I NEED HELP FROM ANYONE WHO HAS LOST THE LAST TEN!!!

Options
2

Replies

  • damonmath
    damonmath Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    I lost the last ten and then some!!!

    What I did was stick to the plan!!! I only eat the following items and nothing more.

    Carbs:
    - Oatmeal
    - Brown Rice
    - Cottage Cheese

    Proteins:
    -Chicken
    -Fish
    -Greek Yogurt

    Fats:
    -Olive Oil
    -Flax Oil

    That's it. No bread, no sugars, not even coffee creamer. When I got to the last 5 pounds I increased my calorie intake to feed my muscles... This in turn burned the last of my fat. I have been in maintenance mode ever since.

    :)
  • Louiselesley
    Louiselesley Posts: 166 Member
    Options
    Running is not going to do it! I am also in my last 10 lbs and am trying to devote my to strength training and high intensity cardio and just upped my calories...I don't know if it will work but I DO believe that running isn't the answer to getting ride of your belly fat!

    http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/training/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin


    As an avid runner (recovering from injury *grumbles*) it PAINS me to admit that this is completely right. Although it is great cardio - running does nothing for your stomach.

    I am lead to believe that Zumba & the 30 day shread is meant to be brilliant. Also things like crunches and sit ups that work on your abs would be great to create tone.
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    Wow! Thanks folks for your input! To respond to some of the comments:

    Yes, I eat my exercise calories...unless I'm really not feeling hungry. I never force feed myself.
    Yes, I have tried zig zagging my calories. It worked for me when I had more than ten pounds to lose- though I might try to do it again and see if it helps (if you look at my diary you'll see I've had days where I was under my calorie goal by 900 and other days where I was over by 50... I'm doing it even unintentionally but maybe it needs to be a weekly regular event??)
    Damon- I couldn't do that. I'm a vegetarian. But I do agree with eating more simply....I'm still eating breads and veggie burgers when I should be doing brown rice and steamed veggies with tempeh on the side....One of the things I love about MFP is that it's not a "diet" it's "lifestyle changes." Eating like you (Damon) suggested would be an extremely restrictive diet...Is that what one needs to kick the last ten???? And, if so, that begs the question of what happens when you end the diet??? For personal reasons I put in an effort to not go down the path of extreme dieting- so I'm hoping there is some other way!

    On the matter of running: Some people swear by it, some say it will do nothing. What I have heard from professionals is that you can't target your belly for weight loss- so doing crunches might strengthen the stomache muscles (which like all muscles will grow and increase your metabolism), but it doesn't neccessarily target belly fat. It's my understanding that the only way I'm gonna rid my body of belly fat is to keep plugging away at my overall body fat percentage until my body targets the belly itself (and I tell you my body fat is probably the lowest it's ever been judging by my cup A breasts that have NEVER been less than a B! Or my booty that is no longer a booty...or my thighs that no longer rub together.....). So based on that, any sort of cardio/fat burning is good- be it 30 DS or running a marathon. I think I said I'm upping the anty because I know I'm getting better at running and so 2 miles 4 x's a week isn't the work out it used to be- I'm running up to 4 miles, and adding in stair reps. I would like to add 30DS on top of my running...if I can find the time to do so!

    For those who said I already look good- Thank You!!!!! Thank you thank you! I'm the thinnest I've ever been without going on some crazy restrictive diet (I have a history with those!) and I've been more consistent with my exercise than I ever have outside of high school! That being said...darn it! This belly wants to be flat! I shall make it happen one way or another!!!!!
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    I also wanted to respond to the "primal diet" suggestion... I'm not gonna argue that it would work. I used to be a raw foodist- nothing more primal than that! If I couldn't eat it raw, I didn't eat it at all. I was 135 lbs (five less than I am now), had TONS of energy, and felt like a ROCKSTAR. I *believe* in raw foods as a path to health. If I were diagnosed with a debilitating disease, the first thing I'd do is go raw (I'd still go to a doctor mind you!).

    BUT I'm not gonna do that now just to lose 10 lbs...because for me it became a bit like an eating disorder where anything that wasn't raw that passed my lips made me fall into this self-loathing pit of despair (yep. this is why i avoid extremely restrictive diets). I also had to be like a raw food evangelist everywhere I went to keep up with it (annoying!). AND many people don't get it, don't wanna get it, and it really puts a damper on one's social life- it's hard enough being vegetarian! In the end, it's hard for me to maintain a raw foods diet without it becoming the end all be all of my life. I don't want to live and breathe a diet, I want a healthy diet to live my life! And when I stop being a raw foodist, all the weight that came off comes right back. I think the same sort of problem would happen with the primal diet.

    To be honest, MFP is the first time in my life that I have weighed less than 145 without feeling like I'm on a diet. I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I'm making better choices, have a better lifestyle, and I really really truly love that about MFP.

    Please don't think that I'm dissing your suggestion though- What I'm saying is that given my personal psychological make up and relationship to food, I don't think that kind of diet would work well for me (I'd lose weight, yes, but my mental health would suffer). I support and encourage people who can to try things like that- especially raw foods. If you wanna feel amazing, eat nothing but raw foods for three months! (Do a youtube search for "raw foods" and "Shazzie"...she's an Ecstatic Being who Loves Raw Foods! She really captures it :)
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    I just read this:

    http://figureathlete.t-nation.com/free_online_article/training/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin

    Hmmm. I'm not sure what kind of exercise she's talking about doing....but isn't doing reps running up stairs kinda along these lines??? I hear what she's saying about just doing the same old. 2 miles is starting to feel easy to me- I'm trying to go faster, use my arms more, go fast up hills, push myself.

