Featherweights- how much sacrifice is worth those last few "vanity pounds"?
Basically the title says it all. I was at my "goal weight" about a year ago- but have gained about 8 lbs since then. I was pretty small- but to be honest, I loved it. I had a super-defined six pack and my body fat was somewhere around 16%.
I look at pictures from then and honestly I really like how I looked. I know it's not everyone's "thing" but I liked having such a low body fat percent. Now I am somewhere around 19%- trying to get back down, but now it's dawning on me- WHY I gained those lbs back- this is HARD. I have to be so careful and exercise like crazy and see very, very slow results.
Maybe I'm just feeling sorry for myself today ;-) but my question is-
How hard are you willing to work and how much are you willing to give up to meet your weight/fitness goals? I think the hardest part for me is that some days I think I look fine right now- I can relax and stop trying to lose- I can enjoy a treat every once in a while and still look/feel good about myself. Then- there are days like today where I feel huge and like I NEED to keep losing to be satisfied. And of course, there are days when I don't feel like I look good but am too frustrated to stop myself from eating a dozen cookies :P Haha but not really.
I know everyone is different but I am curious to see what all of your thoughts are!
Seeing 120 would be cool but if I get to 125 and can't get lower than that without being obsessively restrictive, I'll stop there. The only goal I'll push hard for is running a mile in 10 minutes or less. I don't know if I'll ever be toned because it's not really in my personality to go that hard.
I can't speak to sacrificing a goal I've been at before, because when I gained 10 pounds I obsessed and obsessed about losing them - I did, glacially, and also started weight training for the first time during that process. It was a major lifestyle change, adding in 5-6x/weekly gym visits and lifting and eating more and changing my macros. I have somewhat "settled" at my current weight because I DON'T BINGE, EVER, and I can overeat/go out regularly and stay within a 5 pound range (I'm also lazy).
I also think female biology gets in the way since we are "supposed" to be fattier than males. I look at 3FC and see people's weights and BF% and I would say with the exception of one or two, every very lean/very light 3FCer struggles or has struggled with binge eating.
I suppose it depends on what you see as a sacrifice...
I don't see spending additional time in the gym as a sacrifice. I really REALLY love my workout routine and it gives me my "me" time where nobody bothers me.
I don't see giving up packaged foods, wheat, dairy, fruit, diet soda, fast food, desserts, red meat, fried food (the list goes on) - for a period of time - as a sacrifice. I see it as a challenge and a means to an end.
If I were having to choose between spending time with my husband or family in order to workout. I wouldn't sacrifice sleep. I wouldn't sacrifice my sanity or my dignity in a quest to reach a new low weight either.
I don't have a set goal weight in my head, but rather a look I am going for, which I think also makes a difference. There is no pressure to "just lose 2 more pounds!" and thinking that somehow I'll be happier or better at that other weight.
...I also think female biology gets in the way since we are "supposed" to be fattier than males. I look at 3FC and see people's weights and BF% and I would say with the exception of one or two, every very lean/very light 3FCer struggles or has struggled with binge eating.
^^ This, definitely. A lot of very lean women are fighting biology trying to stay lean. I actually allowed myself to gain some weight in order to give my body a rest from being so lean!
I was OK with how I looked, but I wasn't really bothered until I stepped on the scale! Silly right?! It's stupid how much we let a NUMBER dictate how we see ourselves.
I suppose it depends on what you see as a sacrifice...
I don't see spending additional time in the gym as a sacrifice. I really REALLY love my workout routine and it gives me my "me" time where nobody bothers me.
I don't see giving up packaged foods, wheat, dairy, fruit, diet soda, fast food, desserts, red meat, fried food (the list goes on) - for a period of time - as a sacrifice. I see it as a challenge and a means to an end.
If I were having to choose between spending time with my husband or family in order to workout. I wouldn't sacrifice sleep. I wouldn't sacrifice my sanity or my dignity in a quest to reach a new low weight either.
