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Diet and Exercise
I'm starting to feel like 130 is just my weight. I don't know... Ever since I started working out, my weight and just been climbing and has now been stable here for months. I never used to have issues with maintaining 122, or losing weight just by dieting.. But I guess I just had no muscle. I still want to lose a lot of fat, but I really need to stop looking at the number. I hate the number... It's going to take some adjustment time.
Dawn wrote: "I'm starting to feel like 130 is just my weight. I don't know... Ever since I started working out, my weight and just been climbing and has now been stable here for months. I never used to have iss..."Have you figured out your BF%? maybe you've hit your body's comfort zone for BF and are now just packing on muscle?
I read an article once which basically suggested that your body has a preferred weight, and if you start excercising and dieting and whatnot, your metabolism will actually slow down so that your body can maintain it's preference.I can't find it, and it's been awhile since I read it, but I remember I was kinda like, "well, eff it then!" after reading it. :>
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "I read an article once which basically suggested that your body has a preferred weight, and if you start excercising and dieting and whatnot, your metabolism will actually slow down so that your bo..."O_O
I know, right?I mean, obviously people *do* lose weight, but I think we have to fight against that normalization thing our body does.
I don't know what my body fat % is. My scale says it's a constant 31- 32%, don't know how accurate that is. It hasn't changed since I started working out. This just depresses me. It's a lost cause I guess. I shouldn't complain.. 130 is great. But I'm not happy with how I look, and no amount of working out or dieting or diet changes seem to make the fat burn away. Fuck it, I'm over it.
Also, I'm an idiot. I scheduled my second dress fitting for this Friday. The 13th. Awesome. Who wants to place bets on what will be wrong? Just shitty tailoring or I gained too many inches to fit into it?
Gah. I think I'm just depressed right now. I really thought I'd see results on the scale eventually. And I am seeing them. In the wrong direction. What's the point of all of this painful horrible work if it changes nothing? Screw it.
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "I know, right?I mean, obviously people *do* lose weight, but I think we have to fight against that normalization thing our body does."
If I weigh myself on Fri and I have not lost weight or BF - I'm done with real dieting. There's no WAY I can cut more calories and not lose my ever loving mind.
#hungry
MrsJ- I wanted to reply to your message via Fitbit, but the character limit is killing me. LOL. So here is my response...I had to make up today because I was slightly short of my goal yesterday. LOL. I made sure I walked around the house this morning and walked a bit during lunch. Then, after work I went to the walkway by my house. It's roughly 2 or so miles. I mostly walked it, but also did a bit of running. I had done the same last Friday and Sunday. My knee is hurting, but I'm really trying to aim for 10,000 steps every day with 30 active mins. I've also added in yoga nearly every day to try to alleviate the knee situation. I was surprised that I passed you today bc your numbers are always so much higher. You've been at the top of my leaderboard for ages!
I should have expected it to happen sooner or later - you're always right there...it's why I go out for a walk at lunch, lol! And yeah, the character count is...so small. O_O
I'm sorry to hear about the knees. I have bad knees so I know the feeling. :( I bought a patella brace (I think that's how you spell it) and it really helps when my knee is just not cooperating. I've also been squatting and I've been told that it helps to strengthen the knee. We'll see about that...
I need to get back to some yoga - my lower body is knotting up something fierce. And my IT band O_O
Haha! I do need to get walking more during lunch time. It's hard to get steps in when I'm in the office and I'm mostly tied to my cube.That's a good idea about the brace. Did you get yours from a doctor or did you just pick up a generic one from the store? I think my problem stems from doing so much zumba in the past. My knees took a lot of twisting, turning and impact during those routines even with good sneakers on and the gym floor was not the best.
The yoga really helps to relax my muscles and alleviate next day pain. I get so tight when I exercise and don't stretch which ends up effecting my right knee and lower back.
How is your butt challenge going, btw?
You guys both always blow me away :P
I need to walk more, too - though it's helped that I started walking from the train station to work...I've been doing well with the guns, buns & ab thing, but the leg lifts are giving my trouble. I'm ok with the squats and even doing a few extra push-ups (in rep fashion, not straight through) - but the leg lifts are killing me.
Jackie wrote: "Haha! I do need to get walking more during lunch time. It's hard to get steps in when I'm in the office and I'm mostly tied to my cube.That's a good idea about the brace. Did you get yours from ..."
I picked it up at a running store. It works a lot better than I expected!
Re: Butt Challenge. Umm, yeah. I'm currently doing a 5x5 and my deadlifts and squats are pretty heavy now:
165 lb DL
125 lb Squat
That is working my legs - and I have mostly no energy after squatting 125# for 5 sets of 5 to do any of the extras. I try to throw about 10-20 or so on the end but... blah
My friend who was doing it quit yesterday - she said she was dreading every day AND her hips and back were starting to feel funky.
