Bothered....

ChubbyBunny
ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
edited September 2024 in Motivation and Support
Alright so I have discovered a trend with me....
For whatever backwards reason.... when I work out and eat really healthy and in my calorie limit... I either stall or GAIN weight.

However, when I don't work out at all and just watch calories ..... BOOM... the weight falls right off.

So, there is my quandry... I want to lose weight but still LOOK good... and being all jiggly from lack of exercise is NOT hot at all. Is it wrong to be "heavier" if you look good? I don't really have any health issues.... but figured I should be closer to my ideal weight.

I am just getting bummed.... I've been on this site 11 months and I've yo-yoed with my 10lb loss!
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Replies

  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    Alright so I have discovered a trend with me....
    For whatever backwards reason.... when I work out and eat really healthy and in my calorie limit... I either stall or GAIN weight.

    However, when I don't work out at all and just watch calories ..... BOOM... the weight falls right off.

    So, there is my quandry... I want to lose weight but still LOOK good... and being all jiggly from lack of exercise is NOT hot at all. Is it wrong to be "heavier" if you look good? I don't really have any health issues.... but figured I should be closer to my ideal weight.

    I am just getting bummed.... I've been on this site 11 months and I've yo-yoed with my 10lb loss!
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    when you workout do you eat what your burned? If so do you eat all of it or some?

    have you measured yourself?
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    Could you lose the weight you need to lose then strength train to gain muscle? I mean if you are fine with where you are now could you just try to maintain and strength train. If you are happy with your weight now and there are no health issues then I don't see anything wrong with staying where you are for a while.:flowerforyou:
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,809 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror
  • stillkristi
    stillkristi Posts: 1,135 Member
    Dave's right, while I might not throw away the scales, would not make that my only measuring device. Check out how your clothing is fitting, and how your measurements change. When you exercise, you build muscle, muscle is more dense than fat, so you may not shed pounds, but you will likely be rehsaping your body.
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    I only eat a portion of my exercise calories. When I was eating them all before I didn't lose.
    I don't measure...but have been keeping an eye on how my clothes fit, which is loser and what I expected with working out.

    I would like to lose weight. I mean, I don't like weighing 180+ even if I do look decent. The main roadblock besides lack of weight loss is that if I stop working out... i get jiggly and I am getting married this summer. So, it's like I am having to pick between the two.

    Dave, I do have a mirror... and check it out regularly... :laugh:

    I know I shouldn't want a certain number but... I want a "normal" number.
  • molsongirl
    molsongirl Posts: 1,373 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror

    i'm with you on that one, and wer the same thing every time you look inthat mirror, I wear the same bathing suit each time, I can see my body changing, wearing nothing at all is even better, but i'm not quite there yet, even I don't need to see that! :laugh:
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,809 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror

    i'm with you on that one, and wer the same thing every time you look inthat mirror, I wear the same bathing suit each time, I can see my body changing, wearing nothing at all is even better, but i'm not quite there yet, even I don't need to see that! :laugh:

    I'll be the Judge of that Missy:wink:
    get in the birthday suit!:laugh:
  • swiftyoung
    swiftyoung Posts: 298 Member
    By workout, I assume you mean cardio and strength training. Since it sounds like your main objective is getting firm maybe try, just strength training. You will stay firm for your wedding and once you build up your muscle mass then the weight may come off easier. Just a thought! Good Luck
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror

    Agreed!

    besides, you need to build muscle for long term weight loss and you might find after building that muscle that this 10lbs that is bothering you so much doesn't matter because you look so good.

    We get too hung up on a number and forget to look at how healthy we look or have become. :heart:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    I'm taking all sorts of advice.

    I actually WANT to lose weight first.... firming up is easy for me... getting weight off is a pain!
    I'm at 180+ right now..... I would LOVE to be around 150ish at least by the time my fiance gets home from deployment in August. Which isn't a TOTALLY unrealistic goal for most.... but it's looking bleak for me for some reason and i can't figure out why.
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror

    Agreed!

    besides, you need to build muscle for long term weight loss and you might find after building that muscle that this 10lbs that is bothering you so much doesn't matter because you look so good.

    We get too hung up on a number and forget to look at how healthy we look or have become. :heart:

    It's not 10lbs I am trying to get off.... that's all I've lost in almost a year on here. I am WANTING to ultimately lose 50+ lbs.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,809 Member
    I'm taking all sorts of advice.

