Feeling discouraged and defeated!
green_eyes_99
Posts: 149 Member
Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance! 
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Replies
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Hey there,
Well, we have it height in common! And I did a whole 30 and lost weight and gained it back! Here is what is working for me: logging in mfp, upping my protein, and working out thirty minutes a day. That has enabled me to lose almost 19lbs since March. I still have 15 to go! Best wishes!5 -
I topped out at 285lbs. Last WI was 171.2 lbs. I’m coming up on 12 years maintaining my goal of 184lbs.
Take heart. What worked for me can work for you. There’s no magic formula eating, fasting or demanding workouts. Calculate a modest calorie deficit, start a food diary, and start making a plan for each day and week. Try to hit your number. Always log in your intake, even if you go wildly over your number. Be determined and patient.
That’s it- patience. That’s what wrecks most efforts. Well, lack of patience. It starts with the calorie counting learning curve. Commit to about 6 weeks to start, just to figure out the process. Keeping the diary gets easier the longer you do it. Pretty soon you will just know the numbers for most food you like. Plus you can train your eye to recognize portion size when you’re not at home.
I was stuck at about 215lbs for years. Then in desperation I joined Weight Watchers. Not a plug for WW, the program now is very different from what it was in 2006. But WW is where I learned tracking my intake. Trying to eat within my number was like a puzzle game. Some days and weeks, I missed and ate too much. But I didn’t do what I saw loads of other people do, I didn’t quit logging everything I ate and putting a number on it. And I never belittled my own successes. A .2 lb loss for the week was 1 tick closer to goal.
That’s the weight loss process. It’s not a diet. It’s a way to live. You can do it.
Oh, last thing- always evaluate your plan along 2 lines, are you losing on a long term downward trend? Are you satisfied with how you are living,?
If your plan isn’t working out, make adjustments and make it better. Good luck.
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I am 5’3” and was 194 at my heaviest. I’ve lost 45ish pounds. I have lost and gained weight before as well. I decided that I had to change my lifestyle. I watch what I eat and exercise everyday. I workout in the mornings. It is very difficult at times but I feel so much better. I know it is hard to find time when you work and have other commitments. Working out in the mornings actually gives me more energy for the day. I don’t follow a certain diet. I just watch my sugar, fat, cholesterol, and carb intake. I try to eat fruits and vegetables as much as possible and whole grains. I still have treats at times but I try not to over eat. I hope this helps.5
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green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
This is very common. You have to be patient. 50 lbs should take about 8 months up to a year, if you want to keep it off. Eat balanced, not an extreme diet. You need some fat, some carbs, and lots and lots of Protien. You're probably out of energy due to your diet. Find your macro levels and maintain a slight caloric deficit combined with good solid exercise. Heavy weights burn the most fat, but a simple walk every day can do the trick. Forget about the number on the scale. Measure progress with your eyes and your feels. Don't get discouraged, Rome wasnt built in a day. Find someone who knows what they are doing here and stick to them like glue. Ask questions, but consider the source when absorbing the answers. Forget about motivation and develop discipline instead. Most of all, and at the risk of redundancy, BE PATIENT!!!
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danielle77speed wrote: »I am 5’3” and was 194 at my heaviest. I’ve lost 45ish pounds. I have lost and gained weight before as well. I decided that I had to change my lifestyle. I watch what I eat and exercise everyday. I workout in the mornings. It is very difficult at times but I feel so much better. I know it is hard to find time when you work and have other commitments. Working out in the mornings actually gives me more energy for the day. I don’t follow a certain diet. I just watch my sugar, fat, cholesterol, and carb intake. I try to eat fruits and vegetables as much as possible and whole grains. I still have treats at times but I try not to over eat. I hope this helps.
