Completely Depressed & Frustrated...HELP!

[happysinglemom]

Actually this isn't true. First of all the amount of calories you burn all depends on your weight, therefore a larger person will burn way more than someone who is small. Second, it also depends on how much muscle you have in your body. Someone at 145 pounds (my weight) who is muscular will burn way more calories than someone who is 145 pounds but has much more fat on their body. I don't run for how many calories I burn, but I run for one hour per day and burn about 1000 calories , because my body is basically all muscle after weight training and running since I was 14. Also, your heart rate doesn't necessarily tell you how hard you are working, because a person who is very fit will continue to have lower and lower heart rates if working at the same difficulty level. On a machine with 20 levels, I put it on 20 and I run 70 rpm, something me and my best friend (personal trainer) figured out. I have also used a special moniter to see how many calories I burn, and we figured out that the number on the machine was correct.

 

So many different factors go into how many calories that you burn, so you can't stereotype it.

 

Believe me I am well educated on the "hows and whys" of burning calories. I've been doing this quite some time myself. :rolleyes: I'm not "stereotyping". However, you stated that one can burn 200 calories in 10-12 min on an elliptical. That is far beyond ANY elliptical manufacturer's claims, and certainly beyond any of the published stats that I have seen. I run the elliptical as fast as anyone at my gym, so if you are going harder than me, then congrats to you!, but you are a rare bird, and I think it is misleading to quote those numbers for others here on these forums, especially those just starting out. And if you can keep a pace of a 6 min mile for an hour (you must be doing around that to burn 1000 cal/hour) your name must be at the top of some race postings, girl. :p Congrats on THAT too. ;)

[happysinglemom]

Good morning,

 

I first want to say that all of you are so awesome!! I can't believe all the support I am getting and I can't begin to tell you how much it really helps. I see that so many of you support Weight Watchers. With WW you have to go to a meeting every week, correct? And you have to count points for each food? I am not sure at this point I am ready to commit to more time....like meetings.....but if I find that my diet is not working, I will definitely push through and give it a try.

 

My muscles are sooooooooooo sore today. Does this mean I overdid it yesterday? OR....is it a good thing? I am even wondering if I will be able to even do the squat machine today. LOL Oh yeah, I am actually signing up for Curves today. It does seem right for me....at this point anyhow.

 

I wanted to share something I learned at a health meeting I attended yesterday.....it was when I checked out the Shapes place...... anyhow, you probably all know this, but just in case, I'll share. I was told that breathing during a sit up is extremely important. You need to exhale on the coming up motion and inhale going down. If you do it backwards your stomach may get a hard bump on it instead of being flat. I never realized that the way you breathe could be that important.

 

Oh well.....gotta eat my fiber cereal. Enjoy your day!!:)

 

Breathing is very important in ALL of your exercises...but that "hard bump" thing - um...forget that :rolleyes: . Abdominal exercises strengthen your abs. When done properly, you should feel a burn after a certain number of reps. If you aren't feeling that burning sensation, then you aren't using your abdominals properly. If worked hard enough, your ab muscles will get larger, as ANY muscle will. That is the nature of the muscle. You can see the results of intense ab training in those pics of guys/gals with "6 packs". But a layer of fat would obscure those muscles, so those people are extremely lean - they have a very small body fat %. If someone with a 6-pack starting laying on the ice cream and chips, the fat would creep in and cover up those gorgeous ripples...with gloppy FAT, not a "bump". And if you have fat already, and work your abs and DON'T lose the fat, you'll still have...FAT. So...I don't know what they were trying to say, but sometimes you have to take those Curves "experts" with a grain of salt. :o Keep up the good work!! Your muscles are usually the sorest on the SECOND day after working them...but that will subside as they get stronger.

[Gathina]

I didn't imply it was a "hard bump". You are making it firmer. Because you aren't really toning the muscles that are underneath the fat is what he's saying. Strenghtening them maybe, but not really toning so much.

