the difference in how my body looks is amazing! I always hated weight training so never did it, believing that as I was running 30 miles a week it wouldn't matter. I would never do 800 reps on my own in the gym as I would get bored but at the class it's fun, and the music keeps you going.

Exercise should be an important part of everyone's life, fat, thin or healthy weight. What's the point in losing loads of weight if you still have risk of health problems due to an inactive lifestyle.

Wait to see what the docs say but don't give up what is essentially a really good healthy thing you are doing. Look into ways to increase the strength aspect.

Just had another thought when I do loads of cardio I feel hugely hungry and was finding that I was abusing free food e.g having about 300g of pasta for dinner. To stop this I was told by a sports nutritionist that immediately after exercising have a portion of protein as this is what your body is craving. This stops the urge to binge on other foods. So now after a long run I have a boiled egg straight after and that curbs the massive hunger straight away.

 

[CryLittleSister]

This is exactly what I was going to say. Strength training is definitely the way to go for fat loss. There are loads of fit overweight people, cardio will give you a calorie deficit but unless you combine it with strength you won't be burning fat.

Have you tried Body Pump classes? It's an hour long class of weights to music and you choose your weight level. My instructor says in the hour you do 800 reps working all the major muscle zones (glutes, quads, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, abs) and on average you burn 650 calories. I do this twice a week now as well as my usual 4 runs and the difference in how my body looks is amazing! I always hated weight training so never did it, believing that as I was running 30 miles a week it wouldn't matter. I would never do 800 reps on my own in the gym as I would get bored but at the class it's fun, and the music keeps you going.

Exercise should be an important part of everyone's life, fat, thin or healthy weight. What's the point in losing loads of weight if you still have risk of health problems due to an inactive lifestyle.

Wait to see what the docs say but don't give up what is essentially a really good healthy thing you are doing. Look into ways to increase the strength aspect.

Just had another thought when I do loads of cardio I feel hugely hungry and was finding that I was abusing free food e.g having about 300g of pasta for dinner. To stop this I was told by a sports nutritionist that immediately after exercising have a portion of protein as this is what your body is craving. This stops the urge to binge on other foods. So now after a long run I have a boiled egg straight after and that curbs the massive hunger straight away.

Thats such an awesome tip!
You know what else, it's not exercise related but when you wake up have a banana straight away. I'm never tired at work if I do, it's amazing for slowly releasing energy

 

[lisajade]

Just had another thought when I do loads of cardio I feel hugely hungry and was finding that I was abusing free food e.g having about 300g of pasta for dinner.

This was me today, ate so many SW chips. I did more cardio than I ever managed before, and my hunger was phenomenal.

I see exercise and diet as completely separate, and everyone should exercise. I would try either changing your workouts to something completely different or changing to a different SW plan. I really hope all your work pays off, you are doing your body a favour even if the scales are being mean xxx

 

[Kate54]

i would never give up exercise, even if its just walking the dog! which i do anyway, he loves it and so do i; i work 12 hour shifts so i dont get to the gym till the weekends but i've downloaded some abs and cardio apps on my mobile i can do quickly at home during the evening; i've never done strength training but i'm going to have a chat with the gym instructor and see what they recommend
i do a lot of lifting, bending and twisting in my job [ i'm a medical receptionist so lots of heavy patient notes!] so i am sure i burn off inches at work, especially when im unpacking bags to prepare clinics!

 

[lilpixiesue]

I am a bit scared of exercising I started trying body magic and uppin my exercise but not very consistently, and the weeks I have done exercise I have had either a gain, STS or .5lb loss, non exercise weeks are always much higher losses! I am suppsoed to be going to Zumba with a friend this week but I am feelin a bit nervous like it'll affect my weight loss! WHich is daft i know but still...

 

[Liverbird52]

I am a bit scared of exercising I started trying body magic and uppin my exercise but not very consistently, and the weeks I have done exercise I have had either a gain, STS or .5lb loss, non exercise weeks are always much higher losses! I am suppsoed to be going to Zumba with a friend this week but I am feelin a bit nervous like it'll affect my weight loss! WHich is daft i know but still...

I find this happens to me,my c said to up my superfree but can't say I have noticed any difference,but even at my heaviest I have excercised it's just a way of life for me,but 2 yrs ago dtsrted using weights and look better in my clothes

 

[Kate54]

muscle weighs more than fat though doesn't it, that;s probably why, it depends what you're aiming for i suppose
swimming is one of the best ways to exercise your body, that and strength training, apparently