A Sad Realization.
Replies
-
I think we all get to where we need individually. There are lots of posts about people being frustrated as they lift and try to lose weight at the same time.
I went with cardio (mostly walking) to get to my goal weight. 2013 is the year I will build strength. I am inching up the calories as I add more exercise.
It is a good thing to share OP!0 -
I truly hope others that are netting well below their BMR will read this and take heed. I don't really understand it, but it seems to be pretty common, particularly with women.
Net between your BMR and TDEE people and you will lose...if you're doing a gagillion hours of cardio, you really are going to need a lot more food to lose weight in a healthy way and protein, protein, protein to preserve that lean muscle.
^^ This. Stay between your BMR and TDEE. Find programs that concentrate on lean, flexible muscles so you can get the definition without bulking up (unless thats what you want to do).
Feel free to add me if you want motivation and support. I do the above and, for me, it seems to work.0 -
Thanks for the advice. Anyone have tips for maintaining muscle?
For one, you can substitute rye for wheat in your diet. Rye has a better "muscle sparing effect" than does wheat and it is VERY filling---it has a type of fiber that fills you up for a long time. I eat 100% organic rye bread and one piece (along with my eggs in the morning) keeps me going for hours--I have to make myself eat lunch.
Don't eat too much protein (when you are gagging on protein---you are eating too much). Here is a webpage that speaks to the issue of too much protein. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ask-the-macro-manager-how-much-protein-is-too-much.html
The article states: "We typically oversimplify protein, thinking it will always go toward growth. It actually does more than drive protein synthesis and provide amino acids for building muscle. Once those needs have been met, your body will actually break down and oxidize protein for energy. You don't necessarily want to be a protein oxidizer. You don't want to train your body to break down protein (dietary or muscle) and use it for energy. Just as switching from a high- to low-carbohydrate diet causes your body to increase the enzymes that burn fat as fuel, eating protein far beyond your body's ability to build muscle with it will cause increases in the enzymes that oxidize protein (both dietary and muscular) for energy."
Also, drink unsweetened green tea (it tastes better with a squeeze of lemon or blended with peppermint tea). The health benefits are extraordinary. It has a number of substances called monomeric polyphenols (Catechins, Epicatechins & Epigallocatechins) which will actually help your body to repair any damage. And anything that makes you healthier will help to preserve your muscle. The lemon juice (rich in citric acid) will help you to better absorb the good stuff from the green tea.
0 -
This reminds me of astory I once read. This story helped me change my ways before I got down in weight. Hope you enjoy the link.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/0 -
also, before you gained the weight in the first place were you actually a lower body fat percentage than you are now? this is assuming you were 117 pounds at some point in the past. i'm not completely convinced that you did any real damage.
Let me try to explain this for you and anyone else who isn't quite understanding why this is a big deal
Starting 180lbs, 35%bf
Current 117 pounds, 23%bf.
180*.65=117
117*.77=90
117-90= 27 lbs of LBM
A very dedicated woman can build maybe .5lb of muscle every month. so 27/.5=54 months or 4.5 years before she can rebuild her lost muscle. Of course a lot of times newbie gains can offset a bit of this, but it's still a very long time. If used a time machine and lost the same amount of fat (180-117=63 total loss 63-27=36 lbs of fat lost.) at a slow and steady but reasonable rate of .5lb/week she would have been at the same result in 72 weeks or about 1 year 5 months.
OP mistakes happen. Even big mistakes. Learning is part of life. How many people "waste" years"on a degree then go back to school for something different. Or waste years in a bad relationship. I wasted years smoking. It'll take a lot longer than 4.5 years to erase most of THAT damage. It's great that you've realized how to change your situation, and are taking steps to fix it. Good luck.0 -
This reminds me of astory I once read. This story helped me change my ways before I got down in weight. Hope you enjoy the link.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
Thanks for the story--a real inspiration!0 -
Yeah I agree with this^ your BF is fineoh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
OP sorry you are unhappy with your results. It does sound like you were eating very low calorie-wise. But the past is the past and you did lose a ton of weight so congrats about that.0 -
Your story sounds much like the beginning of this inspirational tale, which I've seen linked elsewhere in the forums. She is where I'd love to get to, and her story might offer you some hope too.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
A great and inspirational story of how one woman went from pudgy (170 lbs.) to skinny (117, I think) to a "lean mean weight-lifting machine" (142 pounds). She DEFINITELY looks better at 142 than she did at 117. Health is beauty.0 -
The point is, you know this now so you can incorporate weights into your workout. Increase your protein intact as you strength train and you will be amazed how much muscle you pack on. I do 20 min of cardio in the am and 30 min of weights at night. I love seeing muscle under my fatty areas lol. I know when I stop being a fat butt, the muscle will show.0
-
It's done. You know what to do. Go do it.
