Curious if I am the only one
Rambo313
Posts: 179 Member
Ok, I guess I just need to vent to I want to thank anyone who takes the time to read this and you don’t need to respond either. I guess its more for me to see if anyone has gone through what I have gone through. I never wrote a post before, so I am not sure how this works so I am just going to wing it!
I have successfully lost 30lbs. I went from 167 to 137. I am in a healthy bmi now and I am 5’3. I work out. I workout 6x a week. In the morning I do quick circuits with no weights just to wake me up. But my night work outs range from martial arts cardio kickboxing, regular cardio kickboxing (for these I use weighted gloves). I run, jump rope, I do step aerobics, cardio sculpt classes, I do HIIT workouts , jump rope circuits. I also lift weights. During the week, I will usually do half weights/half cardio but on the weekends its strictly lifting.
To lose my weight I was on a 1250 diet calorie diet. I am going to go with this is too low for my activity level now? I have been at the same weight for 2.5 months now, but I am fitting into sizes I never could before. I know I should be thrilled and I am but the scale nu,ber does bother me, but it should not determine my level of success. I am doing things I could never do before, I can lift heavier, have more endurance, etc.
I met with a person and they said for all I do I am def not eating enough, so I put it up to 1700. They said I should be eating more then that but I just cant right now, I have to adjust gradually.
I just want to be able to see my definition and I think in order to do so I need about another 7-10lb to come off. Has anyone experienced such a plateau, I mean some people say muscle weighs more then fat , I just believe muscle is more denser a pound is a pound in my book. Some people say don’t eat carbs after 3pm, some say it doesn’t matter, I know everyone is different therefore it is individually based.
My thing is, it would nice to know I am not alone in this. Some people say lighten up on the exercise to lose weight but that means I will lose my muscle that I worked hard for and I am not willing to do so. To me muscles are sexy. I was also told that maybe my body is done losing weight and now I have to work on the "look" I want my body to have.
I have successfully lost 30lbs. I went from 167 to 137. I am in a healthy bmi now and I am 5’3. I work out. I workout 6x a week. In the morning I do quick circuits with no weights just to wake me up. But my night work outs range from martial arts cardio kickboxing, regular cardio kickboxing (for these I use weighted gloves). I run, jump rope, I do step aerobics, cardio sculpt classes, I do HIIT workouts , jump rope circuits. I also lift weights. During the week, I will usually do half weights/half cardio but on the weekends its strictly lifting.
To lose my weight I was on a 1250 diet calorie diet. I am going to go with this is too low for my activity level now? I have been at the same weight for 2.5 months now, but I am fitting into sizes I never could before. I know I should be thrilled and I am but the scale nu,ber does bother me, but it should not determine my level of success. I am doing things I could never do before, I can lift heavier, have more endurance, etc.
I met with a person and they said for all I do I am def not eating enough, so I put it up to 1700. They said I should be eating more then that but I just cant right now, I have to adjust gradually.
I just want to be able to see my definition and I think in order to do so I need about another 7-10lb to come off. Has anyone experienced such a plateau, I mean some people say muscle weighs more then fat , I just believe muscle is more denser a pound is a pound in my book. Some people say don’t eat carbs after 3pm, some say it doesn’t matter, I know everyone is different therefore it is individually based.
My thing is, it would nice to know I am not alone in this. Some people say lighten up on the exercise to lose weight but that means I will lose my muscle that I worked hard for and I am not willing to do so. To me muscles are sexy. I was also told that maybe my body is done losing weight and now I have to work on the "look" I want my body to have.
