Stuck

[Veronica]

Ha - my doc just told me I could lose a few pounds. I kind of glared at her (my husband says I should have punched her in the nose.) I see her once a year, so I cut her some slack. They go strictly by BMI. According to BMI - I am overweight. And for those of you who know my husband - he's borderline! Needless to say, we don't use BMI to gauge our health. I know what my body fat is - I had it tested at a Sports Medicine Facility. Yes, I have gained 3 pounds since then, but I doubt they are all fat.

More important than the number on the scale is how do you feel? Do you feel healthy and happy?

V.

[Grog]

I agree that you have to be careful. You're most likely gaining muscle so that doesn't change your weight but it sure changes your silhouette. Measuring yourself with a tape might be another way of seeing your progress (or seeing your you fit in your old pants!).

How do you feel about your body (not about your weight loss)? is also a good question to ask.

Take care!!

[runnergirl]

Do you calorie count now, or do you go by paying attention to when you're no longer hungry? You might try switching from one to the other. I broke through a 2 year plateau that way.

Also, I think it was you that posted an awsome women's ride poster a while back. Is there any chance you could email me a high-res copy? I'd love to use a similar one here.

[Selkie]

Ha - my doc just told me I could lose a few pounds. I kind of glared at her (my husband says I should have punched her in the nose.) I see her once a year, so I cut her some slack. They go strictly by BMI. According to BMI - I am overweight. And for those of you who know my husband - he's borderline! Needless to say, we don't use BMI to gauge our health. I know what my body fat is - I had it tested at a Sports Medicine Facility. Yes, I have gained 3 pounds since then, but I doubt they are all fat.

More important than the number on the scale is how do you feel? Do you feel healthy and happy?

V.

Brava, V!! What a healthy attitude. You are an inspiration.

[Veronica]

Thanks - it took me awhile to get to this place. A lot of it is coming to terms with the parts that aren't going to change. And the realization that I will never weigh 120 as long as I'm alive, 'cause that's how much just my bones, muscles and other non fat bits weigh.

V.

[DirtDiva]

The lightest I've been in my full-grown life is 55kg/121lbs and I'm only 160cm/5'3". Heck, I'm the same clothes size now as I was then (NZ/UK 10, which I think is a US 6) but I'm 5kg/11lbs heavier. It's not like I'm seriously muscled or anything, I just must have been made of something different when I was 18 than I am now.

[Melody]

I had a doctor once tell me "Don't worry about your weight... Look instead at how many clothing sizes you've gone down." This is especially true whenever you're building muscle.

I used to have a personal trainer at the health club I'm a member of. When I first signed up they asked "What are your goals?" and I said "to lose weight." The guy looked at me and said "You want to lose fat specifically right?" and told me that while I was working out, especially weight training, my weight would probably go up, but my fat mass would go down.

It was nice of him to explain things but I guess that's what PTs are for

Mel who hates the elliptical trainer :P

[RoadRaven]

It has already been said... we reach plateaus... don't be disillusioned...

Personally, I would not be weighing myself wekkly or fortnightly, but rather over months...

I wrote a month or two back that after a year of training I had not dropped weight - but I had dropped two dress sizes... I was very disappointed to not have dropped numbers on the scales but absolutely thrilled to fit clothes that I had not worn for a few years...

Just always bear in mind that muscle weighs more then fat, and although you may still be losing fat, if you have gained a little muscle, then you may not notice a change on the scales.

Also remember the BEST and LONGEST-LASTING weight loss is that which occurs over months and months... most people who lose weight quickly will invariably put it back on... you need to give your metabolism time to adjust to new demands and to new ways of being 'fuelled'.

[SilverComet1945]

One last bit of advice: WATER! Drink it! and Then Drink some more. Especially when you are trying to loose weight, being totally hydrated is so very important. I am taking the post-breast cancer drug Tamoxifen and last year when I visited my Oncologist, he surprised me by saying "So it IS possible to loose weight while on Tamoxifen." Well, I had been dieting of course, (Adkins) but I noticed that the weight only came off when I superhydrated myself. Try for a gallon a day. That is if you are not heavily exercising. More if you are. GOOD LUCK. Liz