My heavy problem

I've been wanting to trim my weight for a while now, but despite my (what I thought were) good efforts, I just haven't been able to crack through the barrier and really start losing,

I started Nutrasystem plan a little over two weeks ago, in hopes of reducing my weight (aka gut, etc). My gut isn't especially large, but I have had it for about 6 to 7 years, and knowing it's not a healthy sign in looks, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I decided to try Nutrasystem as an alternative to what I have been doing.

In the first two weeks I have been on the program, I have stayed the course faithfully, and only added to it as necessary to eliminate the energy crash I was experiencing after my workouts. My daily average intake after the adjustment is on average about 1500 calories.

Well, two weeks on, I have basically remained at the same weight for the entire time. My weight can fluctuate as much as 3 lbs. during any particular time, so plus or minus the pound I lost and then gained back, was hardly noteworthy.

I had a previous tendonitous problem for about six months, so I decreased my workouts during that time. However, during that period I did not gain or lose any more than the percentage I have always experienced. In other words, I stayed the virtually the same. Before I got on the Nutrasystem plan, I got back into my workout routine, which is a combination or cardio and weight training, that works best for me. Each run anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes, depending on the what that day's schedule demands. I workout nearly every day, but each day has a different schedule.

Since I have been on the NS plan, and after I adjusted my intake to account for my energy crash problem (and the tendonitis being gone), I have increased the intensity of my workouts, which now exceed the length and intensity of what I was doing before I had my tendonitis problem.

Like I said, I have weighed almost exactly the same for about seven years. My wife and I already have a good diet, so there actually isn't much difference in calorie count from before I got on the system. I was taking in possibly 500 to 600 calories a day more, but it is all basically good stuff. More that a year ago, I stopped drinking sodas, eating french fries, and eliminated any excess sugar, fat, and carbs from my diet. This has resulted in no change whatsoever.

What I do believe is that my other variables are keeping me from losing the mass. I'm beginning to believe that the diet  and exercise variables are basically about right for me, but it's all the other things that are preventing me from making a dent in my quest.

All the time I went through my brain tumor gig and during the following recovery period, I did not gain or lose a pound. As soon as I was able, I started playing racquetball and working out. This had no effect on my mass. I work on a computer for my job, which means I spend about eight hours sitting at a desk. The job has it's stress, so sitting all day with the stress as an added factor, does not help my case. During Spring and Fall months I would walk the nearby industrial park at lunch, but this was more to get out of the office, and had no real effect on my weight.

What I now am coming to believe is that the whole cancer and its associated effects has altered my physiology. That in combination with my age, my sedentary job and its stress, are more of an influence in my inability to alter my appearance than tweaks in my diet and exercise, which are actually doing well. I really don't quite look like I'm the weight I am, but I could look a lot better. Muscle is certainly denser that fat, so this may account for some small amount of this.

My kids tell me that I am in pretty good shape for someone my age, and in fact, my ability to row, bike, and push weight, is in some cases right on par with theirs, maybe better. I'm just a little slower on the court, because of the added mass.

This is a relatively full picture of where I am. Now that two weeks have passed and I have seen zero progress, I can't really say that Nutrasystem has helped, although it seems to do well for others.

I've studied a lot on the subject and tried numerous things over the years, but haven't broken through my personal barrier. I just started doing some other things to get me moving more, and found that I'm not as good as I think I am, or at least as good as I should be.

I'm open to suggestions, but I'm committed to get the excess off. Steady as she goes.