Is my body working against me? Are my goals unrealistic? All advice accepted. (Page 2)

Thanks for the responses--you guys had so many things to say about this issue. As far some of you being short and wishing you were tall . . . well, it's cliche, but the phrase "the grass is always greener on the other side" seems to apply here. Whenever a person is at the extreme end on anything (not average), there are bound to be some rude remarks. My mom being a model? No, she never starved herself. She and my brother and my three best friends growing up ate whatever they wanted (still do) and still looked WAY too skinny . . . and then there was me and my dad who weighs over 300 pounds. At least I was smart, right? I'm sick of hearing that--I didn't want to be just smart!!!!

Uhm . . . what else? I did grow up in a small town and there was two other girls my height and one of them was fat and mean. It wasn't until I visited the big city that I realized how many tall woman there are.

Being confident? I love to wear heels and stand tall . . . maybe I have learned to mask the whole issue?? Hahaha. I don't know.

I really appreciate your comments and I hope to, one day, be content with my physical appearance . . . which, likely, has little to do with what I look like. ELishia.

I know the feeling of working out for a long period of time and not losing the weight. I have been at it for almost a year, training and doing races all summer long. I don't eat a lot of "the bad" foods, I control my food intake and I also go to weight watchers. I went from barely being able to run a 1/4 mile last november to doing a half-iron in July.

My weight has been pretty consistant, I am 5'8" and range 178-182 #'s. I would love to be at 165 #'s just to improve my race times and loose the "Love Handles" but I am much healthier than last year. I know what you said about the muscle weighs more than fat stuff to, but remember you body fat did go down, and If your weight stayed the same, if must have been replaced by something? I think a good place to start may to be to visit your doctor, ask him what he/she thinks a good weight for you would be... at 5'11" and 150#, I think it is unrealistic for an athlete and may be unobtainable goal.

I know I am a man and you are a woman and we may lose the weight differently, but the goal is the same. Just remember as long as you are healthly about it, don't starve yourself to do it, you will be a better and healthier person in the long run.

And Just remember...    Tall is Sexy! their is just move of you to love.

I just commented in your blog, and basically feel that your goal is only reasonable if taken in 10 pound increments. 

Can't healthfully lose more than that in a few months anyway, so take it step by step, then reassess if 150s are right for your or if maybe the 160s and 170s will give you the power and leanness you seek. 

Best wishes for your continued success...15 down right? 

-Sunny

I love hearing stories like this, it gives me hope.  Thanks! 

As far as the 150 being healthy? I don't know. My dr. told me that it was out of the question . . . he said shoot for 165.  Hmmm. He's likely right, huh? Especially if I'm training for a tri and having muscle.

10 pound increments? I like the way that sounds. So right now I just need to lose 10 pounds. Just 10 pounds (that's what I'm telling myself).

And Scout--yeah for success stories!

Elishia

That's what I'm picking up on . . . Hey, I'm me! Work with it!!!! Thanks for taking the time to reply!!!!

I look at this way. I could either be one of two ways 1) big and fat or 2) big and fit. Why not go with the second???

Elishia.

I am 5'10" and yes I have had the "how tall are you" comments, the "looks" etc.  However, if a guy tells you you are too tall - that's on HIM not on you.  I always just think he's a jerk.

I've dated guys shorter than me, the same, and taller.  One of the shorter guys I dated (I'm talking 5'6" was REALLY into the fact that I was taller than he was.  He loved it and loved it when I wore heels.  So... if they say that - throw them back.  It's not you - it's their own insecurity talking.

As far as 190 - I'd be stoked to be 185 or so.  I think at 5'11" 150 is probably too low a weight for you to achieve realistically.  You've already made great progress - look honestly at where you are now and your BF% before you set some arbitrary weight goal.  Good luck!

Elisha.... You are definitely too tall. You are definitely at the extreme end. The extreme end of perfection. The perfect woman is 5'10". You're definitely one inch too tall. Face it... at one inch too tall, and normal weight/metabolism, you're definitely a reject and should join the elephant man club. 

 What can I say to you to stop what is your problem. Your problem is allowing yourself to get all worried and worked up about not being somebody else. That in itself may be the biggest problem you're having with being able to control weight. The stress itself is a killer. You can do all the exercise and eating right you want and the stress will negate everything and leave you a horrible mess. Tell that demon to go to hell.... would you? 

 You're an absolutely beautiful creature. You need to accept yourself. You remember me telling you about the supermodel? She said the same thing you did about her sister. Her sister was and continued to be a supermodel. But she? She looks far better than any supermodel...She looks better than when she was modeling... incredibly sexy. 

 Have you bothered to look at that video I told you about? I do apologize as I checked utube. It appears what I saw wasn't a published video? Maybe it was some music awards show or a special pepsi commercial for the superbowl or something like that. What I had seen had 50-60 women on a stage, all with the heavy makeup, hair back tight, and all dressed in long silk pants and top. The clothes negated whether they were thin or not. I remember it like it was yesterday. Robert Palmer ate it up. All those tall women towering over him. I guess he's not that tall. He loved it. utube has this video.... you watch it.... pay attention especially the the very last shot... that face reminds me of you. Yes, you do definitely have a thin face. You are not the slightest bit fat. You don't ever have to think... at least I'm smart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3geoXOdnJQ&feature=related

 And just think.... doing tri's you're becoming better than all of them. 

 Hopefully I managed to get you to stop worrying so much about your height and your weight. That is what is your problem. I seriously do think if you get rid of stress. Your losing weight will come easier. And you'll go from 97% perfect to 100%. 

 I had problems losing weight. I ran my first marathon at 218 pounds. I'm 5'9 1/2". Then my second marathon, 6 months later I was only 208. My trainer ruined me with too much LSD. Couldn't move anymore. Also I had too much stress in my life. Just working out of town brought stress that elevated my hr. I also didn't watch enough what I ate. Was always on the go. Tried to eat good food. Didn't eat alot. It didn't work. Now I don't have stress. I eat real good. Tons of fruit, vegetables, salmon, steak. I pig out now and can lose weight no problem. The biggest thing is the stress. 

Sorry late to the game, but had a number of thoughts as I read through the thread.  Some of them were covered.  Here they are in no particular order.

1. Be happy with yourself.  You have lost some weight and are training for a tri.  You are doing more than most folks do already, and you have just started.
2. Either start a food log or start using something like fitday.com.  Try to be as accurate as possible.  I am guessing that you loosely enter information in your blog here, as the calories seem to be all over the map. 
3. Whatever tool you use, make sure that you monitor your calories in and out.  That is what matters most.  The quality of those calories also matters.  You need more portein in your diet.  You could benefit from cleaning up your diet a bit.  Less refined carbs and such.  I like to call it eating clean.
4. Some posted that you should do more long slow training sessions because it will burn more fat.  This is true, but to use your words "you are not there yet".  I would suggest mixing it up a bit.  I see basketball and spin class as activities on your blog.  Make sure to have some high intensity sessions in your training.  You need to have a blend of hard, moderate and recovery training sessions.  Hard sessions will burn more calories. 
5. Get over the height issue.  Yup, might have been akward in grade school, but tall is beautiful.  As others have said, this is not your problem unless you make it your problem.

Best of luck with your first tri.

Tri jean,

 I know you mentioned the GI diet and have had numerous recommendations on what to eat, but I do have one more recommendation.

 Read - Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman

 I have tried many diets unsuccesfully because "diets" are too hard to maintain. This book tells you how to eat everyday and re-evaluate the way we think about food. 

 Best of luck and I hope it helps.

 Troy