Help to stop stress about losing weight
joannalouise92
Posts: 49 Member
I've been trying to *kitten* 3kg since January and I've fluctuated about the same weight since then. I've also been suffering from constipation on and off the whole time. I think that the stress from not seeing results and not being able to go to the toilet is probably inhibiting my weight loss .. but how do I break the cycle? The more I work our and eat well and don't see results the more I get stressed
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Replies
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3 kilos is a very small goal and the smaller amount you have to lose, the slower it gets. 3 kilos is also within the range of normal fluctuations. You may not see any trend on the scales until you've had the necessary calorie deficit for a couple of months. The constipation thing has weight too, and exercise can make your muscles hold on to water for repair, and it shows up on the scale. If you feel that you aren't getting results, and slack off because you don't want to stick to your plan, you won't get results.
Stress and constipation and eating "well" does not affect weight loss. Sticking/not sticking to calorie deficit does. Are you tracking your intake? If so, when did you start doing that? (We are 9 days into Februrary, January had 31 days). Are you sticking to your calorie goal? Are you sure - are you weighing everything and double checking entries?4 -
as has been said before, you need to be CONSISTENT for AT LEAST 4-6 weeks to see any change...
you only want to lose 6lbs, that's going to be a very slow process.3 -
Probiotic yoghurt once a day sorted the constipation thing out for me - weight is now coming off at the rate of around 2-3lbs per month. Not stressing as I know I only have about 6lbs left to go so bound to be hard (scraping the barrel I call it).
Good luck. Don't stress, your body doesn't like that!2 -
I'll tell you what my mother taught me. Eat more prunes.2
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TimothyFish wrote: »I'll tell you what my mother taught me. Eat more prunes.
Or dried apricots. Or even prune juice if you like the taste.
OP, with so little to lose you need to have your logging really tight. If you're not using a food scale for all solids and semi-solids start now.
But also important to reiterate others, with so little to lose it can take some time to see a scale change. When I was losing 2lbs per month last year I only saw that 2lb loss about once a month. But I trusted the process and knew if I had been consistent the results would eventually come.2 -
I'm sure it's not to do with my diary or excersise I know I'm doing the right thing.. I just need to ha e confidence in it without stressing. As an over anxious person it's difficult not to stress, and I know that's linked to both constipation and inhibition of weight loss.. so just wanted some tips on trying to destress and put it out of my mind! Trying to take a few days off hard cardio and focus on my mental wellbeing instead!0
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joannalouise92 wrote: »I'm sure it's not to do with my diary or excersise I know I'm doing the right thing.. I just need to ha e confidence in it without stressing. As an over anxious person it's difficult not to stress, and I know that's linked to both constipation and inhibition of weight loss.. so just wanted some tips on trying to destress and put it out of my mind! Trying to take a few days off hard cardio and focus on my mental wellbeing instead!
Hide your scales for 6 weeks1 -
Do you have some hard deadline for this weight loss that is making you this stressed?0
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joannalouise92 wrote: »I'm sure it's not to do with my diary or excersise I know I'm doing the right thing.. I just need to ha e confidence in it without stressing. As an over anxious person it's difficult not to stress, and I know that's linked to both constipation and inhibition of weight loss.. so just wanted some tips on trying to destress and put it out of my mind! Trying to take a few days off hard cardio and focus on my mental wellbeing instead!
Linked, yes, but stress does not lead directly to not losing weight. If stress makes you not stick to a calorie deficit, you don't lose weight. But it's eating more than you think and not stress that inhibits weight loss. You can't even tell if you are losing weight yet, because the amount you want off is so small. One cool thing is that knowledge reduces stress. Knowing that you are in total control over your food intake, and that only your food intake (and exercise, of course, but to a much lesser degree) controls your weight, (and tracking accurately can be a part of that control), can make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit.1 -
_dracarys_ wrote: »Do you have some hard deadline for this weight loss that is making you this stressed?
10 weeks - which would seem like quite a while but clearly I'm gonna need it! Haha0 -
joannalouise92 wrote: »I'm sure it's not to do with my diary or excersise I know I'm doing the right thing.. I just need to ha e confidence in it without stressing. As an over anxious person it's difficult not to stress, and I know that's linked to both constipation and inhibition of weight loss.. so just wanted some tips on trying to destress and put it out of my mind! Trying to take a few days off hard cardio and focus on my mental wellbeing instead!
Meditation helps some people with stress. It doesn't have to be some wild woo kind of thing, or religious if that worries you. There are ultra simple things like The Relaxation Response. (relaxationresponse.org/steps/ )
The idea is that this kind of practice, over a period of time, helps you to counter the "fight or flight" physiological response that mental stress can produce. It's important to note that it's consistently making the sincere effort to meditate that counts, you don't have to "succeed" at calming your mind every single second.
Doesn't work for everyone, but works for some.
Exercise also works as a de-stressor for many people, but it sounds like exercise may be part of your weight loss stress patterns.
