Last 10 Pounds

ratindle

I had my 3rd and final beautiful baby 6 months ago. I have lost all my baby weight + 5 pounds. However, I still have 10 pounds that I would like to shed.
Now, I know that I am not fat and I am actually in a healthy weight catergory but the fact is I know my body could look better.
I run as often as possible 3-5 miles and I do a strength training circuit at 5 am every morning and sometimes another in the afternoon.
I have been eating low fat and high protein and making sure to get plenty of fruits and veggies and little red meat.
What other steps can I take to get to my goal of 120?!

jess6741

Congrats on your baby and success so far! As for the last 10 pounds, do you think maybe you are overtraining? Your body needs time to recover between sessions. You don't want to work the same muscle group two days in a row.

Also fats are really important. I would focus on eating more healthy fats like from avocado and peanut butter.

And just as a side note I am trying to lose the last few pounds as well so I feel your pain. The number on the scale hasn't gone down in a while but I can see that I am gaining more muscle. So don't get too stressed about the number on the scale. Take pictures of your progess and track your inches lost. Good luck!

now_or_never13

First off, congrats on losing weight so far!

Secondly, there is no need to do low fat. Your body needs fats in your diet. Choose healthy fats like olive oils, nuts, nut butters, avocados, etc. Fats also help keep you feeling full along with protein, fiber and lots of water.

Third, what is your weekly weight loss set at /deficit? With only 10lbs left to lose it should be at no more than 0.5lbs per week. The smaller you are the smaller deficit you need.

Finally, what may be best is for you to increase your calories to a slight surplus and start lifting heavy weights. Building muscle will help the look of your body much more than 10 more lbs will.

khall86790

I was speaking to a friend who advised me at this point you should start weight training in order to tone and shape your body after weight loss.
She also told me to try to cut down on carb intake and switch to healthier carbs e.g. brown rice, cous cous, sweet potatoes, etc.
Oh and congratulations on losing the weight

Doctorpurple

First height and weight will be really helpful. If you are any taller than 5'5'', 120 may be too low for you built. As with losing the last few pounds, It is really important that you start tracking your calories and your exercise accurately because your body is not as willing to lose the weight compared to if you have a lot to lose. People that have a lot to lose can shed weight with "minor changes" . But for you to meet your goal weight you have to make sure that your calories out is less than your calories in. The only way you can do that is to track accurately. Measure your food, log in your exercises, etc.

ratindle

I am 5`5" and as of this morning was 126.8#. I use my 5 & 10# dumbells at home for arm circuits but as I am a stay at home mom, getting to the gym only happens one day a week. I do make the most of it when I am there and use the following day as a rest day.
I am less frustrated now that I finally broke the weight loss stall. My husband left for work this morning before I weighed in and took measurements, as I do every Saturday. He got an indecent photo, with appropriate censors (in case someone got a old of his phone), with my stats attached.
I officially have a 27.5" waist!! Started with 32" at 10 weeks post baby! My hips haven't gone anywhere but as I've lost all my upper assets, I kinda want to keep my tush, just get it more toned (37"). My goal is 26" waist but that may be unrealistic as my ribs are becoming visible and I don't want to look anorexic. Most of my weight is carried in my hips and thighs.
Anyway, thank you ladies for your responses.

AmyRhubarb

I lost my last 10lbs by adjusting my calories and macros according to the info in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Read the topic, run your numbers through the tools there - it's long and a lot of info, but he takes you through it all step by step. Since eating that way, I have steadily been losing fat and inches. Sounds like we are similar with our workouts, although I think you may workout more than I do - I do at home workouts, strength for about 30 minutes with my dumbbells three days a week, followed by about 20 minutes of cardio (kickboxing or walking my dogs), and the other three days I run 3-5 miles. So no more than an hour of exercise per day, really, I'm eating 1950+ calories, and fat is coming off like never before -and I'm keeping my lean body mass with the weights.

Best move I ever made was reading that thread - check it out.

ratindle

So, I read through the information and went to the fat2fit website. Based on my body fat percentage that was calculated, my measurements and that I exercise 5 days minimal a week, I should consume 1906-2148 calories a day? Did this actually work for you?
I am a busy stay at home mom, there are some days that I don't reach my 1200 calorie goal. I've even resorted to icecream after dinner to get me closer as I know being under can make weight loss even harder.
Im just worried that if I upped my calories, I would start to gain inches, even though the science behind the information. Sounds good, im anxious about increasing calories.

AmyRhubarb

I am also a stay at home mom. I upped my cals to 1800 and continued to lose - actually had the best fat loss eating at that level, and I have no problem hitting that number every day! I actually just upped my cals to 1950 this week, and lost another .4 lbs as of this morning. Not much, but I'm below goal weight now, and the number on the scale isn't my interest anyway - it's lowering the body fat percentage a bit more, getting the last of it off my tummy, butt & thighs.

My diary is open if you want to see what I eat to reach my goals. I think I was only under goal (even at 1950!) twice this week, and even then it was by 10 cals or less. It works. I believe having the macros set properly helps too (carbs/fat/protein) - I do my best to reach those goals every day as well, and will go over on calories just to get more protein if i need to.

Adding nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy, whole eggs, avocado, olive and coconut oils - all great ways to boost your calorie intake without having to eat more food or junk food - healthy calories packed into small doses.

ratindle

I keep my diary open as well, as I have friends that view mine for motivation.
I've been trying to watch my fats and keep my protein at 1/2 as many grams as my body weight or more. Which is not that easy to do for me. I just started but finding meal ideas my family will eat and meet these criteria is the main struggle. I've been cooking multiple meals at times just to stay on track.
I think I may go ahead and up my calories to 1500 and see if that dos anything and if so, move it up to 1800. Im terrified that by doing his though, my success in inches and weight loss this week will go away. Its worth a shot though.