Losing only 10

Losing only 10 - 12lbs

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Liz - 21 May 2004 23:06 GMT

I just found this group and I must say that many of you are very inspiring.

A little bit of my dieting history.... Decided that at 5' 138lbs I was a
bit overweight. I did Atkins last September, on which I DID lose 10lbs over
1 1/2 months, but even though I followed it by the book I felt like crap.
Definitely not for me. I kind of gave up for a while. I went through some
hard times at the beginning of this year where I would binge and also vomit.
Not the highest point in my life, which I'm also very ashamed of. I'm
feeling much better now. :)

Right now (21 yrs old) I am at around 134-135 (carrying most of it in my
butt/hips/thighs and probably breasts) - my ideal weight range is something
between 115-125. I don't have much weight to lose and I'm finding it SO
hard to do. I do NOT like to count calories/carbs/fat grams. I eat 3x/day,
maybe one or two snacks. We do not have a lot of junk in the house because
my mom is diabetic and I don't really like fast food - so, I don't think I'm
eating badly at all. I work out at the gym from 4 - 5x/wk, 1 1/2 - 2 hours
each time, always with 30 mins of cardio (usually elliptical because my knee
is easily messed up) and I also include weights. I also have been doing
Pilates for over a year and usually do it when I'm too tired to go to the
gym. I am an avid trail hiker also (at least once a week). I'm so
frustrated that I can't get rid of these 10lbs or so. I've heard that if
you only a bit to lose then that is usually the hardest to do.

My question is this: for those of you who only have a little bit to go to
reach your goal, how do you do it? Do you kick everything up a notch? Or
is this just how it is and I just have to play the (very long) waiting game?

Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated. I am so not giving up on this.

~Liz

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Ignoramus29346 - 21 May 2004 23:49 GMT

> I just found this group and I must say that many of you are very inspiring.
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> frustrated that I can't get rid of these 10lbs or so. I've heard that if
> you only a bit to lose then that is usually the hardest to do.

Danger from bad dieting are not to be underestimated.

> My question is this: for those of you who only have a little bit to go to
> reach your goal, how do you do it? Do you kick everything up a notch? Or
> is this just how it is and I just have to play the (very long) waiting game?
>
> Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated. I am so not giving up on this.

I am also at normal weight and have plans to lose 6 lbs this year and
maybe 5 lbs next year. It is bloody difficult, and this comes from
someone who lost 43 lbs in 100 days last year.

My main idea with my current plans is that I loath to screw up the
dieting situation that I have now, where my hunger and eating are
reasonably well managed. So, I try to stay away from everything
radical and am also trying to lose weight slowly. I do that by portion
control and one day per week fasting. It is working, so far for the
first 5 months I have stayed, more or less, on track.

So... my conclusions:

1. accept that it is difficult
2. do not starve and do not do anything radical
3. control portions one way or another

What is your frame size? Are you big boned? Look at your wrist, does
it look thick or thin?

Just how much fat do you have on you?

Maybe the standard ideal weight does not quite apply to you. For
example, my wife is big boned and should not follow small boned ideal
weight standards for models.

i

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Liz - 22 May 2004 00:28 GMT

> What is your frame size? Are you big boned? Look at your wrist, does
> it look thick or thin?

I would say it's neither thick or thin. When I look at myself though two
words that do come to mind are "compact" and "curvy"

> Just how much fat do you have on you?

I do not know the percentage of fat on my body, but what I do know is there
is a lot of fat being carried on my lower body. Just looking at myself I
can tell this. I also feel very "bottom heavy." However, my gym does do
fitness tests and they measure all that stuff (fat, water, muscle mass,
etc...) and I know I'm about due for my second test (I've been delaying it
because only the first test is free :( )

~Liz

> Maybe the standard ideal weight does not quite apply to you. For
> example, my wife is big boned and should not follow small boned ideal
> weight standards for models.
>
> i

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Ignoramus29346 - 22 May 2004 01:29 GMT

>> What is your frame size? Are you big boned? Look at your wrist, does
>> it look thick or thin?
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> etc...) and I know I'm about due for my second test (I've been delaying it
> because only the first test is free :( )

Get your fat percentage measured, it is the best indicator of what you
should be doing.

i

> ~Liz
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>>
>> i

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Alex - 21 May 2004 23:51 GMT

>I just found this group and I must say that many of you are very inspiring.
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
>~Liz

I find being here very inspiring as well. You say you don't like
counting calories, etc, but have you tried fitday.com? Very easy. They
do the work for you, and it's free!

Other people here are really math oriented and may give you a clue as
to how may calories you're eating based on your weight and the amount
you exercise.

