You're not losing weight because strength training doesn't burn calories. Do more cardio & use a nutrition tracking program to monitor your calorie intake & expenditure. I've lost 31 pounds using a nutrition tracker (DietPower). Article from NY Times last summer: Copyright New York Times Company Jul 21, 2005 BARBARA WOODWORTH, 35, a social worker in Seattle, wanted to drop 40 pounds. Alisa Rivera, 39, a college adviser at the University of California, Los Angeles, also wanted to lose weight. She also wanted to build long, lean muscle. So the two women routinely began to lift weights. But like many of the other 36 million women nationwide who each year pick up dumbbells hoping to lose pounds or develop a sculptured body, both Ms. Woodworth and Ms. Rivera ended up disappointed because the strategy is not as simple -- or as effective -- as it sounds. Personal trainers, fitness instructors, magazines and books have sold a double-barreled promise that any strength training builds muscle and that having more muscle dramatically speeds metabolism, increasing the calories a person burns while at rest. With all that extra calorie burning, the story goes, excess weight comes off effortlessly. The story is wrong in two ways, researchers say. First, muscle is not such an amazing calorie burner. ''Even if weight training increases muscle and metabolism, there is little evidence showing that it is enough to cause weight loss,'' said Joseph Donnelly, the director of the Energy Balance Laboratory at the University of Kansas, who has extensively reviewed studies on the link between resistance training and weight loss. And second, many who try weight training -- especially women -- fail to do what it actually takes to build more muscle. They lift too light a weight, or they neglect to progress to heavier weights as they grow stronger. And often, women who take up weight lifting also diet. In fact, it is nearly impossible to increase muscle while cutting calories. Regular resistance training, done correctly, has many benefits. It can prevent some of the muscle loss that occurs with weight loss. It can also lower body fat levels and even help preserve bone mass. But the idea that it can magically increase calorie-burning is ''a very big stretch,'' said Edward Melanson, an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Claims that resistance training can send metabolism skyrocketing are easy to find. A Google search using the terms ''metabolism'' and ''weights'' produces thousands of Web sites, many of which say that anyone can lose weight and build muscle through strength training, even doing routines that aren't particularly strenuous. Books like Kathy Smith's ''Lift Weights to Lose Weight'' also perpetuate the myth that building muscle supercharges metabolism and quickly leads to weight loss. In ''Smart Girls Do Dumbbells,'' Judith Sherman-Wolin claims that resistance-training can ''melt away those stubborn pounds you've been trying to lose all your life.'' And Jorge Cruise's best seller, ''8 Minutes in the Morning,'' advises readers to forget aerobics or grueling workouts because doing his two strength-building exercises a day ''will help you firm up five pounds of lean muscle within the first few weeks, allowing your body to burn an extra 250 calories per day.'' Ms. Woodworth of Seattle said, ''Practically every fitness book and magazine I ever read said strength training boosts metabolism so you lose weight easier and faster.'' Before taking up weight lifting, she had already lost 15 pounds in about three months by cutting calories and walking and running for an hour three times a week. With 40 pounds still to shed, she turned to what she had heard was the magic bullet. Her trainer advised her to lift four times a week, cut her cardiovascular exercise to less than 30 minutes but still keep dieting. After six weeks, she was frustrated to find she had gained two pounds. That added weight probably wasn't muscle. Decreasing her high-calorie-burning walks and runs was the more likely culprit. Lifting weights burns few calories -- ''at least the way the average nonathlete does it and certainly the way most women tend to do it, using relatively low weights and few sets,'' Dr. Donnelly said. The same time spent an aerobic workout could double the calorie burn. Once Ms. Woodworth increased her time on cardio, she lost the added weight. Proponents of the theory that weight lifting leads to weight loss argue that it is the long-term effect of gaining more muscle, which burns more calories at rest, that causes weight loss. Still, that has never been proven in studies. Studies show that even women who do what it takes to get stronger develop only two to four pounds of muscle after six months of progressive lifting. Given that one pound of muscle burns between 7 to 13 calories a day (as determined by studies that measured oxygen and blood flow to tissues), that means the average boost in metabolism is only 14 to 52 calories a day, said Dympna Gallagher, the director of the body