Goal: 1st, be healthy and fit. 2nd, Lose no more than 20 pounds.

[Ginger]

Hi, healthy people who want to lose no more than 20 pounds.

I have been reading all the BBW threads and those for large-bodied folks, and I feel enlightened by the concept of "healthy at any weight." I also feel sensitized to the cultural attitudes toward people not reflecting cultural ideals, and how those ideals are internalized by large people, or destructively embodied by medical professionals, co-workers, friends, family and others.

That said, I want to find and give support to people like me, who have been thin all their lives, and now, because of menopause, lifestyle changes, depression, medication or what have you, have lost control of their weight—but want to feel healthy again and regain the body they are more comfortable with and fits more with their sense of self.

So, this thread is for people who want to lose no more than 20 pounds, and who, like me, are new to the concepts of weight consciousness—but have some awareness of body issues, having been part of communities, like the butch-femme community, where large women are appreciated.

I think the body issues and weight-loss strategies for someone who has 20 pounds to lose and someone who has 100 pounds to lose might be very different. I have felt uncomfortable being honest about my dismay at being a size 8, then a 10, when I was a 6 till I was 53 (!), because I didn't want to diminutize the efforts of larger women who are losing weight, or to feel like my relatively small weight loss goal is not significant. I don't want to be told, the problem isn't the weight, it's that you're not comfortable with the weight. I agree that body comfort is a good thing, but I want my lithe, strong self back. This woman who can't breathe going upstairs and eats candy compulsively and frowns at her image is not me.

Mostly, I need a place to talk about this, and I think support enhances success, at least for me—so I'm hoping that's true for others, as well.

I'm sure a lot will come up that I have no idea how to respond to, but I'm also willing to bet people will join the thread who are more experienced in body issue and health matters, and can keep the dialogue going in a productive way.

Thanks to anyone who signs on and shares the following (I will answer myself, tonight):

1) What was your ideal weight and size?

2) What is is now?

3) Why do you think you gained weight, when it's never been a problem before?

2) How do you plan to regain your health and your comfort level with your body?

3) Anything else that is relevant.

Hugs!
IslandScout

[tazz]

Thank you IslandScout for starting this thread

while i'm not new to the healthy weight loss, i am 110 lbs and would like to lose a mere 10 lbs.

i'm 45 and i was always a size 6-8. which is ok, but my body fat percentage was too high. i totally changed my diet and my workouts became the most intense.
i was 133 lbs. and 27% body fat to start and lost 25 lbs. within 6 months. because it is so hard on the body and the mind, at times i thought of throwing in the towel and just saying "forget it" i'll deal with what i have.
but no, i kept going and eventually got down 108 with 15% body fat.
my trainer said my ideal weight is 115 at 19% body fat.

i am in the best shape of my life.

so to answer your questions:

1) What was your ideal weight and size? 106 lbs. with 12% body fat. at a size 2.

2) What is is now? i'm 110 lbs. with 15% body fat

3) Why do you think you gained weight, when it's never been a problem before?
its easy for me to gain weight and not so easy for me to take it off. due to my diet and genetics.

2) How do you plan to regain your health and your comfort level with your body?
keep changing my diet and workouts.

3) Anything else that is relevant. 95-99% of what we eat affects our bodies. no matter how much you exercise, you won't lose the weight unless you change your daily eating habits.

my four cents.

~tazz

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by tazz

Thank you IslandScout for starting this thread

while i'm not new to the healthy weight loss, i am 110 lbs and would like to lose a mere 10 lbs.

i'm 45 and i was always a size 6-8. which is ok, but my body fat percentage was too high. i totally changed my diet and my workouts became the most intense.
i was 133 lbs. and 27% body fat to start and lost 25 lbs. within 6 months. because it is so hard on the body and the mind, at times i thought of throwing in the towel and just saying "forget it" i'll deal with what i have.
but no, i kept going and eventually got down 108 with 15% body fat.
my trainer said my ideal weight is 115 at 19% body fat.

i am in the best shape of my life.

so to answer your questions:

1) What was your ideal weight and size? 106 lbs. with 12% body fat. at a size 2.

