last-5-lbs blues

[mevre]

hi nerds. so, i've been struggling with getting rid of these last several pounds that seem to stick around with a particular vengeance. i know that since i'm a lady, it's going to be harder to reach my goals [thanks genetics] and i've come to terms with that. i'm wondering if anyone else out there is going through/has gone through similar stuff? what did you do to overcome it? or did you overcome it? did you decide that 5 extra pounds isn't all that bad, and you'd rather be happy eating chocolate every once in a while than miserable without sweets?

personally, i go back and forth. like i said, i know it's bound to be a very difficult road to reach my goal of 19% bodyfat. and as a baker who loves eating delicious unhealthy things for the sheer joy of it, it's hard to find a balance of food enjoyment and dropping weight. because food nurtures the soul as well as the body. i always remember what Steve says about priorities: that your priorities are where your action is, no matter what you say they are. the problem is, my priority is definitely in favor of eating, which would be fine if i was completely happy with my body. and i would say i'm about 98% happy with my body. but is that 2% unhappiness enough to shift my priorities? i dunno, i guess i just have lots of thought swirling around on this topic.

what do you guys think? opinions? sage wisdom? personal stories? please share!

[BaconHunter]

Being about 98% happy with your body is immensly awesome. You shouldn't be pondering too much with this issue. If you can eat the occasional baked goods while being almost entirely happy with where your body composition is, I'd say keep doing what you do.

 

However, if you want to put the icing on top (see what I did there ), start doing strength training. Or, if you're already doing strength training, do a sprint or a HIIT session once a week. Or try intermittent fasting.

 

Just fiddle with one little variable and experiment if it helps. You have nothing to lose because you belong to the rare people that are really satisifed with how their body looks.

[Disil]

I've been spending the better part of a year hovering close to abs but still 10 or so lbs away, doing a lot of back and forth. It just takes a lot of commitment to get there, as right now I'm again pretty close (closest so far) and things are becoming tough again. To me, what keeps me motivated is the fact that I tell myself that I only have to "get there". Once I'm there, I could theoretically resume my normal maintenance diet and basically hover around that place more or less permanently. So maybe bite down on that mouthpiece, get those last 2% done and then keep it that way. It's not like you'd have to hunger forever just to maintain it then.

[SpecialSundae]

I just gave up on the "last 5lb" and went on "looking awesome and lifting lots". The cost to benefit assessment said that those last 5lb just weren't worth it.

 

Funnily enough, I look like I've lost them anyway. I haven't, but I'm smaller and tighter than I probably would have been if I'd just stressed myself out trying to lose the weight and I'm doing a lot better in my chosen sport than I would have done if I'd forced the issue.

 

So basically, you have to weigh up whether the number on the scale is more important or looking and feeling great.

[Eleanorsbee]

As above ..... Gave up loosing the last bit and decided to build a bit of mass and start eating again.

So much happier now I am not permanently hungry, am stronger, fitter, faster and not as grumpy

[mevre]

wow, thanks everyone! i was not expecting so many responses, it's great!  

 

 

Just fiddle with one little variable and experiment if it helps. You have nothing to lose because you belong to the rare people that are really satisifed with how their body looks.

excellent idea! i've been in the fat loss game for well over a year now. as Disil mentioned, i too have had a lot of back and forth, which is to be expected. but i have made definite progress. one problem i always seem to run into though is that i've never found the activity that i love. i go on a kick of running of bodyweight or HIIT but get bored as soon as i stop making noticeable progress. i guess i need to just keep looking...? seems like having that one activity that i can't get enough of would help a lot.

 

 

I've been spending the better part of a year hovering close to abs but still 10 or so lbs away, doing a lot of back and forth. It just takes a lot of commitment to get there, as right now I'm again pretty close (closest so far) and things are becoming tough again. To me, what keeps me motivated is the fact that I tell myself that I only have to "get there". Once I'm there, I could theoretically resume my normal maintenance diet and basically hover around that place more or less permanently. So maybe bite down on that mouthpiece, get those last 2% done and then keep it that way. It's not like you'd have to hunger forever just to maintain it then.

this was my mindset for a long time too, but it just wore me out.  : /  but good on ya for keeping at it! your drive inspires me!

