Short girls (5'4" and under) with a significant amount of weight to lose! (40+)

Hey everyone,

I'm 5'0" and I currently weigh 175. I know there is another short girls thread, but most of them seem to already weigh 120.

So anyway, I need some big time motivation. Weekly weigh ins, advice, encouragement, etc....and I'm betting that some of you out there could do the same.

So how about it?

I'm getting so frustrated with my scales right now. So fed up of seeing the same numbers no matter how hard I try. I'm working out 6 days a week and not cheating on my diet but so far its looking like I'm not going to be logging any loss yet again this week.

On the positive, I feel great after my workouts....luckily its something I enjoy doing but as soon as I step on the scales it feels like I've achieved nothing.

My measuring tape hasn't arrived yet but even when I take my measurements I won't have anything to compare them to so I'll still be in the dark.

It seems crazy that over christmas I sat on my backside all day eating crap and stayed the same weight....go back to eating healthy and working out 6 days a week and I stay the same weight!

I'm not planning on giving up just yet (or ever) I just want to see some light at the end of the tunnel!

linz are you logging everything you eat are you using a scale to measure.  Sometimes when we estimate we are really over eating our calories.  Are you eating enough to substain your active work outs?  Just a few questions to ask.  How are you clothes fitting?

Nanette

Hello everyone! hope you guys had a nice weekend!

Linz, have you checked your weight on another scale? A while back I kept getting bogus readings from my digital scale and couldn't figure out why until I changed the batteries.. WORLD of difference! if yours is a digital, try changing the batteries and try weighing again.

I know how frustrating it can be not to see a change when you have been working so hard but just hang in there, ok? The weight is bound to give!

Nanette.. you made me laugh with your comment about push ups and your hubby! I started doing my push ups on an incline (bathroom sink) so I could complete all 15, otherwise forget it!! I've now moved onto the floor (on my knees) and let me tell you, making it to 15 is HARD! especially while trying to maintain 'proper' form.. I get to 10 and I start grunting... hehe the puppies always come over when I'm doing those and lick my face as if consoling me.. LOL We'll get there!!

Still having fun with the jack knife! I decided to TRY to do the more advanced version that is shown in the video you posted a few days ago and all I can say is WOW, what a joke!. How in the world is anyone supposed to do those on the tips of your toes and at the same time keep from falling flat on your face is beyond me! It must be some kind of sick joke... I should take a video of me doing these to see just how ridiculous I look.

Everything else is ok except lunges.. I don't like them one bit!

Anyway, gotta go.. the pool is calling my name!!

Linz-

I hear ya! I've had the exact same problem since Christmas.

But I'm going to take the advice someone said and change the batteries in my scale....it's been a couple years since I did that.

Oh...if it were only that easy...but I can hope. :-)

I'll let you all know how it went!

thanks guys! i actually googled it right after i posted and ive always been big into weights. and the idea behind this is just great, i picked up the book and i'm reading it as we speak! can't wait to start! and i'm actually on day 3 of week 7 of the c25k... its so great, i still can't believe im jogging for 25 min straight! it's super empowering when it was hard in the beginning to go for 2 min. :) probably one of my biggest accomplishments so far. i feel liek throwing a party when i complete it! you're about there now CONGRATULATIONS!!!

pbear123 never mind! you did finish!!! CONGRATS!!!! i love that program. i NEVER thought that i would be able to do it but i got a buddy and we kick eachothers butts every week. Running in the freezing cold sucks though. my butt starts to freeze. :)

I'm thinking I may be underestimating my calories some days, not sure if I've worked this out right. Just totted up my meal plan for yesterday, I eat the same every day apart from a different flavour soup and a different tea. This is how I've worked it out:

Breakfast    
Alpen Light Bar (Apple and Sultana) 59

Morning Snack
Banana     105

Lunch
Weight Watchers Mushroom Soup  84
Ryvita Sesame Seed (x2)   68
Muller Light Yoghurt Red Berry  115
Orange (medium)    80
Mixed Nuts and Raisens (1oz 28.0g) 143

Afternoon Snack
Apple (medium)    72

Tea
Prawn Omelette with Raw Vegetables
Large Whole Egg (x2)   144
Semi Skimmed Milk   50
Prawns (1oz)    22
Baby Carrots    22
Broccoli    30
cauliflower    25

Total     1,078

Thats way under what I was expecting....either

a) I need to eat more

or

b) I need to improve my maths

I added a treat of a Cadbury's Cream Egg (170 calories) and two slices of wholemeal toast with Peanut butter (105 calories a slice, 63 calories per tsp peanut butter) which brings me in at 1,584. If I have added up correctly (please, please correct me if I'm wrong) then I'm still coming in a little short compared to the 1600 - 1800 I apparently should be consuming for my activity level. When I think about it, my weight loss does seem to have stalled from around the time I got obsessed over the new gym equipment. At the same time I feel a bit unsure about eating more to increase my calories, it seems a bit scary incase I'm wrong and my weight actually goes up even more.

I might also try the battery thing if I can work out where the batteries are at, although I've probably only had the scale about 6 or 8 months

Its kind of hard to go by how my clothes are fitting cos I take the easy way out and wear leggings with jumper dress type things. I refuse to wear jeans or fitted trousers at my weight cos I can't stand how I look in them. I have noticed in the past few weeks that my thighs are possibly looking a bit slimmer (the bottom half anyway, the tops are a disaster area). I find it hard to see any change in the mirror though because I'm such a harsh self critic....all I can see is the bad bit

Hi Linz,

So about your menu.. without the addition of the Cadbury treat or the toast with PB, it definitely looks on the light side.. 1019 cals to be exact.