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "I need to walk more, too - though it's helped that I started walking from the train station to work...I've been doing well with the guns, buns & ab thing, but the leg lifts are giving my trouble..."
Those leg lifts are torture! I ususally can't do much more than... 10 at a time. I do a decent amount of ab work but those lifts! O_O
MrsJoseph wrote: "Those leg lifts are torture! I ususally can't do much more than... 10 at a time. I do a decent amount of ab work but those lifts! O_O "I'm up to 45, but I had to break it up into reps of 10, and I started doing the modified ones by the end.
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Those leg lifts are torture! I ususally can't do much more than... 10 at a time. I do a decent amount of ab work but those lifts! O_O "I'm up to 45, but I had to break it up int..."
You're better than me. Your abs hate you right now.
It's actually more my thighs that are the problem, funnily enough.
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "It's actually more my thighs that are the problem, funnily enough."How?
Doing the leg lifts is working my thighs as well as my abs - and also hurting my butt (which is why I started going the modified) - and I think with that plus the squats, I'm feeling a lot in my thighs.
Maybe I'm doing it wrong? I always feel like a teeter-totter, about to fall over.
I usually do them like this:
I try to do from 90 degrees to, like, 15... but as my tailbone is hurting, I've been doing more 60 degrees to 15.
For the modified version, instead of laying flat I raise myself on my elbows. It doesn't work the core as well, but it's easier on the back.
c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: "I usually do them like this:I try to do from 90 degrees to, like, 15... but as my tailbone is hurting, I've been doing more 60 degrees to 15.
For the modified version, instead of laying flat ..."
oooh. I just lower up and down as slow as I can without tipping over, lol. I've not tried to do it in incrementals. That sounds ridiculously hard.
Sometimes I stop about 2-3" from the floor and do a single scissor but that's about it.
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colleen the convivial curmudgeon, Not a book hipster!
(last edited Jun 12, 2014 03:37PM)
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c.o.lleen ± (... never stop fighting) ± wrote: ""
That sounds about right. Pie!
Weigh in dayI lost about 4 lbs from the last time I weighed myself BUT I'd GAINED 2lbs when I weighed myself last time.
But still, progress!
I lost about 1/2 - 1 inch off of my hips and about 1/2 inch off my thigh but nothing from the waist. :(
But still, progress!
I busted through my deadlift PR and pulled 175 today! Next week it's 185. But damn, my legs were shaky afterwards.
Not sure if I lost any bodyfat - all the methods I have access to are giving me wildly different numbers. Someone suggested I get a pair of calipers to get an accurate measurement.
Congratulations! To me the inches off count more than the scale.
Jackie wrote: "Congratulations! To me the inches off count more than the scale."I agree, intellectually.
But emotionally want them all!
I'm a work in progress.
Congrats MrsJ! If it helps as a boost, I'm totally jealous. I was afraid to weigh in today. I'm afraid I'm just getting fatter and fatter. Starting to feel really bad about myself, and I don't know what to do. Nothing seems to work. It's seriously depressing.
So 2 lbs + all of the measurement reductions? Awesome.
Dawn wrote: "Congrats MrsJ! If it helps as a boost, I'm totally jealous. I was afraid to weigh in today. I'm afraid I'm just getting fatter and fatter. Starting to feel really bad about myself, and I don't kn..."
:(
I want you to feel like a beautiful princess on your wedding day.
I can tell you what I've been doing but I'm a lot bigger than you (height and weight). So it's gonna be a little harder for you than me, I think.
MWF - I weightlift. I use a program called StrongLifts 5x5: http://stronglifts.com/
The program and the app are free. It's a "progressive load" program - meaning that each workout the weights get heavier in order to stress your nervous system and build muscle.
T/T - Cardio Days
I either run, use the elliptical or do a cardio DVD. The DVD I use the most right now is Tight Buns and Killer Legs. OMG. It's HARD but promises visible results in 10 workouts. I'm always wiped when I'm done.
If I can I also try to do yoga or a full hour of stretching on the weekends.
Calories: MFP has me set at 1510 calories per day. I TRY not to eat back the calories they say I burn. I try to get in 8-9 glasses of water per day and I try to consume about 100 grams of protein per day (I SHOULD be getting in about 150 or more but that's a work in progress).
That group fitness class I joined is starting Monday and I'm nervous. He wants us to do Intermittent Fasting for at least a month.
The program is calling for the 16/8 method - I'm supposed to eat all of my calories within 8 hours and nothing after that.
