Starting to think weight loss is just a myth!

serenetranquility

Really...you DO look great but if it's the sizing you're going for, like others I would highly recommend lifting

sedosher

My recommendations?

1 - Throw away your scale.
2 - Start lifting heavy. (Recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women as a good starting point)
3 - Consistently eat enough to support your body.
4 - Start shopping for smaller clothes.

This is exactly what I was going to suggest.

sailorsiren13

I eat at 1,200 calories, i eat at 3,000 calories, i exercise more, i exercise less.... i still haven't lost any weight (lost 1lb the first week which i'm assuming was water). Starting to think some people are genetically pre-dipositioned to keep weight on no matter what, barring illness/ weight loss surgery. Getting really ticked off with all the posts on here about eating more calories/ eating less/ eating at or below or above BMR. It's all confusing and disheartening and really wish someone would just tell me the magic formula.

boy do i get this!!!! i have lost the initial ten and now no matter what i do keep fluctuating btwn the same 5 lbs never going below unless i literally starve myself for days. I am at the brink of giving of and saying screw it i'm tired of my husband giving me crap about everything on top of the frustration i feel.

LaurenAOK

I agree with what some others have said; stop focusing so much on the scale and work more on toning and bringing down your measurements. You can stay the same weight and still lose a dress size depending on your body fat %. If you check out the success stories section of this forum you'll sometimes see posts by people who stayed the exact same weight but got toned and look way better/slimmer than they did before.

I've heard weightlifting can do wonders in this department; haven't tried it myself, but I'm thinking of starting! Just remember that the scale may not move as you build muscle, so don't get discouraged by that!

Meaganandcheese

it takes a LOT of work for a female to get really toned. How do you know how your body will respond unless you try it?

auticus

For one you look like you are already fairly small, so you aren't going to have quick and rapid weight loss.

Bearing that in mind, it takes a little bit of time. It's not instant.

Weight lifting will be your friend. Look into it

missfancy1980

Don't give up Sailor!! I'm going to keep going no matter what... just have to vent here now and then when it all gets too much lol.

Whitney, yes those are pretty defined, but not bulky/ muscly per se.. it's hard to describe what I mean. I don't want the individual little ab 6 pack things if you know what i mean, or the big defined arm and leg muscles.. i just don't think that looks very nice. Anyway, how she is on there is how I want my body to look, altho i'm aware we are different people with different bodies and i can never expect to look exactly the same.

Zangpakto

Eat less... Train more... simple concept, not hard.

If you still not losing, then either eat even less, or train harder(As you can't NOT lose if your calories are less than your BMR..)

Sometimes when bored and have time, either run or cycle myself into negative thousands in calories...

Sure, I am technically an overweight athlete at moment, but used to be skinny and fit as ****... so working my way back there in any way possible, don't care of concerns. What I do works, and it works. No formula, just eat less, train like a mother******...

Sure, some people might find it easier, but you can't not lose by eating less than your daily needs... maybe your body retains water more, maybe your having too much salt etc etc...

Why do I train like I do, and why do I eat little? Well, eating little is because it works and that's that. No further explaining needed. Training? Well, I want to run from athens to sparta in a few years in the spartathon race, and need to increase running a lot. A literal s*** load.

Oh and another note, 1.2k calorie basic isn't for everyone, that is utter bulls***... a smaller person naturally doesn't NEED as much as a bigger person. Simple concept people often overlook...

lambertj

I've only got 10 lbs left to lose and I am seeing now that I have to get really tight with my diet. I notice you are eating a lot of carbs compared to proteins and I wonder if you were to even them out a bit if that would help you start to lose. I tend to balance mine or even go a bit lower on carbs and increase healthy fats and I am now losing again.

missfancy1980

it takes a LOT of work for a female to get really toned. How do you know how your body will respond unless you try it?

I'm already doing weights and strength training most days at the gym for 20 - 30 mins. I can already feel my tummy is hard underneath and my arm muscles have gotten bigger and more defined. In only 4 weeks!! So I know if I do this harder/ longer, i will bulk up. My top half seems to respond a lot quicker to exercise than my bottom half which is really the area that needs to shift lol

memcd911

Start buying US sized clothing. You're probably already an 8 that way. ;-x

jacksonpt

Try to be patient and get back to basics. It sounds as though you've done a lot of reading (which is good), but are lost in all the conflicting info (which is easy to do).

