Feeling kicked while I'm down

mmblarg

So just a heads up, this is more a whiny vent post than anything. I've hit a blockade and am frustrated, but I'm also experienced enough to know this is just a mole hill compared to the struggles of others - that, unfortunately, doesn't make this any less frustrating for me though.

Over the years of failed dieting attempts and over zealous exercise routines that burned out faster than a matchstick... I've discovered some things about my body that align with the norm and some that don't. However, I've finally put the pieces together in the last 4 months and managed to steadily lose 30 pounds - a huge accomplishment for me.

Now, though, things are getting frustrating and I feel like it's just not fair that my body wont work on the normal scale in all things health.

The routine I have (that has been fully disclosed, approved, and monitored by my doctor - just as a heads up, cause I know it'll throw up some red flags in most circumstances) is eating roughly 1200 calories a day and 6 to 8 hours of high intensity exercise a week (muscle training and high intensity cardio that burns about 2,000 cal a week.) My diet consists of 2 slimfast meal replacements, and then a bunch of whole foods for the third meal and my snacks (like veggies, fruits, and nuts for snacks and things like a super packed salad or vegetarian quesadilla for the third meal.)

For me all of this has been a huuuuuuuge change and a very difficult but rewarding journey. The thing that's frustrating now is that about a month ago I injured my foot and took a break from my exercise routine to heal. In that time, where most people would be able to still loose weight with dieting alone (or at the very least, maintain their weight) I have been gaining. Nothing big - about 0.5 to 1 pound a week, but it's consistent and more than enough to be infuriating.

I have some me-specific medical things going on that inhibit normal functions - things I used to rely on as an excuse for giving up on a healthy lifestyle all together. Even though the routine has been difficult, it has rewarded me with a slow and healthy rate of weight loss. The issue is, the diet isn't any less difficult, so in times when I'm sick or injured and can't get to the gym for my 2-3 hour sweat sess, I get slapped in the face with just how abnormal my body chemistry really is.

I want to whine and just scream that it's not fair! Even though my struggle, again, isn't even remotely comparable to someone else with far more complicated medical conditions. Even though I certainly have blessings worth counting... I just wish I didn't HAVE to work this hard to achieve what feels like so little.

middlehaitch

Well your doctor has approved your LCD, (IE: eating the bare minimum for a woman to lose weight without exercise) that includes exercise. If you continue to eat the 1200 without exercise your weight will increase.

Go visit your doctor and talk through how to handle this with the medical conditions you have.
There maybe exercise routines that you can include that work around your injury.

I know you were just venting, just trying to encourage you to consult, and work with, your PCP.

Cheers, h.

JeromeBarry1

It is very unlikely that you are gaining on an intake of something close to 1200 calories per day. Do you, in fact, weigh all the food you eat? Do you, in fact, weigh your snacks? What manages to pack sugar into a salad? Sweet tomatoes or sweet dressing? With a month of recuperation behind you, you may be less than a month away from returning to your gym and having the accustomed intense exercise create your calorie deficit while your (I suspect) lax logging is something that's become easy to overlook. You should fix that while you have a couple of weeks of truly sedentary logging. You want weight loss to happen in the kitchen, not the gym.