Why no weight loss despite exercise and a reasonable diet?

My whole life, I have not been afraid of athletics, and have gone through some periods where I do a solid amount of exercise and other periods with very little. But, it seems, no matter how hard I exercise, even with a reasonable diet of, say, 1200-1800 calories, I don't lose weight, nor does my waist get smaller -- no more than an inch or so. It's not like I am thin already. Most charts would put me at overweight or obese. I can get up to the point where I can run a 5K at an OK pace, do 50, even 100 pushups, situps, etc., but, still, my body weight and dimensions barely budge. At well over 200 pounds, going faster or further distances is problematic, but, still, I'm probably more athletic than 90% of people in their 40s. This has been going on my whole life, even though I played plenty of sports in my day, through college, and seem to have a good level of cardio and a very high level of physical strength. What could I be missing?

How to Lose Weight in the Feet

Recommended Answer:

It sounds like you are genetically programmed to be this size and weight, especially since you say it's been going on your entire life and you get enough exercise and eat healthy. It is healthier to be physically active and considered overweight on the charts than to be physically inactive and thin or average on the charts. Metabolism generally slows down a bit after age 40 and if you are more athletic and fit than 90% of people in their 40s, that is great! Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so people that let the muscle turn to fat really have an uphill battle to get in shape. You sound pretty healthy to me. I don't think you have anything to worry about, and you should just embrace your body type. = )There' are a lot of people who could benefit from eating healthier and doing both aerobic and weight bearing exercise.This probably doesn't apply to you, but just thought I'd mention it. Hypothyroidism, an under active thyroid, is one of the main reasons many people can't lose weight.

Other Answers:

• Although you may not want to hear it you are underestimating your daily caloric intake - it HAS to be more than you state.
• are you sure your weight is not mainly muscle?A lot of athletes come into the obese category because they have so much muscle and it weighs more than fat.Otherwise you might just have a really slow metabolism-does it matter that much though?If you're fit and you look ok I wouldn't worry about it