 

 

I just gave up on the "last 5lb" and went on "looking awesome and lifting lots". The cost to benefit assessment said that those last 5lb just weren't worth it.

 

Funnily enough, I look like I've lost them anyway. I haven't, but I'm smaller and tighter than I probably would have been if I'd just stressed myself out trying to lose the weight and I'm doing a lot better in my chosen sport than I would have done if I'd forced the issue.

 

So basically, you have to weigh up whether the number on the scale is more important or looking and feeling great.

yeah, you look fantastic girlfriend! haha so i think you made the right choice.  ; ]  i'm not too worried about how much i weigh, i just want to get rid of the fat on my thighs and butt haha. i'm hoping this summer will bring lots of chances for me to get super active and start eating better again. maybe i'll find my one [or two!] true fitness love. here's hoping!

[BaconHunter]

How about you try to overcome the boredom? If you are noticing that progress slows down and you start to lose interest, just stick to it for another 4 weeks. I know, easier said than done, but give it a try. 

[SpecialSundae]

Have you tried switching to barbells?

[mevre]

BaconHunter, i will give it a go. worst case, i'll still be bored but a little healthier than i am now. ; ]

SpecialSundae, i tried lifting several times and was always miserable. haha it's just not my cup of tea. which is really too bad, because girls who lift are bad ass.


i've been off-and-on interested in parkour for quite some time now...maybe this summer is finally the time to put what skills i have into action, and perfect the ones i don't have yet.  : ]

[Machete]

Hey, what's up? Long time.

 

Anyway, how about try a compromise? 99% happy is better than 98% after all. Unless "eating every damn day, whenever you damn please" is what makes you happy instead of "food enjoyment" perhaps you could incorporate your food into your fat loss strategy. Personally, I do it. I'm Asian. There's no way in hell I'm giving up white rice, but having rice with every meal doesn't work well with my carb-cycling. So I save my rice meals for post-workout. (I am also not giving up my Ben & Jerry's, so I eat my pint during my weekly re-feed.)

[mevre]

good to see you Machete! wise words, as always.  : ]  can you give me a rough break down of your eating habits? i.e. what portions [large, med, small] do you eat of which food types [carbs, fats, proteins, etc] and when [after cardio, before strength training, etc]? actually that kind of sounds like a lot of work... if you feel like typing it all up, i'd love to read it though! but no worries if not.  : ]

[Machete]

I usually use MyFitnessPal during periods of Intermittent Fasting, since I tend to get a distorted perception of food when hungry. I do a 16:8 Fasting:Eating schedule every now and then, though I end up starving whenever I'm lifting with increased volume, so I don't do it too often.

 

Otherwise it's usually a coffee and shake in the morning (Greens+ powder, flaxseed, Greek yogurt, nuts, berries, protein powder, green tea), then off to PT. Then it's 3-4 eggs with cheese and bacon for breakfast, and, depending on how hard training was, some fruits. Lunch would be a palm or two of chicken/fish with a big salad (around a pound?). On the afternoon, pre-workout coffee, PB&J, and whey; peri-workout chocolate milk; post-workout dinner that involves two palms of meat, rice, and cruciferous vegetables. Saturday is a 24-hour fasting day that is usually ended with a steak dinner and greens. Sunday I eat whatever (and I usually get a pint of Ben & Jerry's) so I save all the crap that I know I'm not supposed to be eating for Sunday as to not feel deprived. (I remember there was one Sunday when I ate only ice cream. Haha) I also usually train on Sundays, so that could be a factor.

[JFroFro]

Machete, WITH YA ON THE ICE CREAM!  It's probably my biggest weakness.  Well, that and cake.  And gummi bears.  And...

