8 lbs of "vanity pounds" left, slow progress

lauraspberry
lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I just finished the first half of focus T25. It took me 5 weeks and I see some progress but it's not as big as I was expecting it to be. I know it's harder to lose if it's only "vanity pounds" but it just gets me sad because I've been trying so hard pushing myself each day and results are slow paced. I need some motivation. You know the feeling that you get when you're doing everything but it just doesnt seem to be paying off :/ I feel like I'm wasting time. Am I doing anything wrong? I dont know :(


PS
I'm trying to lose the belly fat that's why my goal weight is 118-120lbs at 5ft 7. It's low, I know, but it's the only way that I can start toning up (and I'll gain weight from toning because of muscle mass). Please don't tell me I have an eating disorder because I do not LOL :flowerforyou:



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Replies

  • jazzii98
    jazzii98 Posts: 33
    Oh my gosh you're adorable
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i know T25 has some resistance stuff in, but i would look at adding more lifting into your routine with a small calorie deficit (TDEE-10% or set MFP to lose 0.5lb per week) and plenty of protein to help retain LBM.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    i know T25 has some resistance stuff in, but i would look at adding more lifting into your routine with a small calorie deficit (TDEE-10% or set MFP to lose 0.5lb per week) and plenty of protein to help retain LBM.

    I've been trying to eat TDEE-10% but I only lost 3 lbs in a month :( I will look into adding more lifting since I enjoy strength training more than cardio :D talk about protein, is soy better than whey? :D
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Strength training will fix the tummy area.

    Also, the weight is just going to be slow progress since you're already at an ideal weight. I've lost 13 pounds, and it's taken me 4.5 months to get to that point. For motivation, my best suggestion is to make fitness goals that are separate from weightloss goals. That way, if you only lose a tiny bit of weight every week, you can still see progress through strength gains.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Oh my gosh you're adorable

    Oh not really you're too nice :flowerforyou:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    I've been trying to eat TDEE-10% but I only lost 3 lbs in a month :( I will look into adding more lifting since I enjoy strength training more than cardio :D talk about protein, is soy better than whey? :D

    what do you mean by ONLY 3lb in a month?!

    cant help with whey or soy, i'm a meat eater...
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Strength training will fix the tummy area.

    Also, the weight is just going to be slow progress since you're already at an ideal weight. I've lost 13 pounds, and it's taken me 4.5 months to get to that point. For motivation, my best suggestion is to make fitness goals that are separate from weightloss goals. That way, if you only lose a tiny bit of weight every week, you can still see progress through strength gains.

    That makes perfect sense! Idk where to start on strength training though... I'll start looking stuff up thank you so much! :flowerforyou:
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member

    I've been trying to eat TDEE-10% but I only lost 3 lbs in a month :( I will look into adding more lifting since I enjoy strength training more than cardio :D talk about protein, is soy better than whey? :D

    what do you mean by ONLY 3lb in a month?!

    cant help with whey or soy, i'm a meat eater...

    I'm not vegan/vegetarian haha just trying to up my protein intake with supplements since I eat brown rice mostly :)
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
    I can definitely see a difference! Plus 3lbs in a month is amazing! I'd honestly start lifting heavy, new rules/ starting strength, something like that.
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    I can definitely see a difference! Plus 3lbs in a month is amazing! I'd honestly start lifting heavy, new rules/ starting strength, something like that.

    Thank you so much! I'm trying to research on lifting Idk where to start :laugh:
  • Satiable
    Satiable Posts: 121
    talk about protein, is soy better than whey? :D

    Soy, whey and egg protein are generally found to have the best balance of essential amino acids, and I haven't come across any solid evidence yet that says one is better than the other. They're all good for you!

    (If you have any lactose intolerance issues, soy would be better. If you're concerned about estrogen-mimicking compounds in soy products, try the whey.)

    Good luck with the rest of T25!
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    talk about protein, is soy better than whey? :D

    Soy, whey and egg protein are generally found to have the best balance of essential amino acids, and I haven't come across any solid evidence yet that says one is better than the other. They're all good for you!

    (If you have any lactose intolerance issues, soy would be better. If you're concerned about estrogen-mimicking compounds in soy products, try the whey.)

    Good luck with the rest of T25!