2) What is is now? i'm 110 lbs. with 15% body fat

3) Why do you think you gained weight, when it's never been a problem before?
its easy for me to gain weight and not so easy for me to take it off. due to my diet and genetics.

2) How do you plan to regain your health and your comfort level with your body?
keep changing my diet and workouts.

3) Anything else that is relevant. 95-99% of what we eat affects our bodies. no matter how much you exercise, you won't lose the weight unless you change your daily eating habits.

my four cents.

~tazz

Thanks for creating this thread, IslandScout. I'm not in the same boat as you, but I see you in the water!

Tazz, I quoted you because I have a question. You said your trainer said your ideal size was 19% body fat and around 115 lbs. You said your personal ideal is 106 lbs and 12% body fat. Is that because you feel better at 12% or think you look better? I'm curious about the difference in what your trainer feels is best and what you feel is best.

Thanks for humoring me!

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by tazz

Thank you IslandScout for starting this thread

while i'm not new to the healthy weight loss, i am 110 lbs and would like to lose a mere 10 lbs.

i'm 45 and i was always a size 6-8. which is ok, but my body fat percentage was too high. i totally changed my diet and my workouts became the most intense.
i was 133 lbs. and 27% body fat to start and lost 25 lbs. within 6 months. because it is so hard on the body and the mind, at times i thought of throwing in the towel and just saying "forget it" i'll deal with what i have.
but no, i kept going and eventually got down 108 with 15% body fat.
my trainer said my ideal weight is 115 at 19% body fat.

i am in the best shape of my life.

so to answer your questions:

1) What was your ideal weight and size? 106 lbs. with 12% body fat. at a size 2.

2) What is is now? i'm 110 lbs. with 15% body fat

3) Why do you think you gained weight, when it's never been a problem before?
its easy for me to gain weight and not so easy for me to take it off. due to my diet and genetics.

2) How do you plan to regain your health and your comfort level with your body?
keep changing my diet and workouts.

3) Anything else that is relevant. 95-99% of what we eat affects our bodies. no matter how much you exercise, you won't lose the weight unless you change your daily eating habits.

my four cents.

~tazz

Hi, Tazz.

I'm glad you feel like you're in the best shape of your life. I've never known anyone whose goal was 100 pounds. Good luck,

IslandScout

[girl_dee]

they say the first 10 and last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose. What if you only need to lose 20?

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Thanks for creating this thread, IslandScout. I'm not in the same boat as you, but I see you in the water!

Thanks, Gemme.

I just weighted myself. I haven't had the courage to do that for a while. I'm at 155 pounds, a lifetime high.

My ideal or dream weight is about 135-140. I know that sounds high for a dream weight, but I'm a size 6 at that weight, and I like my hourglass shape Besides, below about 135, the way I carry weight, I just look too thin; I have prominent collar bones at any weight, and if lose too much, I just look emaciated in that part of my body, and my face looks too thin.

So, I'm thinking, 15-20 pounds to drop. But I've been trying to get this thing under control for about two years and for the first time in my life, I seem powerless to stop it.

Here are some of the challenges:

1) Not enough sleep. I can fix that!

2) My partner cooks for her kid every night, and I eat lots of pasta and rice and beans and yes, vegetables and greens with them. She's tried to cut down on oil, but it's still not working for me. I bought the Weight Watchers Points Plus cookbook that my sister and her husband use—I spent two weeks with them over Christmas and fell in love with the food—but the team-effort shopping and cooking thing it would take to pull off those menus is just not gonna happen. And I'm too exhausted after the long commute home, to cook separately for myself. TMI I know, but those little domestic logistics can really mess up a person's eating habits. But I can fix that too!

3) I belong to a nice gym that's five minutes from home but I never go. This is unusual for me. I've belonged to one gym or another for over 20 years and it's a life habit I never even think about, or thought about, I should say—till it suddenly wasn't there. Now, I can't get up the energy to go. I feel like I'm walking through a thick gel half the time when I get home. But who says I can't fix that!!

4) My food cravings are OUT of control. I will do things like eat a bag of jelly beans for dinner or a box of crackers for lunch. I have no self control. Can I fix that? I'm beginning to wonder.

