Poll--Losing the vanity pounds

[noisemaker]

Hi ladies--I'm looking for your thoughts. I have been at the same weight for the last year. Before that I was doing WW consistently and lost about 25 pounds. I've been pretty content with my weight this past year and have focused on running goals more than weight goals. But I'm finally feeling the urge to slim down and lose the last 10 or so pounds.

My current weight is at the top end of healthy (BMI of 23.5 or so), so it's certainly not unrealistic to think I can lose some. I'm also jiggly and doughy in the middle--definitely room for improvement! But I keep thinking about how best to approach this, and I keep changing my mind. Should I do WW again, try paleo, just watch portions, workout more...all of the above? Help?

I run about 20 miles/week right now and strength train twice a week. I eat lots of healthy stuff (veggies, fruits, lean proteins), but also too many treats (beer or wine with dinner, chocolate covered nuts after the kids go to bed, etc)

So what say the H&Fers? What's the best way to lose those pounds and keep them off?

[megalicious]

#1 and #2 together. IMO it's all about what goes in--exercise can only do so much against a poor diet. MFP really helps both to track total calories, and to give you goals for fat, sodium, sugar, fiber, etc.

[juliahenry]

I think the best way to lose when you're already fairly healthy and active is to lower calories slightly, eat better food (cleaner, less processed etc) and change up your exercise routine - maybe add in a new activity or focus on speedwork or similar. Good luck!

[katinthehat]

also, track your measurements! changes don't always show up on the scale

[blinkinglight1]

I would cut out processed foods and see what happens!

[breezy8407]

I still believe in calories in vs. calories out, simply put. So #1 and 2 for me.

[ebeth]

I'm a runner who is currently trying to drop some vanity pounds. I have cut my miles to 20 mpw (w/ 1-2 interval sessions/week, usually 400s faster than 5K pace), introduced more cross training, and I'm lifting more than I do when I"m running higher mileage.

I also eat lower carb/higher protein (slightly modified south beach specifically), which is the strategy I used to drop 40lbs (that I have kept off for 6 years)

[onomatopoeia]

Jun 3, 2012 21:26:58 GMT -5 blinkinglight1 said:

I would cut out processed foods and see what happens!

I agree with this, along with the booze and extra treats. It's one thing to give yourself a treat every now and then, but I wonder if you are taking more calories in than you realize. For me it's easier to cut that stuff out altogether than to just try to cut back, because it was more of a habit than an actual desire for it.

[Deleted]

Switch up your routine - add in some gym classes? Cycle, sports conditioning, etc. to change up what your body is already used to (running and strength training).

[juangela]

I agree with cutting out processed foods. Eat as clean as you can.

When you strength train, what does your workout look like? I'd really push myself in the strength training, and possibly add another day of it if I were you, and lift as heavy as you can. (Confession, I love lifting .

I firmly believe that diet>building muscle>cardio in terms of getting rid of body fat, but that it does take all 3.

[SuziSaysDa]

I think it is a combo of #1 and #2, but I feel that #3 is a big part of that. Do you measure your treats? I think you should to see how much they are hurting you calorie wise. But - are you willing to cut them out? Are those last 10 vanity pound worth giving up your treats? Maybe transition to more healthy treats - but I think it is important to track them, it is very easy to get out of control calorie wise.

[Wines Not Whines]

I'm in a similar situation as you (identical BMI, trying to lose 10 pounds, and I run around 20 mpw). I'm trying to do a combination of #1 and #2 -- eat less and eat healthier. These often go hand-in-hand with me, because I need to eat more healthier, lower-calorie, filling foods (like fruits and vegetables) in order to eat less in general.

I've also increased my cross training by adding in yoga and more strength training. But I still think it's mostly diet.

[noisemaker]

Thanks everyone, so much to think about!

This definitely puts the emphasis on diet, which is what I thought, too. Now I guess it's just a question of how much I want to cut out, etc. I think getting rid of some processed carbs will be easy (salad instead of sandwich at lunch, double veggies instead of rice at dinner, etc) so I'll start there. And also try to make my nighttime treat a cup of tea for a bit and see if that can be my wind down instead of a sugary treat. Hopefully those changes, combined with just keeping track of what I eat for a while, will help get things moving again.

I busted out the food scale at lunch today, so that's a good start, right?

Thanks again for the input!!

[jobell]

I agree with all the folks who say watch what you put into your body.

I added a few pounds on over the past few months, though I was still in a healthy weight range, so I made an effort to limit the processed foods and try to eat as much natural food as possible (down to making most meals from scratch so I know exactly what is in my food) and I ended up losing about 6lbs in a 3 week period, and my middle section was a lot less giggly-er because of it!

[SusanBAnthony]

I think a sandwhich can be ok- as long as it is whole grain bread. I would worry more about beer and sugary treats. I have about 10 lbs left to lose, and avoiding white flour and refined sugar seem to do it for me. I still have treats- but instead of running to the bakery for a (white flour, lotsa sugar) cookie, I make almond flour/oatmeal cookies, with less sweetener, and use honey instead. They still taste like a sweet cookie, just not AS sweet. etc. Although, yoga has made my (post pg) stomach look way better.