Are you tired of being complemented on your curves...when you know you are overweight. Do you get remarks from skinny friends "You are all boobs and butt!" Does it seem that weight slowly creeps off you...while it flies off others. When you finally do lose weight--are you still heavier than your counterparts who lost weight too and are the same size as you!
I know all of the above applies to me. I am sick of being all boobs and butt. I am sick of losing and gaining WEIGHT.

i am only going to focus on INCHES this time.

who else wants to take this approach to shrinking in size? Come join me. WE need to take measurements.

I have taken measurements of every part of my body i think is capable of losing inches. All you need is a tape measurer that is flexible...like a sewing one...and some determination. I don't care the method you use. Just don't be unhealthy about it. You can excercise, journal, do shakes, cut out sweets, do the atkins...I don't care.

Just post your measurements every week. same places. same time of day. You are less bloated in the morning.

i also get very motivated by pictures...because you can SEE your clothes fitting better. or that bathing suit starts getting loose...so feel free to show lots of pictures too! I am going to put in a link of my before picture as soon as I get it done.

you can post your weight too, but don't get hung up on it. Really focus on inches. Also, make sure you use certain landmarks when you take your inches like "above hip bones" "at the navel" or "around the upperarm under the armpits" and make sure you take measurements from the same place each time.

So who wants to lose INCHES and not WEIGHT!!!

starting weight: 187.8 5/4/10
measurements:

waist at bend: 33 inches
chest at ribs: 34 inches
upper arm: 13.5 inches
inner thigh: 27 inches
widest part of abdomen (pooch): 40 inches
thighs: 40.5 inches
calves: 15 inches
neck: 14 inches
around butt and hips: 44 inches.

no one responded?

I want to lose inches (and weight too, but that's besides the point)

I can post my measurements tomorrow, because as you stated, your less bloated in the morning. And besides that wednesday is already my picture day of the week so it will work out well to have a recording of measurements also.

My plan of action is this...
45 minutes cardio everyday
weight training/yoga/plyometrics 5 days a week (not all on one day.. lol.. one of these per day thank you, im not insane)
1200-1400 calorie diet focusing on high protein, low carbohydrate, clean eating.

Hopefully this will work for me.

yay, alright aware! good plan. If you haven't done cardio or pilates, remember to ease into it! i like your type of diet plan too.

Mine is focusing on cleansing my internal organs first, then listening to my body and eating wholesome healthy foods. Next, I am going to add cardio and weights.

I am actually at the end of a week long cleanse, just one more day for me to go.

As far as the exercise, ive actually been doing really well with it for the past week. I've already been sticking to this routine. I need to work out some kinks in my scheduling, but otherwise i find the workout routine very maintainable.

My big problem is the eating. I dont have a problem with the foods I'm eating, i have a problem with the calories i'm eating. Which more often than not seems to fall quite short of what i should be doing. I have alot of problems with food, mostly because i see it as the enemy, i used to have an eating disorder, and so i will always have disordered eating. I have a hard time allowing myself the calories i need without alot of guilt. Right now ive eaten a bowl of cereal today, and i have hunger pains and in the back of my head a little voice says "good" Unfortunately my metabolism is shot because of this and wont let go of anything i put into my body until i get my eating under control in healthy way.

Hopefully with less emphasis on the scale, i wont feel so guilty for everything i put in my mouth and ill finally be able to see some results.

I have been keeping my measurements since the beginning of April

Here are my measurements to date:

Weight - 201.2
Height - 5'3"
Neck - 13.5
Bicep - 13.5
Forearm - 10
Chest - 38.5
Waist - 32
Hips - 43
Thigh - 25
Calf - 16

Here is my log since I started:

good job!!! That is awesome. I am hoping to see such good results.

im in! i've got to do the measurements, i will do that tomorrow morning and Jennie thats a great idea! im going to have to copy it lol

I think this thread is great!

My only concern is that I take measurements in the same place every time. Any tips?

yes, seabiscuit. always use some kind of landmark. say if you are wearing panties. make sure you measure at the top of the same panties every time. or if you use your legs...write down the landmarks "at widest point" or "above freckle". finding the widest point is usually best, because you know that the whole is getting smaller if that area is.

luci, welcome.

i agree jennie, that is a good grid, do you mind if some copy it? i have a similar grid in excel. I love to make graphs to represent losses. so grids make it easy. also for comparison's sake. So i truly recommend a grid.

aware, i totally agree with cleansing. it is so much easier to deal with a dietary change or lifestyle change when we clean out excess junk. tone our digestive system and help our body rid of excess hormones (lots in junk food and especially fast food).

AS we begin to lose fat, our body gets overwhelmed with hormones being released from our fat cells, so it is good to cleanse and tone in between losses as well.

Okay, here are my measurements. (in inches)

Week 1
neck - 15
Bicep (left)- 12
Forearm (left)- 9.5
Chest ( at nips) -38
Waist (at narrowest point)- 28
Hips- 40
Butt- 42.5
Thigh (at largest point)- 27
Calf (at largest point)- 15

Weight - 159 (the scale is really beginning to upset me.. it wont stay down, it keeps fluctuating between 158 and 160 and it wont budge in a lower direction)

aware, ignore the scale, and focus on the measurements good job...btw!

I both take measurements & look at scale. I have noticed that I shrink considerably for every 3 pounds lost. I think comparing measurements is interesting because I have such a thick waist for my size.

Most recent measurements:

Weight 137

Chest 35
Waist 34
Abdomen 36.25
Hip 37.25
Right Thigh 23
Calf 13.5
Arm 12.5

I measure everything at the largest part, except for my chest which I measure above the breast. As you can see, I am a classic apple shape.

Um...we're twins. I'm not kidding! My weight is exactly 187.8 today, I am 5'4", my waist is 33 inches and all the other measurements sound very familiar, though my calves are larger! I'm going to have to come back and compare later tonight.

cool, Eliana, i am 5'4" too, but i didn't put that in there. I think it's neat you came to this thread...i figured same figured woman would show up.