by EM2WL | Feb 28, 2013 | The Journey
So I began this journey in October of 2011…lost a little, gained a tad…hovered. I wasn’t logging regularly, I wasn’t exercising regularly…then 2-20-12, I changed.
A friend encouraged me to walk with a group and she also helped me to keep on track with my eating habits. We made a pact, if you will, that we would focus on getting healthy.
I began to log and was so excited to reach my first 100 days logged. I began walking and logging religiously. The pounds were melting off…at first.
I lost a lot of weight and began running…I know me..running! amazing!
Then I hit the dreaded plateau…and I was cranky, my hair started to fall out, my skin started to lose color, I was tired all the time, I didn’t have the energy to give my all during my workouts…I wasn’t happy with this journey any longer.
I started doing research and came across a little group called “EM2WL” (Eat More 2 Weigh Less) this changed my life! You mean I can EAT and still lose weight?!?!?!
You betcha! No, that doesn’t mean you can go hog crazy wild eating junk and lots of it…it means find out what you burn every day and then do a small cut from that..don’t jump right to 1200 calories, that’s just down right bad for the body.
So, I started to up my cals even though I was scared to death I would gain I started upping cautiously. I would up my cals but then burn excessive amounts to make up for it..lol. I was spinning tires..getting nowhere fast. Some folks have to learn the hard way and let the info set a while…that was me lol.
It took me a long time to trust that my body was smarter than all the low cal fad diets and I needed to let my metabolism heal.
The first week of eating more…I had energy and I started to sweat a TON during my workouts! My body felt so much better. I started to cut back on the cardio and keep my calorie burn from getting to high and trying to eat back most of my cals. I felt stronger and I stopped losing hair. I began to lose more weight…yay!
I have learned my body is complex…it is smart..it’s a machine.
I learned the difference between the amount of calories you eat and the amount you *NET* and how it affects the body.
I learned that if you over do exercise and do it the same all the time..eventually my body will just look at all that over training as “just another load of laundry”
I have learned that if I treat my body right it will love me back.
I have learned the ill and even scary effects of eating too few cals and I have since come to the realization that I do NOT have to kill myself with cardio and eat like a bird.
I am happy and I can see doing this the rest of my life because I am not depriving myself or setting unrealistic expectations of daily activity.
“Don’t do anything to lose weight that you aren’t willing to keep doing the rest of your life to keep it off”
I look forward to another year of logging to come. I hope to be another 50 lbs less this time next year. But even if I don’t reach that particular goal, I know I will be healthier, stronger and more fit.
I get the biggest kick out of people asking what I am doing to lose weight. It usually goes something like this…
Them: what are you doing? Just not eating???
Me: no, I actually eat a LOT!
Them: then how you are losing so much??
Me: when you give your body what it needs it loves you back
The look of astonishment on their faces cracks me up…
I have lost so much more than weight…my uneasiness around groups, being uncomfy in my own skin…I have gained a lot too..self confidence, pride, happiness.
I have lost many inches in the last few months…my clothes fit better, and I am reshaping my body. I have learned the scale is not the ultimate measure of success.
Follow Kim’s Journey at See Kim Shrink
Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? We’d love to see it! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
by EM2WL | Feb 19, 2013 | The Journey
Update to Ichel’s Journey
‘Plaster Your Number Day,” started by Holly and Lucia, got me thinking today.
A year ago I would have been horrified to share my weight with anyone, and yet there I was telling my entire friends list my weight!
It became evident from other people’s posts, that weight is really not so important as other factors. Especially as I see on the forums at this time of year,’ I’ve only lost 18 pounds in 3 weeks and now I’ve plateaued!’ etc. etc. I am not mocking these posts, it is how society has brain washed us into believing our worth, and we also expect almost instant results from little effort.
So I would like to list a few pretty unexpected benefits that I have had since eating more and lifting heavier for all these months. None of these have anything to do with weight, body fat or clothes size.
