I have to start the story from the beginning...Long story short, I gained a lot of weight last year due to medications. As of January this yr, the doc said I am free to get off the medication bc i'm all better now....yay!! Time to lose weight!! (the medciation made it impossible for me to lose weight...)
Fast foward to April...I lost about 20 pounds just by watching what I was eating. Came about May, I found the perfect dress. Its a corseted back Maggie Sottero Limited Edition dress. When they asked me what size i wanted, i just told them that the sample size is fine. It was sort of small, but i thought I could lose more weight until my nov wedding. The lady said lose about 15 more pounds...any more than the dress will be big for me...Cinch right, since i alreayd lost 20 pounds only by watching what i was eating....yea right!
Well, the dress came in this past weekend...I did not lose a single pound. You know how people plateau? Well, I plateued for aobut 3 months!!!! Now, I have no idea what to do....is it possible for me to lose 15 pounds in less than 3 months? Can I make the dress bigger? Should I buy another dress? Panic mode now! HELP!!!
At this point, it might be worth it to get a personal trainer. Tell them specifically where you need to lose the weight and get them to set up a plan for you.
Good luck, and congrats on the weight you've already lost!
This might sound silly, but have you tried working out? Even just walking and hour a day makes a huge difference. If all you've done so far is eat better that's a great start, but you have to exercise too.
Try walking, jumping rope, anything active. Get at least an hour of cardio a day! I absolutely hate working out, but when I walk everyday it makes me feel soooo much better so it's worth it.
You can definitely do it and safely too (safe weight loss rate is 1-2 lbs/week). If you can't afford a trainer, check into Weight Watchers for diet and just get active. Adding 30 minutes of fast walking and weights (yes, weights) to your routine will make a big difference. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and the more it trims down your body - they don't bulk you up like most people think.
ok, just by hearing just the three of you is giving me encouragment!
I am still watching what I am eating. i've been going to the gym since last week about 3 times a week and doing 40 minutes of cardio. I think maybe, i'll up the workout to 4 times a week and increase cardio to 1 hour. I've been doing light 3 pound weights on my arms and shoulders, which i don't know if that is having an affect.
BC I just started this regime, I haven't noticed anything so far, and that is why i am panicking...myabe i'm doing soemthing wrong or not enough or not the right way....
Cardio is definately the way to go. The problem is that your body adjusts to the lower calorie diet you have been eating by lowering your metabolism. You need to raise it, and aerobic exercise is the way to do that (watching the Olympics last night, they said that Michael Phelps burns 4000 calories per workout, needs over 12,000 per day to fuel his swimming with the number of races he has been doing per day!)
I mostly bike for cardio, as I HATE being cooped up in the gym. In the winter I do BodyPump, which is kick-butt and quite fun. Throughout the year I do yoga, which a great maintenance type activity. I don't think you'll lose a lot of weight doing yoga, but it's great for firming and toning and flexibility.
Keep in mind that it's not just a question of weight but also of mass.
Muscles weights more than fat.
So if you exercise regularily you'll get more fit althoug on the scale it might not change all that much. Just so you know.
Exercice is definitely the way to go, Little things you can do on top of your regular exercice: park as far as you can from the shop in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk walk walk.
Get a personal trainer. I am going to give you some tough love - if you knew you needed to lose 15 pounds, but didn't start working out until LAST week (though you had 3 months), than you obviously do not have enough intrinsic motivation to get to the gym. There are a lot of things that haven't motivated you to workout: losing weight, being healthy, fitting into your dress... If those things had been motivating in and of themselves, you would have been in the gym a long time ago. You've only been working out for a week - I fear that this habit is going to die quickly unless you add something to the list of reasons to workout ... MONEY.
