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Discussion: Weight loss disappointments.
Subject: Weight loss disappointments. By: Teresa S. Written on: 2006-06-20 11:09:13 Message: Hey everyone. I have been training for my sprint triathlon on the 25th seriously since January, but I have been trying to loose weight for years. I am probably very typical in that I don't loose weight quickly and am often frustrated with the slow progress. I train a lot and have a hard time balancing training with nutrition, how much to eat after a huge training session so that I keep my furnace burning fat, but I don't eat too much that I negate all my work. I started Nutrisystem about 2 months ago, hoping to take some of the guess work out of my main courses, and I continued to add to the meals fresh veggies and fruit and protien shakes for workouts. I have seen tremendous improvements in my workouts, my swim, bike and even my run has improved in speed and endurance. I have seen significant drops in body fat- I went from 28% to 22% since January, so I am happy with that. I have even seen significant improvements in my clothes, I look great, feel great and am 4 sizes smaller. so you would think I would be happy right? noooooo. I still weight the same as i did in january. The six months before January, I lost 35 lbs. I wanted to loose another 30 lbs in the next 6 months. But since I lost the 35, I can't loose another pound. Not one! I have talked to nutritionist and they say I wasn't eating enough for how much I was working out and that I needed to add more protein and more frequent small meals. I did that and nothing! the same number on the scale, week after week is making me a little nutty. Any additional suggestions.? By the way, my hubby says I look better than he has ever seen me and he is so happy with my progress in the sport. He is kinda my trainer and is very good at motivating me to just keep going. He says get rid of the scale and just keep pushing fitness goals. But i think its weird not to loose weight when you are doiing everything right. Frustrated in Chitown.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Ronald F. Written on: 2006-06-20 11:23:46 Message: Sound to me like everything is going perfectly. You are replacing fat with muscle at this time. In a while you will have all the muscle you need and then the fat will slowly vanish. Nice and steady as you are doing is the healthy way to go. Be patient then in the future if you want to speed up the weight loss a little just a few less calories of the less healthy types will get that done. I would give it a little more time before cutting calories if I were you. Sometimes husbands are right:-) Ron
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Becky D. Written on: 2006-06-20 11:41:54 Message: Teresa, I'm with Ron. It sounds like, with an 8% BF loss and down 4 dress sizes, that you are going down exactly the right path. Sometimes, the weight hangs around and then it suddenly drops off. I agree with your husband about the scale and concentrate on what you look and feel like! Be proud of your amazing results so far and have faith that if you keep it up, the other results will come in time. Congrats on your great progress!! becky
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Jael A. Written on: 2006-06-20 11:46:36 Message: Teresa, you should be VERY PROUD of yourself. We, women, are naturally made to store fat and bear children....so, yes, I understand your frustration my friend! A few things you need to keep in mind: 1. The closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it is going to become to lose it. It is just the way physics work... 2. Muscle weights more than fat. That means, you may be losing inches on your waist, thighs, arms...etc..but you may end up weighting the same if not a little more. So, do not go only by the scale. You really need to go by your girth measurements. If your clothes are loser, then that is the answer. You have done what you needed to do. 3. I agree with Ron, just give it a little more time...if you really want to see more of a difference. You have done everything right! You should feel very good about your progress. You are not only getting fitter but you are also getting slimmer, trimmer and healthier! You go girl! 4. This is only a suggestion: have fun with it and forget about the scale! Have a blast doing what you do and enjoy yourself! Life is too short Teresa to beat yourself up for more perfection! 5. Sometimes, it is known that people reach a plateau when they are losing weight and they have to change something in their eating habits or exercise routines in order to break that. You may want to stick to what the nutritionist told you and keep with the several small meals per day. It seems to me that your husband is obviously VERY HAPPY with the way you look! So,enjoy that and have a blast wit him! You are very fortunate to have a Honey who is so wonderful! Congratulations on both the great husband and the great figure! Jael
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Brad H. Written on: 2006-06-20 12:03:18 Message: Relax. Overall weight loss is just one part of what your body is undergoing at this stage of your training. I read once that if you want to have the body of a triathlete, train like one. Give it time... Brad
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Sherri F. Written on: 2006-06-20 12:12:03 Message: I have experienced the exact same weight loss disappointments. I have a 15 lb. block of extra weight I would love to lose! I am 39 and my husband says that the tri training looks great on me. I haven't looked this great in 15 years. However, I weigh more than I want to. I would tell you not to stress about it. Stress interferes with weight loss. Concentrate on healthy eating. I try to eat "close to the farm" which simply means as un-processed as possible! If it grows on a tree or in a garden then it's a good choice. My diet's not perfect. I am concentrating on having the time of my life training and feeling great. I encourage you to relax and de-stress about a specific weight number. Concentrate on good food choices and your training. You look great! You're husband obviously is very right!
