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Is it possible to lose fat w/o hunger?

Old 07-31-2010, 09:59 AM
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Default Is it possible to lose fat w/o hunger?

First of all, I apologize for how long this got.

I've got about 30 pounds to lose, and can't seem to lose any of it.

I'm 5' 2", 43 years old, and every ounce of that extra fat is around my middle. (I'm female)

I decided a while ago that I would focus on losing fat and not muscle. I've always been a fairly weak, nonmuscular person, and when I started logging in my food and seeing that I normally ate about 10 to 20 grams of protein per day, that explained a lot.

So, I made a goal to lose about a pound a week, which Fit Day says I should be able to do if I eat 1630 calories per day. I'm making sure to get at least 100 grams of protein per day, which has been a big change. Three days a week, I'm doing strength training exercises, like push-ups, pull-ups (modified), and squats. I'm working hard, but I assume I'm not burning a huge amount of calories there, simply because I'm not using much weight. (It's a lot for me, because I'm not very strong, but pound-wise, not much at all.)

I don't have an official plan for cardio, but I jog in place here and there when the mood strikes, and try to keep my body moving.

Well, all this has been great. I've found that sticking to 1630 calories is a bit of a challenge, but I'm only going over by a bit. I've been weighing all of my food, and logging every gram. My daily average is 1650.

The problem is, I haven't lost any weight after a month of doing this. As far as I can tell, my measurement haven't gotten smaller. I feel stronger, and I'm sure I must have gained some muscle, but I can't imagine that I've three or four pounds of muscle. It's not like I'm deadlifting 400 pounds at a time.

I'm okay with losing fat slowly, but I don't want to keep with what I'm doing if I'm not losing any fat at all. Half a pound per week is fine. Nothing per week is not fine. My 37 inch waist puts me in the "health risk" category, and I want to get rid of it.

Do I really need to eat less in order to lose fat? I know a lot of you are doing fine on 1200 calories, but I just can't manage that. If I eat less than I'm eating now, then every ounce of energy goes into trying to resist the urge to eat. If 1650 cal/day is what I need to maintain my "health risk" weight, that really sucks!

What else can I do? Oh yes, I'm drinking tons of water. And I don't tend to get premenstrual symptoms, like water gain, so I doubt if that comes into play.

Help!

Evelyn
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Old 07-31-2010, 10:28 AM
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It sounds like the only thing you're not working hard at is cardio...which may be exactly what you need to lose the fat. Try working more cardio into your days. And keep in mind that cardio doesn't necessarily need to have you huffing and puffing and exhausted. The best exercise to lose weight will make you breath deeply (slightly out of breath), but won't have you gasping for air. To lose weight, the muscles need to be getting enogh oxygen during exercise, otherwise they just burn sugars.

Depending on how fit you are now, walking could be enough to get your heart pumping and get you breathing deeply, especially if you have a hill or two to go up and down. The exercise itself doesn't have to be very intense, as long as you do lots of it; long gentle exercise is the key to fat loss.

Also, if you're aimin for a half a pound to a pound of weight loss a week, you need a calorie deficiet of 250-500 a day, on average, over the course of a week. So the exercise you do needs to be burning more calories than you're taking in. This is where some people find it easier to cut back calories, but if you just up your exercise, you don't need to eat less.

Keep posting with your frustrations and we'll all try to help!
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Old 07-31-2010, 12:55 PM
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I'm in a similar boat with you, 41 with about 30 pounds (35 actually) to lose and it all seems to be in either my belly or my thighs. The weird part is that I look back at old photos of me when I was at this weight and my stomach was darn near flat, so I've lost a lot of weight, but my fat is all in different places now.

