Obese and not losing weight
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Amandachanges wrote: »
Thank you for the response. I realize that losing nearly 10 lbs in a moth is good...my issue is that it’s creeping back on. Also, if I’m gaining back weight while eating like a hospitalized cardiac patient, what’s going to happen if I add in the foods I enjoy (essentially cheeseburgers, French fries, salad with REAL dressing and cheese)? What is a sensible calorie goal? MFP told me 1,200 is acceptable, so I’ve been eating around that level (usually within 50calories). According to those figures I should be losing 2+ lbs a week. I’ve gained 2lbs. I know weight loss has fluctuations, but usually it fluctuates down as well...at this rate I’ll be back to my start weight in less than a month.Oh, and the low fat is for health reasons (I suspect chronic pancreatitis, but doctor won’t do further testing). Eating around 5g fat per meal (or less) takes the pain away and regulates my bowel movements.livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Youve lost nearly 10lbs from July 6. That is not "not losing weight".
Losing weight requires patience and consistency. Pick a sensible calorie goal and eat that amount - you don't need to restrict calories to nothing, that's ridiculous. You don't need to cut out food you enjoy, and losing weight doesn't require eating food you dislike. There are plenty of delicious calorie friendly foods, and you can fit in more decadent things with careful planning. I wouldn't recommend eating such low fat - fat is essential for so many functions in the body. It doesn't need to be high fat like if you were to eat in a keto way, but you need to nourish and fuel your body.
Understanding that weight loss will not happen linearly is helpful - fluctuations are completely normal. It's the overall trend that is important. If you weigh every day, input your weight in to a trending app so you can see the general trend and ignore the fluctuations.
Do you use a weight tracking app like Happy Scale or Libre Weight by chance? It sounds to me like the weight fluctuations are really messing with your head at this point (they mess with mine something awful too) and weight trending apps are great at showing you what your weight is really doing without all of the noise of the fluctuations.
Eating as little as you are can really mess with your head and make all of those little fluctuations seem so much worse. Sometimes weight fluctuations happen for absolutely no reason at all. Weather, activity levels, changes in food, etc. can all mess with the scale.
I'm having a hard time picking some of the details out of your main post, so I hope you'll bear with me. Was your period fairly recent? Did you increase your calories fairly recently? Like within the last couple of weeks? With every change in your routine (exercise or food routine) it's important to let your body freak out for a few weeks (up to three weeks sometimes) and then it will settle back down again. Your weight is going to get wonky every time you make changes even when they're good changes. It sounds like you just need to step back and ignore the scale for a bit, as hard as that is, because you're in that wonky stage where your body is doing weird things. Let it settle down before you start making changes again.2 -
So your weight has been up two days in a row? You need to relax a bit, that's a fluctuation. This isn't a healthy mindset.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations
Here's my fluctuations:
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This might sound like a silly question, but are you using the same scale in the same spot to weigh every time? We had a guy on here a few weeks ago that was switching between scales and there was a 7 pound difference!3
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mulecanter wrote: »Here's some fatherly advice from a man old enough to be your father. Single mother of 4 with no father in the picture and trying for #5; Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism; a "health scare"; not losing weight!! Your post stresses me out just reading it, I can't imagine how you are coping without some stress eating. An initial weight loss success is mostly water weight, it always is a bit disconcerting when the loss rate plateaus. My unsolicited advice is to set aside the wish for another child and get your health in order for the existing family. You need to be patient--your hair is on fire from what I can gather from your post. You need to remove stress from your life not add more, I think if you can get a few things off your plate (literally and figuratively) you will have success just like so many others here on MFP.
