need serious help with dieting

[hallieboballie]

Hi! I stumbled upon this website and really really need some help/ encouragement/ advice on weight loss. First, I have to explain my story. I am a 21 year old college soon-to-be senior, and my freshman year of college I weighed a whopping 231 lbs (I am 5'10''). I finally decided after 6 years or so of being overweight that I was not going to accept the "big boned" excuses of my family and had to lose weight. I began eating ONLY lean meats and vegetables, with an occasional cheat meal on the weekends. I also changed my entirely sedentary lifestyle into an active one, going to the gym 4 times a week on average for about 30 minutes of cardio.

I lost 30 pounds in 3 months and was down to 200 pounds. Then I had a year or so in which I didn't diet or really work out much, and gained probably 5 pounds or so.

Last year, I lost another 40 pounds by basically not eating aton. I would have a piece of fruit or a 40 calorie yogurt for breakfast, a salad with nothing on it for lunch, and the same for dinner, possibly with a piece of wholegrain toast and natural peanut butter. I worked out 5 times a week, for 30 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of ab work, and 10 minutes or so of weight lifting. I was 160 pounds when I started this summer.

Now, I am trying desperately to lose weight but I can't anymore. I think I have gained muscle mass but I need to actually lose #s on the scale too. I would like to be one size smaller (a 6) and have a BMI of around 20. Please help me. I am trying to eat fats and carbs at 4 small meals a day but I am scared to death to gain weight. I work out 6 days a week if I can and do about 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight lifting and 5 minutes of ab work.

What else can I do? I am trying to be a size 6 and lose at least 5 pounds in the next 3 weeks before I go back to school.

Thanks in advance!!

[twinnett]

I would start by checking out this website....terracotta2.googlepages.com It gives a lot of good, general nutriton and workout information. hussmanfitness.com is another good website. Once you figure out how many calories you need for maitenance, you can determine where you should be to lose weight. You don't need to be afraid of carbs or fat! I've lost a lot of weight and my weightloss was at a standstill when I was afraid to eat carbs and fat. Your body needs them! You also might want to start a lifting program.20 min. isn't very much. What exactly are you doing and what does your diet look like?

[spillsy]

[
Last year, I lost another 40 pounds by basically not eating aton. I would have a piece of fruit or a 40 calorie yogurt for breakfast, a salad with nothing on it for lunch, and the same for dinner, possibly with a piece of wholegrain toast and natural peanut butter. I worked out 5 times a week, for 30 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of ab work, and 10 minutes or so of weight lifting. I was 160 pounds when I started this summer.


QUOTE]

Girl..you need to start eating right! Where is the protein??????? It doesn't seem like there is much food in this diet right now - the body will actually put itself into starvation mode if it isn't getting ENOUGH calories. It basically hordes anything that it gets cuz it isn't getting enough. By the looks of this you'd be lucky to be getting 1000/day. You need MORE. Try putting a chicken breast on your salad or a can of tuna. Try some different veggies and don't be afraid of good quality carbs (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain breads). I'm surprised you have any energy for your workouts right now by the looks of your diet. Carbs will fill your fuel tank for a high powered workout. You'll be able to lift heavier, which in turn will build more muscles and in the end you'll burn more calories.
You've had awesome success so far...keep up the good work!

[MsFit]

I lost 30 pounds in 3 months and was down to 200 pounds. Then I had a year or so in which I didn't diet or really work out much, and gained probably 5 pounds or so.

Last year, I lost another 40 pounds by basically not eating aton. I would have a piece of fruit or a 40 calorie yogurt for breakfast, a salad with nothing on it for lunch, and the same for dinner, possibly with a piece of wholegrain toast and natural peanut butter. I worked out 5 times a week, for 30 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of ab work, and 10 minutes or so of weight lifting. I was 160 pounds when I started this summer.

Now, I am trying desperately to lose weight but I can't anymore. I think I have gained muscle mass but I need to actually lose #s on the scale too. I would like to be one size smaller (a 6) and have a BMI of around 20. Please help me. I am trying to eat fats and carbs at 4 small meals a day but I am scared to death to gain weight. I work out 6 days a week if I can and do about 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight lifting and 5 minutes of ab work.

I am trying to be a size 6 and lose at least 5 pounds in the next 3 weeks before I go back to school.