composition unit at the New York Obesity Research Center in Manhattan. The effect of weight lifting ''on metabolism is minor and certainly not the savior of dieters,'' said William Kraemer, a professor of physiology and neurobiology at the University of Connecticut. A recent yearlong study of 59 sedentary women at the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated what little difference weight training can make in weight loss. About a third of the women lifted weights three times a week, another third did yoga three times a week, and the last third did neither. All the women followed a daily diet of 1,200 to 1,500 calories for the entire year and walked five days a week. In the end, those who had lifted weights or practiced yoga lost as much weight and fat -- but no more -- than those who only dieted and walked. Surprisingly, many of the women became no stronger. ''We were looking at whether women would stick to the routine, and if so, would they resistance train intensely enough,'' explained Kara Gallagher, the lead researcher. ''It appears that many did not.'' When people lift light weights and fail to progressively increase the load, they only increase endurance, Dr. Kraemer said. After turning ''doughy,'' Ms. Rivera of Los Angeles followed a few workouts using five-pound weights that she'd seen in Glamour and Shape magazines. ''After three months the scale hadn't budged,'' she said. ''I didn't see much of a difference in muscle tone.'' Eventually she realized that light weights were not enough. ''When I progressed from a five-pound dumbbell and began to lift heavier, my arms and butt got firmer within three weeks, although I still did not lose weight,'' she said. For those looking to build a more sculptured body, dieting may be counterproductive. ''To create new muscle tissue you need to eat enough, not cut calories, to fuel the process,'' said Karen Reznik Dolins, the director of nutrition at Altheus, a sports center in Rye, N.Y., and a nutrition adviser to the New York Knicks. Genetics can also help determine the impact that weight lifting can have on muscle development and metabolism. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst looked at almost 600 men and women who did a strenuous, progressive resistance routine for three months, according to a study in this month's Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Three percent were ''high responders,'' some of whom doubled their strength. One percent were ''low responders,'' who became only 1 percent stronger than they were when they started. The majority of men and women increased muscle size 15 to 25 percent; and most men improved their muscle strength 40 percent while women increased theirs 65 percent. Shannan Catlett, a fashion sales executive in Manhattan, said lifting heavy weights helped tone her slimmer body. After she lost 50 pounds by using the elliptical machine and treadmill and by following a healthier diet, she improved her muscle definition with weights. ''I never lost weight from strength training, but my butt got smaller and I got stronger and firmer all over,'' Ms. Catlett, 41, said. ''I still have to make sure that I'm always fit in regular cardio to maintain my weight.'' Building a Workout To Meet Your GoalsTailor strength and cardiovascular workouts to your goals. TO BUILD MUSCLE 1. Work to fatigue. Weight should be heavy enough so muscle is fatigued after 6 to 15 repetitions.2. Add weight progressively. Start with one set, one to three times a week, with a weight that tires the muscle after 8 to 15 reps. Once that gets easier -- usually in two to four weeks -- work up to three sets. Then increase weight slightly and go back to one set, working up to three. 3. Include heavier weights. Once a week, hoist a weight heavy enough to fatigue you after three to five reps. Do two sets. 4. Fuel workouts. Before a strenuous session, Karen Reznik Dolins, an adjunct professor of sports nutrition at Columbia, suggested eating carbohydrates, and within an hour after, carbohydrates and protein. TO LOSE WEIGHT 1. Focus on cardiovascular exercise. Do workouts like running or aerobics five or more days a week, for at least 45 minutes, but also include weight lifting one to three times a week, said Joseph Donnelly, the director of the Energy Balance Laboratory at the University of Kansas.2. Be active throughout day. If you sit at a desk, get up and walk around for five minutes every hour. 3. Eat regularly. Pace meals and snacks every three to four hours for the right amount of calories when the body needs them, Ms. Dolins said. MARTICA HEANER Here is a link that might be useful: Article on nutrition trackers