That is where a trainer comes in. I prepay for my sessions a month in advance - if I skip a workout, I'm losing money. I have never been able to create a workout habit, but now the combined motivation of not wanting to lose money and the social motivation (it is rude to not show up for an appointment), I have finally been able to develop a wonderful habit of working out regularly. You don't need to be rich to get a trainer. I am a grad student. I've stopped eating out and I've found an afforadable trainer. I have had a trainer at my local YMCA and now I found a med-student who is a certified trainer who was able to work around my budget. Another reason you need a trainer, you probably don't know how to work out and you could probably get a lot more "bang for your buck" time wise. All thirty minute workouts are not the same - you can work out for 30 minutes and burn 150 calories or you can work out for 30 minutes and burn 600 and get muscle tone. So get a trainer! And also take other people's advice - get a pedometer and make sure you get 1000 steps a day, take the steps instead of elevator ALWAYS, do not let chips/cookies/cake into your home - keep healthy food around, and do not binge after a workout because "you've earned it." Buy Self magazine - it always makes me feel lazy and unhealthy - but it is full of great advice.
One last thing - if you are 5'8" and 118 lbs - you can't lose 15 lbs in three months - talk with a Dr. and a trainer to make sure you are setting a healthy and realistic goal for yourself.
Another thing to try is pilates because it combines the streching aspects of yoga together with muscle building through resistance. I bought some DVDs and just do it at home and I've seen huge results with that combined with cardio. For the cardio, you don't need to kill yourself either - you typically want your heart rate between 125-135 (depending on age) in order to stay in the fat burning zone. Once you get above that, you are burning carbohydrates and not fats. A fast paced walk that leaves you slightly out of breath but still able to have a conversation would be about that pace.
If you go the weight route, you might want to consider more weight and fewer reps. You should max out at 8-10 reps and then repeat that three times. Then switch off your days - arms/back one day, legs the next, abs the next, repeat, to work the whole body and not get injured. If you work out a gym, ask a trainer there if you can pay for just one session to get a weight training consultation.
Oh, and don't pay attention that much to the scale. You can actually dramatically change your body without losing a pound because muscle weighs more than fat but occupies less space. What you might want to do is actually check your measurements or just go by how your clothes fit to see if you're getting results because sometimes the scale won't move even when you're reducing size because you're trading the fat for muscle.
Gosh, thanks for posting this. I've been bad about working out myself the past few months and this actually really got me motivated to get so exercise!
Cardio is great, but not the only thing you need to concentrate on. Strength training needs to be added into your routine! Mix it up a bit. Check out the free classes your gym offers.
Sign up for a race...put the pressure on yourself.
Don't have a routine or trainer...check out www.trainwithmeonline.com. Free to sign up. Free workout routines. Ipod video downloads. Videos and pictures on how to do each exercise.
Keep watching what you eat. Drink lots of water. Stay away from anything that has high fructose corn syrup and trans fat.
And if you're really determined...i say check out the book The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. Not really a diet, but a lifestyle adjustment. It has changed my ilfe for the better!
And if at all possible, get your fiance to work out with you. FI and I work out together, and it's the best motivation for me!
Agreed with the walking -- my "workout" is speed walking my dog about 45minutes a day, 5 days a week. My favorite way to tone the upper body is with good old fashioned push-ups. No equipment required, and tones and tightens your arms, chest, back and abs in one shot.
And Mrs. Froggy is really right on with the little things you can do that add up -- taking the stairs, etc. Added bonus: it doesn't take up a whole lot of extra time. Pretty soon they just become habit, which helps to make a long term difference. Think twice before hopping in the car -- walk to work, the bank, the store. Europeans walk and bike everywhere and look how skinny they are compared to us hefty Americans...
Are there any running groups in your area? I think a trainer is a fantastic idea, but if that's not in your budget, I'd suggest joining a running group. I joined one four years ago to train for the LA marathon and have been running ever since. Having that accountability and support really helped keep me motivated. A good running group should inspire you to do cross training too, like biking and pilates, since they're all good ways to build your strength and endurance. Good luck!
Also, check out the "walking vest," or start walking with weights. When your body plateaus, it thinks that it has lost all the weight it needs to (i.e. you're not burning as many calories as you were before), so you need to trick your body into thinking that you haven't lost all that weight.