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Replies
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I have decided not to have a goal weight...I have a goal look, which I think is similar to what you are going for. I want to see muscle definition, a flat tummy, and little to no jiggle. If I achieve that then I don't really care what the scale says. I put my scale in the trunk and use my clothes to measure progress. Who cares if you haven't lost a pound-if the jeans that didn't fit two weeks ago fit now, you are doing something right.0
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You are right, I have not stepped on the scale and even though I want to I know it will just upset me, so I should not let it define me. Clearly if i can do things I could not to do before in terms of fitting into clothes, exercise, etc then something I am doing is right, your right..thanks for responding
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Actually, not eating *enough* and working out too hard is what will make you lose the lean mass. If you are creating a very high calorie deficit and you already have low bodyfat, your body will scavenge that energy from the only store it has left - your muscle.0
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I went through this. I was measuring weekly and logging. Losing a half inch to an inch a week but the scale was not moving! Did not move for 2.5 months. Now it is slowly going down. I was mainly doing treadmill walking and running during that time. I started doing P90X and Turbo Fire. I am not sure if that was what got me out of my plateau or not. I kinda think my body got used to the same work outs maybe. Who knows. But switching it up and doing something different everyday seemed to help me. I also have a thyroid problem so I need an hour a day of working out where some people can just work out for 30 minutes a day and get the same results. Good Luck!!0
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"I have been at the same weight for 2.5 months now, but I am fitting into sizes I never could before. I know I should be thrilled and I am but the scale number does bother me, but it should not determine my level of success. I am doing things I could never do before, I can lift heavier, have more endurance, etc. "
Your not plateauing.... you are still loosing inches you are just gaining muscle then. You are doing fine and I am in the same boat as you. I went up! However my body fat went down. Don't loose heart and get a body fat tester so you can see your real loss. I HATE that scale too so drop it and get the tester. They are cheap on e-bay. Think mine was 25 with shipping 6 years ago.0 -
"I have been at the same weight for 2.5 months now, but I am fitting into sizes I never could before. I know I should be thrilled and I am but the scale number does bother me, but it should not determine my level of success. I am doing things I could never do before, I can lift heavier, have more endurance, etc. "
i agree...readjust your goal weight...it sounds like you are doing all of the right things!0 -
tyring hard- Thank you! I also have an under active thyroid so I also have to work out longer but, believe it or not with my weight loss it became over active, it getting adjusted with meds again so we will see what happens.
Alexis-TY! I am going to avoid the scale and I was recently looking into a body fat tester, I will def take a look on amazon.
Knrob-Thanks for the kind words!
Captain-I just recently added in more calories into my diet, so hopefully that will help me as well!
Thank you all..I will post some after pics and before pics that way you all can see.0 -
I'm in the same boat with you. Very discouraging. I try to ignore the scale but that is very hard. I'm working out very hard. I have a friend and we started this together, she has lost 50lbs, about 2 a week. I'm very very happy for her, but it is discouraging.0
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"I have been at the same weight for 2.5 months now, but I am fitting into sizes I never could before. I know I should be thrilled and I am but the scale number does bother me, but it should not determine my level of success. I am doing things I could never do before, I can lift heavier, have more endurance, etc. "
Your not plateauing.... you are still loosing inches you are just gaining muscle then. You are doing fine and I am in the same boat as you. I went up! However my body fat went down. Don't loose heart and get a body fat tester so you can see your real loss. I HATE that scale too so drop it and get the tester. They are cheap on e-bay. Think mine was 25 with shipping 6 years ago.
If she was only eating 1250 calories a day then she is not gaining muscle.. nice try though.
The reason why your weight went up could have been contributed to a hundred and one reasons.. and I'm sure none of them were due to muscle gain unless you were A. Eating in a surplus, B. Really obese when you started or C. New to lifting.
You can lose body fat/inches without gaining muscle.. thats why people eat at a deficit. To lose the body fat.
To OP:
What is 1700 calories for you? Is it maintenance or is it still a deficit?
I say keep with it for a month and see how it goes.
I just finally hit my goal weight after a year and half.. and 6 of those months were maintaing! I just started trying to lose again last month.
As long as you are eating in a deficit, you will continue to see the body fat go down/inches go down and you will start to see muscle definition.0 -
Hi, congratulations on your fitness level! I'm new here so here goes. I do know a little about not eating enough and working out heavy. First, it is important that you don't reset your metabolism to a lower than natural point, more meals, but smaller clean, lean meals will trick your metabolism to stay at a heathy rate for your body type, it will think its getting more fuel than it is, in a sense.
Also, running if you can, usually will lean you out, and pull your definition into perspective, within weeks if you are not doing this already. Start slow, like a slow jog, work into a moderate run and away you go for 20 minutes every second day, until you build to 45 minutes five times a week.. That was my routine for years and years while weight training and it was very successful ( except I ran much longer).
This is what worked for me, it is by no means for everyone, because we are all so very different and our body's respond so differently to different routines.
I can't do any of this anymore because I have MS now and have been injured in an accident, but, I'm doing as much as I can, and happy with what I can do.
I hope you find this helpful.0 -
It sounds to me like you are already way ahead of the game, but I'll throw this out just in case. I am a distance runner (longest race was 29 miles), but I think these same principles apply to any type of exercise.
Maybe it's not the number of total calories, but more what type of calories they are and when you consume them. For example, I make sure that my day starts with a lot of protein - eggs, whey shake, etc. From what I understand, protein is (obviously) important to muscle mass, but works better when your body has been at rest (like sleeping). Plus, protein tends to satisfy your hunger longer.
But after a hard workout, your muscles need a glycogen boost, which means lots of carbs (plus a little protein). The 'accepted' standard now is 4 grams of carb for every 1 gram of protein. Depending on your weight and the severity of your workout, maybe 80 grams of carb and 20 of protein, so about 400 calories total, ideally ingested within THIRTY MINUTES of your workout. Without this immediate boost, your workout won't be as effective because your muscles won't have the fuel to get stronger. Which means your workouts won't have the desired 'toning' effect.
