Hello all
Well, I'm really trying to keep the faith that THIS way of living and eating will work for me- but I am so discouraged. Not by this system, but by my weight. I hate the scale and usually avoid it, but at my yearly physical it came up and I happened to see the number- 183. Oh my GOODNESS- I'm 5'8'', 39 years old. I log at least 10,000 steps per day (have a great pedometer) either walking or on the elliptical, and take an hour long spin class 2X per week. I feel like no matter how much I try to diet and work out, I just keep getting bigger and bigger and heavier and heavier. I don't want to be model skinny, but normal- maybe 150- and feel good about myself and body. I know it's just a number, but I feel like I just keep getting bigger, despite my exercise and obsession about food.
I'm really stressed about it- and want to do something drastic. I know nothing I've tried in the past- WW, Jenny Craig, Slimfast, the Cookie Diet, obsessive exercise- etc etc have ever worked. What makes me think that this is going to work? I keep reading the testimonials over and over, praying that I will some day be one of them, but I am so discouraged. Does anyone have any positive advice for me??? I would really welcome it.
I've only been NoSing for about 2 weeks- I've had all green N days and yellow S days. . . Please reassure me to persevere with this lifestyle, and let me believe that I WILL lose the weight in time. . . I'm truly freaking out!
thank you.. .
Scale/body hatred!
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Scale/body hatred!
"Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind, the second is to be kind; the third is to be kind."- Henry James
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oliviamanda
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:11 pm
- Location: South Jersey, NJ
Well, you need to give No S a real chance, which means sticking with it for a few months. For some people it works overnight, but others it takes time. It's not rapid weight loss. Maybe you should have your body fat percentage taken and you might be suprised that you actually have muscle. I have been exercising regularly with cardio and strength training for months now and the scale has only gone down slightly. And I have been eating well and drinking the right things, etc. But, I have gone down in dress sizes. I am wearing clothes that I wore at 20 lbs less, so it has to be muscle keeping the scale at a higher than usual number. The scale is so frustrating, but don't be discouraged. It's just a number.
The only other thing is that you may want to change up your exercise routine. Good luck!
The only other thing is that you may want to change up your exercise routine. Good luck!
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.--- Mark Twain
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sophiasapientia
- Posts: 919
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 3:09 am
- Location: Michigan
Welcome Divahat! Congratulations on your two successful No S weeks! That's terrific!
I agree with Oliviamanda that 1.) No S isn't about rapid weight loss and can take some time and 2.) you may want to consider upping your daily step average.
I'm a fellow daily pedometer wearer
and recently read a book, "Pedometer Walking," which says that while 10,000 steps a day is great for good health/maintaining weight it probably isn't enough to lose a lot of weight. One man's doctor told him to shoot for 15,000 steps a day while in weight loss mode. The books suggests aiming for an average 12,000-15,000+ daily steps while trying to lose weight. It sounds like you already get some solid workouts so it seems like adding in daily movement -- walking to run errands as much as possible, parking at the far end of the lot, jogging in place while watching TV, etc -- might make a difference.
I agree with Oliviamanda that 1.) No S isn't about rapid weight loss and can take some time and 2.) you may want to consider upping your daily step average.
I'm a fellow daily pedometer wearer
and recently read a book, "Pedometer Walking," which says that while 10,000 steps a day is great for good health/maintaining weight it probably isn't enough to lose a lot of weight. One man's doctor told him to shoot for 15,000 steps a day while in weight loss mode. The books suggests aiming for an average 12,000-15,000+ daily steps while trying to lose weight. It sounds like you already get some solid workouts so it seems like adding in daily movement -- walking to run errands as much as possible, parking at the far end of the lot, jogging in place while watching TV, etc -- might make a difference.Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs
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finallyfull
- Posts: 354
- Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:10 pm
Divahat,
Drastic = Temporary. I think your sign off note about being kind says more about you than any stupid scale. What you need is faith. Realize that No S will help you calm down and learn to nurture yourself so you won't need the small bites here and there every day that are adding up to pounds. We've all been there. As Rinehardt suggests, those little bites, while they look so innocent, add up to lots of weight over time. Also remember even when the weight isn't flying off, you are maintaining instead of gaining for now. Over time, as you come to see how much you truly need to feel satisfied, your plates will shrink by increments and so will you.
