Anyone else have to struggle like me?

jlohcook · April 2015

As a woman, we constantly struggle to look good. At different ages different challenges. So, yes, everyone will struggle if you want to keep yourself fit, healthy, looking good.

But if you turn what you do to habit, part of your life, it may not seem like a big struggle.

I'm not huge by many, but I see my mom struggled all her life being on the obese side, now with high blood pressure, high cholesterol heart problem. Is don't want to be like that as I grow older. It is a conscious effort which turns to unconscious effort to change my diet and introducing good diet habits to the family.

So it's not about just looking good in a smaller size that matters, having s healthy body that can carry me through to enjoy my old age is more important, that keeps me to the new diet that I'm adopting, more vegetables, more fruits, less alcohol, less pizza, less sweets etc etc.

saraphim41 · April 2015

Maybe we (our current society) have a warped idea of overweight. Most of us have jobs, families, etc. Just maintaining our weight really shouldn't take up so much time and effort.

I know I am lazy, but I want time to develop my mind also. Right now I am trying to learn to write (book), and I find research, etc., takes time too. I like to walk with my camera (pics for drawing practice later), and am just beginning to do resistance exercise. But I have NO INTENTION of making my weight my reason for living. I'm going for strength and good health. And I hope to find them with the Minimum Effective Dosage of time and effort.

achujohn17 · April 2015

Struggle... Yup!! More of being lazy rather than having no time. I guess you gotta set small goals for yourself and takes discipline and effort as well. The saying goes 'No gain without pain'. Keep the bigger picture in mind. I'm currently trying to lose around 40lbs in 4 months time for my wedding. Sounds impossible coz it requires a lot of effort. And for someone as lazy as myself, it's going to get really tough.

But I guess keeping an accountability partner should help. Set similar goals with them, and track each other's progress.

Good luck !!

alexandrazzzz · April 2015

blankiefinder wrote: »

reachingforarainbow wrote: »

I haven't been where you are but I can tell you that I did drastically lose weight a few times. More than likely, you wasted away your muscles. For one, you should add a 100 calories a week till your back to eating maintenance and start lifting. You aren't going to keep weight off through cardio alone. Cardio is great but you only should do around 2 - 1 hour sessions a week and about 4 strength training sessions a week.
Your body needs for calories might also not fit the typical equation for calorie needs. But it shouldn't be extremely low either.

Why just 2 cardio sessions per week? It comes down to Calories in Calories out. Do strength training to help retain muscle mass while you are losing, but you need the calorie deficit to lose. Weights does not equal quick weight loss. What I am trying to say is that if you are doing cardio now and not losing, if you cut out the cardio, you will either have to cut your calories to match, or you could end up in a surplus.

If you're happy with your current weight then you could try a recomposition but that is a slow, slow process.

Anyway, I couldn't find if you mentioned your height, but I can tell you that I maintain at around 1600 calories at 5'7. But that is with extremely accurate logging, and not eating out (where the calories in food are very unpredictable). I also don't drink more than once a month.

That is awesome. I am 5'8. What do you lose at then?

blankiefinder · April 2015

Hey I just want to let you know that I saw your post and I will reply tonight after I get home from the gym, too long to type while I work out

blankiefinder · April 2015

@Alexandra, depending on your weight and metabolism, you may have more or less calories to play with than I do. When I started, at 169 lbs, I was netting around 1100-1400 calories per day (the 1100 would be good workout days, the 1400 would be no workout days), with the average probably around the 1250 mark, and maintained a 1 pound loss every 5 days. I never grossed under 1300 though, except while I was sick a few times, when I was living on chicken broth and sleeping all day. My average burn was probably around 450 calories per day.

Here are a couple of typical days: (Aug. 29, gross 1461, -368 workout= net ~1100. Aug. 31 gross 1600 - 400 workout= net ~1200. Sept. 2, net ~1400, no workout)

blankiefinder · April 2015

You need to weigh your foods with a food scale, log accurately, underestimate calories burned, and eat back 50% if you're hungry, but try to keep your net over 1200 on average. It's okay to have a day under here or there if it's balanced out in the week imo.

Do this for a month and if you're still not losing then you need to look at if there are any areas where your logging is off. If that isn't the case (but it usually is) then it might be worth getting a check up, checking your thyroid TSH, free T3 and free T4 levels, or anything else that might be affecting things.

Also in your post you mentioned not wanting to live your life in a gym. Exercise is for fitness, diet is for weight loss. So if you just want to lose weight, you can do it by controlling your calories. If you want to have a good looking body, you will want to include weight training to minimize muscle loss during your weight loss, and so there is some muscle to show through once the fat is gone

While you are at the gym, there are different things that you can do depending on how much time you have. If you can only afford half an hour at the gym, make it a half hour that counts.

FoodFitnessTravel · April 2015

Alexandra wrote: »

So, I have been overweight since a kid. 164 lbs at age 9 and 218 by age 12. I was born into poverty. 25 years later I fought and escaped. I lost 120 pounds Biggest Loser style (literally, I was a contestant). But have found that 1 hour a day and watching calories simply doesn't cut it for me for losing weight. I put back on 25 lbs and although I am proud to still be down over 90, I just cannot fathom that my life requires 1-1.5 hours a day, plus saying below 1500 cals to MAINTAIN! Losing is a whole different game for me. Is there anyone else out there that just has to workout A LOT, and REALLY hard, and REALLY watch everything and cut out almost everything (grains, alcohol, etc) JUST TO lose weight. I saw a girl on Instagram and she lost 110 pounds in 11 months. I asker her how she did it, she said working out 2-3 hours a day, no alcohol, and low carb. I mean for those who REALLY struggle. Im talking those who have really had to fight for it-not just someone who got lazy and gained weight later in life. I am talking about those who have ALWAYS been overweight. Is this your life now? A daily fight? I am not complaining. I am just really trying to comprehend that it truly requires this much work to get and keep it off. ANYONE else out there relate? And yes I have had thryoid tc checked. If I work out hours a day, cut back cals, and do not drink I lose. If I workout 1 hour a day, watch cals, and even go out to eat 1-2 times a week, I gain or just maintain. CAN ANYONE relate?

Girl i can relate. I am smaller than most of the people, my goal weight is smaller than most people's, i am not trying to get healthy as i've never been overweight but to have a nice, tight body. No anorexia, i just look the best when i'm thin. Which is a whole lot of work, eating less than someone who weights more than me, and lifting weights and feeling bad and guilty when i "slip", i developed 'stuffing myself whenever i eat' habit when i was a child. It's a god damned struggle every day, but then you get the shiny reward called PROGRESS.
Once you get to your goal weight, the battle doesn't stop, it's a lifetime fight. Sure, it gets easier, you can up your calories and stuff but if you want this and if you want this badly enough, it will be a constant struggle.
Btw you're absolutely beautiful!

Anyone else have to struggle like me?

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