    That really helped, thank you! Im lactose intolerant but it's not that bad. I'll try both soy and whey and see what works for me best thanks!
  • PixieAdele
    PixieAdele Posts: 102 Member
    I found that weight training makes me put on weight whether it was muscle or not.. Not sure, and didn't help with my vanity pounds in the belly area. I'm still squatting heavy but not bothered with the other exercises in strong lifts 5x5, I'm going back to cardio which is how I lost a bit in the first place.

    Saying that, tons of people have had huge success with lifting heavy so you should definitely try it. But if you obsess with the number on the scale (I've learned that I do unfortunately) it might be discouraging.

    Very best of luck!
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    I found that weight training makes me put on weight whether it was muscle or not.. Not sure, and didn't help with my vanity pounds in the belly area. I'm still squatting heavy but not bothered with the other exercises in strong lifts 5x5, I'm going back to cardio which is how I lost a bit in the first place.

    Saying that, tons of people have had huge success with lifting heavy so you should definitely try it. But if you obsess with the number on the scale (I've learned that I do unfortunately) it might be discouraging.

    Very best of luck!

    thank you! I'm kinda obsessed with the scale so i gotta target that prob first i guess before starting with lifting ;) thanks!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Defo move towards heavy lifting following an established routine.

    I'm 5'8 and weigh 154 lbs yet don't have "belly fat". At this range, numbers on the scale are irrelevant and as someone says can make you depressed.

    More cardio will help to reduce the ab fat but will also reduce everything else so you'll still look proportionally the same. Of course, if you continue, at some point you'll just be skin and bones so it is possible to remove ab fat without lifting.
  • adorable_aly
    adorable_aly Posts: 398 Member
    I found that weight training makes me put on weight whether it was muscle or not.. Not sure, and didn't help with my vanity pounds in the belly area. I'm still squatting heavy but not bothered with the other exercises in strong lifts 5x5, I'm going back to cardio which is how I lost a bit in the first place.

    Saying that, tons of people have had huge success with lifting heavy so you should definitely try it. But if you obsess with the number on the scale (I've learned that I do unfortunately) it might be discouraging.

    Very best of luck!



    thank you! I'm kinda obsessed with the scale so i gotta target that prob first i guess before starting with lifting ;) thanks!

    Honestly if you are looking for a toned physique rather than just losing weight, i would start lifting. You can lose more weight if you want, But your body will be the same, just a smaller version of what you already have. You also just need to be consistent and have patience.

    Edit: quote fix.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Spot the 10 differences?

    Sorry but I really hardly see any difference at all. You look just as fine in pictures 1 as in 2!
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    I can see a BIG difference lady! I would be very proud of those results :) Like others have said, strength training will do a lot for you. I am also at around 8lbs to lose, and it is definitely harder the closer you get to your goal (mind you, I'm 5'5 and aiming for 124, so it's probably still a bit less difficult than what you are doing). But you are soing awesome!!!
  • YouHadMyCuriosity
    YouHadMyCuriosity Posts: 218 Member
    Spot the 10 differences?

    Sorry but I really hardly see any difference at all. You look just as fine in pictures 1 as in 2!

    Really?? She didn't need to lose an ounce of weight in the first pics (I would be thrilled to like like that!) but you can see a lot of tightening between the before and afters. She has obviously done some work between the two sets of photos, and it shows!!!
  • lauraspberry
    lauraspberry Posts: 655 Member
    Thanks for your inputs you guys :) the belly is becoming a bit smaller since my pants are sliding down on me already lol what I dont understand is why doesnt the tape measure show progress lol when I lost 3lbs and my clothes are falling off of me
  • PixieAdele
    PixieAdele Posts: 102 Member
    I found that weight training makes me put on weight whether it was muscle or not.. Not sure, and didn't help with my vanity pounds in the belly area. I'm still squatting heavy but not bothered with the other exercises in strong lifts 5x5, I'm going back to cardio which is how I lost a bit in the first place.

    Saying that, tons of people have had huge success with lifting heavy so you should definitely try it. But if you obsess with the number on the scale (I've learned that I do unfortunately) it might be discouraging.

    Very best of luck!

    thank you! I'm kinda obsessed with the scale so i gotta target that prob first i guess before starting with lifting ;) thanks!

    I agree I need to address that issue too

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