Under Pressure.

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JakeNJ95
JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
in Health and Weight Loss
So, basically I have lost 80 pounds or so before I came here because I have hit a wall, yes I know this is a problem a lot of people are facing, but I really do not want to be stuck any longer. After losing all this weight I am proud of myself and I deserve to be. However,I am surrounded by friends and family that ask me for help, pressure me to eating unhealthily because they say "You look fine" even though I am not happy with myself and the feeling that if I do eat something unhealthy every now and then I get judged by everyone. I logged my food on here for a solid 25 days in a row, but found myself eating too much, because I would think that I have all these calories left when I really don't if I want to lose weight. Another problem I have is that I am a college student that has a very unhealthy meal plan. I just want to lose this last 15 or so pounds, but they just will not come off, even though I work out almost 5 times a week and try to do cardio 4 times a week.

I really do believe that the people around you have the biggest impact on whatever you do, and I find myself surrounded by people that bring me down, and I am stuck. Stuck socially and stuck trying to lose weight.

My original goal when I started was to be happy with my body, and I refuse to give up.

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Congratulations on the weight loss!

    Now, the first order of business is stop with the image bashing.

    What is your definition of a wall? How long have your weight loss stalled?
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    A couple of things, logging works the best when you have your calories set appropriately. I've been at it for 670 days in a row, Over half of that time, I've eaten at maintenance.

    Even on a college food plan, there are healthy options. You have to work harder to find them. You can also schedule an appointment with a university food services coordinator to help you figure that out. You are paying for that, so use it.
  • mycupyourcake
    mycupyourcake Posts: 279 Member
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    You look great. Congratulations on the weight loss. Perhaps you should move away from cardio and to weight lifting. You are a man and if you are new to lifting your body will respond quickly. Have you thought about strength training? There are some really knowledgeable people on here and being at school you have access to a gym.
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    Thanks guys, Well my weight loss really started when I got to college so September, and the thing to do was to hang out at the cafe with everyone. Luckily I have not put any weight on.
    Strength training is one of my favorite things to do and something I love to do, I played football and did field events throughout high school so I am used to working out, but sadly, my schools gym is pretty bad and the gyms around me are expensive because I am in a city.

    As for the image bashing that is a problem I have always had and struggle with.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Conrgratulations on the weight loss but it sounds like you are starting to trade in being overweight for having issues with food and self-image. For your health it is pretty important to have a healthy relationship with food, viewing it as fuel and not being to worried about eating the "wrong" thing. To me if that is you currently in your profile image you look plenty thin and I agree perhaps switching from cardio to weight training and eating at maintenance or even a slight surpluss might do you good. Believe it or not you can slowly put on weight in the form of muscle while still losing bodyfat by weight training and eating at a small surplus.

    If you don't have access to heavy weight you can at least do some basic resistance training with some cheap resistance bands or just your bodyweight.
  • KariOrtiz2014
    KariOrtiz2014 Posts: 343 Member
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    You have done a great job and you look good!! just take it easy because we are our own worst critics!!
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    Currently I am around 180 pounds, with all my excess weight being around my lower back and lower stomach I just do not feel comfortable. And I would say that I really do not have weight to lose, but to reconfigure how my weight is distributed around my body.

    And i agree with everyone being their own critic 100%.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Currently I am around 180 pounds, with all my excess weight being around my lower back and lower stomach I just do not feel comfortable. And I would say that I really do not have weight to lose, but to reconfigure how my weight is distributed around my body.

    And i agree with everyone being their own critic 100%.

    Well from your description sounds like you want a routinue that will recompose your body, tighten lose skin or flatten pudge and add some tone and bulk. For that you need weigh lifting and a small caloric surplus. Means you have to find out what maintenance is for you and eat a little bit more while doing a lifting routinue. If you find over long period of time you are getting a little bit more fat on you then just adjust the calories back or if you aren't making gains in weight or muscle over time add more calories.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I really do not have weight to lose, but to reconfigure how my weight is distributed around my body.
    As Aaron said, you should start a weight or resistance training program. A door way pull up bar is an inexpensive way to get in some decent body weight training.

    As others mentioned there are plenty of body-weight programs available on the interwebs.

    Here's a resource:

    http://strengthunbound.com/bodyweight-strength-training-beginners-guide/
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    Thanks man, I am going to do that. Thinking about it now I have been eating not enough calories while I have been working out. I have had some gains, but I have had no real significant change.
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    Thanks for the website its awesome.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Echoing the advice above.

    I'll also add that I also did go through the motions of balancing eating with a meal plan. If it helps, I did come up with some tricks while on a meal plan in college.
    I liked to bring things to each station, and custom make my meals as best as I could. For instance, I'd take fresh veggies from the salad bar, and bring them to the pasta station to add to my meal. I'd also get my sandwiches grilled, and get veggies added in with ham and a lighter cheese (like swiss or provolone, rather than American). I also liked to use a lot of spices, since I found it added flavor to the healthier options provided.

    You could also ask your campus's food provider about new options, and make requests. It also would help if you could get a lot of people in on the request (eg. if there's not much fresh fruit available in the morning, you all can see if the campus food provider can add that option). The worst they can say is no!
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    Luckily my friend is on the dining services committee for our sga and we have been working on getting better food in general, but the problem I face is that it is not a swipe and eat what you want I have X amount of dollars and everything is crazy over priced. But I have been working around it and getting in good meals, however it is hard to get good protein.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    What is your exercise looking like? Are you strength training? As a college student you can probably get cheap membership to the campus gym or at the very least take a class there every semester to get access.
  • JakeNJ95
    JakeNJ95 Posts: 54
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    The gym my school has is pretty lack luster, we do not even have a real squat rack haha, but it has everything else, except it has been hard getting there due to the cold weather in Boston and the distance it required to get there, but I have found ways to work out using machines we have in the res halls. I work out as hard I can with what I have with mountain climbers in between sets to get a good all around work out in. I am planning on getting a membership at a real gym next year because I have a membership at a Workout world back home, but there isn't one close to me.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    The gym my school has is pretty lack luster, we do not even have a real squat rack haha, but it has everything else, except it has been hard getting there due to the cold weather in Boston and the distance it required to get there, but I have found ways to work out using machines we have in the res halls. I work out as hard I can with what I have with mountain climbers in between sets to get a good all around work out in. I am planning on getting a membership at a real gym next year because I have a membership at a Workout world back home, but there isn't one close to me.

    ....Well hello there fellow Bostonian!
    Well, I'm in the outskirts. But I'm still close.

    Anyhoo, have you considered going to the YMCA near Northeastern? It's lackluster, but they have a ton of equipment there, treadmills, weights, ect.

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