Thinking about just giving up

focuseddiva

I know I shouldn't. Everything in me says not to. But I am so frustrated and disappointed with my lack of progress. I started with MFP a month ago. I was about 175-180 lbs. I have been averaging a calorie deficit every week. I thought if I saw even a 2 pound drop in the first few weeks, it would motivate me even more. Instead, I saw not much of anything. Two weeks ago, I weighed in at 175. Yesterday, I was 179, despite this entire past week of eating an average of 1500 cals/day and lots of exercise. How can you possbly gain on that? Well, time of month is right about here, so I chalked it up to that. I ate 1300 cals yesterday. Exercised for 45 minutes. And weighed this morning, desperate to see any sort of drop or movement or anything. Instead, the scaled showed 185. How do I gain 6 pounds overnight???? It has to be water-related/time of month. I understand that. Still, it's so so hard to see the scale climb while you do what you perceive as everything right. And even if my diet isn't "clean" and "perfect" -- I should still be in a calorie deficit every week enough to produce a loss. And it's not happening. In my head, I have two routes I can go right now: 1) Restirct further to about 1000 cals/day to see if that works, and don't deviate -- and keep exercising moderately/add in more strenght and 2)Just give up. This is like smashing my head against the wall. I feel like throwing myself off a bridge, I am so frustrated.

GiveMeCoffee

First, don't give up. Take a minute and relax. Now are you measuring your foods accurately? Are you logging everything? And just for me I would get rid of the Jenny Craig stuff and make my own food it tastes so much better and isn't loaded with all the sodium.

focuseddiva

I don't measure anything b/c the Jenny Craig stuff is all premeasured. Basically, their breakfast, lunch ,dinner, and snacks per day add up to about 950 calories. The remaining 250 calories come from skim milk, fruit, veggies. And I DO measure those (well, not the veggies. Those are considered unlimited--raw veggies). Sodium maybe high, but I do like the food and I like that it's all measured out and it's cooked.

I haven't cried (like boo hoo cried) over my weight in years. And that's just what I am doing right now. It just really sucks to work hard all week, see a gain, then resolve to work harder, and weigh in the next day and be up 6 pounds. (I know this HAS to be period related, but still). Feels like I was staring at 145 on the same scale not too long ago, and now it's 185. I wish I could point to eating crap all week long as a reason, but I didn't. Believe me -- if I did, I would cop to it. It would even make sense to gain weight from that. Take a look at my diary. Tell me what I am doing wrong ... thanks.

Magdaloonie

Oh, those first couple months are so hard! Don't give up yet but do everything you can to log accurately. I was eating a lot more cals than I thought and burning off a whole lot less for quite a while. It was very frustrating because I thought I was doing it right. Best purchases were a food scale and a heart rate monitor. I also avoid restaurant food because that's always going to be a guess. I like to cook and carefully add in my own recipes. They really are healthier and tastier and I know exactly what's in there.

Keep at it! (And I also tend to panic when the TOM water weight comes on!)

amartin7889

What do you mean by "lots of exercise"?

Magdaloonie

Our posts crossed!
Are you not logging water or not drinking it? It's a little thing but really important.
Also, I know it's convenient but three meals plus snacks of processed diet food does not seem to be working for you. What if you tried cooking some meals ahead and swapping out at least one meal a day?

Saramelie

I don`t know about the Jenny Craig stuff, but how about just starting to eat ``real`` food (not prepackaged), log the calories and exercice, and let go of the scale for a while? I know it`s scary, but give it a try. Focus on HOW you feel instead of the number on the scale for a while.

My suggestions:

Weight yourself tommorow morning and take mesurements, then....

1. Pack the scale and the mesuring tape for a MONTH
2. Eat real food (aka ; not prepackaged)...
3. ... in enought quantity (maybe starting at around 1500 cal?)
4. Exercice normally
5. Drink enought water
6. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep/night
7. Log it all in (food, exercice, water, sleep, in the foot note at the end of the page)
8... and see the result in a MONTH.

Number is still going up? You are not losing inches? Re-evaluate. How was that month food wise, exercice wise? Did you sleep enought, drink water? See if there`s a patern there. All is good? Then drop the number of calories by 50-100 cal a day (not too low!) and repeat for another month.

If you give up on yourself now, how much will you allow yourself to gain before you change your mind and try again? 20-50-70-100 pounds?? Do yourself a service and stick to it, as it`s ``easier`` to lose 50 pounds than to lose 150 pounds! :-)
Good luck

bdoermann

Do NOT give up. I feel like giving up sometimes too. You can do this. I would try drinking more water, getting enough fiber and try some kind of relaxation (yoga, meditation, deep breathing...) Relax you will start to see a change.

janupshaw

Don't give up! One thing I keep telling myself is, "If you're tired of starting over, STOP QUITTING!" I know it's frustruating, I've maintained the last 5 weeks even though I'm eating to lose (maybe I didn't log those peanut clusters?!) But I don't really care, because I know I'm getting healthier. You can do this! Stick with it, you'll be glad you did.

bunkahes

Dont give up, I dont know anything about jenny craig, i just know its expensive but other then that i have no clue. Measuring your meals is a key to everything. Eating real food instead of packed food could be making you tip the scale, packed foods as chemicals, that are not good for the body, And having too mucch salt in foods could also make you hold fluid, Not drinking enough water could make you sick, there alot of coulds in life, there are roads to leave to dead ends or bridge that we have cross. this is your bridge, either quit or take the bridge, take a chance to change something positive in your life, eating healthy, cooking meals for one self, Dont take the easy way out, beccause you never know what you will do next, how big or how much you will let you gain weight. its easier to gain then to loose weight. Could also start changing things in your eating plan, instead of chips, have quaker pope which are really good, healthy choices are not always bad.

