Hitting a brick wall!!!

Hi!

There have been so many responses to your question and I agree with all of them althoug it is hard to believe that you may need to be eating more to lose weight. But if think about, your body is not getting enough calories just for things like metabolic processes in your body and could think that it is starving hence it holds onto whatever calories are left over after your workouts. The other thing I would suggest would be to stop obsessing enjoy the body you have now, try incorparating different foods, different workouts and don't look at it as a struggle but rather a truimph of how great you look now.
Hope this helps!!!
 
>
>Hi!
>
>There have been so many responses to your question and I agree
>with all of them althoug it is hard to believe that you may
>need to be eating more to lose weight. But if think about,
>your body is not getting enough calories just for things like
>metabolic processes in your body and could think that it is
>starving hence it holds onto whatever calories are left over
>after your workouts. The other thing I would suggest would be
>to stop obsessing enjoy the body you have now, try
>incorparating different foods, different workouts and don't
>look at it as a struggle but rather a truimph of how great you
>look now.
>Hope this helps!!!

I so appreciate the input from everyone. Honestly though I don't feel like Eureka, now I know what to do. I've read all the links posted here and honestly and truly, I have been there done that. A friend of mine (well she and I email each other, we "met" on a fitness forum) bought the BFFM and analyzed our requirements and I was doing that earlier this year; results - tighter pants! Plus I felt like I was shoveling food in just to meet some scientific requirements. One thing I do know or feel is that I should NOT have to spend hours a day analyzing and figuring out percentages and portions in software on what to eat!! I know that's not normal!

But gosh, I don't eat any processed foods. Zip. I don't drink. Zip. I don't add sugar or eat sugar foods. Zip. I'm eating salads topped with reasonable ingredients and am not drowning my salad in dressing. I eat protein. I drink water, no diet soda. I don't eat bread. I try to eat when I'm hungry and not graze all day. I am NOT eating minuscle portions where I could assess that I'm starving myself. I'm not throwing up food or bingeing. I've TRIED eating 6 mini meals a day a la BFL....I don't think the whole protein shake thing works for me. And then again I feel like I am feeding myself like a science experiment, not eating normally...I feel like I'm on some weird eating schedule.

I know I sound like a baby or a whiner but truly I am so upset and then I talked to my sister last night and she's like, well I know it's hard but you've gotta just stop thinking about it. She said when she finally said, Oh I just don't care, I'm tired of worrying about it,she just ate what she wanted and BOOM she is a lovely size 6 and dropping. She works out like MAYBE 4x a week 45 minutes or so.

If I should be eating more but I'm not really hungry to eat more, how does that make sense?? I feel like I'm force feeding....not to be a drama queen. How much more? How long do I experiment adding MORE food - and then I will find out I've gained or something?

I guess I need to also go to the doctor for a checkup. Maybe the Pill is an issue. Again, I am not one to look for an easy out, I think that is evident in how hard I am working to get fit (more fit). But there is something wrong when I eat healthy and workout and stay active and I couldn't lose weight on my thighs and hips without lipo LOL.

Everyone here has been so helpful and I am hoping to find a groove that will work again for me. I'm thinking maybe I'm one of those people that has to eat next to nothing to lean out. I'm at my wits end! And I need to figure this out because it is really upsetting me - it is not even TTOM and last night I was just crying out of sheer frustration....and it is a horrible cycle - you stress out, then the stress can make your body not lose weight too, then you stress out that you are stressing out. But hello how do you make yourself not stress out??

You all are terrific for offering my advice. And I hope I don't sound too melodramatic and whiny but I want to find a solution!!!
And I will but DANG!





Kelly G
www.kellyganieany.com;(
 
Kelly,

I don't think you are being dramatic or whining....you are frustrated and it's understandable!! It sounds like you are doing things right.

I agree with the statement you made about seeing your doctor. While there, why not ask him to check your thyroid ? There's always a possibility that it is sluggish and contributing to your problem losing weight.

Just a thought.

Hang in there and let us know what the doc says!;)
 
Kelly-
If you are up for 1 more possibilty....
If your eating is truely clean like it sounds & you find eating more actually makes you feel stuffed... & the Dr says you are fine.....

Here's what worked for me much to my amazement!
cut interval work to 1 day per week ....
Add 1 Kick and 1 SSC a week (or 1 circuit)
Do 3-4 days of split weight work (on off cardio days)
Increase your protein intake a bit especially after your weight training
1: My body slims w/ weight training: (smaller size/ scale wt? who cares!)
2: I am more hungry when I weight train so its easier to get in additional calories w/out the force feeding feeling
3: Less intense cardio seems to allow my body to build more muscle which stokes my metabolism longer
4: I can lift heavier when I'm not doing so much intense cardio and when I dont lift/cardio on same day
5: Try to avoid the scale for a while as building muscle can really throw the numbers off.... Pick 1 piece of clothing, try it on the day you start. Use that as your weekly measure knowing that the first week or two your muscles may retain water so you may feel tighter for a couple of weeks.
I guess the hardest part of whatever you decide is to decide to stop obsessing and learn to love your current body wt/shape. It really is hard to treat your body with respect in regards to exercise & food if you despise it.... It is this vehicle that allows you to do all the hard work you've been doing.... My final thought is this: If your current exercise way of thinking hasnt gotten you where you want to be (& your eating/health is fine) then obviously your body needs something different in order to respond. Enjoy the process of exploring what it is that your body responds to... Many of the super fit people on these forums have been mastering this part for years! They listen to their bodies and find rotations that work for them not what a book, a friend, even a Dr may tell them about exercise.