Let me just say that this scares me. But he says that it is super effective - especially for those who struggle with weight loss.
If you're interested I can post the links to sites that can explain it.
I feel like what I'm doing should be enough. I do Insanity 6 days a week and an hour of yoga on the 7th day. Average but for my Insanity work outs is 550 calories, but I burn 350 in some of the recovery ones and as much as 675 in the harder ones. I work and sweat my ass off the whole time and am exhausted afterward.
I use the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate how many calories I should eat...
655 + 4.35*Weight + 4.7*Height - 4.7*Age = 1380
1380.3 * 1.2 (Sedentary Lifestyle Multiplier) = 1656
1656.36 - 500 (Deficit to burn 1 lb of fat a week) = 1156
I take this 1156, add the average amount I burn in a week (400 per day) and I'm at 1550. I eat 1400 - 1500 a day, 1200 on lower impact days.
I average 100 grams of protein a day, drink water constantly. Watch my sugar and sodium and carb intake.
I feel like I try really hard. Do I sometimes let myself slip? Yeah. The other night I binged on Doritos (food depression binge) and tonight I'm going out to dinner. Other than that though, I track every single thing I put in my mouth. And hell.. If I can't eat something bad once or twice a week, what's the point? But then I feel horribly guilty afterward and blame my weakness on how I'm just gaining more and more weight the more I try to lose it.
New things I'm trying.. Bought some skin tightening lotion. The fat in my belly area is my BIGGEST concern, I would feel hot if I wasn't so bloated and pudgy there. Lately I've wondered if it's not fat and it's more lose skin. I have had a kid after all.. And it doesn't feel like J's (finace) belly fat, which is relatively firm. It's super squishy and loose and soft. So I am going to try this lotion that's supposed to tighten it up.. We'll see. I put little faith in these things, but short of surgery I don't see what else I can do.
Other than that.. What else can I do but keep trying? I just feel so disappointed that after 60 days of Insanity (I'm on my last week) 6 days a week, and months of other work outs before that, I keep gaining. I never in my life worked out before this, I'm starting to think I should have kept it that way. I'd have a hell of a lot more spare time!!
Blah. I'm just funking. I need some good results, even if it's just a temporary loss that shows, to perk me up.
MrsJoseph wrote: "That group fitness class I joined is starting Monday and I'm nervous. He wants us to do Intermittent Fasting for at least a month.
The program is calling for the 16/8 method - I'm supposed to..."
I'm horrible at fasting.. I need snacks throughout the day and usually save 50-100 calories for 2 hours before bed. I'm a baby when I'm hungry.
You ARE trying really hard - and what you have up there is a LOT.Did you take progress pictures? Plus, it really could be muscle.
Or you could have a body that responds better to a different program than you are doing right now.
I need the weight lifting/cardio combo because I have more of an athletic build (both parents were athletes while I was NOT).
Have you tried any HIIT programs? Or what did you do the most of when you were younger?
Dawn wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "That group fitness class I joined is starting Monday and I'm nervous. He wants us to do Intermittent Fasting for at least a month.
The program is calling for the 16/8 method..."
Me, too.
Which is why I'm scared.
Hangry <--- Me
I did a lot of staying inside and watching TV because people weren't supposed to know I was home alone, lol. Didn't play sports. Rode my bike a lot when I was 10 and under, but then it got stolen and we could never afford a new one. So yeah.. No one ever expressed that activity was necessary, and I was a skinny little thing so I never worried about it.We'll see.. Maybe T25 and less calories will be a good fit. I'll be on a 1200 - 1300 a day diet when I start that.
Dawn wrote: "I did a lot of staying inside and watching TV because people weren't supposed to know I was home alone, lol. Didn't play sports. Rode my bike a lot when I was 10 and under, but then it got stolen a..."Fingers crossed for T25!
So I was thinking about MrsJ's challenge, where you have to do 250 squats on day 30 and how crazy that sounded to me.. I decided to count how many squats I do in one of my Insanity videos. I was blown away.. 165! And that wasn't even a strength / squat heavy one, that was max cardio. So yeah.. I guess I could probably do 250, I definitely last longer now than when I started out, and 165 is most of the way there! All in one hour block.
Dawn wrote: "So I was thinking about MrsJ's challenge, where you have to do 250 squats on day 30 and how crazy that sounded to me.. I decided to count how many squats I do in one of my Insanity videos. I was bl..."That's great!
So the fitness program I joined gave me my macros yesterday. OMG. I somehow need to get in 150g of protein but less than 50g of fat all within 1600 cals.
O_O
I failed miserably yesterday. I was down by 19g of protein and UP by 21g of fat! Obv I eat waaaay too much fat.