Get a balance of cardio and heaby lifting on alternating days. Set your macros. Eat a sane amount of calories. And be patient and persistent.
6 months later you will be that much further along in your fitness goals. And that is what they should be. Fitness goals, not scale goals.0 -
also, before you gained the weight in the first place were you actually a lower body fat percentage than you are now? this is assuming you were 117 pounds at some point in the past. i'm not completely convinced that you did any real damage.
Let me try to explain this for you and anyone else who isn't quite understanding why this is a big deal
Starting 180lbs, 35%bf
Current 117 pounds, 23%bf.
180*.65=117
117*.77=90
117-90= 27 lbs of LBM
A very dedicated woman can build maybe .5lb of muscle every month. so 27/.5=54 months or 4.5 years before she can rebuild her lost muscle. Of course a lot of times newbie gains can offset a bit of this, but it's still a very long time. If used a time machine and lost the same amount of fat (180-117=63 total loss 63-27=36 lbs of fat lost.) at a slow and steady but reasonable rate of .5lb/week she would have been at the same result in 72 weeks or about 1 year 5 months.
OP mistakes happen. Even big mistakes. Learning is part of life. How many people "waste" years"on a degree then go back to school for something different. Or waste years in a bad relationship. I wasted years smoking. It'll take a lot longer than 4.5 years to erase most of THAT damage. It's great that you've realized how to change your situation, and are taking steps to fix it. Good luck.
still failing to see why this is a big deal. if she still had those 27 lbs of LBM, she would be at 0% body fat. 90 + 27 = 117 which is her current weight. That is basically impossible. doesn't seem like it works that way.0 -
It's generally easier to build muscle on a caloric surplus regardless. Life is a journey not a destination. It's almost better to keep having a goal then reaching it and realizing "now what?"0
-
I do it all.. cardio, weights and calisthenics. I know the muscles are replacing the fat.. cause I can feel the muscles that i never had before appearing. It's a little disheartening to step on the scale only for it to not move.. but since all my clothes are too big, i know the inches are coming off. Plus I can see it in the mirror. I'm not here to lose weight though. I'm here to keep myself healthy. Losing weight is just a bonus.0
-
Thanks for the post. I have just started lifting instead of long, long walks and having now read the books and your post I am convinced it is the way to go. It is hard to adjust to not watching the scales so much but I know that is what I have to do.0
-
I applaud you for realizing that you had erred on the way you lost weight. And like most of the other posters, it's not the end of the world. You have a great positive attitude which will take you far. I look forward to hearing how well you do on your journey to regain muscle. Remember that the scales are only a small part of measuring success, start using your tape measure more.0
-
oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
But losing 27 pounds of lean mass is not. That's why an athlete and a model can have the same bf%, but look very different. I look frail and sickly, not strong, and that's what I'm upset about.0 -
oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
But losing 27 pounds of lean mass is not. That's why an athlete and a model can have the same bf%, but look very different. I look frail and sickly, not strong, and that's what I'm upset about.
percentage wise, your are in better shape now than you were at 180 pounds. this logic doesn't make any sense. your body fat percentage went down. it didn't stay the same or go up. it went down. i'm assuming when you gained weight, you gained some lean mass as well as fat, just like when you lose weight, you lose lean mass as well as fat. if you kept all the lean mass and was still 117 pounds, you would be 0% body fat. that is impossible.
when you were 180 pounds, you were not an athelete or model. if you were, you would not have been 35% body fat.0 -
That sucks that you learned the hard way, I have done the same in the past years ago when I lost 100lbs (before gaining it back several years ago) but this time I've been sure to research, study and learn and do this the healthiest way possible. I'ts more important to me to have a healthy BF% rather than lower number on the scale. Thanks for sharing this though...others who may not have know will now know!!0
-
also, before you gained the weight in the first place were you actually a lower body fat percentage than you are now? this is assuming you were 117 pounds at some point in the past. i'm not completely convinced that you did any real damage.
Let me try to explain this for you and anyone else who isn't quite understanding why this is a big deal
Starting 180lbs, 35%bf
Current 117 pounds, 23%bf.
