The Dreaded Bikini! How much weight left do I need to lose to look good?

[Stefani1]

This is awful. No wonder you have self-confidence issues. Cause you look amazing. Seriously. Get rid of the people who say this kind of stuff to you and bring you down. Unsupportive people are not going to help you... unless you are using them as motivation (like a "i'll show you" kind of thing). lol seriously, you're gorgeous. enjoy your bikini body.

My sister has actually told me some of these things lol and it's not like I can get rid of her! I wish haha but yeah it's really been tough with all of the negative comments to keep motivated with my weight loss. I'm really sensitive so it's been horrible. Thank you for being supportive though! I truly appreciate it your help Everyone has been so wonderful on this forum and I really think that it will help me to reach my end goal!

 

[Stefani1]

Ummm I'm probably not the best person to ask for this advice. I'm still working on this aspect too! But you need to start accepting yourself and your body for how it looks and what it can do. Don't worry what some others may say if it's negative. There are MANY people out there that are going to find you attractive. Maybe if we just keep telling you how good you look, that'll help some? hehe Your body has come a long way the past four years...let the mind and your self-perception catch up too!


It's not necessary to keep track of your calories but it would probably make things easier! It may seem overwhelming at first to keep track of everything but I promise it's not that big of a deal after a while. Especially if you eat many of the same things every couple days, it's not too bad.

I used fitday.com but there are many others out there, thedailyplate.com is pretty popular too so you may just want to give both of them a whirl and see which you like better.



It's not your looks that are "driving guys away". I bet they're intimidated if anything! They probably feel that you're "out of their league" even! Perhaps you should try to approach a guy you're interested in for a date? This is easier said than done for you I'm sure...I'm in the same boat. I'm still working on getting enough guts to be able to approach girls with a bit more ease. Just takes time.

No one on this site has had anything negative to say really haha and it has made me feel great and start to reassess my own image of my body. My body really has come a long way but I continue to get discouraged when I see other girls running around with thighs that don't touch and flat tummies. I'm a super jealous person lol so it kills me to see girls like that.

I've started to keep track of my calories today in a notebook and I don't think it will be too hard, thank god haha. How many calories would you suggest I eat a day?

Intimidated? Really? haha no way! and I do think it will be some time before I approach a cute guy lol

 

[aravind82]

I've started to keep track of my calories today in a notebook and I don't think it will be too hard, thank god haha. How many calories would you suggest I eat a day?

A good start is to plug your info into here to see about how many calories you burn a day.



I'd suggest selecting "light activity" as a baseline. So using that and a 20 year old female, 5'9", and 158 pounds yields 2135 calories. That's about how many calories you'll burn a day...not including the extra running and working out you do. Roughly every 3,500 calories you burn over what you consume is about 1 pound of weight loss. So eating 500 calories less a day is 1 pound per week. Using this 1 lb/week goal, you'd eat ~1635 calories. Now remember that this is excluding the running and other workouts you do which could very well increase your calories burned by a few hundred calories. This would allow you to eat more to still achieve a 500 calorie deficit.

Intimidated? Really? haha no way! and I do think it will be some time before I approach a cute guy lol

Yes really!

 

[happymamato6]

I dont think you need to loose much weight! If you want to look like Alexandria, I suggest you just tone your body!! You can do a program like P90X or any type of strength training program!! Do not look at the number on the scale, they lie

 

[njoyabl]

Honey, if I had a body like yours right now, I would have ten different bikinis in my closet and already be at the beach strutting today. I'd be walking around the house in a bikini, checking the mail in a bikini, maybe even jog in a bikini! What are you talking about girl, you look good! Whatever you want to improve on, is your choice, but if you chose not to, you are still hot! Now go put on your bikini and go check your mailbox!

 

[ktjean430]

you look amazing in a bikini for how much weight you've lost! Be proud of yourself and flaunt it, bc you got it!!!!

 

[TLaude]

You are beautiful! There is no need to lose 30 lbs, 10-15 maybe.

A+ in my book...

 

[Stefani1]

A good start is to plug your info into here to see about how many calories you burn a day.



I'd suggest selecting "light activity" as a baseline. So using that and a 20 year old female, 5'9", and 158 pounds yields 2135 calories. That's about how many calories you'll burn a day...not including the extra running and working out you do. Roughly every 3,500 calories you burn over what you consume is about 1 pound of weight loss. So eating 500 calories less a day is 1 pound per week. Using this 1 lb/week goal, you'd eat ~1635 calories. Now remember that this is excluding the running and other workouts you do which could very well increase your calories burned by a few hundred calories. This would allow you to eat more to still achieve a 500 calorie deficit.



Yes really!