One of my biggest issues is avocado. I LOVE avocado and try to eat some very often. I've been putting 1/2 avocado in my salads. 1/2 med avocado = 11g of fat. Which is a LOT when my goal is 49g on rest days and 44g on strength days. O_O
>.>
<.<
I'm eating the rest of my avocados!
Hey Dawn! I think I found a class you might like and the only equipment requirement are resistance bands! The Next You with Kellie Davis
http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/th...
You’ve tried exercising in the past, but work, kids, or life just seems to get in the way of reaching your goals. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Fortunately, making fitness a part of your life doesn’t have to be difficult, even if you have a busy schedule.
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Weekly Check-Ins and 24/7 Support.
Regular adjustments to your diet and training program. Access to Kellie’s brain on all things fitness, as well as the help and support of your teammates.
Encouragement from a private community
You can chat to, and share knowledge with, other members experiencing the same challenges. Continued support and accountability are keys to success!
Nutritional plan. (Optional extra)
A guide to better eating choices while helping you reach your goal– whether it’s to lose fat, build muscle, maintain your current body, or a little bit of both.
Free Sample Workout is available [via link] on the page
That looks cool, but I'm not big on paying monthly fees. Over a few months, that adds up to more than I paid for my Insanity and T25 workouts!I'm feeling more optimistic lately. I have one more workout (a killer one, last time I did it I burned 750 calories) in Insanity, then the Fit Test to see how much progress I made, then I'm done. Starting next Monday I'm going to do T25. Since they are only 25 minutes, I'll have time to do that, shower, make dinner at a reasonable time, clean up, take a nice 30 minute walk, and have time to relax after. Walking is one of the best ways to burn fat.. It gets your heart rate in the optimal fat burning zone (or mine at least!) and keeps it there. Between that, T25, and a 1200 calorie diet.. I'm feeling like it may be time to start seeing results.
Dawn wrote: "That looks cool, but I'm not big on paying monthly fees. Over a few months, that adds up to more than I paid for my Insanity and T25 workouts!I'm feeling more optimistic lately. I have one more w..."
Great! I'm excited for you!
LOL@at class prices. I don't mind because it's only a few months. I like the one I'm doing now. I LOVE Kellie Davis so I wanted to take that class but my strength level is too far past the bands that it wouldn't be functional for me.
They also have action hero/super hero classes and I want to take one of those, too. If they have one available at the time (after I finish this one). But I might need to go back to StrongLifts first to get a little stronger. A lot of the superhero classes have a lot of back and shoulder work - my biggest weaknesses.
You all sound like you are doing awesomely! Rock on!I am really happy that I am getting to walk and run regularly now (I usually am able to do one or the other). I would like to try to get back into strength training, but have trouble fitting into my schedule...
Sinistmer wrote: "You all sound like you are doing awesomely! Rock on!I am really happy that I am getting to walk and run regularly now (I usually am able to do one or the other). I would like to try to get back..."
Thank you!
And congrats on the walk/running! When I try to run now I get horrible shin splints, no matter what I do.
That is a shame, Mrs. Joseph! I have been lucky in that I only seem to get shin splits when I need to change out my running shoes.I have thought about trying to figure out a strength training program, but it would have be something that I could a couple days and not be super equipment-heavy.
Sinistmer wrote: "That is a shame, Mrs. Joseph! I have been lucky in that I only seem to get shin splits when I need to change out my running shoes.I have thought about trying to figure out a strength training pr..."
Do you have a barbell set? If so, I recommend StrongLifts. It's super simple but really packs on the muscle. The workouts are 3 days a week and usually lasted about 30-45mins. At first the workouts are a lot shorter.
I did the program for about 2 months before I started the one I'm on now. TBH, the strength I gained in SL makes this plan a lot easier. Most of the rest of the people in my group are all moaning and groaning about how they are about to die. I'm able to go about my day with no problems.
If you don't have a barbell set, I can see if I can find a good dumbbell program for you (if you want).
Sinistmer wrote: "That is a shame, Mrs. Joseph! I have been lucky in that I only seem to get shin splits when I need to change out my running shoes.I have thought about trying to figure out a strength training pr..."
I wish I could say that! My hubby is the same way - he's just running without a care. I tried a pair of compression sleeves but it didn't stop them.
I don't own any weight sets. I do have a gym membership, so I do have access to those materials.
SL only requires a barbell and weight plates. It's pretty simple but really works.
Here is a list of the rest of them: http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/te...
The one I signed up for is called "Summer Body" and with it I'm supposed to get a personalized training program, Q&As, I *think* form correction and personalized nutrition plan. It lasts for two months.