Welcome to sanity, Divahat! Stick with it and from now on your biggest diet challenge will be learning to think of that hour or two before meal time as a legitimate time to feel hungry, which it is.
Drastic = Temporary. I think your sign off note about being kind says more about you than any stupid scale. What you need is faith. Realize that No S will help you calm down and learn to nurture yourself so you won't need the small bites here and there every day that are adding up to pounds. We've all been there. As Rinehardt suggests, those little bites, while they look so innocent, add up to lots of weight over time. Also remember even when the weight isn't flying off, you are maintaining instead of gaining for now. Over time, as you come to see how much you truly need to feel satisfied, your plates will shrink by increments and so will you.
Welcome to sanity, Divahat! Stick with it and from now on your biggest diet challenge will be learning to think of that hour or two before meal time as a legitimate time to feel hungry, which it is.
I agree with oliviamanda and sophiasapientia.
I've read the same about walking -- it will take 12,000-15,000 steps to lose weight. I'm currently not using a pedometer but when I did I got 10,000 steps at work alone and often nearly 20,000 steps daily. 15,000-17,000 steps was about average. I didn't have to worry about gaining weight when I walked about 10,000-12,000 steps, but it took more to lose.
I've read the same about walking -- it will take 12,000-15,000 steps to lose weight. I'm currently not using a pedometer but when I did I got 10,000 steps at work alone and often nearly 20,000 steps daily. 15,000-17,000 steps was about average. I didn't have to worry about gaining weight when I walked about 10,000-12,000 steps, but it took more to lose.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
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Louise Sweeney
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:05 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, Oregon
I feel the same way you do Divahat! I get so discouraged by the scale and I know for a fact that I am not that number. I am such a great person and should not define myself by the scale. BUT-I do feel so yucky when I am 20 pounds overweight. I exercise 4-5 times a week and even ran a marathon in October.
What I have noticed though is that while I am on this program, I don't obsess about what I am going to eat. So I really like that. And reading some of the other posts in this discussion, I am encouraged to give the NoS at least 2 months. I don't think I have made it past 2 weeks before. I am glad we have this web site. It makes a world of difference to have the support.
What I have noticed though is that while I am on this program, I don't obsess about what I am going to eat. So I really like that. And reading some of the other posts in this discussion, I am encouraged to give the NoS at least 2 months. I don't think I have made it past 2 weeks before. I am glad we have this web site. It makes a world of difference to have the support.
Start/Present/Goal
168.5/165.5/145
168.5/165.5/145
As others have said, all we are saying is give peace a chance. Peace being a metaphor for No S. I'm talking 6 months to a year, esp. if your S day S's are more than sometimes. Sounds like that will take too long? Think about it; what are the odds that you will find something that will have you weighing less without much possiblity of relapse in a year. Might as well do soemthing that gets you there slowly and will be relatively effortless to continue.
Reinhard, man that he is, did drop an enviable amount of weight in his first two months, but the next and final 20 lbs. took a lot longer. And he started Shovelgloving in additon to Urban Ranger.
I highly recommend a moratorium for awhile on looking at fashion magazines or weightloss websites with pics of anyone who looks like she is smaller than a size 8. Size 8 now is what a size 10 was when I was growing up and size 10 was considered va va voom. Don't make any decisions until you're there.
I have made it a project in the last few years to make better wardrobe choices. Shopping with a savvy friend a few times helped me find clothes that just look better on me. I weigh 25 lbs. more than I did at 39, but I swear I look almost as good. I do hope I have whittled 20 of those off by the end of 2010, but in the meantime, I don't feel like crying when I look in the mirror.
Lastly, it sounds like you have the aerobic element down in your physicality. I know some have said to up your steps, but also consider adding in a resistance element instead of more walking. You don't have to use shovelglove, but something that is about lifting weight heavy enough that it gets difficult after 10 reps seems to be the going wisdom these days. Reinhard recommends 14 minutes 5 x a week because of the habit issue. It's a doable time and consistency breeds consistency. It's not the ideal for muscle recovery but day in and day out--well, look at his photos over the years.
