Vanity vs Fitness Goals

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lucyholdcroft363
lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I already posted this, I know, but I think it may have been more appropriate to post in this section in retrospect.
My current weight is around 157/58lbs putting my BMI at 21.5 for my height. I originally aimed for a BMI of 20.5 but after getting here from a BMI of 26-27 I am just tired of dieting. For vanity reasons, I wanted to lose those last seven pounds to put me at the 20.5 but now I'm further into my loss, I am also aiming for goals like running a 10k, increasing my endurance, losing fat and gaining muscle...and increasing my overall health. The thing is that I am not 100% happy with how I look...so my question is: Would it be better to just lose the last 7 pounds and then work on my goals and endure the ten or so more weeks of dieting, or to instead focus on body recomposition and my health goals?

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited June 2015
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    If you're tired of dieting- take a break and focus on performance goals. Worry about what you look like after you hit some actual attainable goals like- running your 10K- or competing in a power lifting event... you'll feel better mentally resetting on attainable- trainable goals with hard dead lines.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
    edited June 2015
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    If you're tired of dieting- take a break and focus on performance goals. Worry about what you look like after you hit some actual attainable goals like- running your 10K- or competing in a power lifting event... you'll feel better mentally resetting on attainable- trainable goals with hard dead lines.

    Pretty much all of this^^^

    And try to look at all of this as a lifetime endeavor...it doesn't all have to happen right now.

    I was in the same boat a couple of years ago...I had dropped 40 Lbs over about 9 months and I was done mentally with it all but not where I wanted to be from a physique standpoint. I went to maintenance and really focused on fitness and eating well...my thought has always been that my body will ultimately reflect my lifestyle..so I adopted a lifestyle of feeding and training rather than dieting and exercising.

    I maintained for over a year and did a nice re-comp...again, I really wasn't focused on re-comping specifically...I was just focused on training and hitting certain training goals...the re-comp just came with that training and feeding.

    Then last winter I hit some plateaus in my lifting and the only way to get over them was to eat more...so I did and I put on about 10 Lbs over the winter and my lifts went through the roof. I had intended to do a cut in the spring, but never really got around to it until mid May so I'm cutting now and doing great as I'm more mentally into things than I was 2 years ago.

    At any rate, the point of my ramblings is that this is forever...I'm always working on something...it never really ends...I may switch focus from this to that for a time, but really the betterment of myself is a lifelong endeavor. I've been at this good livin' thing for going on 3 years now and I've accomplished only a fraction of what I intend to accomplish.
  • lucyholdcroft363
    lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    If you're tired of dieting- take a break and focus on performance goals. Worry about what you look like after you hit some actual attainable goals like- running your 10K- or competing in a power lifting event... you'll feel better mentally resetting on attainable- trainable goals with hard dead lines.

    Pretty much all of this^^^

    And try to look at all of this as a lifetime endeavor...it doesn't all have to happen right now.

    I was in the same boat a couple of years ago...I had dropped 40 Lbs over about 9 months and I was done mentally with it all but not where I wanted to be from a physique standpoint. I went to maintenance and really focused on fitness and eating well...my thought has always been that my body will ultimately reflect my lifestyle..so I adopted a lifestyle of feeding and training rather than dieting and exercising.

    I maintained for over a year and did a nice re-comp...again, I really wasn't focused on re-comping specifically...I was just focused on training and hitting certain training goals...the re-comp just came with that training and feeding.

    Then last winter I hit some plateaus in my lifting and the only way to get over them was to eat more...so I did and I put on about 10 Lbs over the winter and my lifts went through the roof. I had intended to do a cut in the spring, but never really got around to it until mid May so I'm cutting now and doing great as I'm more mentally into things than I was 2 years ago.

    At any rate, the point of my ramblings is that this is forever...I'm always working on something...it never really ends...I may switch focus from this to that for a time, but really the betterment of myself is a lifelong endeavor. I've been at this good livin' thing for going on 3 years now and I've accomplished only a fraction of what I intend to accomplish.

    FANTASTIC way of putting it. You are too right that it is a lifetime endeavour. I've got a good seventy or even eighty years ahead of me to accomplish my goals. What is a year or so off compared to that time? Thank you for putting things into perspective!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I maintained for over a year and did a nice re-comp...again, I really wasn't focused on re-comping specifically...I was just focused on training and hitting certain training goals...the re-comp just came with that training and feeding.
    really nice summation of that - so I"m quoting to point it out.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    It is a two edged sword

    For me, I have been at this for over 18 months and have lost over 125 lbs.

    I want to drop 15 more. I am tired of the dieting but at the same time I very good at it. I'm so close to my goal.

    I'm reducing lifting and dieting more strictly, doing a little more cardio. I want to see this through to the end since I have came so far.

    It is in sight. I'm not stopping now after all this...

    I would say to keep that stiff upper lip and see it through. You are so close.

    You have seventy to eighty years left of life... Take 5-6 months and get there. It is drop in the bucket!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    If you're tired of dieting- take a break and focus on performance goals. Worry about what you look like after you hit some actual attainable goals like- running your 10K- or competing in a power lifting event... you'll feel better mentally resetting on attainable- trainable goals with hard dead lines.

    Pretty much all of this^^^

    And try to look at all of this as a lifetime endeavor...it doesn't all have to happen right now.

    I was in the same boat a couple of years ago...I had dropped 40 Lbs over about 9 months and I was done mentally with it all but not where I wanted to be from a physique standpoint. I went to maintenance and really focused on fitness and eating well...my thought has always been that my body will ultimately reflect my lifestyle..so I adopted a lifestyle of feeding and training rather than dieting and exercising.

    I maintained for over a year and did a nice re-comp...again, I really wasn't focused on re-comping specifically...I was just focused on training and hitting certain training goals...the re-comp just came with that training and feeding.

    Then last winter I hit some plateaus in my lifting and the only way to get over them was to eat more...so I did and I put on about 10 Lbs over the winter and my lifts went through the roof. I had intended to do a cut in the spring, but never really got around to it until mid May so I'm cutting now and doing great as I'm more mentally into things than I was 2 years ago.

    At any rate, the point of my ramblings is that this is forever...I'm always working on something...it never really ends...I may switch focus from this to that for a time, but really the betterment of myself is a lifelong endeavor. I've been at this good livin' thing for going on 3 years now and I've accomplished only a fraction of what I intend to accomplish.

    FANTASTIC way of putting it. You are too right that it is a lifetime endeavour. I've got a good seventy or even eighty years ahead of me to accomplish my goals. What is a year or so off compared to that time? Thank you for putting things into perspective!

    I wouldn't look at it as taking a year off really...more like re-focusing your goals. I'm sure it's not what you mean, but taking a year off implies you're just going to revert back to whatever it is you used to do...you can never really do that.
  • fbinsc
    fbinsc Posts: 735 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Your post is written like you want people to provide validation to quit dieting. Dieting/body recomposition/fitness aren't mutually exclusive.

    You have goals. How important are they? What is it worth to you to achieve them? Are you happy putting off some to achieve others, or is that just an excuse because it's hard?

    The best results often come from the toughest things we do. Whatever you do be honest with yourself about what you are doing and why.

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