Beautiful Amazon's over 200

Hello & Happy New Year!
After having read many posts written by women with similar body types and weight goals as mine I thought it might be fun to start a thread of communication dedicated to women over 5'5" and over 200 pounds.
I am 5'7" & as of last Sunday currently weighing in at 212lbs. My goal is to reach 175lbs by September and would love to share this journey with other gals who are committed to healthy weight loss. Who's game?

thank you for the birthday wishes Lauren!
I had a wonderful birthday that extended for a week before and almost a week after the actual day... I call this my birthday month :o) It's given me more time to adjust to the number...

Happy day to you!

Is it just me or is it COMPLETELY impossible to stay on a diet anywhere near your birthday???

I'm sure I've gained weight, but am nervous about getting on the scale... I know that denial doesn't do me a damned bit of good, but for now it's keeping the uber-reality at bay... probably a piece of what's helping me to continue eating poorly... *sigh*

I hope everyone is staying cool in this bloody heat! I tell you, the fabulous cooling effects of soy ice cream aren't helping my waistline one bit either... I'll have to start sucking on ice cubes or frozen grapes...

Peace & lower humidity to all!
-Avesha

Help!  I am a short Amazon!  No, really!  I have the shoulders of a linebacker and the chest to go with it.  I have always looked like I should be a power weight lifter.  I am so sick and tired of what seems like every other short woman on here trying to get down to 110 lbs!  I weigh about 165 right now and my goal weight is 155.  I personally think that I look fabulous!  I actually have collar bones!  I need to hear from some fabulous women who don't think they need to be smaller than a size ten in order to be "skinny" enough!

Good for you for realizing that health is more important than an arbitrary pant size, Holly! And good for you for being so close to your goal. Congratulations!

I am an Amazon woman, 5' 10" and a lean weight of #180; built like a female, viking, linebacker.  I just made it into this group by dropping from 308# to 296# this last month via calorie restriction.  In general I think calorie restriction is dangerous and bad for you but it got to a point where I felt the benefits outweighed (no pun intended) the risks.  I have been using Hoodia to help with hunger pains.

I also don't tell people my weight anymore since it just boggles their minds since it seems so heavy relative to how "thin" I look.  Sometimes they cannot even really get their minds around the number and just kind of seem to get this "does not compute" look on their face.

I found it EXTREMELY useful to get a body fat test done in the water tank at the hospital.  It was WAY different than the fat caliper or electronic measurements by 16.5%!!!.  My target weight went from 170# to 230# (at 23% BF minimum since I am over 40).  The fat calipers and Tanita body fat monitors use formulas for body types that don't/can't include Amazons, from what I understand after reading the literature. 

I now use my Tanita Body Fat monitor to monitor my fat loss and just deduct 16.5% from the reading to get the correct number.  I am using resistance training to maintain my lean weight while restricting calories.  I can maintain my weight by eating 3500 -4000 calories a day so eat even more than my 6'1" small boned/small muscled husband ("Don't try to keep up with me Honey" I tell him when eating :) )  I restrict at 2500 with one "cheat" day a week.  So far loosing 2# of fat a week.

I have been trying a diet method I found in a weight lifting book that allows one "cheat" day a week.  It supposedly keeps your metabolism from falling and allows for social eating.  I also find it gets rid of that horrible guilt you feel when going over on your diet plans.  I haven't dieted in 25 years, since I felt it was bad for you, but I still remember that horrible guilt feeling.

I am glad to find others to talk to who live in this short, tiny boned world and feel worried they will knock people over :)  At least I live in the Pacific NW where there are a lot of Paul Bunyonettes running around.

Thanks so much!  It is so great to hear from ladies who aren't afraid to admit they want to weigh something more than 100 lbs. dripping wet!  I have really been struggling with the idea that my goal weight of 155 is "too fat".  My family tells me differently, but when I look at the world around me, I get caught up in the model image that seems to be the norm instead of the exception.  I have a six foot tall sister who weighs less than I do, I tend to forget that she has bird bones and I have mamoth bones.  I like my families myth that I was so sick during my early childhood that I just didn't grow (I'm 5'2" and my sisters are 5'8", 5'7", 5'8", and 6'!)  But studying early childhood development in college taught me that it was just that a myth (studies show that children who continue to have good nutrition and whose health improves, catch up as time goes on).

Well, I have rambled on long enough.  Thanks for the support!

Pants size is all relative to your stockiness.  Some people have long arms, short, narrow torsos, and small muscles.  They were evolved to live in hot climates, according to anthropologists, and designed to release heat quickly. 

Stocky people have long, thick torsos and short thick limbs. They were designed to live in cold climates and retain heat.

