Frustration

I'm looking to find out how people similar to me lost weight. I'm pretty active (training for a bike race, run races, hike and backpack regularly) but I've always been about 20 pounds overweight. I don't look it because I have a lot of muscle. People are always shocked when I tell them numbers. But I also have a fair amount of fat and I don't look like the athlete I want to be.

I'm now at the upper limit of my healthy weight (165 for a 5'8" person) and even though I've spent the past four months training three times weekly for this race, my weight hasn't budged. I think it could be because while I eat heathily, I eat too large portions and indulge in cheese a little too often. So I've decided to treat cheese like a spice (only a little!) but I still feel so frustrated. My dream is to one day tell people how much I weigh without qualifying it by saying I have a lot of muscle.

Anyone else in this situation? Anyone broken through this situation? I'd love to hear thoughts.

Sat. Mar 31, 3:56pm

are you a man or a woman?

Saturday, March 31, 2007, 5:28 PM

Woman.

Saturday, March 31, 2007, 5:55 PM

I too have been frustrated with my weight loss plateau (5'7', 152, only somewhat muscley), and appalled at how my hours in the gym are not bringing the weight down. I am starting to think that for people who are not naturally thin, the best we can do with serious exercise may be inevitably higher than we would like. The author actually talks about this theme in Thin for Life, that you can lose a lot of weight, be healthy, but just have to accept never being truly thin. If I diet harder, I'm likely to lose muscle (and can't workout hard), if I workout harder, I eat more.
It sucks huh? When you figure out the answer, let me know!
At least you can be proud for being strong. And if you look pretty good and feel good, just forget what the numbers say!!!

Saturday, March 31, 2007, 9:02 PM

You are probaly at the right wieght if you are muscular musle wieghs more the fat and makes yo u look thinnner. I bet you look pretty good Keep up the Good Work!

Sunday, April 1, 2007, 8:28 PM

I'd quit worrying about your number. See if you can find out your body fat percentage- then use that to find a reasonable goal weight. I'm 5'6 and my goal is 165, because then I'd be around 20% body fat, which is normal and healthy. I too am muscular, and have big dense bones. I ENJOY seeing the looks on people's faces when I tell them how much I weigh. To me, it helps dispell notions about "healthy weight" because I think for some of us, the BMI is a pathetic joke.

So honestly, I'd question if you really have 20lbs to lose, and I'd say that thinking you do and fretting over it is going to do you more harm than the *few* extra pounds you might have.

Sunday, April 1, 2007, 9:41 PM

I'm a female, 5'8" and I was once 165 (down to 150 now and heading towards 140) and I could lose weight only to a point when I focused primarily on working out... it helped me lose a lot, but in order to break through certain plateaus (I hit one at 163 that took months to break) I finally had to focus fully on my eating habits... perhaps that's where the problems lie? I would definitely go along with the suggestion to find out what your body fat percentage is and go from there... best of luck!

Monday, April 2, 2007, 12:19 PM

My doctor has followed me on my weight-loss efforts, and she also told me not to sweat about "the number". I would ultimately like to get down into what is considered the "healthy" weight range for my height, however, if I can get into a size 10 or 12, I will be pleased with my weight loss even if it's not as low a number on the scale. I will also be healthier if I lose enough to get into those sizes.

Monday, April 2, 2007, 4:14 PM

Hi Frustrated.
I too am Frustrated. I'm 5'6" and weigh about 150 and have the same issues. Although I use to be an athlete in college and weigh 125. I know that goal would be impossible unless I went back to heavy training but I would really like to reaach 135. I did a half marathon in October and actually gained weight! Now I am working out with a trainer and am watching my diet and am very slowly loosing (about 1 lb per week is my goal). Stick with it and you'll improve. I definitely believe that diet has a lot to do with it and try mixing more weights into your cardio routines. I think those of us who have been active our entire life don't lose that initial "shock" weight a normal person loses from the sudden increase in activity. You'll get there, just keep at it.

Monday, April 2, 2007, 5:07 PM

thanks for the comments! it's good to hear from people. i'm a size 10, 22.7 percent body fat. there's room to go. maybe i'm just at a plateau. i've hovered in this range for a while, working out inconsistantly until the last few months. when i stop working out, i put on 5 to 10 pounds that comes off instantly, so.. well, i guess i never thought i was at a plateau. which is almost inspiring. because if i keep going, i should break through it, right?

Monday, April 2, 2007, 10:51 PM

You are just a little more than my goal weight, and I'm almost 5'9" Once upon a time when I was about 160, I found it very hard to lose more, but when I look at pictures of myself I realize that was a good weight, and I would swim a mile a couple of times a week and dance too and I ate well, so I think to get it a whole lot less would just not be worth the effort for me. Some of us tall people do have larger frames - bones can be set far apart as mine are - I can't make my ribs cage smaller or my shoulders come closer together, not would I want to.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007, 6:42 AM

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