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boberrymom

Hi I'm Jess! I am a full-time 37 year old student who just recently decided to go back to school to study to be a teacher. I have 4 kids at home and have been on a continuous weight loss challenge with myself for the last 3 1/2 years going from workingout everday on weight watchers, and running everyday to yo yo weight loss and gain and most recently am trying to get back on track the last 3 months. I started out at 185 lbs about 3 1/2 years ago which was about a year after my son was born and i did really well and lost 30 lbs in a year and tried really hard to keep it off but did not. I never gained all of it back but even being just over 170 made me mad at myself. Since my husband and I have been working on losing weight for the last 2-3 months i am back down to 158 lbs. It does make it easier when someone is on a challenge with you but it is very frustrating when they are having a huge succes....like 6-10 lbs a week! Very demotivating lol. I struggled the first 5 weeks with just losing 5 lbs and i followed the calorie restriction very well and worked out everday for at least 20 min high intensity. I have since lost another 3 lbs but it is very slow, which is the best way right? Its hard to find support in someone who loses so quickly. Don't get me wrong my husband is a wonderful support and we work together to keep ourselves within the recommended calorie range but for him the weight comes off so quickly and easily. He has lost over 60 lbs in the last 3 or 4 months, it drives me nuts. He can turn the eating thing off, i can't especially with hormones. I guess i'm just looking for support in people who understand how difficult it is. I've struggled the last 3 years and yo yo'd. Even though i am 158 lbs my body fat percentage is still 37% which is very strange however i am still thick in the middle. I'm okay with my weight but i don't want to be thick. I don't like the body fat percentage. It just won't go away.

gmallan

Hi Jess,

I'm new on here too but not entirely new to weight loss of exercise.

Firstly congrats on your current weight loss. I'm about 150lbs and 5'4" and am looking to lose about 11pounds total while putting on muscle.

You need to remember that eveyone loses weight differently. It sounds like your husband may have a lot more weight to lose while you don't have that much at all. People who have a lot to lose generally lose it ALOT faster than people who are reaching their ideal weight. The last 5kgs is ALWAYS tough to shift so keep cracking at it and you will get there. Slow and steady wins the race. And yes, losing it slowly, especially when you don't have much to lose, tends to be much healthier and much more sustainable.

You're very lucky to have your husband along with you on your weightloss journey. It's so much harder to stay on track on not be tempted when your partner eats a lot of junk food.

In terms of your body fat percentage, just wondering how you have measured this. Some methods tend to be extreamly inacurate (calipers, scales etc.). If you are actually sitting at 37% body fat you may need to change up your training routine. You say you work out at least 20min per day high intensity but don't say what exactly you are doing. If you aren't doing it already you need to incorporate some weights or some kind of strength training. This will help you put on muscle and help to get your body fat percentage down. Muscle also helps to burn more fat in a resting state so it's win win, although be aware that 1kg of muscle takes up 1/3 less space than 1kg of fat so if you are putting on muscle the sclaes may not go down as fast. You will however notice your body tightening, your clothes getting loose and your body fat percentage dropping. Much better results than seeing a smaller number on the scales.

Stick with it you'll definitely get there

Oh and feel free to add me as a friend

gmallan

Sorry to correct something here 1kg of muscle takes up about 1/3 of the space that 1kg of fat does.

boberrymom

Thanks so much for your reply I have been doing Jillian's 30 day shred, which is high intensity for me but i also switch it up with her boost your metabolism dvd. The 30 day shred incorporates strength with the exercises while the metabolism is more cardio. As for body fat percentage, i did measurements of my neck, waist and hips, and put into a couple different calculators. Each calculator came up with the same value. I am very thick in the middle and with how thick i am i bet i can squeeze at least 20 lbs of fat, that's not even including the disgusting back fat

Having my husband doing this with me is great, although now he's reached his goal so is maintaining but we look for new low cal meals to cook with each other so it definitely makes it alot easier to continue doing it but it is sometimes very demotivating to see him loose 6-8 lbs a weeks when i struggle with just 1.

gmallan

Don't be too upset by the body fat percentage. Unless you get it measured by a profesional high tech machine it's likely that it's not accurate. Keep up the strength work and it will come down. If you've been doing strength work you are probably putting on muscle so don't be too upset about the stubborn scales. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. This is my first week back working hard with my exercise and diet. I'm going to weigh in tomorrow and am pretty sure I won't see much (if any) movement on the scales. Having siad that I feel much healthier and stronger and my clothes are not quite as tight. I consider that a successful week even though the scale hasn't moved at all

Remember that men and women are very different in their body composition and the way they lose weight and put on muscle. A direct comparison between you and your husband is probably not a great idea. Look for some females on here who have similar weight loss journeys and I bet you will find similar stories to you.

boberrymom

Thanks so much! Youve been a great help

gmallan

Happy to help