I want to lose weight. I also don't want to eat less than I have to in order to lose two pounds a week. I also don't want to increase my 2 1/2 miles walks every morning, that is until I hit a plateau. I am 5'7 and weigh 230 pounds, and I am losing weight the old fashioned way of exercising and counting calories. I was wondering if there was anyone out there with similar stats that is currently losing weight, or have lost weight and maintained it. I want to know how many plateaus you encountered while trying to achieve your goal weight, and how you overcame them. I would love for you to share your stories.

hi jennifer ---

i babbled some in my thread, too, but i identify with what your trying to do and i'll be of as much help as i can.

its GREAT that youre walking 2 1/2 miles every morning. its a great start, easy on the knees, and if done at a high pace can be really good for the heart. it sounds like youre in phase I of your lifestyle change... i dont know how youre eating but be very careful of bad carbs---potatoes, white rice, bread, crackers -- anything that comes in a box. they contain a lot of trans fat/sodium and other additives that will only hinder you. also be careful or frozen entrees. while they have only a certain amount of calories, theyre also VERY high in sodium, too.

the best thing to do is to get reading! educated yourself on nutrition, on the ins and outs of fad diets, new discoveries on things like transfats, etcetcetc. simply *knowing* what i put in my body made me understand how to treat it better and how much more energy i could get out of it. also... i cant stress this enough but try only drinking WATER and only water, and LOTS of it!

now to your actual question and a timeline:

Sept. 1999// 205lbs-215lbs:
October 1999// 189lbs. - 192lbs.
December 1999// 179lbs-185lbs.
February-March 2000// 175lbs - FIRST PLATEU! i called this the plateu from **** because the scale just STOPPED moving. i conquered this by moving to the gym. i'd usually do 45-60 minutes walking at about 4.5 on the treadmill, on a 2.0 incline (i couldnt jog, yet LOL) an then id pick the "fat burner" option on a stationary or sit-down bike and peddle away for another 30 minutes.
June 2000// 170-173lbs. WHOO HOO.
September 2000// 165-168lbs. Second Plateu. I was stuck at 168 FOREVER! the weight really started coming off more slowly at this point. i began working a night job this september and the odd hours took some getting used to. i started drinking way too much coffee!
January 2001// 163lbs-165lbs
June 2001// 155lbs-158lbs... goal attained!!

I kept the weight off from June 2001 through the present, and continued to lose, but I've gradually added "bad" foods back into my diet because LIFE is LIVING I weigh between 149-153lbs right now... I work out between 4-5 times a week. i do high impact step aerobics twice a wk, and jog about 2.5-3.5 miles 3 times a week, and do weights about twice (ive slacked big time on this though!)...

anyway, plateus WILL happen. because your body gets USED to the activity youre doing, the time you do it at, etcetcetc. even recently, i switched my jogging evenings to lunchtimes and i can already feel it tricking my body. the added bonus is that i dont over eat in the day...

but i do feel im at a plateu now, however, after reading an article on "extra skin" im wondering if this isnt what im experiencing. that part was probably the hardest for me and one of my biggest insecurity issues. everything sags, no matter how hard i combat it at the gym!! but the way i see it, everyone elses will start to do it soon too..... and ill still look good in my outfits! and FEEL good, too.

good luck
*melanie

Thanks so much Melanie for your input. I really appreciate it. I now have a better idea of what I should do when I hit a plateau. Great advice!!!

If you don't mind me asking Melanie, what size pants and top did you go down to?

Hi Jennifer! I am 5 ft 71/2 and started counting calories and exercising in October 2002 at 242 lbs. I now weigh 199 which I have weighed for 2 months!! I normally walk 4 miles a day which takes me an hour but this past week, I have been walking 3 each morning then 3 again in the evening. I still havent seen a change in the scale but not giving up. I have realized that I am no longer drinking large amounts of water the way I used to. I think that is alot of my problem with this plateau. Everyone keeps telling me to just keep doing what I'm doing and eventually when I least expect it, the scale will jump down again. It's getting frustrating but there's no way I can give up this far in the game. Good luck to you with your weightloss. You'll find lots of support and encouragement here for sure. Posting often and reading others' posts is one of the BIGGEST reasons I have had the success I've had. This is the best site ever for motivation.

