I had an epiphany last night. I've been a little ticky about how long it's taking for the numbers on the scale to start their downward trend, but I'm hanging in there and telling myself all those mantras that keep us going: Slow and steady wins the race, muscle weighs more than fat, etc.

A talk with a friend about the huge muscle guy at the gym who has to eat 4500+ calories a day just to maintain really got my wheels turning. I'm 4 weeks into my earnest quest to get healthy and fit and lose weight. I started eating clean and working out hard on the same day - Wed, Feb 21. Before that, I was really just playing around: Going to the gym a couple of times a week, walking at a moderate pace. No weights. Eating crap.

So, what I realized is that right now I'm in the construction phase. I'm building my fat burning factory. I've laid the foundation (building good habits) and I'm erecting the frame (building muscles). Pretty soon the walls will go up (more muscles) and the fat burning will begin in earnest. If I continue to work out as hard as I am now - or step it up a notch or two (which I plan on) - the fat burning will start happening all by itself.

So... patience is the key. Production can't get into full swing until the factory is built. I'm getting there. And I'm really enjoying the excitement of the construction phase. My shape is changing, especially my legs. I can touch the floor when I bend over with my feet together. (1 month ago, my fingertips were 4-5 inches from the ground, with legs spread.) I feel accomplished. I feel good. I feel powerful!

Thanks for reading.

Right on!! Good for you! Yours is a post for everyone to read when they are feeling a little stagnant and need to be reminded of why we're doing this!

I DO like that analogy!

Fran - you DO look fabulous Missy New Avatar!

That's such a good spin on things. I will start building my fat burning factory today too. : - )

Fran, I love to see the progression. It's so cool. You look mahvelous, dahling!

I'm so proud of myself for not succumbing to the "instant gratification" meltdown. This feels.... real. Know what I mean? Like it's really gonna happen this time. I've never felt this before.

Great post, Beez -- Keep on keepin' on, girl!!!!

I need to do much more with weights myself -- your post is an inspiration!

Fran your pictures are just about my favorite thing on this website. I also love to go and see the goal pictures, but sometimes it is even more motivating to see pictures from a comrade in progress. And what progress. Once you get to your goal you are going to be one buffed out chica.

Beez! You are my twin. I joined this site in February and we are in ....the exact same spot. Whoa! I like your goal 15 lbs by summer. Can I copy you?

I was so happy to read your post today. I am so into taking my workouts up a notch. New mantra. I am building a fat burning machine. I love it. Burn baby burn.

Scales do kind of suck. I wish I had a body fat tester in my home. I suppose I can just look at my belly. But every time I look it looks bigger. I keep thinking "How in the world did that get there?" I wish I had some pictures. I probably should go and take some right now.

Thanks for the awesome and motivating post.

This feels.... real. Know what I mean? Like it's really gonna happen this time. I've never felt this before.

Beez, I SOSOSO totally know what you mean & could have written that, except I haven't verbalized it to anyone. It's a little scary, kwim, and it's like I have to keep it a secret just inside my head. It's like waking up and going, omg, it's going to work this time. OMG, I haven't quit this time. OMG, I'm really doing everything I should be doing. It's like a little secret that I hold in my heart & which brings me joy. Hard to explain, isn't it? What IS it? Anyone know? Is this the sweet smell of success? Even before, with large losses, I never felt this bc I think somewhere deep inside I knew I could not maintain the restrictive eating and the crazy exercise, and it would ALL-COME-BACK. But this, I can. THIS, is for life.

Thanks HikerChick, that's quite a compliment for me!! I just update it w/o a lot of fanfare, but it's when I have the opportunity and a camera, and yesterday I was coming in from a work meeting that I posted about last week in the check-in thread. I guess being between sizes and having to hodge podge it is not such a bad thing. I have another meeting in 3 weeks, so will have to figure out what to wear to that soon. With the same people, so probably shouldn't wear the same thing twice! They might remember. A colleague pulled me aside about 10 minutes into our meeting and said, "Fran, you look fabulous. Are you losing weight?" These are people I don't see every day, so of course they are not aware of my efforts and eating, so it has to be pretty significant for someone to branch out and actually say something. I thought it might have happened in December, but it didn't, and I guess the change between Dec to now was enough to make it click for her. So that was nice. Also helps to not have to wear sweaters and get into a knit type top that shows off a little more.

You know, I have to say, I was hesitant for a moment to post this, bc it clearly shows some kooky things going on with my hips right now. But then I thought, why not, cuz THIS is what real weight loss looks like. Right now my hips and upper thighs might look odd, but you'll notice they're the same size as the last photo and what's really happened here is that my waist and legs have done the slim down. It's like a little baby growing and one day her head might look really big, until the rest of her catches up. So, we'll see if my hips and thighs get caught up by the next pic. Proof that's it's really all a work-in-progress.

Yea! A twin! Yes, copy me. Please! We can do this together!

Also, check my tagline.

Fran, I wish I knew what the difference is. It's very hard to name. And you can't explain it to someone unless they're feeling it too and say, "YES! That's the feeling!" I don't know... But it's there and I'm so grateful!

Love the big headed baby analogy. But you don't look like a bigheaded baby. You look gooood.

Great post and analogy!


Yes, yes yes! I wish I could take someone who is struggling and have them "feel it"- feel what it feels like to BE SUCCESSFUL, to wake up in a fitter, smaller body, and to wake up feeling that you know you'll NEVER go back there again.

Fran- great new pic!

Wow, what a great thread! Thanks BeezKneez! Your analogy is really wonderful. This was also the way that I felt last year when I was going through my weightloss. I really took to heart the idea that if I could just build muscle I could also increase the metabolism and it worked.

Fran you are also right that it is like a little secret that you hold onto and just know this time, you have finally figured it out. I really think that this again shows how important the mental shift from doing this to "lose weight" vs doing this to "become fit" has become. In the first approach it is a real waiting game, looking for the magic number to appear on the scale.

In the quest to become more fit we move, look for new ways to expand our strengths and abilities and take a more proactive approach to what will certainly result in a trimmer leaner body and weightloss.

You know, as I think about this, I believe that I turned the corner in my thinking when I began to explain to people that I don't "diet" Instead of dieting, I eat for my workouts. If I didn't eat this way, I would not be able to participate with any real intensity. I would just hit the wall. Since I am totally addicted to the endorphin rush, I'm all about getting the right foods for the workout coming up or for the workout I just completed.

Anyway, great thoughts and enjoy your new factory powerhouse! It's gonna be a great summer!

Sorry to quote verbatim but...

Word.

I could have written that also, but it wouldn't have been as beautifully put. Little joyful secret, exactly.

All I can say is "Ditto"! I'm on week four and I had a minor yahoo today. I finally cracked 153.5 after almost a week. 152! Here's to all of us building the best factories we can.

Beez! What a fantastic post! Thanks, I really needed this!!!

Beth