Hello
mommamuscles
Posts: 584 Member
Hey everyone, just blogged about why I'm not seeing the progress I want to...check it out if you like.
I'd be interested if anyone else has struggled with any of this since increasing calories?
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/momofmyfivekids/view/hello-first-blog-and-my-story-264808
I'd be interested if anyone else has struggled with any of this since increasing calories?
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/momofmyfivekids/view/hello-first-blog-and-my-story-264808
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Replies
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I think that is a fantastic blog. You are spot on why a lot of people have trouble with this, mainly #1 and #4 with the inconsistency, fear of eating the numbers you set and #4 being not sticking it out. It did NOT take most people a short amount of time to damage their body and gain the weight, and its NOT gonna take a short time for it to come off.
I am much happier eating 3k calories a day and losing weight gradually than eating 1200 calories a day and gaining weight.0 -
Becca would you mind cutting and pasting here. I'm on my phone and now I have to wait to go to work...lol.0
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Sure thing Lucia!0
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Hello,
Seems like after losing 100 pounds over the past year and a half, I've hit a huge mental block.
Its been on my mind to start a blog, hopefully to work through some of the mental "stuff" I have going on.
For those who don't know, heres my story...
Growing up , seems like I developed a real love/hate relationship with food. I had a grandmother who loved to spoil me with treats and a momma who was very weight conscious. Beginning in my preteen years, I started labeling food as good/bad, dieting, stressing about my weight, and hiding food. Eventually in my high school/college/young adult years, I battled just about every eating disorder. Anorexia. Bulimia. Binge Eating.
Then, in my senior year of college, I met my husband, and kind of forgot about the weight/food battle for a while. We got married and had 5 babies in 10 years, and with each baby I just gained weight on top of weight, until finally, after baby #5, I found myself weighing 275 pounds. Whew, thats a painful number to see.
Finally, I had enough, and decided it was time to get healthy once and for all. In my mind, I had two options: lose the weight and get active or have gastric bypass surgery. I felt like I was fighting for my life.
Ive never been one to do something half way, and I jumped all in. I cleaned out my cupboards of all processed food. I went grocery shopping. Did tons of research. I joined a gym, and started going to boot camp classes and running. There were a few times I actually threw up, but I accepted the challenge. I was determined to whip this body back into shape.
In six months, I had lost about 50 pounds on a very low calorie diet and extremely ridiculous amounts of cardio. This was starting to backfire in a huge way though. I was losing my hair, my skin was flaking off. I was weak, dizzy, lightheaded. Cold all the time. And the biggest pain in the butt? I was gaining weight on 1000 calories a day despite working out for at least 2 hours a day. No matter how much I exercised or how little I ate, the scale kept moving up.
I started doing research, and one day stumbled upon the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. Slowly, it was all beginning to make sense. I started lifting heavy and fell in love. Shortly after Christmas, I began a metabolic reset. I discovered the wonderful group, Eat More to Weigh Less. Ive learned so much, and I've slowly been putting it all into practice.
Upping calories is not for the faint of heart. Its hard. Its not a quick fix. And mentally its really challenging to stick it out. Consistency is so important, and that is where I have struggled the most.
I've kind of been feeling like my progress is lagging. Id still like to lose about 20 pounds, and more importantly, I'd like to lose about 10% body fat.
I know that the system works. I've seen some amazing success stories, and I am seeing changes in my body.So far, I've not read one single story where these principles have not worked. But consistency is key.
Its time to be honest with myself if I really want to move forward.
Here are my theories why Im not seeing the changes I want to:
1. Lack of consistency: If I am consistent with anything, i think it is being inconsistent. I haven't really stuck to this for six weeks, so I'm really not in a place to even evaluate my progress.
2. Not sticking with my recommended calories: There are days I try to cut corners. I'm still afraid I will overeat, so often save calories in case I have a slip up. As a result, I am often 300ish calories under my cut value.
3. Occasional binges: I wonder if this is related to #2. It seems like I have a few good days, and then will wake up absolutely ravenous. I end up overeating, then beat myself up so much that I rationalize "what's the point?". Usually this kind of thinking lends to falling back into the whole binge eating cycle, followed by a day of overcompensating with my calories and/or cardio. This has got to stop. Im not completely sure why I am still struggling with the binge eating. It seemed to resurface, strangely enough, when I started eating more! My appetite has definitely returned, but I also think alot of it is a mental battle that I have got to win!!! I dont really have any answers, but I do know that its time I am honest with my food diary, for better or for worse. I know that its okay to stray a little from clean eating once or twice a week with a "treat". But its not okay to have these weekly binges!!! I am committing to tracking everything from this point forward.