    I actually WANT to lose weight first.... firming up is easy for me... getting weight off is a pain!
    I'm at 180+ right now..... I would LOVE to be around 150ish at least by the time my fiance gets home from deployment in August. Which isn't a TOTALLY unrealistic goal for most.... but it's looking bleak for me for some reason and i can't figure out why.

    NEVER say "I can't: change your attitude to "I can" then you can start fresh with a vision of you and your workouts will be better, your meals will be better,,,,,YOU CAN
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    I'm taking all sorts of advice.

    I actually WANT to lose weight first.... firming up is easy for me... getting weight off is a pain!
    I'm at 180+ right now..... I would LOVE to be around 150ish at least by the time my fiance gets home from deployment in August. Which isn't a TOTALLY unrealistic goal for most.... but it's looking bleak for me for some reason and i can't figure out why.

    NEVER say "I can't: change your attitude to "I can" then you can start fresh with a vision of you and your workouts will be better, your meals will be better,,,,,YOU CAN

    :laugh: Not your PMA thread....
    I just need help or tips...I've asked a few trainers, docs, etc and all are stumped.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    why not try not eating your exercise calories and see how that works- You have extra meat/fat on your body anyway that your body can use towards fuel- How many calories are you eating- Try tweaking your calories a bit-

    I personally don't eat my calories burned (never heard about it before this site- No stones need to be thrown its just me personally) However I eat 1450-1500 calories a day and I work out 4-5 days a week for a min of an hour and burn a min of 500 calories and i dropped 6lbs in 3 weeks (I only weigh in 3 weeks a month because of TOM)-

    Try messing with your calories and increase your workouts
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    why not try not eating your exercise calories and see how that works- You have extra meat/fat on your body anyway that your body can use towards fuel- How many calories are you eating- Try tweaking your calories a bit-

    I personally don't eat my calories burned (never heard about it before this site- No stones need to be thrown its just me personally) However I eat 1450-1500 calories a day and I work out 4-5 days a week for a min of an hour and burn a min of 500 calories and i dropped 6lbs in 3 weeks (I only weigh in 3 weeks a month because of TOM)-

    Try messing with your calories and increase your workouts

    So, should I mess down with my calories? I'm eating about 1500 (based of BMR).
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    Ok...CB....

    When I was at 180, I took my calories down to 1300. I have a large bone structure and alot of muscles...so I can safely say that that might be a good starting place. If it was safe for me.

    Do you have an HRM?

    I only ate back 1/2 of my exercise calories except on days I was starving and then I listened to my body and ate back more.

    Whay types of exercise are you doing and how often?

    How tall are you?

    I'm trying to calculate here...so bear with me.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    why not try not eating your exercise calories and see how that works- You have extra meat/fat on your body anyway that your body can use towards fuel- How many calories are you eating- Try tweaking your calories a bit-

    I personally don't eat my calories burned (never heard about it before this site- No stones need to be thrown its just me personally) However I eat 1450-1500 calories a day and I work out 4-5 days a week for a min of an hour and burn a min of 500 calories and i dropped 6lbs in 3 weeks (I only weigh in 3 weeks a month because of TOM)-

    Try messing with your calories and increase your workouts

    So, should I mess down with my calories? I'm eating about 1500 (based of BMR).

    See here is my thing- When I first started losing weight (I dropped 30lbs prior to MFP and kept it off) I just subtracted 500 from 2000 calories and ate 1500 calories a day and became more active-

    I just use what MFP gives me as just a guide and a easy way to track my calories--

    Jillian Michaels puts people at 1400-1600 calories a day-

    Just mess with them zig zag them maybe your body is bored- I never eat the same amount of calories a day- Try increasing your workouts- Push yourself everytime don't sham on workouts-
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    I am only 5'4, my build is medium.
    I was originally set at 1200 (to lose 2lbs a week).... but I was a terror at that level.
    So, I asked around and many suggested bumping up ... I double checked my BMR and it was like 1550... so I figured 1500 would be an ok starting place.

    I do work out videos that use a lot of weights/resistence bands.
    I only burn up to around 300 calories (usually a bit more)... so not TONS.... but I am sweating pretty good.
    I do have a HRM and I wear it whenever I work out.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    I am only 5'4, my build is medium.
    I was originally set at 1200 (to lose 2lbs a week).... but I was a terror at that level.
    So, I asked around and many suggested bumping up ... I double checked my BMR and it was like 1550... so I figured 1500 would be an ok starting place.

