I have consistently lost lbs. since I began this WOL, but it seems that since I started doing cardio the weight loss has stopped. Is it just a coincedence?

My other question is about muscle memory. Before I was injured a couple of years ago I worked out pretty consistently. Is it true that your muscles have a memory and you can rebuilt previously muscular body parts quicker?

When you start exercising your body goes through many changes. What may seem like a stall or plateu may be just the opposite. If you are using the scale as your focal point, then I suggest throw it out.

Use a measuring tape or body fat calipers instead. They are a more accurate measure of progress than weighing yourself. Muscles do have memory, but 2 years worth I am unsure of. Since most of our cells are replaced within that timeframe, I highly doubt it.

According to the ACSM it takes 4-6 weeks of exercise to really start seeing any "change" in phyiscal form. These first few weeks the body is conditioning itself for the new workload you put on it.

Hang in there. You may seemed to have stalled out on weight loss but you could be gaining leaner muscle tissue at the same rate you are losing fatty tissue.

When I started my step aerobics routine I did notice a temporary stall on weight loss, however I noticed a difference in body fat location......very shortly, the pounds started to drop again....I assume this was from the increase in metabolism from exercise....

Keep on going....the exercise really makes me feel great!!!

Actually, it's not the muscles that have 'memory' it's the connective tissue - and it's not so much memory as it is flexibility. When muscle grows it also causes the connective tissue that surrounds and 'houses' it to flex and growth with it. This tissue is harder to get to flex and grow the first time around, but once it has been stretched it's easier the next time.

Just a little tidbit

Nat

You know? What I love most about this place is that there is always someone else out there worrying about the things I am!! I started wrking out consistantly (not once a week) 10 days ago and since then not a drop of loss. I really thought that since I had lost 16 pounds with NO exercise that once I started resistence training and swimming again then things would really start rocking and rolling! But nada...

I do weigh myself (I try not to concentrate on that number because I do feel tons better) AND when I measured the other day, I had lost a 1/2 inch on both my waist and hips..so I guess things are still working, but it's soooooo hard to ignore the scale...it's been my best friend since high school!!!

oops! made mistake nt