My FI who once had a personal trainer imparted this interesting workout advice to me: working at the top of your ability level (but not hurting yourself) for short spurts of varying activities is better than one long stint at any one activity. So increasing from 45 minutes to an hour of cardio probably won't help you. In fact, 45 minutes may be too much in one go! Start with 15 minutes, and then switch to strength training exercises to build muscle. Do fewer reps at the most weight you can handle without hurting yourself. By the tenth rep or so your muscles should be close to "giving out"---that feeling is what tells you that you are breaking down (and thus rebuilding stronger) muscle. Then rest for a bit and do another set. Then after you've done weights or sit-ups etc for awhile, do another 15 minutes of cardio. Alternate what body areas you're concentrating on so that you don't overwhelm yourself. The variety also will help keep you motivated. Good luck!
Also, since your dress has a corset back, is there more room for you to be a little bigger and have it still fit?
I'll heartily recommendweights. 4 months before our wedding I started serious weight training with my now husband. I did cardio, but much less than normal. I did real weights, not small ones and I honestly don't think I ever looked better. The tone is amazing and muscle really burns those calories. Plus I liked it more than cardio. I was really worried about getting bulky, but that didn't happen, at all. I also combined Pilates which helps develop the long lean look. I did something very similar to RoseSkier - had 3 days - legs/shoulders, biceps/back and triceps/chest. I did 5-6 exercises each day, with 3 sets of 8-10 reps. And at weights where I could barely get the 3 sets of 8-10 reps in. Once I could do the full sets and reps, I increased the weight. You need to be able to keep track of your progress on paper....
3 pound weights won't do much - it is pretty much a waste of your time. I would get a trainer, someone who will push you, to teach you proper weight exercises so you feel comfortable at weights that will really help transform my body. Even if you can only afford one session to learn the basics - or find a guy friend who knows what he is doing and can teach you.
Incorporating walking more (stairs, not escalators) and reducing portion sizes are other good suggestions!!
I've been going through treatments and medication for over a year, and all of it got affected my weight. I was not allowed to exercise, and the pain kept me from doing anything that has to do with movement. Even coming to work was hard for me.
Even after I got off the medication, I was still going through pain and had to go through preventive treatments. Which is why i have only done watching what I was eating rather than exercise. It was just too painful and I was scared something will happen...lol~
Now, that everything is over and done with, it feels great to exercise.
I will be taking all of your advice. Parking far, getting a pedometer, strength training with cardio, some yoga, some pilates....basically doing the little things throughout the day to help me burn those fat while doing gym workouts.
chelseamorning- I've been hearing that doing spurts of intensive cardio and then resting and doing it again is more effective than doing 30 min of same intesnity cardio. I am definitely going to try that!
I've had trainers in the past, so with my arm workouts I know i can definitely go heavier, but i though easing into it with 3 pounders will help...hahaha! I'm babying myself as you can tell. I'll be switching over to my usual 10 pounders and following your advice! =)
my FI and i have different gym memberships! boooo!
Make sure you are taking care of yourself too though. Talk with your doctor and/or a dietician/nutritionist. They may be able to give you other tips that would help. Take a mutlivitamin and drink lots of water.Congrats and good luck!
I have to start the story from the beginning...Long story short, I gained a lot of weight last year due to medications. As of January this yr, the doc said I am free to get off the medication bc i'm all better now....yay!! Time to lose weight!! (the medciation made it impossible for me to lose weight...)
Fast foward to April...I lost about 20 pounds just by watching what I was eating. Came about May, I found the perfect dress. Its a corseted back Maggie Sottero Limited Edition dress. When they asked me what size i wanted, i just told them that the sample size is fine. It was sort of small, but i thought I could lose more weight until my nov wedding. The lady said lose about 15 more pounds...any more than the dress will be big for me...Cinch right, since i alreayd lost 20 pounds only by watching what i was eating....yea right!