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Andrew S. Written on: 2006-06-20 12:44:32 Message: T. There's not much more for me to ad here, but I wanted to respond, because I too want to lose 25-30 more and get down to 190. Traininf for Tri's and losing weight do not always go hand in hand. My Doc even said that 190 would be too light for me, that I should shoot for 200-205. I weigh myself once every other week or so, mostly to check the fat content, Muscule is denser than fat, like Jael said, so it IS HOW YOU LOOK, as opposed to how much you weigh that really should be the determining factor. Good luck Kiddo. A.
Subject: Weight loss ... schmeight loss.... By: Carie M. Written on: 2006-06-20 13:23:51 Message: Teresa, You are an inspiration to us all... What an amazing achievement. I will share my perspective, since I can definitely relate!! I started NS this past January with 25 lbs to lose -- I lost 12 and then it just stopped coming off. I didn't put 2+2 together at the time, but I stopped seeing a difference on the scale about the time I started training for my first Tri. Even though I was doing cardio before, I must have not been building muscle -- plus the harder I work out, the more hungry I am, which is frustrating!! But when I put on clothes that haven't fit in years, and see photos of myself and actually see a shadow of my abs (in the right light!), I can tell I'm making progress. Sure I'd love to be thinner - I think it's still happening, just in smaller increments. I will share with you what has helped me, maybe this will help you as well... 1) Stop weighing yourself! Bad habit. Just stop! No more!! Who cares what that silly number is. Hard habit to break, but you have to or you will go nuts. 2) Set a new kind of goal -- fitness goals for the day / week. I keep a notebook and I come up with crazy ideas on what I'd like to accomplish, and you know what, sometimes I actually achieve them. Things like: one-arm push-ups, 10 pull-ups from a dead hang, shaving 10 seconds off a lap time, add a mile to your next long run, whatever. THESE are the measurements to go by - these are things you can actually control. 3) Variety. I have started supplementing my NS food with Diet-to-your-door (diettoyourdoor.com), which are frozen meals, prepared the week before and delivered to your door. Its just as convenient & fool-proof as NS but a LOT more tasty and like eating at a nice restaurant. I've been alternating between the two so I have a lot of options and am less tempted to grab something less healthy. 4) Listen to hubby. You look awesome and you're setting such a good example. You really are an inspiration, and you undoubtably touch lives around you every day, even without knowing it. Sometimes it's easy to forget (or play down) that you've come so far - but people notice and they admire it. 5) Stay connected w/ the OnTri group. If you need a boost, there's no better place to get one than here! Best of luck to you in your upcoming race -- hope you have a ton of fun!! PS Feel free to email me directly anytime if you want!
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Dan W. Written on: 2006-06-20 14:23:45 Message: Teresa, I'm with everyone else - you're doing great and have achieved awesome results! The best place for your scale may be in a six foot hole in the backyard. Your body fat loss is great - wouldn't it be fun to see that go down a little more? You can see and feel it when that number drops, right? Twenty-two percent, down from 28, is very good! You yourself admit to looking and feeling great. At the risk of sounding cynical, look around you: how many people really feel great and feel great about how they look? As you said, you're doing the right things - as long as you are, your life will continue to get better! Keep it up - you're doing great!