I'm with you on the calories, too much less than 1,500 - 1,600 and I'm just mean and prone to spiraling out of control binges. I do cardio about 5 hours/week, and to up that just might kill me, so I'm thinking I need to keep a very close eye on the protein intake, maybe add an extra hour of weight lifting every week, switch a workout from running to swimming, and focus on keeping my calorie deficit higher. I don't know, this battle is getting much harder and the fat I have left is more cunning than my brain...
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Old 07-31-2010, 01:01 PM
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I think you may be gaining muscle! just keep at it. If you don't lose much be comforted knowing you are getting fit. By the way muscles burn more fat as they build up. Good luck. I'm pulling for you.
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Old 07-31-2010, 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted by maryann1950
I think you may be gaining muscle! just keep at it. If you don't lose much be comforted knowing you are getting fit. By the way muscles burn more fat as they build up. Good luck. I'm pulling for you.
I've considered that; it just seems unlikely to me that I've built up enough muscle to be measured in pounds. A couple of pounds of muscle is a lot, if you think of something like steak. Then again, unlike the last time I tried weight training, twenty years ago, this time I'm eating enough protein.

I'm definitely feeling stronger, so that's good.

I agree with the other poster (whose name isn't visible to me as I type this), that it's probably that I haven't been doing enough cardio. I just get worn out so easily, being unfit, that it's hard to really get into it. Whatever I do has to be something that won't aggravate my foot injury, can be done in the house or at least with kids who hate physical activity in tow. So mostly I'm jogging around the living room a little. I find that it's hard to make cardio exercise a planned, regular part of my schedule, because some days it makes my foot start hurting immediately, or is just too tiring. Some days I can jog in place for 45 minutes and feel great, other times I'm exhausted and feeling really cruddy after two minutes. Same thing with walking. So, I can do what I can, but I can't count on being able to burn X amount of calories that way. If that makes sense. Strength training is more satisfying because although I use challenging weight, I rest quite a while between sets. So, I get worn out, but in a good, healthy-feeling way.

But yeah, I guess I need to make it a priority to get in better cardio-vascular condition. I've found that whenever I start a cardio fitness regimen, everything is great for a few weeks, then I get sick or something, and end up less fit than I was before, and can't quite get into the groove again.
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Old 07-31-2010, 04:40 PM
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If you start to consume whole natural foods (I call em 1 ingredient foods) you will really be surprised how much you can eat while still restricting your calories. I'm male and get about 2300-2400 a day, and I feel like I'm eating more food quantity wise than I was before starting fitday, yet I am losing weight. I keep hunger in check by staying hydrated and if I need to curb a craving fast a small serving of mixed nuts and some cottage cheese does a good job, or a whey protein drink.
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Old 07-31-2010, 05:29 PM
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What are you eating? Diet makes a huge difference in how you look - the percentages of fats/carbs/protein doesn't matter as much as what you are actually eating (processed food is worse than unprocessed foods, for example).

I've just started following the Primal Blueprint 'lifestyle' and it has done wonders for me, I suggest you check it out! =)
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Old 08-01-2010, 10:16 AM
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I will have to second everything everyone has said on here. I am 35 and have more than 30 pounds to lose, but I would be extremely happy with a 30 pound loss. Some things that have helped me: Cardio and a lot of it. I still do weight workouts also. I am trying to do ANYTHING FOR MOVEMENT honestly. Last night, I had a great workout with circuit weight training with riding the exercise bike. Diet is key. To be honest, I sometimes eat below the number of calories I am supposed to. Not by choice, but when I eat whole good, protein rich foods, I'm not as hungry as often, etc.

Keep on working at it. Maybe throw in some more cardio. Make it a little bit tough and break a good sweat, etc. Remember: Diet is the key also.
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Old 08-01-2010, 10:37 AM
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@Collegefbfan8898
As a man you have to be careful about not eating enough calories, as this can lower your testosterone and that can sabotage your efforts to lose weight, build muscle, and transform your body. Testosterone helps you build muscle and lose body fat, so I make sure I get enough to eat.
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Old 08-01-2010, 11:02 AM
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Thanks for the info. Counting the mini pizza, I am sure to go over or be near my calories for the day. I am sure to get enough calories in the upcoming week as some of my family doesn't know the meaning of healthy eating especially on vacation. After that week, work will be back in full swing, and I will have many great chances to eat healthy meals and snacks.

Thanks.
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