It’s been about four months since I publicly admitted my big, fat, epic plateau and for the first few months I did really, really well. Then my dad passed away and I spent the entirety of December eating roughly my weight in cupcakes and Ramen noodles and not working out at all. And I still lost two pounds (no clue how but some wise readers suspected it was due to all the stress and anxiety). This month's fitness update brings a newer and weirder issue. Four weeks ago I was at 140.2 pounds and 31.8% body fat. Yesterday (my weigh-in day) I was 141 pounds and 30.8% body fat.
So, I gained 14 ounces but lost 1% of my body fat? Huh?!?!?
I'm confused. How is that possible? I mean, I know that everyone says, "Oh, muscle weighs more than fat" but frankly… can that even be true? Because it's it like that old riddle – "Which is heavier? A pound of feathers or a pound of rocks?" They're the same because they're both ONE POUND. By that reasoning, wouldn't one pound of muscle weight the same as one pound of fat? I mean, I know that its volume is less but wouldn't its weight be the same? And why would my body fat percentage go down so dramatically?
Image Courtesy of: Better Nikki
Currently, I am 5’5” and weigh 141 pounds with a body fat percentage of 30.8%. My measurements are: chest (35.5”), hips (44”), waist (31”), and hips (41”). <—– Those are the EXACT same measurements as last month. SEE?!?!? Confusing. And I fear that I'm hitting another epic weight loss plateau. Not good (though I have lost roughly an elephant's penis… Woot?).
Image Courtesy of: Trying to be Tiny and Tough
So! Last week, I sat my sorry ass down and reevaluated everything. First up – I took an honest look at what might be happening to stop me from losing weight. Here's what I came up with:
- I am too regularly eating too many calories. January has been very difficult for me emotionally and I'm eating to try and make myself feel better. This needs to stop. No excuses.
- I'm not making good food choices. Again, emotional eating = comfort food = "bad" food choices.
- I'm not logging into My Fitness Pal on days that I'm making bad food choices because I'm embarrassed. I need to Woman Up.
- I'm hitting a wall in my workouts and need to figure out how to overcome them and advance so that my body can burn fat and I can see results.
- I need to reevaluate WHY I'm losing weight and WHAT I want my fitness and weight loss goals to be. It's time.
Image Courtesy of: Skinny by 30
So, basically – I'm not handling my father's passing well at all (I know, I know. I'm guessing that y'all are SO DAMN TIRED ALREADY of hearing me talk about it but this depression and grieving that I'm experiencing is like nothing that I've ever imagined and I'm really, really struggling with it. It is, quite literally, overwhelming every single thing in my life right now.) and I need to get a grip on it. Also, I need to attack this potential plateau BEFORE it becomes flatlined instead of waiting 10 months to announce it to the entire Internet. Essentially, I need to shit or get off the pot.
Image Courtesy of: My Shakeology
So here's my Do Not Plateau Again You Silly Bitch plan:
- I've made an appointment for a consultation with a trainer at my gym. The Boy and I belong to Anytime Fitness and have been really happy with it so far. Our membership includes two free consultations with one of the gym's personal trainers – I've never used mine. So earlier this week, I scheduled a sit-down with my favorite one (I call him Hot Patrick) and, probably as you're reading this, we'll be discussing my current situation and reevalauting my needs to push me through this. I will probably also be checking out his ass at some point, too. Shameless.
- I'm also reviewing my goals and making new ones. The biggest one? I'm trying to move from focusing on just losing weight and starting to realize that I can do this – so I need new goals. I only have about 10-20 pounds left to lose (and really, only about 1" all around to fit into my pretty, pretty wedding dress). And I know that if I dedicate myself to eating right and continuing to work out… I can do that. So, now I need to start making fitness goals like running or lifting or whatever. Because I'm goal-oriented. I need something to be moving toward in order to keep myself motivated. I now recognize this and need to embrace it.
- I need to eat better or else hold myself accountable instead of making excuses and relying on the support of others to enable myself. This is the hardest one for me because I am essentially incredibly lazy and happy to justify my actions. This needs to stop.
Image Courtesy of: Teeny Tiny Thighs
With all that being said, here were my goals for the next 4 weeks:
- Hold a full plank for 1 minute for 3 sets (I just managed 1 set at 1 minute!).
- Jog (at 4.0 MPH) on the treadmill at a 5% incline for 10 minutes (I did this for 6 minutes yesterday!)
- Log into My Fitness Pal EVERY DAY for the next 30 days. NO EXCUSES (Super Bowl Sunday is going to suuuck).
