Everyone else has made some really good points, so I won't rehash them. What I will say is if you're worried about increasing your calories and gaining weight to do it gradually. You won't gain weight eating 1200 calories. It's just not possible. What I would suggest is increasing your calories by 10% every week (or two weeks even). So if you're averaging 900 calories, add 10% to that (so 990, call it 1000) and eat that for a week. The next week eat 1100. Then next eat 1210ish. You need to get to at least 1200. The less weight you have to lose the more calories you need. Your body is healthy. You want to lose weight for vanity reasons (totally not judging. My body is healthy at 155 and I wanna be 135-140). But my point is at this weight your body doesn't want to lose. If you convince you're body you're going to keep starving it down to nothing it's going to keep holding onto everything you eat.
Focus on getting your calories up and incorporate good, healthy fats to do so. Limit your processed foods and do strength training if you're not already. I honestly think 110 is really low for you to aim for. Maybe try aiming for 120-125 and then see how it goes from there.
Also, why can't you have a little treat once in a while? You have the calories. If buying a McDonald's ice cream cone a couple of nights a week (its' about 130 calories I believe) will keep you sane and from feeling deprived, go for it. Work it into your calories. Just don't keep it in the house. If you'e going to indulge a little make sure you actually have to go out to have the treat so that once it's gone there's no leftovers. Pick one new, healthy meal with different vegetables in it to try every week. If you don't like chicken what about cooking it in a slow cooker so it shreds and then mixing it in with some rice? There are toooooons of blogs out there with fantastic recipes for the pickiest of eaters. Find healthy versions of meals you *do* like.
Given that you are within your goal range and want to look better in a swimsuit, I recommend 2 things:
1) learn more about weight training. Many many women find that they can tone their bodies and build a little muscle and look MUCH better
2) check out our featherweights forum. You will find lots of women dealing with similar issues.
this, plus I think you also need to adjust your expectations. You've lost 10 lbs in 3 months. At an already healthy weight, that is not an unreasonable pace. It takes a lot longer for the weight to come off when you are not that heavy, at least for a lot of people.
Given that you are within your goal range and want to look better in a swimsuit, I recommend 2 things:
1) learn more about weight training. Many many women find that they can tone their bodies and build a little muscle and look MUCH better
2) check out our featherweights forum. You will find lots of women dealing with similar issues.
Everyone else has made some really good points, so I won't rehash them. What I will say is if you're worried about increasing your calories and gaining weight to do it gradually. You won't gain weight eating 1200 calories. It's just not possible. What I would suggest is increasing your calories by 10% every week (or two weeks even). So if you're averaging 900 calories, add 10% to that (so 990, call it 1000) and eat that for a week. The next week eat 1100. Then next eat 1210ish. You need to get to at least 1200. The less weight you have to lose the more calories you need. Your body is healthy. You want to lose weight for vanity reasons (totally not judging. My body is healthy at 155 and I wanna be 135-140). But my point is at this weight your body doesn't want to lose. If you convince you're body you're going to keep starving it down to nothing it's going to keep holding onto everything you eat.
Focus on getting your calories up and incorporate good, healthy fats to do so. Limit your processed foods and do strength training if you're not already. I honestly think 110 is really low for you to aim for. Maybe try aiming for 120-125 and then see how it goes from there.
Also, why can't you have a little treat once in a while? You have the calories. If buying a McDonald's ice cream cone a couple of nights a week (its' about 130 calories I believe) will keep you sane and from feeling deprived, go for it. Work it into your calories. Just don't keep it in the house. If you'e going to indulge a little make sure you actually have to go out to have the treat so that once it's gone there's no leftovers. Pick one new, healthy meal with different vegetables in it to try every week. If you don't like chicken what about cooking it in a slow cooker so it shreds and then mixing it in with some rice? There are toooooons of blogs out there with fantastic recipes for the pickiest of eaters. Find healthy versions of meals you *do* like.
Good luck!
Thanks gymrat05 !
Last night I managed to eat up to 1200 calorie and I felt great. I felt alive again..hahahahah (See Attached)
I haven't eaten this much since a long time and I hope I can do it for long and eventually see some results.
this, plus I think you also need to adjust your expectations. You've lost 10 lbs in 3 months. At an already healthy weight, that is not an unreasonable pace. It takes a lot longer for the weight to come off when you are not that heavy, at least for a lot of people.
The reason why my expectations were so high is because I started dieting & exercising with my youngest brother who is way much heavier than me..
He is dropping weight like crazy and comparing our results made feel so disappointed and unmotivated.
I'm much more relived when I read that a lot of people are struggling to drop the last 10 or 20 pounds. It's not easy when you are in a healthy weight range.
The reason why my expectations were so high is because I started dieting & exercising with my youngest brother who is way much heavier than me..
