Not Q&A
I’m a Frustrated Fatty.
So, I’ve been going to the gym regularly now for 6 weeks or so. I go 4 to 6 days a week and I work out for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, sometimes 3, but usually closer to 2. I’m doing body pump class 3 to 4 times a week, pilates 1 to 2 times a week, and walking on the treadmill for 1 to 3 miles, mostly uphill, averaging around 5 on the incline, sometimes more (though I can’t seem to get past 10 without dying) sometimes less, depending on my energy level, and 3 to 3.5 speed. At 4 I’m jogging, cuz, apparently I have short legs. I mostly walk, though sometimes I’ll jog for a bit.
I dropped yoga, for now, even though I really liked it because I feel like I need to get slimmer and stronger to do yoga. Also I wanted to do these more aggressive workouts with the time I have at the gym.
I’m drinking lots and lots of water. I’m (trying to be) eating less and eating smarter.
In the first 2 weeks I dropped almost 10 pounds.
Since then?
Nothing.
Not a single. fucking. pound.
I’m irritated as all get out.
I know the exercise is paying off. I know I’m toning and firming. My clothes fit better, the people around me comment on it.
I certainly feel better, have more energy, my stamina and endurance are way up, I’m stronger, my skin looks better, I’m bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
But all of those things were secondary benefits for me. I WANT to lose weight. I don’t CARE if I’m stronger. I don’t want to be stronger, I want to be SKINNIER.
So, obviously I need to adjust my diet more than I have. That’s proving extremely difficult when the other people in the house aren’t dieting and my grocery budget is limited. Eating healthy is expensive. I’m having trouble figuring out how to make this happen.
Advice? Hints and tips? Any dieting myths out there that I’m falling victim to and sabotaging myself? Exercise recommendations?
Help a fatty out, would ya?
Uncategorized | kaya | 
Wednesday March 17th, 2010 10:56am
It sounds to me like you are getting skinnier. If you are toning and firming, then aren’t you getting skinnier? Especially if other people are noticing.
Honestly … I think we spend way too much time in this country focusing on a number on a scale.
Instead, we should focus on making healthy choices – eating well, working out. You are doing that. Keep it up and the results will come.
And congrats on doing so well so far!
But I don’t like the number on the scale. And it should be moving down. I don’t want to just be a “healthier fat”, you know?
Muscle weighs more than fat. If you replaced all of your fat, every ounce, with healthy, strong, macho muscle (hahaha ahem) you’d weigh a whole lot more.
If you drop some fat, and replace even a small percentage of that with muscle, you may see very little change on the scale.
I (and the whole internets, har har) have seen your body. You have some fat, but not so much that you can lose poundage week after week after month after month like the folks on Biggest Loser can. You’re going to make muscle, and muscle weighs in!
Measure your waistline (or your upper arm, or whatever). ‘Pinch an inch.’ Come back to the scale in several weeks, or if you feel like you’re not toning, firming, etc. and you need a new way to measure progress. Just don’t let the scale be the ONLY way you measure progress.
Not true. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh exactly the same. Muscle is DENSER than fat, not heavier. It’s a common misconception.
It takes the body about 3 months to get used to any change. So don’t give up!!
Also, soup is a good way to eat healthy and keep fuller for longer :)
Oh, you silly! You’re not losing weight because you’re losing fat while you build muscle! People are pointing out that your clothes are fitting better, which means you ARE slimming down! But because the muscle you’re gaining is heavier than the fat you’re losing, your weight seems to stay consistent even though the fat is being burned off!
(I used something called the US Army’s Performance Through Nutrition and Exercise to do the math to figure out what I need/can eat!)
[rq=2420146,0,blog][/rq]
Thats what Master keeps telling me, but I’m not buying it.
Cuz I watch the Biggest Loser and THEY are losing weight while building muscle. So obviously I’m doing it wrong!
That is because they are two, three and even four times bigger than you are! As for ideas on food stuffs, when I was really working on myself i went with lots is tuna, chicken. yogurt and brown rice.
I lost a ton of weight when i followed the plan. Of course i stoped all the good stuff and gained it all back lol. But srsly, it helped.
You are not doing it wrong!!!! Your doing it right! Your replacing fat with muscle, keep it up! Go Kaya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kaya, you may not be giving your body enough recovery time in between your activities. Seriously. You can improve your fitness, your cardiovascular system, your muscle tone, and so on — but you can NOT improve on your recovery time. You need to have a couple of days off in the week, at the least, for your body to rest and for the torn muscle fibers to heal and bulk up before you overwork them again. So, as counter-intuitive as it seems, you may need to cut down on your workouts.
The three tips I’ve learned about losing weight and getting healthier are (1) you are not drinking enough water. I now drink a gallon a day (srsly) and I’ve noticed the weight coming off much more regularly, (2) get more sleep. It helps you feel less hungry and you need the rest when you are working out regularly, and (3) do not snack after dinner. Hold out. You will, in a few days, notice an immediate difference on the scale. Whatever dinner is, and whenever it is, that’s it for the night.
This will help, I promise!
Best of luck to you. It’s a struggle, but it’s one worth winning.
What if I cut down by just doing a walk on the days inbetween body pump? Would that be enough? Cuz I’m afraid if I cut down too much, I’ll lose motivation.
As for water- I’m not up to a gallon. FFS woman, are your eyeballs floating? lol But I do sleep well (in bed at 10, up at 5) and I TRY not to snack after dinner. Try being the operative word there.
Housewench is right.
So if numbers motivate you, do some measurements! Waist, thighs, arms, hips. You’re getting tinier. Inches are coming off, if not pounds at the moment. But DON’T WORRY. You’re not “healthier fat” you just waltzed off to the gym and began working out a bunch and, plain and simple – you didn’t have the muscles necessary to complete these workouts.
So your body is building them. Right now. And it’s stagnating your weight loss, but it’s the only way the journey will be a success.
Basically, right now your body is saying, “Back off the scale, bitch. I’mma little fucking busy building the muscle necessary to get you through these ass-busting workouts. Muscle? Well, that shit is HEAVY. It’s small, though, so RELAX.”
Eventually (unless Scott decides you should bodybuild. Which I’m sure is likely) you’ll get all the nice, strong, (heavy) lean muscle you need to complete the workouts.
