Friday, October 15, 2010

WILL I EVER GET OUT OF ATKINS PHASE 3?

I have been in Phase 3 now for over a year, I think. Due to my hormonal problems, it is beginning to look like any further weight loss may be impossible. I'm trying to decide whether I should give up on that and just assume I'm going to be around this weight from now on, and change my Phase number to a 4.

I am 5'3" tall, and 54 years old. Although I have gotten as low as 135.8 on May 31, 2010, that was very uncommon, and my weight is usually floating around in the low 140s. My original goal was to weight 130 with 25% body fat.

The last time I had my body composition done, I was still around 36% body fat, which is definitely not in the healthy range. I want to be around 25%, but I'm beginning to think that will never happen.

I am weary of the fight to lose weight and/or inches. I am not weary of eating properly, just weary of the struggle to get smaller.

I wear size small and medium tops. I wear anywhere from size 6 to size 10 pants, depending on the maker. I get compliments from people on my body size.

I should be satisfied, but on the other hand, I have a huge fatty stomach that does not show when I am clothed. But I know it's there, and I know my body fat percentage is unhealthy.

But here's the thing - I can't do anything about it! It seems that I have hit a wall, and I'm not going to lose any more fat. Maybe I should just reconcile myself to the fact (?) that I have an illness that makes weight loss unlikely if not impossible, and stop striving.

Well, technically (and I do love being technical!), being a 4 means that you have reached your goal weight and know how many carbs you can eat to stay there.

I have not reached my goal weight. Of course, I could just change my goal weight to my present weight, and then if I happen to lose more down the road, that would be okay, too!

it's not that I am "done trying to lose" as much as it is that I don't think I can lose any more right now, or maybe ever. I think I will always, to some extent, be trying to lose.

I do like the idea of going ahead and going to Lifetime Maintenance with the option of returning to Pre-Maintenance in the future.

Where I am right now is sustainable without a lot of stress. And even with stress, and trying to lose, I don't lose, so what's the point?

When I am dressed, I look like I am a normal weight, and that is definitely a change from when I first started!

My BMI is currently 25.3, which is just over the edge into overweight. When I started losing, it was 128 - just 2 points shy of obese!

In a perfect world, I would love my BMI to be 22, which is smack dab in the middle of normal.

In order for me to me the weight and body composition that my doctor is "ordering me" to achieve, I would have to lose another 23 pounds of fat and gain another 6 pounds of muscle with a scale weight of 124. That would really be a healthy weight for a woman of only 5'3".  Looks can be deceiving!

I could go back to a lower level if I chose to. There are some who have done that.  There are also some who have reached their goal weight, and entered Phase 4, and then ended up losing some weight later. That would be great, but I'm not counting on it.

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