What a timely thread! You know, I've been scaling back my time here on the forum because of my need to lose weight. I used to check in here at least 4 times a day, especially if working. Well, I was isnpired to try many of the recipes on here... some of them not so healthy. Now I check in about once every 3 days or so. It took a lot of self control! Sadly, I did have to curb my passion for baking in an effort to lose weight. I haven't made any sweet treats in about two months... I think... I can't even remember the last time I baked something. I've wanted to several times, but had to resist the temtation. My stand mixer is now growing a layer of dust... he gives me the evil eye every time I walk by, feeling neglected I'm sure. I've also been drinking only water at work and home (maybe an occasional glass of 1 percent milk, but nothing sweet). I've been forcing myself to exercise 3 times a week for 45 minutes (on the Gazelle glider or riding a bike that a co-worker gave me). I've gone from going to fast food restaurants while working 3 times a week to not at all. If I'm at work and didn't have time to pack a lunch, I'll run out to my car and get a granola bar (I keep a stash under the seat). I obviously need to do more because the scale isn't moving. The Jack Daniels sampler platter at TGI Fridays has been calling my name for a while now, but I've been good about resisting lately. I LOVE it, and like to get it once a month. Haven't had it for a month or so now. The last time I got it, I split it up into two meals and only ate half at at time. That's a tip I've learned on this forum and have been using it quite a bit lately. A couple days ago, I was cleaning out some closets and got hungry. I was tired from the physical work, and it was emotionally draining to see the memories of the past as I was cleaning. I wasn't really hungry, but I still wanted to eat. I drove to Long John Silvers to place a big order to take back home and feast on. While I was waiting in line to order, I realized that I was getting this food because I was upset or frustrated and not because I needed it! I scolded myself saying, "Bobby, you just spent 10 minutes sewing a button back on your pants that you've popped off with your gut, and you're in line at Long John Silvers! Something is wrong with that!" I got back in my car without ordering, went home and made a salad with some boneless skinless chicken pieces on top. OK... Most of my response hasn't been about cooking, so let me get on topic for a second! I did try a new thing in the kitchen that helped me with overeating. I deciced I wanted to try to make some homemade peanut sauce and fried tofu. I bought all the ingredients (incluidng peanut oil and rice vinegar which I'd never used before). Well, I don't love tofu so I will never over eat it! The peanut sauce was a little bland, so I added a lot of red pepper and made it really spicy. I'm not big on spicy foods, but I liked the sauce spicy! I just coudn't eat a lot of it. I've also read that spicy foods boots the metabolism, so double bonus. Can't handle a lot of it at a time, and it boost metabolism! It could be a good thing to start a support group here for people who want to lose weight... With the great collection of people here, I'm sure we'd encourage each other.

I had my Dachshund on diet dog food and she seemed to be straving all the time. Also seemed to have to go #2 A LOT! That is because most diet dog food is made with fillers so didn't last long in the digestive tract and it was like being on a high fiber diet. She also had quite a bit of gas. I talked to the vet and switched her to Eukanuba Dachshund. It is specifically made for that breed. I don't if that is true but she likes it. She also gets lots of carrots and other veggies when she begs. No more treats! And I cut back her portions. She can't go on long walks because she has a weak front leg that collapses if she walks too much. Clare

When I decided enough was enough and I was going to lose weight and keep it off (I've been at goal for four years), I asked a friend if she wanted to go to Weight Watchers with me. She said no..and I'm sure she thought I would go for a while and fail. One day after I had lost over twenty pounds, I put on something that fit a little better than what I had been wearing. I ran into this friend and she had the most horrified/shocked look on her face and asked how much weight I had lost. I told her and she was very upset. No..heavy people aren't happy for you at all. Anyway, she went home and had a stroke. It was just a light stroke but I'm sure her being so upset caused it....she has a jealousy problem with a lot of things, but this sort of put her over the edge. We still speak, but aren't "running around" friends any more. My husband says, "Birds of a feather, flock together." He said you won't very often find a very heavy person being friends with someone thin...that's not always the case, but a lot of times it is. I've never had a jealousy problem..it must be a terrible thing to live with. When I started to WW, a lady I went to school with, but she was two years behind me, told me I was looking very good and wanted to know what I was doing to lose the weight (this is the kind of person who makes you smile) I told her and she started WW with me and is looking beautiful!! And..we have become fast friends...she has the same struggles I do.