Just can not get under 9st 2! (128lb)

GettingFitterVicki

Which for me being short, still means I'm 'podgy' in places I'd rather not be! I am now in the clothes I was in the summer before I fell pregnant, when I was at what I consider to me by slimmest for many years. That's great, but I always wanted to be slimmer and have very low body fat (I'd like abs lol). I never did manage it.

Now, I'm back to that kind of weight and still I just can't budge them any lower. Not without eating very little but I know that's not the way to go. I have been fluctuating between around 128-130 for 4-6 weeks. In that time I've stopped running so much because I've incorporated zumba, the gym and recently the 30DS dvd. I am only fitting in running 1-2x a week at the moment.

I eat a fair amount of snacky food. My daughter has a very high calorie diet so there is always chocolate, sweets and cake in the house but although I have some of that, I hardly ever push my calories up too high and I don't think I overdo the naughty stuff.

As I don't want to go down the 900cal/day route to shift this, what do you suggest? I can't afford to spend lots of fancy diet products, shakes and all that.

melizerd

Lift weights, At this point what you want to do is sculpt your body, throw the scale out, it doesn't matter. By doing more lifting you'll reduce fat and build muscle which will smooth you out nicely (not bulk you up).

TMcBooty

Some common reasons for plateaus include:

Doing the same workouts over and over. Your body needs to be challenged to progress, so make sure you're changing some part of your program every 4-6 weeks.
Not eating enough calories. If your body doesn't have enough fuel to sustain your level of activity, you can actually stop losing weight.
Overtraining. If you exercise too much, the body sometimes responds by decreasing the amount of calories you burn during the rest of your day.

GettingFitterVicki

Lift weights, At this point what you want to do is sculpt your body, throw the scale out, it doesn't matter. By doing more lifting you'll reduce fat and build muscle which will smooth you out nicely (not bulk you up).

You think? Would that help me to reduce fat down to say, 10%? I will still continue running, zumba and the dvd because I love them, especially running. They're hobbies not just fitness things!

TMcBooty

http://www.diet-blog.com/06/5_ways_to_break_a_weight_loss_plateau.php

melizerd

The number on the scale is only part of the story. Many people are "skinny fat", where they don't weigh that much but without any muscle they are flabby in areas we don't want to be flabby in.

I like Staci's story about why the scale isn't the whole story. In the end she actually weighs a little more than her low weight but by lifting weights and proper diet she's smooth and sculpted.

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

yoghurtand

I'm not an expert on building muscle, but I have seen places where you concentrate on building muscle for a period of time (stick to your maintenance calories) by doing heavy lifting and then after a couple of months, go back on a 250-500 cal deficit to lose the fat that you'd have put on in that time. Rinse and repeat until the desired body fat percentage has been reached (although 10% is very low - I think you would struggle to reach that, especially as you say you like snacking a lot). I think you should concentrate on measurements from here on in - you're already a decent weight, so chuck your scale.

Try and find a lifting and body resistance routine that works for you (maybe the people at the gym can help!); it can't hurt to try.

gailsheldon

See if there are any body pump classes at a gym near you - they will help you achieve a good body shape - especially good for helping lose any fat on your back, toning your legs and the bench pressing will lift your chest (literally). Good luck - I know how difficult it is when you are short as I am, only 5' 1 and I struggle to keep my weight where I want it but I have found body pump gives me a good workout that is enjoyable as well as helping to tone.