Seriously. I wasn't sure if I should even say this, but the quoted says it much nicer than I probably would have.12 -
Thank you for the advice ladies. I agree, I’m overthinking things. I’m an all or nothing kinda girl. It shows in my kitchen, which is either a hot mess, or looks like something out of a Better Home’s & Garden’s magazine on any given day. I wanted to start this weight loss journey back in December, for the sole purpose of getting pregnant easier, and lessening my chances of complications (I had post-eclampsia with my 4th child, and almost died). Anyways, that fell by the wayside due to anxiety and stress/depression. Then, in June, I had a health-scare. Started waking up every morning to bowel habits that were consistent with chronic pancreatitis. This threw me into a tailspin of anxiety/depression the likes of which I have never experienced. I used to be a “drinker” not all too long ago, and these morning “fun-run’s” started after a night where I had 4 beers. They continued until I started following a pancreatic diet (i.e. very low fat/high fiber). Chronic pancreatitis is hard to diagnose, so my doctors won’t proceed with any further testing unless I present to the hospital in enormous pain. That leaves self-diagnosing and self-treating. So on July 7th I did my typical all-or-nothing nosedive off a cliff. I went from eating what I wanted, drinking a large Vernor’s from McDonald’s nearly everyday, weighing 238.6...to eating like a cardiac patient fresh off of npo. The results on the scale were clear and immediate. Blessedly, the trips to the bathroom began to normalize as well after about 10 days. So now I’m trying to find that “happy medium” you’re talking about, but I think that means something different to each of us. When my bathroom habits normalized I laxed on strictly keeping my fat under 25g a day, and every morning I worry “will this be the morning I wake up in pain”? And some mornings I wake up and run to the bathroom...maybe it’s just IBS (self diagnosed), or maybe something more sinister.
On weight though, my scale this morning (after two runs to the bathroom) read 228 lbs, down from 229. However, yesterday I actually didn’t go to the bathroom (sorry if tmi), and yesterday I woke up feeling fully hydrated. This morning I made two trips to the bathroom and woke up feeling parched...which is strange because I drink no less than 7 32oz. bottles of water every single day. I should never be/feel dehydrated, right? I’m also beginning to question the accuracy of my trusty scale. It’s a digital, and it has ALWAYS been the most reliable scale I have ever encountered. However, I stepped on it this morning in multiple places, and got multiple readings...most of them said 228, so that’s what I went with. However, a few of them said 227.8,and a few said 227.2. Needless to say, I’m getting a new scale. For anyone who actually took the time to read this, I thank you for your kindness. As I said previously, I’m a single mom of 4. I homeschool all 4 (dropped out of law school after a year to do so), with both of my sons being on the spectrum. My oldest son is 18, and he is not only on the spectrum, but also bipolar. I never planned on giving up my dreams of contract law in order to be broke and homeschool, but my youngest son couldn’t handle a classroom of 32 students. He was in kindergarten and would come home and curl up in his bed crying and call himself “retarded”. When he came home one day with a black eye, I knew enough was enough. School took him from a happy/confident child to a miserable child with self-esteem issues and a great deal of anxiety. My oldest son, 11 at the time, was also having trouble in school. He had no friends, and was constantly making up fantastical stories to get attention and special treatment. Many of these stories got Child Protective Services called on me, regularly (my mom beats me, my mom threw me down the basement stairs this morning and that’s why I’m late, I need extra lunch money because my mom doesn’t feed me, etc). He would also fly into a rage at times, calling other kids and even teachers nast things...which would lead to suspensions. The cherry on top was that he was also failing, despite special education intervention. He was failing, yet they kept moving him up a grade. I was done. My undergraduate degree, prior to law school, was in the field of education, so I decided to use it. Giving up my dream is what made me a “drinker” for a long while. Never in front of my children, of course...but after they were in bed for the night, that’s when I would self-medicate.