 

Both men were military trainers who didn't know each other and what they said makes logical sense to me. Maybe there's some research on it on the net somewhere. But either way, to make a signficant difference you need to burn the fat with the cardio and do a LOT of ab, back,and side exercises, not just the few crunches that most people do. Look in the gym month after month and the same people are in there and they are still fat and their body isn't changing. A lot of time it's because of incorrect form of the exercise, not properly using the muscles and using the joints, etc. When the trainers were talking about ab exercises, they were talking about a few hundred. Not just 25.

 

The best trainer to find is the one that comes on a good recommendation, I think.

 

Breathing is very important in ALL of your exercises...but that "hard bump" thing - um...forget that :rolleyes: . Abdominal exercises strengthen your abs. When done properly, you should feel a burn after a certain number of reps. If you aren't feeling that burning sensation, then you aren't using your abdominals properly. If worked hard enough, your ab muscles will get larger, as ANY muscle will. That is the nature of the muscle. You can see the results of intense ab training in those pics of guys/gals with "6 packs". But a layer of fat would obscure those muscles, so those people are extremely lean - they have a very small body fat %. If someone with a 6-pack starting laying on the ice cream and chips, the fat would creep in and cover up those gorgeous ripples...with gloppy FAT, not a "bump". And if you have fat already, and work your abs and DON'T lose the fat, you'll still have...FAT. So...I don't know what they were trying to say, but sometimes you have to take those Curves "experts" with a grain of salt. :o Keep up the good work!! Your muscles are usually the sorest on the SECOND day after working them...but that will subside as they get stronger.

[Brenda33]

good morning.....

 

i need a serious push this morning. i had some serious stress last night. i will keep it brief for you....don't want to bore u all with the details. anyhow, there was an altercation with my neighbors who went crazy after being called out and they were pounding on my door threatening me and i called the police. then my DH .....who is who he is.....didn't support me, etc. it was really bad and all i can say is u don't know me, but i can tell u i did not deserve any of this. anyhow, i was so stressed that i didn't get to sleep really late and all i could think after hours of crying was that i did not have the energy to work out, etc. how do i get motivated and actually go? what do u do in times of stress? thank u......

[winewanderer]

I just wanted to jump in and say that at 45 years old I have a really hard time getting back to 150. I'm 158 right now, no kids.

 

I used to be 125 in my 20's. When I turned 40 my body just seemed to do it's own thing. In my 30's I was around 130-135. When I was 40 I was pretty happy at around 140-145.

 

These days if I look at chocolate I gain 5 lbs. I work out 1.5 to 2 hours a day. I can only hope that with diet and exercise I can get back to 150 and stay there.

 

Don't be too hard on yourself. I wish you the best losing the weight but our bodies do change and let's not forget about the heading towards menopause part. Ugh.

[smoothdancer]

I have had a lot of stress in my life too, (Well. haven’t we all!) so I hear your frame of mind right now. But here’s the thing….

 

No one can make you feel miserable and put stress on yourself but yourself, you have allowed someone else to influence the way that you feel today, so you need to shake that off right away and get back to that positive place. Don’t let either your neighbors or you husbands lack of support take your thunder away.

 

Going to work out is just what you need… Because despite all else you can put in a good work out and know you have done something positive for yourself today. Regardless of what goes on around you, you can feel good about yourself today, but only if you get your tail out the door!... Hell, if you have to, take all your frustrations out on a Curves machine….

[Brenda33]

Thank you Smooth. I did go to Curves. I did do my workout...1 hour 5 minutes!! I was more tired than usually....my arms felt weak....it was a struggle to do some of the machines.....but I did it! AND...I can't tell you how happy it made me to know that I put me first. My friend at Curves (also the manager) told me that she gives me credit because if it was her she would still be at home crying and definitely not push herself. Of course she says that would be the wrong thing to do....but its not as easy as it all sounds. I had a very bad eating day.....meaning I hadn't really eaten anything.....so I went to lunch with my daughter, had a side salad and a cup of onion soup....no cheese!!! So I got to spend time with Ashley and I got to go out. So after a bad start the day has shaped up. Of course the stress is still there and I'm sure it will get worse around here before it gets better.

