When will I understand??

melissaka7
melissaka7 Posts: 277 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've been working on my weight loss since May & I'm just shy of a 30lb weight loss. I have done it all mostly through cardio & healthy (not clean) eating. I've taken pictures & weigh myself every day (used to be once a week). My end goal as of right now is 145 (started at 188.8) or whatever looks or feels good. I don't want to go lower than 130. I am 5'5.5".

I am getting ready to start INSANITY, but I have this INSANE (ironic much) fear of gaining weight or not losing weight on it due to building muscle or just not doing it right. I have read so many success stories about people who have lost weight, but also people who didn't lose any weight, or just lost inches. I REALLY want to shed these last 15lbs because I've worked so hard & come so far.

I don't want to sabotage myself at this point. I know that a lot of people start like me & end of ditching their scale at some point because they finally realize that weight is just a number, but what if that doesn't work for me?

Replies

  • Determined82
    Determined82 Posts: 455 Member
    I know exactly how you feel! Whenever I workout the scale doesn't budge and then I want to quit altogether. For me I need to see the number on the scale for motivation versus inches lost, weird but true. I ended up skipping workouts this week and now I'm losing again. I get the whole concept of gaining muscle etc. but mentally I refuse to accept that. I much rather lose weight just with diet so I can see results and then focus on exercise later! LOL
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
    You really need to focus on your health and fitness rather than just a number on a scale. Unless you do that, your weight loss is at risk of not sticking when you reach your goal weight.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    I'd like to know who wrote the rule that our weight is the most important number. We have to stop focusing on that. There are so many other factors that weigh (also ironic) into our overall health, well being AND looks!

    Look at it this way - if you do Insanity and continue to eat at a deficit, you will not gain weight so worst case (and unlikely) scenario is that you don't lose anything. Once you've completed it you go back to doing what you're doing now and continue to lose. You'll have built some strength and stamina doing insanity so you can approach your goal even more aggressively. I think it's a win-win!
  • melissaka7
    melissaka7 Posts: 277 Member

    Look at it this way - if you do Insanity and continue to eat at a deficit, you will not gain weight so worst case (and unlikely) scenario is that you don't lose anything. Once you've completed it you go back to doing what you're doing now and continue to lose. You'll have built some strength and stamina doing insanity so you can approach your goal even more aggressively. I think it's a win-win!

    I never thought about it that way. If I finish it & then go back to running (which I love) it might make me a better runner (ie being able to go faster, longer, etc.) :)
  • seif0068
    seif0068 Posts: 193 Member
    You are not going to be gaining all that much muscle from Insanity - that workout program is not nearly a hardcore enough strength program for that. It's mostly cardio and resistance training. You would need to be lifting heavy and not eating at a deficit to actually gain muscle. If you gain initially it will be water weight, not muscle - because your muscles will be retaining water due to the change in your workout routine. Drink plenty of fluids and that will even out once your body adjusts.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    :huh: You're worried about the number on the scale more than how you actually look? Gaining muscle (which you will not do with Insanity...it's all cardio & cardio does not build muscle) makes you look slimmer & more "toned". Besides, you'd have to train like a beast to gain enough muscle to make a big difference on the scale.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I'll bet those progress pics show a difference even if the scale doesn't Weight isn't everything...see link below

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Take body measurements too.

    FYI, you won't build muscle, or at least not much. It's pretty much impossible to gain muscle on a calorie deficit, especially for women. There is such a thing as newbie gains so you may have a little muscle gain initially but then it will taper off as your body adjusts. What you will see in the progress pics is a reduction in fat which will make your muscles look more defined.

    I love the idea of staggering the Insanity program with running. Nothing wrong with that at all!
  • melissaka7
    melissaka7 Posts: 277 Member
    :huh: You're worried about the number on the scale more than how you actually look?

    Yes, I'm admitting I have a problem, hence the title, when will I understand. I know that my way of thinking is wrong & I was looking for understanding & help.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
    I used to have that problem, but I've thrown the scale away and just focusing on other goals, and I feel better.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Yes, I'm admitting I have a problem, hence the title, when will I understand. I know that my way of thinking is wrong & I was looking for understanding & help.

    I think the only way to true understanding is to try it and find that it's not as scary as it seemed when you were anticipating it.

    Also, keep this in mind: You know already how to lose weight, so if it doesn't work out the way you planned, you can go back to what you're doing now.

    But as others have said, weight is only one measurement. It's a useful one, but don't give it more importance than it deserves. How you look, how your clothes fit, how you feel, how much energy you have, whether you make it through your day without feeling exhausted by the end--all of those are more important. But most of them are harder to measure, so we focus on weight.

    My own approach has been to focus on weight at the beginning and middle of my attempt to get fitter, but as I approach my initial target, I'm going to focus more on body fat, muscle mass, strength, and stamina. If that means I end up 5-10 lbs. heavier than my goal--or 5-10 lbs. lighter--I won't shed any tears. It's like canoeing across a wide lake. Initially you pick a church tower or some other big landmark to guide you, but as you get closer, you can begin to see the beach where you can actually land, and you alter your course toward that.

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