I’m alone in this life. I am grateful for this community, as I am basically a shut-in, which an unnatural state for my extroverted self. I used to be at the center of it all, with a busy schedule and lots of friends...always something fun to do/look forward to. Now the only time I go out is to take kids to therapy appointments and to go grocery shopping. I’m an actual shut-in. All of my “friends” went on to lead very different lives than me. They’re married, kids are in school, they go out and do things. None of them can comprehend what it’s like living in my shoes. My youngest son is very bright...began teaching himself computer coding at 5 years old...however, part of his “being on the spectrum” leads to severe social anxiety. He absolutely hates to leave the house. My oldest son is a talented artist...he can sketch a picture that looks like a photograph. He is also extremely well-versed in graphic design. However, part of his “being on the spectrum” includes angry outbursts and inappropriate behavior in public. So here I sit, in my house. It used to drive me crazy, not being able to go out. Now I’m used to it. Unfortunately it has become a comfort to me, and now when I do go out to large open public places, I have anxiety issues. The person I have become is not the person I was. I’m trying to change all of this, or at least the parts I can control, such as the diet/weight. Before I had my second child I was 128 lbs...shirt size medium (bb’s never get small enough for a small shirt, lol), pant size 4. Now I’m a shirt size...well I was a 3x in pants/shirts, but my clothes are so baggy at this point they almost look ridiculous. I need to reclaim my life, and taking care of myself needs to be the first step. I need to matter again.3 -
Amandachanges wrote: »Thank you for the advice ladies. I agree, I’m overthinking things. I’m an all or nothing kinda girl. It shows in my kitchen, which is either a hot mess, or looks like something out of a Better Home’s & Garden’s magazine on any given day. I wanted to start this weight loss journey back in December, for the sole purpose of getting pregnant easier, and lessening my chances of complications (I had post-eclampsia with my 4th child, and almost died). Anyways, that fell by the wayside due to anxiety and stress/depression. Then, in June, I had a health-scare. Started waking up every morning to bowel habits that were consistent with chronic pancreatitis. This threw me into a tailspin of anxiety/depression the likes of which I have never experienced. I used to be a “drinker” not all too long ago, and these morning “fun-run’s” started after a night where I had 4 beers. They continued until I started following a pancreatic diet (i.e. very low fat/high fiber). Chronic pancreatitis is hard to diagnose, so my doctors won’t proceed with any further testing unless I present to the hospital in enormous pain. That leaves self-diagnosing and self-treating. So on July 7th I did my typical all-or-nothing nosedive off a cliff. I went from eating what I wanted, drinking a large Vernor’s from McDonald’s nearly everyday, weighing 238.6...to eating like a cardiac patient fresh off of npo. The results on the scale were clear and immediate. Blessedly, the trips to the bathroom began to normalize as well after about 10 days. So now I’m trying to find that “happy medium” you’re talking about, but I think that means something different to each of us. When my bathroom habits normalized I laxed on strictly keeping my fat under 25g a day, and every morning I worry “will this be the morning I wake up in pain”? And some mornings I wake up and run to the bathroom...maybe it’s just IBS (self diagnosed), or maybe something more sinister.
On weight though, my scale this morning (after two runs to the bathroom) read 228 lbs, down from 229. However, yesterday I actually didn’t go to the bathroom (sorry if tmi), and yesterday I woke up feeling fully hydrated. This morning I made two trips to the bathroom and woke up feeling parched...which is strange because I drink no less than 7 32oz. bottles of water every single day. I should never be/feel dehydrated, right? I’m also beginning to question the accuracy of my trusty scale. It’s a digital, and it has ALWAYS been the most reliable scale I have ever encountered. However, I stepped on it this morning in multiple places, and got multiple readings...most of them said 228, so that’s what I went with. However, a few of them said 227.8,and a few said 227.2. Needless to say, I’m getting a new scale. For anyone who actually took the time to read this, I thank you for your kindness. As I said previously, I’m a single mom of 4. I homeschool all 4 (dropped out of law school after a year to do so), with both of my sons being on the spectrum. My oldest son is 18, and he is not only on the spectrum, but also bipolar. I never planned on giving up my dreams of contract law in order to be broke and homeschool, but my youngest son couldn’t handle a classroom of 32 students. He was in kindergarten and would come home and curl up in his bed crying and call himself “retarded”. When he came home one day with a black eye, I knew enough was enough. School took him from a happy/confident child to a miserable child with self-esteem issues and a great deal of anxiety. My oldest son, 11 at the time, was also having trouble in school. He had no friends, and was constantly making up fantastical stories to get attention and special treatment. Many of these stories got Child Protective Services called on me, regularly (my mom beats me, my mom threw me down the basement stairs this morning and that’s why I’m late, I need extra lunch money because my mom doesn’t feed me, etc). He would also fly into a rage at times, calling other kids and even teachers nast things...which would lead to suspensions. The cherry on top was that he was also failing, despite special education intervention. He was failing, yet they kept moving him up a grade. I was done. My undergraduate degree, prior to law school, was in the field of education, so I decided to use it. Giving up my dream is what made me a “drinker” for a long while. Never in front of my children, of course...but after they were in bed for the night, that’s when I would self-medicate.