 

Winewanderer - My fear is exactly what you describe. I am afraid that even if I do do all the work...diet, exercise, etc. that I might not lose the weight. Its hard to grow old gracefully. You have to actually learn to love yourself a different way....and that is so tough. I love that show "How to Look Good Naked!".....I need that show......but I WILL NOT be on that show! LOL Anyhow, its great for support to watch it. So in the end I will do everything I can to reach my goals, but if they can't happen for whatever reason somehow I am going to have to find a way to accept that. BUT....I have hope.....my friend at Curves is like only 5 feet and she weighed 210 pounds!!.....She lost 100 pounds several years ago and has kept it off. She says 20 pounds......no problem!! LOL

[Gathina]

Easy. Face reality. The altercation is over, your husband didn't do what you want him to do, but you can't change what happened so move on. He is who he is, your neighbors are who they are...you may not agree with how they handled any of this, but they have a right to do what they think is right for them, regardless of whether you like it or not. So you move on.

 

Sure it was stress. But this is just another thing in your day you need to forget and move on. Don't make it worse than what it is and crying isn't going to do anything about it anyway, just reniforce the stress and being upset about it.

 

Good job on the workout..M

 

good morning.....

 

i need a serious push this morning. i had some serious stress last night. i will keep it brief for you....don't want to bore u all with the details. anyhow, there was an altercation with my neighbors who went crazy after being called out and they were pounding on my door threatening me and i called the police. then my DH .....who is who he is.....didn't support me, etc. it was really bad and all i can say is u don't know me, but i can tell u i did not deserve any of this. anyhow, i was so stressed that i didn't get to sleep really late and all i could think after hours of crying was that i did not have the energy to work out, etc. how do i get motivated and actually go? what do u do in times of stress? thank u......

[happysinglemom]

I didn't imply it was a "hard bump". You are making it firmer.

 

:confused: I was not replying to you...I replied to Brenda.

 

 

Look in the gym month after month and the same people are in there and they are still fat and their body isn't changing. A lot of time it's because of incorrect form of the exercise, not properly using the muscles and using the joints, etc

 

Most people eventually figure out how to do the exercise, if they don't, they generally give up and you don't see them any more. If people don't make progress, the main reason is that they are going home and eating everything in the cupboards!! ;)

[Gathina]

My dad always said that the best exercise for overweight people was to push themselves away from the table! He was right. Everyone makes excuses, blames the diet industry, stress, this, that, or the other thing on why they gain weight. The reality is you are the one who controls what you shovel in your mouth!

 

People always complain they are hungry when they first start a diet..what do you expect..your stomach is used to too much food, of course it's going to protest until you get used to it. Same thing with the exercise. People don't get fat overnight and they can't expect to lose it overnight either.

 

:confused: I was not replying to you...I replied to Brenda.

 

 

 

 

Most people eventually figure out how to do the exercise, if they don't, they generally give up and you don't see them any more. If people don't make progress, the main reason is that they are going home and eating everything in the cupboards!! ;)

[Brenda33]

Gathina...

 

You are one tough cookie!!! How in the world did you get this tough? I'm not saying its a bad thing. You just have so much strength about you that few of of possess. I do try to push myself.....but unfortunately, life and stress does affect the way I operate. I am a very sensitive person. I do appreciate your strength in the way that it helps me get through this struggle with weight loss.

 

I have to tell you all that even though I have a long way to go I put on my jeans today (still my fat jeans...lol), but there isn't a huge roll going over the top of them today! So I am so proud of me for that....YIPPEE!! 7 pounds total.....and I will not give up!!!! I'm gonna get tough! (thanks Gathina :) )

[smoothdancer]

LOL Brenda, you bet Gathina is tough but it is working for me right now!

Reading these posts I am now up to 40 minutes per day on the cross trainer and yesterday was able to do 100 sit ups... I know not near Gathina's 500 mark, but better than I have ever done before and I think I can build up to it.

