Body Image...

[Prudence]

How much do we beat ourselves up over achieving the weight perfection, though? Photos of my ancestors show them with body types similar to mine. Just a few months ago I did an experiment where I limited my calorie intake to 900/day and was doing regular cardio (via treadmill). I gained weight. And not muscle - my pants were in danger of not fitting. I didn't talk about it because the response is generally that I just didn't try hard enough. That I needed to cut calories further and workout longer (time I didn't have back then).

And this isn't to say wahwahwah poor me I can't do it! But people are so quick to say that it's "simple". And the implication is that anyone who isn't successful is just lazy and undisciplined. Which leads further to the permission to treat anyone overweight as sh1t because we're obviously complete losers who can't handle a simple equation like working off the calories consumed, and who should therefore be stoned in the town square as a warning to others and to rid the world of unsightly blobs.

I've reached a point where I truly don't know what to do. In a couple weeks I'll have time to devote to cooking again and working out - except for stupid foot problems. But what if nothing happens then, either? What do I do? The only info I get from my doc is "eat less". Should I just start starving myself? Should I jog 3 hours a day? And if that's what it "takes" to achieve the mandated figure, and I have to keep that up for the rest of my life, is that really what I want? Is it what I'm obligated to do regardless of my personal preferences, and if I don't I'm bad/evil/unethical/lazy/stupid/fatsmellycow? What if a "good" diet and "moderate" exercise result in maintaining my current weight, but nothing more?

This is all hypothetical at the moment, as I still have a few weeks left before exam time, but I get awfully tired of people pointing fingers at me and declaring that I'm doing it wrong, and that clearly if I wasn't such a complete twatwaffle I could comprehend the simple procedures necessary.

[MouseWife]

Originally Posted by Prudence

Just a few months ago I did an experiment where I limited my calorie intake to 900/day and was doing regular cardio (via treadmill). I gained weight. And not muscle - my pants were in danger of not fitting. I didn't talk about it because the response is generally that I just didn't try hard enough. That I needed to cut calories further and workout longer (time I didn't have back then).

Well, one thing I would recommend is to watch 'The Biggest Loser'. That show motivates me. And, they always have tips.

And, I can tell you what happened when you gained weight. You didn't consume enough calories so your body stored them. I can't esplain' it medically BUT you do have to consume a certain amount of calories a day. Adding exercise to that will burn off calories.

Don't be hard on yourself. But, do go to the website, they might have some tips for you. Good luck.

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by Prudence

I've reached a point where I truly don't know what to do.

Experiment and find out what your body says it wants and needs.

Listen to how you and your body feel after eating or doing something. Does it taste good for a few moments but make you feel like crap for hours and is it worth it? Is an activity boring and repetitive and not making you feel better?

My body responds best to eating every couple hours rather than snacking. And, it's helped me curb cravings, because I still eat whatever I want, in moderation. My body also responds really well to weightlifting, which I've also found out that I enjoy far more than jumping on a "stairmaster" or exercise bike. I never tried much with weights before, because I was concerned it would make me gain numbers. And, it actually has had the opposite effect - building strength while the newly worked muscles keep burning off fat for the next 48 hours, even while I'm sleeping.

But, that's the combination that has worked well for me, without dieting, without deprivation, and without forcing myself to do something I don't want to.

Your body might tell you something completely different.

[3894]

Originally Posted by Prudence

How much do we beat ourselves up over achieving the weight perfection, though? Photos of my ancestors show them with body types similar to mine. Just a few months ago I did an experiment where I limited my calorie intake to 900/day and was doing regular cardio (via treadmill). I gained weight.

I'm here to validate this. It's my story, too, and the curse of a super-efficient metabolism.

My doctor told me that I will need to live the rest of my life at 800 cal./day. My granny was like this. In order to stay normal weight, she drank an awful lot of hot water when other people were eating.

On the positive side of things, I just bought myself a dressmaker form. Wanted one for years, just bought it now. I fiddled with the dials, got the mannequin's measurements to match mine, and stepped back. You know, I'll never be on the cover of Vogue (their loss) but now that I see me in 3-D, it ain't so terrible.