When losing pounds takes tool long: with a sensible diet and exercise, you're supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a week—why is it taking me so much longer? … and more of your questions answered here - Weight-Loss Q+A

Shape, Sept, 2002 by Suzanne Schlosberg

Q It has taken me' more than two years to lose 76 pounds through weight training, power walking and improved eating habits. My friends are impressed that I've lost so much weight but ask me why it has taken so long. I've heard you should lose 1-2 pounds a week, but it takes me much longer. I still have another 10 pounds to lose. Should I cut calories to lose weight more quickly?

A No. "You've done everything right," says obesity expert John Foreyt, Ph.D., director of the nutrition research clinic at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Your friends don't understand how weight loss works." Although some people can lose 1-2. pounds a week initially, this rate of weight loss is rarely sustained for more than six months. Losing 1/2 pound a week may be more realistic for many people. "Slower weight loss leads to better maintenance," Foreyt says.

Losing 2 pounds in one week requires an unrealistic deficit of 1,000 calories a day. In other words, you'd have to cut 500 calories from your diet and burn an additional 500 calories through exercise. That's not realistic week after week for two years. "People who make. drastic changes that are not sustainable gain the weight back," Foreyt says.

It's fantastic that you've been able to maintain your healthy habits, Foreyt says. At this point, any further weight loss is likely to happen very slowly. It's even possible that your body has reached its natural weight and will resist any further attempts at weight loss.

Q I am 5-foot-2, 170 pounds and trying hard to lose weight by doing 45 minutes of cardio daily, strength training three days a week and eating six minimeals a day. Meanwhile, a friend who is only 15 pounds overweight is losing weight through diet alone -- and much more quickly than I am. She can barely last 10 minutes on the stair climber. I know everyone is different, but what can I do to rev up my weight-loss plan?

A "Don't be discouraged -- your approach is much better than your friend's," says obesity expert John Foreyt. "Being skinny doesn't equate with being healthy. To be healthy, you need to be physically active."

People who lose weight exclusively by food restriction lose muscle along with fat. With less muscle, their metabolism slows down, making additional fat loss more difficult and weight regain more likely. Strength training enables you to maintain your muscle and increase your metabolism as you lose fat.

Not all of the benefits of exercise are visible in the mirror. "You're not seeing your decrease in blood pressure or your rise in HDL [the good kind of cholesterol], but these things are happening," Foreyt says. "Ultimately, it's your health that matters, not your weight."

Q My husband says you should never eat two hours before or after you exercise. I say the rule is one hour. Who's right?

A "Neither of you,' says Bonnie Modugno, M.S., R.D., a nutrition consultant in private practice in Santa Monica, Calif.

When you should eat before a. workout depends on how hard you'll be exercising, how long it has been since your last meal and your individual tolerance for having food in your stomach. "If you're going to exercise intensely, waiting 2 couple of hours is a good idea so that you get the food out of your stomach and into your intestines," Modugno says. That's because blood flow gets shifted to your abdomen while your body digests a meal, leaving less blood available to deliver oxygen to your exercising muscles. On the other hand, if you haven't eaten for several hours before a workout, you may need a snack -- such as a banana, a glass of lowfat milk, some yogurt or even half a sandwich -- an hour or half-hour before you exercise. "You don't want to feel hungry and weak," Modugno says.

After you exercise, the sooner you eat, the better. If you wait too long, you're likely to become lightheaded and ravenous, in which case you'll. probably end up overeating. For athletes who do double workouts--say, one workout within six hours of another--it's important to refuel immediately. The body is most sensitive to replenishing glycogen stores right after activity and becomes less sensitive as the hours pass. Glycogen is the form of glucose (blood sugar) that is stored in your muscles, readily available for energy when you exercise. If you won't be exercising until the next day, eating right away isn't crucial because 24 hours is plenty of time to replenish your glycogen. Still, you'll feel better if you eat soon after a workout.

Q I'm a college senior who's 20 pounds overweight. Counting calories is a hassle at the cafeteria because there are no nutrition labels. Can I lose weight without knowing my calorie intake?

A "Absolutely," says Nelda Mercer, M.S., RD., a nutritionist in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. If you make some simple changes in your eating habits, you'll cut calories without having to count them.

Mercer suggests taking one new step each week. "The first week, concentrate on eating at least five fruits and vegetables a day," Mercer says. The next week, add a new goal: limiting soda and alcohol. "College students tend to drink a lot of their calories," Mercer says, but beverages are less satisfying and have less nutritional value than food does.