I don't know if I'm making sense, I'm exhausted, but I wanted to get some thoughts out and appreciate people's feedback.

Sincerely,

IslandScout

[tazz]

Originally Posted by Gemme

Thanks for creating this thread, IslandScout. I'm not in the same boat as you, but I see you in the water!

Tazz, I quoted you because I have a question. You said your trainer said your ideal size was 19% body fat and around 115 lbs. You said your personal ideal is 106 lbs and 12% body fat. Is that because you feel better at 12% or think you look better? I'm curious about the difference in what your trainer feels is best and what you feel is best.

Thanks for humoring me!

***Gemme... my healthy weight is about 115 lbs. at 19% body fat; my ideal weight for competition is 106 at 9% body fat. even down to 7%.

i look good right now... but i'll look DAMN good when i get to the ideal weight.

glad to be your source of entertainment...

[tazz]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

they say the first 10 and last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose. What if you only need to lose 20?

***the first 10 lbs are actually easy to lose cuz it's mostly water weight... the last 10 are hardest bcuz you are battling again fat/muscle at the same time. you want to lean out the body fat, yet maintain your muscle tone.

if you only need to lose 20. i always go for the lose 1-2 lbs of weight per week, meaning losing 5-10 lbs per month.
it's lots of lean protein, clean simple carbohydrates, lots of veggies and a little bit of fruit.
i did 5 hours of high intensity cardio per week. non-stop. from the treadmill to spin class.

manage your caloric intake...
4 grams of protein per 1 calorie; 6 grams of fat per calorie and so on.

right now i'm eating 1600 calories daily. when i'm trying to lean out, i only eat up to 1250 calories daily.

i Rarely go out to eat. i make 95% of my meals.

cheers!
~t

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by tazz

***the first 10 lbs are actually easy to lose cuz it's mostly water weight... the last 10 are hardest bcuz you are battling again fat/muscle at the same time. you want to lean out the body fat, yet maintain your muscle tone.

if you only need to lose 20. i always go for the lose 1-2 lbs of weight per week, meaning losing 5-10 lbs per month.
it's lots of lean protein, clean simple carbohydrates, lots of veggies and a little bit of fruit.
i did 5 hours of high intensity cardio per week. non-stop. from the treadmill to spin class.

manage your caloric intake...
4 grams of protein per 1 calorie; 6 grams of fat per calorie and so on.

right now i'm eating 1600 calories daily. when i'm trying to lean out, i only eat up to 1250 calories daily.

i Rarely go out to eat. i make 95% of my meals.

cheers!
~t

Tazz, the 1-2 pounds per week goal you recommend is very sensible and works for me.

I think for me I have to force myself to go to the gym whether I'm exhausted or not—once you start going regularly, it feels good to go and feels bad not to, so I need to push myself through the first reluctant stage.

I go out about twice a week. Not sure how to deal with that one. I really do need a "life."

Gotta run, but thanks again.
IslandScout

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by tazz

***Gemme... my healthy weight is about 115 lbs. at 19% body fat; my ideal weight for competition is 106 at 9% body fat. even down to 7%.

i look good right now... but i'll look DAMN good when i get to the ideal weight.

glad to be your source of entertainment...

Oh. That makes sense!

Thanks for the clarification.

[firegal]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

they say the first 10 and last 10 pounds are the hardest to lose. What if you only need to lose 20?

Thank you for the laugh,I love sarcasm.i feel silly in Hilton in wash dc by myself laughing....thanks


Terry

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by tazz

***the first 10 lbs are actually easy to lose cuz it's mostly water weight... the last 10 are hardest bcuz you are battling again fat/muscle at the same time. you want to lean out the body fat, yet maintain your muscle tone.

if you only need to lose 20. i always go for the lose 1-2 lbs of weight per week, meaning losing 5-10 lbs per month.
it's lots of lean protein, clean simple carbohydrates, lots of veggies and a little bit of fruit.
i did 5 hours of high intensity cardio per week. non-stop. from the treadmill to spin class.

manage your caloric intake...
4 grams of protein per 1 calorie; 6 grams of fat per calorie and so on.

right now i'm eating 1600 calories daily. when i'm trying to lean out, i only eat up to 1250 calories daily.

i Rarely go out to eat. i make 95% of my meals.

cheers!
~t

thanks tazz, but my first 10 pounds feels more like biscuits rather than water.. but i am going to fix it!

