Weight: 187 - Pounds left to lose: 27

Yeah, muscle really does add more pounds, but I have to say, as someone who has been weight training since sept, it will make a person look SO much "sexier." Like, one's waist gets smaller, but their boobs and ass get curvier. Muscle mass definitely gives a sexier shape to a body-- kind of counter intuitive, I know but true.

While adding muscle mass can skew the scale readings, remember that muscle revs up the metabolism and makes the body burn fat faster. You will also burn more calories while sedentary.

All in all, a pretty good deal.

:-)

Brian

Yay for being able to shop at thrift stores again!! That's one of the things I've missed the most since gaining so much weight (100 pounds in the last 7 years). In high school as a size 14/16 I could revamp my wardrobe every few months with $25 at local thrift stores. One of my favorite finds: a white t-shirt with a picture of a lime green brontosaurus sitting at a computer with the subtitle: "Computasaurus" and then some wacky pseudo-dictionary definition. And it was a youth size Large, if I remember correctly. I wore it until it was almost see-through.

Congrats on your amazing weight loss!!! This is my first time commenting, and I've just finished reading through your entire archives (okay, it took me about a week of sneaking it in at work, but that's okay, right?...). I must say it has been such a fun, inspiring and gratifying read -- so good because it is so real, you are definitely relatable. I can't wait for your book to come out in '08. I'll definitely be jonesing for a signed copy :)

Cheers,
Ellen

I've found it helpful to measure body composition when I'm weight training (I use calipers, the scales seem really flaky) because then I can know what's going on during those weeks when I stay the same or gain weight (or even when I'm losing but losing muscle rather than fat) and adjust my diet/training/cardio accordingly.

I know exactly what you mean; it is so frustrating to not lose any weight because of weight training, no matter all the plusses it has. I've found it can be rewarding to use the tape measure more than the scale when weight training. It's amazing how you can lose 9 overall inches without losing a pound.

It is so psychological, though - just stare at the scale, waiting to lose something. It's funny how we are.

Hi! I just wanted to let you know that when you weight train you get tiny little tears in your muscles. These tears tend to fill up and hold onto water which is why you may see an increase (or stay steady) on the scale. It's just water retension in your soon-to-be toned muscles. Don't let it fool you! You're still doing awesome things for your body by strength training.

I've been strength training since the beginning of my whole ordeal and it really makes me feel so strong and I'm amazed at how quickly I can progress.

Also another little warning. If you're NOT sore after a weight workout DON'T WORRY! Soreness is not an indication of a good workout. I rarely get sore after my workouts even though I KNOW I really worked hard. At first I thought I must have been doing something wrong because I was expecting to be in some major pain but it just never happened. I did some research and found out that "no pain no gain" is a bunch of malarkey!

Yep, when building muscle ya gotta let go if only a little of the numbers on the scale! I'm also trying to transition from a fat busting mind set to a building muscle and fitness mindset! I know that the muscle I build the more my metablism will increase, and hopefully the less pesky loose skin I'll have (though I have to admit I like the way it feels to, thanks for posting that it made feel a little less freaky! hehehe).I also LOVE the thrift stores! now that I'm a size 14 it's so much easer to find cute stuff for dirt cheap, I can't wait until I'm a size 12! The number of cheap clothes seems to double! I also like the resale/consignment shops! The clearance racks at those places are sometimes just as cheap as good will and it's usually really nice stuff!

That weight training gain will go away once your body gets used to it. Congrats on the Goodwill scores! I didn't realize until this post that you're in Indiana -- you and I are practically next-door neighbors (I'm in OH).

I can smell that Goodwill smell just reading your post... glad the stuff you bought is washable!

Now why are there no plus sizes at Goodwill?

Don't larger people donate clothes too?

Confused.

Don't hide out over holding steady! You are awesome...we actually talked about you at lunch last weekend and were saying how amazing you look!

We meaning Foo and myself.

Marie - There are plus-sizes at Goodwill, just not as many. Not really sure why. When you factor in the fact that only 1% of the store's clothing is not worn down, frumpy or in odd colors, it becomes highly unlikely to find anything in the plus-sized section unless you are wardrobing the local circus. Most plus-sized clothes are kind of fugly, so when you're sorting through clothes people decided to cast off, the likely hood of enountering fug greatly increases.

Hilly - Okay, now I'm kind of weirded out that two OC princesses were talking about me over lunch :) I suppose I should get used to being a weight loss icon if I've got a book coming out though, right? Actually no, I don't think I'll ever get used to that.

Agree with earlier posts noting the slight weight gain that occurs during strength training. Several women at the gym where I go have pointed out to me that you burn calories while you sleep! Talk about something for nothing.

Note: my appetite increased with my every-other-day workouts, but my weight only went up a pound or two. I really think that going back to my previous caloric intake would allow these few pounds I have left to go to just melt away.

I also agree with Sarah - you should NOT hurt after a workout! Or if you do, only just a leeettle bit. My daughter, who introduced me to all of this, insists that painful muscles are a sign that you overdid it.

Good for you for trying weight training! Now, you'll be thinner AND more toned, instead of just thin and flabby.

Great comments about shopping in Goodwill ! (or Oxfam shops as they're usually known in the UK) - completely agree with you about how expensive it can be to buy fat-girl clothes. Well done (as always) for all your hard work.