Posts by kristicro

Muscle tissue is metabolically active, while fat is not. Fat cells are storage centers for the overage of calories that we eat (in very basic terms). Muscle is what will burn the fat. The more muscle mass you have, the better your body will be at burning fat. YOU WILL NOT GAIN WEIGHT by building some muscle mass. I am not talking lifting 400 pound weights, I am talking basic weight training. Get with your doctor, a nutritionist and a personal trainer. If your goal is to be super skinny, that is not healthy and a girl of your age should be concerned about making sure you eat enough for your body to grow. The biggest advice I can give is to talk to your doctor. There are many unhealthy ways to "lose weight", and I would hate for you to get involved in that mindset. Also, if you are not overweight, right now you should probably focus on fitness and health, and not the number on the scale. Happy Thanksgiving!

It won't be an "off" day for me. I still plan to count calories, but it will be a maintenance calorie day. This means that inwstead of eating the 1200-1500 calories I need for weight loss, I will be eating my 2000 calorie amount that I need to maintain my weight. This way I can get a little of everything I like, without overdoing it. I already made a list of all of my favorite foods, portions sizes and calories for each thing I will be enjoying. I know it sounds a little much, but tlast year I gained 15 pounds during the holidays, not to mention the 15 pounds I have gained since then. I have no desire to buy new clothes by christmas, unless its a size smaller!

I am seriously inspired. Here I am at just over 200 pounds (I was at 185 6 months ago) and I have been thinking "I can't do this, I am a failure...blah blah blah", but look at you! You have accomplished a huge feat! I am here because I am back to my calorie counting non-stress eating ways, and I feel that glimmer of hope again...that it is possible. I have the keys. So thank you for your post!

well first i have to think about why I started this journey in the first place. what do I want my life to look like long term? For me, seeing both of my parents quit smoking, balloon to really heavy weights because of their horrendous eating habits, and then each have to have major back surgery. That's motivating. I don't want to be the cause of any health problems. I know they happen, but if I can prevent it, I want to. I plan on having children someday and I do not want to see them struggle like I did. ALso, the lady "ruby" on her show on the style channel. SHE inspires me.

At 5'2" she is overweight, but NOT obese. You should just keep an eye on her, and continue to have good food in the house. If you make her weight a big deal, she will make it a big deal, and will probably feel like you don't love her because she is "fat", which could lead to serious ED issues.

As a side note: my father was not in my life often,and I went through an awkward fat stage (i.e. obese) between fourth and eigth grades. There were some serious issues going on with not having my dad in my life and with the way he treated me when he was. I was  very active, walked, and rode my bike all the time! and my mom had good food in our house. I remember when I was in high school and had not seen my dad in years, and he asked me if I was still fat. It broke my heart at the time. I felt like he did not love me because I was fat. At that time though,  I was not fat, I had gotten involved with a high school drill team, and was running, and the weight came off. At 5'4" though I never got any smaller than 145 pounds. So I guess my point is to be careful. Don't ignore it altogether, but if she is not continuing to gain weight, then don't worry too much, she is probably just growing into her body.

If you are worried about how she dresses, maybe she just isn't sure how to dress for her changing body. Definitely take her shopping and help her to dress trendy and cool for her body type. She sounds really self-conscious which is normal for her age. I read a research article that 80-90% of weight issues have to do with what is eaten and NOT with the amount of exercise. So maybe start cooking and planning meals and snacks together as a fun thing, and try new recipes and experiment together. This will get her engaged in it, cooking and preparing what she likes, and not just what mom thinks she should have.

I would definitely advise you to talk with a doctor about your health concerns. I think that anything can be done (as seen with the biggest loser contestants), but you need the right supervision and the right attitude. It sounds like you have the attitude and the drive to do it. I would think that if you did the program, but only WALKED it, you would see incredible results. Walking is good no matter what you weigh. Jogging just gets the job done faster. I know it may be difficult, but get in to see the doctor, show him or her your plan, and let them know your progress. You can do it.

I'm too tired.

After this show.

It's too cold.

It's too dark.

It's too early.

It's too late.

It'll take too long.

My husband won't go to the gym with me today. So I won't go either.