Gratitude journals, getting out for mindful walks in nature, and watching comedy movies regularly, are things that have helped people I know manage stress. Getting enough sleep, and good nutrition, can also be a help.
I hope that if the situation's severe, the "get counseling help" option is also on your menu.0 -
OP - first, get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of water. Then, worry less about working out and more about focusing on your diet. You don't have any wiggle room in that deficit.1
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Are you strength training at all? This could yield faster "in the mirror" results than dieting/fat loss alone.0
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I'll second the water intake. Keep an eye on your fiber and water intake. You can track fiber by changing it out with sugar in your diary. Most people get about 30% of what the RDA is for fiber and it causes constipation. It's an eye opener if you start tracking it, was for me. Too much fiber can also cause constipation so it goes both ways. Water will help though. After that, I'd go for fruit of some sort. Prunes and Apricots were mentioned above, both are good solutions.0
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I stopped having issues with constipation when I started taking powdered Vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Get sick less as well.0
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So I had a similar problem this fall. I was WILDLY stressed because of a very painful/difficult new job situation and weight gain (surprisingly my cortisol levels came back pretty normal).
But, I also could not go to the restroom. It got bad. By Friday evening I could barely bend down to tie my shoes and I was exhausted. I went to the GI to get meds because I didn't want to become dependent on laxatives.
Anyway, looking back on it all, the stress didn't stop weight loss. I stopped it. Whether that came from eating more than I wanted to believe AND lack of sleep/GI issues...if I was truly in a deficit, I would have lost weight.0 -
Meditation helps some people with stress. It doesn't have to be some wild woo kind of thing, or religious if that worries you. There are ultra simple things like The Relaxation Response. (relaxationresponse.org/steps/ )
Hate to go off topic, but this intrigues me. Do others use non-spiritual meditation? And is this guys book worth the $10 on Kindle?
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kshama2001 wrote: »I stopped having issues with constipation when I started taking powdered Vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Get sick less as well.
I remember you told me about this when I was having trouble/had my own thread. And I still never tried. I wonder if it would be better than taking this Linzess the doc gave me.0 -
Meditation does not have to be religion-based. Although most major religions use meditation in some form (prayer, meditation, hymns, chants, spiritual walks, creating art, poetry, work, etc.) plenty of agnostics and atheists practice mediation.0
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kenyonhaff wrote: »Meditation does not have to be religion-based. Although most major religions use meditation in some form (prayer, meditation, hymns, chants, spiritual walks, creating art, poetry, work, etc.) plenty of agnostics and atheists practice mediation.
I'm going to take this to a new thread. I'd appreciate your comments there if possible. Thanks.0 -
Here's my $.02:
* Change is difficult for people, and WILL cause some level of stress. Humans tend to like to do what we have done in the past, and doing something different causes us to feel somewhat uncomfortable. But once gotten used to the average sort of change, we get in that groove---we are adaptable. This gets easier as you get on.
* Eating to help your GI is good for losing weight as well: yogurt, fiber, fruits, veggies.
* The scale only tells part of the story. Avoid too much fixation. Yes, you want to lose weight but a number can't tell you how much is fat, muscle, undigested food, and so on. Yes, look for a downward trend but it will likely not be linear.
* 3 KG is a really tiny amount, really. It can be exasperating not to get to that goal, but it's also OK to be "good enough" to that goal. I mean, if I lose 34 pounds but not 35, should I be upset? Or should I be happy? Beware the perfectionism trap -- it is a rigid way of thinking that can lead to unhappiness.2 -
Have you thought of adding a reliable probiotic? I like FiveLac, but there are others. Also, there are some mild, non-habit forming OTC meds than can make you go so that you aren't feeling so constipated. I really like Earth's Bounty Oxy-Cleanse. It's mild and non-habit forming. I also started "blending" my veggies in the blender so that they provided enough fiber / roughage. I add a little bit of apple cider vinegar to help with digestion. I recently experimented with adding some Moringa to my morning smoothie and between that and all that I mentioned I was right and regular as rain in a few days. I also noticed that I dropped a few pounds once I was no longer constipated. I agree with everyone else - don't focus on a number. If you are able to fit into the clothes that you want and you *feel* good with your progress it will all work out. Hope you feel better soon!
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@joannalouise92 I used to stress about this until I fell in love with the process and lifestyle of getting fit. Meal prepping, working out, etc...none of it is a chore anymore, it's how I live. Some people complain about working out...I genuinely look forward to it and enjoy it! After that, results are just the byproduct. I guess what I'm saying is you may stress less if you don't make the results your focus...focus on doing the right things and enjoying it and the results will follow.
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Hi. I hope you realize that Linzess should not be taken everyday. It should be taken until you have a bowel movement. Then you stop until your next bout of constipationkshama2001 wrote: »I stopped having issues with constipation when I started taking powdered Vitamin C to bowel tolerance. Get sick less as well.
I remember you told me about this when I was having trouble/had my own thread. And I still never tried. I wonder if it would be better than taking this Linzess the doc gave me.
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