Posts by nekochama

Original Post by toomanyhoneytoasts:

 And the weight thing? People aren't rail-thin in Hawaii. We like healthier women, unlike a lot of other weird beach places (Miami comes to mind...)

The point IS is that you shouldn't worry about jiggling or wiggling bits if you have them— people are more likely to notice you feeling self conscious about something, so have a good time with it! Enjoy the sun :)

Aloha Honeytoasts!

You made my day! I'm  so happy to hear that Hawaii isn't like the Miami beach scene, all bony model types in thongs. I'm going to rock my bikini no matter what.

:D

Thank you for your great advice! I'm planning to lift weights, use drugstore self tanner and drink a ton of water before I leave. I have less than a week, but that's enough time to make myself feel better.

And I refuse to buy a one piece bathing suit. Even though I am so self-critical at this "normal" weight, I love seeing older or bigger women in bikinis. They have such confidence, and that's always attractive. Hiding and hating oneself is never pretty.

Hmmmm, I vote Bad Idea.

Why? Because I did this for the past two months this summer and have gained ten pounds back.

But if you are able to relax your calorie intake in the way GI Jane describes, you will be fine. And yes, eating at maintenance or slightly above every two weeks does boost your metabolism.

But for me and my all-or-nothing tendencies, not counting on the weekends spelled disaster.

Good luck!

Thank you so much, GI Jane. You always have the most sound advice.

In my logical mind I know I am not fat. And I have a decent shape. I exercise at least five days a week for at least 90 minutes. My cholesterol is low, so is my BP. I am very healthy.

But I have a long history of feeling "better" (more in control? Less judge-able?) when I am thinner. I was bulimic in my teens and twenties. I do go to therapy and I do my best to address the issue.

You're right. I have to work on loving myself. Then the proper nutrition (and less wine consumption) will follow, as I will naturally want to take care of myself.

And you're also right about my mother -- she is bitchy!

:)

Thanks for all your replies! You've given me a wealth of information.

Fitness girll: I have had insomnia for over twenty years, it comes and goes in cycles. I did notice it getting worse with the increased exhaustion due to 2 hour workouts.This morning I slept in til 7am, skipped the gym (I had a doc appt) and feel pretty good.

Melkor: I think you hit the nail on the head: Overreaching + bigger diet deficits = stress. Yesterday I shaved 20 minutes off my workout and 200 calories off my deficit. Today I did not go to the gym and will eat maintenance. Tomorrow I'll workout and eat maintenance (going out for tapas and wine for my birthday.)

I usually eat well, try to get most of my protein from beans and lowfat dairy. I eat red meat and seafood a total of about three times a week. I only eat whole grain bread and hate most processed foods. I have turkey on multigrain health bread after every workout, fills me up and keeps me on an even keel. I eat every 3-4 hours, starting with Kashi Golean and almond milk before the gym, turkey on toast after, frozen Amy's at work, raw carrots, 17 almonds and nonfat Fage yogurt for snack, and a variety of foods for dinner. I drink wine on the weekends, 1-3 (sometiimes 4) glasses/night, which I know is not ideal but hey I get one vice, right? I also eat at least one piece of fruit a day, usually after dinner for dessert.

At the docs today my BP was 100/70, resting HR 46. Last year my total cholesterol was a low 114. I'm 5'9" 143 lbs (went down another today!), am about to turn 40 years old. I've been going to the gym 5-6 days a week since 2001. It's just recently that I've started overdoing the elliptical in hopes of losing weight.

Let me know f you have any suggestions from what I've added here. And again thank you all for your fab input, it really helps me.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

the math is never perfect.  ever.  it's always an estimate.  calories in can be estimated reasonably closely; calories out are a best guess. 

if you consistently calculate a significant deficit and it doesn't show on the scale, you're probably over-estimating your general activity level or your exertion during one or more of your extra activities. 

think of it this way: if the scale and the math don't agree, chances are the scale is correct, and the math needs adjustment.

Hi Pgoergian, thanks for your reply.

I'm pretty confident I'm measuring my food calories accurately. I may be off by 50 calories or so, but that isn't much.

As far as calories out: I set my activity level to sedentary and then add only the exercise I do at the gym. Do you think CC grossly overestimates what I burn on the elliptical and weightlifting?

Original Post by agana:

I have similar stats except I don't workout near that much, yikes.  I know if I had a deficit that big for more than a day or two you can bet your sweet butt I am going to be up a pound or two.  I would ease up on the exercise and keep your intake the same.  No need to be killing yourself at the gym like that. 