FabulouslyMade

It's discouraging. Trust me I know. And I've given up every time and it me with regret. Whatever you do please don't give up.

Sarauk2sf

You have only been logging for a month and have a ton of quick adds and some days that look incomplete.

Weigh your food, log accurately and log everything. Wait a few weeks and see where you are - then reassess.

dlionsmane

Ditch the Jenny Craig. It most likely is loaded with sodium and you are retaining water. Also if you didn't make it, weigh it and package it how can you be sure of the accuracy of the calories in the meals? Let alone the content! (think Sugar and Salt). Let MFP tell you how many calories to take in with a healthy goal. Which is depending on your current weight, height and age and how much you have to lose. For example if you have more than 100 pounds to lose then 2 pounds per week is good, 50-100 than 1.5 pounds per week, 50-30 pounds to lose than 1 pound per week should be your goal. Less than 20 then and you should only be looking at .5 per week.

Then make your own meals (save lots and lots of money - while having control over what goes in) !!

And most importantly - don't give up. This is about finding something that fits your lifestyle for the rest of your life. Think sustainability! Good luck!

karen19711

Three Words......


NEVER. GIVE. UP.


Smile K xo

ridingo

I'm going to repeat what others have said about Jenny Craig: The sodium! Sodium is used to preserve the prepackaged food so it has a longer shelf life. But sodium leads to water retention. That could literally be why you saw a 6 pound fluctuation overnight.

It may be harder, but I'd steer clear of prepackaged meals and opt for real, low sodium foods for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. And drink plenty of water.

Good luck!

GiveMeCoffee

The pre-packaged Jenny Craig stuff is full of sodium. Cook your own food, weigh it and portion it out so its quick and easy for you. Also what are you drinking, I looked quick at your diary and didn't see anything. Do you add sugar and cream to your coffee? Soda, Juice? If so you need to log that too.

Ophidion

You have only been logging for a month and have a ton of quick adds and some days that look incomplete.

Weigh your food, log accurately and log everything. Wait a few weeks and see where you are - then reassess.

QFT^ All of this. Consistency,honesty, adherence and patience.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6

swolf19

Don't give up. GuitarJerry is exactly right! Prepackaged foods are full of sodium. Even though it says 300 calories, check the sodium, it's very, very high.

Phaedra2014

I know I shouldn't. Everything in me says not to. But I am so frustrated and disappointed with my lack of progress. I started with MFP a month ago. I was about 175-180 lbs. I have been averaging a calorie deficit every week. I thought if I saw even a 2 pound drop in the first few weeks, it would motivate me even more. Instead, I saw not much of anything. Two weeks ago, I weighed in at 175. Yesterday, I was 179, despite this entire past week of eating an average of 1500 cals/day and lots of exercise. How can you possbly gain on that? Well, time of month is right about here, so I chalked it up to that. I ate 1300 cals yesterday. Exercised for 45 minutes. And weighed this morning, desperate to see any sort of drop or movement or anything. Instead, the scaled showed 185. How do I gain 6 pounds overnight???? It has to be water-related/time of month. I understand that. Still, it's so so hard to see the scale climb while you do what you perceive as everything right. And even if my diet isn't "clean" and "perfect" -- I should still be in a calorie deficit every week enough to produce a loss. And it's not happening. In my head, I have two routes I can go right now: 1) Restirct further to about 1000 cals/day to see if that works, and don't deviate -- and keep exercising moderately/add in more strenght and 2)Just give up. This is like smashing my head against the wall. I feel like throwing myself off a bridge, I am so frustrated.

I was 144 lbs on Wednesday and I am 148.4 this morning. I have done nothing differently. I ate the same amount, maintained the usual deficit, worked out every day (including Christmas day), and here I am with the usual crap. I don't go below 144 and I don't go above 148/149. I just drift between the two numbers.

I've weighed, measured, logged, chewed, and split hairs on every possible angle of this weight loss thing. It just ain't happening. BUT I refuse to give up. I will beat this. I will find a way out of it. I will understand it and I will conquer it.

Don't give up.

andreahanlon

A 6 pound gain overnight could be seen due to eating bread (or something similar). The water binds to the substance and then you see the gain. It's not a legitimate gain though - you will see it leave in the next few days. I try to not eat bread and simple carbs for this reason (because I like to see the scale decrease and don't want to see those highs and lows).

I would suggest buying a food scale if you don't have one already.