Diet? Me? I thought that word was reserved for those looking to lose a considerable amount of weight, perhaps 20+ pounds.
I’m trying to lose about ten pounds, but I would prefer to just look more toned than a rail. Let me share with you my weight (or lack there of) past. For a large portion of my life I struggled to make it to a normal weight and generally failed and stayed fairly underweight for years. I was a skinny, bony kid who spent long hours trying to put together outfits to cover my hip bones and my stick legs pair with gigantic feet. I suppose puberty needed to have its laugh and make me such an awkward looking teenager. Parents and teacher would comment on my lack of cushion. I wasn’t anorexic, I did eat small meals, but I just wasn’t a very hungry kid. I had anxiety which never does well on the appetite but I was definitely not anorexic. I because the opposite. I looked in the mirror and saw a skeleton with a flat ass and a board chest (compliments of the school bullies). I was an active kid and teenager. I played sports, track and field and was on the volleyball teams. I avoided wearing shorts at all costs. I remember going to school one day in 7th grade wearing the cool “tartan skirt and Doc Martin” combo and being called chicken legs before 9am.
So I spent years covering up the skinny with baggy pants and baggy shirts. Looking like a little boy thanks to my short hair. Towards my 20s I started to finally wear more fitted clothing and started to accept the goods god gave me. And then it happened… I turned 22.
I stepped on the scale one day for a laugh and saw something I had never seen before. 135lbs. “What?!” You may say? This was a FIRST for me. Spending my teenage years hovering between 100-105 I was not 135. Well that was a shocker. That was definitely not a number I wanted. And for the first time and ever since in my life I’ve been trying to LOSE weight. It’s still a new concept to me. Since that fateful day my weigh have been bouncing around from 135 to 112, 120, 130, 125. Now I rest at 130lbs.
Now you might say, “Candace. how could you even think 130lbs is even a problem?”. I shall answer, “I have never looked this way in my entire life, I am not used to it in the least and I want to know I’m healthy if it has to be that way. There is definitely a nice layer of fat surrounding my body and it’s time I take charge. I’m only getting older and it’s only going to be a body work out from here on in to keep looking good. Gone are the days of eating anything and everything I wanted. It was amazing while it lasted.
So I’ve been trying to find ways to battle this weigh dilemma. Do I diet or do I work out. Do I do both? Is cardio the secret to fat burning? Will weights make me a ginormous manlady monster? One friend tells me to do this, another to do that, read this book, that book, are carbs the monster? How about calories? HOW MANY CALORIES?! My head is swimming.
So here I am today and I’ve decided to change my diet how I want to and I’ve seen a few pounds shed off. I’ve decided to pay more attention to my protein and fat intake and less on my caloric intake because let’s face it, calorie counting will be the end of you, me and everyone we know. I’ve been eating breakfast (gasp! eating MORE food?) of oatmeal with cut up apple and honey. I’ve cut down but not cut OUT all sweets/chocolate. Bread is now minimal. Tuna is on the rise and berries are in the hizzouse. I’m going to report back in a month and let you know what’s happening. I will be doing yoga and exercises as well. The least I can ask for is more energy and just feeling healthier all around.
You write:
I diet or do I work out. Do I do both? Is cardio the secret to fat burning? Will weights make me a ginormous manlady monster
.The secret to fat loss is to consume less calories that you expend. Find your BMR. Subtract 500 calories a day for a 1 pound per week of weight loss. NOTHING MORE. Losing any faster than that won’t result in permanent loss. As soon as you stop dieting, you’ll gain it back
2. Unless you take steroids you won’t become a giant manlady monster. Women lack the hormones to take on a physique like that.
3. Cardio: for the most part a waste of time for fat loss. Cardio is for endurance. So if you want to train to run far, go for it. if you want to lose weight? Don’t bother.
In summery: go to the gym and move some weight around. Get someone who knows wheat they’re doing to show you proper forum, otherwise risk injury. See those 5 pound weight? Ignore that they exist. They actually have no purpose but to make women look stupid.
and most importantly, weight loss is mostly about diet- eat clean. Lots of lean protein, eat complex carbs (Nothing white, only whole grain), eat little, but often to keep your metabolism up.
hope that helps.
Thanks dear. I recently purchased the Eat Clean book to help me go more into that direction.
omg. next time, I’ll proofread before posting.
There is a big difference between losing weight and getting toned. I suggest you not even bother with a scale because you are nowhere near overweight so numbers shouldn’t be a concern. Yoga is good for you because it gets you more in-tune with your body and you’re able to accept it. They actually use yoga as a tool for a lot of people with eating disorders and other body issues. Your body can shift and change and the numbers on the scale won’t move. I would suggest getting a tape measure instead.