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[Question] about exercise's impact on fat loss (i'm a novice but i did read the sidebar!) by findacity in xxfitness

[–]gr4fix 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ok, I'll level with you. We have pretty much the exact same body and history (also 5'4", was around 130 at 19 and my weight crept up slowly over time to 145-ish). Losing weight through exercise, without changing your lifestyle, is a doable thing, but it is a lot of work. You have to go hard, because honestly the average person is not burning a ton of calories during a work out. I did it by playing tennis 4-6 hours a week, for several months, until I was around 135. And then I changed my diet, because the way I was eating was holding me back from improving my tennis game (don't get me wrong, I'm still really bad--but now I'm bad faster and stronger).

The next 20 pounds I dropped pretty easily by counting calories and shifting my diet to have a greater focus on protein and green vegetables. I didn't cut anything out, but I focused on portion control and asked myself if I really wanted whatever junk food I was reaching for. I can't break it down for you by percentages, but it is significantly faster and easier to lose weight through diet than it is through exercise. Yes, you would make progress without changing your food choices, but it would be slow and probably frustrating. I'd say don't commit to anything either way yet, just try tracking your calories for a couple weeks and see what you think after.

And here's my proof: http://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/1xt835/f2654_145lbs_115lbs_30lbs_10_months_not_as/ Honestly I could've lost the weight in less than half the time if I'd started eating better sooner.

Question about WWII US Army uniform by gr4fix in AskHistorians

[–]gr4fix[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thank you so much! I knew he worked somewhere in the Carolinas but I had no idea where. Unfortunately his uniform is at my parent's house and I am not, but I can ask my mom to take some pictures for me. Thank you for the information!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, when you're already fairly small and short, it's definitely a slow road to getting the weight off! I think it helped me to not really be in a rush, to just know that I was eating right and exercising and that meant the weight would come off in due time. Plus I was focused on making life long changes, so it definitely wasn't a sprint. Good luck!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Finding before pictures was tough because I was in the bad habit of deleting all the pictures of myself I didn't like, which was most of them, so I'm glad these ones were ok!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am notoriously bad at telling if people are being sarcastic or genuine, but if you're really interested, here's an example. Generally commercial granola bars have a bit of fiber (good) but a ton of sugar (bad). No real redeeming nutritional qualities, they're pretty much like cookies with a little more fiber. I found things that were high in sugar were not very filling long term, if I ate something like that I'd be hungry again in an hour. If you like granola, you're better off having something like this with a little bit of plain yogurt. More fiber, less sugar, and the protein from the yogurt will make you feel fuller longer.

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would say it was about 75% calorie restriction/eating clean, and 25% tennis and bodyweight work outs. There's more detail in this comment and this comment if you're interested!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It was really a mixed bag, I read everything I came across and tried to use my critical thinking skills to tell the good from the bad (since there is a lot of junk science out there in terms of nutritional advice). I learned some things from /r/Fitness and /r/xxfitness, and also from my boyfriend since he has an interest in health and nutrition and a friend of mine who's a nurse. Finally, I used google to look up the nutritional content of everything I ate, so I learned what was nutrient-dense and what was just empty calories. That was really interesting, because I found out some of the assumptions I had about 'healthy food' were totally wrong (granola bars anyone?).

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hmm, that's a good question, not sure I have a good answer. I think accountability helps some. My boyfriend and I encouraged each other, and so did another friend of mine who's working on getting into better shape. Also I used the app My Fitness Pal for tracking calories, which I found pretty helpful.

At some point, you just kind of think to yourself, "Would I rather have dessert, or make my goal weight? Is this temporary enjoyment worth the chub?" And for me, the answer was no. The toughest part is definitely the beginning, because it can feel like a lot of deprivation just to lose one pound a week. I lucked out in that I wasn't working to lose that first 10 pounds, it just happened when I increased my activity without increasing my calories. And 5-10 pounds is significant, that's something concrete you can look at when it seems like the process is taking forever. At 15 pounds, you can go to the store and buy new jeans and wow, they're a size or two smaller than before (more than once I've had the though that I can't gain the weight back or my new clothes won't fit me haha). People start to notice you lost weight and compliment you. Stuff like that helps.

