No Pain, No Loss?

[Healthyhabit]

Cannon, Thank you for the encouragement. I really need all I can get. I'm struggling not to fall off the wagon with my health.

Trusylver, you're right! I shouldn't stress. *Deep Breath* Not stressing really something I'm terrible at and I might be sabotaging my progress with worrying about it so much.

Mal, is 1% really all? Ok, then thats 1.84lbs per week at my current weight. Does that mean as I go down in weight I should lose less per week? If I maintained 1.84lbs per week, I'd be at goal by about November 5th and I guess thats okay.

 

[Cannon 2006]

As you go down in weight it will come slower. You can do this. You've done great so far and you can keep it up

 

[cym]

Hey Sunny! Ever heard the phrase :if it ain't broke don't fix it?....you're already half way to your goal, 1.5 lbs a week is a nice steady pace...and there's always the possibility that anything you do now to "speed up" the process (like significantly increasing your deficit) to get in an extra .5 loss a week might just end up backfiring. You're doing fine.

About your thighs, I don't know what your exercise routine is, but if you are doing anything that has caused you to increase your thigh muscle, at first they might get a little bigger just because of the fat layered on top, but as you continue to lose the fat they will become much slimmer.

 

[lukewarm]

Keep doing what you're doing Sunny. Don't mess with your caloric intake, certainly don't lower it. You're about 1500 right now correct? You're doing a great job, BE PATIENT! I know it's hard though. You're doing so well, don't fix what ain't broke, or whatever Cym said.

 

[Healthyhabit]

Cannon, thanks for being here and helping me out. You're right... I can do it. I'm being foolish and wanting to speed things up. I know its silly, but I'd really like to see my goal for my birthday. I've been promised a small shopping spree when I come to my final weight and fall is by far my favorite time of year to shop!

Cym, you're right! I shouldn't try to fix it. I'm actually kind of wondering if I'm sabotaging myself already by eating only about 1500 calories a day. (Give or take every so often). I've had a lot less energy this week but its also "that time of the month." So its hard to say if I'm feeling tired because of my calorie intake. I'll think it over when I'm not craving chocolate cake

lukewarm, I'll work on the patience. Its not something I was ever good at (unless kids are involved... strangely..) I'm having trouble with patience today since I went up 1lb. But I knew that was going to happen after eating popcorn at Harry Potter last night. I think the extra weight was probably water weight from eating so much salt. Patience... must have patience... I'm trying.

Thanks for being here.. I don't know why I suddenly got so stressed over losing weight. It was silly of me..

- Sunny

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Thanks for being here.. I don't know why I suddenly got so stressed over losing weight. It was silly of me..

Hi Sunnygirl!

A long time ago, I was very impatient about getting to my goal--which was 130 and ridiculous for my body type. Mal was nice enough to show support and she said, when I was being really impatient, "What's 3 months out of your life?" Well it stuck with me. I was losing 5 lbs a month, then. I'd say just keep trucking, but it's totally fine to feel impatient and such--and post it here. We'll support you!

btw congrats on dumping the loser!

 

[Healthyhabit]

Awww thanks Val,

Everyone is right.. Its ok to go slow. I'm a little worried that if I don't see enough results fast enough, I'll fall off the wagon. But I'm still here and trying, right?

The first 30lbs I lost were so much easier than this. I know I was eating less and working too much (with the 3 jobs) but I didn't expect that the next 30 would be so difficult in comparison.

Oh well..

The scale sat on 183 for a second this morning. Then I guess it rounded up to 184. I must be on the verge of another lb lost.

- Sunny

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Look, Sunny, Cym and I were talking and what is MOST important is re-compositioning your body. We're both a little heavier than we want to be, but firmer and we look better than we did a little lighter. BE SURE AND WEIGHT TRAIN. LOL!!!

 

[Blancita]

I agree with the masses! You're doing great and you should be proud and happy with your accomplishments thus far. I only wish I was losing at that steady pace but I've never had the follow-through to average more than around .8 lb loss per week according to fitday . And that stopped a few months ago where now things have really truly slowed down even further. My fault of course. Anyway, keep up the good work.