So don’t stress.
Now I’m going to go think about eating healthy for cheap. It will probably be some horrifyingly long comprehensive plan. Back later.
~Chloe
[rq=2420330,0,blog][/rq]More A’s for your Q’s
I do wish I would have thought to measure before I started. I still could I guess.
I lol’ed at “back off the scale bitch”. Thanks. :)
I know it’s frustrating, but you have to be patient. You will start to see results right away (the first 10 pounds), but big changes can come months later too. You just have to stick with it. I’ve been running seriously for about a year and while I lost a lot of weight at the beginning, my body is really starting to change a year into it.
And maybe kick up the cardio and keep it varied (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, STAIRMASTER). That will keep your fatburning going and hopefully your increased metabolism will take care of the rest.
-Kitten
I’ve just started working on the elliptical. So maybe that’ll help if I’m mix it up a bit more. And I’m wanting to try the cycling class, it’s just really intimidating because most of them in there are serious riders who are in the class just because of the weather right now. :/
I wonder if there is a stairmaster there.. hmm. I don’t recall seeing one. Imma look!
The StairMaster that is an actual moving set of stairs is the best! I curse it every time, but it works wonders on my butt! Much better than the one that is just the two pads that has you simulate climbing stairs.
Also, you may want to see if your gym has a stationary bike with a video monitor that displays a “virtual spin class” (complete with a sadistic cycling instructor). I’ve used one and it’s a really good way to get acclimated to spinning before going into the totally intimidating spin studio.
Also, about diet: One easy way to improve without changing your entire way of cooking is to alter the ratio of protein/carbs/vegetables at every meal. If you currently eating 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% vegetables, you can up the vegetables to 40% and cut down on the other two to 30% each.
Best,
Kitten
Don’t be scared of the spin class – the good instructors want you to get a good workout at your own pace. Just focus on working hard for YOU. I take the bikes in the back row and really enjoy it!
Actually your Master is correct.Because you are toning and firming up, the muscle is building, which does weigh more then fat. Also keep and eye on your breast size, a lot of women who begin to lose fat lose it in the breasts first. Then other areas of of fat will burn off. Your doing great! Keep it up
I can’t afford to lose any boob! I hardly have any as it is..lol
I’ve lost lots of weight in the past year, and I must say that my boobs were better before. But that wasn’t the first place I noticed it.
[rq=2422872,0,blog][/rq]What he said
You aren’t that damn big though! Jeez. Yeah, bustin ass at the gym means you’re toning up and that’s great. Better that than to be like me – skinny and sagging. Heh.
I’ve actually gotten to the point where I eat ‘around’ dinner time and it’s a rare occasion I have anything but white meat (minus pork) or seafood. I don’t eat when everyone else does, I eat before. And it’s usually a sandwich or something and some fruit, maybe some leftovers from something ‘lighter’ (grandmother cooks very heavy and very greasy – drives me nuts). I keep lots and lots of fruit on hand. Grapes, pears, bananas, apples, citrus here and there. And nuts. Protein and nom!
So yeah, all told, if I were eating properly, I’d be doing the light meals 4-5 times a day from late morning (cant eat when I wake up or I get sick to my stomach) until late evening – a couple of hours before bed.
I’m still dropping weight so I guess somethings working!
[rq=2420506,0,blog][/rq]Contented
I was trying for awhile to eat something light and healthy before dinner so I wouldn’t be as tempted to overeat, but I still overate and then I simply had the added calories of that “light and healthy” snack. Bah. I suck.
I’m working on the light meals more often though. It’s just hard to keep that food on hand (with 5 other people snatching it alla time), and hard to feel hungry when they eat. Fuckers. :)
I agree with housewench. Happened with me. Clothes fit better, i felt better but it took awhile for the scale to move. Stick with it, it will. As far as the people on the Biggest Loser – i have seen you naked and you are NO WHERE near the size of those people. They have more fat to lose than you. As they get closer to your size, their scale number will also stall.
I sure hope so. I’m taking your word for it!
You are losing fat which may not translate directly into losing weight on the scale. You are losing inches and size, though. Even though the scale isn’t budging, you’re getting skinnier.
The number on the scale may eventually change. It may not. You’re going to have to come to terms that you are more than just a number on a scale.
As for the biggest loser folks, a lot of the weight loss isn’t real (not drinking for 36 hours before weighing so they’re dehydrated). PLEASE do not measure yourself against them, it’s very bad what they’re doing and incredibly unhealthy.
“The number on the scale may eventually change. It may not.”
*sob*!!
Sorry. I went through the same thing when starting to exercise. Everyone said “but it will make you lose weight” and it didn’t!
I started doing a lot more research into it, and there’s evidence that exercise doesn’t help you lose weight only calorie restriction.
I was exercising for nearly a year with almost no weight loss. And I didn’t start losing weight until I restricted calories – and it was a fairly minor restriction 1700 – 1800 calories a day. I lost 18 pounds in 12 months, which doesn’t sound like a lot but it made a huge difference in my shape and made me feel a lot skinnier.
I tracked calories at sparkpeople.com and found it pretty helpful in terms of keeping track of what was going into my mouth.
You mentioned below you’re a little unsure of the “right” things and something like sparkpeople may help you balance your intake. One thing it pointed out to me was I get way too little calcium for a woman of my age, so I started supplementing that.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting sufficient protein. For me (and YMMV) protein definitely affects how hungry I feel. If I eat just carbs then I get hungrier a lot faster. If I eat carbs and something with protein in it then I stay satisfied longer. A real example is apples. Just an apple and I’m stomach growling in 30 minutes. The same apple and a tablespoon of peanut butter and I’m good for a couple hours.
Stick with it. Even if the scale doesn’t move you are getting health benefits from the exercise.
http://scienceblogs.com/obesitypanacea/2010/03/exercise_and_body_weight.php
[rq=2420980,0,blog][/rq]Just like that, yes…
It can seem counterproductive but make sure you are eating enough. With all the exercise you are doing you are burning through a lot of calories. If you are not eating enough (of the right food, of course) your body will go into starvation mode and store fat. So, don’t skip meals, make sure you are getting enough protein etc. etc.