1. Posture. An amazing result for me, I have been a round shouldered old woman looking thing since a teenager. Try as I might to keep my shoulders back, it hurt and I would slouch back into sack of potatoes position. I noticed one day, how my shoulders are now right back, without trying or thinking about because my supporting muscles are now strong and doing what they are meant to do.
2. Sleep. I always felt I slept pretty good, but now I notice the quality of my sleep. I sleep so soundly, and I make sure I get enough of it too, because I know how important it is, so I won’t skimp anymore.
3. Feeling strong. Might seem obvious, but I don’t mean getting new PR’s with deadlifts or squats ( well there’s that too!) I mean day to day feeling strong. Carrying loads of grocery shopping and not even noticing the weight, bringing in wood for the fire with ease, moving furniture that would have previously been too heavy, things like this.
4. Skin, hair and nails. My nails are strong and don’t snap like they used to. My complexion is always clear and glowing. My hair just keeps on growing!
5. Feeling happy. seriously I feel so content because I know I am looking after myself, I am not starved, over exercised, not stressed out over the whole ‘must lose weight, must lose weight’ philosophy any more.
6. No need to binge. I have not once now for months, felt like over eating anything! I didn’t think I used to, but realized I used to carb load at the weekends. I don’t need cheat meals, cheat days etc because I can work anything I feel like into my macros and daily totals. I never feel deprived or hungry.
7. Getting my sass back! I feel so much more confident as its all about loving yourself and loving your amazing body and being thankful for everything it does for you every day.
8. Having the truly most amazing friends here on MFP who help and support me and from whom I have learned so much about nutrition, lifting, patience and acceptance.
It’s so not all about the scale, the calipers or even the tape measure.
This is a lifestyle that is doable for life.
Once you start to love all the other benefits, the other things will soon fall into place.
And if it takes me a long time to get there, that’s fine with me, I’m in no hurry.
by EM2WL | Feb 12, 2013 | The Journey, Transformations
Guest Post, courtesy of Salina
I have stayed committed since Dec 2011, but logged into MFP everyday starting at the end of Jan 2012. It’s been a year and here’s what I’ve done:
Apps: MFP, FitnessBuddy (electronic log of weight lifting), hundredpushups, C25K, Zombies Run!
Programs: Eat More to Weigh Less (EM2WL), New Rules of Lifting for Abs (and for Women), Butt Bible, 30 Day Shred, P90X, Book – How to Eat What You Love and Love What You Eat (helped with emotional eating)
My personal rules:
- Make a choice and enjoy that choice guilt free.
- Choose things I can do for the rest of my life. That means unreasonable workouts, restricting food/starving myself, or cutting out entire food groups are all a no-go for me.
- Focus on being healthy, looking good is a positive side effect.
- Sleep and rest are as important as working hard and giving it my all.
Inspiration quotes:
- A year from now you will have wish you started today
- Strive for progress not perfection
- The only person you are in competition with is the you from yesterday
Inspirational people:
Advice:
- If you don’t feel like working out that day, go for 10 min. If you want to stop after 10 min, then give yourself permission with no guilt. (I’ve never once stopped after 10 min, although I have cut my workouts short to 40 min.)
- If you spend time feeling guilty about what you didn’t do, then you don’t get to enjoy what you are doing. How good does the cake taste if you are feeling guilty for eating it in the first place? How can you enjoy time for you while working out if you are feeling guilty about not spending time on the chores/hobby/family?
- Don’t starve yourself. You’ll be more successful in the long run if you do it a little slower and eat more food. Check out www.eatmore2weighless.com for information
- Find a workout program you like and change up your routine every 6-10 weeks – you’ll probably stick with it because you have an ‘end’ to look forward to and something new to try. Take a rest week between switching up your routine (or earlier if you feel exhausted/running on empty).
- Work hard at workouts that you enjoy and fuel your body properly, including eating from every food group.
- Don’t deprive yourself, rather find balance. I enjoy eating out with friends and family, I still drink alcohol, and I still make time for friends, family, and sleep.
