Anyone else give up on weight loss?

SparkPoints: (1,531)
Fitness Minutes: (279)
Posts: 171
6/22/11 3:09 P

To put it another way:

A 50 pound sack of natural fertilizer and a 50 pound sack of delicious California pistachios both weigh 50 pounds. Weight is only quantitative and your health happiness and fitness are definitely qualitative measures. :)

SparkPoints: (5,550)
Fitness Minutes: (1,492)
Posts: 207
6/22/11 3:08 P

No, I have not. I gained back what I lost, after a car wreck also wrecked my focus....and now it is back. But, I do not believe actual weight has much to do with total health once one enters a category that is not morbidly obese. I do not believe BMI calculations, as people are all natural shapes that reflect what has happened to their bodies. I do believe in nutrition, exercise as able, and generally staying active and involved. Be content where you are, but keep a focus for the long term; that is my motto today

SparkPoints: (2,092)
Fitness Minutes: (4,040)
Posts: 147
6/22/11 3:00 P

It doesn't sound like you are "giving up", just being more realistic. At some point it is no longer about your "weight" but about your health and physical goals. I started out wanting to get down from 150 pounds to 130-135 pounds. However, I got into such a diet and fitness groove that the weight kept coming off. Then, i got sick for a couple weeks and my weight dropped to 118 (the absolute bottom of my healthy BMI range). I did not look good! But, I didn't really want to just put on fat. I have added a lot of strength training and eased up on the diet some and am back to 123-125 and look and feel great. There is still some psychological resistance on my part in that I feel like I have "gained weight back." I have to tell myself that with the strength training it will be normal and healthy for the scale to go up a bit. I had my body fat percentage calculated at my physical therapists office. Admittedly probably not 100% accurate but better than my Tanita scale because it used electrodes on my wrist and ankles to scan my whole body. It came back 16% (my scale says 20-22%) I know this is very low for a woman my age so losing more weight should definitely not be a goal as it would either be dangerous or involve losing the muscle I've worked so hard to build up. So, yes, at some point you have to measure progress by something other than the scale - that's a good thing!

SparkPoints: (35,840)
Fitness Minutes: (66,181)
Posts: 7,149
6/22/11 1:58 P

I agree with Becky

SparkPoints: (21,049)
Fitness Minutes: (1,007)
Posts: 1,734
6/22/11 1:54 P

You have a great attitude. More power too you!

Posts: 1,119
6/22/11 1:39 P

I have. I'm working on the idea of intuitive eating (although to be honest, I still track here so I can get the sparkpoints). I'm doing my best to avoid the scale, or if I do get on, I take the # and basically ignore it.

I'm feeling stronger than a year ago, I can run miles (training for my second half marathon!), my clothes are fitting better, and I feel myself standing up straighter because of a stronger core! All of that means that for me the scale is not important.

SparkPoints: (1,531)
Fitness Minutes: (279)
Posts: 171
6/22/11 1:22 P

Good for you. The scale is not a goal, it's just a point of data.

Posts: 24,605
6/22/11 1:07 P

And if you look at the damaging hormonal effect that excessive body fat has on 8 other organ systems. AND the beneficial metabolism and calorie burning capablity of muscle mass---it is a no brainer. THE scale does not tell the whole story...go for health!
Dietitian Becky

Posts: 2,014
6/22/11 12:20 P

God bless you! You finally figured it out! That SHOULD be everyone's goal. I always say the following, would you rather be 150 lbs and wear a size 6 or 140 lbs, and wear a size 12? Weight is really insignificant! It is about what your body is made of and you are made up of more muscle. I hope others read your post, maybe you can inspire others!

Scott

Posts: 147
6/22/11 12:15 P

I'm about to give up on losing weight but not fat. When I started my journey I was never really that big so I'm thinking losing another 10 lbs at this point is not going to happen. I am still losing inches (clothes are getting loose) but I don't want to sacrifice any muscle in order to lose weight. Has anyone else done this?