Back again

TracyH · 03-23-2009, 08:00 PM

My last visit to this site was 2-10. Wow how the weeks flew! I am very frustrated and discourged right now. I keep gaining and losing the same 6 pounds over and over. I am a member of weight watchers and I am giving that up in April. Its good but a pain in the rear(counting points) and it has been a let down. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. This week thats about to change! I will go 4-5. Does anyone have any helpful advice for me? I need to lose at least 50 pounds. Ok here it is...... i wiegh 235 and would like to be 170. That seems like a goal I am comfortable with. I am also 5'8",if that helps. Thanks in advance for any advice.

stikfigure · 03-23-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyH

My last visit to this site was 2-10. Wow how the weeks flew! I am very frustrated and discourged right now. I keep gaining and losing the same 6 pounds over and over. I am a member of weight watchers and I am giving that up in April. Its good but a pain in the rear(counting points) and it has been a let down. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. This week thats about to change! I will go 4-5. Does anyone have any helpful advice for me? I need to lose at least 50 pounds. Ok here it is...... i wiegh 235 and would like to be 170. That seems like a goal I am comfortable with. I am also 5'8",if that helps. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Welcome Back Tracy. Don't lose heart. It's always up and down but that doesn't mean you can't reach your goal.

I recommend taking a photo of yourself right now and then again in the exact same clothes (best if it's your underwear or a bikini or something like that) in the exact same location and lighting once a month and I think you'll be encouraged by what you see. Sometimes the contours of our body change more noticeably than the stupid numbers on the scale. And then you'll see you're really making a difference!

Since you're increasing your workout frequency think about splitting up the days according to body parts so that you can really go to town on those areas and then still have time to recover before hitting them again.

Apparently doing majority of cardio after the weight training part of the workout is best for losing weight but you should still warm up 10-15 min. before hitting the weights.

get a good protein shake routine going to supplement your food and make sure to drink a ton of water.

Remember it's REALLY HARD WORK to get and stay fit. It's not easy even for the people who look like it's easy for them. The people who look in amazing shape have just gotten used to a certain level of hard work that they just accept it better than us who are starting out.

Just because we put in the time at the gym, the scale and the fat percentages don't owe us a thing. You've gotta show that scale who's boss! Kick you're own butt at those workouts. SERIOUSLY!!

Buffbabewannabee · 03-23-2009, 08:31 PM

Hey Tracy,
Welcome back then if you were here before! Just like the nike slogan - JUST DO IT!
Slow and steady wins the race, if you believe you will ACHIEVE! Best of luck to ya!

TracyH · 03-23-2009, 08:49 PM

Thanks for the workout advice. I always did 20-45 minutes of cardio first then went through my weight/resistance training. I have been doing that for months. I can feel and see some good muscle especially my biceps by everything is covered up by a layer of jiggly fat! I dont seem to be burning the fat. my jeans are looser but I cant fit into the next size down. I really try to watch what I eat and cut back on the white carbs. Also, about the protien shakes, is it good to drink one after a workout only or use them as a meal replacement for breakfast and lunch. Thanx for the help!!!!

ddktt · 03-23-2009, 11:48 PM

Hi Tracy - Before you give up on WW have you tried their Simply Filling plan (used to be called CORE)? I switched to that and have found it to a be wonderful way of eating. A plan I can live with for life. They have a chat board for it on their website with lots of tips & great recipes.

I couldn't live on the regular plan with counting the points especially with working out. I was STARVING on it. Good luck! Kim

thecatsmother · 03-24-2009, 02:51 AM

Hi Tracy
I also have about 50 lbs to lose...well 40 now.I belong to TOPS(take of pounds sensibly)they don't really have a diet to follow more like an eating plan similar to the food guide but you choose the smaller number of portions,the group I'm in is more like a support group,we basically encourage one another.I'm mentioning this just to say there are other weight loss groups out there, WW is not right for everyone,sometimes we have to hunt to find the help we need.
I have cut out all white flour and sugar products these useless carbs were always my undoing,they affect me like an addiction if I start I just can't stop,not eating them has helped me stay on track.I also eat as little fat as possible and when I do I use olive oil.
Don't give up...you can do this

shaunalynn · 03-24-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyH

My last visit to this site was 2-10. Wow how the weeks flew! I am very frustrated and discourged right now. I keep gaining and losing the same 6 pounds over and over. I am a member of weight watchers and I am giving that up in April. Its good but a pain in the rear(counting points) and it has been a let down. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. This week thats about to change! I will go 4-5. Does anyone have any helpful advice for me? I need to lose at least 50 pounds. Ok here it is...... i wiegh 235 and would like to be 170. That seems like a goal I am comfortable with. I am also 5'8",if that helps. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi Tracy! I am a personal trainer and nutrition consultant and your frustrations are definitely shared by many. The bottom line however is that weight loss comes down to using more calories than you consume regardless of whether those calories are in the form of white bread, meal replacement shakes or broccoli. That being said, the cleaner your diet, the healthier you'll be.

I certainly think your goal weight is realistic and attainable, so that's a huge bonus! Too many people have outrageous numbers in their heads and then get disappointed when hey don't reach them.

If Weight Watchers doesn't work for you, I would suggest determining your daily caloric needs for weight loss and making a healthy eating plan from that. I realize keeping a food journal and planning and preparing meals seems like a pain in the butt, however it really is essential in reaching your weight loss goals.

As far as exercise I would suggest 3 resistance training sessions a week along with 2 HIIT cardio sessions and 2 steady state cardio sessions done after the resistance training. Just don't do your HIIT sessions the same days as your weight training as it takes plenty of recovery time. Please feel free to contact me for more info and check out my site for free tips, recipes and workouts.

Happy training!
*Link deleted due to advertising*

TracyH · 03-27-2009, 07:21 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. I enjoyed the WW plan at first but countng points week after week gets to be a bit much. plus i was not losing much. I lost 6 pounds and then I stopped losing and now I am back to where i started from. So i didn"t think all the counting and recording was worth the trouble. I actually cancelled my account today. I have been reading alot of posts on this site and gathering some advice plus surfing the web. This is so hard (losing this weight) and it is very easy to get discouraged and want to give up. But I am determined to get healthy and stronger and when I read words of encouragement from everyone it IS a great motivator. I appreciate all the advice.

5kgLifter · 03-28-2009, 09:13 PM

You'll get there Tracy, just persevere, one day at a time...