I also agree with some of the other posters about weight loss. As my wife and I have gotten older, the amount of effort needed for even modest weight loss has gotten harder and harder. Her problem is compounded by an underactive thyroid, like you, and she gets very frustrated. And even with all my running (over 50 miles a week at the end of my last training plan), I'm lucky to lose 1 pound every 2 weeks. I don't have an answer for that - keep plugging along, I guess. Perhaps the true measurement of success is not the scale, but how you feel, how you look, and what clothes you can fit in now!
Keep up the good work!0 -
Well done on your achievements so far. i am in a similar situation at the moment. My scales go up and down from week to week but I am fitting into smaller clothes. i have come to realize that fitness is the most important thing and not the weight on the scales. I look so different to when I started, one day I will get round to doing those before and after shots. I still have parts of me i hate like my abs but I have had 3 large babies so that is going to be the last thing to change but I love the shape of my legs now. I eat back all my exercise calories and the fitbit adjustment I seem to be constantly hungry. I run, lift weights, do kettlebells and currently doing 30 day shred. my work colleagues think i am addicted. There isn,t a day goes by that someone says "you have lost more weight" but i have lost very little for a few weeks it is just toning up. I will send a friend request I need people like you on my friend list hopefully we can motivate each other.0
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Hey - well done on your weight loss and reaching your goal (or almost). I've been the same weight for the last 2 months, give or take a couple of pounds, but I have gone into a smaller dress size. My guess is the amount of exercise you do you've probably created muscles, which yes a lb of muscle is the same weight as a lb of fat, but muscle is denser. You probably have water weight that your carrying around too as your muscles will retain a certain amount of water with all the workouts.
I think you need to do whatever works for you - if you can live your life exercising and eating the amount of calories that you do - then that's going to work. If you feel you are hungry and you need more food because of the amount of exercise then I would gradually increase the calorie intake.
My calorie intake at the moment is low, but my philosophy 'for me' is that I eat 3 main meals a day, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner and if I'm hungry I will have a morning, afternoon, evening snack - I feel it's something I can maintain for life. I also feel that my exercise calories are great as a back up system for the weekend or when friends come over, or that unplanned meal out or take away in.
good luck reaching your ultimate goal. x0 -
1700 calories is still a deficit for me for activity level, at 1200 there were days I was starving or I felt weak, I slowly increased the calories and I still am at the same weight as when i was eating 1250 all the time.
Thank you all for commenting, its nice to see that I am not alone on this it makes me less frustrated. I will take all your pointers into consideration as I move forward on this journey, I have come way to far to give up and I never will give up, that is just not me, I will try different things until I see what works for my body, something will I just have not found it yet.
I never take pictures but I think it might helps me see things in perspective and see how far I come. I am my own worst critic !0 -
1700 calories is still a deficit for me for activity level, at 1200 there were days I was starving or I felt weak, I slowly increased the calories and I still am at the same weight as when i was eating 1250 all the time.
Thank you all for commenting, its nice to see that I am not alone on this it makes me less frustrated. I will take all your pointers into consideration as I move forward on this journey, I have come way to far to give up and I never will give up, that is just not me, I will try different things until I see what works for my body, something will I just have not found it yet.
I never take pictures but I think it might helps me see things in perspective and see how far I come. I am my own worst critic !
Measure. That is what helps me stay motivated:) I would rather see inches come off and fit into smaller clothes than worry about the number on the scale. Good Luck!!0 -
1700 calories is still a deficit for me for activity level, at 1200 there were days I was starving or I felt weak, I slowly increased the calories and I still am at the same weight as when i was eating 1250 all the time.
Thank you all for commenting, its nice to see that I am not alone on this it makes me less frustrated. I will take all your pointers into consideration as I move forward on this journey, I have come way to far to give up and I never will give up, that is just not me, I will try different things until I see what works for my body, something will I just have not found it yet.
I never take pictures but I think it might helps me see things in perspective and see how far I come. I am my own worst critic !
Measure. That is what helps me stay motivated:) I would rather see inches come off and fit into smaller clothes than worry about the number on the scale. Good Luck!!
This is true! I will take my measurements more often thanks! 0 -
You are right, I have not stepped on the scale and even though I want to I know it will just upset me, so I should not let it define me. Clearly if i can do things I could not to do before in terms of fitting into clothes, exercise, etc then something I am doing is right, your right..thanks for responding
Sounds like you're already in a great mind set. Who cares what the scale says if you're seeing results as far as inches lost goes. That seems much more important than a number on the scale. Awesome job on your progress so far
on a side note, I love your profile name.0 -
Thank you to both !0
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