 

[Healthyhabit]

Val, you're right. Sculpting is definitely a goal. I've run into kind of a snag with that... I have really large thighs, so I've been doing plenty of things that would address the area. It seems that while my jeans are fitting better around my butt (which is a god send all by itself! ) they're much tighter on my thighs and now harder to get into. Ya win some and ya lose some... right?

I'm not really sure what to do about this. Do I stop doing so much exercise that works the legs? And if so.... what cardio should I do then? Or do I keep going and pray that I don't gain any more bulk in the thigh area before I lose enough weight to keep the size down?? I can't afford to buy new clothes that I won't be wearing in the near future but all my pants fit me very differently than they were before and i'm not sure its a good thing at all.

Blancita, thank you for the encouragement. I don't think I could keep going if I were losing less than 1lb a week. I get too frustrated if things aren't working (as noted by above rant). So I know its going to get really difficult the closer I get to my goal.

Right now I've hit a weight-loss brick wall at 185 it seems. I'm having trouble keeping 184. *sigh* I get to hit the gym extra hard this week to see if I can move on down to 183.

I'll post food at some point. Its going to be a very large and very green salad with some chicken and 2tbsp of dressing at the most.

 

[Healthyhabit]

Well, I didn't end up going to the gym last night. Instead I stayed home and worked on some computer problems. I was kind of mad at myself, but as it turns out, I weighed 183 this morning. I think that has everything to do with not remembering to eat enough food yesterday. Ooops.

Yesterday's food went something like this:

Breakfast:
Starbucks nonfat iced drink

Forgot to eat until dinner.

Dinner:
Salad (about 6 cups mixed baby greens, 1 cup couscous, 1 vine-ripened hothouse tomato, 1/2 cup fresh corn, thin fennel slices, fresh mozzarella, grilled chicken, and 2tbsp of vinaigrette) No idea on the calories, but the salad was huge. About 3 hours later, I started getting hungry again. So I made another salad (smaller, without the chicken, and added zucchini and yellow crook neck squash). Yum!

Dessert was a delicious cup of decaf Breakfast Blend coffee from Starbucks (one of their more mild blends) with 1serving of creamer (about 40calories) and half of a small bread roll.

I really am going to the gym today. I've slacked off too much on it already.

- Sunny

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Hey Sunny! I am going to help you out with your question about "thighs," I need to get some help first, and think a bit!

Stay strong, get to that gym!

 

[Steve]

I'm a little sad today. I realized I'm losing weight about about 1.5lbs per week. I know thats healthy, but that leaves me at my goal weight by December 3rd. I really wanted to be there by October 15th so I could enjoy some cool fall weather and my birthday before the holiday season hit and I'd be tempted by so much food. I need to step up the weight loss just a tiny bit and I'm not sure how to do that.

Currently, Fitday says I'm losing an avg of 1.46lbs per week. To meet my goal I need to lose 2.3lbs per week. Thats not a ridiculous goal, is it?

I'm sorry, I do not have time to read your entire journal. What is your current weight?

On top of that realization, I discovered that my thighs measure slightly larger than they did before. Losing weight but gaining size? My thighs need to get smaller, not bigger. I think they're competing with my butt for the "Most fat on the body" award.

How are you measuring? What were the measurements off by? Are you sure you are measuring in the exact same spot on each leg, each tim you measure? Are you measuring at the same time of day each time you measure?

So whats a good way to drop an extra .8lbs per week?

Increase the energy deficit. That can be done by eating a little less, exercising a little more, or a combo of the both.

I know nothing of what you're currently doing so I can't give much advice on the topic.

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Awwwwww, Steve came through!! Sunny--Steve's here to help, how sweet!!!

 

[Healthyhabit]

Steve to the rescue!

Yay, Steve!!

Here's what I'm doing:

I eat around 1500 calories a day, give or take a few (1600 max). I know I haven't been as strict about this on the weekends, but I do know I'm not exceeding 2000. (I very carefully look up restaurants and menu items before going out on the weekends).

