Question of the Week

"My major goal of boot camp was to lose weight. I've been in it about 6 weeks and have only lost a couple of pounds. I've been eating really well and just thought I would have lost more. Have I reached a plateau? Am I gaining muscle and that's what's keeping the weight on?"
Answered by Matthew Johnson, Nutrition Director for CoreQuest Fitness


This is a very common question and there are multiple reasons why a person may not have lost weight even though they are now exercising more regularly and eating "better." In a second here I will run through some of the more common possibilities and recommendations of how to deal with them.

But first we need to step back and look at our goals. Is weight loss a goal? Should it be? For some people losing pounds on the scale is a perfectly fine goal, especially if they are considered "overweight." However a goal that I find many people find more useful and meaningful is how they look in the mirror. That is because when many people say the want to lose weight, what they really mean is "I want to look better naked!" While the path a person takes to get there will probably be very similar to the losing weight goal. The outcome measured (usually pictures) is much more meaningful. So before getting caught up in the number on the scale sit back and think about what your true goal is. If it is looking better in the mirror consider taking a set of pictures (usually in a bikini, or underwear with a front, side and back shot) and updating them at least monthly (I recommend weekly) to asses yourself along the way.
Now that we have our goals straightened out I will cover the most common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight (or look better naked).

THE PROBLEM: Replacing burned calories. Often when people start an exercise program and do not think about their nutrition they replace their calories burned by simply eating more. It is natural to do so and takes a concious effort to make sure that the extra burned calories are not replaced.
THE SOLUTION: Create a structure to your day and monitor your nutrition. I would recommend following the sample week laid out in the nutrition packet (if you don't have a copy email us for one). Make a pact to yourself to follow the plan exactly as outlined for 1 month.

THE PROBLEM: Gained muscle mass. People that have just recently started exercising after taking time off usually gain an appreciable amount of muscle when the start exercising again. Then when a person may have lost 3-5lbs of fat, but gained the same in muscle will be at the same place on the scale they were before they started exercising.
THE SOLUTION: Take pictures! While you will not see a change on the scale you will see a change in pictures, or dress size. Having your body composition taken as well can elucidate the amount of muscle gained and fat lost, however I find it is much more motivating to see a positive change which in the case will come from taking before and after pictures.

THE PROBLEM: Not exercising enough: Changing a persons body is not an easy task, in fact research shows that people have the most success when they are exercising 7 hours or more per week if their goal is weight loss.
THE SOLUTION: Get moving! boot camp is a fantastic way to get going, but even if you are attending 5 hours of class per week a walk on one of the two other days may be what you are missing. To many people this is a bummer, but it's the truth.

THE PROBLEM: Everything else. There are a myriad of other issues that can arise and are individual to the person.
THE SOLUTION: Email one of us! Especially if it is on the nutrition side I am available for email or phone contact. We can usually very quickly come up with a game plan and then check-up regularly. So shoot me an email at nutrition@contracostabootcamp.com


Each week we will be taking one persons submission and using it to talk about how to become more successful. If you want to submit annonymously use this link: Submit Your Question otherwise just e-mail me liesbet@contacostabootcamp.com. We will not include your name if we use your submission.