Congrats on your success thus far... You have to get over the number on the scale factor. The scale is just a measuring device. It's unable to distinguish between bone, muscle, water, fat, and organ weight.

What types of food are you currently eating?

[Amris]

Several problems I see.

You are starving and depriving yourself. Starving yourself doesn't make you lose weight, it makes your body desperately hold onto it. You can do it for a while and it WILL be effective. But that's not the proper or natural state, and before long, your body WILL catch on that you are starving it.

You need to stop thinking in terms of "I need a diet" and "I need to lose weight."

That's NOT what you need. You need a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you change your eating HABITS into new, healthy, natural, normal HABITS THAT LAST A LIFETIME, your health will follow- it has no choice.

A diet is a temporary change. The problem with them is, well... they're temorary! When you stop the diet, you go back to bad habits and bad health follows. It is neither reasonable nor logical to think that you can starve yourself and you will miraculously stay that way from then on. This is self-defeating thinking. You will yo-yo so long as you think of dieting.

Next, throw away your scale and get some skin-fold calipers. Scales are liars. They're full of nothing but bull****. Take two women, both weigh 135 lbs and are 5'6" tall. One of them has 18% body fat, the other has 30% body fat. These two women will look NOTHING AT ALL ALIKE. One will look fat and flabby. The other will be lean and sensual.

Body fat percent is your friend. BMI and scales are decievers who will play tricks on you.

What it is time for, for you, is a lifestyle change. And unless you are genuinely committed to THAT, and not just to "I'll do what it takes to get skinny, then go back to my normal self," you absolutely, unquestionably, no doubt at all, WILL FAIL. In the short term or in the long term- but you WILL fail.

Diet = temporary
Lifestyle change = forever

do you want to be healthy for a day, or for life?


If your answer is for life, then it's time you slow down and do it correctly. Realize that lasting change takes time and that it will last for the rest of your life. You cannot starve yourself and completely deprive yourself, then ask your body to miraculously do what it was never designed to do.

Work with it. Use its strengths and adjust to its weaknesses. It's literally impossible to force it to your ideal. Learn its ideal, and embrace it.

[Miranda]

a good post. except would like to comment on this one.

throw away your scale and get some skin-fold calipers. Scales are liars. They're full of nothing but bull****. Take two women, both weigh 135 lbs and are 5'6" tall. One of them has 18% body fat, the other has 30% body fat. These two women will look NOTHING AT ALL ALIKE. One will look fat and flabby. The other will be lean and sensual.

skin-fold calipers aren't at all accurate if you have a lot of omentum fat. calipers won´t register that. they´re only good with subcutaneous goo.
most women store fat right under the skin, but not all.

the mirror is still the best bet.

[hallieboballie]

thanks for the advice. i understand that dieting will only lead to a temporary change, but i am also implementing lifestyle changes that i have kept up for the past 3 years for the most part, especially working out and drinking water. i need to lose weight though, actual pounds. i know that everyone says the number on the scale doesn't matter, but it really does to me. i know tons of girls who are my height and have a great deal of lean muscle mass and no fat to be seen and are 15-20 pounds lighter than me. plus, i definitely want to be one size smaller. anyone know of good tips for getting rid of midsection fat? i already am following the "bodybuilding bible express for women" for weight training and abs.

i feel like i am constantly fighting against the girls that i am surrounded with in daily life who are thin and lean and muscular but still eat a ton and hardly work out, whereas i bust my butt and watch what i eat paranoidally and still am pudgy in areas and weigh too much. i just want to finally be able to maintain a weight instead of losing weight, but i need to reach my goal first.

[Angel Rising]

The girls you see around you probably are thin and lean because they are constantly supplying there bodies with food which is the best thing you can do for your metabolism. And do you actually know these girls? Do you know that they DON'T workout?

I really think you have to stop comparing yourself to others. Sorry about the cliche but it sounds like you need a bit of self love.

Follow the advice of some of the others on here. Eat small frequent meals every 2 1/2 - 3 hrs consisting of a good protein and complex carb and some EFA's. Knock back the vegies and water like there is no tomorrow. If you keep the food coming in your body won't store excess fat because it won't feel like it needs to.

With your excercise really up the weights. they help you build lean muscle which may weigh more than fat but takes up much less room and looks awesome. like others said look at Hussmanfitness.com or even purchase the Body for Life book which is a good place to start.

And good luck....

