Exercise question.

Okay so about a month ago I was working out about 6 days a week. I wasn't loosing anything.

So I recently have stalled on my exercise because my friend went on vacation and in the last week I've dropped 10 pounds. I haven't exercised once.

What was up with that? It makes me not want to exercise at all. Was I over doing it? Should I stop exercising or should I move it down to like 3 days a week?

Exercise it great but you don't need to KILL it at the gym if you aren't consuming a decent amount of calories.

You create a huge defict and the scales slows down you might still be losing inches.. but if your working out semi intense and frequently you need to up your calories.

My two cents ..

I eat about 1200 calories a day but when I was exercising I was burning about 200 each 30 minutes so maybe I wasn't having enough.

What are you using to gauge your burn?   If you're going by the info on a machine such as a treadmill or elliptical, they're notoriously inaccurate, usually higher than what you're actually burning.

When you aren't exercising you tend to lose more muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.  So when you stop you think wow I am losing like crazy but the truth is in the long run you want the muscle.  Also, like the other poster mentioned you could be losing inches.  You need to start logging your measurements.  My weight loss has dropped off but I am still losing lots of inches every month.  That is what we really want to look lean and slim. 

I rather have weight loss and inches than no weight loss and lots of inches lost. Because the scale number affects me a lot more than the inches.

And I do record my measurements. But loosing two or three inches doesn't Wow me like 5 pound weightless does.

I understand the mental impact of seeing the numbers on the scale go down, versus inches.

But one thing to remember, as Cmagouirk said, when you're not exercising, you loose muscle along with the fat.  The heart is one big muscle.  I don't want to weaken my heart by not exercising.

Just something to consider.  It is of course, your choice on how to proceed.  :)

Building muscle now will help you lose weight faster and easier later...and 3 or 4 years from now when everyone is fighting regain you won't be.  Read up on the subject.  Muscle=metabolism.  I would rather build up my metabolism.  It's very short sighted to worry now about the scale and not think long term about what's best for your body and health.

I have lost 150 lbs so far and almost 5 ft worth of inches.  Like I said even though my weight loss hass slowed I continue to go down in size.  For me personally I would rather be a size 14 at 204 lbs than a size 18 at 204 lbs....

Also you may want to jump over to the exercise forum there are great people over there that used to weigh 300+ lbs and now run marathons.  They will guide you and help you through any exercise issues or questions.  they will more than likely tell you to throw the scale away...hahaha.  That's what they told me.   

Here is just one great article about weight lifting and building muscle and how much it really helps you.

http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/lose-your-fear-of-lifting


Hang in there and don't give up on exercise.  Remember exercise never made someone fat.

Thanks for the mention of the Exercise forum.  I went over there and I think I like it.

I'm having issues with trying to get my thighs smaller, and maybe they will have some ideas when I get ready to ask.  :)

I understand the need for instant gratification with weight loss, but I'd never trade going to the gym for it.

I go 6 days a week and work out 1-2 hours each time doing an hour of cardio and the balance is weight conditioning. I love how I feel after a workout, I also have come to the point that I plain love working out.

It's hard to accept that muscle weighs more than fat, but it's the truth. I struggle with this all the time myself when my weight stalls, but it's sooooo very important to continue exercising.

Hang in there, as long as you're eating right, the weight will come off Good luck.