So the size pants you should fit in depends more on your stockiness then your height or fat.

My ideal pant size is around size 16 - 18 with a flat stomach.  I am 5'9" and very stocky.

To tell if your stocky, stand in a mirror with your arms hanging down.  If your finger tips don't extend past your crotch line, you are stocky.  Lanky people can have their wrists go past their crotch line.

I found this site since I was looking up the definition for big boned.  Some people use it as a nice way of saying "fat" but I think it is more commonly used for "stocky".  I wish there was a more concise vocabulary and that more people understood that not all people of the same height should weigh the same; that fat percent was more a part of our national vocabulary.


Any comments?

I wasn't sure where to post this but I wanted to share:

Today is my birthday, and when I woke up this morning, the scale gave me a present - 2 pounds gone overnight!

I'm not sure it'll stick because I'm definitely going to enjoy myself food-wise today, but I'm going to do my best!

Katie

Calorie intake and muscle mass:

My new Tanita Body Fat Monitor Innerscan, which goes up to 330# (the old one stopped working around 280#) has a lot of new features, including a calculation on it that tells you how much you can eat based on your muscle mass, bone and and fat.  It is way cool.  Basically the formula is based on the fact that it is known how much each pound of muscle burns :

"For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. "

Fat burns hardly any calories in maintenance, I have read.  I am guessing there is also a basal rate based on height or something.  It is also based on an inputed "fitness level" from 1 -3 (I think).

The number the fat monitor gave me just about matches what I thought I was eating (never really counted though) and matches the fat loss I am getting at the calorie level I am sticking to now.

I also calculated that I only had to eat about 100 - 150 calories extra a day for many years to get to the fat level I am now....pretty slippery stuff.

Hey, thought I'd revive this thread.  How is everyone doing?  I had a bad, bad, bad August, went to TOPS today and weighed myself, gained 10 lbs.  Yikes.  All that work for nothing.  Well, I won't sit around and berate myself.  It's just a wakeup call to get back with the program.  5 lbs should fall off quickly, possibly more if i'm lucky, the rest I'll have to work hard for as usual. 

And welcome Universal.  I don't know if I'm stocky exactly, more truly big boned as in they look big on x-rays.  When I do your test, my fingertips extend beyond my crotch, my wrists are about there.  I definitely can weight a good amount more than your average woman and look good.  I'm still over 200 and everyone tells me how great I look.  Where I know that I can look better, but it's still nice.  I'm still in the overweight range on BMI, well I'm back into obese due to the weight gain actually.  BMI is pretty misleading though IMO, I should do that fat test you did, I have no idea where to do it though.  One thing is for sure though, there is plenty of fat on my body still.

Thanks for the welcome.  I found this calculator online that does a pretty good job of matching my body fat percent using just a sewing measuring tape:

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/bfb

The calculator gives 2 results, but the second one was accurate for me.  I have tried a number of calculators and formulas before and this one was the closest to what I get with the dunk tank/Tanita combination. 

http://tinyurl.com/34ea96

Here is, to me the most believable, chart for what is a healthy fat percent.  This chart is based on many BMI studies on health and BMI and only one study of what the average fat percent is for people.  Combined it makes a pretty believable study, in my opinion, compared to what else is available so far.  The fat percent recommendations are higher.

I can understand wanting to get to a low weight for a date or for a wedding...been there.  The older I get (43) though, the most important thing is my health, so that is my focus.  I want to get to the lowest fat percent that is still healthy.  Estrogen is stored in fat so if you go too low you start to look masculine.  That is not an all bad thing since it seems to be the fashion for women to look somewhat masculine nowadays, but from a health point of view (and a fertility point of view..if that is your focus) it is not a good thing.  Women's chins start to get more square..they start getting beard hairs.  We all get this anyways as we get older and some believe in women too much testosterone is a health risk.

Hello All,

I just found this thread and I'm glad to see it has been revived. 

I definitely qualify for this group since I quit smoking 3 years ago this month.  Great thing to do for my health, but I gained 50 pounds.  This is the first time in my life I have needed to lose weight, even after two pregnancies the weight came off easily.  I am about 5'8" and once wore sizes 12-14.  Am now squeezing into 16 and probably should be using 18s.  

Of course, being almost 62, the ole metabolism is getting very sluggish, but I am going to Curves at least 3 days a week and so far am being very faithful in counting calories.  I started at 202 and am down to 194, so it is working. 

I want to get back to the 140-150 range where I was three years ago.  I have a whole closet full of clothes waiting for me to get back into them!  I have bought a few things to accommodate the increased size, but I have sworn an oath that I won't purchase another garment until I lose this weight!

