Avoiding disaster

loveli

loveli

New member
I have not weighed in officially in a long time because it's hard to find an accurate scale, but as a female at 5' 5", I believe I have just crossed the overweight threshold at 150 pounds. The first thing I want to do is get as far away from this as I can!

According to all the sites I've cross-examined in order to determine my healthy weight range, mine is between 114-149 pounds. My first goal is going to be 130 pounds, just 10 pounds over my weight from 3 years ago.

But aside from general weight loss, the thing that's really driving me nuts is proportion. My bust and waist are 38 and 33 inches respectively, but the area just above my hips and around my lower belly is 42.5 inches, and my hips and buttocks (pants seat) are 44.5 inches around.

My incredibly pronounced pear shape really bothers me, and I know spot training is unrealistic if not entirely mythical, so I'm just going to keep track of these measurements and watch as they (hopefully) level out a little. Unfortunately my bust will probably shrink a bit as I go, so I can see myself at around 36 inches up top and 40 inches on the bottom by the time I reach my goal weight. 2.5 inches doesn't seem like a lot, but it makes a huge difference. I might be able to bridge the gap even further by doing some shoulder exercises and increasing shoulder width by a few centimeters.

Also, as a side note, my upper thighs are 24.5 inches in circumference. I'd like to see this decrease a little bit, too. Again, I'll keep measuring as I go along.

Now to get down to business...

I'm using the Lose-It iPod app to keep my food diary, and I have my calorie budget set at about 1300 because my goal is to lose 1.5 pounds a week. Lose-It projects that I will reach my goal weight by July 22, so let's see if I am where I want to be in three months! On top of calorie budgeting, my latest exercise kick is aerobic dancing. Let's see how long that lasts. Aerobic exercise is tough for me because of my exercise-induced asthma, so I ought to see a doctor about getting an inhaler.

_________________________________________________________

Day 1 - April 28, 2011

Current weight: 150 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Measurements
Shoulders: 40 in
Bust: 38 in
Waist: 33 in
Hips: 42.5 in
Pants seat: 44.5 in
Thigh girth: 24.5 in
 
Hi LOveli. Welcome.

First i think your proportions might be similar to mine but i am a bit smaller all over than you at the moment except height. I am going to run our figures through the calculator to check and then hopefully i will be able to give you some good news.

Yep, i think we are fairly similar in shape. Don't worry! That's my message. Oh we are also the same height. I am actually 5' 4.5 but its near enough. I think i'm currently about 138 pounds. When you get to this point, you will have a nice waist, shrinking tits, and starting to look respectable around the arse and thighs - but still a way to go. The arms are starting to look nice and shapley, if you've got some muscle that is.

Our shape certainly does not look great when overweight. But when we are slim, we look just fine. So don't you worry.

Once i was really skinny. I don't know what my weight was then, but i was tiny. (it was after a relationship breakup and many years ago now.) So its possible.
 
Thanks so much for the encouragement! I'm a little sad about the shrinking breasts, but I knew they wouldn't stay forever. At least now some of my old buttoned shirts and bras might fit, though.

It's tough being a pear. I've seen a lot of apples who are pretty good at camouflaging the extra inches around the waist and look halfway decent in a swimsuit, but for the life of me I can't hide my disproportionate bum! I look like an upside-down lollipop, with a slim-ish waist and tiny arms emerging from the huge bottom. But that's no slam against apples - I know that they're more likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease.

It's only the second day and I'm already dying to binge eat something, so maybe I'll go by the store and get some broccoli. My meal plan is all used up for the semester, and there's really no healthy selection at all, so at least the temptation to settle for french fries and cakes is gone. I find that my biggest issue with overeating is with comfort foods - I will make a package of macaroni & cheese and eat the entire thing myself, and I can also eat a large pizza unassisted. I would joke with my friends about priming myself for competitive eating, because that's how I ate - quickly and in large quantities. I would be sitting next to a friend with half as much food and finish mine twice as fast.