I’m alone in this life. I am grateful for this community, as I am basically a shut-in, which an unnatural state for my extroverted self. I used to be at the center of it all, with a busy schedule and lots of friends...always something fun to do/look forward to. Now the only time I go out is to take kids to therapy appointments and to go grocery shopping. I’m an actual shut-in. All of my “friends” went on to lead very different lives than me. They’re married, kids are in school, they go out and do things. None of them can comprehend what it’s like living in my shoes. My youngest son is very bright...began teaching himself computer coding at 5 years old...however, part of his “being on the spectrum” leads to severe social anxiety. He absolutely hates to leave the house. My oldest son is a talented artist...he can sketch a picture that looks like a photograph. He is also extremely well-versed in graphic design. However, part of his “being on the spectrum” includes angry outbursts and inappropriate behavior in public. So here I sit, in my house. It used to drive me crazy, not being able to go out. Now I’m used to it. Unfortunately it has become a comfort to me, and now when I do go out to large open public places, I have anxiety issues. The person I have become is not the person I was. I’m trying to change all of this, or at least the parts I can control, such as the diet/weight. Before I had my second child I was 128 lbs...shirt size medium (bb’s never get small enough for a small shirt, lol), pant size 4. Now I’m a shirt size...well I was a 3x in pants/shirts, but my clothes are so baggy at this point they almost look ridiculous. I need to reclaim my life, and taking care of myself needs to be the first step. I need to matter again.
Have you fully considered the wisdom of having another baby, given what you've just posted here?14 -
I really thought I would feel “done” after my fourth. After all, two boys and two girls...sounds perfect, right? However, even before I left the hospital I knew I wanted another. My children are really the only joy I have in my life. I have given up everything to be a mother, so I feel like I shouldn’t give up on this one last dream. I always wanted to have seven children, but before I had my 4th child I had two miscarriages. The other day I was thinking about it and decided that those two babies “counted” as my children. Which means my 4th was actually my 6th. One more will be the 7 children I’ve always dreamed of. Perhaps in my previous post I over-shared, to the point where I made myself appear nuts. I don’t know what drives my need to have another child, I just know it’s there...and it hasn’t dwindled in the 4 years since I gave birth to my beautiful Eliana. Each child is a blessing, and each has added happiness to my soul. It might not make sense from the outside looking in, but if I don’t at least try to have another, I fear it will only add to my list of regrets. I’m 38, and who knows...maybe it’s too late for me to have another, but I have to at least try.1
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WJS_jeepster wrote: »mulecanter wrote: »Here's some fatherly advice from a man old enough to be your father. Single mother of 4 with no father in the picture and trying for #5; Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism; a "health scare"; not losing weight!! Your post stresses me out just reading it, I can't imagine how you are coping without some stress eating. An initial weight loss success is mostly water weight, it always is a bit disconcerting when the loss rate plateaus. My unsolicited advice is to set aside the wish for another child and get your health in order for the existing family. You need to be patient--your hair is on fire from what I can gather from your post. You need to remove stress from your life not add more, I think if you can get a few things off your plate (literally and figuratively) you will have success just like so many others here on MFP.
Seriously. I wasn't sure if I should even say this, but the quoted says it much nicer than I probably would have.
Please, say it like you mean it. Being judged by strangers on the internet is fun!
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I'm sorry if you feel like you've over-shared and are being judged for it. Most of us are wired with survival of the species in mind. I try to look at it that way instead of emotionally when baby fever strikes
My ability to cope doesn't necessarily align with the number of children I wanted to have. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'd still encourage you to square away your health before having another baby. 11 -
Amandachanges wrote: »WJS_jeepster wrote: »mulecanter wrote: »Here's some fatherly advice from a man old enough to be your father. Single mother of 4 with no father in the picture and trying for #5; Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism; a "health scare"; not losing weight!! Your post stresses me out just reading it, I can't imagine how you are coping without some stress eating. An initial weight loss success is mostly water weight, it always is a bit disconcerting when the loss rate plateaus. My unsolicited advice is to set aside the wish for another child and get your health in order for the existing family. You need to be patient--your hair is on fire from what I can gather from your post. You need to remove stress from your life not add more, I think if you can get a few things off your plate (literally and figuratively) you will have success just like so many others here on MFP.