    I do work out videos that use a lot of weights/resistence bands.
    I only burn up to around 300 calories (usually a bit more)... so not TONS.... but I am sweating pretty good.
    I do have a HRM and I wear it whenever I work out.

    I think 1200 is Sooo Low- I couldn't do it. I tried- Some days I eat 1300,some 1400, some days 1550 never the same- Just like some days when I am at the gym I burn 500 and some I burn 600 or 750 but I will not leave the gym if I burned less thant 500 - 500 is my min-
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    Ok. Plugging in your info of some of my trusted sites, I get for 1 lb of weight loss at moderately active....you need to eat 1658 a day.

    Maybe you do need to eat more CB.:drinker:

    I liked to do experiments when I started this and would try eating my exercise calories/not eating them.....eating half.....yadda, yadda, yadda.

    My suggestion (i.e. what I would do :laugh: ) is bump them up to 1600. I would do alot more cardio and eat back 40% burned.

    I also zig zagged my calories once I hit my first plateau. I would never eat the exact same amount of calories everyday and would be off by a few hundred. That's always good to confuse your body.

    I don't think there is anyway you can go wrong with 1600 and serious cardio. But don't ever give up the strength training......while it won't help you build muscle in a caloric deficit, it will help you maintain some of it while losing fat.

    I sure hope that helps.:flowerforyou:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    Ok. Plugging in your info of some of my trusted sites, I get for 1 lb of weight loss at moderately active....you need to eat 1658 a day.

    Maybe you do need to eat more CB.:drinker:

    I liked to do experiments when I started this and would try eating my exercise calories/not eating them.....eating half.....yadda, yadda, yadda.

    My suggestion (i.e. what I would do :laugh: ) is bump them up to 1600. I would do alot more cardio and eat back 40% burned.

    I also zig zagged my calories once I hit my first plateau. I would never eat the exact same amount of calories everyday and would be off by a few hundred. That's always good to confuse your body.

    I don't think there is anyway you can go wrong with 1600 and serious cardio. But don't ever give up the strength training......while it won't help you build muscle in a caloric deficit, it will help you maintain some of it while losing fat.

    I sure hope that helps.:flowerforyou:

    Freaky... I just emailed you!

    Eat MORE!!!! *gulp*
    :cry: (that's me breaking into a sweat of terror)
  • hmo4
    hmo4 Posts: 1,673 Member
    Hey CB-I've been frustrated too with the plateauing and riding the scale like a rollercoaster over this last 14 lbs. So I decided to set my Goals for losing half a pound a week which works out to be about 250 cals. I'm also now not eating 250 cals from about the 600-1000 I can burn in a day with exercise. We'll see what happens. I'm not working right now, so I set my activity at Sedentary, which is pretty realitic unfortunately, except for when I exercise hard. I also switch my exercises all the time. Variety is the key for exercising and mixing calorie amounts.:wink: Wish me luck! :flowerforyou: Good luck darlin'. Kath:drinker:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    This is good stuff you guys...
    I may need you to remind me every once in a while...
    I have the attention span of a 5 yearold on a sugar high.

    :flowerforyou:
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    This is good stuff you guys...
    I may need you to remind me every once in a while...
    I have the attention span of a 5 yearold on a sugar high.

    :flowerforyou:

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • wildkat318
    wildkat318 Posts: 326 Member
    throw away the scale and if you don't have one...get a full length mirror

    Yep, I love the mirror...for lot's of things! :smooched:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    This is good stuff you guys...
    I may need you to remind me every once in a while...
    I have the attention span of a 5 yearold on a sugar high.

    :flowerforyou:

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    You giggle now.... but in 3 weeks when I am emailing you to remind me you won't think it's so funny!
    :tongue:
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    This is good stuff you guys...
    I may need you to remind me every once in a while...
    I have the attention span of a 5 yearold on a sugar high.

    :flowerforyou:

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    You giggle now.... but in 3 weeks when I am emailing you to remind me you won't think it's so funny!
    :tongue:

    You will be 10 lbs thinner by then.:bigsmile:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
    This is good stuff you guys...
    I may need you to remind me every once in a while...
    I have the attention span of a 5 yearold on a sugar high.

    :flowerforyou:

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    You giggle now.... but in 3 weeks when I am emailing you to remind me you won't think it's so funny!
    :tongue:

    You will be 10 lbs thinner by then.:bigsmile:

    :laugh: Hopefully!
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
    Mind over matter.:drinker:

    You will!:smokin:

    :heart:
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