- Don’t set your goals based on what the scale says–only you see that number. Everyone else sees how your clothes fit or how your muscles look. For me, meeting all of the other goals has been so much more rewarding than seeing a certain number on the lying scale that lies.
Here’s what I did:
| Time period |
Exercise |
Caloric intake |
Weight/Bodyfat |
Dress Size |
| May 2011-Aug 2011 |
C25K |
2500-3000 calories?? Didn’t track |
Start 193 lbs, end 183 lbs |
Size 12/14 |
| Sept 2011 – Dec 2011 |
Exercise restriction due to hernia (surgery #1 Oct 2011) |
3000+. Emotional eating, didn’t track |
197 lbs, 33% BF |
Size 14 |
| Dec 2011 – Feb 2012 |
Exercise restriction due to hernia (surgery #2 Jan 2012) |
1700-2200 cal/day, track with MFP |
182 lbs |
Size 12 |
| Feb 2012 – mid Mar 2012 |
Light cardio 2-3x week |
1700-2200 cal/day |
177 lbs |
Size 12 |
| Mid Mar 2012-early Apr 2012 |
30DS 2x/week, pilates 1x/week, medium intensity 20 min cardio 2x/week |
1700-2200 cal/day |
177 lbs |
Size 12 |
| Apr 2012 |
Butt Bible lower 2x/week, NROLFW Level 1 3x/week +HIIT cardio, pilates 1x/week |
2200 cal/day |
176 lbs |
Size 10 |
| 1st half May 2012 |
Exhaustion/sick, full rest on workouts for 2 weeks |
EM2WL: 2400 cal/day with no exercise |
175 lbs, 27% BF |
Size 10 |
| 2nd half May 2012 |
NROLFW + HIIT cardio 3x/week |
2500 cal/day |
175 lbs |
Size 10 |
| June 2012 – mid Aug 2012 |
NROLFW 2-3x/week, running 3 miles 2x/week, volleyball 1x/week |
2700-2800 cal/day |
172 lbs, 26% BF |
Size 8 (reached at 173 lbs at end of July) |
| 2nd half Aug 2012 |
Rest |
2600-2700 cal/day |
172 lbs |
Size 8 |
| Sept 2012 |
NROLFA 2-3x/week |
2600-2700 cal/day |
171 lbs – 175 lbs |
Size 6/8 |
| Oct 2012-Dec 2012 |
NROLFA 2x/week |
2600 cal/day |
169-174 lbs, 25% BF |
Size 4/6 |
I was always one of the lucky people – I was stick thin, could eat what I wanted when I wanted without any impact to my size or weight. I’m 5’11” and for most of my life I was a size 4 or smaller. I also grew up playing volleyball and staying active. Combine getting older, an office job in front of a computer, and having a baby and suddenly I didn’t look like this anymore (size 4, early 20s):
When I embarked on this journey in December 2011, I really had no idea what I wanted my goals to be, beyond ‘Weigh 165 lbs by Halloween’ which was the last time I remember being a size 8 and feeling great about the way I looked. Seeing myself in my sister in law’s wedding in September 2011 made me realize just where I was size wise:
I dealt with the death of my dad and two surgeries (with each having a 6 week exercise restriction period) in the last year. I am so proud of my progress thus far. I am looking forward to doing a Tough Mudder or Warrior Dash this year, as well as continuing to lift. Some before/after pics:
Holiday party 2011 in red, 2012 in black:
Front, back, side
Fitness changes:
| Weight |
197 lbs |
169 lbs (up to 174 lbs…it fluctuates) |
| Bodyfat |
33% |
25% |
| Dress Size |
14 |
4/6 |
| BMI |
27.5 |
23.7 |
| Resting HR |
85 bpm |
58 bpm |
| Distance run before walking |
½ mile |
3.5 miles |
| Push-ups |
3 on knees |
22 on toes, 70 with short breaks every 12-15 |
| Plank |
15 sec on my knees |
3 min on toes, with unsteady arms on bosu ball, unsteady/raised feet on exercise ball, or jack knives with exercise ball or 50 lb cable pulls while planking |
| Side plank |
10 sec on knees |
2+ min on toes with one arm or one leg raised. Also 50 lb cable pulls while planking. |
| Bench press |
16 lbs |
105 lbs |
| Lat pull down |
50 lbs |
140 lbs |
| Pull ups |
100 lbs assist |
36 lbs assist |
| Squat |
Body weight |
Body weight + 110 lbs |
| Deadlift |
40 lbs |
100 lbs |
by EM2WL | Feb 6, 2013 | The Journey
As I sit here beside the ocean in Bermuda tears fill my eyes, almost 9 months ago I had reached my end at 320lbs. I knew I had to start somewhere so I started to educate myself on food, exercise, weight loss, and my body. I reached out to Lucia my good friend from Florida who told me eating 1500 calories was starving myself. Years ago it worked but I gained it back double.
