The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Does anyone else kinda panic when approaching your goal weight?
I weighed in this past Monday at 167.4 pounds (down from 183 in May). Rockin' and rolling', right? Got into my size 10 jeans today with no effort (though I assume they're vanity sized and a 12, but that's what the label says, so I'm gonna run with it. )
My goal for the end of September is 160 lbs.
I have gained a pound or two since Monday, which could be due to anything, I realize, but it has instilled in me a tiny bit of sharp, jagged panic because in all the years I've been dieting, appx 165-167 lbs is as low as I've been able to get.
Anyone else feel like this, or are ya just happy to be losing weight?
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I really should leave the house...
I've certainly seen it happen to many women (and men) before. We hit a weight where we start to feel ok, not so self-conscious, our size whatever jeans fit... and we relax.
We start to say "I've never gotten below this, I'm ok now..."
We wonder if we can really do it - self-doubt creeps in... and we rationalize again "I'm pretty good like this, I lost X pounds already, I could be ok here..."
DO NOT GIVE IN TO THIS
You are capable of meeting your goals, whatever they may be.
Ask yourself what you're afraid of.
We might think our life will change when we get thinner, and that can be both wonderful and terrifying...
Are you someone who used the weight as a shield? Something to hide behind? Many of us felt much more invisible when we were heavier... the opposite sex didn't pay us as much attention. Maybe we were even somewhat ignored by potential friends... Sometimes we took our "issues" and blamed them off to the weight... if you don't have the extra weight, you have to look at the real root of whatever issues are in your life. This is not easy. And it can cause stress - which can then lead to eating... and so on.
Not trying to be a internet therapist here, but weight and body image is an area I've worked with and been interested in for a long time...
I am definitely guilty of doing what Bytsi describes as in getting to within 7 pounds or so of goal weight and then relaxing and getting tired of working hard so I start to slack off. Next thing you know, I'm face down in said scone that I referenced in my post "card addiction". My recurring problem is that I just never push past that and keep going to the goal. The one time I did a very caloric restrictive diet and got in the 120s (pretty little for me) I was aware of emotional issues coming up----kind of like I was scared that if I got to my goal weight...then what? I have been obsessing about food/weight for my entire life so if I get to my goal weight then what the hell would I do with all that energy? Is that similar to what you are experiencing?
It is very common. It is the "great, wtf do I do now" dilemma. (Article inspiration)
In short, a lot of people find great success putting their focus towards a completely different goal in training or get out of the body comp game all together and start diving, climbing, singing, dancing, sewing, etc.
I've found this common with my clients as well. That's why I always say the time to start planning for life after goal-attainment is now. Otherwise, you get there and are left twiddling your thumbs. To boot, IMO it's a critical time in terms of avoiding the trap of falling back into old habits, which seems probable unless you do some pre-planning.
It is very common. It is the "great, wtf do I do now" dilemma. (Article inspiration)
In short, a lot of people find great success putting their focus towards a completely different goal in training or get out of the body comp game all together and start diving, climbing, singing, dancing, sewing, etc.
The one time I did a very caloric restrictive diet and got in the 120s (pretty little for me) I was aware of emotional issues coming up----kind of like I was scared that if I got to my goal weight...then what? I have been obsessing about food/weight for my entire life so if I get to my goal weight then what the hell would I do with all that energy? Is that similar to what you are experiencing?
I bounce all over the place in how I feel about losing weight and the changes in my body from having lost a bunch of weight. Being a different weight than I am used to can feel cool but it can also feel scary because it is unfamiliar. And having your own body (the most familiar place on earth) be unfamiliar is a bit scary at times.
In a way it is like going through puberty a second time, because my body is changing drastically and how others see me is changing too.
Man can I feel all of this. I am SOOOOO different today than I was 2 years ago. It still freaks me out when people I meet and haven't seen for awhile do not recognize me. They look at me like I am a freak or something. Even more freaky is when I don't recognize myself in the mirror. I don't feel like me anymore and have to constantly adjust to the new me. It isn't all bad of course because the new me is amazing but it is certainly an adjustment. I still see myself as a fat person believe it or not and I am now almost at my goal bf%.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
It's funny how I've technically been weight cycling for appx 10 years out of my 40 (since my thyroid took a hike), and it has completely changed my personality.
