Posts by patches403

I have a Bodybugg so I have a pretty accurate idea of what I burn for calories with about the same amount of effort on each machine.

For me the treadmill burns the most, Elliptical next, then stairclimber.  I didn't ride the bikes much, but I didn't burn all that many calories when I did.

Whoever said the Stairclimber isn't worth the few number of calories burned is right.  I couldn't believe how few calories I burned on that thing, probably because it's about impossible to do without hanging on to the handles.

I noticed that the calorie indicators on the machines were pretty accurate for the treadmill and pretty inaccuate for the other machines.  Basically I had to take the number on the elliptical machine and divide by 2 and that was the real number of calories I burned.  Same with the stairclimber.

Also, I learned that sweating is not a very good indicator of calories burned.

While I agree with everyone that your trainer's approach was pretty crappy and you should find a new one; she's probably right about most of what she said.  For your size, you are probably eating too few calories and too little protein so you probably are burning away more muscle than fat when you do cardio.  She's probably also right about the weights as people who have not been taught how to lift weights typically do them wrong (and women especially often lift too light of weights to see results). 

I would find a new trainer as it sounds like you could probably use the one on one guidance, but don't be surprised if the new one tells you the same things, just in a nicer way.  By the way, congrats on your progress so far. 

Thanks for posting that link clairelaine.  I was reading this thread thinking that I had heard this whole compacted poop thing was an urban legend.  I'm surprised a medical professional wouldn't know better.

Average calories/day:  1800-2000; a rare low day would be about 1600, I surplus over my calories burned by a couple hundred at least once a week.  I do use a Bodybugg to help me track calories in/calories burned as accurately as possible.

Starting weight 1/1/07: 225; current weight 177

Height 5'3"1/2; female, 32 years old; overweight my entire life.

I am living proof that you don't have to eat low calorie or even low-fat to lose weight.  I eat probably 70-100 grams of fat a day, 120+ grams of protein and 200ish grams of carbs a day.  I lift heavy weights 2 or 3 times a week, do hard cardio maybe 3 or 4 times a week for 30 minutes or so and that's it.  I have been losing weight at the rate of about 1 lb a week since last May.  I have lost about 8% body fat since starting.  My motto has been slow and steady with slow gradual lifestyle changes and my current eating plan is one I will be able to maintain for the rest of my life.  

Most new folks on here seem to set themselves up for failure by either restricting calories too much, working out too much or both.  You have to live a lifestyle you can maintain and eat a diet you can maintain for the rest of your life. 

If she has gained that much weight lifting weights, then she is eating over her maintence calories.  If you lift and eat more than you burn, you get bigger and gain mass.  If you lift and eat less than you burn, you don't build much mass, instead you get a more toned appearance as the fat comes off.

I would say she is eating too much.  The lifting aspect is not what's hurting her, its the diet.  If she was in a calorie deficit, the scale might not be changing much at all, but she would be dropping fat and looking more toned.

I have a Bodybugg that calculates calories burned for me.  The stairclimber machines are the worst for accuracy, with me usually burning about half the calories the machine says I burn.  My guess would be because it is about impossible to do the stairclimber without hanging on to the handles, which significantly reduces your calories burned on any cardio equipment.

Since I discovered this, I now mostly do jogging/running on the treadmill for cardio.  Burns a lot more calories than the stairmaster.

As I mentioned before, there is nothing wrong with 20%  body fat for a woman.  In spite of what people are telling you here, it is not at all an unhealthy level of fat for a women, it is on the high range of athletic and is certainly not low enough to cause you any health problems.  You will know if your body fat percentage is too low because your period will stop.  Some women will lose it at 17-18%, some much lower than that.

The best way for you to get your body fat lower is as you have already mentioned, build more muscle.  You can do this by resistance training with as heavy of weights as you can lift for 3 x 12 sets and by eating a diet high in protein and healthy carbs.

It sounds like you lost an average of about 3 pounds a week.  With that fast of weight loss, you probably lost a lot of muscle in that 100 pounds.  With all that muscle loss, you probably still have a higher percentage of body fat than your friends of the same weight.  Eating a high protein diet combined with heavy weight training will help tone you up significantly and cut down your body fat percentage.

Your experience is why I would always advise people to lose only 1 to 2 pounds per week and always include resistance/weight training as a part of any weight loss plan.  It is much easier to try to keep muscle than to try to build it back later.  Losing weight more slowly also helps reduce loose skin issues.

140 pounds is a good weight for 5'5, you just need to add muscle and lower your body fat.

eat more protein and fat and less of your calories from carbs.  I am betting all the people posting on this thread about being hungry are getting almost all their calories from carbs.  This does not work unless you enjoy constant being starving.

My calories are 30% protein, 30 to 40% fat and 30 to 40% carb.  Many people on this site will probably tell you that's too high of a fat percentage, but I am able to eat the number of calories per day that I need to eat and am almost never hungry except at mealtimes.  I am having no problems having the energy to work out and lose weight with these percentages.  Utimately, losing weight is all about calories in vs. calories out.

From what I have read, whether you will lose breast size during weight loss and how much is determined by what type of tissue is in them.  If they are made mostly of fat, you will lose more of them; if they are made of more fiberous tissue, you will lose less of them. 

For some people, the breast is the first place they lose, for others its the last place.  For me, for better or for worse, the breasts seem to be the last place I lose.  I have lost over 40 pounds in the last year and only went from a 44 DDD to a 42 DD so not much of it came from my chest.  I also have breasts made up of a lot of tissue and not as much fat.