Exercising, but not losing weight

Question
Hi Richard,
I am about 40 lbs. overweight. Except for the occasional diet, I've been the same weight since I was about 17. (I'm 40 now.) About a month ago, I started working out for pretty much the first time. I liked it, and I've thrown myself into it. I do cardio about 30 minutes every day (usually the treadmill, but sometimes the elliptical trainer and the stationary bike too). Then, every other day, I do weight training. I have more energy, and my cardiovascular function is improving, as it takes me a lot more work to elevate my heart rate now. The problem is, after a month, I haven't lost an ounce. As far as I can tell, my eating habits haven't changed much. I know I should go on a diet as well as exercising, but I can't figure out why the exercise isn't helping with my weight at all. Do you have any ideas about what's going on? Thanks!

Answer
Linda, you could be BUILDING MUSCLE. You said you're weight training. That's GREAT. As you build muscle, you'll burn fat which is perfectly healthy. Muscle is actually more dense than fat, so if you build a pound of muscle and lose a pound of fat, the SCALE won't change, but you'll look much better.

Keep up the good work. Don't worry about "dieting" just eat HEALTHY foods.


See my web site for lots of information on proper nutrition and exercise. Download my FREE eBook, "Rick's 18 Tips for Healthy Weight Loss."

Richard Rost
http://www.RicksWeightLoss.com

P.S. As a disclaimer, I'm not a doctor or health professional. Please seek the advice of your doctor before implementing any of my recommendations.  

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