 

Also, a word about the menapause posts... This is not the end of the world or impossible or anything to fear. I lost my inital 30 pounds at age 50 when I was right smack in the middle of menapause and 2 years later I just gained 5 back that I am presenlty fighting with! Menapause was no reason to accept my body the way it was, I wanted change and with hard work it can happen at any age. I hate when I read that people use menapause as an excuse.

 

Oh that naked show... What keeps me on track is mirrors. Like I said we compete in ballroom dance and are at a dance studio 3-4 nights a week, with mirrors all around us, you cant avoid them and that along with the tight fitting gowns I wear, it keeps me honest.

[Gathina]

Really, I'm not a monster :)

 

Ok..I'm actually a shrink by trade. I learned a long, long, time ago the importance of facing reality. Most people don't. I would rather have friends that tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. If you don't face reality and all the painful emotions that go with it, you can never get better. Look at the fashion board. A woman can post a picture of her in a dress that does not suit her, but everyone tries to be kind and tell her it's ok even though it may not suit her at all. It's the same thing here on this board.

 

I have been following Bardgal's thread (about the no wheat and gluten) and have dropped most of my weight. But I get inspired by reading stories of those still working at it. When I go to the gym if I see a woman who is really trying (like a woman who has never gone to the gym and you can tell) I always try to say something kind and encouraging to her even if it's a stranger. It helps me too.

 

Smooth..great challenge! I still think we all need to take the challenge of not using our cars for a weekend and using our bikes, feet, and rollerblades instead! Menina

 

 

LOL Brenda, you bet Gathina is tough but it is working for me right now!

Reading these posts I am now up to 40 minutes per day on the cross trainer and yesterday was able to do 100 sit ups... I know not near Gathina's 500 mark, but better than I have ever done before and I think I can build up to it.

 

Also, a word about the menapause posts... This is not the end of the world or impossible or anything to fear. I lost my inital 30 pounds at age 50 when I was right smack in the middle of menapause and 2 years later I just gained 5 back that I am presenlty fighting with! Menapause was no reason to accept my body the way it was, I wanted change and with hard work it can happen at any age. I hate when I read that people use menapause as an excuse.

 

Oh that naked show... What keeps me on track is mirrors. Like I said we compete in ballroom dance and are at a dance studio 3-4 nights a week, with mirrors all around us, you cant avoid them and that along with the tight fitting gowns I wear, it keeps me honest.

[smoothdancer]

That’s funny, Gathina. Some how I had in my mind that you were a nurse and was thinking Man, I would not want that lady as my nurse if I was sick, but a “shrink”, absolutely!

 

High on my list is learning how to rollerblade so I would be up to such a challenge. I live in New England, we are still in our snow season, so that challenge is going to have to wait a good month and a half, less I freeze to death.

[happysinglemom]

People always complain they are hungry when they first start a diet..what do you expect..your stomach is used to too much food, of course it's going to protest until you get used to it. Same thing with the exercise. People don't get fat overnight and they can't expect to lose it overnight either.

 

So true. We have a group of people at work that are doing WW. One of them (she is doing very well) told me she was discussing her new lifestyle with one of the other gals in her office. The lady told her that she was not eating enough, that she should never EVER be hungry - told her if she was letting herself get hungry then she was doing her body harm. Can you even believe that people actually think that?? Good grief. Heck, when I am trying to drop a couple of pounds, hunger is my friend! :p

Of course if I am headed to the gym, then hunger must be addressed. I can work out right after eating, but I can't work out hungry!!:o

[Chigirlcruzin]

Really, I'm not a monster :)

 

Ok..I'm actually a shrink by trade. I learned a long, long, time ago the importance of facing reality. Most people don't. I would rather have friends that tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. If you don't face reality and all the painful emotions that go with it, you can never get better. Look at the fashion board. A woman can post a picture of her in a dress that does not suit her, but everyone tries to be kind and tell her it's ok even though it may not suit her at all. It's the same thing here on this board.

 

I have been following Bardgal's thread (about the no wheat and gluten) and have dropped most of my weight. But I get inspired by reading stories of those still working at it. When I go to the gym if I see a woman who is really trying (like a woman who has never gone to the gym and you can tell) I always try to say something kind and encouraging to her even if it's a stranger. It helps me too.