180*.65=117
117*.77=90
117-90= 27 lbs of LBM
A very dedicated woman can build maybe .5lb of muscle every month. so 27/.5=54 months or 4.5 years before she can rebuild her lost muscle. Of course a lot of times newbie gains can offset a bit of this, but it's still a very long time. If used a time machine and lost the same amount of fat (180-117=63 total loss 63-27=36 lbs of fat lost.) at a slow and steady but reasonable rate of .5lb/week she would have been at the same result in 72 weeks or about 1 year 5 months.
OP mistakes happen. Even big mistakes. Learning is part of life. How many people "waste" years"on a degree then go back to school for something different. Or waste years in a bad relationship. I wasted years smoking. It'll take a lot longer than 4.5 years to erase most of THAT damage. It's great that you've realized how to change your situation, and are taking steps to fix it. Good luck.
Thanks for putting this out there for those that are asking what the big deal is. I'm in recovery from an eating disorder, and telling me there's nothing wrong with how I did things is very triggering. It's a huge help to have affirmation that I did, in fact, screw up, and need to do this the right way now.0 -
The first time I weighed myself at my heaviest, I was 180lbs, 35%bf.
I lost the weight, but I did it the stupid way - cardio, cardio, cardio, more cardio, and eating - total, not net - between 500 and 1500 calories per day, depending on how idiotic I was being at the time.
Current stats - 117 pounds, 23%bf.
This means I went from having 117lbs of lean mass to having just 90. I lost 27 pounds of muscle being an idiot.
Now I have the difficult task ahead of putting muscle back on, when it probably would have been 1000 times easier to preserve what I had and lose the fat more slowly and sensibly.
Take this as a cautionary tale. If you lose weight stupidly, it doesn't matter how much you lose, you won't look good naked, you won't be strong, and you'll have a hell of a lot more work ahead of you after reaching your goal weight once you realize that you are a pathetic pile of skinny-fat squish.
Thanks for this post. It seems I was a bit misinformed as well. I'm just getting started but will work some weights into my routine. I have a little bit of strength training and sculpting, but I'm not sure if that's all I need to be doing. I'll have to do a little research. I had a weight routine but couldn't bring myself to do it as often as I was supposed to... I found it tedious and not fun at all. I'll keep looking though I guess!
Good luck to you and thanks again for sharing. :flowerforyou:0 -
I applaud you for passing on this information to others.:drinker:
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Thanks for the advice. Anyone have tips for maintaining muscle?
Develop an slight obsession with rock climbing.
0 -
oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
But losing 27 pounds of lean mass is not. That's why an athlete and a model can have the same bf%, but look very different. I look frail and sickly, not strong, and that's what I'm upset about.
percentage wise, your are in better shape now than you were at 180 pounds. this logic doesn't make any sense. your body fat percentage went down. it didn't stay the same or go up. it went down. i'm assuming when you gained weight, you gained some lean mass as well as fat, just like when you lose weight, you lose lean mass as well as fat. if you kept all the lean mass and was still 117 pounds, you would be 0% body fat. that is impossible.
when you were 180 pounds, you were not an athelete or model. if you were, you would not have been 35% body fat.
Okay, one more time here:
I'm upset because almost half the weight I lost was muscle. If I had maintained most of my lbm from before, I could have stopped losing weight at a much HIGHER weight, been a healthy body-fat percentage, and generally not abused my body. Now, instead of being at a place where I can maintain, say, 135 pounds and 18% body fat, with only 11 lbs lbm lost, I have put time and effort into losing much more weight than I needed to, and on top of it, I'm not done, because my body is scrawny and pathetic.
And I never said I was an athlete or a model at 180. This is what I was trying to say:
I said that the amount of lbm matters, and used the example of an athlete (a body type I would like to have) and a model (which I would never want to look like), who may have the same bf% (lets just say 15% for the purpose of the picture), but look nothing alike.0 -
I wish this were posted when I first started! Same thing happened to me (and close stats!). Hope this helps someone else, though.0
-
bump for later0
-
oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
But losing 27 pounds of lean mass is not. That's why an athlete and a model can have the same bf%, but look very different. I look frail and sickly, not strong, and that's what I'm upset about.
percentage wise, your are in better shape now than you were at 180 pounds. this logic doesn't make any sense. your body fat percentage went down. it didn't stay the same or go up. it went down. i'm assuming when you gained weight, you gained some lean mass as well as fat, just like when you lose weight, you lose lean mass as well as fat. if you kept all the lean mass and was still 117 pounds, you would be 0% body fat. that is impossible.
when you were 180 pounds, you were not an athelete or model. if you were, you would not have been 35% body fat.