I'm fighting my way back to optimum health and get jittery sometimes...but I ate some flaxseed bread, so I should be better by morning.
Thanks for all your suggestions and help. You've given me a lot to consider.
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I really should leave the house...
I'm a little different, I guess. I was always afraid of getting fat again, but I've never even been close. Always in control.
I've never actually been "done," so my fear always played toward that hypothetical time when I was going to be done. I'm no longer fearing maintenance, but I'm aware of what I'll need to do to maintain.
I realize that this is somewhat of an offshoot of your question, but maybe it will help.
Like Karla, I sometime forget I'm not fat. I catch myself reading the article in MH about dressing for your body type (short, scrawny, chubby, etc.) and making mental notes.
Also, like Karla, I've gone through some muscle gaining phases. I realize that this might be an advantage for guys, since not all chicks want to add muscle, but still... Going through these phases, in control of my calories, made me aware of just how hard it is to suddenly wake up fat. It takes time. You should not be surprised if you're weighing or measuring (yourself, not your food) once a week.
Experimenting with different diets and diet styles has also helped.
TNT showed me a way to maintain that's a no brainer for me. Won't be for all, since you'd have to like low carb most of the time, with carbs at special times. That was just a way for me to keep the cals low and only.
Portion control, w/o actually counting calories, helped me by making me a better judge of my portions.
Intermittent Fasting (which for me, means skipping breakfast or lunch a few times per week) gave me a way to offset a weekend of typically higher calories. The weekdays are easy, since it's easy to pour myself into work to distract myself from hunger. This also helped me to better recognize actual hunger, which has been a lifelong issue for me, but now I know the difference between actual hunger and boredom/stress/loneliness/etc.
I've pretty much give up on the scale, relying on visuals and measurements, instead. My belt is the best measurement. If the notch changes, we've got an issue, right? Time for an extra few days of low cal eating. Then after the "recovery," I recheck my portions, or eating pattern based on my current activity level.
I'm resigned to the fact that I'll be checking things forever. I won't be fat again because I monitor myself.
I have a calendar reminder for the 1st Saturday of every month to do my Fitness Check. I review my goals from last month (did I hit them?). I weigh myself, measure certain areas, make notes, put in info on blood pressure, cholesterol if I'd been to the Doc, and then write down my fitness goals for the next month. Maintain can be my goal, then I write my plan on how to do it. This sounds like a lot, but it's a few paragraphs long. I use an Outlook Memopad document, but it could be Word, Wordpad, a diary or journal, composition book, or a blog on blogspot.com. Whatever. Just keep track and accountable to yourself and the goals you set.
Get in a pattern and you should be fine. You'll have slips, but the slip will be a month, and if you're even halfassed following your own "rules," then you can't do too much damage in a month. If you end up surprised, it's because you let it happen.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps someone.
Am I the only one who gets scared when BW drops too fast?
Oftentimes that happened , it was a telltale sign I was getting sick.
Also, most people associate a high BW with being unfit & having a lack of stamina.
Wrong again, it's the reverse for me.. I've had the most incredible stamina when I was way heavier and could even fast for a couple of days while cranking out the miles (literally). I'd never ever hit 'a wall' as many describe it, but could just persevere.
Also, being fat = freedom of hassle. Am I really the only one here who has hitch-hiked, guerilla-camped etc. etc. in a gazillion remote places, cycled solo both at day & night, in the mountains and in the desert, and have felt safe because I was close to obese?
The reason I'm wanting to be lean now is that I want to become a PT and I feel safe with the man I love (he can protect me in case I'd feel unsafe and it's nice to be/feel sexay for him).
Since I am no longer travelling/hitch-hiking etc. there is also less reason to stay bigger in order to feel safe. Instead I drive a car myself and sometimes pick up an occasional h-hiker myself (if the fools aren't too dumb to not write down a destination or to stand in the wrong place...some day I'm really needing to write a 'hitch-hiking for dummies manual').
The good part now is that I have reversed goals. Endurance is no longer a goal of mine. When I got ill 4 years ago I thought to resume long-distance cycling again, but now, 4 yrs later I'm way more enamoured with weight lifting and am completely thrilled about starting sessions in another gym where I'll get to learn how to really do proper deadlifts & hang cleans etc. Developing strength is really tons of fun.. and if this will slow down the fat loss process, so be it.