I don't have a set goal weight in my head, but rather a look I am going for, which I think also makes a difference. There is no pressure to "just lose 2 more pounds!" and thinking that somehow I'll be happier or better at that other weight.
I agree. It really depends on what we define as a sacrifice. I don't see going to the gym, eating healthy, etc. as a sacrifice. Others may view any exercise as a sacrifice and I assume they're among those that think I'm nuts for dragging myself out of bed early to go lift! Lol!
I love how I feel and look as a result of my lifestyle. To me it's worth the "sacrifice" of choosing healthy foods most of the time and exercising frequently. To someone else it might not. I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that, it's how someone wants to live their life
There are certain things I'm not willing to give up or change and I know that my body will reflect that. However, that's ok and I'm totally and completely fine with that result.
One things I'm no longer willing to do is eat in such a deficit that I'm hungry all the time. Sick of it and it was making me unwell.
I'm willing to put in the time and hard work in the gym, I'm willing to be sensible with my eating and ensure I get enough nutrients and macros to encourage my body towards my goals and minimize "treats", and I'm willing to see where that will take me. At this point I'm not sure what body that will lead me to, hopefully leaner and more muscular.
Right here right now is the best I've ever looked, the best shape I've ever been in, but maybe not the greatest mental health I've ever had. I'm definitely not willing to sacrifice that, so I'm working on it.
Although I really, really want to get down to 120, the sacrifice hasn't been worth it so far. I can hang out at 127 whether I eat great or not, exercise frequently or not. It is definately a set point for my body. I have 20% body fat.
I was thinking about this whole thing today, actually. About how much harder it is to lose those few, excruciating pounds. I need to see results, especially if I am white-knuckling it and going to bed hungry. But at this point with my weight, I could struggle through for a couple of weeks, get to 122 and feel great about my body, but I always end up binging (in my own way) due to a hunger that is so n tense that I have to believe it is my body's way of rebelling.
I suppose it depends on what you see as a sacrifice...
I don't see spending additional time in the gym as a sacrifice. I really REALLY love my workout routine and it gives me my "me" time where nobody bothers me.
I don't see giving up packaged foods, wheat, dairy, fruit, diet soda, fast food, desserts, red meat, fried food (the list goes on) - for a period of time - as a sacrifice. I see it as a challenge and a means to an end.
If I were having to choose between spending time with my husband or family in order to workout. I wouldn't sacrifice sleep. I wouldn't sacrifice my sanity or my dignity in a quest to reach a new low weight either.
I don't have a set goal weight in my head, but rather a look I am going for, which I think also makes a difference. There is no pressure to "just lose 2 more pounds!" and thinking that somehow I'll be happier or better at that other weight.
I think the point at which I consider something a sacrifice is when it impacts me mentally/emotionally. So, in essence, going to the gym more could do that. I don't get home until after 5:00 and then I gotta chase Kota (my puppy) around the house until he wears down. He usually wears me down first because at that point, I've been up since 7:00 at the latest and I usually didn't sleep all night because he needed a potty break. He's been napping all day, I've been at work. So adding more gym time when I'm already worn down would really upset me, I think.
As for food, if having something sweet is out of the question, that would start to upset me at some point, too. I start to question what means more to me and what seems too extreme. I can go a certain length of time with no treats but sometimes I just want a bit of something tasty. When I cut that stuff out hardcore, I get really irritable. My weight holds perfectly fine at 136 without cutting it out entirely. I'd rather weigh 125 and have a few treats from time to time than break my back to get those 5 pounds off. To me, it feels like not living, like I'm looking down at my scale and not up at what's going on around me enough. Those 5 pounds aren't really going to do much for me at that point either.
