It was easy the first time around....

by Heather Richardson
(Topeka, KS USA)

In 2003, I lost a large amount of weight by eating a reduced calorie diet and walking 30 minutes every morning. Since then, I've gained most of the weight back (by not exercising and eating whatever I want).

A few months ago, I went back to eating a low calorie diet and walking...however I haven't lost a pound.
The only known differences are that I'm walking at night instead of the early morning, and I've had a baby since the first round of weight loss.
Night time is the only time I can exercise.

Could the nighttime exercise be the reason I'm not losing weight? Could it be related to having a baby? I'm doing everything exactly as before but I'm not having any results.

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Metabolism and weight loss
by: Dr. Dan

Heather,

I don't think exercising at night is the problem. So keep that up. That's very positive.

Your metabolism might have changed since the last time you lost weight, for a number of reasons.

A lot of women have a slower metabolism after having a baby.

And metabolism tends to drop a little each year, so in 5 or 6 years you can see a difference.

And since you weren't exercising you probably have less muscle mass, even if you weigh the same as last time. And with less muscle mass you burn fewer calories.

So what can you do? It might be time to push yourself on the exercise. Make sure that every day you either go farther in the same time. Or, do your same route but do it faster.

See, that doesn't mean just more time. It means more intensity. And that should jump start your weight loss.

Good luck!

Thyroid issues, perhaps?
by: SuzyQ

Hi Heather,

In addition to what Dr. Dan wrote, may I suggest you talk to your family doctor and see if your thyroid levels may be off? Having a baby can disrupt hormones and you may be suffering from low thyroid function. That could certainly be a reason for not being able to lose weight. Having a low-functioning thyroid can also make you feel cold, tired and sluggish (which you might also attribute to having had a baby). So if you seem to be eating healthy and exercising, but without any visible results, you might want to check with your doctor.

This happened to me and once I got on medication, the weight started to come off.

Good luck!

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