Professional advice needed urgently ;)

OK...I have posted on here many a time but I really have had enough now of not seeing any results with my weightloss! I seriously do NOT need to lose alot of weight, I purely want to lose about 8lbs and thats it! I am 5ft4, I weight 118lbs and even though it may be classed as a healthy weight...I feel uncomfortable! I do have eating disorders and trying to keep binge eating at bay but its destroying all chances of losing this 8lbs! I did weigh 96lbs 2 years ago after a relationship break up, since then my body has just not been the same! I havent had a period for 2 years and this is currently being looked into with a specialist, I feel that not having periods is messing me up...surely my hormones are in a bad way and Im wondering if this is causing weight gain? Also seriously worried about other health issues, osteoporisis etc...has this hapenned to anyone else where periods have stopped? What did the doctor do for you? 

Well a few weeks ago I controlled my calories at approx 1500 a day, I walked for 7 miles a day in about 1hr 45, my foods consisted of porridge with water, fat free cottage cheese, huge greenleaf salads with those innocent pot veggies, blueberries, apples, grapefruit etc ... super healthy Id say. BUT...no weight loss and beleive it or not some days I actually felt bigger!!!! Feel like Im retaining alot of water, also I dont seem to be toning up ;( just feel fat, wobbly and water retained ;( also days of no energy and to top that my knees seem to be swelling up and aching!!! Oh what a mess Im in lol! PLEASE please can someone advise me on a diet/exercise plan where I WILL lose 1lb a week! Ive tried appetite suppressants/phenphedrine but even that doesnt work! 

Its day 1 today, off to have my porridge in a bit so please advise me on my plans for the day ;) 

Hayley x

You need to do some strength training, increase your lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Therefore, the more muscle mass the more calories you burn in you cardio or workout session. Example a 200 pound obese version of you has less lean body mass can do the exact same workout at the exact same heart rate and it will burn less calories. Therefore, it will get less out the workout.

You need to workout like a guy, do chest press, squats, dumbell curls, shoulder raises etc... Don't worry girls can't get "bulky", not enough testosterone.

Heck you don't even need cardio, but if you wanna still do it that's great, but no need to kill yourself, do it for 30 min which is about 1 mile for me at heart rate of 125. As long as you're eating -500 calories of your maintenance level you should lose 1 pound a week. Also, if you do cardio for too long your body will start burning your muscle.

Based on my calculations you need to eat 1882 calories to maintain 118 pounds. So you should eat 1382 calories. I'm sure 1400 is fine. Since you're eating -500 less you should be losing 1 pound per week. 

You should eat every 2 to 3 hours, 5 or 6 meals a day. If you're just eating 3 meals or skipping meals you're putting your body in starvation mode. Meaning it will store fat because it thinks it might not get fed for many hours and doesn't know when it might get fed again. That's how you get skinny fat.

So if you're eating 1400 calories per day and eat say 5 meals every 3 hours then you eat  280 calories per meal.

Also increase your protein intake. Eat at least 0.8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight.  So eat atleast 94.4 grams of protein per day.

Eat solid protein like chicken lean meat etc... it will help you keep full. Google foods that help you keep full.

Also if you workout on an empty stomach after waking up it's believed to burn more fat since you're stomach is empty all the burning will be your stored fat.

Google and youtube is your best friend, you can learn a ton about working out and nutrition.

This is not about losing weight its about burning fat and building muscle.

You can be toned or ripped and weigh 125 pounds, it's not about a number on the scale.

If you start strength training expect a lot of soreness the 1st two weeks

Why is it key to increase your muscle mass? When you do cardio after you stop doing it the calorie burning process stops. While if you increase your muscle mass the more calories you will burn 24/7. In other words it will increase your metabolism.

 

 

 

camster85!!!!!!! THANK U SO MUCH ;))) You really took some time in your reply to me and its appreciated SO much! I will try all the things you have said, thanks for being so informative ;)

 

the problem is -- you are trying to diet down to the lowest healthy weight for you height, and it is almost impossible to do at a 1lb per week pace.

Cutting your calories may have some initial effect; however, it is more likely to trigger your eating disorder.  Over-restricting almost always leads to binging -- and as you are already at the low end of healthy, restricting more than a few calories is almost always over-restricting.  Far better for you to eat 1800 calories and then do the strength training cam suggested. And throw away the scales.  The only person who knows you weigh 118 is you.

Totally agree with coach k. I see some teeter-tottering statements in your original post where your old habits/ thinking sound like your ED coming through and you may not even realize it. My first thought was change your exercise. Walking will only take you so far (no pun intended). Lifting will definitely help boost how you look and feel. You may find you actually feel better at 115-118 when your body is strong than if you were 110 and not strenghth training. Also, it's true that the closer you are to what your body realizes is your true healthy weight the harder it will be to lose and will take longer. I have a lot to lose, but what I've found that works is calorie cycling. I never go below my target cals or BMI but cycle between that and the upper range of my total burn -700 cals. I do three Zumba classes and two Body Works classes a week plus extra lifting. I'm dropping 3lbs a week but again I have a lot to lose. Plus I look at the quality of what I eat un addition to quantity, making every calorie worth it. Don't give up but for now focus more on your health than a weight number and I think you'll be less stressed. Good luck!