I'm anxious about how my best friend is going to react to my new resolution. Whenever I tell her how much weight I'm trying to lose she gets put out and tells me I'm silly, and I can't really blame her, because I don't look overweight from the way I dress myself, but she has never seen me in my underwear so she doesn't know what I really look like under the carefully chosen fabrics and camouflaging dark colors. Heck, maybe I'll just take off my pants and show her so she'll stop nagging me about being perfectly fine! We have the same body type, so I think she will understand my desire to even out my measurements and will work alongside me. She has all the exercise equipment in her home, so at least I hope she does.

_____________________________________________

Day 2 - April 29, 2011

Starting weight: 150 lbs
Current weight: 150 lbs
Goal weight: 130 lbs

Measurements
Shoulders: 40 in
Bust: 38 in
Waist: 33 in
Hips: 42.5 in
Pants seat: 44.5 in
Thigh girth: 24.5 in
 
Welcome welcome.
Good luck with your weight loss :)
You can do this.
And dont worry about your bffs reaction. You've decided that you want to change your body and if she doesn't want to, even though perhaps she needs to, then that's not your problem.

I have to say though, i wish i weighed 150lbs like you. How tall are you?
 
Thank you! I'm exactly 5 feet 5 inches tall (165 cm). As the title of my diary suggests, I'm just on the verge of being overweight, only one point over the upper limit of my healthy BMI range, and I want to do the best I can to head off being overweight entirely. I guess I'm lucky that I gained all my extra poundage in a very short span of time, two thirds of it in only the last year, because I saw my weight change very drastically instead of letting it pile on slowly over the years and it was easier to see that something was wrong with my lifestyle.

I wish you luck too! I see by your signature that you've lost 14 pounds. Way to go! Nearly two thirds done!
 
I wonder if we are some sort of twins because when i started my own crusade i was just 69 (in the afternoon). It freaked me out so decided i had to try a new tactic.

Yep i understand how its hard for your friend to take you seriously. But really its her problem and its a shame she may not want you to use her fitness gear. I'd say she's a bit jealous. I think it would be best not to put your own success or struggle in her face. It will just upset her. She knows she's the one with the problem and by comparison you haven't got one.

People who are in pain sometimes find it hard to recognise the pain of others unless its really obvious. I'd just go about it quietly if you can. Find somewhere else to exercise. I know it would be nice to do it together but can you do that without upsetting her?

Btw when you say the seat of our pants. There is only one hip measurement and that is the biggest one. When women measure their hips, its not the actual hips.

The apple people usually have nice skinny legs but I like having a nice waist, although i'd kill for nice legs. Certainly when it comes to health, we have the advantage and its no small thing.

You might find 1300 calories a bit hard to maintain if you are also doing aerobic dancing. I'd say its a lot easier going for 1500 until you get down a bit. I'm not sure what my current calorie intake is but i' think i now need to drop it a bit to see more downward action on the scales.

Have you looked at my thread to see my meals. I don't get hungry on this type or amount of food. Avoiding getting hungry is important if you want to avoid a binge. And now its time for breakfast so have a good day.
 
Oh no, I didn't mean she wouldn't support me or let me use her equipment. I was mostly joking. She's extremely supportive, not jealous at all. I just know that she's sensitive and I don't want to offend her by being too gung-ho about losing weight when I don't weigh that much. Weight is just a touchy subject between us and she seems to think I should be happy with what I have.

Okay, thanks for the clarification about the hip measurement. I always have trouble finding out exactly where I'm supposed to measure. I'll be describing that as "hips" from now on and the other one as "lower belly."

I'm also thinking 1300 might be a bit too extreme, but I think I'll just try it for a couple days and adjust it as I see fit. I'll be sure to check out your meals. I went grocery shopping today and grabbed some broccoli and unseasoned popcorn. Looking forward to steaming up some broccoli. Luckily it's my favorite veggie.
 
Third day of calorie budgeting and exercise, 87 days to go. I've been 100 calories over budget every day because of an awesome new frozen yogurt shop, but I think the novelty has finally worn off and I'll be able to make up for it over the next three days.