[Ginger]

A few days ago, I can't remember exactly, I weighed 155.5. Now I weigh 153.5.

This weekend I worked out, and watched what I ate. This morning I'm having a power bar, then pasta with red sauce and non-fat yogurt for lunch, then a banana. I'll navigate the minefield of temptation that is the kitchen in my house when I get there tonight.

If I can lose a pound a week, steadily, I will be done by the end of summer.

[Ginger]

I'm still losing and watching my self-destructive habits, but honestly I find the healthy weight loss thread more useful in regard to body image issues, than this one—and I founded this one, so my bad, I guess. I was new but as I became more acclimated to the site I realized what redundancies there are.

Have a beautiful healthy day!

[girl_dee]

Life is a learning experience isn't it!?

[Talon]

Originally Posted by IslandScout

Hi, healthy people who want to lose no more than 20 pounds.

I have been reading all the BBW threads and those for large-bodied folks, and I feel enlightened by the concept of "healthy at any weight." I also feel sensitized to the cultural attitudes toward people not reflecting cultural ideals, and how those ideals are internalized by large people, or destructively embodied by medical professionals, co-workers, friends, family and others.

That said, I want to find and give support to people like me, who have been thin all their lives, and now, because of menopause, lifestyle changes, depression, medication or what have you, have lost control of their weight—but want to feel healthy again and regain the body they are more comfortable with and fits more with their sense of self.

So, this thread is for people who want to lose no more than 20 pounds, and who, like me, are new to the concepts of weight consciousness—but have some awareness of body issues, having been part of communities, like the butch-femme community, where large women are appreciated.

I think the body issues and weight-loss strategies for someone who has 20 pounds to lose and someone who has 100 pounds to lose might be very different. I have felt uncomfortable being honest about my dismay at being a size 8, then a 10, when I was a 6 till I was 53 (!), because I didn't want to diminutize the efforts of larger women who are losing weight, or to feel like my relatively small weight loss goal is not significant. I don't want to be told, the problem isn't the weight, it's that you're not comfortable with the weight. I agree that body comfort is a good thing, but I want my lithe, strong self back. This woman who can't breathe going upstairs and eats candy compulsively and frowns at her image is not me.

Mostly, I need a place to talk about this, and I think support enhances success, at least for me—so I'm hoping that's true for others, as well.

I'm sure a lot will come up that I have no idea how to respond to, but I'm also willing to bet people will join the thread who are more experienced in body issue and health matters, and can keep the dialogue going in a productive way.

Thanks to anyone who signs on and shares the following (I will answer myself, tonight):

1) What was your ideal weight and size?

2) What is is now?

3) Why do you think you gained weight, when it's never been a problem before?

2) How do you plan to regain your health and your comfort level with your body?

3) Anything else that is relevant.

Hugs!
IslandScout

I can't believe I missed this thread! Thanks IslandScout.
Lately, I've been so unmotivated...so I'm trying to get back into the zone.

My ideal weight is around 115lbs. Though, I go more by the size of my clothing, and use a tape measure to gauge my fat-loss/gain.
I tend to feel the most comfortable at a size 7.

Now, I am at 125lbs. and at a size 8.

Honestly, it's been a while since I have felt motivated to really be on top of my diet. I always work out (out of daily habit), and you'd think that this would be enough of a motivating factor, yet it hasn't been.
Another part of it is, I'm under quite a lot of stress right now, which as most people can attest, can make self-care go right out the window, as we prioritize other people and other things before ourselves.

Well, I plan on watching my diet much closer. I already know how, what, and when, I should be eating...it's just a question of doing it religiously once again.
It's getting back into the swing of things which can be difficult...especially when your mind is elsewhere, stressed or focused on your work.

The good thing is, is that there is so many great threads here, that inspire me. And so much *out there* that can also serve as major motivation for your weight-loss goals. I'm just trying to stay focused on what I'd like to achieve, and also focusing on staying inspired everyday. This seems to really help.