Why am I only losing 2 pounds a month?

[JessieLo]

I’ve recently made a lifestyle change 3 months ago. I workout 5-6 times a week. 2 times a day or an hr a day depending on my schedule. 5-6 mile walks, cardio, yoga, strength training. I completely changed my diet eliminating carbs. I really just eat protein and veggies. I’ve giving up fruit a few weeks ago. However the scale is moving slow and the pictures I’ve taken I could barely see the difference. Any advice on what to do?

[FishInTheSea]

You’re right, it isn’t much. An important thing to consider is your current BMI and fitness level. Someone who is already very fit and has low body fat will have a progressively harder time losing more weight.

I know you may already know this, but just as a general reminder: you only want your carbs to come from vegetables, and your protein and fat to come from fresh meats. No processed stuff, just natural veggies and meat. With that said, you may also want to decrease your caloric intake, if you want to speed things up, try cutting down 300-500 calories a day by eating half of what you regularly eat for one meal. Just pick a meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner, and cut that specific meal in half, just that one.

It’s great that your doing cardio, but I’m curious as to what kind of strength training your doing exactly.

[Capnjaques]

It's not just that you're losing weight. You have to remember that with all that exercise and protein you are adding muscle, which increases in density and weighs more. You can still lose fat and gain weight, strange as it sounds. To lose weight you need a calorie deficit, meaning you need to burn more than you take in while still eating healthy. Also, the sugars and other things in fruit are really good for you and not necessarily something you should cut out.

[Screenwriter]

How much weight do you want to lose? If you're at an ideal weight for your height, losing more weight might be difficult. Protein is calorie dense, however. You might have to cut back some of those calories. If you're eating between 1200-1500 calories a day, you should be losing at least 4 lbs a month to 6 pounds. However, this is still dependent on whether you are actually overweight. Strength training may mean you are putting on muscle which is ALSO denser than fat and weighs more. If your clothing is getting looser, you are slimming down. If you're still dissatisfied, consult a nutritionist.

[Anonymous]

A lot of it could do with metabolism and how fast your body converts food to energy. Yours could be a bit slower than most people's, but that's okay. It also could depend on what exercises you're doing to work out. If you aren't really challenging your body, you won't get the results you desire. Keep in mind, you're still losing weight and getting results. Just don't work yourself too hard.

[nerms123]

You’re doing too much. You should exercise less. Eat maintenance calories for one week then slowly taper down by 100-200 calories per week until you start losing. Also slightly raise your carbs. Go for something easy to continue so you don’t stall or yoyo.

[oldguyincanada]

I think 2 pounds a month sustained long term, will be very a very effective weight loss scheme. Don't screw with something that works.

[Anonymous]

You could be losing fat but gaining muscle. Take before and after photos every month, those will show you the real difference. The scale isn’t really reliable.

[Gedaria]

You could be changing fat for muscle. The scales cannot tell the difference...

[Exorcist_Rampage]

You are over compensating and need to pace yourself. Don't get impatient.

[jeemm]

Maybe your workout is incorrect but not sure.

[Ripper_E]

THat's good. What's the problem?

[JessieLo]

2 pounds a month is not good

[Ripper_E]

What's your goal?

[JessieLo]

10 pounds a month

[Ripper_E]

That's too much. You're doing good now.

[FishInTheSea]

Jesus Christ 10 pounds a month. While that’s certainly possible, prepare to lose a lot of muscle as well if you take that route

[Ripper_E]

@FishInTheSea Right. It's not healthy. Doing things the right way take time.