I think I’m eating plenty, I’m just not sure I’m eating the right stuff. I really need to educate myself more on it. I suck at being able to figure out the calories in a recipe when I’m cooking from scratch, and I kind of rely on *hoping* that using the “right” ingredients will make it be healthy. But that’s not always going to be the case so I need to look up some facts and stuff. Thanks!
Try this site for analyzing your from scratch recipes:
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php#
or this:
http://www.dietitians.ca/public/content/eat_well_live_well/english/RecipeAnalyzer/RecipeAnalyzer.asp?fn=introduction
HTH!
Eating healthy isn’t cheap – but since you care about what you put into your mouth and the family doesn’t then buy “local” organic foods for yourself and follow weight watchers! You will consistently lose weight. You might be getting too much carbs or protein and not enough fiber or something. also, mypyramid.gov has some great info.
eating healthy isn’t expensive. srsly. we’ve been focusing a lot on the what-we’re-putting-in aspect, because like you, the magic number isn’t going down fast enough. a lot of what we’re doing is adjusting portion size – you’d be surprised how little protein you actually need, and how much vegetablestuff you *do* need.
i could go on for hours about this. but in summary, yes, absolutely exercise is important, but the other half of the equation is what’s going in.
love,
luna_lux
Actually she needs quite a bit of protein with the amount of exercising she is doing. You cannot build muscle without sufficient protein and protein cannot convert to fat in the body. A general guideline is an active person needs a little less then half their body weight in grams of protein a day. Protein is also a great appetite suppressant.
True, but it seems like most Americans are overly concerned with getting enough protein.
It’s problematic because many sources of protein are also high in fat and low in fiber. If Kaya is eating her daily protein in pork and beef, it’s a problem (and not as big an issue if she’s getting her protein from organic soy, sprouted grains and beans).
Best,
Kitten
40-60 grams per day is the appropriate amount for someone who works out. Too much protein is bad for your liver and kidneys
I think you’ve gotten lots of great suggestions. Re. the whole “eating healthy” thing…as we get older, I really do think our metabolism changes. I’m a big believer in the 40-30-30 thing (40% carbs, 30% protein & 30% fat). The Formula: A Personalized 40-30-30 Fat-Burning Nutrition Program…it’s a great book with good recipes.
Re. cheap & healthy eats…
For breakfast I eat a mixture of oatmeal & cottage cheese with a little sugar, some almonds and a splash of milk.
Snack on fruits & veggies, or low-fat, sugar-free yogurt!
Lunches:
* Brown rice & black beans with some salsa, chopped tomato or avocado is healthy & cheap
* Mix tuna & cannelini beans, each on rye-crisp or other high-fiber crackers. (Add a little splash of olive oil if necessary.)
* Make a smoothie with fresh fruit, milk or yogurt and some protein powder. (I also add a fiber supplement.)
* Zone Bars fit the 40-30-30 breakdown & can found for $1 each…that’s a pretty inexpensive lunch.
Dinner:
1. Poached chicken with steamed veggies & a low-cal (but flavorful) sauce is healthy & inexpensive. You can always make a higher-cal/less healthy version for the family.
[rq=2420862,0,blog][/rq]It’s Been Too Long
You may want to consider taking a nutrition class. They will teach you how to calculate your scratch recipes. Or you could just by a nutrition textbook.
Labels,labels, labels, you need to always read them. I don’t know what your weakness foods are, but keep them out of the house. Or, if you can’t, only get them in quanities that feeds the other members of the family.
1. It’s true, muscle is heavier than fat.
2. You should only be losing half a pound a week for long term weight loss, at MOST, and it’s hard to know if you have really lost weight if you weight too often because water retention and loss can easily equal a half pound or more.
3. Weigh yourself only once a month to get a more accurate idea of the *trend* rather than agonizing week to week over each little bit. Those numbers are inaccurate.
See the Biggest Loser MUST rig that scale; it makes for better ratings and keeps the “interesting” people we all watch, root for and hate. True, they have a lot of weight that is easier to lose because they are that much heavier, but muscle building exercises (as everyone has said) build muscle which increases your proportional weight (muscle)/weight loss (read fat).
Good news: muscle needs more energy just existing, so you are totally helping your metabolism in the long run. BUT you wanna lose weight so you might want to consider building muscle secondarily to cardio work.
Cardio as it’s name implies is to work your heart more than anything else, boosts your metabolism and requires more energy from fat than muscle building stuff. It’s what all my fitness people have told me to focus on if you’re into the numbers game.
Also, have you looked into heart rate zones? You could be working your heart above the ideal zone for fat burning and instead just improving your cardiovascular system.
Just me: I bought a WiiFit. I thought the exercises were too short, undemanding and varied. Was hardly sore. Lost 40 pounds–ask my Master! Seriously I did. I can’t think of anything else I did, so I blame the WiiFit for making me work in the right heart zone for long enough.
Small tangent: If you’re sore, you’ve created lactic acid in your muscles (if you have sensitive massage hands you can find the acid bubbles…), possibly torn muscle tissue and told you’re body that you need more muscle stat! So then your body will build muscle. Pilates has a wonderful slogan that if you’re sore you did it wrong (I’m paraphrasing) because you’ve created damage and thus created more work for your body to do instead of just building up. But kicking your butt into high gear, which painful, will make results (muscle building, metabolism, fat burning, etc) occur faster.
There are tons of articles that say just eat slowly. It takes 30 minutes for your body to decide if it’s full and by that time you’ve overeaten (well, I like to call it ladylike scarfing of food and I have it down to an artform). Eating more slowly may result in you eating smaller portions, or not. Maybe just take smaller portions because you wont get through as much food. I like to use kids’ dishes because they actually are more on par with the portions we should be eating. Plus, if you do go back for more later, it kinda translates into “whoa, I must really be hungry today” which you should allow yourself to be sometimes.
It’s like diet is an evil word, but it’s really just awareness. Americans typically eat without thinking, consuming far more than the body needs. It’s what we’re used to, what we think is a full meal. Just look at how sizes for fast food have gotten larger.
I dunno, maybe I just rambled, none of it makes sense and I’ve really just confused everyone further. on that note, I’m off to obfuscate something else. ;D
Kaya,
When I started trying to lose weight, I lost the furst 25 pounds in a flash, reletively speaking. Turns out, it was water weight and one of the pills I’m now on is what’s euphamistically called a water pill, as it forces your body to dump lots of water. However, I’ve also found that sodium tends to bind water to your body, increasing your weight. If I go over 2000 sodium on a day, my weight the next morning will go up a couple (or more if I gorged sodium). It them goes away over the next couple of days of controlled sodium intake.