Thanks for your reply!

With similar stats, what kind of deficits do you aim for?

I did 20 minutes less of cardio today... feel a lot better.

Remember, if you're at a healthy deficit, toning with exercise and counting everything and measuring all you eat to MAKE SURE you're accurate with your calorie intake, in time weight will come off.

mperic81:  Thanks for your reply! I'm not sure if I'm at a healthy deficit. Are some of my days too steep? I did try to "undo" any starvation-mode by eating at maintenance for a couple of days. I wonder if one should have no more than, say, 700 cal deficit when at an already normal BMI. Like maybe the rules are different for losing "vanity weight" - meaning the last five pounds or so.

Sounds like you are building muscle.  Are you giving your muscles a rest?  If you are working out everyday like that, your body may be resisting weight loss.  One other thought too.  When you get that close to your goal weight, it always gets harder to lose.  You might be on a plateau.  Here's a site that might help you.

ribbon: Thank you for your post! I split my weightlifting, meaning I lift upper body one day and lower body the next. I do the elliptical (there are two different kinds at my gym) for all my cardio. Six days a week. Would my body be resisting weight loss with stats like this?

Original Post by gymcoach79:

You stated your deficits, but was was your actual calorie intake? If you are eating too little, your body could be in starvation mode, especially if you are working out extra and not eating extra to help fuel your body...

 Good point, Gym Coach. Here are the numbers:

Ate/Deficit

1550/-1050

1550/-1050

1420/-400

1550/-1050

2000/-600

2400/-200

2900/+200

1800/-800

1800/-800

1800/-750

How does that look to you? I really appreciate your input!

Original Post by wesmckean:

You have some of the symptoms of over training.   2 hours of exercising 5-6 days a week is a LOT.  You can do an Ironman on that :-)

Consider consulting a nutritionist.  You need to not only eat the right amount of calories to lose weight, you have to eat the right kinds of calories.  If your body thinks its in starvation mode, it will shed not a pound.

 Thanks, Wes! I will cut down on gym time.

I go to bed early every night with the intention of sleeping, I just can't sleep. I took Ambien twice this week to knock me out, but I hate how it makes me feel.

What kind of calories should I be eating? I don't have resources for a nutritionist. More protein?

And would my body be in starvation mode from these past few weeks? I did eat at maintenance two days this week, to no avail.

Thanks so much for your replies!

I will add more fiber and protein (and prunes!) to my diet, and will try not to have a daily deficit of more than 800 cals. My logic is that less is better for losing weight, but that is just not the case, is it?

I also do 30 minutes of weight training five days a week, in hopes of retaining muscle as I lose the fat. This is in addition to 70 - 90 min of cardio six days/week. Should this be enough to prevent muscle loss?

Thanks again!

Original Post by gi-jane:

When you're a healthy weight, any further loss requires a lot of consistency and effort and it's going to be slow, slow, slow.  Five days of undereating won't have made much difference to either way but it's best not to continue..... tired and constipated are not a great look.

A 500-700 cal deficit is much more sustainable.  It might take several weeks to lose the last tiny amount but at least you'll be in good health while you do it.  

 

Hi GI Jane, I was hoping to hear from you.

So one week of undereating hasn't tampered with my metabolism, right?

Yes, tired and constipated is not pretty! I'm going to shoot for 500 - 700 deficits this week, it will be slow going, sigh. My 40th birthday is in two weeks and I was hoping to be the same wight as I was a year ago -- 140. That's not going to happen. But I am healthy and slim enough as it is, I suppose.

Thanks for your reply!

I actually didn't start losing until I added more weightlifting to my routine. But I did not reduce my cardio, just upped my weightlifting.

So my opinion is that weightlifting is essential to weight loss (and for looking good as the fat comes off, revealing toned muscles!)

But cardio is what burns the most calories, I suppose. Hopefully somebody more knowledgeable than me will chine in, but that's my two cents.

Good luck!

Original Post by sybil878:

Why wouldn't you work out in the resort gym? Or go for a run on the beach? Beach volleyball, tennis, football in the water ... there's loads of active things to do while on vacation. I'd focus on that. Also, try to keep breakfast and lunch as close to your regular routines as possible.

 We're staying at small riads (like B&Bs) and there are no gyms. There are also no beaches where I'm traveling -- these are busy desert city areas, with medinas and souks. You couldn't jog if you tried.