A Sad Realization.

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.

Wait, I'm confused. Are you saying that cardio alone isn't enough to lose weight and keep it off? How much lifting is considered enough?

Forget the past.
It's DONE!
Just start working now on the body you want, and enjoy the journey as you engage the right actions to reach all your health and fitness goals. In time you will look on this whole episode and be thankful for the strength you gained in character.
All Is Possible :flowerforyou:

It is definitely tough to gain back, but personally.. I think if you had enough determination and grit to go from 180lbs all the way to 117lbs the cardio/light eating way, you most certainly can get some muscle put back on!

^^^this!!! You can do it. Throw the scale away and focus on how much better your body looks month after month of weight training.

Thanks for the advice. Anyone have tips for maintaining muscle?

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!

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.

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.

oh and 23% body fat is fine for a woman.

Yeah I agree with this^ your BF is fine
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.

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.