The other thing I’ve learned is that plateaus and set backs are inevitable. I was down to 310, and now am back up to 318. it sucks, but don’t give up.
The earlier repsonces may well be right. Muscles mass is denser than than fat mass, so even if you put on mless volume of muscle than you take off fat, you’re weight will stay static (and heaven help you if you replqace fat with muscle cubic inch for cubic inch). That’s why football linemen aren’t obese even when they weigh 300+ pounds.
Personally, I’m focussing on what good is visible; I’ve more endurance, my blood sugars are under control (120-130 overnights); my feet don’t hurt as much after a day of teaching. My health is better than it has been in 5-10 years. My weight will be what it is, and since my arteries weren’t clogged at all when I was in for the heart incident, I’m not going to worry much. You shouldn’t worry any more than your Master does. After all, that’s His job, isn’t it? ;)
Dave
Low carb is the secret for me. Granted, I’m a juvenile onset diabetic so I’ve been low carbing for many, many years. But over all those years, all though my 20s and 30s my weight has stayed the same- skinny. Everyone I’ve suggested this to has dropped weight like crazy. I eat lean meat and lots of veggies. Let the fam have the pasta, rice and bread.
(I have another question, actually, about masochism and chronic disease. While I fantasize about it, the thought of my partner poking me with needles when give myself 5 or 6 shots a day is ultimately unappealing. Is masochism reserved for those who don’t experience chronic medical conditions?)
I’d say no because I’m a diabetic as well, though at most I do 3 shots a day and I freaking love needle play. I’ve also had chronic back and neck problems for years and that didn’t change my masochism either. Actually play usually helps me with my back pain because of the endorphins!
I have discovered a lot of tips and tricks over the last year that I’ve been dieting. I attempted to send an email via the link on your blog but it isn’t working and I am only allowed so many public posts per day. If you wanted the tips pop over to my blog and leave a way to contact you or in a response here. I’ve too have been very frustrated with my body so I completely get it.
The previous responses about muscle and fat are completely on the money. Plateauing at about 10-20 pounds and having to wait to see more actual numbers drop off the scale in a few months is COMPLETELY normal!
I’ve never struggled with weight (I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in my life right now – 120 pounds at 5 foot 2. lol) BUT – I’m an ex ballerina, and a current exotic dancer, and I’ve had this whole fat loss and muscle tone thing burned into my brain since I was oh, 3 or 4 years old. Trust me, if you’re toning up enough for people to NOTICE, you’re DEFINITELY doing something right! Don’t lose hope!
One of the BBW dancers at my club just joined the ranks of all us skinny fucks. She dropped 140 pounds in just over a year! It was really amazing. So it TOTALLY is possible. She basically did the same thing you’re doing – so just keep at it.
Also, my little tips:
I take vitamins in damn insane amounts. My two favorites to support weight loss/maintenance are Tonalin CLA and Cayenne Pepper Capsules. Tonalin is fother mucking AMAZING shit. There’s a lot of controversial crap about it online, but ALL my dancer friends who’ve used it have had amazing results. It’s not a weight loss pill or anything, it’s just Conjugated Linoleic Acid, I think. Just a dietary supplement. My cellulite *disappeared*, my skin was firmer, and I dropped those stubborn last 5 pounds like nothing.
I CANNOT control late-night cravings. I can’t. So, I grabbed a box of Special K Chocolatey Delight. It’s cereal with little peices of fake chocolate that seriously taste like the real thing – and I can tell. I’m a chocolate fucking WHORE. A little bowl of that fixes the hunger and the craving for something sweet. And maybe it’s a way to get Master to let you get a bit of “chocolate” in the diet?
Best of luck!
You are getting a lot of advice, and I really don’t know if my advice is worth it since I’m one of the fattest submissives on the net right now. But I do know how to each healthier when the rest of the people you cook for are not choosing to diet.
At first, I cooked separate meals… until it got insane. Then I decided to go the portion route. No foods are banned, but the portions are controlled. I divide my plate in 3 regions (mentally). Half is for veggies. This can be a salad and hot veg or a whole bunch of raw. Mix it up. 1/4 is protein. The meat of the meal. If it’s a casserole or mixed dish this still falls into the protein section unless the bulk is one of 3 things: rice, pasta or potatoes. The other 1/4 is reserved for these things so count it accordingly.
The other major change has been to go back to using 10inch plates. As we as a society have gotten fatter our plates have gotten huge! I use my salad plate as my plate, or only cover the flat portion of my raised ridge plates. It’s all about space, you don’t need to fill it up!
Other than that, I can’t give you advice that others here haven’t already given you. I too was frustrated until I started measuring. Then I noticed that while the scale wasn’t changing, I was losing inches in my waist, hips and thighs. That made me so very happy.
Best of luck.
[rq=2422021,0,blog][/rq]Bits
hang in there…be consistent, and who cares what the scale says? you already said your clothes are fitting better! Don’t obsess on the scale woman! Building muscles increases your metabolism, eat beans!!! yes i said beans! cheap, excellent source of protein, no fat – depending on how you prepare them, good complex carb…and give your body time to recover….
check your thyroid too!
Switch the cardio around. If you do incline one day, do level the next and do intervals (mix in a few spurts of faster walking a couple of times during the workout). Increase your weights at body pump.
Don’t fall into the “fat free” snack food trap. A lot of them are loaded with sugar and still high calorie. Portion control is really important. Learn what a portion consists of and measure your food. If you can spend a little $, subscribe to a fitness magazine. They are usually loaded with nutrition info. Lurk on the weight watchers website.
And yeah, what others have said. Don’t get too hung up on the number on the scale. You ARE losing fat and gaining muscle. You’ll be stronger to play with your granddaughter (around longer too) and for your slave duties.
Eating healthy food is cheaper in the long run because you will eventually need less of it. When you’re doing it alone, cut out the grains and just eat fruits veggies and meats and don’t go crazy with dairy.
