losing weight but not getting fit?

[Itchy]

Hi

I've been exercising quite intensively the past 4 months and the weight is falling off (about 2lb a week), my problem is this though that even though weight is coming off, I don't seem to be getting any fitter at all when doing real life stuff like running.(note my technique is not like Mcgee's I eat the same as before but exercise much more).

I can (and do) utterly pound rowing machines , exercise cycles, cross trainers , and power steppers at high resistance for hours and not feel knackered and out of breath , though very hot and very sweaty. Afterwards having a good go on loose weights.

I recently increased my distance done and resistance on such machines x2 and got hotter and sweater lost more weight.

But when it comes to real life like running from a bloke with a knife (was in the city centre late a few times) or having to run back and forth in a recent cricket game I get tired very quickly and run out of breath such that I'm almost choking for breath after the first few hundred metres. (though when pushed I can do a 6 minute mile , blokes with sharp objects can cause this)

2 years back I used to run 4 miles in the morning and never got any fitter after 6 months of this.

Any idea whats going on? , I know as a general guide to fitness you should be able to blow out a candle held at arms length just exhaling and i can just about manage that.

Surely working on all these cardio machines would increase my fitness overall?

Any suggestions

Thanks.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Whosthedaddy]

Fartleck training or interval training is different the more intesive running, cycling or rowing for hours at a time.

You need to vary the intesity and frequency of the activities to improve both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibres allowing you to have stroing bursts of power and sustained endurance.
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[plugger147]

it's a different type of running with the panic and adrenalin pumping you will be out of breath pretty quick and it sometimes feels like your in slow motion too.
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Tristan the wrote: just whipped off my trousers to find a big bruise on my arse, caused by matt rear ending me...

[Flip]

[RI_HA]

[Itchy]

Probably as I've been putting weight on due to my current office sit on arse all day job (which has involved a fair bit of walking mind due to the fact the 3 printers on my floor are dying and having fits, meaning I have to go up to the 5th floor (I work on the 3rd) every 20 minutes.

But then it'll be bad cus it'll affect my bike handling according to sickpup low weight people and NTVs don't match.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Flip]

[RI_HA]

[Flip]

It's not 'huge' but it's bigger than it needs to be.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Merely doing exercise to increase your fitness is'nt any good if you wish to improve.

To increase your fitness will require increasing the level at which you train. Your body will only adapt to doing longer distance/faster times/more weight if you push it beyond the limit's that it is currently capable of.

Do this and your fitness will imrpove.

Edit:Your health probably has improved you just don't notice it. Your resipratoion and general health is likely to be better than what it was before.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Jack_Cheese]

You need to change your diet. Check your cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat percentage, too.

Your body can't change if it doesn't have the right materials to do so. Therefore you need to shovel a balanced diet down your gullet else you'll always be breathless.

Jack
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[Reevo8]

You need to be progressing, and possibly to keep ya body guessing changing the routine every so often.

Could be overtraining. All though i have never had a problem from overtraining, it can happen and make you feel like you are at a plateau. Also think about the fact that your vody is different to other peoples, and although you are losing the weight from burning calories, you wanna be doing an exercise that your body finds taxing and uses as a fitness help.

There are many different things, and us just taking wild guesses will not help you as you wish to be helped.

In all fairness, you will feel like you are not getting fitter, but come that time when you really push yourself you will notice how much you have improved.
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05 ZX10R, (**05 WKR)

[ram_doom]

I found that I lost loads of weight a few months ago by doing physical actitivites and being mentally stimulated by reading/working on things etc. I've put on like 2 stone recently by not doing these things and I eat the same way
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TL1000s, KDX200

[craigie b]

Running on a treadmill is completely different to running outside as your simply bouncing up and down rather than propelling yourself forward. Mix in different ground surfaces and your feet also get a different work as they are in a continual state of flux as they adjust for the ground under foot.

Running outside is far harder than on a treadmill (IMO).

The body has knack to adapting to exercise as it tries to find the most efficient and least energy consuming way to complete an exercise. If you were running at a steady pace for four miles everyday then your body would simply adapt to that exercise and your calorie usage for that exercise would drop off. All you are then doing is maintaining the level of fitness you ahve already achieved.

If you want to get fitter you just have to suck it up and accept a little bit of pain, i.e. rag yourself until your breathing out of your arse. The only way to improve fitness is to push yourself beyond your limits, that way the body has to become fitter to continue doing such activities.

Changing your routine can aid a fitness boost as your body has to relearn the exercise so you'll get an improved fitness boost, but this is only temporary.

You say your doing long sessions on cardio, and it leaves your hot n sweaty....thats great, but unless your breathing out of your arse then all you are doing is maintanence fitness rather than progessive.

Fitness is a funny bugger. Your probably fitter than average but there will always be people who are fitter and you need to ask yourself are you happy with your level of fitness or do you want to improve it? If improvisation is what you want then you have to accept that its going to be painful! Its no use wanting it but saying I can't be arsed or whys it so hard becasue the simple truth of the matter is just that....high level fitness is bloody hard to achieve

[Itchy]

Thanks for all the advice,

however i've snarfed it a bit in that I've injured myself (painful neck muscle which prevents life savers) , not working out though I was sat at my desk for 5 hours didn't move decided to go out for some lunch and twang argh, be healing for a couple days.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Sparks!]

I'm the opposite! recently started cycling to and from work and mountain biking in evenings/weekends.. don't look much fitter but I am a bit physically fitter as i just today noticed it really, cycled to work twice as quick as usual and i managed to cycle up a big hill non-stop for the first time ever.. so I MUST be getting fitter I just don't look it!