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regina_mundi
regina_mundi Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
I was going to post this in the "Introduce Yourself" forum, but then things went all pear shaped. Help!

I joined MFP two days ago and have been lurking. Today I decided to introduce myself. :flowerforyou:

Unfortunately, I start on a plateau. Since July 2 I've been keeping calories under my limit—I think many here would jump in and say I'm not eating enough—and religiously doing 50 minutes of mostly cardio. It's the "Melt Fat Fast" workout from the Women's Health app, and includes a plank, double crunches, jackknife stretch, squats, lunges, push-ups, curls, and step exercises. (Today my knees are sore, as is my left hip, so I think I'm going to do only the stretches for a bit.) I don't drive, so I also walk everywhere.

Every morning I get up, empty my innards if I can, and weigh myself. The scale, cheapo though it is, springs straight to 110 lbs. Worse yet, despite the curls, my upper arms are still flabby; despite the lunges and squats, my thighs are 20" in circumference, the biggest they've ever been. I tried on an outfit that I wore in May, and it was tight. Back then I must have weighed 100-105 lbs, which is my usual weight. (Bear in mind I am short.) I have no idea what is happening to me, but I am not buying new clothes. In fact, I haven't done so in seven years.

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  • Persipan
    Persipan Posts: 85 Member
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    How tall are you?
  • fitmommy2012
    fitmommy2012 Posts: 451 Member
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    Hi! I know that you may have heard this OVER AND OVER again...but maybe you need to eat a little more and switch up your workout routine. Usually, from what I have found out, when you hit a plateau..your body may need more calories...especially if you are doing 50 minutes of cardio a day.

    Also, I just read a health article from Nike women, that if you do nothing but cardio it can be bad for you and slow down your weight loss because you burn off all your lean muscle mass, which is what helps speed up your metabolism. I dont know...I am still at the begining of my journey...but I would think that maybe try cardio only 3-4 days a week and then alternate with strength training...just a suggestion...hope I helped somewhat! :smile:

    Good luck with your weight loss...you seem to be VERY close to where you want to be!
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
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    Lunges and squats are definitely going to make you build thigh muscle, so that could be why they're staying the same size. It sounds like you're expecting spot reduction.
  • regina_mundi
    regina_mundi Posts: 30
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    How tall are you?

    On a "tall" day I am 5'3." I'm just trying to lose the weight I put on in June. It's the first time ever I've not been able to take off weight I put on. In the past I used to gain five pounds whenever I traveled overseas and then lose it all, and then some, within days. I now realize that the gains were really water weight from 6-20 hours in planes, trains, and automobiles.

    Contrary to infomercials and pop-up adverts, one can't spot reduce. In fact, the only place I've noticed weight loss is my chest, where I really really didn't need it. The thing about my thighs is that they are flabbier than ever when sitting. When standing they seem to me really firm, though. The problem is that they really are bigger. They (and my gut) were making an outfit I wore regularly two months ago feel and (worse!) look tight.

    Thanks for the info, FitMommy.

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