I think you’re gaining muscle and burning fat. You’re not going to lose “weight” if that’s happening right now. eventually you will but right now, just accept the exchange.
Do a google search for Marks Daily Apple. He has lots of practical advice for weight loss and healthy eating.
If that doesn’t work.. um.. read my latest blog post?
[rq=2422719,0,blog][/rq]Sadistic Weight loss Procedure offered by Plastic Surgeon…
Kaya,
At the risk of sounding corny, I want to encourage you to think about Weight Watchers. It does cost a little money every month, but I’ve found it to be a good investment. It does a lot of the thinking about food choices for you by embedding the calorie, fat, and fiber values in “points.” You get a specific point limit per day, with extra points for splurges. It also includes an exercise program.
I think WW appeals to me as an s-type because it sets the nutritional value I should eat every day for me. I just put in the foods as I go and make sure I stick to it.
I know there are free sites out there, like sparkpeople.com, that are pretty good too, but it really might be worth considering. Maybe for a few months, until you get the hang of it?
Fish and veggies. That’s the secret. Little or no bread, rice, or pasta. One or two portions of fruit a day and live on fish (at least 7-10 ounces a day of fish, eggs, lean meat or seafood) and veggies, pretty much anything as long as it isn’g corn. Don’t drink and don’t eat dessert til you get to where you want to be.
It sounds like it’s way more about diet than exercise for you. It also does sound like you are getting skinner.
Good luck
[rq=2422872,0,blog][/rq]What he said
At the risk of adding more info to the flood of info you’ve got here, I’ve got one word for you,
“Diet”.
If it’s all about the numbers for you, what you put in your mouth is 95% of the struggle.
I lost my 40lb with very little exercise (a bit of a walk here, 30mins on the stationary bike there) but I was religious about what I ate. I weighed everything and recorded every little calorie. It was annoying as hell, but got me where I wanted to be.
The online food diaries are great. They also let you put all the ingredients in of what you cook, you add in how many portions it made and it calculates the calories for you. You can then save that info for the things you cook often so no problems working out home-made food calories.
[rq=2423138,0,blog][/rq]Have you cleaned your gonzo lately?
I just started a diet both because I am going on vaca to Vegas at the end of May and, most importantly, because most of my pants don’t fit me anymore. I was so shocked after being able to wear jeans for a month to work, that my dress pants didn’t fit any more. I was like ‘This is serious!’ So I started eating yogurt with a few graham crackers in the morning, a good deli meat sandwich and cottage cheese for lunch, and lots of fruit (apple, nectarine, grapes, watermelon, etc) dinners I try to keep as light as I can with brown rice and veggies, chicken etc. I have cut out pop, sweets, and a lot of salt. I am drinking 8-9 24 ounce bottles of water a day and that is just while at work. I have been squeezing lemons into my water. And really I am noticing a change in how I think about certain foods and am always wanting water. I haven’t been on it very long so I can’t testify to results but am feeling good. I don’t have a scale, never have. I almost went to buy one but I know myself and I would become obsessed with the number on there. I am also working out on the treadmill and elliptical, which I think is a torture machine in my opinion. So yea that is my two cents. I wish you success and can so feel your pain with weight.
[rq=2423283,0,blog][/rq]hard times
Couple of tips from my work with Sparklebutt:
1. Eat 5-6 times a day, every three hours. That keeps your metabolism up, which in turn burns more calories even while you are doing nothing. Wee!
2. Mix up your workout routine. Don’t do the same thing over and over again, even if you do the exact same thing week to week. Your body will get used to the work, and you will plateau.
3. Cut your sodium. By a LOT. Example: it was normal for me to have a daily sodium count of around 3000 when I started working with Sparklebutt – now, I’m between 1000-1500.
4. CUT OUT WHITE SUGAR. For reals. Unless it’s whole or frozen fruit or eggs, if there’s a number next to sugar on the nutritional label – keep it low! If high fructose corn syrup or any kind of -ose or sugar is listed in the ingredients, put it down.
5. Avoid white flour. Enriched or bleached flour breaks down into sugar. See above.
Honestly, I’ve been working out for 6 months. There have been times where I didn’t see the scale move at all, so I feel your pain. I wish that I wasn’t so dependant on the scale for affirmation, but I am, and there it is. The things that helped me the most as far as seeing results was cutting out sugar (no more than 40g per day), keeping a food log, and right now I’m exploring something called Clean Eating, which has cut all my bad numbers literally in half.
Just remember – unfortunately, weight loss is 80% nutrition.
[rq=2423507,0,blog][/rq]Another from the Universe
very good advice – cut out the “white stuff” flour, fructose syrup, sugar etc. Lots of veggies will fill you up and keep the carb cravings at bay. Protein in the form of almonds, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, milk are ok.
Rules.. if you see the words “sugar free, Light or diet”.. run like hell!
Use old time, regular products, do not eat after eight in the evening. Never eat till You feel full… It takes Your body twenty minutes to process a meal ID I have eaten!
Look at Your ordinary plate, take away one third.Eat maybe four to five times a day. For God`s sake… Do not excercise more than three times a week, 50 to 120 minutes a time.Concentrate on conditioning, not strenght.
Estimate to lose one kilo every month as as an absolute maximum ! In principle I´ve used above measures, and in three years time I´ve reached a weight of 86 kilos as opposed to the 140 kilos I carted around before..
As an absolute, the MOST inportant thing is, DO NOT USE LIGHT OR DIET PRODYCTS!! Reduce intake, walk, when possible, use stairs, Drink water Take time to make yourself tasty meals, eat them in peace and enyoy!Do let someone else choke on “take away”…
One more tip: you mentioned that you feel like you need to be stronger or thinner to do yoga. The opposite is true.
I lost some 60 pounds doing yoga 3x a week. When I started I had to modify EVERYTHING, but no one stared and I just did my own practice. (No ego in yoga!) After 2 months it was noticeably easier, and after 4 I was really good at it – and it built up my strength and flexibility like I couldn’t believe. (This is awesome for sex, srsly!) You don’t need to be strong and flexible to do yoga – yoga will give you that, if you do it regularly.
Go for it! And yes, cut down some on your exercise at the gym overall and make sure you have at least 2 days a week where you aren’t at the gym. Take a walk if you feel you need to, but if you don’t give your muscles a chance to rebuild and grow, you will hamper your own progress with over-enthusiasm!