Well, the dress came in this past weekend...I did not lose a single pound. You know how people plateau? Well, I plateued for aobut 3 months!!!! Now, I have no idea what to do....is it possible for me to lose 15 pounds in less than 3 months? Can I make the dress bigger? Should I buy another dress? Panic mode now! HELP!!!
What should i do? ANy advice would help!
posted by Novbride08 60 posts 3 months agoAt this point, it might be worth it to get a personal trainer. Tell them specifically where you need to lose the weight and get them to set up a plan for you.
Good luck, and congrats on the weight you've already lost!
posted by amysue 637 posts 3 months agoThis might sound silly, but have you tried working out? Even just walking and hour a day makes a huge difference. If all you've done so far is eat better that's a great start, but you have to exercise too.
Try walking, jumping rope, anything active. Get at least an hour of cardio a day! I absolutely hate working out, but when I walk everyday it makes me feel soooo much better so it's worth it.
posted by TurningGreen4 26 posts 3 months agoYou can definitely do it and safely too (safe weight loss rate is 1-2 lbs/week). If you can't afford a trainer, check into Weight Watchers for diet and just get active. Adding 30 minutes of fast walking and weights (yes, weights) to your routine will make a big difference. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and the more it trims down your body - they don't bulk you up like most people think.
You can definitely do it!!! :) Good luck!
posted by roseskier1 65 posts 3 months agook, just by hearing just the three of you is giving me encouragment!
I am still watching what I am eating. i've been going to the gym since last week about 3 times a week and doing 40 minutes of cardio. I think maybe, i'll up the workout to 4 times a week and increase cardio to 1 hour. I've been doing light 3 pound weights on my arms and shoulders, which i don't know if that is having an affect.
BC I just started this regime, I haven't noticed anything so far, and that is why i am panicking...myabe i'm doing soemthing wrong or not enough or not the right way....
What are some of your workout regimes?
posted by Novbride08 60 posts 3 months agoCardio is definately the way to go. The problem is that your body adjusts to the lower calorie diet you have been eating by lowering your metabolism. You need to raise it, and aerobic exercise is the way to do that (watching the Olympics last night, they said that Michael Phelps burns 4000 calories per workout, needs over 12,000 per day to fuel his swimming with the number of races he has been doing per day!)
I mostly bike for cardio, as I HATE being cooped up in the gym. In the winter I do BodyPump, which is kick-butt and quite fun. Throughout the year I do yoga, which a great maintenance type activity. I don't think you'll lose a lot of weight doing yoga, but it's great for firming and toning and flexibility.
posted by suzanno 1,955 posts 3 months agoKeep in mind that it's not just a question of weight but also of mass.
Muscles weights more than fat.
So if you exercise regularily you'll get more fit althoug on the scale it might not change all that much. Just so you know.
Exercice is definitely the way to go, Little things you can do on top of your regular exercice: park as far as you can from the shop in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk walk walk.
posted by MrsFroggy 80 posts 3 months agoGet a personal trainer. I am going to give you some tough love - if you knew you needed to lose 15 pounds, but didn't start working out until LAST week (though you had 3 months), than you obviously do not have enough intrinsic motivation to get to the gym. There are a lot of things that haven't motivated you to workout: losing weight, being healthy, fitting into your dress... If those things had been motivating in and of themselves, you would have been in the gym a long time ago. You've only been working out for a week - I fear that this habit is going to die quickly unless you add something to the list of reasons to workout ... MONEY.
That is where a trainer comes in. I prepay for my sessions a month in advance - if I skip a workout, I'm losing money. I have never been able to create a workout habit, but now the combined motivation of not wanting to lose money and the social motivation (it is rude to not show up for an appointment), I have finally been able to develop a wonderful habit of working out regularly. You don't need to be rich to get a trainer. I am a grad student. I've stopped eating out and I've found an afforadable trainer. I have had a trainer at my local YMCA and now I found a med-student who is a certified trainer who was able to work around my budget. Another reason you need a trainer, you probably don't know how to work out and you could probably get a lot more "bang for your buck" time wise. All thirty minute workouts are not the same - you can work out for 30 minutes and burn 150 calories or you can work out for 30 minutes and burn 600 and get muscle tone. So get a trainer! And also take other people's advice - get a pedometer and make sure you get 1000 steps a day, take the steps instead of elevator ALWAYS, do not let chips/cookies/cake into your home - keep healthy food around, and do not binge after a workout because "you've earned it." Buy Self magazine - it always makes me feel lazy and unhealthy - but it is full of great advice.