The more I read the info on EM2WL I realized I had been doing it all wrong. As I reached the first 40lb weight loss I began increasing my walking. I love to get outside so I started doing 2 miles a day then increased to 6.5 miles. After I watched Kiki’s YouTube message on cardio I realized I was becoming a cardio crackhead. For the last few weeks I have increased the strength training using an app on my phone called virtuogym.
I noticed my pants getting too big but for months the scale would not move… Now, I’m 60lbs lighter I enjoy and love the changes I am making. I sent my son a picture of me and he could not believe it was me… “dats my momma?
I even drove to buy the protein bars from Lisa’s Six Pack Nutrition Shack on my visit to Florida and carried them on the plane back to Bermuda.
You have to begin this journey wanting it for yourself. I have had so much support along the way. My spiritual and physical life has changed; I can do squats without my knees locking, and I am up for the challenge to lose more weight building muscle while losing fat.
Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? We’d love to see it! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
by EM2WL | Jan 29, 2013 | Testimonials, The Journey
Patience pays – after the first 2 months of “trusting the process” w/no changes (right), 4 months later = results! (left)
I had always been skinny and in shape prior to having children.
I never had to watch what I ate, count a calorie, and even worry a bit about my weight. After having my first child, 9 years ago, I gained about 55 lbs, watched what I ate, but not strictly and worked out. I was able to lose the weight and keep it off. Jump ahead 6 years, and I got pregnant with my youngest daughter, who is now 3. Losing the 58 lbs I gained with her had been a nightmare.
I jumped on the Weight Watchers bandwagon, lost some weight, and then onto the 1200 calories plunge. I initially lost weight, but then got totally stuck. I was barely eating anything, working my butt off at the gym, and still nothing was changing. I was tired, unhappy, and just miserable. Then, I stumbled across the Eat More to Weigh Less board and had that AHA moment! I did my own research, talked to trainers, and found out I was doing it ALL WRONG.
Lost some weight, but tightening all over!
I started by eating at my TDEE and resetting my metabolism. Initially I gained a couple pounds as expected and then maintained for 2 months. After that, I began the 20% cal reduction, began Beachbody coaching, and started Turbo Fire w/ Shakeology. In the last 4 months I’ve completed that program and started Les Mills Combat. I workout from home, drink my Shakeology, and have lost 10 lbs. But guess what? I don’t watch the scale! My body, pictures, and clothing tell a different story. It was definitely worth taking the time to listen to my body and treat it right. I am now eating over 1800 calories per day and losing my old body. I’m stronger, happier, healthier, and on top of the world.