You are doing great. It is working. Have faith. Be gentle with your heart.
[rq=2424329,0,blog][/rq]Evolution
As a personal trainer I can offer you this;
If you are looking to lose 1-2 pounds per week, take your weight x 7= the amount of calories you should be eating per day. Also, cut back on your sodium intake as you will retain water (like those above have stated). Also, make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. Do your research online and figure out what foods you buy regularly that are a GOOD source of protein.
Make sure you are eating the GOOD carbs. Complex carbs (the GOOD carbs) come from natural fruits and veggies. Switch your bread to whole grain bread instead of white bread (which is high in refined sugars).
Drink your 8-10 8oz glasses of water a day. Add crystal lite if you need flavor every now and then (I myself love the raspberry ice)
If you have a mega sweet tooth, pop a piece of extra sugar free gum or Orbits sugar free gum to curb your sweet cravings (I promise it works)
Watch out for sugar and fat content in your food. If it contains Aspartame count that as sugar as it is an artificial sweetener (mostly found in diet sodas) also, if you are a soda drinker, the carbonation will cause bloating and water retention.
As for exercise; you are most likely over training your body and not eating enough calories to off set your weight loss. Calories in should be less than calories out. So if you are eating 1500 calories per day you would need to burn upwards of 2000 or more to lose weight. Remember, 3500 calories equals 1 pound. Burn 3500 in a week and you will lose 1 pound. Burn 7000 calories in a week and you will lose 2 pounds.
Hope this helps.
I’ve read your blog for several years now and enjoy it. But I’ve never been even tempted to comment before now. Over the years, you’ve talked a lot about cooking and I have to say I am always shocked by the types of food you cook. While I like your blog, I’m always surprised that someone so smart would cook things that are utimately poison for you, your master, and your family. There is no way you or your family can be healthy with the style of food you prefer, including the biscuits and gravy. So, you are right. You should have lost more weight by now. I’m sorry – I really enjoy you but this is the “tough love” truth. You look like someone who eats too much of the wrong food. I feed a husband and two kids every day and we ALL eat healthy, delicious foods. Yes, it cost more to give my daughters mangos and organic eggs for breakfast and wild salmon with organic swiss chard for dinner. It costs a lot and we don’t have much money. But it doesn’t cost a lot more than buying junk food and isn’t your health really priceless?!? Simply stop buying junk food. Your kids may hate it at first – you’ve trained them to eat poison. But as a parent, you owe them healthy food. Plus, you seem to like cooking, so you’ll come up with some yummy ways to serve good, whole food. By the way, I think you are working out too much. I’m a former personal trainer and you don’t need 2 hours a day. Google P90X – I love it and it is less than a hour a day. I’m 42 with a better body than I had when I was 25 because of good food and P90X. It’s a series of DVDs you do at home. Good luck. I know you probably think I sound arrogant and you hate my advice – but think about it. Is anything I say really wrong? Would you kill your Master if he asked you to? Would you give your children heart disease if you could? Of course not, but that is what you are doing with the way your family eats. Best of luck.
I don’t at all think you sound arrogant and I don’t hate your advice. It’s stuff I already know and am trying to put into action.
I don’t even remember the last time I made biscuits and gravy, other than for the guys at work and they get what they ask for, simply because I know it’s nothing but a heart attack on a plate (but god it tastes so good!).
The thing is, except for the last 4 years or so, none of us had issues with our weight or our health. So it was easy(ier) to stick my head in the sand and not think about our health or what we were doing to our bodies. It’s sad to say that I didn’t “grow up” until I was almost 40 years old, but here we are, eh?
Anyway, yes, I am trying to learn how to cook in a way that is healthy, not TOO expensive, and tastes good enough to keep everyone happy.
Thanks for the kick in the ass. ;)
Don’t worry so much about what the scale says. If your goal is to be skinnier, the scale will not always match what you think it should. Look at your clothes. How do they fit? Looser? Baggier? Keep track of your measurements.
As an example, I weigh just under 140 and am too small to wear regular women’s sizes, so I have to go into junior’s clothes.
Sending a hug your way. I know exactly what you’re feeling. I lost my first 50 lbs and now can’t do a thing to take another pound off (I have about another 80 to go). You’re doing great and be proud of yourself.
LOL. OK, I’m comment 51. I didn’t read through the others, so this may be repetitive.
BUT…I have an extremely stubborn body (go figure). I can work, work, work for months on end, and not drop a single pound. Not one. Then, it’s like my body finally goes “OK, fine, I guess you’re REALLY serious this time…so *poof*”..and just like that? 10, 15, 20 pounds, nearly overnight.
I don’t know what the hell that is..it’s annoying as all get out, but, I’ve had to just learn and accept over the years, that it’s not changing. Inevitably I get into this frustrated mindset (like now), where I feel fat, and irritated, and like it’s all a waste of time…but just stick with it. I promise, if your body is as stubborn as mine is, another couple months and it’ll more than make up for this ridiculous plateau. Just keep up the good work!
You have to eat more protien to lose weight. Cut out the bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. When you are eating with the family, have the meat and veggies, leave the rest alone. Keep working out, it will come off, i promise. I have lost 100lbs so far, and that is what i do.
Looks like 90% of the comments are right on track. The most important thing is exercise and portion size. Know what a portion =’s (1/2 cup of veggies & 4 oz. of meat) and keep exercising.
Well I’m a fatty, but I’ve lost weight by portioning my food better.
AND In the mornings I only eat Cottage cheese and fruit mixed together.
And of course, exercising.
Usually around this time, you go into a slump.
Don’t worry.
You’ll start losing weight again soon.
If you can afford it within your food budget, try to keep some healthy snacks that you actually like on hand. If you’re snacking because you are bored, try something like air popped popcorn (my favorite) and add spices (garlic, mrs. dash, cinnamon, or your favorite) to it instead of salt or butter for a little flavor.
If you’re eating because you’re craving a certain type of food (sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, whatever) keep a healthy snack on hand that will actually satisfy the food craving you are having. For sweet, I like fresh fruit, esp. citrus, for salty and crunchy, I do some Triscuits and lemon pepper bumble bee tuna, for creamy, a small portion of cheese or yogurt can be great! Satisfying the craving helps you move on with life instead of fixating on it, I’ve found. Plus, if it’s easy to prepare or ready to go, you won’t be so tempted to reach for something less healthy.
