What could be reasons I am not losing weight? How to lose weight faster?

• am 21, currently 199 lbs, and 5ft 6in. My starting weight was 211 lbs. I have been going to the gym for 3 months and have just lost 11 lbs, My problem is how come when I was going to the gym 3x a week and eating a 1,500 calorie diet I was only losing 1 lb a week and at times my weight would stay the same. Now that I have taken a break from going to the gym for two weeks out of frustration I have been losing weight alot faster. Like this week I lost 3lbs in one week by stop counting calories, and eating ONLY when I am hungry. What's going on with my body? I have been trying to get into the 190's for 3 months now and I have finally just made it after being stuck at 205lbs for the longest time. In the beginning I was losing 1 lb a week from doing hours of exercise and I am just starting to see results. Thing is I don't feel like I lost 10lbs. Isn't my body suppose to look smaller and my clothes fitting me a lot loser? I don't even notice a difference. What should I do?

• Answer:

  Few possibilities with this. If you're exercising so much and burning so many calories, then your body might go into a "starvation mode" where it thinks you'll continue to do that. When it's in this mode, it will hold onto any and all calories it can so it'll be ready for the next brutal workout. Second, you might be building muscle. Look up 5lbs muscle vs 5lbs fat. Muscle is a lot more dense, and when you workout, you build it. So instead of JUST looking at weight, how about you also take measurements like circumference and body fat? Most of my clients only lose 10-15lbs while with me, but they'll drop 15-20 inches. Muscle is a good thing. It burns about 50 calories every day while at rest. You generally have the right idea of only eating when you're hungry. And be sure to stop eating when you're satisfied (satisfied and full are two different things). Make sure what you eat is healthy. Try to eat 4-5 small meals a day. If you have problems with snacking, eat more protein in your meals. Congrats on the 12lbs lost. Most people don't gain weight in a matter of 3 months, so don't expect to lose it all in 3 months either. Gaining and losing take time.