New Member Introduction

L

Loverush

New member
Hey everyone! I'm new here so I thought I'd start by introducing myself.


I'm a 23 year old college student nearing the end of her undergraduate studies. This is a very stressful time for me so working out and eating healthy are really important but really difficult to manage at times. I'm a worrisome sort by nature and have been diagnosed with Social Anxiety and Generalized Anxiety as well as the occasional battle with Depression. I've struggled with these issues since I was 13. I'm so used to them now that, at times, I'm not even aware that they're present anymore.


I'm kind of flaky, I don't stick with things for very long and have flitted between many different hobbies. Reading, gaming, and listening to music are three that I never seem to quit though. I generally like to read fiction although I'll read non-fiction if I find a good book. My tastes in music are varied, I have the most random compilation of artists on iTunes - Seether, Skrillex, Korn, Klaas, Rob Thomas, Lady Gaga, Pink, Britney Spears, and Billie Holiday are just a few. As for games, I'm on a break of sorts right now but I play WoW when I'm in the mood. I don't play as many console games as I used to but I have a DS Lite and a PS3 that I have some good games for.


Working out...I tend to enjoy a lot less...which is probably the reason I have such a difficult time sticking with it. I'd like to get better and do some more interesting things but getting to that point has been difficult. When I'm stressed - which is a good portion of the time - I find it difficult to stick with a routine. So lately, given the high level of stress I've been experiencing, I've instead been settling for watching my calorie intake very closely, choosing not to go over 1200 calories each day. When I do work out though, I know to stick with something that will keep my mind occupied or else I start flitting around. This usually means doing things that don't take a lot of time, drifting between machines and exercises to keep myself interested. I don't think I'll ever be the sort of person who can run for an hour+ at a time, I'd just about die!


I hope to meet some nice people to talk with. I find it enjoyable when I can not only receive the support of others but provide support of mine own so please feel free to say hi and just start talking away if you want. =)
 
Hi there, it's nice to meet you!


I have several goals...


1) Get down to about the 130/135 range.

2) Change my lifestyle so that I naturally include healthy eating and exercise - no diets!

3) Take up a more rigorous hobby such as kickboxing or something of that nature. I think it would be a good way to deal with stress and make me feel stronger both physically and mentally.


What about yourself?
 
Hey Loverrush,


Can you give tell me your weight and height. Also - are you male or female?


The reason why is because you aren't consuming enough calories. 1200 is toooo low - what's going to happen is your body will go into starvation mode. This means that your body will eat it's own muscle for nutrients, your metabolism slows down, you get fatigued, more cravings, which are all unhealthy.


You should be consuming at least 1800 calories. YES it may seem like a lot but if you don't give what your body needs then prepare to hit a HUGE plateau and after a little extra weight.


Exercising - although it may be the least enjoyable task, it will help you with your anxiety/depression/stress.


When ever I get stressed or anxious over projects or upcoming tests I run at the park 2-3 miles as fast as I can without stopping. By the end of the run - I feel way better than before.


I honestly think the science behind that is - since your concentrated on running your mind rests. It's like giving it a break.


It doesn't matter though, it works. Not to mention that my body then after burns the calories I consumed.


Just some general advice.


DAvid
 
I was actually told on another website that, given my weight, I could go as low as 1200 but I think the upper limit was 1500-ish. I'm only 5'3.5", about 175 to 180 pounds, and I'm female. Is that still a really low figure after reading my stats? =/
 
That's wrong.


Websites that have these calculators don't consider how our physiology works.


So and so calories = so and so pounds, that's all the calculators see. They don't consider other things like perhaps how the body would react.


Our body is simply TOOO smart for this to ever work.


If you really want to lose weight - cut an arm and leg off. If you want to lose fat - then slowly work your calorie consumption.


Start a 1800 calories then drop to 1500 calories - then go back up. If you do that then your body is more likely to burn fat instead of hogging the calories because of starvation mode.


For your stats its - 1800 Calories to maintain your weight and 1500 calories to lose weight.


DAvid
 
If I need 1800 to maintain my weight, dropping down to 1500 would burn less than a pound a week. I don't work out every day and my work outs aren't always heavy so the chances of me getting the rest off through activity are slim to none. I can manage balancing my calorie intake with exercise but not if working out is going to count for 75%+ of my weight loss. I'm not that active and I can't promise that I will work out every day. That's such an unrealistic expectation for some people and when you try to reach that goal and fail, you feel miserable. This way, I'm burning one pound a week through creating a calorie deficit. If I work out on top of that, I burn a little more than a pound a week. I never go above 2 and I probably don't even reach 2 99% of the time. As soon as I lose 5 or more pounds, I re-calculate and the number of calories I can eat only increases.


I'm not tired, I'm not feeling weak, everything feels fine. I don't think I'll plateau because I did this before and did just fine. The only reason I put weight back on was because I became stressed, stopped working out altogether, and began eating way too much at all the wrong times. I didn't actually "yo-yo", I just flat out stopped being healthy. If I stick with it this time, I won't gain the weight back. This is why I'm trying to do this in a manageable way. Can I manage working out every day for the rest of my life? No, definitely not. But can I manage eating a certain number of calories a day and being moderately active some days? Yes.


I appreciate the advice but so far, I haven't had any trouble. My resolve has been near flawless and I still allow myself a treat from time to time (last night I had a cookie for example). If I were truly starving myself, I would have cracked by now.
 
I said your body goes into starvation mode - I never said anything about actually starving yourself.


Besides if it was that easy I'm sure alot of people who claim it's easy wouldn't be here.


All I'm doing is laying down the RIGHT way to lose weight. I've had some clients that would "lose" weight but have the same fat % and because of that, it's easier to gain the weight right after.


Anyways, if you want to lose weight then make it a priority not a convenience.


Until then - you're not really losing weight, just muscle weight.


Good Luck,

DAvid
 
And I've heard differently, it's difficult to decide which internet stranger is correct and which isn't. Each one says that they have the "right" advice, if I listened to all of you I wouldn't know which way to turn next. Last we checked, my weight had decreased 14 pounds. My fat percentage had decreased ~2%. I'll talk to my trainer about it when I see him Friday but following the advice of, literally, almost a dozen strangers is far too complicated.
 
Hiya,

I suffer from socail anxiety,general anxiety ,depression occasionally too and get stressed very easily, a reason why I havent gone back to studying after my a levels, altho I would really like to. good luck with reaching your goals. It's good that you have got a personal trainer.

Tink
 
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