Also, I completely agree with the advice to drink tons of water. I have to drink a liter every 2 hrs while I’m awake for my allergy meds, and I’ve noticed that it makes me feel like eating a lot less.
Eating on a regular schedule works pretty well, too. I know exactly what times my fiance expects our meals to be served, and when I’m allowed to have snacks. (And what they are… lol) This helps me not expect or want to eat at other times.
You guys really gave me so much wonderful information. Thank you so very much.
Now I’m going to “chew” on it all (haha) and figure out how to best make it work for me (us). I know it’ll be worth it, and I know it’s not going to be easy at first. But I can do this. For my health and my family’s health, I have to do it.
Thank you a million times over. Much love!
No advice here, Kaya. You already got it all ;-). You make me feel like a wimp! I’ve been going 5 times a week for an hour each day. And I am definitly going to up my incline (small voice)I’m only at 2. Short legged girls of the gym, UNITE!!! Ur in the gymz, and ur doin’ it rite!
My foolproof weight loss diet has always been nothing but salad with cheese, chicken breast, or cut up boiled eggs tossed in to add protein. You can eat as much as you want and the fat melts off.
[rq=2430568,0,blog][/rq]Sex…slave…?
Hey Dear! I wasn’t going to leave a comment because you got so many, but I thought I might as well too. :) I have lost 43 pounds since Jan 4th by reducing my calories and working out one to two hours a day. Right now I’m at the gym an hour and a half a day — I do the elliptical for 45 minutes to an hour and weight train the rest of the time, using weight machines. I also work out a half hour at home to Jillian Michaels’ 30 day shred. I like that one because it’s only a half hour long. HOWEVER, I get better body results from her 60 minute “No More Trouble Zones.” All you need for those are 2 or 3 lb weights. (I know those seem light, but trust me, those are the weight you want.)
I eat 1200 calories a day, mostly veggies and fruit. LOTS of veggies. A typical day would be like, a cup of Special K with a half cup of milk and yogurt for breakfast, then for lunch I do like a lean cuisine and a whole bag of frozen veggies (I like the steamfresh cauliflower, broccoli and carrots bag, only 120 calories for the whole thing) and for dinner, a really big salad with 6 ounces mixed greens, peppers, celery, carrots, fat free feta, etc. etc.
I don’t eat the same thing every day and that’s really helped me not get bored with my diet. Now that I’m working out so much, I eat 1500 calories a day. What are you eating? Varying your calorie intake should help too — I vary from 1200 to 1600 and rarely hit 1800.
I don’t have rest days. I work out seven days a week. It might help some people to rest but I find that I lose momentum. However, you might take an easier day at the gym once in awhile!!! (Or take a rest day if you find they work for you, lord knows I’m no professional.)
And y’know, the other thing that every says and no one really likes to hear is that a pound of fat is bigger than a pound of muscle…so you might be losing fat and gaining muscle such that you’re not seeing it. I would definitely take measurements. I take measurements and even when my weight has been stable, the measurements are changing. I measure once a week.
Good luck :)
After reading through all,66 responses, I am not sure if anything I new to say, but here goes…
1) YOU ARE NOT FAT!!! Muscle weighs more than fat, so don’t be surprised if the scale remains the same or even goes up a bit. It’s called reality, shows like the biggest loser are NOT REALITY!!! It shows the fattest people with no muscle mass. Regular folk, who actually do stuff during the day, tend to have actual muscle under the flab. Don’t watch TV, it hurts more than anything else, by giving unrealistic expectations.
2) go vegetarian 1-2 times a week. It gives your body different things to use and you may find that a certain combo of veggies cure cravings better than a pint of Ben N Jerry’s. Personally I found that the combo of beans and rice fill me up quick and ease the craving for meat. so by eating less and doing it healthier has helped. You know how big I am, and I used to be a lot bigger.
3) just doing SOMETHING, helps more than people realize. Raking the lawn or planting flowers burn a lot of calories and people don’t see it as exercise because they aren’t sweating their asses off. For your average couch potato, the walk up a flight of stairs gets them their daily allowance of cardio in. It’s only the extreme athletes that need the huge amount of cardio and such.
Hope that helps.
Mira
I’ve read that the only thing that actually works for lowering the number on the scale is reducing the number of calories that you eat. Just adding working out will not affect your weight too much because you’ll eat more to adjust to your increased metabolism. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of leaving the gym and going “well, i’ve been to the gym today, so i can have (insert high-calorie food here)”.
That being said, an interesting NY Times article I read recently (linked below) had a number of interesting ideas about how we eat. One of them was that people tend to eat the same weight of food every day. So, apparently a food that is high in weight but low in calories is the apple. An apple will be filling, but won’t actually give you that many calories. Here’s the article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11Calories-t.html (It’s a long article, but worth it).
Another idea: smaller dishes. People do judge how much they’ve eaten by how many servings they take. Whether it’s entirely psychological (3x6oz vs 2x9oz?) or that the time that it takes to get the extra helping let’s just that much food register in your stomach does make you eat less. Also, if you rush through meals a lot, slow down. People will eat, fill up their stomachs, and still be hungry before the brain learns that they are full from their stomachs.
I hope this helps. People tend to put too much emphasis on their body weight. As long as you are happy, healthy, and have the energy to do what you need/want to do with your day, then that’s what matters.
Týr
Log your food intake! dailyplate.com is so helpful. My username there is LavenderLemons if you wanna friend me and see my meals and diet. What you eat is 80% of what makes up your body (but I totally think you rock for how much you’re putting in at the gym!).
Fresh fruits and veggies (or even frozen, canned is high in sodium) paired with meals can really help cut down on how much higher calorie/fat/carb foods your taking in while keeping you full.
Protein keeps you full! I buy flats of boneless skinless chicken breasts from the cost-co type store here and grill them up in BIG batches (talking 30 pieces of chicken or so at at time). Individually freeze and thaw, perfect for individual meals, lunches, ect. A good guide is about a playing card deck size for a serving.
I know you already say you drink lots of water, but that would be my husband’s first bit of advice that he gives to anyone. And I’ve found it very true that a lot of the time I think I’m hungry I drink water and oh my, I was just thirsty!
