I know I know better

Posts: 4,493
2/17/13 10:04 P

I am reading this at the end of my vacation--and my pants are tight but I really was exercising (skiing) and eating a bit more to make sure I had the necessary fuel. I WILL be frustrated when i get home--but I hope I can deal with it.

Don't be too upset--adjust calories up a bit so you aren't SO hungry. Just don't give up!!! You can do it--it is hard but YOU are STRONG!

current weight: 5.8  over

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SparkPoints: (25,629)
Fitness Minutes: (24,948)
Posts: 955
2/16/13 1:57 P

I so feel your pain! I had lost 84lbs and have now gained 13 of them back because I am going through a rough time right now just trying to stay on track. Last winter I was doing great and got really excited by my progress until I hit a wall! I was finding that the more I worked out the more hungrier I got and the weight loss was not going like I wanted. One thing that helped me alot was making sure I had some kind of protein after my workouts, depending on what time of day it was and where my meals fell I would have a glass of chocolate milk, peanut butter on celery, cheese stick or chicken breast topped with salsa :) I would also try to have a small amount of carbs before my workout again depending on when it was. Alot of the time my workouts were right after work so the carbs before the workout were not as consistent.

Pounds lost: 76.4

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Posts: 2,143
2/16/13 11:59 A

Well. Personally I've found that wearing pants that are too tight when I put them on, has never motivated me. It's only ever made me disgusted with myself. Sure, maybe they fit okay a couple days ago... before I washed them and baked them in the dryer.... and ate a bunch of salty food that's got me retaining some water. (I'm past menopause so I never have THAT time of the month, causing me to bloat up anymore.) sigh. If they're too tight, take them off and find something else that fits and flatters where you are, right now.

And I think sometimes those mirrors at gyms are like fun house mirrors-- they make you think you're fatter than you are, so you'll keep coming back. lol. Over the years, I got pretty good at never looking at myself below the neck, in a mirror.

At any rate, if your goal is "pretty aggressive" and you find yourself having a hard time staying within your range because you're honestly hungry.... maybe it's time to evaluate that goal. Maybe a little less aggressive goal would work a bit better. Keep up the exercise, but allow yourself more time to lose the weight, so you get a little higher calorie range per day. Doesn't mean you can't re-evaluate it down the road a bit, and jack it back up to more aggressive if you're confident you can decrease the calories eaten.

67 Maintenance Weeks

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Posts: 796
2/16/13 11:12 A

You are more than welcome to get the negative feelings and thoughts off your chest! We all have them. There's not a day that goes by that I don't have very similar thoughts. Just yesterday, I was sitting at my desk, crunching the numbers, trying to figure out ways to increase my calorie deficit. I also know better. I think most of us here know better.

Just keep working at it. You will be successful!

current weight: 130.0

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SparkPoints: (158,833)
Fitness Minutes: (112,042)
Posts: 46,222
2/16/13 10:36 A

Hi WHOLENEWME79,

Eating less than what your body needs may actually create a bigger issue. The reason, when your body does not get the calories it needs to support basic biological functions (growing new cells, fighting off illness, regulating heart rate, body temp, blood pressure, etc), it will breakdown a greater percentage of lean body mass (bone, muscle, connective and organ tissues) in order to meet these needs. In the meantime you are spending hours in the gym trying to build lean body mass, but it's not going to happen if you are not eating enough.

Don't think of food as anything else but fuel for your body. Just like your car needs gas to go, your body needs fuel to function.

The reality is, you cannot rush the weight loss process--regardless of what shows like the Biggest Loser show. This is journey is really about laying the foundation to healthy living so that you give up dieting altogether.

It took me 3 1/2 years to lose 80 pounds. For a lot of people they may look at that as way too long. But I never had to deprive myself of the foods I enjoyed and more importantly after 30 plus years I spend dieting (only to regain the weight back and then same in many cases)--I am proud to say I have kept the weight off for longer than it took me to lose it--(over 4 1/2 years now).

Hang in there!

Coach Nancy

0 Days until:  The Historic MC 1/2 Marathon

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Posts: 611
2/16/13 10:12 A

I am finding myself becoming impatient with my progress. I have considered eating less to make it go quicker, even though the goal right now is pretty agressive already and I eat at the top of my range and frequently go over, and even after adjusting my numbers (I am burning more calories than originally guessed) I am still in the 1200-1550 range. Because I go over (being truly hungry, not just eating to eat), I know that eating less is not an option that would be sustainable.

So I am just venting to get it out there. I know the impatience was triggered by a combination of seeing myself in the mirror at the gym and wearing jeans that are a little too small but that fit a couple of days ago. The two things just make me feel gross and remind me of all the horrible, mean things my ex-husband used to say to me over the years.

I am really not looking for advice here, just FYI. I just needed to get this off my chest.

current weight: 194.3

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