Ally
212/188/160

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JMA - 22 May 2004 01:18 GMT

> I just found this group and I must say that many of you are very inspiring.
>
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Not the highest point in my life, which I'm also very ashamed of. I'm
> feeling much better now. :)

Hopefully you realize that you don't lose many calories from a binge by
purging.

> Right now (21 yrs old) I am at around 134-135 (carrying most of it in my
> butt/hips/thighs and probably breasts) - my ideal weight range is something
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> ~Liz

Start a record of when and what you eat so you have an accurate picture of
your current eating patterns. This will also help with bulimia if it ever
becomes a problem again. I can give you more info on this if you're
interested.

Focus on building muscle and burning fat rather than just weight loss. That
would mean weight workouts for each major group that are intended to
challnge your muscles. Every plan I've seen so far for fat burning involves
eating 5-6 small meals a day at regular intervals. Make sure the meals have
a healthy balance of protein/carbs/good fats. You don't need to count
anything, just make good choices - proteins like chicken or fatty fish
(salmon, tuna), and healthy carbs like beans, lentils, whole grains, or
fruit.

Vary your cardio with interval training. It can easily be done on an
elliptical.

Be patient.

Post here when frustrated.

Jenn

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Heywood Mogroot - 22 May 2004 03:22 GMT

Well, in my case I was 10-20lbs overweight for ~5 years, then I
ballooned up 30 more...

So now I'm in the middle of dieting it all off, and I'm not stopping
until I'm close to my ideal weight . . . 20 more pounds or so...

> Any tips would be GREATLY appreciated. I am so not giving up on this.

It seems like you're doing a lot right, eg. daily exercise. Instead of
short bursts, I'd also recommend some occasional 2 or 3 hour sessions
at half peak exertion to really give a long, deep aerobic cardio burn.
You can burn 1500 kcal over 3 hours, or just about one half pound. Do
that once a month over 5 months and you may find yourself halfway
home.

One thing, drink at least 1/2 gallon of water daily, not counting
water you drink when exercising. Weight loss requires water, and lots
of it!

Don't avoid healthy fats, incorporate them into your meal planning.
The point is to not have your body really notice that you're losing
weight...

Work on building up some muscle (body shaping for women, since muscle
can basically displace fat if you eat & exercise it right).

Reduce carbs in your diet to drop your carb-related blood chemistry
and increase the fat-burning. I've found low-cal is easier when you
limit the high-impact carbs (simple sugars, starch, flour) and make
sure when you eat carbs they aren't in isolation.

Alas, at this point I've read your body prefers losing muscle over
fat, so the most imporant thing is to not force it, just do what's
enjoyable and makes you feel more energetic. I think if exercise or
diet is making you feel down or crappy then it's not good for your
body and is doing more damage than good.

Maybe a pound or two a month is all you can expect to lose, but
sticking with it will get you there in the end.

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GaryG - 22 May 2004 04:08 GMT

> I just found this group and I must say that many of you are very inspiring.
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>
> ~Liz

Well, presumably, you are very fit given your weekly workouts. I can't
think of any changes in your workout pattern that would have much of an
impact on weight loss...you're already doing a good blend of strength and
cardio.

That leaves the "calories in" component. It sounds to me like you need to
cut back a bit on your food intake to create a caloric deficit. Given your
level of fitness and your training, you might try cutting back around
250-500 calories per day. Over time, this should result in weight loss of
1/2-1 lb per week. 250 calories should not be very noticeable, and can be
achieved by several means: smaller portions, cutting out some sweets/sodas,
one less snack per day, etc.

Unfortunately, your weight can bounce around by 1-3 pounds per day due to
natural variations in fluid levels, menstrual period, etc. (or, that carton
of Haagen-Daz you couldn't resist at 11 pm!). This makes it quite difficult
to tell if you are on track with your weight loss program.

<shameless plug warning=on>
I've recently released a software program called "WeightWare"
(http://www.WeightWare.com) that I believe can help. By simply entering
your weight in it on a daily basis, you get instant feedback on how your
weight is changing. The graphs and reports produced by the program use
statistical analysis to filter out the daily ups and downs in your weight so
that you can see the true underlying patterns. And, because it's based on
your actual daily weigh-in, it's easier and less time-consuming than calorie
counting. You can download a free, 45-day trial version from the website to
see if it meets your needs.
<shameless plug warning=off>

Best of luck, and do keep monitoring yourself for eating disorders. That's
not something to be taken lightly!!

GG
http://www.WeightWare.com
Your Weight and Health Diary

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