- Get back down to 1 soda a day (Yes, I know that I'm not supposed to drink any at all ever but baby steps y'all – baby steps).
- Lose 1" off my thighs (This will make them the same size as my head. No joke).
Image Courtesy of: Unknown
And I’m putting it out there again and asking Team Tulle for your support for the next month. Bug me on Twitter, Facebook, check out my Fitness board on Pinterest, and be my friend on My Fitness Pal (I’m akbuilt – invite me to be your friend and I’ll add you to my group!). And please, please keep those practical fitness tips and nutritional suggestions coming – they are REALLY helpful to me. Are you in? Do you want to publicly declare a Fitness Journey of your own? Did you join me in September and now you want to share your progress with Tulle Nation? You know how it goes, y’all… fire away in the comments!
Krissy says
First, don’t ever worry that we’re tired of hearing you deal with your Dad’s passing. He was and is a huge part of your life. And this blog is about you and your life. So it’s only expected. We support you in your weight loss, and in your mourning of your father.
Second… does muscle count toward body fat %? Because the volume of 1 lb of muscle is less than 1 lb of fat… but if your measurements are the same, then maybe you gained more than a pound of muscle? Like, you lost 1 lb of fat, (so you were at 139.2) and gained 1.8 lbs of muscle? So it took up more space than the fat, because there was more of it, so your measurements stayed the same. And the body fat % went down because it was muscle, not fat. I tried thinking through it mathematically, and I’m not sure how the fat/muscle really works out…
Janna (Sparkly Love) says
There are plenty of reasons for why your weight could go up while your body fat went down. How are you measuring body fat? Do you always measure at the same time of day? Measuring BF before a workout vs. after can alter the results. So can measuring before eating vs. after eating. You carry water weight. Women can hold 2-4 additional lbs of water weight during their period (that’s a real thing). Muscle does weigh more than fat, and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism is and the more fat you burn throughout the day (not just during workouts). So the more muscle you build, the less body fat you’ll have, but some weeks these numbers will equal each other out. When I was working with my personal trainer he said that obviously you want to lose weight, but your body fat is a more accurate count of your success and health. You should not focus on the number on the scale, but rather how your clothes are fitting and your body fat (when recorded with a very accurate machine and always under the same conditions). At 5’5 you are probably within the healthy weight range for your height already and will need to start focusing more on toning now anyways.
With ALL that said… you look freaking fabulous. So just keep doing what you’re doing!!!!!!!
Amanda {The Uncrafter} says
I agree with everyone above me. The exact same thing happened to me over the summer! (Before I went back to school, and gained it all back, of course) I lost what felt/looked like 5 pounds. I felt healthier, and definitely skinnier. But the scale told me I had gained 1 pound! I was dumbfounded. I’ve learned that the scale shouldn’t tell me how I feel about myself, the mirror and how my clothes fit should. All in all, be proud of your self because you’re doing more than most people do in their quest for fitness…getting off the couch! Congrats on your success so far, Cris! 🙂
KissMyTulle says
So, thanks all for your sweetness and support! It’s so nice to blabber on about my fitness struggles and have others jump in and share their struggles, too – makes it a little easier to forgive myself when I make poor decisions.
And my consult with Hot Patrick was amazing! Y’all I learned SO much and got such amazing feedabck from him! So excited to meet with hima agin on Wednesday and look over his ideas for me. And… y’all know that I’ll be sharing all that with you on the next Fitness Friday. Until then, hook up with me on MFP and we’ll chat.
Angie says
I highly recommend a trainer. After working out on my own for 8 years (I am 38) I got one in January and I love it. I do 30 minutes, twice a week with him. In between I do cardio and my own weight training. With the trainer I do free weights and machines and he pushes me and encourages me. He rarely lets me change to lower weight if I am struggling and instead will “help” me lift or whatever it is I am doing. I was only going to sign up for 1 month but I decided that this is my gift to me and I am going to stick with him through the winter and stop in May when I should be completely rocking in my bikini. 🙂
P.S. Like your stats lately, I have lost maybe 1 pound but I have lost 6% body fat. I am 5’8, 140 lbs and 24% fat. I have small bones and I am not looking to lose weight but to tone.
Megan says
I think it’s important to remember WHY you are losing weight. Being skinny is nice, but it’s really not a good enough reason to motivate you during the tough times. I think your focus should be on getting healthier. Especially since our expectations of what we will look like when we lose weight, and what we actually look like when we lose that weight don’t always match up. That’s how I’ve been able to lose weight.