One last thing - if you are 5'8" and 118 lbs - you can't lose 15 lbs in three months - talk with a Dr. and a trainer to make sure you are setting a healthy and realistic goal for yourself.
posted by enmoore66 217 posts 3 months agoAnother thing to try is pilates because it combines the streching aspects of yoga together with muscle building through resistance. I bought some DVDs and just do it at home and I've seen huge results with that combined with cardio. For the cardio, you don't need to kill yourself either - you typically want your heart rate between 125-135 (depending on age) in order to stay in the fat burning zone. Once you get above that, you are burning carbohydrates and not fats. A fast paced walk that leaves you slightly out of breath but still able to have a conversation would be about that pace.
If you go the weight route, you might want to consider more weight and fewer reps. You should max out at 8-10 reps and then repeat that three times. Then switch off your days - arms/back one day, legs the next, abs the next, repeat, to work the whole body and not get injured. If you work out a gym, ask a trainer there if you can pay for just one session to get a weight training consultation.
Oh, and don't pay attention that much to the scale. You can actually dramatically change your body without losing a pound because muscle weighs more than fat but occupies less space. What you might want to do is actually check your measurements or just go by how your clothes fit to see if you're getting results because sometimes the scale won't move even when you're reducing size because you're trading the fat for muscle.
Gosh, thanks for posting this. I've been bad about working out myself the past few months and this actually really got me motivated to get so exercise!
posted by roseskier1 65 posts 3 months agoCardio is great, but not the only thing you need to concentrate on. Strength training needs to be added into your routine! Mix it up a bit. Check out the free classes your gym offers.
Sign up for a race...put the pressure on yourself.
Don't have a routine or trainer...check out www.trainwithmeonline.com. Free to sign up. Free workout routines. Ipod video downloads. Videos and pictures on how to do each exercise.
Keep watching what you eat. Drink lots of water. Stay away from anything that has high fructose corn syrup and trans fat.
And if you're really determined...i say check out the book The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko. Not really a diet, but a lifestyle adjustment. It has changed my ilfe for the better!
And if at all possible, get your fiance to work out with you. FI and I work out together, and it's the best motivation for me!
Good luck!
posted by reesey 68 posts 3 months agoGREAT to hear you no longer need the medications!
GREAT JOB at eating health and losing so much weight! That is really amazing!
I agree that eating healthy AND exercising regularly completely changes your body...the stubborn spots go away when you do both!
GOOD LUCK increasing your work outs! I have no doubt you have the discipline and committment to lose the medication weight :)
posted by indecisivebride 80 posts 3 months agoAgreed with the walking -- my "workout" is speed walking my dog about 45minutes a day, 5 days a week. My favorite way to tone the upper body is with good old fashioned push-ups. No equipment required, and tones and tightens your arms, chest, back and abs in one shot.
And Mrs. Froggy is really right on with the little things you can do that add up -- taking the stairs, etc. Added bonus: it doesn't take up a whole lot of extra time. Pretty soon they just become habit, which helps to make a long term difference. Think twice before hopping in the car -- walk to work, the bank, the store. Europeans walk and bike everywhere and look how skinny they are compared to us hefty Americans...
posted by bluegreenjean 118 posts 3 months agoAre there any running groups in your area? I think a trainer is a fantastic idea, but if that's not in your budget, I'd suggest joining a running group. I joined one four years ago to train for the LA marathon and have been running ever since. Having that accountability and support really helped keep me motivated. A good running group should inspire you to do cross training too, like biking and pilates, since they're all good ways to build your strength and endurance. Good luck!
posted by swp02138 71 posts 3 months agoI would see a bariatric physician.
posted by southernbella 100 posts 3 months agoAlso, check out the "walking vest," or start walking with weights. When your body plateaus, it thinks that it has lost all the weight it needs to (i.e. you're not burning as many calories as you were before), so you need to trick your body into thinking that you haven't lost all that weight.