Is there any way you could add some protein to your breakfast? it seems like you are lacking a bit in that department and a light bar for breakfast at 59cals is very, very little! =)

Although adding a treat, specifically the Cadbury treat) is a nice addition to your daily cals, I would suggest choosing something a bit healthier or taking those cals and having them for breakfast. The PB and toast are fine, just mind the sugar and fat content of the PB.

Another question, (and forgive me if you've already said this) do you own a food scale? from the menu described, it is clear that you have been underestimating your cals and you just may need to measure out everything for a week or two in order to make sure you are getting in all the calories you need. Once you get better at estimating quantities, you can forgo it's use (if you choose to, of course!)

I think you are onto something Linz!! definitely increase your cal intake but try to keep it healthy and 'clean'. You should hopefully see results soon! Don't fear the initial weight increase that will inevitably happen. This is just your body's way of adjusting to the added sodium, carbs, or sugars you are ingesting but it should all even itself out in a week or two at the most.

GO FOR IT! =) we'll back you up...

I'm struggling so hard. I have no self control in the evenings and I just binge, binge, binge. I know I need to eat more during the day so that I'm not starving by the time I get home from work. I always think I bring enough but obviously not. Weigh in tomorrow *hopefully* won't be a gain. I'm crossing my fingers for maintaining.

Thanks for your input, I was suprised when I added it all up because before I was focusing more on eating healthy than on calories and I felt like I was eating quite alot.

I know my breakfast is a bit lacking, the main reason for that is I don't have much time in a morning and everything I do eat is packed the night before to grab and run with on my way to work. I spend more time in a morning feeding my animals than feeding myself! I need to find something convenient that I can take to work to bulk out my breakfast a bit more.

The Cadbury Creme Egg is by no means a daily occurance but you gotta treat yourself sometimes!

No, at the minute I don't own any food scales but I intend to invest in some when I have a little spare cash (spare cash?!?). The main thing I need to weigh really is my nuts and raisens so that would be helpful.

What I desperately want is a Polar Heart Rate Monitor! Oh well I can dream.....

Linz here are a few links on the subject of upping calories.  With all the time you spend at the gym you maybe having to big of a calorie deficit.

http://caloriecount.about.com/surely-dont-nee d-calories-ft125630

http://caloriecount.about.com/upping-cals-los e-success-stories-ft89606

http://caloriecount.about.com/upping-cals-los e-ft103224

lynners hang in there you can control that monster called binge.  When you find yourself in that mode I find a drawer or my room to organize throw out stuff anything to distract myself from the binge happening, if your busy your less likly to be putting food in your mouth, oh and a grab my water bottle and stay out of the kitchen at all costs.

Nanette

lynners:  don't beat yourself up too hard.  I've been struggling myself. 

Thanks for the encouragement ladies. Everyone has been doing so well, it's really inspiring. Shovelled the driveway today, cleaned the bathroom, the bedroom, and the kitchen (sort of), so thankfully I've been pretty distracted today.

On a lighter note, I'm hoping to go to New Orleans with a friend in February for a Habitat for Humanity build!

Hey girls-

Did day 1 of my C25K thing today. Well, sort of. I forgot to look at the chart before I went to the gym so I did what I could remember for a total of 25 minutes....it was intense-but awesome!

My goal is to run 3 miles on my 35th birthday...which is just exactly 10 weeks from today so I have just enough time to get through the program...and a week extra to play with.

It would be awesome to launch my next year with a 3 mile run (longer than I've ever run in my life) to symbolize my new life and committment to health.

I'll keep you all posted. And you veterans of the program-please share any tips/tricks you might have!

Hopefully I will see you all in the morning. Wednesdays are such an early day I often forget to weigh in as I run out the door!

Jesusgirl do you have an ipod of mp3 player?  I found the podcasts wonderful for working on and completeing couch to 5k

http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page4/ files/category-7.html 

They have mp3 versions and ipod versions on this site.  Times everything out for you so you only have to listen and not time yourself it is the best!!

Good luck and hang in there some weeks are tougher but I loved the 9 weeks!!

Nanette

Thanks for those links pbear, I think that probably is the problem....its hard to adjust to the idea of having to eat more to lose weight, specially with a history of disordered eating but I know it makes sense!

So on to todays weigh in....

Last Week: 164.6

This Week: 163.6

Result! A whole lb! I'm not ready to totally believe it until I see it again as every day for the past week it hasn't budged from 164.6 but its nice to have something good to log on weigh in day. Maybe that extra toast and peanut butter has helped after all....

Good luck to everyone else :)

Ugh!

LW: 177.8

TW: 179.2

Im not surprised, I did horrible fri-sat-sun so its my own fault...but still sucks!

Good luck everyone!

LW:  155

TW:  157

Chantale1985, like you, I'm not surprised about my weight gain either.  I only exercised once last week and I've been eating all the wrong stuff. 

I've got to get it together!!

Hi all!  Well, this seems to be catching....

LW:  173.2

TW: 173.8  good grief

I have been really having a hard time keeping my good habits that I had worked so hard to achieve.  I don't know what my problem is. 

I was at 172.6 on Sunday and then blew it. 

But after watching The Biggest Loser last night, I got motivated and I feel like I can get it together now.  Do any of you watch that show? I got teary eyed last night.  It's so good to see nice people on that show again.  Well, most of them are anyway. 

My left knee has been bothering me since Christmas and I haven't been able to walk as far as I usually do on my treadmill.  I've been doing my workout video and walking about 30 min or so.  I just have to keep trying. 

Well I hope everyone has a good week and keep plugging away!  We'll get there some day.