Looking for Pro-Enforcer

MightyMom4

I just started a few weeks ago. (Yes, my profile says I joined in Jan 2010...but I must have logged on and forgot about it. Anyway...here is my story and what I am looking for.... I started the year at 184lbs (5'-6"), made a new years resolution to lose weight and get in shape (Goal 140-145)...I am done having kids and want my body back. I am super determined to do this. I wasn't having a lot of success on my own...and stumbled back across MFP and decided this was the place to be. Started here on 1/25 at 183 and am now down to 175. It's coming off, but I am not the most patient person in the world, so I want to make sure I am getting the most out of my time and that it keeps coming off. I don't know if I can survive a plateau if that should happen (and it probably will). Is there someone out there that wants to take me under their wing and give me the push and good insight that I need? Someone that can look at my diary and tell me what I am doing wrong and aim me in the right direction for working out? I am currently doing mainly cardio (elliptical and outdoor) with minor weight/strength training. I don't have access to a gym, and have about 1 hour a day to dedicate to working out. I'm not a Drama Queen - all I want is some straight up reinforcement. I'll give the rest of the details if someone is up for it. Thanks for your time.

kimmerroze

Straight forward reinforcement is this.

Should you plateau, it would be ridiculous to just give up and go back to your old habits. As you get to know MFP really well you will find that This website is not about "dieting and losing weight" its about changing your life style.

Ask yourself, were you happy at 184lbs? if you weren't they why would you let a plateau stop you? plateau's aren't forever. but to just give up would be silly.

I would bump up the strength training, and switch from a scale to a measuring tape, that way if your weight does plateau then you will not know, and by measuring yourself, you will see that it is consistant, it is much harder to plateau inches wise.

My Push, is to not give up, if you are already telling yourself that you wont make it through a plateau, then you probably wont. Don't count yourself out of the race before its even begun.

you have already almost lost 10 lbs. that is a quarter of your over all weight to lose already lost and you haven't even been at this for a month yet. Change your mind frame

emchamberlain

I started at 184 and I have the same weight goal. I can only agree with the advice to get a tape measure. At one point, I had lost .5 in two weeks, but I'd lost 4.5 inches! There really isn't such a thing as a "plateau" if you're exercising and eating right. Every day that you exercise and put good food into your body, you are getting healthier and stronger, no matter what the numbers say.

cheangela

I second the whole notion of chucking the scale right out of the picture. Gauge progress more specifically to your goals: If you want to be thinner, pick up the measuring tape. If you want to walk longer and faster, pick up an awesome watch and strut your stuff.

No one will ever look at you and say "wow, she looks like a 140 pound woman." We're more likely to say "Look at that HOT Mama!!!" ...and sooner than you think!

Great job darlin'!

MightyMom4

Yeah, definately going to start measuring. I'll start that tonight and try and do it every two weeks? Does that seem about right amount of time between measurements or should I go longer? I am curious where the 9lbs I lost came from...so it'll be interesting to watch that. I'll try and do some pictures too...although, body pictures kind of freak me out, I have been putting that off but think it's way cool when people have their before and after shots. I keep thinking that when I lose my weight I'll regret it if I don't have some of my own...so I'll make sure to do that too.

Like I said, basically trying to get the most out of my time. I wasn't sure if there was a best way to go about eating/working out that will produce the best results. Does it matter what time of day I work out...morning or evening? Should I eat carbs before I work out and protein after...all this is new to me.

I appreciate everyone's encouragement and advice, your all great!

kimmerroze

Yeah, definately going to start measuring. I'll start that tonight and try and do it every two weeks? Does that seem about right amount of time between measurements or should I go longer? I am curious where the 9lbs I lost came from...so it'll be interesting to watch that. I'll try and do some pictures too...although, body pictures kind of freak me out, I have been putting that off but think it's way cool when people have their before and after shots. I keep thinking that when I lose my weight I'll regret it if I don't have some of my own...so I'll make sure to do that too.

Like I said, basically trying to get the most out of my time. I wasn't sure if there was a best way to go about eating/working out that will produce the best results. Does it matter what time of day I work out...morning or evening? Should I eat carbs before I work out and protein after...all this is new to me.

I appreciate everyone's encouragement and advice, your all great!

Two weeks is about perfect between measuring... and I don't know if you have noticed yet, but under "weigh in" you can enter all your measurements. and you can costomize what you are measuring. they only give you a vew automatic options. I added a few body parts to measure!