Riddle me this Batman... advice?

**WenDDarling** · 03-26-2010 12:30 PM

Okay, so here is my problem. I am 5ft2 and currently 146-147lbs, I carry my weight primarily in my mid section, upper thighs and butt. I am not what most would call "fat" and or "obese" this makes losing weight harder.

For the past 2 months myself and my, slimmer but used to be way bigger, friend and I have been working out 4 days per week. We do a alternation of Billy Blanks Tae Bo and pilates. There are 3 different Tae Bo Dvd's (25min, 45 min, 88 min) So we alternate and add in the pilates when we do the shorter workouts.

I was eating relatively healthy when starting the workouts NOW, since not seeing much of a difference at all... I am keeping a food journal and I am now on day 5. I have been eating more fruits and veggies. I don't eat fast food unless you count D&D coffee (my daily addiction). I eat small meals every few hours. I have starting eating breakfast, going to sleep earlier, and not eating late at night) I finally start doing the things everyone tells you to do and other then a few small things that keep my sane I do all of them and NOTHING. This can be very frustrating as you can tell.

Typical Day of Food:
B: 1 egg, 1 slice low fat cheese, 1 thin slice lean ham on an english muffin toasted with a tablespoon of salsa. (Either a glass of fruit juice or 1 glass of diet coke)
S: Med. Iced reg. Coffee (CRM + SUG)
S: Banana and a handful of natural almonds (no salt or flavoring)
L: Mixed green salad and handful of spinach + cucumbers and a light italian dressing (2 Tbsp)
S:Activia plus Fiber yogurt
D:Either a Lean cuisine, smart ones or something relatively healthy and low in carbs.

*Most of my snacks are consistent. I eat fruit, yogurt and almonds every day. I also take a multi-vitamin.

I am unsure why, from going from, never really doing exercise regularly and eating "okay" to exercising 4 days a week, staying active on weekends and portioning out my meals I am not losing what I feel my efforts should result in.

Advice that isn't something I already heard before? lol.

*PS: starting in 1 week when my new work schedule I will be adding more exercise to my week: 3 days per week I will be adding a morning routine of 25min of Tae bo and my 10 minute pilates. & or alternate that with walking to see if adding more exercise will help*

**sourpuss** · 03-26-2010 12:56 PM

Initially you're probably altering your body composition. By that I mean burning fat and building muscle. So you won't see a big difference on the scale. A better means to judge would be to take your measurements or gauge by how your clothing fits.

Either way, you're on the right track so you should keep with it regardless. So congrats on making healthier lifestyle changes.

Last summer I completely changed the way my body looked, was in much better shape, waaay stronger AND I gained about 4 pounds. But, my clothes fit better, my body looks better, I feel better. So ditch the scale and go by your actual size.

Good luck!

**WenDDarling** · 03-26-2010 01:08 PM

I am enjoying this lifestyle better (maybe not always the food

) but the exercise is great! I do feel stronger and my chiropractor says my leg strength has improved greatly. I agree there is a shift but the main parts I want to change are my stomach and legs... that's where I want to see the shift! lol

**sourpuss** · 03-26-2010 01:41 PM

Don't we all. LOL!!
I work my butt off....but somehow it's still there. Erg.

**Yazwoman** · 03-31-2010 07:01 PM

I have that issue too..
I have been trying to loose some weight, I'm pretty heavy. But even though my clothes are looser and I feel stronger physically I gain weight! I seem to be putting on muscle which is annoying, I've gained like 5-10 lbs but my clothes are looser on me.. Also the parts that I want to go away seem to be not going away. *sigh*

**WenDDarling** · 03-31-2010 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Yazwoman

I have that issue too..
I have been trying to loose some weight, I'm pretty heavy. But even though my clothes are looser and I feel stronger physically I gain weight! I seem to be putting on muscle which is annoying, I've gained like 5-10 lbs but my clothes are looser on me.. Also the parts that I want to go away seem to be not going away. *sigh*

I feel ya, the two areas I want to lose weight in don't seem to want to budge

**sourpuss** · 03-31-2010 09:21 PM

Originally Posted by Yazwoman

I have that issue too..
I have been trying to loose some weight, I'm pretty heavy. But even though my clothes are looser and I feel stronger physically I gain weight! I seem to be putting on muscle which is annoying, I've gained like 5-10 lbs but my clothes are looser on me.. Also the parts that I want to go away seem to be not going away. *sigh*

Gaining muscle is a good thing! Don't worry about what the scale says.

**WenDDarling** · 03-31-2010 09:49 PM

For me it's not what the scale says, its my stomach and thighs that I just want to see decrease in size lol... also I have a D cup breast size... if I loose some in my chest will they "perk up" higher?

**caterpillar79** · 04-01-2010 05:48 AM

You need to do a variety of things to do for your target areas. I know some would argue that there is not such thing as spot toning, but at least know your targeted muslces so you know what routine you should do for those.

Squats lift your butt, and tones your quads and calves. Lounges also do that. Crunches and a lot of its variants, i.e. reverse crunch, bicycle crunch tone your core, while plank - high and low, strengthens your core.

To start you off, you can seek the advise of a personal trainer (like Sourpuss - lol, she gave me a lot of tips and I got awesome results).

**WenDDarling** · 04-01-2010 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by caterpillar79

You need to do a variety of things to do for your target areas. I know some would argue that there is not such thing as spot toning, but at least know your targeted muslces so you know what routine you should do for those.

Squats lift your butt, and tones your quads and calves. Lounges also do that. Crunches and a lot of its variants, i.e. reverse crunch, bicycle crunch tone your core, while plank - high and low, strengthens your core.

To start you off, you can seek the advise of a personal trainer (like Sourpuss - lol, she gave me a lot of tips and I got awesome results).

Thanks... So Sourpuss what are your suggestions?