Four pounds

[avram]

I’ve been dissatisfied with my rate of weight loss. I’ve just finished my third week on the Hot Point Fitness plan. Dropped six pounds in the first week-and-a-half, and not an ounce since. Actually, I’ve bounced up and down twice, but still can’t get below 280. What I’ve been doing is just going to the gym three days a week and doing the weights and aerobic exercise thing. The book suggests going the other three days each week and doing just aerobic work (resting one day each week), which is what I used to do in the old days, so yesterday I went in and did forty minutes on the treadmill. I figured that would give me the extra push I needed.

I gained four pounds overnight.

I’m so tempted to chuck the plan. I’m busting my ass for three fucking hours in that gym three days a week, and maybe it’s improving my musculature, but I want to lose weight too, dammit, and that’s just not happening. And there’s no way in hell I’d be able to do even this much if I was holding down a job at the same time. I’ll stick with it through the fourth week, and then make a decision.

After I showered and dressed I walked around Brooklyn for a while, then went to Pearl Paint for a couple of books, wandered around Chinatown field-testing my new digital camera, and walked back over the Manhattan Bridge, pausing to sketch a rather complex rooftop (yes, that’s all one building):

Comments

[almeda.livejournal.com]

The real problem, of course, is that muscle is distinctly heavier than fat.

[avram]

Yeah, I wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get my body fat index measured.

I have no problem with gaining muscle as I lose fat. But I need to lose about a hundred pounds, and I don't expect to gain anywhere near that much muscle. And I don't think I gained four pounds of muscle last night.

Actually, I probably didn't gain four pounds of fat either -- I assume most of that is, or was, sitting in my intestines. I could probably do with eating more roughage.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

My sympathies on the plateau, and the gain. I know how demoralizing it is.

Yeah, I wish it wasn't such a pain in the ass to get my body fat index measured.

A tape measure will probably help - most people who are trading fat for muscle lose inches. Pick a couple of significant proportions and measure them every other week or so.

I have no problem with gaining muscle as I lose fat. But I need to lose about a hundred pounds, and I don't expect to gain anywhere near that much muscle. And I don't think I gained four pounds of muscle last night.

Well, as you say, you probably didn't gain four pounds of fat either. It was probably mostly water.

Your metabolism will start burning calories at a higher rate as your increase your percentage of muscle. So eventually, the extra muscle is supposed to help you burn fat while you watch TV.

Do you know about http://www.fitday.com? I've found it really helpful for keeping track of my eating and exercising habits, and calling to my awareness dietary patterns I hadn't realized were problems. (For example, I was routinely - like, every day - not getting enough vitamins or calcium. And things I thought were not that big a deal, like Krispy Kreme doughnuts, turned out to have much greater nutritional liabilities than I'd expected.)

[laurel]

I've heard that sometimes when one starts a fitness plan like this, you'll actually end up gaining weight for a while because you're building muscle and losing fat (and muscle weights more, yadda yadda).

Which is why some plans suggest that you avoid the scale and instead measure oneself in various places with a tape measure.

FWIW.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Remember what I said about fad diets? Two weeks and you'll see significant weight loss come to a grinding halt?

You've hit the hump. Keep at it, and do the exercises. That's key at this point. Other than that, just keep at it and remember that cheating on your diet is like cheating on your taxes, if you do it once, it doesn't mean it's a good idea to do it again.

What everybody else said

[(Anonymous)]

Don't sweat the weight. The important thing is your body composition, and if you're doing all the things you say you're doing, that's changing. Think about it... would you rather be 180 pounds with 25% body fat, or 210 with 12% body fat? (Numbers chosen pretty much at random.)

Personally, I started a weight-training regimen a few weeks ago, and I've gained a few pounds since then. I look better, though... and I feel a hell of a lot better.


-Josh

[aiglet.livejournal.com]

I've heard that it's quite common to lose a lot of weight *really* fast and then stick at a certain point. That's one reason most people don't succeed at diets/exercise routines -- sheer frustration.

Just keep in mind that a weight difference of a few pounds isn't really significant, because it's mostly going to be water, and the bigger (in terms of tall/bone structure) you are, the more water you're going to be able to hide away without necessarily noticing.

I also wanted to point out that I have infinite respect for you (and all the other people I see on LJ), who can stick to an exercise plan and not only that, who can do it so faithfully that you'll put it up on your LJ so we can see you doing it. I don't have the willpower for it. ;P

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

Some more things to bear in mind ...

Losing weight is all well and good but many people simply can't, no matter how much they exercise or workout. I know a woman who has tried it all and then realized that her size is genetic and only starvation diets would make a difference. What she did realize is that she is healthy. So I advise you to let go of the whole "weight" thing, cause it will only drag you down as you fluctuate. It's more important that you are "healthier" and feel better. That your body can do the things that you want it to do. I too want to lose weight, but I will settle for having a body that functions well and does what I need it to. :)

Slow and steady wins the race. My housemate Anna has been working out and eating better for about a year or two now, and it has made a real noticeable difference.

You're not alone. I went on my nutritionist approved diet and lost about 6 pounds in a week, and then nothing after that. I've noticed that I fluctuate massively as well - easily up and down as much as four pounds, though more often more like one or two.

Anarobic and Aerobic exercise. You need both. Building muscle is great, because your body will burn calories more efficiently. But you need aerobic exercise to raise your metabolism. You may already be doing this, but if your workouts are primarily weights, try adding more aerobic workouts and trade off between the two during the week. Aerobic means that you are exercising just the right amount. Enough so you raise your heart level but can still talk relatively comfortably, which is to say without having to gasp for breath. If you're gasping for air and can't really talk at all, then you are working out too hard and it's not aerobic. After all, it's all about the air.

I may have told you this already, but if you just walk for 20-30 minutes in the morning and 20-30 minutes in the evening, aerobically, you will keep your metabolism up to it's highest burning point all day long.