Concentrate on habit! Just give it more time and experiment with tweaking your exercise. Isn't that smarter than a round of some extreme diet/ exercise regime that you'll likely ultimately give up and feel like a failure again on? And, when habit feels more solid, concider that aiming at 150 lbs. may not seem model thin, but it may look too far off to be anything but discouraging right now. Why not aim just see if 6 months will get you in the "normal" BMI range first? Health will be less of an issue, your muscle will have increased and you may like the look enough to stop fretting.
Sorry about the long post but I find I often even go back and read some long posts, just like I reread the book at times.
A woman on another site I participate on always ends her posts Don't ever give up. She lost 140 lbs. over the course of three years. Sounds like good advice to me.
Reinhard, man that he is, did drop an enviable amount of weight in his first two months, but the next and final 20 lbs. took a lot longer. And he started Shovelgloving in additon to Urban Ranger.
I highly recommend a moratorium for awhile on looking at fashion magazines or weightloss websites with pics of anyone who looks like she is smaller than a size 8. Size 8 now is what a size 10 was when I was growing up and size 10 was considered va va voom. Don't make any decisions until you're there.
I have made it a project in the last few years to make better wardrobe choices. Shopping with a savvy friend a few times helped me find clothes that just look better on me. I weigh 25 lbs. more than I did at 39, but I swear I look almost as good. I do hope I have whittled 20 of those off by the end of 2010, but in the meantime, I don't feel like crying when I look in the mirror.
Lastly, it sounds like you have the aerobic element down in your physicality. I know some have said to up your steps, but also consider adding in a resistance element instead of more walking. You don't have to use shovelglove, but something that is about lifting weight heavy enough that it gets difficult after 10 reps seems to be the going wisdom these days. Reinhard recommends 14 minutes 5 x a week because of the habit issue. It's a doable time and consistency breeds consistency. It's not the ideal for muscle recovery but day in and day out--well, look at his photos over the years.
Concentrate on habit! Just give it more time and experiment with tweaking your exercise. Isn't that smarter than a round of some extreme diet/ exercise regime that you'll likely ultimately give up and feel like a failure again on? And, when habit feels more solid, concider that aiming at 150 lbs. may not seem model thin, but it may look too far off to be anything but discouraging right now. Why not aim just see if 6 months will get you in the "normal" BMI range first? Health will be less of an issue, your muscle will have increased and you may like the look enough to stop fretting.
Sorry about the long post but I find I often even go back and read some long posts, just like I reread the book at times.
A woman on another site I participate on always ends her posts Don't ever give up. She lost 140 lbs. over the course of three years. Sounds like good advice to me.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)
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connorcream
- Posts: 540
- Joined: Sat May 03, 2008 9:57 pm
- Location: San Antonio
Re: Scale/body hatred!
To lose weight, one must create a calorie deficit. The manner in which one choses to do this varies from person to person but there is no magic. Eat less burn more. For me I do not count my exercise towards my calorie loss for many reasons, mostly because it is highly inaccurate to know.Divahat wrote: Well, I'm really trying to keep the faith that THIS way of living and eating will work for me- but I am so discouraged. Not by this system, but by my weight. I hate the scale and usually avoid it, but at my yearly physical it came up and I happened to see the number- 183. Oh my GOODNESS- I'm 5'8'', 39 years old.
thank you.. .
Losing wieght is within anyone's grasp. You can do this. Best wishes on your journey.
connorcream
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
5'8.5"
48 yrs
Started calorie counting
10/6/2009
start/current
192/mid 120's maintaining
Maintaining a year
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Brent_Corkins
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:23 pm
Hi Diva, I justed wanted to put a little input in. If you don't mind me making a suggestion . If you really like the Spinning I would keep doing it ,but drop down to once a week or not worry about the walking on the days you do. To me it sounds like way to much, and could be making things worse. Too much cardio can eat up muscle that keeps you metabolism high. At 39 your body had already lost close to 10 pounds of lean muscle , it happens to us all at 20. Our bodies start losing about 1/2 a pound a year unless you are doing some kind of resistance. In a book I read recently about insulin resistance that cardio done for more than 25 minutes at a time chews away your muscle . So too much and you may be doing the exact opposite of what you need to be doing. Dr. Wayne Westcott has lots of free info online regarding this. By including strength training women added 3.3 pounds of muscle and lost 2.7 pounds of fat, for a 6-pound improvement in body composition in 6 weeks.