The fitness center across the street closes early on weekends, so I went on Youtube to find some workout videos and decided to try pilates, expecting it to basically be yoga without the "inner eye" stuff. But it was not yoga. I don't know if I have ever been more challenged by a workout routine. The description on the video said that it was normal to not be able to follow along with the instructor at first and that it would take practice to get to that point. I had 2 hours of video lined up and I could only handle 50 non-consecutive minutes of lower body and core exercise.

I'll definitely be integrating this into my fitness routine over the summer, because I'll be staying at my parents' house until I get back to school and I won't have access to gym equipment. Hopefully I'll be able to find somewhere to ride my cruiser. My parents live off of a major highway, so there isn't a lot of space for safe riding. Already got head and tail lights, need to buy a helmet...

Spoke to my friend about my new goals and she was 100% behind me. I don't know why I ever thought she might not be. She always supports me. We ate out today, but we ordered small portions.

Also trying to drink adequate amounts of water. I've had maybe 30-35 ounces today, so I'll need to drink one more bottle full and I should be good. I can do this!!!

EDIT:

I just took some "before" pictures. I'll post them in the proper forum after I have some "after" pictures to go with them. These will give people a more explicit idea of the total disproportion I was talking about.

beforepictures.jpg


It's more obvious from the back. A few days ago I took a nude picture from the back and it looked even worse. That's what got me here in the first place - the surprise and revulsion accompanying seeing that extra 20 lb slab of fat on my backside. The extra belly barely bothers me, and my thighs don't look that bad standing up, but that ass... GOD... I'm like a t-rex! And you can't even see the stretch marks with my low-resolution webcam. Oh yeah, whenever I feel like going to that frozen yogurt place I'll just look at this picture.
 
Having some good before pictures can be great motivation. Well done doing your pilates video :)
 
Good on you for putting up those pictures. Now i can give you even more reassurance about how you will look when you weigh less.

Your arse is not as bad as mine, so you are going to have a great arse when you get down. I've got a round sort of arse. Yours is flatter. Mine sags. Yours doesn't.

You've got a tiny waist. I"ve got broad shoulders, you haven't. You are going to have a really nice figure when you are down.

Now your legs. Your legs are fine. They seem to be a good shape.

Now i have to say, what's going to happen after 100 days. Are you going to stop watching your weight? Cause if you do that you will go straight back up. It might take you a few months or even a year but if you think in terms of this will be all over in 100, you are heading for trouble. Maybe this is not how you are thinking but its how it reads.

How much is 30 ounces of water? I only know litres. How many cups would it be? You only need about 8 cups.
 
After I get down to 130, I will probably raise my calorie budget only slightly if my measurements still aren't quite what I desire and continue regular and vigorous exercise to retain my muscle. And even after I'm happy with my figure, I'm going to continue budgeting so I never get back to eating 2500+ calories in a day from binging (Although I'm sure I've eaten way more than this from a binging session - probably 3500 some days). I've figured out how to calculate exactly how many calories I need in a day to maintain my weight, and that's the number I'll be using. And I'll still be exercising! Use it or lose it!

This is definitely going to be a permanent lifestyle change. I want to rid myself of dependence on overeating entirely. I may have enjoyed the slight high after eating massive amounts of food, but the repercussions were so much greater than the benefits... chronic fatigue, weight gain, exacerbated depression symptoms. Screw you, food!

There are 8 ounces in a cup, so 30 oz was nearly halfway. I use a 32 oz reusable water bottle, so I just have to drink two of those.
 
It's day five, and I have to note how much better I feel already from not having binged in nearly a week. I gave into a chocolate craving yesterday, and that caused me to go over my budget, but I'm not going to let that discourage me because I've been doing very well in general. However, I'm thinking of raising my calorie budget a little, because I have been pretty hungry at night. But that might just be because I haven't been eating very filling foods, mostly snack foods because I'm in the process of moving out of my dorm and can't store anything else.

