Ready to give up

walterm852

What is your fall back spot when you "give up"? Meaning, are you going to go back to the same lifestyle that caused you to feel uncomfortable and put on weight, why do that?

Good news, you figured out whatever you did in the last month isn't enough. I would take a serious, thorough inventory and make an adjustment. Food, exercise, etc. Think of it as a detective game, find the answer for you and your body.

Jade0529

You can do this!
Just an example, I've lost 10lbs but my waist measurement is the same. It's because that is the last place weight comes off on me. Meh. I am okay with that. Everyone is different and every body will drop weight in a different way. Def drink lots of water and cut down sodium


As for your brother, he's old enough to be able to control himself. You need to have your parents talk to him and if you can, get a small fridge for your room. At least you could keep your healthy foods in there and put a lock on your door if you have too!

mnardi123

Would you really be happier if you gave up? I know if I did then I would gain weight back and that is not an option for me. You are what I call "standing on the ledge" but DON"T JUMP! Truth is I've been where you are (at one point in time I weight 235lbs) and I thought I was doing everything right and just wasn't meant to lose weight, but I was wrong and it's taken me 5 years of going up and down and learning what's right for my body and taking drastic measures to get were I am now (175lbs). The biggest thing I did was NEVER GIVING UP. But you might have to start preparing more of your food, I prepare a couple of things on Sunday that I can interchange during the week, i.e. turkey chili, quinoa salad, homemade humus, and keep things like packets of tuna and instant steel cut oatmeal at my desk. We are on a journey and I believe that each one of us is worthy of reaching our final destination. Friend me if your looking for some help, but don't give up.

Francl27

Don't weigh AND measure. Just weigh. Measuring isn't accurate.

And make your own recipes... don't use other people's recipes (like that homemade beef stew - did you use your own entry or someone else's?).

So pretty much... you're eating more than you think because of all the takeout/processed food. That's probably where your extra calories come from - labels are not always accurate and foods are often heavier, plus they are often 20% lower than what the calorie count really is.. that's why eating too much processed food is bad for weight loss.

zsaoosh

Over 1700 cals is high if you want to loose weight and many days you have gone over or not even logged at all. You arent working out or even walking. I see you have taken it down to around 1500 today so that is good but 800 cals on fried food for dinner isnt going to help. What are you "giving up" on? Atleast you havent gained weight right??? If you give up, that is whats going to happen. You just arent burning off more then you are taking in. You will feel fuller if you use your cals better and eat bigger healthier meals. GOOD LUCK!

vickeya2000

SaltNBurnBoys: While many of the suggestions here are very good for your general health (helping organs function better, improving energy, reducing risks of disease, just feeling better in general), none of them mention the fact that you can UNDER eat. I'm participating in a weight loss challenge where there's a dietitian. I was the first of now several people in the program who brought up very much the same thing you did: being at or under the calorie "goal" MFP gives you based on your input and having NO net weight loss after two or more weeks.

Immediately, people started suggesting all kinds of things. Some were: eat fewer carbs, eat more protein, make sure you're weighing everything, have patience, that I put on muscle weight because my new lifestyle of exercising. What they missed was that my diet is pretty well balanced, even if not perfect; I am weighing everything; I've had patience; and while I've continued to add more exercise to my life, it can no longer be seen as a "new" thing. I've been trying to lose any amount of weight since starting a walking program three years earlier and even had been doing personal training at a gym for the previous seven months. Yet, all I'd lost in SEVEN months of increasing exercise and decreasing food was five pounds. Two of those came off the first week of the current program. I got frustrated when the very next weigh-in a week later, those two pounds were back! So net of three pounds since personal training and about the same over the previous years.

Finally, a few people who gave me a reason to trust them suggested I might be under eating. One of them went as far as to figure out my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and help me understand the difference between MFP's stock suggestion of 1,200 calories a day and what she came up with, which was much more. In the meantime, the dietitian outright cautioned that a 1,200 calorie diet is not ideal for any adult and that she generally recommends no fewer than 1,500, citing organ needs to function in a healthy manner for most adults living normal lives.

With that said, the following is what my helper came up with, so it applies to me and is not a number for general use (because, as you have found, we are all DIFFERENT):

The first number was 1,600 calories, which I was the starting point for the next three numbers. The next number was 1,920, which she explained would be the number of calories that if I were lying in a hospital bed unable to eat that they would feed me in order to maintain my current weight. The third number was 1,420, the number of calories I'd need to eat in order to lose a pound a week without any exercise. Here is where that first number was referenced; she said that's under bar (1,600 for me) and advised that's not good long term. The last number is 1,670 for .5 pounds lost a week. She noted that as "net," which I took to mean the least number of calories I should consume in addition to what exercise earns me.

What all those numbers told me was what three or so other people suggested (contrary to what many, many more suggested over the years and recently): that I needed to eat more than I had been and more than MFP was saying.

Was she right? Well that was a Monday night. That Friday night, I'd lost four pounds. The only thing I changed in the meantime was eating more. I didn't exercise more or drink more water. I just ate more. Now, I didn't suddenly start eating 1/2 cup of ice cream every day, but I did consume more calories. I had some custard nog (a seasonal favorite only Tops carries around here it seems), a ribeye, and sandwiches with cheese and mayonnaise. But I also had salad, clementines, and bananas.

I weigh again in several hours. If I haven't gained back those four pounds this time - and if I lose anything more - it will be more to substantiate the belief that despite my overweight status, I have not been eating enough. I'm thinking I'm going to be the same weight or less based on my clothes and the mirror.

cici1028

I know you're not going to give up because you made this post. Which means you want to keep going. You will. I believe you can do this.

It is super frustrating to not see big moves on the scale. I checked out your diary... you're doing a good job with your calories. MAYBE you could integrate more fresh foods, fruits and vegetables and prepare more of your own meals rather than packaged food. However, as other people have noted, you don't HAVE to. You can lose weight with packaged food. It might just make a difference for you because you will be trying something new and your body will react to that change... so try it for a week? Ditch the boxes and cook for yourself for a week.

I know that I lost NO weight and still lost 2 pants sizes. So I agree with others. Take measurements. Track BF%. But do not give up. You can do it.