Way to go, thats awesome!!!! ; )
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@green_eyes_99 Thank you! You can do it, too! Feel free to add me If you need more support.1
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You can do this, but you need to commit. I'm 5'3 and my starting weight was 224. I began watching my food on July 3rd and I have lost 15 lbs so far. I am dedicated to weighing and logging everything that I put in my mouth. Exercise doesn't have to be done all at once. You can do 10 minutes several times a day. Or get a fitbit and start counting your steps. Yes, it is hard, but it is doable. Sometimes it is hard, but aren't most things that are worth it? I lost 40 lbs (at a staring weight of 200) 4 years ago. Little by little I let go of all the healthy things that got me there and I gained it all back and more. This is my LAST time losing and gaining. Can it be yours too? I'll be it can be - I believe in you, YOU CAN DO THIS.2
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elsie6hickman wrote: »You can do this, but you need to commit. I'm 5'3 and my starting weight was 224. I began watching my food on July 3rd and I have lost 15 lbs so far. I am dedicated to weighing and logging everything that I put in my mouth. Exercise doesn't have to be done all at once. You can do 10 minutes several times a day. Or get a fitbit and start counting your steps. Yes, it is hard, but it is doable. Sometimes it is hard, but aren't most things that are worth it? I lost 40 lbs (at a staring weight of 200) 4 years ago. Little by little I let go of all the healthy things that got me there and I gained it all back and more. This is my LAST time losing and gaining. Can it be yours too? I'll be it can be - I believe in you, YOU CAN DO THIS.
Congrats and thank you!! : )0 -
green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
Don't do a diet that you will stop. I lost 20 lbs eating mostly the same foods I had always eaten. I just logged, every day, accurately and consistently. I learned over time where I wasted calories, what foods filled me up, and which ones left me wanting more. I've been maintaining for awhile now, still eating the same foods, just a little more.
I have certainly made several small tweaks to my diet over time to get healthier, but I haven't cut out anything, and I don't force myself to eat anything I don't like. IMHO the key is finding a way of eating and an activity level that is practical, you enjoy, and that will easily keep you at the right calorie level for the rest of your life.
Set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, understand that you will have days where you go off plan and that's no big deal, and be patient. And check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each board, there's lots of great info there!9 -
Okay, here's the thing... everyone stumbles and everyone has setbacks.
The trick is to ask yourself: ' So What ? '
It's not if you hit plateaus and it's not if you stumble that counts (it doesn't ); what counts is how you respond.
Like most worthwhile aspects of life, persistence is the key.
Best of Luck Moving Forward.4 -
Stop thinking about how you struggle with your weight, start focusing on how you can eat less (and move more) without reducing your real or perceived quality of life.3
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green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
Don't do a diet that you will stop. I lost 20 lbs eating mostly the same foods I had always eaten. I just logged, every day, accurately and consistently. I learned over time where I wasted calories, what foods filled me up, and which ones left me wanting more. I've been maintaining for awhile now, still eating the same foods, just a little more.
I have certainly made several small tweaks to my diet over time to get healthier, but I haven't cut out anything, and I don't force myself to eat anything I don't like. IMHO the key is finding a way of eating and an activity level that is practical, you enjoy, and that will easily keep you at the right calorie level for the rest of your life.
Set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, understand that you will have days where you go off plan and that's no big deal, and be patient. And check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each board, there's lots of great info there!
I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said. If the way you have lived and eaten so far has gotten you to a weight you deem too high for yourself, going on a diet that you stop after you're "done" and returning to your old way of living and eating will get you back to that weight.
Yes, this approach is slow. Yes, it requires patience. Yes, I personally also struggle with patience. Yes, this is also the longest I've gone losing weight without falling back and gaining again.4 -
you need to stop dieting and start making sustainable lifestyle changes.
it really is as basic as eating a little less, and moving a little more.
go to the gym in the morning, if you have no energy at night? or find an exercise you enjoy doing so it doesn't seem like a chore?1 -
green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
Don't do a diet that you will stop. I lost 20 lbs eating mostly the same foods I had always eaten. I just logged, every day, accurately and consistently. I learned over time where I wasted calories, what foods filled me up, and which ones left me wanting more. I've been maintaining for awhile now, still eating the same foods, just a little more.