[zutons]

I feel like i am constantly fighting against the girls that i am surrounded with in daily life who are thin and lean and muscular but still eat a ton and hardly work out, whereas i bust my butt and watch what i eat paranoidally and still am pudgy in areas and weigh too much. i just want to finally be able to maintain a weight instead of losing weight, but i need to reach my goal first.

First, you really have to stop comparing yourself to others around you - you have set your goals, great, focus on it, not on others. Paranoid? You have to enjoy and most importantly, have fun, if you want your achievements to be permanent, learn to love it or it will only be temporary.

I would have a piece of fruit or a 40 calorie yogurt for breakfast, a salad with nothing on it for lunch, and the same for dinner, possibly with a piece of wholegrain toast and natural peanut butter.

Yogurt for breakfast? Salad for lunch and...the same for dinner?! Did you often feel faint? Honestly, that menu is awful. You need to learn to not be afraid of eating, you need to eat and as frequent as every 2 - 3 hours. As recommended, visit terracotta's page.

[Amris]

thanks for the advice. i understand that dieting will only lead to a temporary change, but i am also implementing lifestyle changes that i have kept up for the past 3 years for the most part, especially working out and drinking water. i need to lose weight though, actual pounds. i know that everyone says the number on the scale doesn't matter, but it really does to me. i know tons of girls who are my height and have a great deal of lean muscle mass and no fat to be seen and are 15-20 pounds lighter than me. plus, i definitely want to be one size smaller. anyone know of good tips for getting rid of midsection fat? i already am following the "bodybuilding bible express for women" for weight training and abs.

A. There is no targeted fat loss. It comes off where it wants to, and anyone who tells you anything different is feeding you bull**** to get your money. They're not telling you the truth, they're telling you what you want to hear.

B. You're focusing on losing weight, which is why you cannot lose weight.

-- You need to focus on building muscle. Building muscle will BURN CALORIES LIKE THERE'S NO TOMRROW.

-- You need to focus on LOSING FAT, NOT WEIGHT. Fat is what makes you look flabby, NOT WEIGHT. Until you understand this, you will be at a new place every year asking for advice.

-- You need to knock off the starving yourself crap. You are starving yourself because you think that you need to lose WEIGHT. Starving yourself will EAT MUSCLE- MUSCLE IS WHAT BURNS FAT BEST. Pound that into your head. It's NOT about weight, it's about what KIND of weight you lose.

-- There's no miracle cure or magic bullet:

* You MUST lose fat to become lean- weight is irrelevant
* You WILL GAIN FAT IF YOU ARE STARVING
* To take off overall fat, you must gain muscle- to gain muscle, YOU MUST EAT
* If you want to appear slender, you can NOT mistreat your body- it won't stand for it
* It will take time and work, if you want it fast, go find someone to lie to you, we won't do it here

i feel like i am constantly fighting against the girls that i am surrounded with in daily life who are thin and lean and muscular but still eat a ton and hardly work out, whereas i bust my butt and watch what i eat paranoidally and still am pudgy in areas and weigh too much. i just want to finally be able to maintain a weight instead of losing weight, but i need to reach my goal first.

First off, as already stated, THEY FEED THEIR BODIES. They give their bodies rest, as well. If you work out nonstop and don't eat properly, you will go into starvation mode, and you need to understand this without any bull****: YOUR BODY EATS MUSCLES FIRST WHEN IT'S STARVING. FAT LAST. In FACT, your body, when starving WILL EAT YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS BEFORE YOUR FAT.

It will ruin your kidneys, nibble your pancreas, chow on your liver, and dine on your intestines before it will TOUCH those precious last-step-before-death stores of fat.

If you want to look great, DON'T FOCUS ON WEIGHT. Because your instinct when you focus on WEIGHT is, "less in, less on." WRONG thinking. And this thinking is what fuels the diet industry into BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

Because people diet, they lose MUSCLE, their fat grows, they diet some more... and they keep paying to diet. And they keep losing MUSCLE. And they keep packing on MORE FAT.

You refuse to listen to us, the only people who aren't going to lie and who have nothing at all to gain from lying to you. Are you paying me anything? Are you paying anyone here anything? NO. Are we wanting to be skinny minny teensy weensy so thinking the same things you are? NO.

We here want our MUSCLES to show. If you want your fat flab to show, ask dieters. If you want LEAN MUSCLE to show, ask body builders AND LISTEN TO THEM.