EM2WL and Beachbody have changed my life. I became a Coach in order to help others and teach them what I know. It has absolutely changed my life! Let me help you change yours!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachael.kosal
Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? We’d love to see it! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
by EM2WL | Jan 24, 2013 | Metabolism Reset, The Journey
Behind the metabolism reset curtain…
I’ve been at cut for a little over a month and I am pleased to say that my metabolism reset was a success. I even went into cut over the Christmas holiday and woke up to a 1 lb lost the day after. This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself but when your cut is 2k+ you can enjoy a few more delicious bites than if it was 1200. Toward the end of my metabolism reset I started getting hungry and didn’t understand that it was my metabolism saying “Hey, I’m here and I’m awake”. It took almost 3 weeks into cut at 10% for the scale to move which kind of scared me, because again I still struggle with the microwave mentality. It doesn’t happen over night, your body is a tricky and complex machine and it tends to do what it wants to. Often times, our brains and our bodies aren’t on the same wave length, one or the other is mostly lagging behind. But once the scale started moving I was as happy as a dog with two tail. So far I’ve averaged about .5-1 lbs a week, not counting TOM and those occasional misbehaved meals.
Doing a metabolism reset was one of the best things I could have ever done for myself. It has healed so much more than my metabolism or just teaching me how to eat. My relationship with food is not that of guard and prisoner anymore. I’m in control because now I know that life doesn’t end with 1 bad food choice or giving in to my sweet tooth. When you allow yourself to eat more you are not tied so tight to those tiny portions and extreme food restrictions. Reset has also opened my eyes to all the health problems I had from eating VLCD. Lack of energy, irregularity, outrageous food cravings, dry skin, irritability, headaches and hair loss. All of these things I had no clue came from poor nutrition until I started eating. I still have chocolate cravings and honestly that craving I’ll keep, LOL after all chocolate is a required macro!!
Lifting weights is now my new love and I actually enjoy getting up in the morning to go bang some iron. My personal goal for this year is to squat and deadlift my body weight and increase upper body strength. Even with weight training I struggle with the “get there fast” thoughts in my head. I still think I should be flipping over cars and climbing buildings when I should just keep picking up heavy things and putting them down until they become too light, then pick up something heavier. I’ll be doing Xtrain soon and STS in the fall.
I never really thought that I had a eating disorder until I did my metabolism reset and began my cut. I’ve always associated eating disorders in terms of extremes i.e anorexia or bulimia. Ive never been one to extremely over eat or under eat for long periods of time (so I thought) But now that I am counting my calories and am being more accountable for what goes in my body, I now know that my eating is very disordered. There have been days that I would mentally struggle to eat 700 calories and then there are days I devour 2500 calories, all linked to how I am feeling and the level of stress. Now I understand why my weight loss yo-yo’ed for so many years, and I also understand why so many fall into these eating habits so easily and get stuck there. EM2WL has saved me in so many ways and Ive learned so much. Without their guidance I could have easily fallen into the anorexia/bulimia pool and drowned like so many, but because my relationship with food is continuously healing I haven’t. A full Metabolism Reset was one of the best things I did for myself, next to buying my first weight set. I can only speak on what I know and what I know is eating more saved ME.
If there is any doubt in your mind about increasing your calories, lifting weights, doing a metabolismreset, I challenge you to change the way you think, re-train your brain from the way we have all been taught to lose weight and give it your best. You wont regret it and your body will thank you for it.
Have an EM2WL transformation to share? Willing to let us tag along on your journey? We’d love to see it! Be featured on our Transformation/Journey page by submitting your story to Success@EM2WL.com
So I began this journey in October of 2011…lost a little, gained a tad…hovered. I wasn’t logging regularly, I wasn’t exercising regularly…then 2-20-12, I changed.
I started doing research and came across a little group called “EM2WL” (Eat More 2 Weigh Less) this changed my life! You mean I can EAT and still lose weight?!?!?!
The first week of eating more…I had energy and I started to sweat a TON during my workouts! My body felt so much better. I started to cut back on the cardio and keep my calorie burn from getting to high and trying to eat back most of my cals. I felt stronger and I stopped losing hair. I began to lose more weight…yay!
I have learned the ill and even scary effects of eating too few cals and I have since come to the realization that I do NOT have to kill myself with cardio and eat like a bird.
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