MIKI

Hi Miki,

Thanks for your reply. How many calories have you been eating in a day? I am just curious because it seems as if you exercise an awful lot. Much more than what I would be willing to do on a daily basis.

hi again --

i dont mind you asking *at all*... first, cause im honest and proud of myself and second, because i know that if i can do it, so can anyone and peer motivation is the best kind!

at my highest, i had a pair of 'baggy' shorts that were a size 20. i was between a 16-18 and liked to convince myself I was a 14. realistically i was somewhere between a 37-38'' waist... and god love the size of my behind! i used to be a 36-38 D cup (and those were usually too small, I was probably more like a DD LOL) and a size L-XL in shirts... if I could find any that fit!

right now, i'm a perfect 10 all around (30")... sometimes i can fit into an 8, usually an 8 in a dress size. i still have a lot of weight/skin left in my butt/thighs area (thats UNNERVING). i wear a 34c-d bra, though, as I really experienced a LOT of weight loss in my stomach/arms/chest wear im really toned (i can actually wear a bikini top and pull it off). i like to wear my shirts on the smaller size these days cause im proud to show off my slim waist/curves... plus, with my waist, anything too big ends up looking BOXY.

what you might also want to try is something called 'interval' training which combines weights/cardio. the resistance makes your muscles work harder and along with burning calories/fat, you create a 'leaner' look to your body. and make sure you STRETCH properly... you can work out all you want but if you don stretch well, your muscles will not like you

i dont know if you have a YMCA in your area, but I really like them. i know theyve been talked about a lot on these boards... i work for a Y in the Northeast, and its been a great way to maintain my active lifestyle because I get the membership for free (bonus) and its right in my building (bonus #2). more than that, the people that use the Y are not only diverse, but just like you and me... Young, old, fat, fatter, on the way to getting fit... its not Barbie-doll central... and I like that. the Y also offers a variety of classes to keep my activity always changing, and that challenges my boredom and my body.

two times a week, i go to step aerobics for 75 minutes. one class we do 55 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of abs. the second class we do 35 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of weights (great to learn that youre doing them properly), and 15 minutes of abs. the teacher is also this solid black woman whos really awesome and really motivational -- i equivocate going to her class like going to bootcamp. theres a great group of regulars that ive met there, too... other than class, sometimes ill mix in a pilates... but mostly ill just run a few miles a day on the treadmill, use the bike, lift some weights...

anyway, im always here to talk to.....

*Melanie

btw, i posted my before and afters in the newbie thread!

Thanks! You have been really informative. You have given me great ideas. Thanks!!!

LOL, all the threads jumping out at me tonight are about plateaus! I'm 5'4 and 215 now but I started in February at 270. I experienced a mini-plateau at 250 for about 3 weeks but it was nothing compared to the one I experienced at 220. I stayed at 220 for almost 2 months.. Talk about teeth knashing frustration!! LOL! I upped my workouts from three miles a day (Walk Away the Pounds) to 4 miles (also Walk Away the Pounds) and added another 24 oz of water a day. Finally about a week and a half ago I got on the scaley monster and it said 219 then 218, 217, 216.... LOL, I've been at 215 for about 5 days now and am spoiled enough now that I want more! LOL, I'm thinking I shouldn't weigh every day now that I'll be a more "normal loser" again.

Good luck to you!! You can do it!

Much love and hugs,
Crystal

Jennifer,

Sorry to just now be answering your post, but I went on vacation and havent checked here lately. As far as calories, I originally ate between 1300 and 1500 but that was when I was just walking a mile or two or doing some other type of exercise, nothing strenuous. Lately with walking so much plus a couple of months ago, I was doing the Power Half Hour tapes, 30 min of exercise targeted for specific body parts...since all that I've increased my calories. There are times they are down to 1500 but I also go up to 2000 or so alot of the time. I found that when I keep them too low for too long, the weightloss halts because it causes 'starvation mode' meaning your body holds onto every calorie possible.

While on vacation, I actually bought two shirts size 16!! Last year I wore a 22 in the same brand. Still pretty much sitting still on that stupid scale tho...almost 10 weeks now! But I refuse to give up!! No way I can quit now.

Miki

Thanks Miki for your reply. You might be able to help me with a question I have about starvation mode. Why would my body go into starvation mode if I eat less than 1200 calories a day? I mean if I work out the same amount everyday, and I eat less than 1200 calories a day, why would my body hold onto my calories?

It's just like drinking water. If your body gets dehydrated, you retain water, too. That's one of the reasons drinking enough water for your body weight is tremendously important.

If you eat too few calories for your body to think it's being well nourished, your system will start "hoarding calories" if you will. It's a survival mechanism. The fewer calories expended, the longer you can live if you're starving to death. Your metabolism slows down. If, on the other hand, you are eating enough calories for your body and brain to recognize you are NOT starving to death, and you incorporate exercise into your regimen (which you have) then your body will up the output of calories and expend freely. If you don't eat enough, you'll just end up tired and cold all the time. Trust me on that one. The best goal is about what you're targeting, which is 1-2 pounds a week. That way you're assured that you are losing fat, not water. And you're also more likely to keep it off in the long run, which is something we all want, right?

And you might find that as you lose the weight and become more energetic, you feel like doing more exercise. Which of course, is only going to help you burn more calories. Good luck, and welcome to 3FC!!

Thanks!

Plateaus are sooooo discouraging I've lost 24 pounds in two months and, even though I continue to exercise 6 days a week and drink a ton of water daily, the scales refuse to move. I weighed this morning and am now feeling very frustrated because this is the second week of not dropping an ounce. Can anyone lift my spirits with a word of encouragement?