Oh, the futility of it all.

thelittlebluebox

Sorry, guys. You can skip this post altogether. I just needed to vent and I thought I wouldn't bother anyone if I did so here.

I'm about half a pound away from my goal weight. Huzzah. Still don't look good, though. I really wanted to be able to wear a swimsuit with confidence this summer. I thought that getting down to 120 lbs (I'm 5'6") would do it. Silly me.

How can I be three pounds away from being underweight and still have a muffin top?! And the best part is, there's not anything I can do about it. I can't "target" weight loss and I have to be careful not to lose any more weight. Since I've been losing so much weight without exercise (side effect of meds), adding exercise to the mix would make me lose weight faster and I need to STOP losing weight! And even if I did do a couple hundred sit ups a day for the next few months, it wouldn't matter anyway because I'd still have that fat on top of my abs!

So I still look fat and I can't lose any more weight. I'm so fed up with the whole thing that I'm about ready to move to Nome so that I never have to look at another swimsuit again. Either that or keep losing weight at the expense of my health. Maybe 110 would do it.

(no, I'm not shooting for 110. I'm being facetious)

Sorry if you read all of that. Feel free to ignore it.

janalayn

Sorry .... *hugs* .... don't have anything to offer but support ... I hope tomorrow is better

janalayn

Sorry .... *hugs* .... don't have anything to offer but support ... I hope tomorrow is better

drward

I'm sure you look fine. Do some sit ups and some core work and that muffin top will go away I'm sure!

fitnessGETZeasy

When I first met my goal weight, I was hugely disappointed. In all the articles I read about nutrition and fitness, not a single one warned me that my "goal" would look different once I actually got there. I looked in the mirror at myself and couldn't believe "this" was my "goal". How could that be possible. 120 is such a respectable number. What's worse, the compliments stopped because everyone was used to me being thin. Then they assumed it was easy because I was already there. So if I confided in a friend that I was struggling, I could feel their contempt because they couldn't understand why "I" could be complaining. I was so "tiny" afterall. Hang in there. It's the dirtiest secret of weight loss. No one clued me in either. So I keep working at it. Strength training, cardio, all of it. Now resigned to being the best me I can be, even if that doesn't necessarily looked as I had hoped!

WifeMomDVM

Wow, you sound really discouraged.... ahem, ahem..... "HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAAAAAY!!!!" (Remember mighty mouse?)

Anyway, sounds like you DON'T need to lose more weight. Sounds like you would benefit BIG TIME from strength training. Yep, can't spot reduce those love handles, but if you build some muscle, it will feed on those love handles and make them disappear for you!

Check out the book, "The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler... heck, go read the reviews on Amazon.com so I don't have to convince you.

I've been strength training for just 5 weeks and the scale hasn't moved much, but I've lost inches and my fat is getting smaller and my arms are looking hot and sexy.... I'm sure in weeks down the road that six pack of abs and those killer buns and legs are gonna show up too!

Gotta keep the faith, and keep working at it! You've got the WHOLE REST OF YOUR LIFE to work on being the healthiest you that you can be.

So go pick up some heavy weights and start lifting!

Lift like a man, look like a goddess! - Lou Schuler

stanvoodoo

Sounds like you need some core exercises! Even the thinnist of people can have muffin top, just depends on your shape. If you belong to a gym they have folks/trainers who can give you the right exercises to work on the area, turning muffin top into muscle.

Good luck and don't be so down on yourself, I bet you look great. It always had for us to be happy with what we see in the mirror and sometimes we still see the OLD us looking back.

Keep on track and I bet the swimsuit is in the near future for you!

emilex

I am sorry you are not feeling good about the way you look. It's hard when you look in the mirror and don't like what you see and it sounds like your perception of yourself is not good. My guess is, you are beautiful the way you are and I see somebody who has done well if you are almost to your goal weight! It's just really hard to see the positive things about yourself most of the time...whether it's on the inside or the outside. Hang in there!

LaurieJAndrews

try the hula hoop. )

Gawain

Congratulations on reaching your target weight (almost), and don't feel bad that you don't look as you may have hoped. I'm sure you look a lot better than when you set your target weight, it's sometimes very difficult to notice change in yourself though.

I'd certainly not lose anymore weight though, you know this already. It's certainly not healthy to be underweight, but it sounds like you want to tone up. That's great. Doing sit ups, crunches etc CAN have results, if you're persistent and continue pushing yourself as you progress. Start with a small target for example, and then increase them daily until you're really pushing out far more than you imagined you'd be able to. But remember, exercise means you will need to take in more calories. Just ensure you put your workouts into the system, and it'll tell you how many extra calories you need to eat for the day.

Sounds like you're pretty much there, and I only wish I was where you are right now. Just remember to take a step back from yourself and try and appreciate what you've achieved, rather than focus on what you feel are your negative areas. I bet you've had all sorts of positive comments about your appearance though?

WATRD

How do you FEEL? Do you FEEL good? If so, concentrate on that, it's what really matters, not some artificial self image that may or may not be the real you.

You have managed a huge accomplishment. Celebrate it and the muffing top will take care of itself in time.

natskedat

I agree with the previous posters that strength training might be your answer. It's the answer to flabby triceps, after all. Who's to say your abs aren't any different?

Body by Jake abs routine (you can find it on Hulu.com) is one of the best core exercises routines I've ever seen. It will work everything! You may not lose any weight, but you'll likely lose inches as a result. There is hope.

The only time you should ever be hopeless is when the outcome of the problem is predetermined. In this instance, you have control over the outcome. You are not destined for a lifetime of muffin-top madness.