Weight Loss Gets Harder

[Living4Him03]

I think now that I am getting a little older it's much harder for me to lose weight.

When I was a teenager I could just cut calories and work out a few times a week and lose 10-15 pounds. Now, it seems like I have to eat next to no calories, but eat several times a day, never treat myself to "good" food, and work out every day to lose weight.

Anyone have tips for losing weight as your metabolism slows or myths of weight loss to dispell? I know looks aren't everything, but most guys want a girl who really takes care of her body (or at least appears to). I think my weight is one reason that guys are reluctant to approach me or to make an effort to get to know me...it deters them before any sort of friendship or anything starts.

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

Have you consider weight training?

Muscle burns calories repairing itself. If you added a few pounds of muscle, your body weight would go up, but you wouldn't look bugger, and your calorie deficits would be larger.

 

[Living4Him03]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

 

[TriptychR]

Take any stairs in your daily routine instead of the elevator. It may not seem like much, but using the stairs to get my room in my dorm is the only thing I can attribute to keeping me from getting fat.

 

[Grimace]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

Actually, weight training doesn't have to make you bulky. I used to weight train when I had the money to join a gym, and I had some long lean muscle and didn't look bulky at all.

I got one of those pedometer things and watched how much I walked during the day. That's what keeps me in shape now. I always walk when I can, take stairs instead of elevators, park in the rear of the parking lot and walk, etc. I used to run, but I developed shin splints and my brother-in-law (who is thankfully a PTA) ordered me to stop and do these exercises to get better or I might end up with a stress fracture in my leg (and I don't want that).

 

[KeilCoppes]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

I'll pitch in on this one. Just as an FYI - weight training for women doesn't automatically make you look like a body builder. In fact, weight training is very good for women - using the right training regimen won't make you look muscular, just well shaped. The classic example of women like this is Jackie Joyner, the Olympic athelete. When she ran, you could see the muscles - long and smooth. When she was interviewed, you'd never guess she was so strong. It takes tons more work than you'd guess in order to get that over-muscular look, and the fantastically low body fat percentage that female body builders have also includes a very, very strict diet - don't worry about it.

Weight training will help all around.

 

[Princess Pea]

What's helped me is a gym franchise called Curves for Women. You go in for a 30-minute workout that combines strength training, aerobic exercise, and flexibility, and there's also a diet that worked for me. I am SO not a gym person, but I was completely sold on this program within about a week. Coincidentally, I found out after signing up that the founder is a Christian - interesting, huh? I don't know how much more I can say about Curves without doing more advertising that is allowed within CF guidelines, but free free to PM me if you want to know more.

 

[fishstix]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

If I remember correctly from high school phys. ed. there are at least3 basic things you can do with weight training.

1 - lift as much as you can a few times to build up strength
2 - lift a smaller amount a whole lot of times to get your muscles toned and in shape
3 - lift as much as you can as many times as you can and eat lots to get both strength and bulk.

Sounds like you won't want to do 3 (my personal favorite) but maybe 2 would be a good one for you

 

[Thithy]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

I'm a girl and I don't see anything wrong with being muscular. No, I don't want to look like a body builder year round, but I would like to be able to look good. I'm already built a bit bigger than most girls, so I've decided that if I'm going to be bigger, I might as well make it muscle and not fat.

Besides wouldn't it be nice to be able to open up your own jar?

But Fishstix is right, if you do lower weights, but lots of reps, it will give you a toned look. Also, the only thing that really burns fat is aerobic exercise. So running and what not. (personally I hate running, but I force myself to run before I start weight lifting).

Also, try cutting carbs out of your diet (not all of them, but some) instead of calories. I know many people who stopped eating bread (or at least not as much as they used too) and they lost 10 lbs rather quickly. It's an idea. From what I've heard eating celerie is negative calories because it takes more calories to chew and digest it then the actuall celerie has.

 

[Living4Him03]

I can open my own jar...i just want to lose weight before I try to tone my muscles, because I need to lose like 30 pounds...if it was just 10 pounds I would go for it. A little weight training is good I guess, but for a few weeks I was eating healthy, so busy that I was barely sitting down, and drinking plenty of water. I started taking the stairs to get to my classes instead of the elevator and parking further. My jeans are still tight!

 

[Thithy]

But while you are toning muscles you will be losing fat.

 

[klewlis]

I can open my own jar...i just want to lose weight before I try to tone my muscles, because I need to lose like 30 pounds...if it was just 10 pounds I would go for it. A little weight training is good I guess, but for a few weeks I was eating healthy, so busy that I was barely sitting down, and drinking plenty of water. I started taking the stairs to get to my classes instead of the elevator and parking further. My jeans are still tight!