 

 

I wish more people were like you. America has become too soft, literally and figuratively. I'm "only" 31, but I'm shocked at the attitudes of some of the kids coming out of college - they expect everything handed to them. Heck, we're not supposed to use red because it's not "friendly."

 

We live in a time where we have to be politically correct, and anything and everything can offend somebody. A coworker always says "when did we get the right to not be offended? If I don't like something, I leave or ignore it."

 

You're right about the fashion board...I remember somebody posted a dress that wasn't appropriate for a woman's figure, and somebody pointed that out...boy did that poster get it!

 

Everybody needs at least one person that will be completely honest with them. I'm a manager at work, and I believe in honest, timely feedback, and expect the same. There is a tactful way to do it if it is negative. Too many managers are afraid of confrontation, so a solvable problem can become unbearable.

[smoothdancer]

Well alright it is my turn to be fustrated! And this is coming from the person who always says just keep pushing forward and be patience and it will happen, I have been at a complete standstill coming up on 3 weeks now and it is fustrating me. What fustrates me is that I dont know how to make change happen.

 

I am keeping my caloires between 1300 to 1500 a day. At a minimum I am at the gym five days a week. 40 hard minutes on a cross trainer followed by usually a half hour of weight work outs. If I can swing it some weeks I go the other 2 days where I just do cardio. Now add that to our hour sessions 3 times a week with our dance coach. I dont count our dance as actiivity becasue it is coaching on our frames, technique, presentation and it is a lot of stop and go in that one hour...It keeps me well toned, but certainly not a cardio activity, like it sounds it might be. I have been on this dance schedule for 12 years now, my body just expects it.

 

Now, after a few months of this gym schedule I can see changes in my body, my center and back is much firmer and stronger but shoot this morning the scale shows a pound gain and I think how on earth is that possible. This was after yesterday of an hour an a half of a good work out, 15 minute rest and then on to an hour dance coaching session...

 

I am not crazy about changing my work outs because I am still working on my goal to do cardio for an hour, increase my core reps and each week it is getting better and I think in a maybe another two weeks I will be up to that hour.... I journal everthing I eat so I know that my calorie count is accurate... In my mind I think that I have decreased my calories by 3500 a week so I should be loosing a pound a week, not gaining. According to the charts at 5'5 and 120 pounds I am where I should be, but because of dancing I need to be at the bottom of the charts, not mid center. Any suiggestions, anyone?

[Brenda33]

Hi Smooth,

 

Well I am new at this exercise diet thing, so I probably don't have much to offer in the way of advice. But, I can tell you that what you are experiencing is my fear. You do all you can and then still nothing happens. I have fears of thinking of chopping it off! LOL :eek: Now when I hear your height and weight, I am envious.....I doubt this makes you feel any better. I understand that we all want to be a certain way. But, I hope you know that even if you don't see yourself the way you want to....the rest of the world probably sees you as perfect. You do have a perfect height weight ratio. How much weight do you actually want to lose? Pretty soon you will be a bikini model!! You go girl!! and...never give up. :)

[Gathina]

Smooth: I learned this from the dietian at my hospital. We are supposed to have LESS than 2000 mg sodium per day. It's like only 2 teaspoons per day! If you look at a lot of frozen diet meals, and other stuff that "looks" healthy you might be consuming your entire day allotment of sodium in one sitting! I was horrified by that. Like a can of soup has more than a day's worth of sodium. Maybe check and see how much sodium you are consuming. The other bad thing about sodium is that it makes you want more. Remember the lays' potato chip commercial, "you just can't eat one"!! Also, she taught me how diet soda can be a nightmare, in terms of how it can react with your pancreas and guess what..you secrete insuling and crave carbs. I dont think I'm explaining the pancreas thing fully accurately, but that's the jist of what she said.

 

Check your good labels..sorbitol can make you bloat. Any of the "oses"..sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, have some form of sugar. Cutting out wheat and gluten is a biggie too.