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Paula O. Written on: 2006-06-20 14:45:53 Message: Teresa, Throw the scale off of the highest roof you can find. Follow it with any popular Women's magazines that may be floating around your house sporting pictures of skinny models and impossible to follow diets and recipes. Shut off the TV. No one should be sending you messages (subliminal or otherwise) about how big your ass should be. Find your life and your happiness with your family and in following your dreams. Realize how good it feels to set and reach a fitness goal. Some days are discouraging and it may not seem like you are making progress. Never give up. It's amazing how far not quitting will take you. PS Cellulite on an athlete is beautiful! Signed Lumpy and Happy
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Jose G. Written on: 2006-06-20 15:08:25 Message: Yo Teresa, been there doing that...The great thing about the weight platueau is you know things are in perfect harmony. To lose significantly more weight you may have to drop some muscle. Which translates into no mo tri's! Don't you dare give up on this sport. As far as health and fitness are concerned, take a moment with your doctor or local news affiliate health fair to gather data on your other vitals: Resting HR - preferebly with you wake up in the morning Cholesterol Levels- Both good and bad Triglycerides - Not sure what these do but its good to know where you stand % Body Fat - You are already doing Exercise Program - You are already doing this. Great Job! Nutrition - You definitely have a keen on the toughest part. All of this will help put your specific situation in perspective.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Gary S. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:09:25 Message: 22% body fat? That's great, below recommended avg for women. Don't worry about the actual weight, it's how much of it that's fat versus non-fat that really matters. Our culture is hung up on weight which is only part of the puzzle. If you are going to ignore your husband, the body fat loss, fitness improvements and size decrease, why bother with checking any of that? Paula's correct in tossing out the scale. You need to realize your accomplishments and be proud!!
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Marty D. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:09:26 Message: Ok, I'll chime in here as well Teresa. I can't really add too much to what everyone else has said, but I sure can repeat it. Toss the scale because it's evil. You are a conditioned athelete who has made great progress in fat loss and reduced clothes size! The mirror and how your clothes feel will not lie to you. Scale weight can change like the weather. Congratulations on your accomplishments. Your husband is very proud of you and you should also be proud of yourself.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Glen N. Written on: 2006-06-20 16:34:53 Message: Just like everyone else was saying you are doing great. Your body is making muscle now and that weighs more. The rest of the fat will start to burn of. Just give it time to do it. You are down 4 sizes everyone is telling you you look great, take the scales out side and hit it with a hammer. You know your body is doing good and your mind is worried about a number, get rid of that number out of your head and you will see your fat go down in no time.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Teresa S. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:22:55 Message: Wow! THANKS TO EVERYONE! Its funny how I hear all of this from hubby and from others but it really sank in hearing it from all of you! You guys are my inspiration and hearing you say I am an inspiration is beyond great! Beyond inspirational! Thank you so much. I read your responses to my husband and he took the scale and now its gone! He is sooo happy I wrote to you all and that your responses mirrored his and he is so happy that its finally sinking in. i do feel great! I went for my long run today and it was one of my best runs, partly because I kept replaying your responses and encouragements in my head as I ran. Your advice over the last few months has really made a difference. I am addicted to training and to talking with you all. I will keep it up because I love the person/athlete I am now compared to the tired, asthmatic, potato chip addicted person I was before this journey started. Thank you again, you all have made a huge difference in my life today and I will keep your encouragements with me as I train. 9.0 miles/ 11.27 av pace/1:42 mins- my longest run alone, but I wasn't alone, I had all of your encouraging words with me! This site is the best thing that has happened to me in this process.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Andrew S. Written on: 2006-06-20 17:38:36 Message: Yesssssssssssssssssssss
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Timarie K. Written on: 2006-06-20 20:07:36 Message: Hey there Teresa- I can SO appreciate where you are coming from (check out profile, I am a Weight Watcher disciple!). Plateaus mean your body needs a change, both in your diet and your exercise, usually every 2-3 weeks. Doesn't need to be a significant shift, but enough to throw your body off kilter and get it churnin' fat again. So, it might be changing the duration of your rides, the reps or weight of your lifting, a new stroke, short sprints intersperced with walking, hills, etc. With eating, make sure you are drinking water, above and beyond what you think you should be, go back to measuring and journaling (it's amazing how 1/2 cup magically turns into 1 cup and you still count it as 1 c!) and eating lots of fruits and veges (especially now when there are so many good summer veges out). All good stuff. If you ever want to chat off line just let me know. Like I said, WW practically saved my life. Keep up the awesome, awesome work.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: julie w. Written on: 2006-06-21 00:49:23 Message: Way to go Teresa! You are doing awesome...keep it up! And thank you for writing this in b/c I've been bummed about my scale number not changing either....reading all this really cheered me up! Julie W.
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Carie M. Written on: 2006-06-21 13:08:35 Message: GREAT news on the run and happy to hear the evil scales are gone!! Whoo hoo!!! Welcome to the world of being an athlete!! I'm so happy you're in our little club!
Subject: RE: Weight loss disappointments. By: Gary S. Written on: 2006-06-21 18:30:03 Message: Keep it up. Now you can concentrate on your next few races, and a new PR on the course instead of your scale.
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