mhunter1222

I'm at 184 pounds now and in a size 14. My long term goal is to get down to 145 by February 7th, 2011. That means I have 39 pounds to lose in 6 months. The math comes to 6.5 pounds per month or 1.4 pounds per week (28 weeks). I'm going to figure in some plateaus along the way so that I don't set myself up for failure from the start.

I subtracted 6 weeks from my 28 weeks to allow for two 3-week plateaus since that is how long they typically last for me. That leaves me with 22 weeks. This brings my average weekly weight loss need to 1.7 pounds. I think this is very realistic! I know I can do this!

I'm also going to keep up with my measurements better than I have because I do strength training. I already have a muscular build (always have really - even at 300+ lbs) and get comments on my muscle tone in my legs and arms, so I know there is a good chance I may not be able to see it on the scale.

Anybody with me???

mhibdon

Hey! I'm in Clemson and am hovering between 180 to 175. My goal is 145 by April 17th, 2011! Go figure!

I absolutely love lifting and feeling the burn! I'm totally stoked to find another female who is into lifting! I'm super jealous that you can fit into 14's though! I'm shifting between 13's and 20's! It's so frustrating!

I gave myself a much longer time frame because I used to go overboard and now I'm trying to learn how to relax.

Though now I'm going to be nosy: How tall are you?

Final thing: Hellz yeah I'm with you! You go, girl!

almeeker

My goal is a little lower than the two of you, but I have about the same amount to lose. I'm a shorty, so a healthy weight for me, no matter how you dice it is 120. Anyhow, I'm also very muscular, always have been, even more so on this high protein diet I've been doing. Geez, people have always said my dad was built like a field stone privy, and now they're starting to say it about me too.

I measure every two weeks on Monday, this coming Monday 7/26 is my next day to do that. How about we all post our measurements, just for the sake of accountability?

mhibdon

That sounds that a great idea!... But I'm confused about my weight-loss showing up in my Trails-with-the-Tape as I like to call measuring myself while alone.

So I allow my stomach to stick out (instead of sucking it in) when I measure myself, though I'm unsure about how tight the tape should be: Should it cut in a bit? Just rest upon the surface? There is such a thin line between the two that I've chosen that to obsess over this week, since I have absolutely no earthly idea how much fat I'm lugging around!

How long does it usually take before weight loss is visible?

Oh my goodness ladies, I am totally feeling you! I've always been over weight, but built like a line backer underneath all of that pesky fat! Now I'm of age and can fully focus all of my attention towards my Ultimate Goal: To participate in a figure competition~ ... As long as I don't let it get in the way of college! :chuckle:

Okay, okay! Final question before I stop being a giant wall of text: Since you women identify as muscular, do you also have a relatively small bust to waist to hip ratio?

almeeker

I've always measured myself the way I want my clothes to fit. Not too tight, not too loose. I do not suck my stomach in but I measure the narrowest part of my waist (just above the belly button) and I always measure my bust with a bra on. Because outside of knowing that you've lost some inches, what else is a measurement good for, if not to help you know what size you need to buy?

I think it takes about 30 pounds for it to be really noticeable, well at least it did for me. That's about 2 dress sizes for someone my height, but maybe only 1 dress size for someone taller. I suppose it all depends on where you lose your fat from.

No I do not have a small bust to waist to hip ratio. I wear a DD cup no matter what I weigh, the circumference of my under bust has gone from a 42-44 to a 36, and the bust is a little smaller, but the difference between the bust and the under bust is still a DD cup. I used to think of myself as hour glass shaped, but I'm finding with all the working out and weight loss that my hips are now somewhat narrower than I have always thought, which is only good to a certain point. So yesterday at the gym I added some hip and fanny exercises to my workout, hoping to replace a little of the fat that used to be there with some lean muscle.

GameGal

I measure not tightly nor losely. It should lay about like your underpant elastic lays on your waist.

I also am not a small bust to waist/hip ratio. I am a DDD. And from losing a lot of weight before, I know that DDD wont change, the body gets smaller on me but the cup stays the same.

I am not sure how much it takes to start to see the effects I have lost 39 lbs and some inches but the only thing I can see (sometimes) is a little more cheekbones in the face. So it is possible it is very individule. I am short, so maybe it would show more on a taller person, not sure.

Good luck in your quest!

mhibdon

When I was lifting in high school I was told that if you want to make your muscles stronger, to do more explosive types of exercises and that if you want to make the muscle bigger, to do the same exercises, but much slower.

Which exercises are you doing for your lower body? I've heard that uphill tredmill walking is awesome!

I'm stoked for tomorrow!

almeeker

I tell you my arms have never looked better and the secret wasn't weight lifting, it was diet. I've been keeping my carb, protein, fats pie chart around 40-40-20, and let me just say this, mama's arms, shoulders and back are getting cut! I've been lifting forever, but it didn't show this much until I changed my eating habits.

I added in a machine that I dread, I have a bad knee and used it intensely during my after surgery physical therapy, so I've spent hours on it in my life. I really don't know what it is called, but it's for lower body abductors, adductors, hip flexors, quads, hammies etc etc, and it does 4 different leg exercises (all in a standing position), times 2 legs, so it takes FOREVER to do 30 reps on each leg of all 4 exercises. Ugh. I also spend a lot of QT with my elliptical, 75 minutes every morning M-F. Tomorrow I'm going to adjust the angle to increase the quad and glute factor. I saw a really funny workout DVD ad the other day. It has this "personal trainer" guy with a thick Italian accent talking about the complexities of perfecting the female butt, only he keeps saying "thee boot". I crack up every time I see it, but now I'm thinking it's time to stop laughing and pick up the phone so I can pump up "thee boot". Well I gotta go, the veggies in the garden beckon...

mhibdon

Almeeker: Before you start letting your television oggle "thee boot" I'm going to pimp out Muscle & Fitness Hers home It's an awesome magazine and not only does it have featured exercises, but also motivational stories!

Would you mind sharing the name of your dreaded friend? I'm always looking for something new! Whenever I use the elliptical for more than 15 minutes, my feet go numb! Do you have any idea why? Or how I can prevent it?

Pam: Ah, the catch 22 of weight loss: Some of us loose the butt first, some the bust first, and then there are others who just loose it in both before their body remembers all of those other fat stores! Belts have become my best friends because my thighs are a good one to two sizes larger than my hips/butt!

almeeker

Measurement time ladies, here goes nothin':

Neck, 13.0 change -.1
Bicep, 12.7 change +.3
Forearm, 10.2 change +.2
Chest, 41.0 change -.5
Waist, 33.0 change +.8
Thigh, 21.5 change -1.25
Calf, 15.5 change +.25

The change was from measurements done 2 weeks ago. I'm not worried about the waist measurement being larger, I'm a little irregular right now and it should move downward when other things "move". The forearms, biceps and calves have been on the increase since I hit the 60 pound mark, so I'm effectively changing my fats stores into muscle (I think). I'm very pumped that my hips and thighs are smaller, how awesome is that?

Thanks for the mag link, I checked it out a little, it's a bit intimidating. I probably have all those same muscles, only mine are still covered with about 30 pounds of extra fat. Sigh, oh well, one of these days... I did my 75 minutes of cardio this morning and now feel pumped up for the day.