Seriously. I wasn't sure if I should even say this, but the quoted says it much nicer than I probably would have.
Please, say it like you mean it. Being judged by strangers on the internet is fun!
Amanda, if you put personal things out there on a public forum, you are going to get all sorts of replies. So here's mine:
My dream is to have a house on the beach in Fiji. I can't afford it, so, guess what? It's not going to happen right now, no matter how badly I may want it.
Being a stay-at-home and homeschooler to 4 children, how would you be able to financially and emotionally support a fifth on top of that? Sounds to me like you have way too much on your plate, and are already stretched to the breaking point.
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snickerscharlie wrote: »Amandachanges wrote: »WJS_jeepster wrote: »mulecanter wrote: »Here's some fatherly advice from a man old enough to be your father. Single mother of 4 with no father in the picture and trying for #5; Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism; a "health scare"; not losing weight!! Your post stresses me out just reading it, I can't imagine how you are coping without some stress eating. An initial weight loss success is mostly water weight, it always is a bit disconcerting when the loss rate plateaus. My unsolicited advice is to set aside the wish for another child and get your health in order for the existing family. You need to be patient--your hair is on fire from what I can gather from your post. You need to remove stress from your life not add more, I think if you can get a few things off your plate (literally and figuratively) you will have success just like so many others here on MFP.
Seriously. I wasn't sure if I should even say this, but the quoted says it much nicer than I probably would have.
Please, say it like you mean it. Being judged by strangers on the internet is fun!
Amanda, if you put personal things out there on a public forum, you are going to get all sorts of replies. So here's mine:
My dream is to have a house on the beach in Fiji. I can't afford it, so, guess what? It's not going to happen right now, no matter how badly I may want it.
Being a stay-at-home and homeschooler to 4 children, how would you be able to financially support a fifth on top of that?
I realize that posting about my personal life on the internet opens me up for harsh judgment and trolling. I just don’t understand why someone would feel the need to basically say “ I agree with what this previous poster said, but I would’ve said it a lot nastier”. I’m not a snowflake by any means, I just kinda assumed that posting in the “support” area of the message boards would be a little less “judgey”. If I were married, I doubt anyone would have had an opinion on my goal of having another child. And comparing the yearn for another child after two miscarriages to the dream of living a lavish lifestyle? Apples and oranges. I have...maybe...2 years of reproductive life left in me. That house on the beach in Fiji, it will always be there. As far as how I can afford a 5th, I’ll let that one slide. It’s a typical knee-jerk question I’ve gotten several times. My family, we make do and live within our means. I kicked my ex out when I was pregnant with #4 (he was a serial cheater, and emotionally abusive). Fortunately for us, he makes six figures. We don’t have to worry about money, especially since we made an agreement in regards to financial concessions if I were to leave law school and homeschool. He doesn’t want “his kids” in public school, so that works to our advantage.4 -
I'm sorry if you feel like you've over-shared and are being judged for it. Most of us are wired with survival of the species in mind. I try to look at it that way instead of emotionally when baby fever strikes My ability to cope doesn't necessarily align with the number of children I wanted to have. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'd still encourage you to square away your health before having another baby.
I’m glad you understand ‘baby fever’. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who has it Anyways, I have a surprisingly huge ability to cope with children. And I am definitely squaring away my health issues. I’m losing weight, my diet is healthy, my thyroid is in check, and my previous issues which I attributed to pancreatic problems may not have had anything to do with my pancreas...may have been another flare-up of my erosive gastritis (was hospitalized for it in January), or simply IBS. Any way you slice it, I’m getting healthier and my clothes are getting so loose they’re falling off of me. The way I see it, if I get pregnant I get pregnant...if I don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. I just don’t want to wait until I’m pushing 40, as the risks for the baby go way up. 0 -
That picture of your fluctuations really helped put things in perspective for me. Thank you!nutmegoreo wrote: »So your weight has been up two days in a row? You need to relax a bit, that's a fluctuation. This isn't a healthy mindset.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations
Here's my fluctuations:
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Amandachanges wrote: »I'm sorry if you feel like you've over-shared and are being judged for it. Most of us are wired with survival of the species in mind. I try to look at it that way instead of emotionally when baby fever strikes My ability to cope doesn't necessarily align with the number of children I wanted to have. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'd still encourage you to square away your health before having another baby.
