OT: Sparkpeople - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

OT: Sparkpeople

Mac

Veteran

Well, went for my annual evaluation at the gym and whaddya know? I'm more than half-fat! Yes, my body is 51% fat. Pretty nice, huh? How is that even humanly possible? I have no idea.

So, I've rejoined SparkPeople. It's a free website that helps one track what you're eating, how much you're exercising, etc. I joined a few years ago and it was good - but then work got busy and I let it lapse.

It always helps to have friends on board: anyone want to join Sparkpeople along with me?

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from Kim

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I'm already doing all kinds of logging on Weight Watchers, but I'll still jump in and support you since we're on similar paths, Mac!
I know Khris has referenced spark people in the past and I believe she found it helpful too.
Don't despair -- you still have a figure I and probably many others envy!!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I don't use it much anymore, but tracking my calories on Spark is how I lost most of my weight. I hope it works as well for you!
I'd be terrified to find out my bodyfat %!

Sparky

Veteran

Hmm, I thought we were supposed to be 80% water. Focus on that.. . .

FWIW, I think you have a lovely and enviable figure. You looked so fab in those new dresses you recently bought!

I've heard good things about Sparkpeople. Hope that goes well!

Katja

(website)

I'm already tracking calories with FitDay (fitday.com) and hanging out for weight loss support on PeerTrainer. Maybe I should think about switching...

NK

I've used Sparkpeople off and on over the years. I now use it mainly for tracking the miles I run.

I tracked most of my food today until I broke down and got out my candy stash.

Years ago, a friend and I got our body fat percentages evaluated at a gym. When they gave my friend the news, she ended up breaking down and bawling right then and there. I had a hard time comforting her while she sobbed considering my percentage was significantly higher.

Mac

Veteran

Yeah, it wasn't much fun being told that I'm basically a butter-woman.

I lack will-power to the extent that it'll be hard to take off one pound, let alone 50+! I've always been more of an Inspiration gal than a Perspiration one. So... I'm going to have to sit down and come up with a long-term, long-range, long-suffering : ) plan of action.

I'll keep you posted. And please promise me that you'll all still be my friends even if the Mac fat content ends up at 99%

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I was 41% about a year ago! I probably haven't changed much...I'm just so weak. Meh. Who cares?

The only time I have been really motivated was when my goal was to exersice five days a week, even if it was only for 20 mins. 20 mins seems doable and once you go for 20 it seems easier to go for another 20...do that 5 days a week and you'll see miracles happen!

Of course, this was my past experience. Currently I am finding it hard to get very excited about getting in shape, even though I am really out of shape and not fitting into my clothes. )-:

Good luck! I am on sparkpeople if you want to look me up. I use fitday.com nowadays...I just prefer the UI to sparkpeople.

Ele

(website)

Honestly Mac, those fat percentage tests are often a lot of BS. Even at good gyms, they just aren't an accurate way of measuring how healthy or fit people are. There are plenty of world-class athletes out there who would measure in the "unhealthy" range, for whatever reason.

I think it's great that you've joined SP and are committed to getting more fit, but don't let the stupid numbers bother you. Though I admit that I love the term "butter woman". If that's a descriptive term used to describe one's love of butter, then I'm one too!

Mac

Veteran

Yeah, they had me stand on one of those fat-measuring scales, which I understand is FAR less accurate than caliper-testing or water dunking (not the scientific term). Still... I'm clearly not as healthy as I'd love to be and I think longingly of how many more clothing options would be available to me if I could lose even just 2 dress sizes! But self-control has always been difficult for me. I'm hoping the peer group of Sparkpeople will help keep me on track.

Carole

Veteran

I've never heard of Sparkpeople. Is there a charge to join? I need to do something, I just can't seem to get back in the exercising groove and my clothes keep getting more snug, I haven't stepped on a scale in months. I have a doctor appointment Monday, and I'm dreading stepping on the scale there! I would hate to know my fat%, I'm sure I'm a butter woman too, (love that term).

Carole

Veteran

sorry, just realized that you said it is a free sight, I think I will join you and see if we can get whipped into shape together! I've done Weight Watchers in the past, and it works if you go to the meetings. I keep thinking I can just follow the plan on my own but it just doesn't work on your own, at least for me.

Goldie

I've been losing weight this last year on my own, but I just wanted to comment on the "butter-woman" term -- I think that must apply to me as well, since on two separate occasions (once at Whole Foods, once at a farmers' market), people have offered me entire blocks of expensive premium butter for free as "samples"! I guess I just give off the vibe of a person-who-looks-like-she'd-enjoy-free-butter, which, as it happens, is totally true!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

well heck- I enjoy *most* free things- and butter freezes well!

bj1111

Veteran

snap, khris, i have butter "chillin' " in my freezer. blargh.

weight loss sucks. for me it was a by-product of physical therapy to heal my shoulder. i wound up doing pilates and pt long term just so i could hoist my carry-on into the overhead bin.

apparently, twice a week sessions of ass-whupping from a serene pilates instructor was enough to reduce my butterfat content. though i am replacing it rapidly by eating my weight in gelato this week.

seriously, mac, think of it as enhancing the shape you have and the health you're in. AND cut yourself (a little) slack if you have missteps.

Kim

Veteran

The best advice I ever heard about losing weight was that it's like going down a set of stairs. One misstep is not a bad thing. So you trip on a step and overeat, or don't exercise that day. Don't give up and continue to overeat, or forget about exercise that week and start again on "Monday". Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on with your journey at *that* moment.

The stairs analogy comes into play, by reminding ourselves that when we "trip on the stairs" we don't throw our hands up in the air and give up and just throw ourselves down the rest of the stairs, now do we? Same with weight loss. Decide what you have to do, then just get to it. You will trip every now and again, but if you persist you'll be the winner in the long term.

I lost (and have kept off for a year now) 40 lbs with that attitude. I hope it helps you too. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and found it easy to beat myself up for my "mistakes" and then get utterly discouraged. This helped me to keep that in perspective.

Think long haul. Think one pound at a time.