Losing "vanity pounds"

hmg90

I've gained a few but as my BMI is normal I think they still qualify as "vanity lbs". I'm female, 23 years old, 5"9 and 141 lbs. I used to be as low as 125 lbs and I was much more comfortable at that weight. I'd like to get below 132 at least.
I gained some over Christmas, managed to lose most of it, but gained it back.

I just find it so hard to lose it now. I can't afford to get a gym membership but try to be as active as possible in everyday life (need to challenge myself during the summer as I don't have any particular activities). I don't eat junk food and since I quit sugar at the beginning of the year I don't crave candy or chocolate at all. My main problem is carbs - I try to stick to wholewheat ones/high in fiber, but i still crave them.

I know that the last few lbs are always hard. Bodies make sense and they want to have a few lbs extra in case of a long, cold winter. If I eat 1800 a day I don't lose at all, but if I eat below I'm hungry. There are only so many evenings you can go to bed hungry. Even if I can fit in a long walk or a run, I don't burn enough to eat comfortably.

When I was 19 I gained a few over the summer and I found it so easy to lose them. I know things change as you get older, I'm just really afraid that I'm entering an age where whatever weight I'm at will "stick" and if I don't lose the rest now I will remain like this. I'm a typical pear shape - I'm very happy with my bum, but hate my thighs and hips.

Those of you who lost those last ones - what was your strategy?

ThickMcRunFast

I am also 5'9, and I think what you want to do now falls more under the realm of body recomposition. 125 is pretty low for someone our height. I would suggest trying to focus more on body fat %. I look far better at 145 and 21% body fat than I did at 138 and 25%.

You probably want to replace fat with muscle, giving you a more compact, muscular look ('toned', some would say, but I hate that word). Don't eat at a deficit, but start strength training (lifting heavy, you won't get bulky). It will be a slow process, but it will get you to where (I think) you want to be.

RoadsterGirlie

I'm 5"9, and 125. Honestly, I can maintain this weight pretty easily on around 2000 a day, plus 4 days of strength and cardio training for a half hour to an hour.

I don't believe at all that this weight is too low for me.

There are ways to bulk up your foods to satisfy hunger while still eating at a calorie deficit. Load your meals with fruits and veggies, and avoid sugar drinks - I would always rather eat my calories than drink them.

The least I ever ate while in losing mode was around 1400 (I don't eat back exercise as I don't believe it burns as much as people say it does).

I do however believe that increasing muscle also increases metabolism over time, allowing you to eat more.

Once you reach your goal, slowly increase your calories for maintenance.

Good luck!

hmg90

What are the best ways to do strength exercises without a gym membership?

I don't drink sugary drinks - I stick to water and sparkling water. And of course I'll allow myself some wine, otherwise I'd go crazy..

However I think my food is pretty healthy - I eat a lot of protein (eggs, chicken, turkey, salmon), no ready made meals, no candy, I have vegetables with every meal (usually tomatoes, onion, green beans and peppers, it's what I like most). I try to stick to "dark" carbs, wholewheat products.

Yet at under 1800 I still get very hungry. One would think that with a lot of protein it would fill me up, but it just doesn't...

Mokey41

Lift heavy things. Buy some dumb bells or kettle bells, google strength training and start. Do body weight exercises like push ups, squats, lunges and planks. When they get too easy start doing them with weights. You don't need a gym to get ripped.

RoadsterGirlie

Agreed with you on the wine!!! I would go nuts without it as well.

I don't own a gym membership, and was able to achieve the "ripped" look doing at home exercise DVDs, mainly Jillian Michaels. I was doing 5x a week for an hour, but now in maintenance, I've kicked it back to 4x.

I use 3, 5, 8 and 12 lb weights, depending on the exercise. She does full body exercise that use multiple muscle groups at the same time to get the best bang for your buck in the allotted amount of time.

I own almost all of her DVDs, and rotate them out.

The above poster suggested heavy lifting, which is also great, and I would definitely recommend that as well.

What I do isn't really the equivalent to heavy lifting which uses much heavier weights at lower reps, but since I don't have access to a gym, I don't have access to those kinds of weights. The Jillian DVDs have worked really well for me, and I'm very happy with the results.