I have certainly made several small tweaks to my diet over time to get healthier, but I haven't cut out anything, and I don't force myself to eat anything I don't like. IMHO the key is finding a way of eating and an activity level that is practical, you enjoy, and that will easily keep you at the right calorie level for the rest of your life.
Set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, understand that you will have days where you go off plan and that's no big deal, and be patient. And check out the Most Helpful Posts threads pinned to the top of each board, there's lots of great info there!
I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said. If the way you have lived and eaten so far has gotten you to a weight you deem too high for yourself, going on a diet that you stop after you're "done" and returning to your old way of living and eating will get you back to that weight.
Yes, this approach is slow. Yes, it requires patience. Yes, I personally also struggle with patience. Yes, this is also the longest I've gone losing weight without falling back and gaining again.
Agreed!! Weight loss with fad diets never last because it’s not something that you can stick to the rest of your life and often (if not always) they are not healthy. It’s a hard truth, but you have to be able to do it for the rest of your life or the results won’t be lasting.2 -
The only success I've found is CICO. I don't cut out any food groups, I don't deprive myself of any types of food, I just eat less calories than I burn on a daily basis and I continue to lose weight. That's it. I don't like cleanses or fad diets. I changed my lifestyle and this is who I am now. Yes, I still indulge in dessert and beer but I make sure it's fitting into my goal.
As a mom of two kids under two years old I understand that there is NO TIME to go to the gym so I work out at home or go running before the kids wake in the morning. I'm injured right now so I'm resting and just being vigilant about CICO.
Going out with friends can be hard but don't lose motivation. Just know you are doing this for you. the compliments will come and you should feel good that you've done so well.
Just keep chugging along doing CICO and you'll be fine.2 -
I would like to see how gorgeous you would be 50 pounds lighter because your a dang gone knock out already4
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green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
I cant face the gym after working all day either. I knock it out in the morning before work and although its a push../.I never regret it.1 -
green_eyes_99 wrote: »Hello, I am 37 years old, 5'3 and weigh 190. I am not happy with my weight but I struggle with losing weight and keeping it off. I did the whole 30 a few months ago and lost 10 pounds and people were noticing I was losing and it made me feel good! Once I got off of it I gained it all back. I have no energy to go to the gym after working all day. I don't know what to do to lose the 50 pounds I need to lose. I feel so discouraged and I feel so invisible when I go out with friends. Please if anyone has had similar struggles as I'm battling with, please let me know how you overcame it and continued to be successful with your weight loss? Thanks in advance!
The thing about diet plans and fads is they don't retrain your eating habits, so once you come off them you return to your usual pattern of eating, which is what led you to put on weight in the first place. For me, learning how to eat more optimally has been a steep learning curve and it's been hard. Logging my food makes it easier to regulate my intake and to see what I'm eating. I can also plan meals in advance so I'm not stuck roaming the kitchen wondering what I'm going to have and then grabbing something that isn't nutritious and won't fill me up.
As everyone has already said, patience is key. You'll have to accept that your weight loss journey will take time and some effort, so try not to focus on the scales if not seeing quick changes frustrates you. There's no need to cut out any foods, or have 'cheat' days or meals-- if you want something, have it, in less quantities than you normally would do. If you keep telling yourself you can't or shouldn't have this thing or that thing, it will just make you crave it more. If you overeat, log it, and strive to do different next time.
This is a marathon, not a sprint, and your eating patterns will change over time if you stick at it. You'll find yourself eating less of the stuff that put the weight on, and more of the stuff that better aids your nutrition and weight loss goals. But it takes time, and trial and error, so go easy on yourself and take each ounce lost as a success. Celebrate the ounces and centimetres you lose; don't wait to count pounds and inches. Eat a bit less, move a bit more, gradually incorporate more nutritious foods and phase out less nutritious ones. And don't beat yourself up if the scales stay static for a while. Weight loss isn't linear. If you're consistently using up more calories than you're taking in, you'll lose weight.2 -
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I haven't been to Austin in several years but I hear there's lots of places to places to play around there. Are you native to the region or did you arrive for a job?0
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