Ohhh u guys are just fantastic and have given me some great advice! Youve really got me thinking about all this walking Im doing...maybe its not helping me and doing some strength training etc etc is going to be better and make me look better too! In the past the walking has lost the weight but Ive never truly been happy with my body, never really had good toned legs/arms/tummy ... so maybe I should quit the walking? I have seriously done my knees in for the past week, dont quite no what Ive done but they ache SO bad, never experienced this before and theres no chance of me doing any exercise at all right now ;( not sure whether to rest them or just keep going? dont want to damage them! Well Im off to Spain in 3 weeks, reckon its time I joined the gym and got some advice on what exactly to do to sort my body out! 

 

Thanks SO much everyone, you've all been so helpful ;)

Try aqua aerobics or even walking in water. Great for resistance and saving the knees. When I was heavier that's what my dr told me. Also eliptical and cycling. I will tell you that once you strengthen your leg muscles (quads/hams/calfs etc) you'll feel the pressure release some in your knees. That's been my experience.

Weight lifting is going to get you closer to the body you want, not cardio.  You need to get more muscle.  I really don't think you need to lose weight :(  The fact that you aren't getting your period is a red flag that your body is stressed. Muscle is more dense than fat so takes up less space, you may weigh the same but you will "look" smaller and leaner and that is your goal.  Ditch the scale and start doing New Rules of Lifting for Women or Female Body Breakthrough or something.  Add a little cardio if you want but you don't need much.  Eat appropriately to fuel your activity level, probably min of 1800.  Make sure you are getting enough protein and healthy fats.  Give it a few months and I really think you will start to see the results you are looking for.  Good luck and bottom line, be healthy!  :)

Thanks for the replies ;) this may sound really stupid but do I HAVE to join a gym for the weight lifting? Is it something I can do at home to cut the costs of memberships etc? I have NEVER done this before and I reckon this could be the answer to all my problems! ;)

Take up weight lifting and you may find you don't need to lose pounds.  You can also eat more and build muscle and reshape your figure to look the way you want.  I lift weights I lift heavy and although I weigh more today I wear a size 6 pant, where as I only got down to a size 8 when I weighed 10 lbs less.  Eat and lift and be healthy

I'm not sure how long you've been on this low calories and walking a lot. Joint pains can come from malnutrition. Actually you can eat a lot of calories n still have malnutrition.

Also pls ensure you are drinking adequate amounts of water before during n after your walks. As a rule of thumb you should not weigh less after exercising. Any weight loss that can show up on a scale is dehydration.

Original Post by h8ylylouise:

Thanks for the replies ;) this may sound really stupid but do I HAVE to join a gym for the weight lifting? Is it something I can do at home to cut the costs of memberships etc? I have NEVER done this before and I reckon this could be the answer to all my problems! ;)

I do a lot of my stuff at home and I have invested in some free weights, adjustable dumbbells, a light bar and plates but you don't need equipment to do strength training.  I think in the fitness tab at  the top of the page there is a section on equipmentless workouts so check that out.  If you haven't been doing any resistance training, just your body weight will take you quite a ways, you can also make up weights, filled milk jugs weigh 8 lbs each, fill a backpack with books, etc.  Anything that challenges your muscles will work, pushups, planks, squats, etc.

Original Post by h8ylylouise:

Thanks for the replies ;) this may sound really stupid but do I HAVE to join a gym for the weight lifting? Is it something I can do at home to cut the costs of memberships etc? I have NEVER done this before and I reckon this could be the answer to all my problems! ;)

Also to go with what miss Tina said. You can use a resistance band. They come in rope, tube and rubber band form. Adding that little thing at the beginning would prob be great for. 

Original Post by h8ylylouise:

Thanks for the replies ;) this may sound really stupid but do I HAVE to join a gym for the weight lifting? Is it something I can do at home to cut the costs of memberships etc? I have NEVER done this before and I reckon this could be the answer to all my problems! ;)

You can buy dumbells or exercise bands.

You should look into "10 minute trainer" is from the makers of P90X but its not as intense. It comes with resistance bands.

Look into it, read reviews on amazon, google and youtube and then see if its worth it. 

 

 

Original Post by h8ylylouise:

Thanks for the replies ;) this may sound really stupid but do I HAVE to join a gym for the weight lifting? Is it something I can do at home to cut the costs of memberships etc? I have NEVER done this before and I reckon this could be the answer to all my problems! ;)

You should look into "10 minute trainer" is from the makers of P90X but its not as intense. It comes with resistance bands.

Look into it, read reviews on amazon, google and youtube and then see if its worth it. 

or

get some dumbells and exercise bands and find a routine online on youtube or in google which would be cheaper.

 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that another type of diet or new exercise isn't what you need right now. 

No one needs to spend their entire life worried about 8 pounds. I think there's a way to lose weight gradually, slowly, and maintain one's sanity.

The easy thing to do is keep trying the same old thing: compulsive dieting, exercising, and obsessing. I think counseling would be the first place to start. It's important to have a healthy body image and healthy expectations before continuing in your journey. 

I speak from experience. :) My therapist really helps. Be well!