I’m glad you understand ‘baby fever’. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who has it Anyways, I have a surprisingly huge ability to cope with children. And I am definitely squaring away my health issues. I’m losing weight, my diet is healthy, my thyroid is in check, and my previous issues which I attributed to pancreatic problems may not have had anything to do with my pancreas...may have been another flare-up of my erosive gastritis (was hospitalized for it in January), or simply IBS. Any way you slice it, I’m getting healthier and my clothes are getting so loose they’re falling off of me. The way I see it, if I get pregnant I get pregnant...if I don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. I just don’t want to wait until I’m pushing 40, as the risks for the baby go way up.
Has this changed since you started the thread? Wasn't the point of the thread that you weren't losing weight and hated your diet?4 -
All of this has been covered in the thread, but I figured I'd summarize from what I can see:
Most likely culprit-short time frame weight fluctuations
2nd most likely- period
3rd most likely- trusting pre-packaged values (this can be a huge difference!!! weigh it out)
4th most likely- incorrect measurements (don't measure dry food in cups, weigh it in grams or oz.)
Also, I think 1200 calories might be a bit low for you, but it falls under the "not medically unsafe" umbrella, so have at it.2 -
Yes, according to my scale I’m down another pound, possibly more (got a few readings that were even lower, think I need a new scale).Sorry if I let this thread go off topic, my mind tends to wander and I let that translate into a diary entry on here. Probably a bad idea. I wouldn’t have done so if I had noticed the previous comments opining about my lack of judgment in planning for another child.livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Amandachanges wrote: »I'm sorry if you feel like you've over-shared and are being judged for it. Most of us are wired with survival of the species in mind. I try to look at it that way instead of emotionally when baby fever strikes My ability to cope doesn't necessarily align with the number of children I wanted to have. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'd still encourage you to square away your health before having another baby.
I’m glad you understand ‘baby fever’. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who has it Anyways, I have a surprisingly huge ability to cope with children. And I am definitely squaring away my health issues. I’m losing weight, my diet is healthy, my thyroid is in check, and my previous issues which I attributed to pancreatic problems may not have had anything to do with my pancreas...may have been another flare-up of my erosive gastritis (was hospitalized for it in January), or simply IBS. Any way you slice it, I’m getting healthier and my clothes are getting so loose they’re falling off of me. The way I see it, if I get pregnant I get pregnant...if I don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. I just don’t want to wait until I’m pushing 40, as the risks for the baby go way up.
Has this changed since you started the thread? Wasn't the point of the thread that you weren't losing weight and hated your diet?
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It sounds like you have lot going on in your life. While many people like to think they are "multitaskers" it is difficult to do and maintain. From what I have read you are trying to take on many huge life events (weight loss journey, pregnancy, health scare, home school children, etc. etc.) and your frustration seems to stem from things just not falling in line like you think they should, well life isn't that cut and dry, it just isn't. So take a moment and just breathe, center yourself, and take on what you can handle today to prepare yourself for tomorrow.
This is by no means a comprehensive list but small things you could do to help is cut out the highly processed foods with added sugar. Take small steps to eat as many wholefoods as possible and find the correct balance of activity and caloric needs. Maybe look into practicing some type of daily mindfulness meditation. It always helps me to write out pro/con lists for big life decisions so I can make a loose plan to follow looking ahead and if it is worth it to expend the physical and mental energy in pursuit of that goal or just put it off for a while until I can focus on it. Mr. May one of my HS teachers used to say "If you don't have your health you don't have anything" Really think about that and what the means in conjunction with your life goals. Realistically look at what you can handle VS what you think you need.
