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Actual weight loss
H'okay. I'm 20 years old, and I'm a girl.
I'm in really good shape - I can run for an hour straight, I can bike 8 miles (outdoors, not stationary bike), and I work out 3-4 times a week, sometimes 5 or 6 if I have time and can make myself walk to the gym in the cold, lol.
I eat well, protein, veggies, fruit, barely any refined sugar, minimal complex carbs...
Oh yeah. I'm 5'4", and I weigh about 125.
I'm aware that I have a LOT of muscle mass - my legs are pretty much rock hard, I have more bicep and ab definition than some of my guyfriends, and I'm actually doing a fat-cutting routine that seems to be working, kind of.
Thing is, I can't seem to drop below 120. Last time I weighed less than that was tenth grade. I really, really want to get down to 115, but I don't want to risk losing any of my muscle that I worked so hard for. Lol
Also, the underside of my arms is causing me problems. My arms are bigger than they should be at my weight, and they make me look bigger than I am. Any tricks?
I know how to burn fat. I know how to gain lean muscle. I just don't know how to drop poundage, I guess. I did it when I tried South Beach diet, and I didn't gain the weight back that I lost, but I'm still not happy with what's going on now. I won't cut anything out of my diet, so don't bother suggesting the fads, they're horribly unhealthy.
If I'm already doing so much weight training and cardio, what can I change, or do, to fix this?
This fat-cutting routine I'm doing, I've only been doing for about a month, and I do see results, but I feel like they're not solid.
Also, I have crohn's disease, if anyone knows what that is, and every time it flares I lose at least 10 pounds. Do you guys think that's the reason I can't drop those last 10? Because my body is afraid to lose it, 'cause if I get down to 115 and my crohn's flares, I'd be underweight?
I guess with all the background, here's my real question: how do I drop 10 pounds in a healthy way?
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Hey there. My first thought when I read this was why is the number in iself so important to you? If you know how to cut fat and build muscle, you can build more or less whatever kind of body you want (looks and health wise), so why care about whether the scale says 120 or 115?
From your question it is a little difficult to understand whether or not your current diet is working or not. However, let me just say a few things that may influence it.
First off are you eating often enough, and are you eating the right stuff at the right time of day? Ideally you should be eating 5 or so meals a day, balanced but tailored to what you are about to do. This would imply smaller, less carb intensive meals later in the day.
Second, are you getting enough Omega 3? The typical western diet is very deficient in this essential fatty acid. This is linked to a large number of health issues and also to overweightness. If you are not, consider getting a daily supplement.
Other than this I can only point you towards general guidelines. Are you sure you are eating a properly balanced diet (typical percentage recommendation is usually 40- 40- 20 or 40- 30 -30, as percentage of calories from carbs- protein- fat). If are doing all of this, then you have to lower the number of calories you eat slightly. As with any weight loss there will always be some muscle loss though, thats unavoidable.
I doubt that your body is not letting you lose weight because of the disease issue. I think its more likely that your bodyfat percentage is pretty low and you have to take fairly extreme measures to lower it further.
Remember though not to get too caught up in the numbers. As our resident fitness trainer here on advicenators always used to advise, dont use scales to judge your progress, use a mirror.
Good luck.
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