Sorry to say, but this really is the backwards way of thinking about it. Muscle toning causes you to burn more fat, more quickly. I promise. When you build muscle not only does your metabolism speed up, but also the extra muscles need more energy so they burn more calories. Not only that, but it is much healthier to go that way than to quickly just lose a bunch of fat from dieting. Muscles are good! You aren't going to look like a body builder (I promise--I've been doing this for a year and a half and my muscles are still small!) but you will look more toned and defined--and that is sexy! If you have a balanced exercise routine which includes cardio, stretching, and muscle work, you will see results and feel healthy (of course you need to keep a balanced diet too!).

My biggest fault is that I'm a carb addict... I could be doing so much better if it weren't for that! lol

 

[mina]

I just want to say that you should get trim and toned to be healthy (for your health) not for the sole reason of being approached by guys. God gave you your body and you should take good care of it, because it is about being a good steward of what God has given you. Staying healthy is a life long decision and choice, not just a quick fix to attract a guy. Take the focus off attracting members of the opposite sex. That might be a result but it shouldn't be your motivation.

 

[fishstix]

BTW, before you go and try to lose 30 pounds you should probably see your doctor to make sure that you really do need to lose that much weight. And he/she can likely give you advice as to what the best and safest way to approach weight loss would be for you personally

 

[Blake]

Try not to set a certain weight goal. Just live a healthy life style thats the one of the more important things to me in a future wife.

I suppose I should define "healthy life style."

Exercise regularly: atleast 30mins a day 5 days a week
Eat healthy: explains it self
Focused on growing in God's Word: daily Bible study

I want to spend as many years as possible enjoying life and doing God's will and do my best not to worry about health problems in the future. Healthy living is expected of myself as well.

----

Living4Him03, It sounds like you doing things great. Try slipping in some cardio somewhere in your day if you can. If you see no change in a month in your weight, try changing your diet b/c our bodies act differently to carbs and so on... Or better yet get a professional opinion, but that costs $$$ ... Just keep in mind all the health benifits for all the work you've put in even if you don't see the physical change. But, I can guarantee you'll notice your fitness level/enduance go up. Don't get discouraged

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

but I'm a girl I want to be thin not muscular!

Weight Training doesn't mean you're going to turn into a powerlifter.

My friend Dawn lifts weights, and most women would kill to have a body like hers.

 

[Tink]

My friend Dawn lifts weights, and most women would kill to have a body like hers.

Killing is bad. Mmkay.


In Christ,
Tink

 

[Greenriser]

the hardest thing about weight loss and muscle gain for me is being able to stick to what i need to. I'm not a big cook and the reality is, if I cannot skip corners to make my cooking faster, theb I will not cook. So, I'm really angry right now cause I don't have one sharp knife in the house. No, I'm not going to stab somebody but it makes it harder to cut food with speed and accuracy. Sometimes you gotta wait, or break that barrier (like buy a new knife), that stops you from doing what you need to do.

 

[Living4Him03]

BTW, before you go and try to lose 30 pounds you should probably see your doctor to make sure that you really do need to lose that much weight. And he/she can likely give you advice as to what the best and safest way to approach weight loss would be for you personally

The reason I said 30 pounds is because I looked on the weightwatchers website and they have a calculator that shows your healthy weight range for your height, and for me that was about 30 pounds from where I am at (the highest weight shown as being healthy for my height). Going to a doctor would be nice to get some advice and find out how my heart is doing, because heart disease runs in my family and I want to do something about it early. However, I don't have health insurance right now and doctor's visits are expensive.

I don't want to be healthy just for picking up guys...who says if I were thin I'd get noticed that much more? Well, by the guys I WANT to notice me!
I have much more energy when I lose weight and when I'm eating healthy and working out. I also know that if I don't do something now to get healthy and if I don't do something that's good for my heart, I will likely end up getting heart disease at some point. People can have heart attacks in their 30s and Im not so far away from that age.

I just find it frustrating with all these diets out there and having to stop and get fast food. I have tried to figure out what I can eat that is fast food that is not going to cause me to gain weight, but most places really don't have very healthy selections. Also, I work with several people who are thin. They can eat anything they want pretty much and not gain weight. They bring their fattening fast food in to work and it's soooooo tempting.

I think I will start doing some weight training though...I have access to weights at the activities building at school, so I guess I should utilize that. I've also thought of jogging, but I haven't gone to try it yet (we have an indoor track) because the last time I tried to jog I was so out of shape I could barely make just one lap.

 

[carine]

What works for me is eating when I am hungry but kinda thinking about what I am going to eat for the whole day and just not eating too much. Also having an early dinner and instead of an evening snack a hot skimmed milk. I think white bread is a deninite no no if you want to loose weight though takes too long to digest. Also think adding a few pieces of fruit a day helps helps to loose weight caus it speeds digestion!!!.
No easy answer but guess some foods are more fattening than others especially pastries and anything made with white floor and fried stuff.Guess its good not to have food around the home which is too fattening also and takeaways are very fattening so maybe not good to eat them too often!.
I think theres too much pressure these days to be thin and women should have a few curves in my opinion.