When is it NOT worth it??

VegFit72
VegFit72 Posts: 35 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Gonna vent a bit. I've been logging for 150 days now with about 1-2 free days a week along with the holidays. I've lost an average of 7-8 pounds. I didn't "need" to lose any weight but wanted to get leaner so I knew I needed to cut back on some extra calories. To give a bit of history--I'm 42, 5'10" and have maintained about 155 for all my adult life (minus pregnancy). Depending on the devise my body fat ranges from 15-21%. I'm a fitness instructor and exercise on average 4-5x week, moderately intense. The way I've always eaten has been pretty healthy BUT I did eat basically what I wanted, when I wanted and as much as I wanted (within reason). So....I'm thinking, that is how I've always ate and maintained and now I'm weighing everything and worrying about every bite and stay hungry a lot of the time just to maintain a 7 pound loss???? I'm not sure it's worth it. To get as lean as I'd like to be I can only image how clean(extreme clean) I would have to eat plus how much more work out (that I do not have time for right now). Now I'm worried that if I go back to eating how I normally did that I'll gain more than my "normal" 155 pounds. I feel totally stuck!

Replies

  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
    since you are in the fitness business and spend a great deal of time exercising, it will take extreme measures to stay as lean as you want. only you can decide what is worth it. some people do not miss eating "the way they used to" and would rather have the smaller numbers on the scale. still others don't care about weight as compared to how happy they are when they get their slice of pizza. my first thought is your age - the older you get, the more difficult it is going to be to eat the way you want and maintain your weight. hormones, unfortunately, sneak up on us. i used to eat anything (and i do mean anything) and i never gained an ounce. now thanks to aging, 7 pregnancies, a hysterectomy and early menopause, i've been on MFP for 4 months and have only lost 4 lbs.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I imagine you feel like the poor boy with his finger in the dike?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Brinker,_or_The_Silver_Skates

    You daren't make a change because who knows what will happen? I suggest in all seriousness that you take a controlled step back from weighing and measuring. Maybe step on the scale once a month. Decide on a new number where you would be comfortable, and at one point you would go back to weighing and measuring.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    wow I would love to be you. I can gain 7 lbs easy in a holiday week or vacation. I have battled with my weight since I was 16. If you can eat what you want when you want and just have a 7 pound difference, 7 lbs is nothing. You are truly lucky. I lost about 50 lbs 4 years ago and have to watch every bite that I don't put it back on. I am an emotional eater also, think food fixes everything. Like I said lucky you. Enjoy your life.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm 42 as well. Up until a couple years ago I ate what I wanted, when I wanted! It's only been the last 2 years that the weight has crept on :( I'm blaming age lol
  • VegFit72
    VegFit72 Posts: 35 Member
    brenn24179 wrote: »
    If you can eat what you want when you want and just have a 7 pound difference, 7 lbs is nothing. You are truly lucky.

    Oh, no. To lose the 7-8 pounds I've been logging and measuring and keeping calories usually under 2000 but sometime more and almost always a free day or two where I eat what I want and just log 3500 calories for good measure and to keep status. I ate pretty much what I wanted and when before getting on this MFP kick and I maintained 155'ish for years. When I first dropped the few pounds I have lost, I could look in the mirror and see the change and for sure when I put on my jeans as I didn't have the fat pudge over the top. Now, most people I know tell me I look great and am in great shape and how do I stay so trim, etc.... (prior to any weight loss)

    I am concerned now about just "eating" like I did 150 days ago when I didn't worry about it at all and the weight gain come back plus more. I image it probably would stabilize at 155 again but who knows??

  • carolynmo1969
    carolynmo1969 Posts: 120 Member
    I believe there is tremendous benefits to clean eating way beyond weight loss/management. When you were tracking calories, what did you "learn" - ie you had more energy and felt fuller longer when you ate a pear vs. some cookies. Did you learn to interpret your body's signals - eating for sustenance vs. out of thirst or boredom. The health benefits ARE worth it, but knowing how to listen to your body and fuel it accordingly can be done (gasp) without myfitnesspal.
  • BetterThanExpected
    BetterThanExpected Posts: 104 Member
    Check your macros. Fat and protein will keep you fuller longer than carbs will. Intermittent fasting can be good for some people who feel hungry all day, because when you eat all your meals within a small "window" of time, they're bigger. Intermittent fasting can mean anything from something like Leangains' 16/8 (hours fasted/hours fed), Fast Five's 19/5, or even just one or two 24hr fasts a week (which can just mean something like 6pm one day to 6pm the next day).
    Now, I know this is myfitnesspal so I'm probably gonna get people on my back just for suggesting things like low carb and fasting, but it works.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    You may be able to stop logging if you are careful. I have had somewhat similar results to what I get from MFP just by adding lots of vegetables/fruits to my diet and exercising daily. My rule was I could not eat ANYTHNG without eating a fruit or vegetable with it. No cheat days, but no hungry days either. I may switch to this myself once I get to goal weight. (This used to be enough for me to lose, but not since menopause).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Take a two week "logging" break, eat at maintenance, then re-evaluate your goals.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Do a search for resetting metabolism, I think that is what it is called. Someone will jump in and put me straight if I am wrong.
    Anyway the premise is that you slowly- 50 cal at a time, up you calories while maintaining your weight. It has something to do with adjusting metabolism so you can eat more without gaining.
    Even though it means you will be counting calories a little longer, I think the results are what you are looking for.