Due to the special circumstances, I'm going to allow myself up to 1600 calories instead of 1350 for the next three days, and then I will revert to 1350 when finals are over and I'm staying with my parents and eating home cooked meals.

My head feels especially clear because I'm no longer numbing my brain by watching TV and shoveling gobs of food into my mouth. Drinking adequate amounts of water is probably contributing to this, too. I love feeling this way, and I want to keep this up. It's great to no longer feel as if I'm going to be miserable forever if I don't eat three crunchy tacos from Taco Bell!
 
Hi loveli, good that you stopped in. We want you to succeed. We know you can.

Maybe its time to start logging your food. Have you read around any of the other diaries. Have you read mine? There are so many tips and motivation to be gleaned from reading other people's food diaries. I eat well, and i lose weight so i think mine is a good diary to read. There are other good diaries of course and there's a lot to be learned from read the reads widely.

Me and Amy seem to be hammering away daily at helping people sort out their issues by going over the same basic problems.

Its also good to report on any emotional issues you've got too as we can all help you sort those out as well with tips and support.

Use us! Share the details of what's going on and what you are doing.

Here's a start in case you haven't done it yet. Note it doesn't matter if you don't feel like doing any exercise at this point. You will feel like it later but you can still lose weight in the meantime but just cutting down your calories a little. I also find reading around certain websites motivating. You pick up bits of information and tips. And don't forget to keep weighing yourself even when you eat too much.

The name of this link should not read nutrition but something more like BMR calculator. I am not a fan of this guys articles but you might enjoy them.
 
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I do log my food, but some days I feel so guilty about overeating that I can't bring myself to look at it. I thought living at home during the summer would help my eating problem, but the availability of food just makes it worse. Not to mention my parents' habit of having barbecue for nearly every dinner.

On top of that, I rarely get out of the house because I don't have my own car and I have to bum a ride from my parents. So now that I never get out, I have nothing to do all day but watch TV and eat.

I spoke to them today about being more cooperative with my diet. I'm hoping that will help.
 
Here's some tips that might help. Though i'll say first up its great that you spoke with your parents. I hope they will be supportive. Are they overweight?

You don't need a car to go for a walk. Just go walking. Try to walk for 5km. Wear good shoes. Do this for one week. The next week, increase your distance by at least 2km. You should walk for at least an hour but if you only walk for 30 minutes every day, then that is an excellent start too. If you walk for an hour, then take about 2 days off or at least walk 4 times a week.

Keep increasing your distance until you get to about 8km. That's what i was doing and then i started with a little bit of running. But you can leave the running until you get your weight down so as not to injure your knees.

If you can't measure the distance, do it by time. I walk about 1km every 10 minutes. 6km per hour. There is 1.6 km in a mile. YOu can do the sums.

Have you got any money. Get a bicycle. You don't need to spend a lot of money on your first bike. You might even get something better secondhand. My first bike cost about $150. It was a little old racing bike. I loved it and actually have regrets about selling it. I even made a profilt when i sold it.

I learnt to ride a bike properly when i got this bike. I had been a bit hopeless with all but keeping the bike upright before.

I can give you all the tips you may need about basic bike stuff. If you want, just ask. Also when you buy a bike, the guys in the bike shops should be able to tell you how to use the gears properly if you don't already know. There is a right way and a wrong way.

Having a bike will get your out of the house.

My other tip is about the guilt feelings.

There's a book called When Food is Love. Its all about eating without guilt. Get it. Its great. I can't remember the author but if you google the title you will find it. Its been around a long time you might even find a second hand copy on Amazon. Or borrow it from a library.

Are you depressed? Are you doing anything about that? i think you might be a bit depressed. And should get some councelling. Choose either a man or a woman depending on which one you think you would find it easier to open up to. Ok that was tip 3. If you are depressed, you really need to make this your first priority. I believe and see a doctor in case medications are recommended. But i am not sure how depressed you are. If its only your weight and homeboundness that's causing you depression, counselling and action will be all you need to lift your mood most likely.

But the least of you concerns should be your body shape. You have a really nice shape.
 
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