You are in pretty good shape already, so yes... progress will likely be slow. That's just the way it is when you don't have much to lose. Pick a plan and stick with it for at least 4 weeks before you decide if it's working or not. Log as accurately as you can (saw in your other thread you don't have a food scale) and be honest with yourself. Track your cals both by the day and by the week so you can see where you stand. Do a good mix of cardio and heavy lifting. If you lift heavy 2-3 times per week you'll never end up ripped/cut/whatever. You don't have the testosterone to do that, and a light lifting schedule wouldn't do that to you anyway. I'd say 3-4 days of cardio, 2 days of heavy weights is a good place to start.

Do that for a month and see where you are. Patience is one of the hardest parts of all this.

jacksonpt

it takes a LOT of work for a female to get really toned. How do you know how your body will respond unless you try it?

I'm already doing weights and strength training most days at the gym for 20 - 30 mins. I can already feel my tummy is hard underneath and my arm muscles have gotten bigger and more defined. In only 4 weeks!! So I know if I do this harder/ longer, i will bulk up. My top half seems to respond a lot quicker to exercise than my bottom half which is really the area that needs to shift lol

No, you won't. You're stimulating the muscle which causes the body to increase blood flow to that area - that's why it looks bigger. You aren't growing noticeable amounts of tissue, I promise.

KrazyAsianNic

From your picture and your profile, it doesn't really look like you need to lose any. If you're not happy with your weight, it could just be muscle and i don't recommend losing muscle.

grinch031

Hormones ultimately dictate the value of your Calories IN and OUT and whether there's a positive or negative balance.

missfancy1980

I've only got 10 lbs left to lose and I am seeing now that I have to get really tight with my diet. I notice you are eating a lot of carbs compared to proteins and I wonder if you were to even them out a bit if that would help you start to lose. I tend to balance mine or even go a bit lower on carbs and increase healthy fats and I am now losing again.

This is something I'm really struggling with. I don't eat meat so my protein right now tends to come from quorn, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, milk etc, and i don't have a very big or varied list of foods that are high in protein so i kind of get lose trying to think up meals.

sparkly96

According to your pic you look good. I would check with your doc though to see what he/she says and if they think you need to lose weight. Maybe they can recommend a fitness plan for you.

missfancy1980

Start buying US sized clothing. You're probably already an 8 that way. ;-x

LMAO!!! Love this

SuffolkSally

Umm - are you very short or something? Because you look pretty good! I was a skinny young person, and settled at dress size 12-14 through my 20's and 30's. At the time I felt like I'd gained weight (as of couirse I had) but my BMI was fine, it was just at the low end rather than the upper middle. It's good to eat well and get fit, and stay that way, of course, but are you sure you're not expecting a bit much and a bit soon? No offence intended and I'm sorry if I've raised points covered eslewhere in the thread. I just worry about some people (and I don't mean you, 'cos I don't know enough about you) getting a bit carried away with the quest for the body beautiful. Which in the case of a lot of pretty celebs does of course involve a lot of airbrushing etc...

missfancy1980

No, you won't. You're stimulating the muscle which causes the body to increase blood flow to that area - that's why it looks bigger. You aren't growing noticeable amounts of tissue, I promise.

If I grow a 6 pack and my arm muscles start popping out of my shirts in 2 weeks I'm coming after you ok!!

ZipperJJ

Myth: Muscle growth happens quickly! You'll wake up one day and be ripped!
Fact: It takes forrrrrevvvvverrrrrrr to grow muscle ... anyone who wants muscle growth will attest to this.

Myth: Smooth curves come from un-toned muscles
Fact: Smooth curves come from a layer of fat OVER the muscles. Take away the fat, take away the smooth curves.

Here are more facts:
-Muscle helps burn calories. Having more muscle means you burn more calories while your body is at rest.
-At a certain age, we start to lose about 15% of our muscle mass each year! As you get older, it's harder to burn the calories.
-It is possible to add muscle, lose some fat, and still have smooth curves. Really! :happy:

Quoted for truth. You will NOT bulk up by lifting weights. YOU WILL NOT BULK UP.

You won't. You will not bulk up from lifting weights.

If you see a woman with defined muscles, like the woman in the blog linked above, know these things:
1. She is flexing to make her muscles stick out
2. It's not so much that her muscles are huge but the layer of fat above her muscles is small
3. She works 100x harder at developing muscles than you ever will - you will not get to where she is by accident.

No woman - or man - will bulk up to a level that is displeasing without some SERIOUS work. You can't even imagine what it takes for those folks to get there.

You are really doing yourself a disservice ignoring resistance training because you think you're going to turn in to a WWE wrestler. It's like being afraid of the shower because you can't swim.