I’ve learned a lot from my husband who has lost almost *200* pounds without surgery, medications, diet pills, ect. I’m at 17 lbs lost, lol! Only another 83 to go.
Weight training boosts your metabolism for long periods of time, and muscle burns more calories, so strength training would be really helpful (and I’m not talking crazy weight training, I just do body resistant exercises).
Sometimes you just get stuck for a bit on a weight. Change things up a little. If you logged your food you could see if maybe you want to cut back on some fats, or carbs, or sweets (my personal demon).
Make reasonable expectations. Trying for too much (too much weight loss quickly, too much of a calorie deficit, too little fats) is going to make you fail in the end. And failure equals saying fuck it, eating too much, exercising too little, and gaining it all back and then some.
And I totally know about wanting to be thin, but I gotta throw in there that you look great, and while you’re not supermodel thin you’re not very overweight (*I’m* very overweight, lol!) and the closer you get to your goal the harder it is to get those last pounds to scram!
eat less refined sugars~!
If you want to learn about cooking healthier, you might try the magazine “Cooking Light”, which has tips on nutrition, exercise, healthy living and lots of recipes. Just read it for a few months, because it might take some time to get used to the different kind of foods they suggest. And remember to eat the actual portion that they say, because eating too much healthy food also will make you fat. In general, I find that it is good to surround myself with magazines or websites that portray a healthy lifestlye, not extreme, but healthy. And you don’t have to eat only organic stuff to eat healthier than you are now, just take it one step at a time and make small changes that you can actually stick with. You already like to cook, so make it fun! Weight Watchers is excellent and reasonable, and has good cook books. I use my WW cookbooks all the time, and they have different ones, like one just for the crock pot. Exercise is great, but most commenters have said all there is to say. This is a lifestyle, not a project. There are no magic bullets, but persistence will pay off. Maybe Master can help you take the long view? Good luck, and keep up the good work. Oh, and maybe you can ask people for their favorite go-to good for you, low cal recipes so you can see what others eat.
I don’t know if anyone mentioned this. As, at like 71 freaking responses, I am feeling a little lazy OK?
But I try and drink at least one LARGE glass of liquid (preferably water) before each meal I eat. I find that helps make my tummy feel full, and I eat less. Works most of the time anyways.
i have read your blog for years but never commented. Since we both seem to be on the same weightloss journey i thought i would comment. i hired a trainer along with 3 of my friends. By going in together it was much cheaper. Anyway, he says it is 80% diet. If you would like me to share his diet and tips feel free to email me. Keep at it, it certainly is not easy but worth it.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I thought the first paragraph was a joke?! You’re doing all that?? Srsly?? Dude, I’d be complaining NON STOP on my blog if that were the case. There would be daily “I DIED AT THE GYM THIS MORNING” posts.
Advice? Let’s see. DO NOT SLEEP. Apparently sleep causes weight gain. I got up at about 8 this morning and hopped on the scale…I was 2 ls below my last lowest weight. I was happy happy joy joy ecstatic. I wanted to wake L up to show him the numbers, but figured I’d just crawl back in bed with him and sleep another hour or so then show him when we woke up. 2 hours later I get up, he was already awake and I ran to get on the scale. I HAD GAINED 3 LBS WHILE SLEEPING. How does that even HAPPEN?! I was no longer at my lowest weight, I was 1 lb above my normal weight. Commence grumpy pity party where I started planning my revenge on he scale. L hid his hammer.
I guess the thing that helped me the most with calories is something like sparkpeople.com that way I could actually see what I was consuming vs what I was burning, and I loved clicking the water glass every day.
XoXo
Just a quick cheer for all the hard work you have been doing.
1. I agree with the majority… sounds like you are doing more than enough exercising.
2. Perhaps keep a what you ate today journal… so you can see exactly what you are putting into your body.
3. Fiber, fiber, fiber… brown rice and beans. If I could only have one meal the rest of my life it would be brown rice and beans. (with fresh salsa and avocado… yum) You can make a big batch ahead of time.
I have lost 35 pounds by walking, cutting out all red meat and dairy fat, and walking three times a week for 5 miles. Master calls me skinny and I got to buy a whole new wardrobe (after I got tired of him calling me baggy britches). Keep up the good work, it is so worth it… seeing the pride, lust and admiration in his eyes.
x
Focus on cardio to burn fat (but still do weight training, which boosts metabolism long-term, prevents bone loss, and does lots of other good things).
As you identified, diet is key. The fact that you’re struggling with food labels shows that you’re eating way too much processed food.
Try reading Michael Pollan’s books for common sense advice that’s good for weight and health: In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and Food Rules.
You’ll start losing weight when you eat more unprocessed foods, like fruits and vegetables and unrefined, whole grains (brown rice, lentils, etc). They should be the vast majority of your diet.
Also, track your calories. Almost everyone underestimates how much she/he eats. There are free websites for calorie tracking.
One site that seems to beat out all the others for ease of tracking calories has been The Daily Plate (http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/).
It’s probably the most user friendly for figuring out recipe from scratch too under their new ‘my recipes’ tab where you track everything.
I started tracking a bit over a year ago. The first week was really annoying and I thought about quitting because sitting down to just detail my eating habits was a pain. In the first month it became second nature though and after about 6 months I had gotten really good at approximating how much I was taking in without even having to calculate.
Plus, it divides up nutrition nice and easy for you – how much of what vitamins, and what is the percentage of carbs/fat/protein each day.
It made it very clear where my extra calories were coming from and helped me cut back on the stuff that was seriously throwing me off.
I’ve tried several different websites and I really recommend this one.
Best of luck with everything!
Being married to a bodybuilder is awesome for me. I’ve lost almost 40 kilos in under a year and last week I dropped 5.2kg’s.
Water, water, water and I hate to say it, but lots of cardio on the treadmill. That has been a godsend for me. The treadmill will keep your body burning fat and that is what you want.
I have tons and tons of weight loss recipes that the whole family can eat if you are interested.
I gave up body pump and took up weight lifting with my husband and that has really helped with the weight drop too. I’ll stick some pics on my htttp://achainedheart.com blog so you can see the difference.
Keep it up, your doing an awesome job.