Sorry for the novel.... just spent too many years where you are now- very frustrated.

Much success to you!
 
Ok, I'm already in a better mood! No, I didn't go out and get a morning lipo procedure....but said a good prayer, calmed down and then took in all this good stuff, and then decided, maybe today I'll go do a LIGHT workout.

Well it just so happens that that light workout was a new Kathy Smith DVD and in her intro she talks about mixing it up ~ not doing ALL heavy interval cardio (which is what I've been doing 5-6x a week) and alternating strength training (which I have NOT been doing as I've been following my cardio sessions with weight training daily. Her suggestion was heavy interval cardio 2x a week, lighter cardio 3x a week and then 4 days you do weight training.

I had an a-ha moment.
Clearly even though I thought I was mixing it up I was not. I am pushing myself at 500% capacity thinking I will get more results when I am actually making myself TIRED more tired than ever and then I am NOT seeing results.

So I am thinking I will adjust my workouts to a more varied reasonable, yet still challenging process. Tell me what you all think.

2 days a week I will do 30 minutes of interval "HIIT" cardio on elliptical. This will be followed by a weights only type workout (in other words not a more cardio type workout like HST or HSC) such as: Jari (hers sometimes get the heart rate up but I don't consider them cardio) Cathe GS or MM or ME. Then on 2 of my lighter cardio days I will either do 15-20 minutes on elliptical or just something light, followed by a circuit type weight workout or a lighter weight intensity workout: like Karen Great Weighted Workout (lighter weights), Cathe HST/HSC, or a TLT. The other three days of the week will be whatever I choose from my yoga/pilates/toning type DVDs.

Does this sound reasonable and varied? Is it still too cardio heavy? I know I'll need to experiment but I think narrowing down my weight workouts to 4x a week and cutting back on the HIIT cardio will up my energy.

Additionally I AM FOR SURE going to the doctor to have some tests run as I feel that it is possible I might have an imbalance or something. I have freezing cold hands/feet all the time, the major weight plateau, more tiredness than ever etc.
However, adjusting all the above MIGHT balance me out normally too.

THANK YOU all again for the ideas and advice, it is just what I needed to jump start my engines again!!





Kelly G
www.kellyganieany.com:7
 
Kelly WOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!
Do your new rotation for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.... lower cardio if you are still exhausted.
When I was overtraining (similar rotation to your old ones) I had the ice cold hands & feet, utter exhaustion, bad mood etc.... Once I started incorporating Kathy Smith, Slim Series, Turbo Jam into my Cathe's I immediately started to feel better and could actually begin to think clearly again about rotations.
I usually do 1-3 non Cathe per week and then every 6 weeks I plan a "no Cathe week" just to give my bod a rest. I know we could always just do Cathe and modify but honestly she's so dang much fun and such a great inspiration that I just have to give her my all!

I am so happy for you for taking this big step and turning your thinking / behaviors around... You' are on the right road to accomplishing all you desire- I'm sure of it!
 
Hey Kelly - I finally got a chance to PM you.

Lorrie

Pain is temporary - quitting lasts forever
Candace Grasso, CC-V-6
 
Traci,

You had told Kelly to add in 1 kick and 1 SSC. What is SSC? Is it steady state cycling?????

Just wondering because I feel like Kelly was looking into my brain and typing out exactly how I feel about my body and my frustration with my plateau.

I would like to mix it up more but wanted to make sure I do this elusive SSC thing.

Michelle:p
 
I agree with those that posted that a size 8 is NOT large at all!!! I used to be a 22 and have worked my way to a 12 and am very happy with my accomplishments!!! I really would like to be a 10, and have recently hig a brick wall, but it was because I revved up my work outs recently by finding Cathe and NOT eating enough!!!

Don't be so focused on what you aren't doing and enjoy what you have already accomplished!!!
 
Michelle-
SSC is steady state cardio- can be eliptical, teardmill, running spinning, even step as long as there are no intervals or blasts for the entire duration ....
 
Traci!

Thanks, I forgot to mention that it could be done with any type of workout or equipment.

http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid8692709
Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie") http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/aktion/action-smiley-066.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
RE: Traci!

Thanks for clarifying SSC. I am doing cycling tomorrow so I will be sure to do steady cycling.

Michelle
 
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