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DRTBK4EVER
11/22/07 11:01 A
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Hello Burtesquire,
I think the cardio combined with watching your calories will be your best bet.
But like golfpro said, I wouldn't focus on the scale too much.
As you get closer to your goal weight, the lbs come off much slower. From what I read from other posters, some people hit a plateau where they get stuck. Perhaps that is where you are at.
I would try the cardio and watch the calories for another couple of weeks, and if you don't see any results (like I said it is going to be slow), then I would switch it up. I'm new to this but I would think a couple of weeks of extra cardio, perhaps some strength training may help you bust through that plateau. Of coures this site is one of the best sources of information on how and what to do.
Let us know how it goes.
Did you notice how the word "Plateau" became a hyperlink above, click on that and it takes you to some articles on plateau busters, etc.
That is cool.
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BURTESQUIRE
11/21/07 7:56 P
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Hi
Its great to see people all these reponses - so thanks very much! I will stick it out!
My greatest problem in the past has been seeing very little results either way from over or undereating or adjusting my excercise. Perhaps I just didn't do enough? Seems the fat is hard to budge! My current tactic is to 45mins of cardio three times a week at my local gym and to keep within my calorie limit. Do you think this is enough? Meanwhile I'll keep scanning this site for more healthy techniques 
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Good idea on the before/after measurements. I bet you'll see some difference in a few weeks.
In regards to the "bigger gut" after ab work. It is quite a myth that sit-ups and crunches will narrow your waist. In fact, if you look at a lot of "strong men", they have large mid sections and chests. As hinted at earlier, you are strengthening your abs, but maybe not losing any fat. To see your mid-section shrink, you will need to work on losing some fat as well. The ONLY way to do that is to consume fewer calories than you burn in a day.
matt
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DRTBK4EVER
11/20/07 11:12 A
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| Good point Golfpro. I too focus on the scale perhaps a bit too much. I did use the tape measure and obtained some "before" measurements last week. I'll take your advice and review my measurements every few weeks as well.
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DRTBK4EVER
11/20/07 11:09 A
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Eric, I have that problem too. After doing ab workouts I notice my gut seems to have increased in size.
I guess it's just the fact that the muscles beneath that fat are stronger. It is a bit disconcerting to see that paunch sticking further out than it used to.
But hey, it is much perkier now than it used to be.
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ERIC22MIL
11/17/07 2:19 A
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| Going through that now, I have lost very little, 1/2 lb in a week. E.G, When I do crunches it seems my gut is getting bigger.Changing that by going with doing side planks and working more on those Taebo kicks, hoping to see a change in the next ten days.
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DADX4STL
11/15/07 11:56 A
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| I've experienced the same problem...lots of exercise and working out and a scale that moves very slowly (if at all). However, when I look at other factors -- endurance, wearing an XL instead of XXL, and less fatigue, I chalk that up as a success.
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RONIN672
11/15/07 11:29 A
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Yep, what they both said.
I know when I am hitting the weight rack too much because I'll see a slight increase on the scale.
Like Flash, I too am seeing slow weight loss, but I am getting my muscle tone and strength back up.
Cardio is getting easier, and I'm slowly increasing speed on the tredmill, and also doing intervals on the elevation without getting as tired as I used to.
Keep it up, the better you look, and feel, the more you will want to keep going.
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THEFLASH
11/15/07 11:00 A
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| I agree, don't let the scale be your judge. Use the eye test and take measurements. BF% and muscle mass matter much more than what you weigh. My "weight loss" has been pretty slow and I couldn't care less because I'm gaining a ton of muscle and my body is transforming without the gigantic turn on the scale. Keep it up and stay positive!
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Hi there!
Sounds like you're making great progress. A couple answers, and things to keep in mind.
1) Weight loss is NOT the best way to measure success. If we lived in a society without scales we would have to have other ways to determine our progress. Are your clothes fitting looser? Do you have more energy? Have your actual measurements dropped in centimeters/inches? All stuff to keep in mind when determining progress.
2) Most people strictly doing cardio will see more fat loss than muscle gain. However, it is possible depending the intensity and type of exercise, for people to gain some muscle, thus gain some weight.
3) The most consistent way to measure success is with a tape measure. If you pick several areas around your body, and take measurements each week, you'll be bale to see if you're losing fat (which I believe is your goal). The 3 main places to measure are your hips, waist, and neck. But you can certainly measure other areas such as thighs, chest, biceps, etc.
Pick a day (say Mondays) when you take your measurement, you can even use SparkPeople to track the numbers. Then watch over time and see if you're getting smaller. Along with this, pay attention to how your clothes fit, and if you feel a little "tighter" in those areas.
Keep up the good work. It sounds like you're well on your way to reaching 70kg.
matt
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BURTESQUIRE
11/15/07 7:57 A
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Hi There,
I would greatly appreciate some help on this. Since I joined Spark I also joined the Gym and have been doing mostly Cardio in order to reach my calorie goals. The problem is that - after eating mostly okay and excercising for a few weeks I can see my fitness has improved in the gym but my weight hasn't decreased at all! In fact it has kept about the same if not slightly increased. On the other hand I have bought some fat callipers and it says that my fat percentage HAS decreased by about 2.8 kilos. Its hard to know what is going on - and whether I am making progress or not.
So as a guy - doing cardio - is it normal to see weight loss or weight gain? Is one's weight the best way to measure success? How can one reliably track one's progress?
I am 75kg and trying to get to 70kg.
Many thanks
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