I need a pep talk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's some inspiration - I was you. I am 5'8" and was at about 165 when I reached my breaking point. I started cardio 4-5 days a week and carefully tracked calories with the app Lose It. Within 3 months (that spanned the holidays) I was around 150. I am at about 130 now. I firmly believe that it takes both cardio and calorie tracking. Working with a trainer is great, but don't expect to lose weight from that alone.

You can do it, you just have to make up your mind to put in the work and then do the work.

Very inspirational! Anything particulars other than calorie counting diet wise? What kind of cardio ? Congrats!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 5'8 and weigh more than I ever have 160. (Other than when pregnant). My best weight is 140-145, as I am larger boned and just kind of a dense body build. I am pretty attractive and I dress nicely, so I still look reasonably good, but this is ridiculous. I have had a trainer for over a year and I still can't lose weight. My 6'2 very fit (10% body fat) husband weighs 163. Very depressing to me, especially since we dealt with the discovery of some near cheating incidents on his part earlier this year. (we saw a MC and are doing much better).

I have started running, which was sorely missing from my work outs (cardio in general) and it is so hard for me. I do a moderate 6.0 for two minutes then 4.0 for 2 minute run for 35 minutes and my heart rate is in the high 170s! I am 42. My diet is decent, other than the two sometimes more glasses of wine I have most evenings.

I really need to be motivated and feel better about myself, but I feel stuck and that nothing I am doing is working. All advice welcome. (BTW, I realize this might sound a bit neurotic, I am highly aware that there are bigger problems to have, but this is an anonymous board on beauty, fashion and fitness).

I didn't read all the responses, but you need to cut out the wine. It's full of calories!! I'm surprised your trainer has not told you this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's some inspiration - I was you. I am 5'8" and was at about 165 when I reached my breaking point. I started cardio 4-5 days a week and carefully tracked calories with the app Lose It. Within 3 months (that spanned the holidays) I was around 150. I am at about 130 now. I firmly believe that it takes both cardio and calorie tracking. Working with a trainer is great, but don't expect to lose weight from that alone.

You can do it, you just have to make up your mind to put in the work and then do the work.

Very inspirational! Anything particulars other than calorie counting diet wise? What kind of cardio ? Congrats!!!

The calorie counting made me eat better -- lean meats, lots of veggies and some fruit, beans, greek yogurt -- because I found I needed to get the most out of every calorie or I'd be hungry at night. No matter what, I stuck to my calorie allotment but added about half the calories I burned exercising (wore a calibrated heart rate monitor for that so that I didn't overestimate). I ate protein in at every meal, and made sure to have a little fat at all meals, but especially breakfast. That seems to hold me until mid-morning then half a cup of greek yogurt with some fruit so that I am not starving at lunch time. Salad only for lunch always left me hungry and unsatisfied no matter how much chicken and hard boiled egg I put on it, so I usually have a sandwich (whole grain bread). Snack typically is carrots or celery with hummus or peanut butter, or almonds. Dinner is lean meat (fish, chicken, pork loin) with a plate of steamed veggies. If I get hungry at night and have calories left, I make popcorn (stove top, not microwave). I stopped daily calorie counting after about about 4 months when I got a good sense of what I could eat. But anytime weight loss stalled before I reached my original goal (140 or 135, can't remember), I counted again and usually found I was eating too many calories. And most of the time that was because I hadn't adequately lowered my intake to account for my lower weight.

Exercise was primarily spinning or outdoor cycling, with a weekly aerobics class using weights and a yoga class. Bad knees so running is out for me but that would be great cardio. I now do more cardio weights classes than spinning because I probably did too much spinning in my weight loss phase which made by IT bands and hip flexors sensitive.

[Anonymous]

Try Zumba!!

[Anonymous]

OP, I started using www.loseit.com to count calories -- having never, ever counted them before.

I got a kitchen scale that made measuring potions (I rook from scratch a lot) extremely convenient.

When I make pasta for the kids, I will take just one 2 oz serving -- I was surprised to see how little that was. I was always eating 4 oz for a serving, and usually had seconds. Now, I just have a 2 oz serving and I top it with some healthy vegetables.

I learned the the calories from the wine I had been drinking (and the juice) REALLY added up. Actually cutting out wine/juices started me losing just 1/2 pound a week with absolutely no other changes. I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but I'm in my mid-forties and had been gaining weight pretty steadily so anything in a downward trend was really important.

Instead of wine, we now buy naturally carbonated mineral water by the carton and drink it in a wine glass with ice and a lot of lemon slices. I drink a LOT of water.

ALso the late night snacking I did was adding calories. It was mindless.

Finally, somebody posted this here a while ago and I keep remembering it: "You have to get used to never feeling truly full." I never feel hungry, but I never have that fully satiated, I'm so stuffed feeling any more either.

I do exercise as well, but not very much. I'm still able to lose about .5 to 1 pound per week, and it's not that difficult. Had to give up the wine though. I measure

[Anonymous]

For people over 35 years old, the only way to lose weight is restrcting calories - unless you run more 10 miles a day. Even my PT says "it is 90% diet".

Myfitnesspal is a great app for keeping track of calorie intake.

[Anonymous]

Because working out does not make you lose weight-diet does.

I'm 5'8" as well and peaked at 175. I worked out like an idiot and the scale hardly budged. It was ONLY when I took control of my eating did the lbs drop off. I'm now 145, but it took forever because I did not want to do as much portion control as I should have.

And YES, you must do cardio, lots of it. I've worked myself up to a half marathon and started at ZERO.

[Anonymous]

OP, for what it is worth, you sound kind of hot. I know you want a different body, but I think if I met you that I would find you attractive. I'm not a toad either.

[Anonymous]

A large glass of wine is about 125 calories. You may have to give up something else to hit your caloric target, but it's not as if a glass of wine is like a McD's splurge.

If you sip fruit juice all day, that's a horse of a different color.