Who knows, that subconsciously being really strong will replace the reason for staying big(ger)? I mean.. you can be strong and hence very confident, just like you can be big and be confident because of it...
BTW, what really helps for me, to remain focused is to see it as a game to hit my calories & macros every day.. and to make it more challenging,have different calories & macro ratios for rest/workout days.
...Like Karla, I sometime forget I'm not fat. I catch myself reading the article in MH about dressing for your body type (short, scrawny, chubby, etc.) and making mental notes...
Yeah, a weird thing is taking my smaller jeans out of the dryer and seeing that they're smaller, but not reconciling the clothes in my hand to the feelings I have about my body. I have tangible proof I'm losing, but it doesn't seem real.
I also agree that TNT has made cutting down easier than I thought. Last time, I dieted with prescription pills, Atkins and hiking. Right now, I'm the same weight with more muscle and I feel great.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CloveApple
...In a way it is like going through puberty a second time, because my body is changing drastically and how others see me is changing too.
You have NO IDEA how true this is. I'm an actress in L.A. and that adds a whole other dimension to body image. Am I losing roles because I'm 'in between'-- too fat for the average (underweight) actress AND too thin for the 'fat girl' roles? Talk about a mind bender! Hell, maybe I just suck. (j/k)
Quote:
Originally Posted by kfisherx
...I still see myself as a fat person believe it or not and I am now almost at my goal bf%.
Yeah, I wonder when it will go away? I am determined to make this cut my last one on the road to a stable body weight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Espi
...Also, being fat = freedom of hassle. Am I really the only one here who...felt safe because I was close to obese?...BTW, what really helps for me, to remain focused is to see it as a game to hit my calories & macros every day.. and to make it more challenging,have different calories & macro ratios for rest/workout days.
YES, that is a paradox about how the fatter one gets, the more invisible one becomes. And there is safety in that. I call it "stealth obesity."
The funny thing I've found is that when I see someone who is TRULY obese in what I'd call inappropriate clothing (e.g., a big girl in Daisy Dukes and a baby tee), I am horrified and admiring at the same time. I mean, she doesn't seem to care about her weight AND doesn't seem to care what others think. I wanna cultivate her attitude...just at a smaller size.
But when it comes right down to it, I feel better at a lower body weight. I move better, like having muscle consciousness and love being strong enough to kick a li'l ass if I have to.
And, hell, I'll admit it-- I wanna look good nekkid!
Reminds me of a joke in a cross-dressing John Leguizamo sketch:
John: How do I look?...(girlfriend is silent).
John: Okay, do I look good for me?
I'm glad I found this board. Good attitudes and good suggestions are definitely helping me get there.
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I really should leave the house...
Last edited by Tiggy : 09-06-2008 at 01:57 PM.
Reason: forgot the joke
Also, being fat = freedom of hassle. Am I really the only one here who has hitch-hiked, guerilla-camped etc. etc. in a gazillion remote places, cycled solo both at day & night, in the mountains and in the desert, and have felt safe because I was close to obese?
...some day I'm really needing to write a 'hitch-hiking for dummies manual').
Another past hitchhiker here... In the 70's, I hitchhiked ALONE cross country a couple of times in big semi's (trucks), around Europe. I don't pick up hitchhikers nowadays, though!
I climbed around Annapurna in Nepal carrying my own darn backpack (instead of hiring a porter), travelled around the world for 5 years on $6000 and returned with $5000 in my pocket ... [I taught English in Taiwan at end of trip]
... to (Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, India, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hawaii and across the USA.... painting watercolors and meeting people in their everyday lives....
I hadn't thought that part of my bravery was cause I was big, but I DO feel much more vulnerable being smaller. I also feel more insignificant.
Great to hear of another adventurer, Espi!
great topic!
Etana
The funny thing I've found is that when I see someone who is TRULY obese in what I'd call inappropriate clothing (e.g., a big girl in Daisy Dukes and a baby tee), I am horrified and admiring at the same time. I mean, she doesn't seem to care about her weight AND doesn't seem to care what others think. I wanna cultivate her attitude...just at a smaller size.