Some of you sound much younger than I, so perhaps you can help this old lady with something.  I need to know the full meaning of lol and imo and others like this.  I know these are acronyms used frequently in text messaging (which I don't do - just e-mails), so I could use a definition if someone is so inclined to help me.  I think lol is lots of luck, but I could be wrong!

Thanks, and it's great to get to know some other "big-boned" gals.

Hello To All....

I'm back after being gone for 4 months.. I have gained 8 lbs.  Shame on me.(currently 228)  I know.  Hope to get back on track full force.  I walked on the Treadmill 3 days this week.  Walking 1.30 miles, in 25 mins. My Christmas wish is to be down the 29 pounds putting me at 199. No more than 1,700 cals a day for me.  I have done well this week.  My husband is taking me out tonight to the Olive Garden, I have only had 700 cals so far today. That leaves 1,000 for dinner...  LOL..  All in moderation... 

Hope all is Well.....  Lisa

Hello Ladies,

Hope all is well today.  I  had a wonderful time out last night with hubby and no children. I felt like we were kids again dating.  Anyway, dinner went great, but we had to stop at Krispy Kreme Donunt shop on the way home.  The hot and ready sign was on.  Oh boy did it smell soooooo- good in there.  Well my hubby orders his six and I order my six... I Love Love the glazed blueberry donuts. (not blueberry filled)  I sat there and ate my 1 blueberry donut thinking this must have 700 bad calories.   I just checked on the CC  food search and they claim that donut is only 330 calories,  I'm feeling a little better, tho I'm taking the rest of the 5 left back to church with me tonight...       ;     God Bless       Lisa

I just found this thread and it fits me perfect!  I am 5'11" and 240.  I want to be down to 170 at least by the end of next year if I can.  I am trying not to loose more than 2 lbs a week so i can do this the healthy way.  I actually gained more weight in the last 6 months than I did on my pregnancy last year.  Good luck to all of us! 

Mmmmmmmm.... Krispy Kreme... there really isn't anything better than a simple glazed right off the rollers!

I want to apologize for my long absence from the thread. Life has had it's way with me for the past few months, health issues, my partner moving to Europe for a year (grad school), and my own grad school semester adventures starting three weeks ago have kept me off the site entirely as well as totally off the wagon. At this point, the wagon is so far down the road I can't even see it anymore... I've been eating like crazy, making poor food choices, eating emotionally and I haven't moved my body outside normal daily activities since Sept 1st. I got my butt on the scale this morning (1st time since early august) and I've gained 13.5 pounds back. Although it is most definitely not a move in the direction I wan't, it isn't as bad a move as I had anticipated. I honestly believe it's some sort of miracle that I haven't gained all 30 pounds back!

Anyhoo. This morning's post is an attempt to catch up to the wagon and perhaps haul myself back onto it. I can feel the inner tides turning back to a healthier mood and my cravings have definitely lessened since Chris left and we have been able to establish a new way of communication and seeing eachother everyday... thank goodness for Skype! I now know that things will be ok and my emotional eating has curbed dramatically, which feels really good.

It also felt really good to see that this thread hasn't completely died out. I'm so happy that it is useful on some level to you all! :o)    I hope that I will be able to commit to making this thread, and this site, a source of support again for myself very soon. It is certainly good to see your names, twindaze, Katie & Lisa! Welcome to the new Amazon's and as szenger said, good luck to all of us!

Peace and Fall colors,
Avesha

Hi avesha.  It's been a  long time sense we have heard from you... I have to say I kinda moved to another Thread.. The female 20's with 50+ lbs... I have some new friends over there.  It was dead here for a while, but I will check in time to time to say Hi... I have a re-do over date, started back on the wagon Spet 21, as of then I'm down 2lbs.  I have gained 8lb back over the summer months.. Today's weight is 226. Hope to see 219 by Halloween. I'm  counting my calories and walking on my Treadmill.  Hope everyone has a wonderful day....  For once in my life I want to finish something I started!!!!   Lisa

Hi Lisa,
Congratulations to you for finding what works & your two pounds!
I'm happy for you that you are back on the wagon and motivated. I think once life settles a bit more for me I will be ready too.
Good Luck!

Hi

I am 5'7" and started at 223lbs January 9th.  Now I am at 216, and I was hoping you could tell me how long this is going to take!!  I know, I have no patience, or rather will power. . . I feel like the loss has already come to a halt. I've lost nada over the past week.  So am I right in thinking, 200 pounds by the end of February, 190 in March and 180 in April . . . Yea I am willing to take drugs  :)