I never thought....

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Hope2BFit81
Hope2BFit81 Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Over the years I've lost a total of ~55 lbs. The last time I was at this weight was probably high school or just after. BUT I never thought I'd feel "fat" at 125 lbs. I want to lose about 10 more pounds, but the last 10 are so much more difficult than all the rest. I am 5'4.5" and I try to stay around 1200-1300 calories a day. I weigh, log and measure my food. My TDEE is 1515, BMR is 1263. I am highly active in the summer months, but I live in Michigan and it's a lot harder to work out in the winter time, so I just limit my caloric intake until the snow melts and the sunny evenings return. Has anyone been in this situation and what worked for you? I know everyone is going to say "exercise" or "lift heavy things" and I get that. But what has worked best in your personal experience? Thanks :blush:

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  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    In my personal experience? A slight calorie deficit coupled with lifting heavy things.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    In my personal experience? A slight calorie deficit coupled with lifting heavy things.

    ^This
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    I agree with the above, however for me it started with bodyweight exercises.

    I started with Insanity and then moved on to lifting heavy things.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Like you, all of my favorite workouts are tough or impossible to do in the winter. I lost a bit over half of my 60 pounds starting this past January, and the vast majority of my exercise was just T25 on a daily basis (i.e., a pretty light workout compared to, say, one of my mountain bike rides). Some exercise is better than none at all. You might also consider mixing up the times you eat, too -- I was plateaued for a month earlier this year, and doing a minor intermittent fast (in my case, skipping breakfast every other day) while keeping calories the same seemed to help shake my body out of the plateau. At the moment, I'm in maintenance, but I'm lifting heavy (Stronglifts 5x5) three days a week...with all the ice and snow, outside is out of play for now.

    HTH!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I'm in about the same place. Our bodies just change over time and muscle loss happens. How we looked at 125 when we're 20 is not how we look at 125 at age 30 or 45. This time around I'm lifting heavy. My weight hasn't dropped all that much but I'm definitely smaller and firmer. I'm learning to take the number on the scale with a very large grain of salt, especially since I have a fairly large frame. My sister, on the other hand, is very petite and has tiny bones like my mom. She and I at the same weight look different.

    So, while you jokingly mentioned "lift heavy things" it's the very best advice I can give along with "don't rely on the scale as your only measurement of success". Use the tape measure and how you look and feel. You may find that 125 is the perfect weight after all.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Yep, calorie deficit. If heavy lifting is a challenge as far as what to do.... squats and lunges with added weights, tricep dips on a chair, bicep curls with a good heavy weight, side arm lifts, overhead press, pushups..... If you've got stairs, there's a good exercise source right there.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    You said you measure your food. Do you use measuring cups/spoons or do you use a food scale?
  • logg1e
    logg1e Posts: 1,208 Member
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    How about trying maintenance and giving yourself a bit of a diet break?
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Same with slight deficit and lift heavy things.

    When I get tired of a deficit, I'll take a week or two, eat at a slight surplus (~100 cals), and still lift heavy things.

    Lately, I find that I want to eat more than my previous maintenance. So I picked up running (any cardio would have done, but running is convenient and a useful life skill), and I still lift heavy things :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Shoveling snow is excellent exercise.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    The less you have to lose, the tighter that logging belt needs to get.
  • Hope2BFit81
    Hope2BFit81 Posts: 77 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I was getting pretty discouraged, but I need to just suck it up and MOVE! I have since gotten a treadmill I walk on for 2 miles at 100% incline. I'll see if that does the trick!
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Patience, lifting heavy, light cardio (like walking), and logging my food accurately.
  • scg17
    scg17 Posts: 88 Member
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    You might try lifting? I'm 5'5", 137lbs, and my goal weight is 130lbs, which would be a comfy size 4 for me (currently I'm a 35-27-35, hoping to be a 35-26-34 when I finish). Lifting tightens things up and shrinks things, even though the scale doesn't move. I think a goal of 115 might be hard to achieve, but you could get to your inches goal if you lift heavy pretty easily.

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