Okay, one more time here:
I'm upset because almost half the weight I lost was muscle. If I had maintained most of my lbm from before, I could have stopped losing weight at a much HIGHER weight, been a healthy body-fat percentage, and generally not abused my body. Now, instead of being at a place where I can maintain, say, 135 pounds and 18% body fat, with only 11 lbs lbm lost, I have put time and effort into losing much more weight than I needed to, and on top of it, I'm not done, because my body is scrawny and pathetic.
And I never said I was an athlete or a model at 180. This is what I was trying to say:
I said that the amount of lbm matters, and used the example of an athlete (a body type I would like to have) and a model (which I would never want to look like), who may have the same bf% (lets just say 15% for the purpose of the picture), but look nothing alike.
fine, then work out and build muscle now.0 -
Thanks for the reminder. I actually did strength training, cardio, and ate most of my assigned net calories. I was very pleased with the results. However, once I started maintenance, I dropped the strength training and just continued running. My upper body isn't as toned as it was a few months ago. Now, I'm losing my holiday weight gain, and I'm going to take your advice and add the strength training back into my regimen.0
-
oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.
But losing 27 pounds of lean mass is not. That's why an athlete and a model can have the same bf%, but look very different. I look frail and sickly, not strong, and that's what I'm upset about.
percentage wise, your are in better shape now than you were at 180 pounds. this logic doesn't make any sense. your body fat percentage went down. it didn't stay the same or go up. it went down. i'm assuming when you gained weight, you gained some lean mass as well as fat, just like when you lose weight, you lose lean mass as well as fat. if you kept all the lean mass and was still 117 pounds, you would be 0% body fat. that is impossible.
when you were 180 pounds, you were not an athelete or model. if you were, you would not have been 35% body fat.
Okay, one more time here:
I'm upset because almost half the weight I lost was muscle. If I had maintained most of my lbm from before, I could have stopped losing weight at a much HIGHER weight, been a healthy body-fat percentage, and generally not abused my body. Now, instead of being at a place where I can maintain, say, 135 pounds and 18% body fat, with only 11 lbs lbm lost, I have put time and effort into losing much more weight than I needed to, and on top of it, I'm not done, because my body is scrawny and pathetic.
And I never said I was an athlete or a model at 180. This is what I was trying to say:
I said that the amount of lbm matters, and used the example of an athlete (a body type I would like to have) and a model (which I would never want to look like), who may have the same bf% (lets just say 15% for the purpose of the picture), but look nothing alike.
fine, then work out and build muscle now.
That's what I'm doing. But hopefully, some of those in my former mindset will read this and make their own journeys much easier and more enjoyable. I'm not just b*tching to b*tch. Just trying to put it out there that excessive cardio + undereating = a frail, weak, squishy body.0 -
Good thread, and those of us who understand the concept of preserving lean body mass while losing fat (and how much more difficult it is to put it back on once you've lost it!) get where you're coming from. Ignore the ones who don't - maybe they'll figure it out eventually...or not. It's a shame that you had to learn the hard way, but the point is that you learned and now you know what to do about it to reach your goal. It's good that you put the information out there for others to see - some will understand and learn from it.Okay, one more time here:
I'm upset because almost half the weight I lost was muscle. If I had maintained most of my lbm from before, I could have stopped losing weight at a much HIGHER weight, been a healthy body-fat percentage, and generally not abused my body. Now, instead of being at a place where I can maintain, say, 135 pounds and 18% body fat, with only 11 lbs lbm lost, I have put time and effort into losing much more weight than I needed to, and on top of it, I'm not done, because my body is scrawny and pathetic.
And I never said I was an athlete or a model at 180. This is what I was trying to say:
I said that the amount of lbm matters, and used the example of an athlete (a body type I would like to have) and a model (which I would never want to look like), who may have the same bf% (lets just say 15% for the purpose of the picture), but look nothing alike.0 -
Good thread, and those of us who understand the concept of preserving lean body mass while losing fat (and how much more difficult it is to put it back on once you've lost it!) get where you're coming from. Ignore the ones who don't - maybe they'll figure it out eventually...or not. It's a shame that you had to learn the hard way, but the point is that you learned and now you know what to do about it to reach your goal. It's good that you put the information out there for others to see - some will understand and learn from it.
This. I agree, thanks for sharing your story!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions