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Advice on weight needed

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kathheen
kathheen Posts: 108 Member
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Hello Crossfitters I need some advice :smile:

I joined crossfit around 2 months ago and I love it I'm getting stronger all the time and noticing more definition, I love that I can do double unders and actually get myself up on the rings now, the progress I make each week is exciting. I was fairly fit before I started I ran alot and did kettlebells and circuits.

Now here lies my problem. The lower part of my body, legs and bum are solid which I actually quite like but im not getting any smaller – I have actually put on 4lbs since starting, my clothes fit better and I do look better but the trouble is I need to lose another 20lbs to be at my ideal weight, I eat normally and no more than 1600kcals a day (I burn around 450cals a day 5 x weekly) my food intake isn’t strict diets which I see on here but its not unhealthy.

So here’s my question do I give up Crossfit and lose the 20lbs then go back to it or do I persevere and hope that the weight drops off eventually. I understand I will end up with an athletic body which is fine but just not at this size! (im 154lbs/5ft 3in)

Thanks

Kath

Replies

  • lilmissmanx
    lilmissmanx Posts: 81 Member
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    Start ignoring weight, and starting busting out the measuring tape! You will be changing shape even if you're not losing the weight. Does your box offer any kind of body fat analysis etc? Get that measured regularly too.

    There's a girl at my box who weighs 11stone (which is almost a stone more than me) but she looks smaller than me, and she looks amazing!

    Weight is just a number, how it fits in your clothes and what you can do with your body is what counts :-)
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Hello Crossfitters I need some advice :smile:

    I joined crossfit around 2 months ago and I love it I'm getting stronger all the time and noticing more definition, I love that I can do double unders and actually get myself up on the rings now, the progress I make each week is exciting. I was fairly fit before I started I ran alot and did kettlebells and circuits.

    Now here lies my problem. The lower part of my body, legs and bum are solid which I actually quite like but im not getting any smaller – I have actually put on 4lbs since starting, my clothes fit better and I do look better but the trouble is I need to lose another 20lbs to be at my ideal weight, I eat normally and no more than 1600kcals a day (I burn around 450cals a day 5 x weekly) my food intake isn’t strict diets which I see on here but its not unhealthy.

    So here’s my question do I give up Crossfit and lose the 20lbs then go back to it or do I persevere and hope that the weight drops off eventually. I understand I will end up with an athletic body which is fine but just not at this size! (im 154lbs/5ft 3in)

    Thanks

    Kath

    I agree with the previous poster. What needs to change here is your idea of what your ideal weight is. Why is that your target number? How did you come up with it?

    You are doing something you enjoy, you are as strong as you've ever been, your clothing fits better than it did before. Why is one number a problem?

    I'm in somewhat the same boat as you. I weight around 295 (21 stone for the Brits.) It fluctuates but that's usually the midpoint. and have been doing CF for 3 months. There is no question I'm stronger now but my weight has barely gone done, about 5 lbs. I just had to mentally condition myself to realize two things.

    1. Weight doesn't matter if you are losing fat and getting stronger.

    2. You "ideal weight" should be a moving target, not a fixed one. And you just moved it by gaining four pounds of muscle. Focus on your ideal body fat percentage instead. You will be a lot happier and better motivated.

    I have trouble fathoming why you would voluntarily sacrifice muscle mass to hit an arbitrary weight target. That just doesn't make any sense to me.
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    The lower part of my body, legs and bum are solid which I actually quite like but im not getting any smaller – I have actually put on 4lbs since starting, my clothes fit better and I do look better but the trouble is I need to lose another 20lbs to be at my ideal weight, I eat normally and no more than 1600kcals a day (I burn around 450cals a day 5 x weekly) my food intake isn’t strict diets which I see on here but its not unhealthy.

    im confused about this weight issue, since you are saying your lower half is solid and your clothes fit better... Personally, I would keep on crossfitting, if you go 5x a week i would probably eat a bit more (i, 5'5 155lbs and eat about 2000, and am putting on muscle and losing fat- plus those extra few calories let me wod harder), and like someone said above... i look one hell of a lot better than i did at 153 a year ago, and am down two sizes. don't let the number get to your head.
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
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    You've got to decide what your goal is. If purely the number on the scale, then this may be counter-productive.

    Good article here-
    http://crossfitlowell.com/a-157lb-dissection/

    Maybe a body fat goal or fitness goal should be more important than the weight on the scale.
  • momof2osaurus
    momof2osaurus Posts: 477 Member
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    The lower part of my body, legs and bum are solid which I actually quite like but im not getting any smaller – I have actually put on 4lbs since starting, my clothes fit better and I do look better but the trouble is I need to lose another 20lbs to be at my ideal weight, I eat normally and no more than 1600kcals a day (I burn around 450cals a day 5 x weekly) my food intake isn’t strict diets which I see on here but its not unhealthy.

    im confused about this weight issue, since you are saying your lower half is solid and your clothes fit better... Personally, I would keep on crossfitting, if you go 5x a week i would probably eat a bit more (i, 5'5 155lbs and eat about 2000, and am putting on muscle and losing fat- plus those extra few calories let me wod harder), and like someone said above... i look one hell of a lot better than i did at 153 a year ago, and am down two sizes. don't let the number get to your head.