I have a cough.

......and the list goes on and on and on. I have an excuse for my excuses.

FYI, A person's body creates "fat cells" to store the excess energy (fat), when eating too many calories. However, even once you lose the fat out of the cells, the cells remain. THink of them as storage containers. When you are fat, the containers are full, when you lose weight and fat, the containers are empty...but the containers are still there. So, if you've yo-yo'd for a long time, losing weight, giving up, gaining it back, etc... you've created a habit for your body to know the pathway to store the fat. It becomes easier for your body to do it. THat is why weight loss should never be about "dieting" then going back to the original eating habits. It must be a lifestyle change. Gaining 7 pounds in 2 weeks is from many things. Some of it is fat, some might be excess water retention because of the sodium content in unhealthy foods. If it is all fat that means you have to have consumed  12250 calories extra PER WEEK!! That is almost 2000 calories EXTRA per day. Look at what you are eating, and drinking. Soda, alcohol, bottled beverages, juice, evem too much milk could easily put you in the 2000 calorie extra a day mark.

The good news is, you already know how to empty the storage containers to lose the fat. So, make the choice to eat well and exercise, and you'll see the pounds come off again. It's not an easy choice. You choose health over comfort, and what is right for your body instead of what is "right now". I am in the same struggle as you are, but when you recognize that you are in control, and you take control over your body, you'll see incredible results.

THe gym is not for everyone, who says that you can only be fit if you go to the gym? If your life is constantly active, then awesome, great for you. If you however need the structure of the gym and maybe even a personal trainer to keep you motivated, then by all means use the gym. Fitness is about being active on a regular basis and if activity is a part of your life naturally, then keep at it and don't think you have to jump on the gym bandwagon to be fit.

I am in!

I like to call them "non-productive" days. :) My overall goal is to be at a healthy weight, so weight loss is the name of the game. On one of those days, I try and eat my maintenance calories. I usually get a chance to have icecream, or restaurant food. I had a "non-productive weekend" recently, I have no idea how many cals I ate, and honestly I don't want to know. I went out to eat twice...which is VERY rare. I figure I'll just be staying the same weight instead of losing. What is unhealthy...is if someone's "splurge" or "cheat", totally derails them and they give up. For me, I jest start back to my normal weight loss calorie routine the next day, and I am good to go.

You may be overestimating the number of calories you burn, and therefore are consuming more cals than you should. Perhaps you should get a heartrate monitor to truly see what you are buring throughout the day. I hear they are very effective. You may also be undercounting the number of calories your mother cooks. Enjoy her cooking, just make sure you know how many calories they are. You are not putting yourself into "starvation" mode. This is a serious condition caused by eating far too few calories each day over an extended period of time. As long as your calories in 24 hours add up to what you need, that should not be an issue.

In response to painter09-  a three year old doesn't know any better. If all they eat is healthy food, then to them that's normal and that's okay. The child is not at an age where they can be taught to make the healthy choices, they have to be given them. Sure, as the child grows up, the parent might want to teach them that some foods are okay in small amounts every once in a while, but the purpose of food is to nourish bodies. THat parent may then want to teach about proper nutrition, but at three, that child needs noursihing, not the junk we all struggle with.  If all the parent wants to have in the house is healthy, balanced food, then why purchase additional items, just so the child won't be "deprived"

bhoo- I think more parents should have this perspective. WHy does a three year old need candy, sweets, or junk? They don't. they need proper nutrition. It's only odd because most people in our society feed their children overprocessed, useless junk, and then struggle with being overweight and obese for life. If she wants him to have sweets, fruit is an amazing thing that tastes great, satisfies, and is sweet and delicious. Now if she started calorie counting for him...that might be a whole other issue to deal with. :) GO easy on her, she's trying to do what is right for her child and her home.

no. that defeats the purpose of exercising. Howver, just make sure that you are consistently getting enough calories for your exercise level, and you should be fine. It looks like you have had some ED issues, so, make sure you are eating your maintenance calories for your height, weight, and activity level, DAILY. If you happen to be hungry, make sure to eat.

I'm down another pound this week! ANd I have been within my target calorie range everyday!