Wow, intimidated, lol I still can't wrap my mind around that! I always thought that I was really unattractive before joining this forum. It's been a shock that so many people have said otherwise! Now I just need to work on accepting a more positive image of myself and trusting that what everyone has said is true, instead of thinking that everyone is just being nice lol

 

[Stefani1]

I dont think you need to loose much weight! If you want to look like Alexandria, I suggest you just tone your body!! You can do a program like P90X or any type of strength training program!! Do not look at the number on the scale, they lie

lol I'll try to focus on how I feel rather than the number from now on! It'll be tough! Thank you for your continued support

 

[Derrick]

Honey, if I had a body like yours right now, I would have ten different bikinis in my closet and already be at the beach strutting today. I'd be walking around the house in a bikini, checking the mail in a bikini, maybe even jog in a bikini! What are you talking about girl, you look good! Whatever you want to improve on, is your choice, but if you chose not to, you are still hot! Now go put on your bikini and go check your mailbox!

I don't usually quote just to say something like ROTFLMAO but I had to in this case. I wish all women thought like you. LOL

 

[Stefani1]

you look amazing in a bikini for how much weight you've lost! Be proud of yourself and flaunt it, bc you got it!!!!

First of all, let me just say that you're gorgeous and that I am dying to look like you! You've come so far too. It's so hard, but definitely worth it. You are truly a source of inspiration to everyone on this forum!

Particularly having someone that looks as good as you say that I look amazing for how much weight I've lost makes me feel great! I hope that you'll continue to support me on my weight loss journey!

 

[Stefani1]

You are beautiful! There is no need to lose 30 lbs, 10-15 maybe.

A+ in my book...

Thank you! 10-15 pounds seems to be the consensus. I hope that you'll continue to give me feedback and support as I progress toward my goal!

You can't imagine how much your support means to me!

 

[madman4you]

You look SUPER cute! I would def. holla at you if I saw you at the beach....

Great job with the weight so far, I personally think you look great. I understand everyone has there ideal image....Just keep working hard and keep doing what your doing.

 

[Casey4588]

Who cares what other people think?! You look wonderful, flaunt it!! You worked hard for that body! (By the way... any advice for someone who's on like the millionth lifestyle change? :/)

 

[Stefani1]

You look SUPER cute! I would def. holla at you if I saw you at the beach....

Great job with the weight so far, I personally think you look great. I understand everyone has there ideal image....Just keep working hard and keep doing what your doing.

Yayy thank you! Thank you so much for the support! I will definitely keep working hard and hopefully I'll have some new progress pics to post in the near future. I look forward to further feedback from you!

 

[Stefani1]

Who cares what other people think?! You look wonderful, flaunt it!! You worked hard for that body! (By the way... any advice for someone who's on like the millionth lifestyle change? :/)

I know how you feel! I've been there for sure lol I can give you some advice if I know a little bit more about you Maybe your height, weight, eating habits and whatever exercise routine you might be trying out at the moment. I'd be glad to help! Everyone here is so supportive and I'd really like to return the favor!

 

[AlexPlatups]

Do you have any suggestions as to how to work on my self confidence?
Many people have been telling me that it is something I need to work on, but
how can I do this?

First, here is how you can figure out how much you should weigh when you
reach your ideal body weight!

The best way to figure out your ideal weight is to aim at having a 15% body
fat percentage. That is about maximum for a woman that was not born with
a very fast metabolism. That model that you wanted to look like most likely
was born with a very fast metabolism and because of this she has a very,
very low body fat percentage, looks like about 10% to me, which is normal
for a man that has a lean body, but women usually have 5% more body fat
due to the fact that they need this to protect their reproductive organs.

In order to figure out your current body fat percentage you should get it
measured either by a professional or use a skinfold calipper, just check
out Youtube for the word "skin fold caliper"

Whatever your body fat percentage is now, you can subtract that from 15%
and you will see how much weight you should lose. From there it's simple
math, if you have problems ask.

Now as far as working on your self confidence, the best suggestion that
I can give you is to become aware of the fact that you are where you are
right now, and that is the only place that you will ever be.

In other words, the present moment, the here and now, is the place where
everything happens in your life, has happened in the past, and will also
happen in the future.

This basically means that you should focus on what is happening in the
present moment and not worry about the past, and the way you were
at that point in your life, because it's over.

And you shouldn't worry about the future, and create anxiety for yourself
because you want to look a certain way in the future, and don't look this way
right now.

What you should focus on is what you see in the mirror now, accept yourself
as you are now, and become aware that this present moment is all that
matters because it is the only moment that you will ever live in.

This basically means that thinking too much about the past or the future
takes you out of the present moment, and makes you lose yourself in your
thinking. Instead embrace reality, this present moment where you are
right now. This is the key to self-confidence!

Liking yourself as you are right now, is the only way to like yourself in the
next moment, and the next moment, and so on.

If you don't like yourself as you are right now, you will never like a future-self
of yourself, because that is an illusion. All you have is the here and now.

But, if you start to like yourself "just as you are right now" everything will
change in that moment, because you will start to life your life in reality
and not just your imagination.

Hope this helps, it's not easy to understand for most people, so if you have
questions make sure you ask!

 

[Stefani1]

First, here is how you can figure out how much you should weigh when you
reach your ideal body weight!