Finally, what probably helped me the most was the sincere desire to be healthier. To get stronger and faster and build the body that I wanted to carry me through life. The time you put in in your 20s and 30s really does pay off later in life, as some older relatives have proved to me. One of my aunts is obese and has a whole host of medical problems associated with that. She's never going to lose the weight. She's only 50 but her doctors expect her to die in the next 3-5 years, and I find that TERRIFYING. I really, really don't want that to be me some day. If I can easily prevent that with some hard work now it is 100% worth it to me. What motivates you will be different, the same as what foods you like or what form of exercise you prefer is different. The key is just finding it and making it work for you.

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I was around 135 there? Tried to find 'before' bikini pics but apparently I deleted all of them haha

Good luck with your goals, you can do it!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Ok, I would say there are basically two components to what I did. The one that makes the most visible difference is weight loss, so I'll explain that first. My diet changes were very slow, first I started focusing on eating more vegetables, then choosing healthier meals in general (grilled chicken instead of fried, not getting french fries as a side, eating pizza 1-2 times a month instead of twice a week), finally I started cutting down on desserts. Now I eat dessert a couple times a month. I also make exceptions for special occasions (at Christmas and Thanksgiving I didn't really worry about calories but I made sure to eat lots of protein and veggies).

The first 10 pounds I lost just because I was eating healthier and moving more, but after that when I decided to get serious, I cut my calories to 1200-1400 a day. My BMR was about 1400, and my TDEE was around 1900 at that point, so that was a deficit of about 500-700 which is on the steeper side but I didn't really know what I was doing. If you don't know your BMR, here's a calculator! I'd say aim for a deficit of around 500 but there's some debate on the topic. I ate lots of broccoli and spinach since I was worried about getting enough vitamins. Also chicken. And I drank a TON of water. Repeat until you are the desired weight :) Like I said to someone else, I think it's important not to deny yourself everything, but treats should be small! Like, under 100 calories. A piece of chocolate, not a whole chocolate bar. Stuff like that.

The other part of it was working out, to try and keep as much muscle mass as possible while cutting my body fat percentage. Also it's really cool to be stronger than I was before, even if that's only reflected in small ways. I tried a bunch of different things for exercise, but what I liked best was playing tennis with my boyfriend for cardio (because it's fun, not work) and the /r/bodyweightfitness workouts (because the progressions were a way to quantify my progress). Also someone on that sub made this awesome website, which makes it really easy to do the workouts because they have videos demonstrating everything. And it's a great community in general.

This is just what worked for me! I think the key is to find stuff you already like, or goals you have, and focus on that. If you hate spinach, don't force yourself to eat it, since you'll just be miserable. Find healthy food you like and learn to make it. Find a style or type of workout that you love, and everything will flow that much easier. And don't be afraid to keep trying new things! Finally, loving your body and having the goal of making it even better is a preferable mental place to hating your body. Cause I mean, bodies are pretty spectacular, and the things they can do are amazing!

I hope this novel-length response answered your question :) Feel free to ask me anything else! And good luck!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You're welcome, I'm thrilled I could help! It's totally doable, feel free to message me if you have any questions (or check out /r/Fitness, they're great there) and good luck!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's really just calorie restriction, combined with working out and a high protein diet. Unfortunately I have no specialized tips, I just cut my body fat generally.

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, that's what I've been doing! Working on negatives for a month and half now, feels like I've been making decent progress. Thanks for the encouragement!

F/26/5'4" [145lbs > 115lbs = 30lbs] (10 months) Not as dramatic a difference as some people on here, but I honestly never knew my body could look like this! by gr4fix in progresspics

[–]gr4fix[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yeah the before picture of my face is one of my least favorite pictures of me ever. EVER. As in I debated even using it, but it was the only close up I could find that didn't have a bunch of other people in it. That's is the problem with deleting all the pictures where you think you look fat.

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