Exercise is about 3 times a week at the gym, plus general fun. At the gym, I do a combo of cardio for about 30-45 mins and strength training for 30 mins, alternating days of upper body and lower body. Other exercise includes gardening, tons of walking, frisbee, and a bit of soccer from time to time.

As for measuring my thighs, I've been using a sewing tape measure. I thought I was being accurate on where I was measuring, but maybe not. Also, I didn't measure at the same time of the day. I guess that would make a difference. So far the measurement has only increased by about 3/4 an inch.. but my jeans don't have much room to spare so even that is a lot. I'm going to be a little more diligent about time of day for measurements. I think I was just measuring "whenever" but never after going to the gym. Can water retention make a huge difference?

If I increase the energy deficit, will it affect how tired I am during the day?

Thanks so much Steve! I have tons to learn.

- Sunny

(Still 183 today. Looks like I can say goodbye to 184 and 185!)

 

[Curvie Girlie]

Hi Sunny!!! I was thinking a lot about the thighs......
sometimes certain parts of my body seem bigger or smaller, for no reason, throughout the month. And they switch off, too!! Like sometimes my upper arms will seem skinnier, but my stomach will seem chubbier--or sometimes my butt seems small and tighter, but my arms seem chubby and so on and so on. It may have to do with sodium, it may have to do with something I don't know, like mayebe the body utilizes fat stores, but isn't EXACTLY accurate on taking it evenly throughout the body.....that's a tough one!!

 

[Healthyhabit]

Thanks Val,

Who knows whats going on. I know that the last 7lbs I've lost has made a difference in my arms and my chest, but not so much below the waist. I'm waiting.. just not so patiently.. I hate knowing that by the time I get down to my goal weight, I'm not going to have a chest anymore but the thighs will probably still be larger than I'm happy with.

I'm trying to remember that losing excess weight is about being healthy, not just happy with the way I look.

*sigh*

I'll get over it
I just need to get through this point without having to buy new jeans. My current ones are already huge on my waist and I have to sinch them down with a belt. I look silly, but it keeps them on at least.

 

[Steve]

Yay, Steve!!

I eat around 1500 calories a day, give or take a few (1600 max). I know I haven't been as strict about this on the weekends, but I do know I'm not exceeding 2000. (I very carefully look up restaurants and menu items before going out on the weekends).

In that case, I really wouldn't recommend cutting calories more. I don't like to see people go below 8 cals per pound of body weight. It might be time to buckle down on the weekends and keep the calories more in check.... as much as that sucks!

Or, mess around with your exercise programming a bit, more on that in a bit.

Or, you can be satisfied with your steady weight loss since you are losing.

At the gym, I do a combo of cardio for about 30-45 mins

Do you ever increase intensity? Bump up the incline, increase speed, etc?

Have you read the posts on interval and high intensity interval training? This might be something you should try, keeping it limited since you are dieting pretty hard which reduces your recovery abilities.

Start with one session of HIIT per week and keep the 2-3 sessions of steady state cardio.

and strength training for 30 mins, alternating days of upper body and lower body.

What does this consist of.... strenght training should be held in higher priority than cardio.

So it should come first at the gym. Not the cardio.

And what are you doing in terms of lifting weights? Exercises, sets, reps, etc?

As for measuring my thighs, I've been using a sewing tape measure. I thought I was being accurate on where I was measuring, but maybe not. Also, I didn't measure at the same time of the day. I guess that would make a difference. So far the measurement has only increased by about 3/4 an inch.. but my jeans don't have much room to spare so even that is a lot. I'm going to be a little more diligent about time of day for measurements. I think I was just measuring "whenever" but never after going to the gym. Can water retention make a huge difference?

I wouldn't sweat the change in measurement.

If you're losing weight, you're not adding size.... unless you've got some gains in muscle mass happening which is NOT a bad thing. Once all the fat eventually leaves, you'll be left with a nice lean set of *wheels*.

