Thread: Horrible habit of mine

I sometimes buy bellydance cossie's in a size I *used* to be rather than the size I *am*.

anyone else?

Either I need to get a grip or get back on the treadmill. lol!

Any tips on how to lose this 10 lbs that snuck up on me? *BIG SIGH.....

I kinda already know how, but humor me nonetheless, please.

My boyfriend (who is working on those last 10 too) says it's basically MATH:
calories in must equal or be slightly less than calories out

i.e. Dance WAY more and eat a little LESS
:-)

Just a few pounds makes such a difference with belly dance costumes, doesn't it? I'm working on losing a few that I gained over the winter. I am not eating a starch at lunch, just vegetables and protein. I am walking daily for about 30 min. I don't eat sweets and I eat lots of fresh veggies, lean protein and twice a day I eat fruit. It's coming down slowly but not fast fast as I would like. Maybe it just gets harder with every passing year to lose excess weight, I don't know.

I am going to have to move some hooks before I can wear a bunch of stuff that I own, darn it.

One thing that does change for many over the years is that when you reach a certain age, eating almost any sugar, even the "good" sugar found in fruit, can prevent one from dropping lbs. You'll notice that in some diets (incl. South Beach, Atkins, Scarsdale, HCG ...), all sugar, including fruit (except for a small amount of certain fruit with a low glycemic index) needs to be eliminated (as well as complete elimination of alcoholic drinks, even wine) for at least a couple of weeks straight to have results.

Got no help but I have noticed as I get older that it's much harder to lose weight. Exercise doesn't seem to make any difference for me. It's starve or be fat. And I do mean starve. Just reducing calories by 500 per day makes no difference at all.

I'm not sure if I am buying in used to be sizes or just delusional- I was never, ever a C cup, and no, even with extra material I am not going to make that C cup into an F (which I hope to get down to sometime in the next year when I'm done breastfeeding) and certainly not an H (which seems to be where I've settled while breastfeeding) Grr. But I don't want to buy bigger sizes either, since I's just *so sure* I'll be back down within a year

Originally Posted by catwomyn

Got no help but I have noticed as I get older that it's much harder to lose weight. Exercise doesn't seem to make any difference for me. It's starve or be fat. And I do mean starve. Just reducing calories by 500 per day makes no difference at all.

I noticed that too. It seemed that nothing I did made any difference.

However, I discovered that strength training (building muscle) made a phenomenal difference! The only problem with this "brilliant" discovery is that it seems to take TONS more effort to build muscle than it used to. I have noticed definite twin benefits of weight loss and body firmness when I can invest enough time/effort/grunt into some strength work. But sheesh! The EFFORT!

Bikram Yoga is doing my old bod some good. That, and big summer salads. I really crave veggies and greens this time of year.

I agree that calories in must be less than calories out. The FitDay website is helpful in adding up the calories you eat each day. A calorie counting band will help you figure out how many calories you burn on days you exercise and on days you don't.
Raw veggies are quick and easy with breakfast and dinner. Get lots of protein with lean meat (chicken breast).
I second weight training. Lift weights (chest press, leg press, cable row for upper back, lat pull down for mid-back) 2 to 3 times a week. Dieting will get you more success than exercise. Cardio and dance mostly just helps you appreciate being thin and fit, so it can be motivating.
Also, I use non-stick pans when I cook on a diet so I can cook without added fat. I know, many experts say they're unhealthy... I like to add flavor without added fat (I'm not against fat, specifically. But fat has lots of calories.) by using sauces like Marsala wine, some teriyaki sauces, and tomatoe sauce. It's not easy, but if you can do this for several weeks, you pretty much can't fail.

I was in a dance studio with mirrors for the first time in several weeks and saw that my body is not only back to a noticeably larger size, it has acquired an entirely new shape. Again. I wish it weren't a struggle and that I would stop morphing all the time. I'm trying to be accepting of my body whatever its state, but I know I just need to eat less and dance more to look and feel better. I've been wanting to make a new costume, but if I start working on it at the same time as I work to get back into a healthy lifestyle, and I am successful at both, my costume will probably be the wrong size by the time its done!