Why aren't I losing weight?

Question

I'm 15 and weigh about 170. I'm 5'5. This is no where near a healthy weight for my age.. Or for my height.. I eat healthy and exercise regularly.. I eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. As well as lean meat and protein bars as snacks.. I exercise about 4-5 times a day for about 5-10 minutes each time. I work out about once every hour or so and an hour after I eat..It all adds up to about 50 minutes of work out a day. I jog in the morning also. And yet I'm not seeing results.. Can someone please explain what I'm doing wrong?

Answer 1

Five to ten minutes is barely enough time for a warm up and a cool down - but it isn't exercise.  For exercise to be beneficial for weight loss and heart health, you have to increase your heart rate and sustain that increased rate for half an hour to 45 minutes.  So that's the first thing you do - exercise in the morning for about half an hour and then again right after school for another half hour.  Pay attention to your body, because if you keep doing the same workout, your body is going to adjust to that workout.  You'll need to increase the intensity of your workouts every few days, probably once a week or more.

As for food:  those protein bars are generally high in sugar and high in fat. It doesn't matter what their vitamin and mineral contents say - these bars are not meal replacements, they're not snacks, and they're not for weight loss.  

Ask your parents to take you to your family doctor so he can do a physical and set you up for a referral to a nutritionist.  To lose weight, you need proteins, carbs, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products on a daily basis.  Because you're a teenager, you're going to have different needs than a woman of 30 or 50.  For one thing, you need dairy that gives you the equivalent calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D as THREE cups of milk, every day.  If you're like me and don't drink milk or eat yogurt, this category is going to be your biggest challenge.  (I eat a lot of sugar free, fat free instant pudding.)

At 15, your doctor and nutritionist may prefer to keep you at a higher number of daily calories because your body is still finishing off its final touches to things like your immune system and your brain and your nervous system.  You don't want to cut yourself to 1000 or 1200 calories a day and hurt your long-term health.  You also don't want to restrict yourself so much that you feel deprived.  All your friends are going out for pizza on Friday - okay, so plan your meals on Friday to be higher in vegetables and fruits, and save some calories for a slice of pizza.  Or Ice cream.  Or tacos.  Or whatever your particular weakness is, or whatever will make you not feel left out when your friends are indulging themselves.

You sound like a really smart young lady and you've made a terrific start.  Enlist your parents and your doctor/nutritionist to give you a boost and you'll see the weight come off.

Answer 2

working out doesn't add like that. if you jog for 5 minutes at a time your heart rate is not going to be accelerated for very long at all. and that is what makes you lose weight... pure beautiful sweat!  

Answer 3

You need to work out in more than 5 - 10 minute spurts. you need to get your heart rate up.  these little spurts are a waste of time. have  your thyroid checked. Good luck.