Mind you, I'm not disagreeing with you, you just brought up a good point and made me think it through some more. =)
Thanks for all of the input everyone! For me, as with many of you- I love the time I spend at the gym/out running. Missing exercise is more of a sacrifice than anything. ;-) its the restricting calories that gets to me. I ocassionally miss eating cookies or whatever- but if I wasn't so determined to "fight biology"- I could ocassionally have them. Mostly I just get tired of feeling hungry! So I was interested to see what others thought!
Jossfit- I agree about the scale- it's SO easy to obsess over the number and let it drive you crazy! And I agree about the time with family.
Lockitup- I think my mental state is what I have "sacrificed" the most, and it's not any good... Sometimes I do feel like I am going crazy thinking about food and diet and fitness... How do we find a happy medium?
I am currently working on dropping bodyfat...not weight necessarily. I totally agree about being obsessed with the scale. It dictates how I feel about myself. I am also sitting around 20% bodyfat, but I want to be 16%.
I will not skip the workouts, I eat clean almost always now, but I REALLY struggle with social situations with friends and family. Want to go for a drink? Hmmm....He!! ya! Want to go for dinner? Sure why not! Truth be told...I like a good drink and really good food!
The problem with losing bodyfat compared to just losing weight is thta it is a LONGER process. It's harder to stick with it because it requires a longer commitment and serious workouts and clean eating. Typically, you don't see major results until the last phase.
The harder part is the maintaining. What happens when you start introducing foods and drinks back into your diet? Even in small doses, I always gain the weight and fat back quickly. Am I willing to give up alcohol and good food for life? Nope! So how do I intoduce it back and still maintain? I have to figure this part out still.
EDIT: I really do wonder if I will be successful with my "bodyfat" loss program. It is intense. But I owe it to myself to try because it is something that I want. I'm already dreading the weekend because if you follow the featherweigh chat...I love my wine! Not allowed
...I don't see giving up packaged foods, wheat, dairy, fruit, diet soda, fast food, desserts, red meat, fried food (the list goes on) - for a period of time - as a sacrifice.
I've never once told myself I would cut anything out forever, and as cliche as it sounds I had maintained a VERY low body fat percentage with relative ease and still ate desserts, went out for dinner, had drinks, and enjoyed food-related social situations. I just didn't do it every day or every weekend... I would average about 2 days per month, sometimes 3 or 4 where I would eat with no cares whatsoever and as long as I just got back to my normal clean diet the next day or the day after I wouldn't gain any real weight. In fact, I continued to lose.
FOR ME, that is the perfect balance. I can have little treats on a day to day basis by making them healthier and keeping them in my limits, and I can have a couple of days a month (like holidays and special occasions) where I eat my face off and that keeps me from ever feeling like I'm sacrificing anything. I'm not just NOT sacrificing that way, I love it.
-- Now, that was before where I am currently mind you. I had WAAAAAY too many of those days over the holidays and gained some REAL weight, and now I am on a very strict regimine because I challenged myself to work with a Coach on a bikini competition prep program. I am NOT worried about regaining weight once I am done with the program, save for a few normal fluctuation pounds here or there. I may even continue to lose.
My goal is to be in a place where I can go back to my style of living I had prior to the holiday gain!
Its what matters the most to me because these are the hardest lbs for me to lose, rather than the quick 20 I would just drop when I was at my fattest. haha, whether its 50 or 20 lbs, vanity is a MAJOR reason for me (health and various other more meaningful reasons too of course!) so the last lbs are always on my mind even when I'm in the starting stage of actively trying to lose weight due to the difficulty and also, as a shortie the last few lbs of fat makes the difference between looking smallish vs very lean!
Trying to maintain anything below 110 is a mind-f!ck. 80% of the time I swear that my mind is on food. Food or how much exercise I have to do today to maintain this weight. But... it's so worth-it. I just hate being in a constant struggle with the desire to binge eat. Most days, I just want to eat everything in my house all at once. Or run down to the store and buy junk and eat that. Anything with lots of fat and carbs. Lol.
Featherweights- how much sacrifice is worth those last few "vanity pounds"?