    I'd like to hear more about this..... if anyone knows what sort of exercises she's doing (I will also do some research myself and post if I find anything!)
  • Cletc
    Cletc Posts: 352
    Options
    I would drop your carbs to between 50-100 grams a day and see what happens. It's been a life saver for me.

    I started doing this a few days ago.

    I hope it works for me
  • Cletc
    Cletc Posts: 352
    Options
    :blushing:
    I lost the last ten and then some!!!

    What I did was stick to the plan!!! I only eat the following items and nothing more.

    Carbs:
    - Oatmeal
    - Brown Rice
    - Cottage Cheese

    Proteins:
    -Chicken
    -Fish
    -Greek Yogurt

    Fats:
    -Olive Oil
    -Flax Oil


    And Veggies I wonder??
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Options
    If you have met your original goal weight and are not happy with some area of your body then it's about body recomposition rather than weight loss or to put it another way fat loss rather than weight loss. That is preserving lean muscle mass while losing fat.

    Have a read of this.
    http://www.simplyshredded.com/layne-norton-the-most-effective-cutting-diet.html

    Detailed diet and exercise plan for a bodybuilder to cut from 14-4% BF (male but the same theory applies to females)

    You may have issues getting enough protein being vegetarian. Stear clear of the processed veggie burgers IMO. My Mum & Sister are vego's and I know they are tasty but nutriotionally not so great for getting to your final goal IMO.

    In summary, I think you need to focus less on scale weight and more on pics/measurements now.

    Oh and yes, you do look great now :)

    re the cardio article: yes things like stair running, hill sprints, kettlebells, prowler/sled drags are all good for interval training. I personally like hill sprints. I used to do a lot of long distance running and where I do my hill sprints there are always heaps of people jogging past at close to walking pace. Just want to say, come down here and sprint this hill 10 times and you can go home haha :P
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    I would have to agree with Chris, at this point it might be about body composition as opposed to weight. Heck, I could have a goal of 150 (i way 190 now) but that means I would have to lose all my muscle and become aneorexic. I would highly suggest figuring out your body fat % and change your goals. Weight doesn't really mean anything and many times, people get stuck on numbers which may not be realistic for their body type. I am working on my last 10 lbs now and I can tell you it's tough. In fact, I did lose 5 of those lbs I planned on. My bigger goals are related to inches and bf%. I want to be in the single digits for bf%. So even if i stay at 190, as long as I change my body composition I truely don't care if I meet my weight goal. Good luck though. I would suggest looking into measuring body fat instead of weight. Also, you might want to look into programs like p90x or chalean extreme.
  • mommytomia
    mommytomia Posts: 42
    Options
    I wish I could give you thr answers...:)
    I am now 2 pounds below my original goal (am 123)and the lower I get
    the worse by belly fat looks!
    I am not sure I can do much about loose skin that only gets looser!
    I wish I could exercise like a fool and eat no carbs..
    lol..
    but there is always spanx!
    I never have eaten back exercise calories.
    :)
    Good luck with your final 10!
  • feelinghappy1
    feelinghappy1 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    bump
  • DaddyMantz
    DaddyMantz Posts: 145 Member
    Options
    I agree with with Chrisdavey and Psulemon about body re-composition.

    I think your scale weight should be of secondary importance to bodyfat. A big part of losing bodyfat is lifting weights . There's a great e-book called "Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle" that outlines everything you need to do. (goal setting, diet, cardio, weights).
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
    Options
    I didn't read a singly response (sorry, long day too tired) but I read a great article recently on bodybuilder.com
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=FatLossGuides
  • mmnichol
    mmnichol Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    bump
  • missmomma77
    missmomma77 Posts: 42
    Options
    Bump
  • Abigailblue39
    Abigailblue39 Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I would like to know how to lose the last 5 pounds - less weight on my knees (after surgery). I can't seem to get anywhere at all. I'm also interested in figure competition but think I am too lean and/or tall for it.
  • heatherfrancis
    heatherfrancis Posts: 100
    Options
    interesting
  • gnutrifitness
    gnutrifitness Posts: 169 Member
    Options
    Bump it!
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
    Options
    wow! again! Thanks everyone!
    I wanna thank those who talked about "body composition" instead of weight loss... I think I need this shift in mental focus.

    Also, I think cals in/cals out worked great when I was "overweight" but now that I'm in a normal BMI range, I think I do need to switch gears.

    I have to admit- I misunderstood what people meant when they said to increase my work out "intensity"... I thought going from running 8 miles a week to running 16 miles was an increase in intensity! But now I see that "intensity" isn't about the amount of hours you put in, rather how hard you push it. I just did my very first High Intensity Interval Run... I ran 5 minutes at my usual pace, 1 minute at not quite full speed, 4 mins normal pace, 1 min fast...you get the point...for 25 minutes. I didn't really run much farther than I normally do, but a good fair amount of it was uphill (I normally run relatively level terrain).... My arms were sweaty when i was done! I can tell it's a lot more work than what I was doing before! I'm going to plan on contiuing on this path with the HIIT, continuing with my weight training (which is chin ups, bench presses, suicide presses, and some stomache exercises that I have no idea what they are called)....

    I also am going to try to paying attention to new aspects of my diet- am i getting enough protein? Am i cutting back on white breads (I have a freezer full of bread right now which I'll probably slowly plug away at still for financial reasons, but try to do it more slowly ;)?

    also- i changed my profile pic to one of my "before" pics to help remind me that I've come a long way and to promote a positive mental attitude!!!!

    FTW!!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Options
    Sounds like a solid plan :)

    Another great interval workout is tabata thrusters. Only 4mins for a workout and as long you push as hard as possible, you will definitely feel it!

Categories