HTH
posted by reesey 68 posts 3 months agoFirst of all, great work!!!
My FI who once had a personal trainer imparted this interesting workout advice to me: working at the top of your ability level (but not hurting yourself) for short spurts of varying activities is better than one long stint at any one activity. So increasing from 45 minutes to an hour of cardio probably won't help you. In fact, 45 minutes may be too much in one go! Start with 15 minutes, and then switch to strength training exercises to build muscle. Do fewer reps at the most weight you can handle without hurting yourself. By the tenth rep or so your muscles should be close to "giving out"---that feeling is what tells you that you are breaking down (and thus rebuilding stronger) muscle. Then rest for a bit and do another set. Then after you've done weights or sit-ups etc for awhile, do another 15 minutes of cardio. Alternate what body areas you're concentrating on so that you don't overwhelm yourself. The variety also will help keep you motivated. Good luck!
Also, since your dress has a corset back, is there more room for you to be a little bigger and have it still fit?
posted by chelseamorning 208 posts 3 months agoI'll heartily recommendweights. 4 months before our wedding I started serious weight training with my now husband. I did cardio, but much less than normal. I did real weights, not small ones and I honestly don't think I ever looked better. The tone is amazing and muscle really burns those calories. Plus I liked it more than cardio. I was really worried about getting bulky, but that didn't happen, at all. I also combined Pilates which helps develop the long lean look. I did something very similar to RoseSkier - had 3 days - legs/shoulders, biceps/back and triceps/chest. I did 5-6 exercises each day, with 3 sets of 8-10 reps. And at weights where I could barely get the 3 sets of 8-10 reps in. Once I could do the full sets and reps, I increased the weight. You need to be able to keep track of your progress on paper....
3 pound weights won't do much - it is pretty much a waste of your time. I would get a trainer, someone who will push you, to teach you proper weight exercises so you feel comfortable at weights that will really help transform my body. Even if you can only afford one session to learn the basics - or find a guy friend who knows what he is doing and can teach you.
Incorporating walking more (stairs, not escalators) and reducing portion sizes are other good suggestions!!
posted by Janna19 340 posts 3 months agoThanks for all of your advice! =)
I've been going through treatments and medication for over a year, and all of it got affected my weight. I was not allowed to exercise, and the pain kept me from doing anything that has to do with movement. Even coming to work was hard for me.
Even after I got off the medication, I was still going through pain and had to go through preventive treatments. Which is why i have only done watching what I was eating rather than exercise. It was just too painful and I was scared something will happen...lol~
Now, that everything is over and done with, it feels great to exercise.
I will be taking all of your advice. Parking far, getting a pedometer, strength training with cardio, some yoga, some pilates....basically doing the little things throughout the day to help me burn those fat while doing gym workouts.
whew~ now, i know i can do it!! =)
posted by Novbride08 60 posts 3 months agochelseamorning- I've been hearing that doing spurts of intensive cardio and then resting and doing it again is more effective than doing 30 min of same intesnity cardio. I am definitely going to try that!
I've had trainers in the past, so with my arm workouts I know i can definitely go heavier, but i though easing into it with 3 pounders will help...hahaha! I'm babying myself as you can tell. I'll be switching over to my usual 10 pounders and following your advice! =)
my FI and i have different gym memberships! boooo!
posted by Novbride08 60 posts 3 months agoMake sure you are taking care of yourself too though. Talk with your doctor and/or a dietician/nutritionist. They may be able to give you other tips that would help. Take a mutlivitamin and drink lots of water.Congrats and good luck!
posted by MrsDavis 66 posts 3 months ago