    Totally this. I'm a bit taller and more than a bit heavier, I CF 5x a week, and I eat 2600 or so cals a day - and that's my 10% deficit number. My first month of CF I lost 4 lbs and a clothing size. When you're building muscle, the scale is not the most helpful tool.
  • juliebeannn
    juliebeannn Posts: 428 Member
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    Hello Crossfitters I need some advice :smile:

    I joined crossfit around 2 months ago and I love it I'm getting stronger all the time and noticing more definition, I love that I can do double unders and actually get myself up on the rings now, the progress I make each week is exciting. I was fairly fit before I started I ran alot and did kettlebells and circuits.

    Now here lies my problem. The lower part of my body, legs and bum are solid which I actually quite like but im not getting any smaller – I have actually put on 4lbs since starting, my clothes fit better and I do look better but the trouble is I need to lose another 20lbs to be at my ideal weight, I eat normally and no more than 1600kcals a day (I burn around 450cals a day 5 x weekly) my food intake isn’t strict diets which I see on here but its not unhealthy.

    So here’s my question do I give up Crossfit and lose the 20lbs then go back to it or do I persevere and hope that the weight drops off eventually. I understand I will end up with an athletic body which is fine but just not at this size! (im 154lbs/5ft 3in)

    Thanks

    Kath

    Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. Our eating habits sound similar and I'm 5'3" and 145lbs. I started Crossfit in March at 137lbs. I know there were some muscle gains in those 8lbs but some of it was fat, too. My clothes still fit but I see a bit more body fat in some places, while less in other.

    So, I was in this annoying place where I would like to be leaner but I also wanted to get stronger. I spent all summer trying to do both, but just ended up spinning my wheels -- feeling crappy during workouts but not losing much fat.

    I eventually came to the conclusion that I just want to be strong. If in the process of getting strong as hell, my body fat slowly goes down, that would be nice, but I'm not going to keep putting myself through dizzy and lightheaded WODs to get down to sub-20% body fat.

    My new plan: Eat enough to feel good during WODs (find this through experimentation, not some random calculator online) + lift heavy *kitten* + get better at metcon + stay off scale :)
  • momof2osaurus
    momof2osaurus Posts: 477 Member
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    I eventually came to the conclusion that I just want to be strong. If in the process of getting strong as hell, my body fat slowly goes down, that would be nice, but I'm not going to keep putting myself through dizzy and lightheaded WODs to get down to sub-20% body fat.

    My new plan: Eat enough to feel good during WODs (find this through experimentation, not some random calculator online) + lift heavy *kitten* + get better at metcon + stay off scale :)

    :flowerforyou: YESSSS.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
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    The scale is just a measurement of the pull of the Earth on your body. It lies daily. Ignore it. Use the mirror, clothes and a tape measure as your tools. Strong and fit is sexy, not runway model skinny.
  • juliebeannn
    juliebeannn Posts: 428 Member
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    I eventually came to the conclusion that I just want to be strong. If in the process of getting strong as hell, my body fat slowly goes down, that would be nice, but I'm not going to keep putting myself through dizzy and lightheaded WODs to get down to sub-20% body fat.

    My new plan: Eat enough to feel good during WODs (find this through experimentation, not some random calculator online) + lift heavy *kitten* + get better at metcon + stay off scale :)

    :flowerforyou: YESSSS.
    :flowerforyou: right back at ya!
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
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    I understand your frustration, the scale has slowed for me and it has become quite frustrating, however, I have lost so many inches and get compliments I look slimmer, mind you I don't see it, but boy do I love those compliments

    I am not there 100% but I am forcing myself to not worry about the scale anymore, and to focus on doing the routines and getting better and stronger. Ever so often I try on something in my closet and see how it fits, and then I go from there.

    It is easier said than done to ignore the scale but with crossfit it is what needs to be done it seems

    Good luck!!!!!
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    I eventually came to the conclusion that I just want to be strong. If in the process of getting strong as hell, my body fat slowly goes down, that would be nice, but I'm not going to keep putting myself through dizzy and lightheaded WODs to get down to sub-20% body fat.

    My new plan: Eat enough to feel good during WODs (find this through experimentation, not some random calculator online) + lift heavy *kitten* + get better at metcon + stay off scale :)

    :flowerforyou: YESSSS.
    :flowerforyou: right back at ya!

    An added thought. Do this to bulk up and get stronger then do a cut for bikini season to burn off some fat.

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