 

Maybe your body is adjusting to much to routine, try some different exericses or a yoga class or something. Try to get more sleep, too.

 

I find now that I can't eat hardly any sodium, it tastes gross to me. I' breaking out the pressure cooker this weekend and making homemade soup with beef bones and veggies.

 

 

Well alright it is my turn to be fustrated! And this is coming from the person who always says just keep pushing forward and be patience and it will happen, I have been at a complete standstill coming up on 3 weeks now and it is fustrating me. What fustrates me is that I dont know how to make change happe

 

I am keeping my caloires between 1300 to 1500 a day. At a minimum I am at the gym five days a week. 40 hard minutes on a cross trainer followed by usually a half hour of weight work outs. If I can swing it some weeks I go the other 2 days where I just do cardio. Now add that to our hour sessions 3 times a week with our dance coach. I dont count our dance as actiivity becasue it is coaching on our frames, technique, presentation and it is a lot of stop and go in that one hour...It keeps me well toned, but certainly not a cardio activity, like it sounds it might be. I have been on this dance schedule for 12 years now, my body just expects it.

 

Now, after a few months of this gym schedule I can see changes in my body, my center and back is much firmer and stronger but shoot this morning the scale shows a pound gain and I think how on earth is that possible. This was after yesterday of an hour an a half of a good work out, 15 minute rest and then on to an hour dance coaching session...

 

I am not crazy about changing my work outs because I am still working on my goal to do cardio for an hour, increase my core reps and each week it is getting better and I think in a maybe another two weeks I will be up to that hour.... I journal everthing I eat so I know that my calorie count is accurate... In my mind I think that I have decreased my calories by 3500 a week so I should be loosing a pound a week, not gaining. According to the charts at 5'5 and 120 pounds I am where I should be, but because of dancing I need to be at the bottom of the charts, not mid center. Any suiggestions, anyone?

[smoothdancer]

That just may be it. Getting home late and hungry I have been having fish and salad for dinner, and yes I have bought frozen fish in a light seasoning thinking it was fast and low in calories. I will check the contents and probably will switch over to fresh fish…. If this is the problem, what an easy fix. I don’t drink soda at all. I also no longer drink alcohol either. With the intestinal blockage operation I had a few months ago the Doctor told me not to drink anything with fizz, so I just drink water. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

 

Now Brenda, I was afraid you were going to read this just the way you did. These things happen. Something what you are doing is just not right for your body and you need to find it out, adjust and then weight loss will jump start again as the above paragraph points out.. If you think 20 pounds is hard to loose, try 5 pounds, very hard! I know my ideal weight, and due to the competition dance we do, a small 5 pounds makes can make world of difference in my movement. Think Dancing with the Stars, this is what we do.

[Gathina]

Smooth: I'm sure you'll be horrified when you see just HOW much salt is in something frozen.

 

It's funny..I cook all my own food and rarely buy anything frozen...if I do, then I actually get SICK from it. I love fish. My west indian "moomie in law" (will explain one day) makes the best escovitched snapper with rice and beans. She buys an entire whole fish from the fish market but then cuts it up into portions to eat throughout the week. I do that with meats from whole foods. I might buy 4 chicken breasts but ask them to cut each one in half, then wrap each one individually so if I want a good meal quick I can take out just my own serving and bake it. It takes some planning but I think its worth it in the end. It takes just as long to throw a piece on the grill than it does to heat a frozen dinner.

 

Baby steps, troops!

That just may be it. Getting home late and hungry I have been having fish and salad for dinner, and yes I have bought frozen fish in a light seasoning thinking it was fast and low in calories. I will check the contents and probably will switch over to fresh fish…. If this is the problem, what an easy fix. I don’t drink soda at all. I also no longer drink alcohol either. With the intestinal blockage operation I had a few months ago the Doctor told me not to drink anything with fizz, so I just drink water. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

 

Now Brenda, I was afraid you were going to read this just the way you did. These things happen. Something what you are doing is just not right for your body and you need to find it out, adjust and then weight loss will jump start again as the above paragraph points out.. If you think 20 pounds is hard to loose, try 5 pounds, very hard! I know my ideal weight, and due to the competition dance we do, a small 5 pounds makes can make world of difference in my movement. Think Dancing with the Stars, this is what we do.

