@legendforlife I'm nearly 40, 5'2", and for most of my adult life I was around 130. No amount of exercise changed it, and calorie counting didn't make a difference either. I ended up changing my diet to remove grains and starchy carbs to solve my severe acid reflux issues without drugs. Not only did the diet help immensely, but for the first time in my life, the extra pounds fell off. I've been maintaining 110-115, without needing to count anything and I take in a heck of a lot more calories. What I learned for me is that high glycemic foods will pack on pounds very quickly, but protein and fat are key to satiety, nutrients and blood sugar balance. Not everyone responds this way, but I think sugar, flour, and processed carbs will sabotage your efforts.
I'm sorry, but I just have to point out that this is some serious "bro science." From a biological perspective, the only way you are going to lose weight is calories in < calories out. That's it. If you are staying at a lower weight, it's because you are eating fewer calories, whether you are counting them or not.
A couple reasons why you are probably maintaining the lower weight with more ease are 1) grains/starchy carbs are high in calories, low in satiety and 2) they make you retain more water weight, usually in the 2-6 lb range depending on your size and how many carbs you were eating in your normal diet.
I've found that a lower carb diet helps me stay full easier on fewer calories, but don't fool yourself into thinking you can magically eat more calories on low carb and still lose weight.
@caspian01 With all due respect, read Gary Taubes work on the impact of sugar on hormones such as insulin. He makes a very compelling case against calories in/out, as we are not simple machines. I have counted my calories and know I was eating around 1100 to 1200 on average, and now eat 1500-1800 consistently. My body fat percentage dropped from 30 to 22 percent.
Mr. Taubes has researched many studies on sugar and carbs and details how the body responds to these types of calories creates the insulin response that causes fat accumulation. It's not bro-science, and I would encourage you to read either Good Calories Bad Calories, or the simpler version, Why We Get Fat. He is known as a key science researcher, distilling many studies to question the medical establishment.
I can understand your comment, as it is the common view, but nutrition science is in its infancy. I'm open to new ideas/theories as I see it in myself. We need to, and should question the status quo thinking.
@legendforlife I'd love to join in too! f25, 5'4, 147, GW: 120. At one point 5 years ago I ballooned up to 165 when I got into college, and then got back down to 118 after several months of work. I have grad school to thank for this 29 that showed back up, and some awful eating habits :/ good luck ladies, you've got this!
@legendforlife I'm 5'2 and a few years ago I was the heaviest I'd ever been at 146 and eventually lost over 40 lbs! I'm currently about 105 (it fluctuates some) and am focusing more on building muscle know that I don't have much fat to lose (although I am trying to lower my overall body fat ~5%). So far, I've been really happy with my results from eating right around maintenance and doing both cardio and lifting when I work out (usually 6 days a week). You all can do this!!
@thomas12020 That's awesome to hear!! I am also 5'2 and went from 130lbs to 108lbs. I'm currently around 110-115lbs since I took a small hiatus from working out but now I'm getting back to the grind! Glad you were able to maintain your new healthy lifestyle! I need to be more consistent with my workouts/diet.
@ddean Heyyy I actually started last year... Then didn't do shit for the past half year or so (you can see it in my MFP diary haha). Therefore, NOW is my day. I just added a bunch of like-minded awesome ladies who want the same for themselves and it's super encouraging to have peers (I used to have just 4-5 people, most of them friends but all of us have different goals). Today is the day I will do this and you can start again! You can pm me your mfp if you'd like
@legendforlife 5'3.5", 136ish, started at 150 this winter. I started on 1250 cals per day and hour long workouts 6days/week and honestly, it didn't do much. I think I GAINED weight. I upped my cals to around 1400 and did more varied workouts including running, and that's when I lost most of it (still going down). It's a slow process though, my measurements went up and down like an elevator. Just keep positive and don't let cheat days or slip ups get you down. Good luck! I'll msg you my username
@dawn16 Hi! I'm same height, started at 155 and I'm down to about 145 just by cutting out sodas. I've been wanting to start a workout regimen so I can drop at least another 10 pounds and I was wondering what workouts you did? Thanks!
@keito What helped the most was this routine:
Monday: 30-45 minutes of arm workouts. 3 sets of each exercise
Tuesday: 45-60 minute cardio (jog) 20 minutes of core exercises of your choice. I did a cycle of about 10 and repeated them 2-3 times
Wednesday: leg workouts, particularly squats and lunges. Some light cardio if I felt like it
Thursday: cardio and core
Friday: cardio only
Saturday: core and cardio
Sunday: rest day!
@keito Basic lifting is what helped me the most! (Its important to focus on the larger muscle groups; biceps and triceps are good too, but there's nothing like the leg press, squats, and abs). Its so important to up your resting metabolism. MFP tends to recommend 1200 calories, and I just don't think cutting calories (by that much) is the way to sustainable fitness (for many of us).