    Help somebody who knows more about this.
    Cheers, h.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Okay, my take is that you have a luckily very easily maintain a healthy weight. Getting slimmer is probably no gain health wise, so it would be for aesthetics. I think you are a better example to yourself and others by going with your healthy, natural size.
  • minamu68
    minamu68 Posts: 11
    Eat as you want for four to eight weeks, weighing yourself at least once a week, and see what happens. That should give you the info you seek. If it starts to climb up and can't be tolerated, cut the time short and go back to logging.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    girlviernes wrote: »
    Okay, my take is that you have a luckily very easily maintain a healthy weight. Getting slimmer is probably no gain health wise, so it would be for aesthetics. I think you are a better example to yourself and others by going with your healthy, natural size.

    +1
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    adjusting metabolism so you can eat more without gaining.

    Do leprechauns fly on purple unicorns?

    Hint: That ain't gonna happen.

  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    girlviernes wrote: »
    Okay, my take is that you have a luckily very easily maintain a healthy weight. Getting slimmer is probably no gain health wise, so it would be for aesthetics. I think you are a better example to yourself and others by going with your healthy, natural size.

    I agree. 5'10" and 155 is a BMI of 22. You can set your personal goal to whatever you want but the weight loss does not appear to have done that much for you emotionally

    As a group fitness instructor do you do a lot of weights? You could try incorporating heavy lifting for a while and see if that gives you body shape changes that inspire you. Either way I suspect you're probably quite fine the way you are :)
  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    You are at a healthy weight now and I'm not sure why you would even want to put yourself through cutting calories if you have maintained a healthy weight for most of your adult life plus you exercise so you're obviously fit.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    SeargentSausage, It was an article I read on strenghthunbound, I know nothing about the subject, nor the veracity of the article, but I do know a number of people on MFP follow the site, which is why I put the mention out in case anyone had further information.
    I do wish there were purple unicorns.
    Cheers, h.
  • VegFit72
    VegFit72 Posts: 35 Member
    [/quote]
    As a group fitness instructor do you do a lot of weights? You could try incorporating heavy lifting for a while and see if that gives you body shape changes that inspire you. Either way I suspect you're probably quite fine the way you are :)
    [/quote]

    Thanks! Weight training is what I do most of and I life heavy for me. I know overall I'm in good shape, just wanted to cut to about 15% or less BF. I see now how difficult it is for fitness models and body builders to achieve such lean bodies. Not sure I have the endurance and determination to reach that level.

  • VegFit72
    VegFit72 Posts: 35 Member
    dramaqueen45 wrote: »
    You are at a healthy weight now and I'm not sure why you would even want to put yourself through cutting calories if you have maintained a healthy weight for most of your adult life plus you exercise so you're obviously fit.

    Thanks. I know most people tell me that they would love to look like me and ask for my help in the gym. I just wanted to reach very lean BF but see now how hard that really is to do and just not sure it's worth it, especially since I have no plans to compete.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    If you're happy where you are, stay there!

    If you were able to maintain before, you should be able to do it again. Give it a shot. :)
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Precise nutrition did a blog and infographic on "The cost of getting lean: Is it really worth it?" listing the benfits, tradeoffs and what it takes to maintain certain levels of leaness. Really realistic and informative. Check it out

    http://www.precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean-infographic
  • VegFit72
    VegFit72 Posts: 35 Member
    gmallan wrote: »
    Precise nutrition did a blog and infographic on "The cost of getting lean: Is it really worth it?" listing the benfits, tradeoffs and what it takes to maintain certain levels of leaness. Really realistic and informative. Check it out

    http://www.precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean-infographic

    Thanks for that link.

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