Why are you asking us for help if you are going to argue with us? "Oh nos, I can't focus on fat, I have to focus on the scale." Then you will fail. Go starve yourself to 110 pounds of fatty tissue, have fun, knock yourself out. Go let your body eat its internal organs and cause you to experience fat gain and ill health. No one's stopping you.



If you want HONEST help in making a change that will last a lifetime, then listen to us when we say to throw away the scale. ALL that scale does is make you want to NOT EAT. And that is the path to fatness and poor health. THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE IT GOES.

Do you want to be fat but weigh less, or do you care about how you look and feel? Those are your only choices. There is no middle ground in the body. You either get fatter by starving, or you knuckle down and focus on losing FAT rather than weight. Our bodies are machines.

If you put gasoline into a diesel engine, YOU KILL IT. If you put NO FUEL into the engine at all... you run out of gas. There is no middle ground. You can't use the cheaper fuel and be shocked when it destroys your car. You can't NOT FEED IT and wonder why it won't move.

You do it right, or it simply doesn't do what you want it to.

Your body is a machine. Do it right, or ... it will NOT do what you want it to do.

The most complex machine on Earth is the human brain. Your body houses this complex machine. The body itself is a complex, incredible machine. We are the ONLY creatures who walk upright 100% of the time. Beautiful, fabulous, DELICATE MACHINES, our bodies are.

But like EVERY machine on Earth... GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.

We're giving you the manual to your machine. You can toss it out and keep putting gasoline in rather than diesel, if you choose. But the result is predictable, because you're putting garbage in.

Throw away the scales, get skin calipers. Measure FAT LOSS, NOT WEIGHT LOSS. Give your body the PROPER FUELS: Exercise, FOOD, and REST.

There is no other way. Deny it fuel and you'll end up broken down on the side of the road. Refuse to put oil in it, and it will throw a rod or sieze up. Drive on a flat tire, and you will have to replace the entire suspension system.

You are a machine. Muscles are your fat burners. Feed them, grow them, or live with the consequences of getting fat, fatter, and fattest.

[ab-swing asianbabe]

Great stuff Amris

hallieboballie, please don't take any offence, the words may be harsh but its the way of thinking that you have to embrace if you want to come out a winner. Just have to change your mentality

Have a check in the journalling section to see what the other ladies are up to, how they structure their workouts, their diets, their calories and their struggles/successes to get an idea of what people are doing. Good luck!

[twinnett]

Great post. Yes, it may sound harsh, but I used to feel the same way: focus on the scale and on more and more cardio and eating less. It doesn't work!!! Sometimes you just need some tough love to give you a kick in the butt. We don't want you harming yourself and you need to stop starving your body and feed it quality foods, give it plenty of rest, and work really hard when you go to the gym.

[MsFit]

Great info posted.

You starved your body in the past to lose weight (bone, muscle, water). If you want results now, you will have to feed it, and feed it quality food. You can get rid of that midsection with proper nutrients throughout the day, as well as added cardio... walking would be great.

I think you may be aware of all the info provide on this thread, but you seem to be at the desperate point.... to just lose pounds no matter what. It may have worked in the past, but now your body needs something to build on and something to burn.

Until you get on a good eating and exercise program, I'm afraid you won't get that body you so desire.

It's all in the quality of your nutrition and quality of your exercising.

[Amris]

Unfortunately, desperation doesn't change how the body works.

Wanting to change it right now doesn't make it possible to change it right now. Wanting to get to work without gas in your car will only strand you somewhere, and make the situation worse.

Same for your body. Do it right or make your life worse. Sad but true.

[hallieboballie]

thanks for all the advice. it makes sense. i am so unused to such eating, though. i have no idea where to start- can some of you post what you would eat if you were me in a given day? to recap:

i am 5'10'', 160lbs- BMI around 23%, pants size 8, would like to be around size 6 and much more toned. i work out 5-6 days a week- 45 minutes cardio with HR around 160 and 15 minutes weights/ abs 4 days a week.

if you could let me know an example of how you would eat to lose weight, gain muscle and get toned, please let me know.

thanks!

[terracotta]

we don't post whole examples.. if you need examples you can sift through journals.

My website goes over the guidelines, and there is a huge list of foods on there etc.. so you should go to it http://terracotta2.googlepages.com

[Amris]

Yep, the journals are a wonderful resource for diet plans!

They're also a great resource for exercise plans, as luck would have it...