JMarigold

it takes a LOT of work for a female to get really toned. How do you know how your body will respond unless you try it?

I was going to say this. Do the weight lifting . . . trust me if you start to get a look you don't like it will happen way slowly enough for you tweak and change your routine so that it doesn't continue.

I've read tons and tons of things that show that to get that nice rounded look + small waist and slim thighs you've got to weight lift! Getting your abs to show is a pain in the @$$ since you've got to get rid of even the tiniest bit of fat there. In other words it can take months and months, even years, of serious effort tweaking both diet and weight routines for even very fit women to get their muscles to show in certain places (like the stomach) so I think you will have NO problem with looking too muscular.

Women who look muscular have slaved to get there. It's highly unlikely you will end up looking like that "by mistake" if you lift weights. Instead you will get the look you want. There is lots of evidence. I am just way too lazy to go look it all up for you

jacksonpt

No, you won't. You're stimulating the muscle which causes the body to increase blood flow to that area - that's why it looks bigger. You aren't growing noticeable amounts of tissue, I promise.

If I grow a 6 pack and my arm muscles start popping out of my shirts in 2 weeks I'm coming after you ok!!

deal!

tinalatina

honey I feel your pain! I have been a member for over 6 months and I feel the frustration of the plateau and many people have great advice just not sure if it the best for everyone. Everyone is different and we all have to find our path but right now im stuck as well so I feel that same exact way! Ive adjusted my water, changed my diet, cut out things, added things! I am beyonded frustrated!

Hang in there....

JenaePavlak

You are thinking to much on the numbers! If you need a number to focus on, how about body fat %?? Because once you start getting toned, muscle will increase which weighs more than fat. Just because your a size whatever jean, does not mean you don't look good!!

lambertj

I've only got 10 lbs left to lose and I am seeing now that I have to get really tight with my diet. I notice you are eating a lot of carbs compared to proteins and I wonder if you were to even them out a bit if that would help you start to lose. I tend to balance mine or even go a bit lower on carbs and increase healthy fats and I am now losing again.

This is something I'm really struggling with. I don't eat meat so my protein right now tends to come from quorn, mushrooms, eggs, cheese, milk etc, and i don't have a very big or varied list of foods that are high in protein so i kind of get lose trying to think up meals.

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein as are sunflower seeds and walnuts, black beans, kidney beans, greek yogurt, perhaps a protein shake.

ccnjc4e

I think US sizing in probably more like a 4!! Maybe 6.

I think some people have GREAT recommendations on here. But maybe, you should go check in with your doctor and see what they suggest:)

missfancy1980

Umm - are you very short or something? Because you look pretty good! I was a skinny young person, and settled at dress size 12-14 through my 20's and 30's. At the time I felt like I'd gained weight (as of couirse I had) but my BMI was fine, it was just at the low end rather than the upper middle. It's good to eat well and get fit, and stay that way, of course, but are you sure you're not expecting a bit much and a bit soon? No offence intended and I'm sorry if I've raised points covered eslewhere in the thread. I just worry about some people (and I don't mean you, 'cos I don't know enough about you) getting a bit carried away with the quest for the body beautiful. Which in the case of a lot of pretty celebs does of course involve a lot of airbrushing etc...

Nah, I model myself (freelance amateur) so I'm aware of all the touch ups that go on, especially in pics of glamour models lol. It's more about getting back to the body i used to have. I don't mean in my early teens/ 20's because I'm probably long past the stage where that could happen, but back before i started truly not caring what i ate/ drank. Probably about 26/ 27 is when i started drinking alot of wine, loads of fatty hot chocolates, eating an entire box of chocs maybe twice a week, doing no exercise whatsoever. So trust me, those 2 extra dress sizes didn't just happen... they came about because i was lazy.

I'm not on any quest... I don't think spending 4 weeks out of nearly 32 years trying to better my body and understand how calories work is overdoing it in any way :laugh:

medaglia_06

Thanks that's nice to know. However, i'm here because i want to lose weight. More specifically, inches off my butt/ thighs so i can fit size 8 (UK) jeans. I am 2 full sizes away from that now and not getting any closer.

If you want to lose inches, I suggest the 30 Day Shred. You might not lose much weight (converts fat to muscle), but if you stick to it for the 30 days, you will definitely lose inches and tone up.

Brandongood

you mentioned that youre set at losing 1lb a week. Being that you are already pretty lean to begin with, you may want to consider changing that to .5lb a week. Your body is probably holding on to the fat that it has because you are so lean.