But chances are, it was just due to the time of day or mismeasurements. There is human error, like it or not, when measuring your own legs.

I like these for measuring:

If I increase the energy deficit, will it affect how tired I am during the day?

Yea, I really wouldn't go below what you're eating now.

 

[Healthyhabit]

Do you ever increase intensity? Bump up the incline, increase speed, etc?

Have you read the posts on interval and high intensity interval training? This might be something you should try, keeping it limited since you are dieting pretty hard which reduces your recovery abilities.

I think I've been doing something like HIIT, but I haven't really read the posts on that. I'll check them out. Basically, I hop into a bike and hit the "hill plus" setting and it throws a lot of hills at me at different intensity levels but bringing me down to an easy plateau between the peaks. When I use the treadmill, I use a similar setting that ramps up and lowers automatically.
I haven't done much on the elliptical.

What does this consist of.... strenght training should be held in higher priority than cardio.
So it should come first at the gym. Not the cardio.
And what are you doing in terms of lifting weights? Exercises, sets, reps, etc?

I know strength training should really come first. I just feel that I get more accomplished in a gym visit if I do cardio first. Is that bad?

I'm not sure what a lot of the exercises are called but I know what they look like. For lower body, I do an array of weight machines including two that I think say... hip adduction on them? One for the inner thigh and one for the outter region. There are 6 or 7 machines I'm using for lower body, which seem to give my lower half a well rounded workout.

I'm doing lower reps with higher weights instead of the other way around. I know a lot of people say to do the reverse, but this way seems to be working for me. I can lift weights all day at lower weights with higher reps and not feel like I've made a bit of difference.

I went to the gym last night and did 30 mins of cardio and 30 of strength training. I wanted to do more but I just felt so tired. I'm going back tonight to do upper body and more cardio.

- Sunny

 

[Steve]

I think I've been doing something like HIIT, but I haven't really read the posts on that. I'll check them out. Basically, I hop into a bike and hit the "hill plus" setting and it throws a lot of hills at me at different intensity levels but bringing me down to an easy plateau between the peaks. When I use the treadmill, I use a similar setting that ramps up and lowers automatically.
I haven't done much on the elliptical.

I'd read a few of the stickies to learn more about HIIT.

HIIT, when done correctly, should't be more than 15 minutes of work aside from proper warm up and cool down.

I know strength training should really come first. I just feel that I get more accomplished in a gym visit if I do cardio first. Is that bad?

It's just backwards.

What you feel psychologically and what is best physiologically are sometimes two seperate things.

Just like starvation dieting might feel like the best bet for losing fat the fastest... but it's not.

I'd hit weights first, then cardio.

Maybe you feel this way b/c you weight training routine isn't adequate.

I'm not sure what a lot of the exercises are called but I know what they look like. For lower body, I do an array of weight machines including two that I think say... hip adduction on them? One for the inner thigh and one for the outter region. There are 6 or 7 machines I'm using for lower body, which seem to give my lower half a well rounded workout.

This answers my question about the adequacy of your workout, LOL. Not meaning to laugh at you!! Just see the same story over and over again. I wish there were more gyms that actually educated their members.

In all honesty, I'd rather see you using no machines. And if you are going to, certainly not the hip adduction/abduction machine.

You need to focus on big, compound movements.

And I'd much rather see you focusing on free weight exercises. They'll give you so much more bang for you buck, so to speak.

I'm doing lower reps with higher weights instead of the other way around. I know a lot of people say to do the reverse, but this way seems to be working for me. I can lift weights all day at lower weights with higher reps and not feel like I've made a bit of difference.

Haha, well you've certainly got this right. Most people actually assume to use light weights and higher reps to "tone."

They're wrong.

You want to stick with higher weights, especially while dieting, IMO.

I like anything between 4-8 reps to be honest.

I can see going to 12 at times, but that should be on the rare occassion.

I went to the gym last night and did 30 mins of cardio and 30 of strength training. I wanted to do more but I just felt so tired. I'm going back tonight to do upper body and more cardio.

Everything I said for you lower body applies to your upper body, as well.