Hi All,

Im after a bit of advise. Ive been on the propoints diet system since begining of the year, which I pretty good at sticking to and have also started regular running again. I am now upto to between 13-15 miles a week and have run over 75 miles but dispite all this and the propoints I have only lost 7lbs.

Any one got any idea's why my weight loss is so slow. I know its going in the right direction but would like it to be a little quicker. Perhaps Im not doing enough running?

John

It could be a number of things John.

1) Youve gone from a high calorie to a very low calorie diet, and ur body is going into starvation mode - saving all the stored fat because it fears getting any more. Are you eating enough to compensate for your increase in exercise?

2) Your losing fat but gaining muscle (not turning fat into muscle!) Are you losing inches or changing body shape? I always measure my clients body fat% - this gives them a more definitive guide as to improvement.

3) What type of running are you doing? If you are only doing steady paced running all the time - weight loss will take longer - howeevr if ur mixing it up with intervals, hill runs and tempo efforts - you should be seeing results.

When running, don't fall into the quantity trap - it's quality miles that count!!

Hope that gives you some ideas to look at.

Regard,

Clark

i think 7lb is just the right amount to be losing after this time, a pound a week should be just right. i dont know much about the ProPoints system though, my diet that I started last year was totally diet and exercise orientated and it took me from July until Christmas to lose 14 lb. Its the change in lifestyle that will make the difference. Dont just look at the scale, look at the tape measure aswell.
Well done on your loss so far! Dont get disheartened because tis only 7lb, thats HALF A STONE!

Hi all,

Wise words. just would like a little more. Certainly lost inches so I will just keep at it. Think I will mix up my running and add a hill session once a week.

Dear All,

I am also struggling with weight loss and use running as my main form of exercise. However, from looking at the comments written for John I think I might have got the wrong end of the stick concerning the types of run to be doing. I had thought that doing a long run would be preferable as you would take longer exercising and would burn more fat. Therefore a long slow run would be better than a hill or fast run which would generally be shorter and quicker. I used to do more hill runs and fast runs when I was trying to increase my speed. Am I wrong?

Fiona - you are right, a long slow run (LSR) helps the body adapt to burning fat as the primary source of fuel. That is why the LSR is the building block of marathon running. Stick with it and by all means mix it up but 70-75% of your runs should be slow - you should be able to hold a conversation. If you struggle for breath you are running too fast.

I am also running to lose weight although not on a specific diet, more common sense, well balanced and healthy including protein and fewer carbs with slightly reduced portions and absolutely NO skipping meals! Although as yet I have not lost much weight at all (couple of pounds in month or so) I am very much aware of my shape changing and my body toning, which at teh end of the day is the desired result - we can so easily get fixated by numbers on scales. Its about health and fitness, the rest will follow. As to types of training a long slow run will eventually burn much the same as a short hard one but they improve you fitness in different ways so variety is definitely the approach. Althoug having done the first sprinting sessions since schooldays I think I am regretting that right now - where's the ice pack? And drink lots of water....

I can vouch for the weight watchers diet having lost 5 1/2 stone (two stone of which came off when I started running). Seven pounds is a good steady loss in the time you have been doing it.... I used to use a little trick when people said 'Ive only lost four pounds'.. I would say 'how would you feel if you had gained four pounds' the answer was always gutted or horrified etc... my reply...'take that negative feeling of weight gain and turn it into the same amount of positive feeling for weight loss'! Stick with it and keep up the running I guarantee you will get where u want!

Hi

 Well done at losing 7 lb and I love adrians way of looking at the loss - I think I need to try that!

I have also tried the propoints diet and struggled to loose weight - I found that even though I was sticking to the "points" the actual calories I ate  could vary a lot from day to day - at the end of the day we dont burn points!. I think the key is to find a diet that suits you . I now use the nutracheck.co.uk site - its not a diet but you enter your weight etc and the speed you want to loose weight and it calculates the calories to have each day. you enter in the food diary and you can then easily see whether you are under or over. you do have to subscribe but v reasonable and some great tools for monitoring how healthy your diet is.

Hi,

Just to add to this topic, I've been running outside now since October, prior to that I was running in the gym due to an injury.  Since October I've gone up a trouser size and 3kg.  A fitness instructor friend said this is because I have increased my mileage and amount of times I run so I will naturally put on muscle on my bum and thighs.  I don't think I've increased my food intake and I am doing strength exercises as well so could live with the increase on the scales but not the fact clothes no longer fit.  Does that make my pal right or am I in denial about how much I'm eating?