4. Not sticking it out: I know that I cant really assess whether or not this is working until I have stuck with this, fairly consistently for 6 weeks. So beginning tomorrow, I am taking a two week diet break, where I plan on eating my maintenance calories. Then I will be resuming eating at a moderate deficit (TDEE-15%) for 6 weeks. My goal really is consistency, so I have some ground to stand on when it comes time to assess my progress. I'll be using the scale as a measuring tool, but also my body fat analyzer, measuring tape, clothes, and progress pics.
Stay tuned! I WILL GET THERE!!!0 -
Becca, wow, amazing!0
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I love your honesty and determinatin. Girl you look great..come right back here and post those inspiring pics.0
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I love your honesty and determinatin. Girl you look great..come right back here and post those inspiring pics.
Thanks Lucia! Ready for the next round!0 -
I love how you owned up to everything. I think a lot of us fool ourselves into thinking we are doing everything right, then get upset when it's not working (even though secretly we weren't really doing it right).
Good for you for being honest with yourself and for trying to get back on track.0 -
amazing story. It is hardddddddd to stick to calories. I am always afraid, but it helps when I pre-track a night before my day comes so that way I make sure to eat all of my calories and more if I am over 345 calories. There are some days I go over 1,936, is that considered inconsisent (even though I didn't burn mroe than 345 calories) I eat more due toe vent or whatever.
but anyway, I have been sticking to this religiously. This process is HARDEST thing I ever done. But I know this will be the best thing I've done..0 -
amazing story. It is hardddddddd to stick to calories. I am always afraid, but it helps when I pre-track a night before my day comes so that way I make sure to eat all of my calories and more if I am over 345 calories. There are some days I go over 1,936, is that considered inconsisent (even though I didn't burn mroe than 345 calories) I eat more due toe vent or whatever.
but anyway, I have been sticking to this religiously. This process is HARDEST thing I ever done. But I know this will be the best thing I've done..
Absolutely!!0 -
I feel like I have had a similar mentality as you! Especially in regard to "uh oh I have to save these calories for later!" and binging on days following these sort of accidental cuts. Vicious cycle.
Good for you for being so self aware - it's hard to look at yourself and all the inconsistencies, obsessions, bad roads, etc... and move forward! Good luck to you, you're going the right way
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Thanks to you for sharing your story...I'm sure there are a lot of others out there that are struggling with the same issues, myself included! :blushing:
You've written it down, owned it, and now it's time to move forward...you are a strong woman and I'm sure you can achieve your goals! :bigsmile:0 -
Love your story! You are an amazing woman to raise 5 kids and find NO MAKE time to care for yourself. I had 3 kids in 3 years and got fatter and fatter each time. I didn't take charge of my health and lose the extra 75# until my kids were teenagers. The only regret I have in life is not setting a good health and fitness example for my kids when they were young. Now they are all in their 20's and all overweight. It breaks my heart to see them sitting and eating while I'm busting it at the gym. My only comfort is that somehow, eve at their ages, a health lifestyle is trying to sink in.
You are superwoman in my book! :drinker: :drinker:0 -
Love your story! You are an amazing woman to raise 5 kids and find NO MAKE time to care for yourself. I had 3 kids in 3 years and got fatter and fatter each time. I didn't take charge of my health and lose the extra 75# until my kids were teenagers. The only regret I have in life is not setting a good health and fitness example for my kids when they were young. Now they are all in their 20's and all overweight. It breaks my heart to see them sitting and eating while I'm busting it at the gym. My only comfort is that somehow, eve at their ages, a health lifestyle is trying to sink in.
You are superwoman in my book! :drinker: :drinker:
Awww...yes my kids are a huge motivation to me! Not only was it hard for me to be the mom they deserved at 275 lbs, I an determined for this next generation to have a different outlook on food and fitness! It blessed my heart to see my kids being active, and learning about nutrition,0 -
i just checked out your pics. i know you haven't reached all your goals yet, but you look HAWT, woman. i want your legs, lol!!!!
anyway, i love the blog. it's so honest. your self-awareness is one of your greatest tools for success in this, IMO.0 -
i just checked out your pics. i know you haven't reached all your goals yet, but you look HAWT, woman. i want your legs, lol!!!!
I aint gonna lie...I peaked and liked what I saw too haha0 -
i just checked out your pics. i know you haven't reached all your goals yet, but you look HAWT, woman. i want your legs, lol!!!!
anyway, i love the blog. it's so honest. your self-awareness is one of your greatest tools for success in this, IMO.
Haha, thanks! yeah, I know its time to face this head on!!!0
