Change of Plans...

Great job!

Nicely done!

you're looking great. I know how it is - trying to juggle losing with enjoying yourself. I'm 20lbs down and the motivation to lose the weight isn't quite there now for the last 10lbs but I too have discovered how much fun being fitter can be. As I've lost weight it appears to have made my body straight up and down and I've lost my bum.

So the next few weeks are all about strength and getting curves - and that all important butt!!!

I'm in that same self-sabotage boat, changing that is hard work but seeing results helps keep me motivated. You've done a wonderful job breaking the cycle, you look great! Best of luck with your new "gain" plan!

Hey, you got it done living your life and getting back on track toward your goal. You look great..congrats for reaching your goal!

That is so awesome! You look amazing. That is such great progress and accomplishment! It's so hard, but just be patient to get that last body fat % to drop where you want it. The lower you go, the harder it seems to be. But you can do it!! Make sure you are eating enough that your body is using those calories to power and fuel your workouts instead of storing as fat. Keep lifting heavy. Drink lots of water. Sleep! You already look awesome, but you will definitely get to where you want to be.

It's okay that you were living your life! Or else what's the point of any of this? I don't know if this helps at all, but I was very similar in that I started off just wanting to drop weight and be thin. But then my goals started shifting into "I want to be jacked!" Strong. Fit. And then having that focus is motivating to eat well. Like the more your body performs for you, the more motivating it is to fuel it, nourish it, get optimal rest.

And I really think building muscle is the key to sustainable weight loss. I had an inbody analysis thing done - body composition thing. My weight stayed exactly the same - but body fat % went down and muscle mass went up. It shows the BMR - how many calories you burn at rest a day just existing - and I am burning more NOW at a smaller size than I was a year ago when I weighed more - because my muscle mass is so much higher. My meal portion sizes are bigger than ever. I went from 41% body fat in Feb 2015 to 29% June 2015 to 24% August 2015 to about 18.2% right now. I'm 5'5, similar to you. So keep at it...it took time and patience (which is not my strong point), but it happened!

And you look so bad *kitten*, very Olivia Pope gorg.

You look great! Congratulations on all the hard work.

@roxyyrainy123 I know, that last 5% is sooo frustrating, but it will definitely come. Just keep doing exactly what you are doing. Maintenance has been fine. My body fat hasn't gone up at all. If anything, I think it is easier because my portion sizes are so much bigger now. I eat a lot of food! The right kind of nutrients, but good size portions. I feel like I am in fat burn mode all the time. I have a metabolism now, it seems more ramped up than ever, so I am hungry all the time, but I eat! Muscle, muscle, muscle, it is all about building that muscle.

I tweaked my nutrition a bit in that last phase trying to get down. I started adding in a bit more fat in the morning (2 full eggs along with my 3/4 cup egg whites & 3/4 cup oats) and with my dinner. More protein. More good kind of carbs (portioned oats, sweet potatos, rice, pasta, etc.) to help fuel my workouts. A lot of strength training and HIIT. Increasing protein, adding back more of the right carbs, adding in more healthy fats - I was scared I was going to be eating too much, but that's actually when my fat started going down more.

Now I am trying to gain a few more pounds - muscle only. It's challenging to lose body fat % without sacrificing muscle mass, but that is exactly why you want to do it slowly and the right way. So you can preserve that muscle as much as possible or build it. That's what keeps those calories burning at rest, that's what allows you to eat, enjoy, and feel so good! I kinda like the discipline of it at this point so I think that has helped with maintaining as well. Like you invest so much time and efforts on those gains, you want to protect that investment the other hours of the day.

If anything, you know what the hardest part is now? Needing new goals. It's like you drop the weight... get the body fat % down... improve your mile time or whatever... and then it's like... ok now what? It's almost easier when you have a goal and a new challenge. So enjoy the journey to get there!

You look great!!! I am with you - at 22.6% and ready to be at 20%!!