The best way to figure out your ideal weight is to aim at having a 15% body
fat percentage. That is about maximum for a woman that was not born with
a very fast metabolism. That model that you wanted to look like most likely
was born with a very fast metabolism and because of this she has a very,
very low body fat percentage, looks like about 10% to me, which is normal
for a man that has a lean body, but women usually have 5% more body fat
due to the fact that they need this to protect their reproductive organs.

In order to figure out your current body fat percentage you should get it
measured either by a professional or use a skinfold calipper, just check
out Youtube for the word "skin fold caliper"

Whatever your body fat percentage is now, you can subtract that from 15%
and you will see how much weight you should lose. From there it's simple
math, if you have problems ask.

Now as far as working on your self confidence, the best suggestion that
I can give you is to become aware of the fact that you are where you are
right now, and that is the only place that you will ever be.

In other words, the present moment, the here and now, is the place where
everything happens in your life, has happened in the past, and will also
happen in the future.

This basically means that you should focus on what is happening in the
present moment and not worry about the past, and the way you were
at that point in your life, because it's over.

And you shouldn't worry about the future, and create anxiety for yourself
because you want to look a certain way in the future, and don't look this way
right now.

What you should focus on is what you see in the mirror now, accept yourself
as you are now, and become aware that this present moment is all that
matters because it is the only moment that you will ever live in.

This basically means that thinking too much about the past or the future
takes you out of the present moment, and makes you lose yourself in your
thinking. Instead embrace reality, this present moment where you are
right now. This is the key to self-confidence!

Liking yourself as you are right now, is the only way to like yourself in the
next moment, and the next moment, and so on.

If you don't like yourself as you are right now, you will never like a future-self
of yourself, because that is an illusion. All you have is the here and now.

But, if you start to like yourself "just as you are right now" everything will
change in that moment, because you will start to life your life in reality
and not just your imagination.

Hope this helps, it's not easy to understand for most people, so if you have
questions make sure you ask!

At the moment I don't have a skinfold caliper, but I intend to get one. Just to approximate my current body fat percentage I used an online calculator that uses your current body measurements to calculate the amount of body fat you have. I measured my neck, forearms, waist, hips, upper thighs and calves with a tape measure. After plugging everything in the calculator approximated that I have a body fat percentage of about 25.

And tell me if I have this right, when I subtract 15 from 25 that equates to 10 percent that I need to lose in order to reach my ideal. Does this mean then that I need to lose 10 percent of my overall body weight in order to look my best? My current weight is 158 and 10 percent of that is 15.8 pounds. Therefore I would need lose almost 16 more pounds to reach my goal. I just want to make sure I've got it all right. I appreciate your input. I have used a skinfold caliper before, within the past month, and I figured out that I had approximately a 23 percent body fat at the time (I was weighing in at 160).

I understand what you're saying about developing self confidence by focusing on where I am now rather than on the past or future; however, how exactly do you learn to love yourself? That is the part I'm struggling with. Every time I look in the mirror I hate what I see; I can't find any redeeming qualities about myself. How do you suggest I begin to accept what I see in the mirror, when this negative self image is continually supported by our society and by the way I'm treated by those around me?

 

[AlexPlatups]

Yes, approximately 15-16 pounds, but when you get caliper and reach about
15% you will be at your ideal weight!

If you learn to live in the present moment, these things will all become
unimportant. You are suffering because your mind, your ego, the part that
always thinks on its own, or what I like to call your internal dialogue stops.

These thoughts you think you are thinking, in reality you are not thinking
them. You identify yourself with these thoughts and because of this you
suffer. This is your false self, your ego that is thinking these thoughts.

By learning to live in the present moment, being here and now, you will eventually
be able to stop this dialogue inside yourself.

This can be accomplished by observing your thought process from the side,
and you will notice that the "real" you is not thinking these thoughts that
they are spinning in your mind all on their own on a regular basis, and
they never stop.

Learn to be silent inside by learning to be in the present moment, this
is the key to becoming aware and conscious and getting out of this
thought process that is currently making you suffer!

 

[Stefani1]

Yes, approximately 15-16 pounds, but when you get caliper and reach about
15% you will be at your ideal weight!

If you learn to live in the present moment, these things will all become
unimportant. You are suffering because your mind, your ego, the part that
always thinks on its own, or what I like to call your internal dialogue stops.

These thoughts you think you are thinking, in reality you are not thinking
them. You identify yourself with these thoughts and because of this you
suffer. This is your false self, your ego that is thinking these thoughts.

By learning to live in the present moment, being here and now, you will eventually
be able to stop this dialogue inside yourself.

This can be accomplished by observing your thought process from the side,
and you will notice that the "real" you is not thinking these thoughts that
they are spinning in your mind all on their own on a regular basis, and
they never stop.

Learn to be silent inside by learning to be in the present moment, this
is the key to becoming aware and conscious and getting out of this
thought process that is currently making you suffer!

Thank you so much for your response! I truly appreciate your suggestions I will try my best to follow your advice, but I realize that it might be some time before I am able to get out of the current thought process that is making me suffer.

I hope that you will continue to follow my posts and support me. I need all of the help I can get! Again, thank you so much for getting back to me; it means a lot.