178 lbs - Size 4 !!!

[MsSdw]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this board, but looking forward to hearing from you and sharing my own experiences.

In January of this year I was around 245 pounds at 5'10, wearing size 14 pants, and 16-18 jackets, and 42DD bra. I started a weight loss and exercise program and averaged losing over 7 pounds a month, and am now down to size 4 pants and 6-8 jackets, and size Small in Misses Tops and Dresses and 38DD bra. The problem is that I seem to be stuck at 178 lbs since September. My waist is small, and legs can now rival Tina Turner's . and overall my body is now very lean, hard, and toned at this point. I work out on the Treadmill for 30 mins a day 6 days a week. The only thing that seems to have changed is that since the variety of fruits now available in the fall is much more limited from what was available during the spring and summer, so I am now snacking on nuts instead of fruit as I had in the spring/summer months. Are nuts that bad for weight loss that they can cause me to totally plateau at this point, or is there something else I need to be doing?

Thanks to you all

[Leslie1100]

That is an awesome accomplishment! Congratulations! I struggle too when the summer months are over and I miss my yummy farmers market fruit! Actually I switch to nuts too. They are an excellent source of mono and poly fats. The thing you need to be careful of is eating too many. They are high calorie due to the healthy fats. For example I had a client eating a whole cup of almonds at one serving! That is 840 calories! Too much for one sitting. Use about a 1/4 cup and throw in some cottage cheese for a snack. You will find that since you are cutting out sugars, you will definately lose more weight! The sugar even from fruit causes an insulin spike and if you eat too much, it will turn to fat! If you are hitting a plateau, change up your workout. Also do you train with weights? I noticed you use the treadmill 6 days a week. I would love to see those legs! I love Tina Turner! Let me know if you need any more help. I went from 150 pounds and 38% body fat to 140 pounds and 12% body fat! Only a ten pound difference but I was size 14 and now a size 4! Amazing how working out can totally change your body! Keep up the good work and let us know how you are doing!

[MsSdw]

Hi Leslie,

I think I may have found the culprit with your help. I have been eating Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachios, and Almonds thoughout the course of the day totaling approximately 1 cup as well. I don't seem to have a sweet tooth, but sure have a 'nut tooth'. Ther more I eat, the more I seem to crave them even more - almost like smoking. I think I'll throw out all of the nuts I have here at home, and see if that makes a difference over the next few weeks.

As far as weight training, I use 3-5 lb hand weights, while watching TV a couple of times a week, and that's pretty much it - although my arms are now smaller and toned. What would you recommend as far as weights go?

ThanksQ

[Leslie1100]

OOh i would hate to see you give up the nuts completely because they have the good fats that we women need! I'm glad you don't have a sweet tooth that is a nasty habit! Thats how I got so fat! Just make sure you eat the plain nuts not the honey roasted kind. For weights you should not worry about the actual amount of weight lifting. Most women are scared of lifting heavy for fear of getting "big". I am a powerlifter and lift a lot of weight (424pound deadlift) and I stay fairly small. The key for you is circuit training. Do you just have weights at home? You could still do bodyweight exercises, like squats, pushups and lunges. These are great too. Check out my before and after pictures on my member page and you will see what weights have done for me! Good luck!

[Hopeless Dork]

Sounds like you hit a plateau, don't fret at all. The body is in a constant search for homeostasis... not gaining not losing so it will fight you sometimes in major weightloss. Congrats on everything you have accomplished!

I don't know how many calories you are taking in, or what is safe for your body to have but when I've hit plateaus sometimes I will drop my calorie intake by 50-100 calories and step my work out up, change it up - mix it up, challenge yourself . If you are doing 30 minutes , increase it to 35, then 40, then go back to your normal calories.

Sometimes it just needs a lil shake up in your routine to get the process started again but always make sure you are giving your body what it needs, not doing so makes the body hold on to what it has.

[Hopeless Dork]

Oh and nuts are awesome for you , but those lil yummies are high in calories so be sure to watch your portions with them, mix them with something with less calories so that you can have bulk, nutty taste and not all the cals.

The serving size on nuts is so very small, usually like a 1/4 cup and 1 cup of almonds is 800 calories with over 600 of those calories being from fat (good fats, of course... but still) .. having nuts here or there is good for you but when you are activing trying to lose weight -- the cals on those add up so use caution.

[MsSdw]

Correction - I was a DDD bra size and now down to DD. I still have a Dolly Parton look now that I am thinner from the waist down, and am also considering a breast reduction. I know most women would kill to have the boobs and waist of Dolly Parton and the legs of Tina Turner, but I still feel I'm too 'top heavy' which takes away from my overall appearance which would look thinner if the top area was smaller.

I don't like any type of sweetened nuts, only sea salted or no salted!! I just can't seem to stop eating them.....

[Hopeless Dork]

Almonds, dry roasted, not sweetened are 800 plus calories per cup... if you are eating a cup of them a day... thats adding a whole lot of calories without even beginning to fill you up... just make sure to put your portion out that you want to eat then hide the nuts and only allow yourself your alottment.

[Explorer44]

Almonds, dry roasted, not sweetened are 800 plus calories per cup... if you are eating a cup of them a day... thats adding a whole lot of calories without even beginning to fill you up... just make sure to put your portion out that you want to eat then hide the nuts and only allow yourself your alottment.

DANG IT...(quietly puts away the brand new jar of dry roasted almonds I bought only this week and was starting to enjoy............................sigh)

[caterpillar79]

I just finished one pack, and errr....well, guilty : I went to Dillon's, bought some fruit, and got 1 pint of icecream (I downed the icecream). Shoot me!