There is no judgement here, its your life and you have to live it. A mind/body approach has helped me a great deal maybe it can help you.
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I agree, the most likely culprit is definitely me obsessing over short-term fluctuations. Period also likely had a hand in it. I doubt it had much to do with portions, as even if I had misjudged by half a serving every time, I still should be losing weight...even if I did nothing but lay on a couch all day (according to my bmr). I also agree that 1,200 calories is a bit on the low side. When I lost all my excess weight back in 2005, I went from 212.6 on July 1st, down to 128 by January, eating 1,300-1,450 calories a day (confession: my endocrinologist put me on the diet drug Phentermine, so I believe that helped).Scottgriesser wrote: »All of this has been covered in the thread, but I figured I'd summarize from what I can see:
Most likely culprit-short time frame weight fluctuations
2nd most likely- period
3rd most likely- trusting pre-packaged values (this can be a huge difference!!! weigh it out)
4th most likely- incorrect measurements (don't measure dry food in cups, weigh it in grams or oz.)
Also, I think 1200 calories might be a bit low for you, but it falls under the "not medically unsafe" umbrella, so have at it.
1 -
It sounds like you have lot going on in your life. While many people like to think they are "multitaskers" it is difficult to do and maintain. From what I have read you are trying to take on many huge life events (weight loss journey, pregnancy, health scare, home school children, etc. etc.) and your frustration seems to stem from things just not falling in line like you think they should, well life isn't that cut and dry, it just isn't. So take a moment and just breathe, center yourself, and take on what you can handle today to prepare yourself for tomorrow.
This is by no means a comprehensive list but small things you could do to help is cut out the highly processed foods with added sugar. Take small steps to eat as many wholefoods as possible and find the correct balance of activity and caloric needs. Maybe look into practicing some type of daily mindfulness meditation. It always helps me to write out pro/con lists for big life decisions so I can make a loose plan to follow looking ahead and if it is worth it to expend the physical and mental energy in pursuit of that goal or just put it off for a while until I can focus on it. Mr. May one of my HS teachers used to say "If you don't have your health you don't have anything" Really think about that and what the means in conjunction with your life goals. Realistically look at what you can handle VS what you think you need.
There is no judgement here, its your life and you have to live it. A mind/body approach has helped me a great deal maybe it can help you.
Thank you for the introspection. I really do appreciate it.2 -
Amandachanges wrote: »
Yes, according to my scale I’m down another pound, possibly more (got a few readings that were even lower, think I need a new scale).Sorry if I let this thread go off topic, my mind tends to wander and I let that translate into a diary entry on here. Probably a bad idea. I wouldn’t have done so if I had noticed the previous comments opining about my lack of judgment in planning for another child.livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Amandachanges wrote: »I'm sorry if you feel like you've over-shared and are being judged for it. Most of us are wired with survival of the species in mind. I try to look at it that way instead of emotionally when baby fever strikes My ability to cope doesn't necessarily align with the number of children I wanted to have. Your mileage may vary, of course. I'd still encourage you to square away your health before having another baby.
I’m glad you understand ‘baby fever’. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who has it Anyways, I have a surprisingly huge ability to cope with children. And I am definitely squaring away my health issues. I’m losing weight, my diet is healthy, my thyroid is in check, and my previous issues which I attributed to pancreatic problems may not have had anything to do with my pancreas...may have been another flare-up of my erosive gastritis (was hospitalized for it in January), or simply IBS. Any way you slice it, I’m getting healthier and my clothes are getting so loose they’re falling off of me. The way I see it, if I get pregnant I get pregnant...if I don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. I just don’t want to wait until I’m pushing 40, as the risks for the baby go way up.
Has this changed since you started the thread? Wasn't the point of the thread that you weren't losing weight and hated your diet?
Stop weighing yourself multiple times. If I remember correctly (it's hard to keep it all straight with so much going on), you weighed repeatedly after moving the scale. Moving the scale can effect it's accuracy. Leave it in one spot and weigh yourself once first thing in the morning. You are obsessing over this and it is adding to the stress you are already under. You really need to slow down a bit and just breath. Have you considered yoga or meditation? There are some great online resources. Life is way too short to be putting yourself through all of this.2
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