But when it comes right down to it, I feel better at a lower body weight. I move better, like having muscle consciousness and love being strong enough to kick a li'l ass if I have to.
I have had those same thoughts about larger people in tight clothes... or even in swimsuits... My mother (overweight, not obese) has never been self-conscious about anything, and I wish I had inherited that confidence from her, no matter what I look like... When I see heavier women at the gym in a sports-bra and shorts (or substitute whatever outfit you've seen), part of me thinks "I'd never wear that, especially at that weight" and part of me wishes I could have that "I don't give a damn - this is comfortable" attitude.
Have to also agree with your other thought too -- I feel better, healthier, more energetic, stronger mentally & physically, when I'm not (as) overweight.
I hadn't thought that part of my bravery was cause I was big, but I DO feel much more vulnerable being smaller. I also feel more insignificant.
Yes, but in other ways it is annoying to discover that people pay more attention to me, now I am having a normal wt. WTF were they thinking before. It's what drives me now to achiever a higher level of leanness. If people are that ignorant to only judge by how yo look, then you'd better look the part too.
Yes, but in other ways it is annoying to discover that people pay more attention to me, now I am having a normal wt. WTF were they thinking before. It's what drives me now to achiever a higher level of leanness. If people are that ignorant to only judge by how yo look, then you'd better look the part too.
It's wrong, it's sucks, but it's reality. People judge on looks, and if you're fat you get labeled. I see it everyday....and what I hate the most about it is that I am guilty of it myself....
Hell I judged myself in a very very critical way when I was overweight.
Does anyone else kinda panic when approaching your goal weight?
I weighed in this past Monday at 167.4 pounds (down from 183 in May). Rockin' and rolling', right? Got into my size 10 jeans today with no effort (though I assume they're vanity sized and a 12, but that's what the label says, so I'm gonna run with it. )
My goal for the end of September is 160 lbs.
I have gained a pound or two since Monday, which could be due to anything, I realize, but it has instilled in me a tiny bit of sharp, jagged panic because in all the years I've been dieting, appx 165-167 lbs is as low as I've been able to get.
Anyone else feel like this, or are ya just happy to be losing weight?
I would say that it is getting time to reward yourself (maybe a non-vanity size 10), and then set a new goal. Next stop 140, and a pair of size 8s!!!!
Good work on getting to where you are now, don't rest on your laurels (or butt) and keep the downward trend going!!
Peter
ps welcome to the site!!
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Peter
After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend…
I would say that it is getting time to reward yourself (maybe a non-vanity size 10), and then set a new goal. Next stop 140, and a pair of size 8s!!!!
Good work on getting to where you are now, don't rest on your laurels (or butt) and keep the downward trend going!!
Peter
ps welcome to the site!!
Thanks!
After a month on TNT Plan A, my planned reward is a zexy new workout outfit and a clean carb up (a la Lyle McDonald's protocol). I can't wait for Friday! I've been jonesing for a pear...
I already have my workout plan for the next month formed from TT training manual picks...and I gotta admit, I've been looking at Tabata protocols for a little fun ...yeah, 'cause I heard that goals were good 'n' stuff. Forgot who said it....
Still feel big, though, but when I zip up those size 8s, I may just have to believe it.
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I really should leave the house...
After a month on TNT Plan A, my planned reward is a zexy new workout outfit and a clean carb up (a la Lyle McDonald's protocol). I can't wait for Friday! I've been jonesing for a pear...
I know how you feel. I have been on plan A since Aug 1, and I will keepp it going until the end of this month. Hopefully I will see some of those "penis liunes" that I have heard so much about .
I would really like to eat some fruits. Actually, I am surprised that I don't miss the BIG 3 that much (in order for me, bread, pasta and rice). I miss milk!!!
I do like the simplicity of TNT, and I just eat meats, green stuff, eggs, cheese and some nuts... simple... LOL.
I will be looking forward to your next MENTAL Adjustment at 140!!
BTW, what is your final goal? The perfect weight/body in the not so distant future?
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Peter
After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend…
Mental adjustment to fat loss...um, when?
)
(j/k)
...yeah, 'cause I heard that goals were good 'n' stuff. Forgot who said it...
. 
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