"Del Cecchi" wrote in message
...

"determined" wrote in message
. ..
I've been listening to other people here and started thinking about my
own insecurities and body image problems. Because I have such a skewed
and negative view of myself, I wonder how I will know when I have reached
"good enough". I know it's such a vague thing, and depends on personal
and fitness goals. I am down to 22% bodyfat, and weigh 127-130 lbs. I
am more fit than I ever have been before. I am exercising 4 times a
week, and eat healthy 90% of the time. And when I put my clothes on or
look in the mirror, I feel fat. It's a mental thing I guess. When I
first started, I wanted to reach 22% bodyfat. Now I wonder, do I go for
18-20%? How do I know if it's just vanity or a realistic and healthy
goal? I think that I want to get down to 122-125, which should put me at
around 20% bodyfat. But it's killing me to be so obsessed with counting
calories, exercising, watching the scale, etc. I don't want to be on a
"diet" anymore. I just want to exercise a few days a week, and eat
normal, and splurge once in awhile, and just have my clothes fit and not
have to freak out if I ate a few too many cookies.
You have to change your definition of "eating normal" since that
presumably made you fat in the first place, assuming you were really fat
and not just brainwashed by society.

Well, I have never been really fat. I had a baby about a year ago, and
gained way too much weight, but outside of that, I've never been more than
15-20 lbs overweight. In fact, I've spent most of my life being in the 5-10
lbs overweight category. I decided this time around to focus on bodyfat %,
and tried to figure out where I should set my goals. At first, 22% seemed
pretty good. I've never been that low, even at my lowest weight. Now I'm
at 22% and just expected that I would look somehow more slim/defined. But
the trainer at the gym is telling me I won't achieve a really athletic look
until I get below 20%. This means I need to drop another 7 or so lbs of
fat. I just don't know if I have the willpower to go lower. Maybe I do
need to just sit here for awhile maintaining, and then reevaluate.

Eating normal for me is actually eating quite healthy, with an occasional
splurge. My "normal" day if I wasn't trying to lose would come in around
1400-1600 calories. I can't lose weight unless I cut calories down to 1200,
and add in the exercise. I'd love to just eat at maintenance for awhile and
do my normal exercise without having to be so concerned with every calorie.



Second, you need to decide why you want to be 'not fat'. Good to Optimum
health? Look like an Abercrombie and Fitch ad? Get hit on in bars? Be
able to do the activities you enjoy? Be honest with yourself.

Hmmm. Honest huh? Ok, I do want to be able to do activities I enjoy. I
also would like to fit into size 6 jeans and wear a swimsuit next year. I
have no dilusions of looking like a model, but I would like to be the best I
can possibly be without having to have my life revolve around exercise and
eating properly.

Myself, not dying soon was on the top of the list.

That's a good motivation...;-)