[smoothdancer]

No kidding.. Thoes 200 calorie scallops had 480g of sodium! I am back to buying fresh.

[Brenda33]

Hi all.....

 

Question of the day. Why if you only lose a pound or 2 does it make such a huge difference in the way a dress fits????? OK.....so I had a dress that I wore in the past and last Saturday night I wanted to wear it to dinner. Its one of those sort of tight black t-shirt material dresses, high neck, long sleeves, hugs all the right places......BUT last week it hugged my tummy big time and all I could see was belly bulges.....NOT very flattering. So I hung the dress back in the closet. Well I only lost 1 or 2 pounds this week (I forget when I lost the one pound...which week).....and I was starting to notice that in my jeans my stomach was not hanging over. So I figured....what have I got to lose? I'll try the dress on. So last night I put it on and WOW!!....I looked really good!!! I asked my daughter (she is the honest one who told me to get the 2 piece bathing suit off!).....and she told me I looked really nice in it!!! I wrapped around my silver chain belt, put on a pair of high heel boots and strutted my stuff last night!! I was soooooooooo unbelievably happy with my progress. But I don't understand it. What's going on? If there isn't huge weight loss, why are my clothes fitting differently?

 

So how is everyone today? Hope the sodium thing is working out for you Smooth!

[happysinglemom]

If there isn't huge weight loss, why are my clothes fitting differently?

 

So how is everyone today? Hope the sodium thing is working out for you Smooth!

 

Bren....the number on the scale is just a guide....just a number to enusre progress in the right direction. I weigh every single morning of my life and I have done so for the last 6 years. But 2 or even 3 pound swings are completely normal from one day to the next. Doesn't mean I really have gained 3 pounds of fat from one day to the next. Many other things impact your weight such as water, weight and bm's. This is why many people recommend weighing only once a week - don't get hung up on the fluctuations. A more accurate number would be your body fat % - if you have a good Tanita scale, that measurement will be fairly consistent as long as you measure every day at the same time - either in the morning or just before bed.

 

You have learned that the most important measurement of progress is HOW YOUR CLOTHES FIT. At the end of the day, that is the truest indicator of how much fat you have lost. Remember that as your body changes composition - increasing lean % over fat % - there will be an impact, albeit very small, in your weight. I say that, but don't get hung up on that either...unless you are bodybulding and making huge muscle gains, the different isn't enough to pay attention to (though some will tell you differently).

 

I am doing well in my quest to get back to where I should be (starting dating someone about 8 months ago and I got a bit off track - gained about 6 pounds!!). My short-term goal is to reach 141 by this Saturday, and today I am at 143.2. So....not sure I will make it, but I tried on my ski pants (the driving force for the date - going skiiing this weekend!) and they fit MUCH better than they did when I tried them on 3 weeks ago!!

 

So...enjoy your success...enjoy the dress, and carry on! You are making great progress!

[smoothdancer]

Ya know way back earlier in this thread someone made the comment that loosing weight is a head game and I loved the comment. So true, we find whatever it is that motivates us to initally loose the weight and then use that thing to make it a lifestyle change.

 

So, if that black dress and better fitting jeans did it for you, great. For me I too get on the scale daily as both my reward and punishment, but yes it is the way my clothes, and for me, my ballgowns fit that tell the real story. Then for me as time went on I found it was not enough to know that simply things fit better but I wanted to know the whys behind it, and how my body was working and reacting to my actions.

 

I had a great work out today. During the week my time is so tight I have to be conscience of the clock when I am in the gym while on the week-ends I can stay there all day if I am so inclined! Our competition season begins in one month, we will then compete about every six weeks until November. Here is my motivation... This is one of the gowns I will start the season with, leaving zero room for error.... The back on this gown is completly open, the skirts beginning at the top of my tailbone.