He is dropping weight like crazy and comparing our results made feel so disappointed and unmotivated.
It's never a good idea to compare yourself to a man/boy - they are so different from women biologically! Hormonal issues will drive you nuts during a weight loss effort.
You could also try comparing percentages rather than pounds, like they do on The Biggest Loser.
If you started at 150, and lost 10 lbs so far, that's 6.67% of your total body weight. At my starting weight of 257 I need to lose over 17 lbs to match that, almost double!
(plus, as Eliza points out, men generally lose more quickly than women because they have less fat, less hormonal changes, etc.).
Tae Bo can build muscle so maybe that's it. I really think you should measure yourself (like your waist, arms, etc.) and see if you are dropping inches. I have plateaued at 180 but I still dropped a pants size. Weight is important but not the only measurement of how successful you are. Also if you are feeling starving you may not be eating enough and your metabolism is going into starvation mode so its not working in your favor.
It's never a good idea to compare yourself to a man/boy - they are so different from women biologically! Hormonal issues will drive you nuts during a weight loss effort.
You could also try comparing percentages rather than pounds, like they do on The Biggest Loser.
If you started at 150, and lost 10 lbs so far, that's 6.67% of your total body weight. At my starting weight of 257 I need to lose over 17 lbs to match that, almost double!
(plus, as Eliza points out, men generally lose more quickly than women because they have less fat, less hormonal changes, etc.).
Tae Bo can build muscle so maybe that's it. I really think you should measure yourself (like your waist, arms, etc.) and see if you are dropping inches. I have plateaued at 180 but I still dropped a pants size. Weight is important but not the only measurement of how successful you are. Also if you are feeling starving you may not be eating enough and your metabolism is going into starvation mode so its not working in your favor.
Yes Tae Bo build muscle specially in my arms!
I took before & after photo, and although I lost 10 lbs, I didn't notice a big difference in my before & after photos.
I have taken my measurement (Feb 01) because I'm starting a new exercise routine and will see how things go..
I also increased my calorie intake up to 1200 calories a day..
I gained two lbs in the last 4 days..It's sad and really frustrating but from what I read it might be a water weight or something..
Anyway.. I won't give up..
even If I'm losing a pound a month, it's a progress, much better than nothing and of course better than eating garbage and sitting all day!
I will never go back to my old life style.. It sucked, and It made me hate myself..
Exercising gave me strength and confidence..and I won't stop..
Muscle weighs more than fat so that could by why. Lean muscle is what you want to look at working on since you're already at a good weight. I agree with the people saying 1500 to 1600 calories. I would say focus on where you're getting those calories right now. Protein protein protein. But don't cut your carbs completely out, they help you feel happy and satisfied. Maybe since you're wanting to look great in swimwear you ought to think about something like crossfit, p90x, or something along those lines since they are more about sculpting than losing. Good luck to you and congrats on 10 you've already lost.
theres literally no way you are building any muscle eating so few calories... sorry.. thats not what happening.... even upping your cals to 1200... no muscle gains.. upping them to 1600, stil prob no muscle gain.
if you want to eat 1200/day to lose thats fine, or even 1000.. but you cant be exercising an hour a day and eat so little..... as Joss pointed out, youre shooting yourself in the foot....
Its a viscious cycle many women get caught in, unfortunately. If eating 1500 a day causes weight loss, than eating 1200 must cause 2X the weight loss! and if i exercise even MORE and drop my calories even MORE, then my results will be through the roof!!
Doesnt work that way... there is a point of diminishing returns here you are doing more harm (in terms of fat loss success) than good. Intense exercise coupled with low cal diet is a recipe for quick and severe metabolic adaptation. if you want to work out an hour a day, fine, but you have to EAT to compensate or it .... i am not saying "eat back your exercise cals" but i am saying you need a higher overall caloric average to facilitte recovery and repair..... by not eating enough and exercising too much, youre already experiencing the effects of how your body will react... no fat loss
I started around 155 and it has taken me a year to lose 12p but I appear as though I have lost at least 20. My size loss was major. The less you have to lose the harder. I have no idea why it's taking me so long but I guess I have a lot of patience. As long as the scale keeps moving in the right direction...
I also think 110p is a bit low but everyone is different. If I get below 135p I feel sick and light-headed all the time. Definitely need to up your calories!!
Muscle weighs more than fat so that could by why. Lean muscle is what you want to look at working on since you're already at a good weight. I agree with the people saying 1500 to 1600 calories. I would say focus on where you're getting those calories right now. Protein protein protein. But don't cut your carbs completely out, they help you feel happy and satisfied. Maybe since you're wanting to look great in swimwear you ought to think about something like crossfit, p90x, or something along those lines since they are more about sculpting than losing. Good luck to you and congrats on 10 you've already lost.
