Evil_Angel_Shay's Journal, 28 June 2010

Everyone loses weight differently. The scale is not my friend. I use it to get an idea what is happening to my body. I know I am in a deficit of 2500-300 calories a day so I am NOT gaining. That means I am either retaining water, or its muscle. The water well I am a girl it's there for a week out of the month, and the muscle hey that's great! Because muscle burns more calories than fat. Do not get frustrated...I know rub those words in my face the next time I say it. But it is just a number on a machine. Maybe hop on a scale once every 2 weeks? Or even a month? Eventually you will start dropping. Keep going, get that caffeine and do not I repeat DO NOT feel pathetic! You are doing something good for your body! And your body will love you, and you will love yourself. 

erm that was supposed to be deficit of 2500-3000 calories not 300..... 

You can, by all means, gain muscle mass with a calorie deficit. I have been on a low calorie plan since March 2nd. I have lost 35 pounds and my lean skeletal muscle has increased from 38.3 to 41.4%. Don't worry, if you are dropping inches, exercising, and eating right the weight change will show up on the scale. 

Whoever said you can't gain muscle mass when in energy deficit isn't quite right. If you are eating a couple of hundred calories less than the average required to maintain weight, and then exercusing the rest off, you will absolutely gain muscle mass. It is when you restrict your calorie intake by 800, 900, 1000+ calories that you won't gain muscle coz you go into starvation mode so your body uses the least important source of energy first, which is muscle protein. So don't give up, you can gain muscle mass, it's all about getting the FAT off, not necessarily the WEIGHT. 

I think I just needed to be pissed off today & that was my spring board. Always helps when you don't get enough sleep. Just playing off my fear that I could be at this for a year w/ very little movement on the scale.  

i may be wrong (i'm still learning quite a bit).. but it could be the exercise you're doing... i was going to the gym religiously for a long time and even though i was losing inches.. even after monthly weigh ins my weight never went down, or maybe a pound or two even if i lost inches everywhere.. of course i wasn't calorie counting back then (like 8 years ago)... but still, i was eating better and i was losing just not on the scale.. so i stayed at 200 lbs or more forever.. but now.. i'm mainly jogging and brisk walking and do some core workouts and the weight is coming off.. is this possibly the difference?? 

Idk. For over a year now I've been doing ALOT of walking. I like round numbers & things that I can accurately quantify to walking 6 miles in the park was an easy thing for me. But now I'm doing the treadmill w/ alternating high & low intervals over a long period. I just started lifting weights again before I measured myself. So I really don't know. This is nothing knew. This is what doctors for years accused me of always cheating & not following my diets, but it'd take quite some time for weight to come off.  

hmm..i wasn't sure.. i never really saw a dr when the weight didn't come off.. i just assumed i was one of those people that would be bulky forever which is why i was scared to start working out.. and why instead of my usual stuff i tried to focus on just being active ... this is the first time i can see pounds dropping.. i can't really understand the difference too much myself..but i assumed its the calorie counting and the walking.. and i just do 30 minutes everyday..an its working... i dont know? lol. i'm sorry.. i was hoping maybe something could explain the change in me that could help u 

Girl, you know that scale dont like you, and yet you are doing amazing!! If we all listened to things that were said in the forums, we would be bonkers. LOL Every persons body is not the same. AND you know for a fact that you are dropping those inches like it is nobodys business! :] I know your having a blah day, those tend to follow the weekends that we "take off" just dust it for, accept that those statics and numbers dont apply to you, and that you are making A LOT of positive changes in your life, and even if the scale doesnt want to tell you that right now, its not going to have much of a choice later!!! Keep at it! YOU ARE DOING SO AMAZING JANISHA!!! :] *GIANT BEAR HUGS!!* <3 Shae! 

*off, not for lol 

I have the same body type. I have a lot to lose, but i mostly count in sizes. I will probably be a good size 10 or a size 8, but weigh closer to 160. I gain weight by about 10 pounds before I actually start to lose weight. The scale I hate, but use to be able to see how my body is changing not only on the outside, which is shrinking in size and see how my body must be changing on the inside, that is when I lose some weight. My doctor told me he wanted me from 218 to 135-140, but I will probably like I said be closer to 160. I will shoot for the smaller goal, but I know my body and what I want to feel like. If i feel good and look good at 160 and my bloodwork is normal and no diabetes, then doc you are out of luck. 160 is where I will be. The changes we are making while struggling with the rest of our lives should be commended, not just one of us, but to all of us. Ladies thank you for your words of kindness and wisdom. No matter where we all are on the scale or fitness level, we can get to where we need to be. I learned, even though it took a long time that my happiness does not depend on my size. That is on me and my outlook. I want to FEEL good and healthy and be strong as well as being happy.  

I don't really have much else to say on this topic other than it didn't really have anything to do w/ the scale, but rather that what I was reading made me feel like what little progress I have made isn't really anything. I woke up in a bad mood after a heinous night of "sleep" and reading it was just a slap in the face, even though I KNOW it wasn't aimed at me or meant to be taken that way. Just how I took it & if anything, at least it was enough to get me moving for the day. Wish I could say I have that same motivation today.