Expert: Linda Erwin, M.S. - 12/20/2004

Question
Hi there-
My name is Katy and just to give you some idea of my situation before I ask my question, I am a 26 year old female who is 5'4 and weighs 129 lbs.
I have maintained this weight for about 9 months just by watching what I eat and not exercizing. (I lost about 20lbs to get to the 129 I am at now & again, just by dieting.)I recently (6 wks ago) got a treadmill so I started walking/jogging for 30 minutes 4-6 days a week,with 5 mins of warm-up and for every 4 mins I walk at 4.2 mph, I run 1 min at 6 mph. I also do strength training with 8 lbs dumbells on my upper body one day, lower body the next, and abs every other day. I have kept my caloric intake at 1200-1300 with few exceptions, and eating very healthy, whole grains, veg and fruit. I have not lost a lb, although I am a LITTLE more toned, I am getting very discouraged and want to just give up. I know I should work out for health reasons and not just my weight but I wanted to get down to at least 120, maybe 115 and outside of starving myself, I don't understand why I can't lose any more weight after 6 weeks of this regimen, it is very hard to stay motivated. Any advice you could offer would be very helpful. Thanks so much for your time and Happy Holidays-

Katy

Answer
Hi Katy,
It sounds like you are doing an awesome job overall.  The biggest obstacle is watching that d... scale.  If you continue what you are doing your body will finally drop some pounds.  I've been through it a million times.  You are experiencing a plateau.  If you have just lost 20lbs then your body needs to adapt and then it will lose the fat again.  I do think you need to extend your cardio from 30 minutes to 45-60 minutes.  It's also important to get your heart rate up to at least 75-80% of your maximum heart rate to burn more calories.  Also, remember as your body changes and you lose fat weight and gain muscle, the scale won't show it right away.  Get your body fat done and that will be more accurate.  Please don't obsess with the scale.  Continue on with your healthy lifestyle and make your goal to feel good.  Remember to drink lots of water and add protein to your diet as you didn't mention it above.  
Good luck and please don't develop an eating disorder.
Linda