 

Admittedly, I skimmed the replies pretty quickly, so hoping not to be redundant.  But definitely would 1) start up with a weight lifting routine.  Nothing burns fat like muscle; I used to hit the ol' Eliptical and treadmill for hours and never saw the kinds of results I experienced when training with weights, hands down.  I lost 25 pounds and got abs in 3 mo. by finding a routine that mixed up cardio and weighted resistance training (along with a dialed-in diet) and would never do straight cardio again.  

 

Secondly, if you want to lose those last 5lbs bad enough, you need to develop your "WHY" (as in "Why do you want to lose the weight?"  "How do you feel now and how will you feel when you lose it?" etc...) and write it down.  Seriously...grab a pen and paper and write it down, word for word.  There's something very special that happens when we write down our thoughts and we can refer back to them, verbatim, when ever we want.

 

Thirdly, MUST dial in your nutrition.  This above all.  MUST MUST MUST dial in your diet.  Make a meal plan and stick to that plan.  And incorporate treats (SPARINGLY)...need to give yourself something to look forward to, after all.  I usually reserve Saturday nights for "cheating."

 

You CAN lose the last few pounds and you can do so while still feeling awesome about life...I know I did...but you need to make sure the necessary organization is present.

[Machete]

Did you say Gummy Bears? (Read the reviews.)

 

There’s no shame in admitting that you are unwilling to do what it takes to shape the best plan for you. The only shame lies in trying to convince yourself that you’re doing everything it takes when you’re not coming close. (Ryan Andrews, Precision Nutrition)

[ryan15]

I would be very happy at 98%! We are only human, so if you like to eat yummy treats from time to time, you should be able to do that. It only means that you have to be very conscious of everything else you are eating and add in extra workouts. I allow one cheat meal a week, that gives me that little bit of satisfaction and then I am ready for another week of clean eating!

[jfreaksho]

Machete, WITH YA ON THE ICE CREAM!  It's probably my biggest weakness.  Well, that and cake.  And gummi bears.  And...

 

Admittedly, I skimmed the replies pretty quickly, so hoping not to be redundant.  But definitely would 1) start up with a weight lifting routine.  Nothing burns fat like muscle; I used to hit the ol' Eliptical and treadmill for hours and never saw the kinds of results I experienced when training with weights, hands down.  I lost 25 pounds and got abs in 3 mo. by finding a routine that mixed up cardio and weighted resistance training (along with a dialed-in diet) and would never do straight cardio again.  

 

Secondly, if you want to lose those last 5lbs bad enough, you need to develop your "WHY" (as in "Why do you want to lose the weight?"  "How do you feel now and how will you feel when you lose it?" etc...) and write it down.  Seriously...grab a pen and paper and write it down, word for word.  There's something very special that happens when we write down our thoughts and we can refer back to them, verbatim, when ever we want.

 

Thirdly, MUST dial in your nutrition.  This above all.  MUST MUST MUST dial in your diet.  Make a meal plan and stick to that plan.  And incorporate treats (SPARINGLY)...need to give yourself something to look forward to, after all.  I usually reserve Saturday nights for "cheating."

 

You CAN lose the last few pounds and you can do so while still feeling awesome about life...I know I did...but you need to make sure the necessary organization is present.

 

Did you say Gummy Bears? (Read the reviews.)

 

There’s no shame in admitting that you are unwilling to do what it takes to shape the best plan for you. The only shame lies in trying to convince yourself that you’re doing everything it takes when you’re not coming close. (Ryan Andrews, Precision Nutrition)

I now have the theme song from that 80's Gummy Bears cartoon show stuck in my head. "Gummy Bears! Bouncing here and there and everywhere.  High adventure that's beyond compare.  We are the Gummy Bears!"

 

I hope it gets stuck in your head.  If you don't know it, youtube it.  I'll maybe post a link later.