Weightloss

[Anonymous1324]

After having my son in 2018, developing major anxiety/minor depression, a major car accident etc, I finally got back in the gym. (Went from 165 pre pregnancy, to 135 after pregnancy to now 205) I’m weight lifting a lot. It’s great. I can lift insane amounts (735lb on leg press!!!!) however, my weight isn’t changing. I definitely shock people when I say I weigh 205 because I don’t look like it in the slightest.  I’m not big on using scales. However after being bullied when I was younger and gaining this weight I want to cut. I don’t mind weighing 205lbs as long as I am comfortable wearing a bikini and it’s mainly muscle mass.  I’ve tried all the diets. The cardio (unsustainable after a few weeks and after doing extensive research it’s not the best for your joints). Etc. I eat healthy (and enjoy it so it’s sustainable) but it’s still not working. I make sure I burn more calories than I eat. Not working. I just don’t understand and it’s beginning to turn that minor depression into major depression. Any advice? :(

[AnnieBrooke]

It is true that muscular people weigh more for their dimensions than people who don't have much muscle -- fat weighs less. If people are shocked when you say you weigh 205, you must look pretty good. When you were 165, were you also lifting and had a lot of muscle mass? Because if not, it sounds like you might look about the same as then.

I guess what I'm getting to, is if you like the way you look, the number on the scale shouldn't be enough to tip you into major depression. Is something else going on? And, do you have a counselor or therapist? So much of weight gain and loss is a psychological battle, not of following a diet. In my life, when my head changes, my body changes. If you don't have a therapist, you might look into the possibility.

[Anonymous1324]

I’m actually only 5’3. Like I said I can lift insane amounts of weight. That 735lb on leg press has now increased. I’ve been tested for all thyroid conditions and it came back negative. I have no problem with the scale, I guess. I don’t mind weighing 205 lbs at 5’3. However— no matter how much cardio I do, how many hiit workouts I do, or how well I have a proper diet— I can’t lose the stomach fluff I developed. I guess that’s my issue and why I feel insecure. Countless people have said I look great— but the idea of the jiggle, rolls etc I have in my stomach bother me. My legs jiggle too— but the second I flex it disappears so I don’t mind it. I actually love them. I have seen a therapist. They don’t really say much about the weight gaining. They just recognize ptsd, anxiety & depression.

[Barb135]

Your ideal weight depends, as Annie said, on whether or not you like the way you look, as well as other physical factors.  What's your height?  Sounds like you might be fairly tall to be able to weigh 205 lbs and not look it.  Muscle tissue is much denser (tightly packed) than fat tissue (fluffy and makes us look larger), so it's true that really muscular people often weigh as much/more than people who look fatter.  

I'm not real keen on "diets" per se... A diet is simply what we eat - it can be good, bad or indifferent.  A healthy mix of the various things our body needs is the best diet there is.

I might also mention that it's a good idea to change up your exercise routine... cardio tends to help with weight loss, while weight training builds muscle.  Muscle, in turn, burns fat, but since muscle is denser than fat, doing all weight training will keep the weight on - just in a different form.  It doesn't sound like you could have much actual fat on your body.

The last thing I'd mention is that there are some medical conditions that can weight issues,  including insulin resistance, as well as hypothyroidism.   Insulin is known as the "fat storage hormone" so insulin resistance causes fat to be stored instead of being used for energy.  The thyroid controls metabolism, so if you don't produce enough of the active thyroid hormones, weight loss will be difficult to impossible.   Again, it doesn't sound like you have much actual fat on your body, but it never hurts to rule out medical reasons for not losing weight.

[Anonymous1324]

I’m actually only 5’3. Like I said I can lift insane amounts of weight. That 735lb on leg press has now increased. I’ve been tested for all thyroid conditions and it came back negative. I have no problem with the scale, I guess. I don’t mind weighing 205 lbs at 5’3. However— no matter how much cardio I do, how many hiit workouts I do, or how well I have a proper diet— I can’t lose the stomach fluff I developed. I guess that’s my issue and why I feel insecure. Countless people have said I look great— but the idea of the jiggle, rolls etc I have in my stomach bother me. My legs jiggle too— but the second I flex it disappears so I don’t mind it. I actually love them.

[Barb135]

Could the "jiggle" on your stomach and legs be caused from excess skin?  If you went from 165 pre-pregnancy to 135 post-pregnancy, a sudden loss could leave the body with skin that had been stretched and isn't elastic enough to "shrink" with the body.  

I'd be interested in knowing exactly which thyroid tests were done to determine that you don't have a thyroid issue.  Most doctors (including endocrinologists) don't order the most important tests, so a lot of people end up misdiagnosed (or undiagnosed).  

Have you had other hormone tests, such as reproductive, adrenal, etc to insure that testosterone and estrogen, etc are balanced?

All of that said, if you're happy with the overall way you look, maybe a little tummy jiggle isn't such a bad thing?   I see in your other comment you mentioned having seen a therapist, who didn't really address the weight/body issue.  It would seem possible that the your "weight issue" could be attributed to all the muscle you carry and the more you weight train, the more they're likely to grow.  There are therapists who deal, specifically, with that type of issue.  However, if you're happy with the overall way you look, perhaps a little tummy jiggle isn't such a bad thing?