Trying not to get frustrated

wicky24

Last year around April I weighed 208 lbs. and got down to 193. I was more strict with my diet but didn't exercise that much. I could not get under the 193 lb. mark. I was there for about 6 weeks then just gave up. Gained about 6 of those pounds back. So now this January I wanted to start again. I just lost those 6 pounds again and now here I am stuck at 193-194 for the last 3 weeks. I've added more exercise than I normally do but my diet isn't as strict even though I'm keeping my calories down. I was thinking that if I still had a little of my treats then I wouldn't fall off the wagon like I did last year. But I am getting very frustrated. Why can't I get past this number? I really want to keep going and stay motivated.
Also, some weeks my diet has been poor because my husband has been out of work and there's only been $40 or 50 or less a week for groceries. Not an excuse, just explaining why some things are not as good as they could be.

beccamh

Just a couple ideas..

1. Increase your protein/decrease the carbs. Sometimes a change in macros is enough to get past a plateau. I have been doing 40% carb 30% protein/fat and it really helps keep me full/energy on the same 1300-1500 calories/day. For me that's roughly 50gfat 130g carbs 90g protein which would be 1330 calories.

2. Drink plenty of water

3. Don't get frustrated and don't give up! You have done the hardest part which is getting started logging and you just have to keep at it.

beccamh

Oh one last thing- sometimes getting more protein can be expensive but we get around that by eating lots of eggs. We usually buy at least 36 eggs/week for 2 people. I will usually have 1egg and 2eggwhites in the morning to keep the calories down and it keeps me more full that cereal and costs less than $0.50

concordancia

Regarding the frustration: I choose to deal with it by stepping away from the scale for weeks at a time.

Regarding the diet on a budget:

-Be more accurate with your logging: one level teaspoon of sugar is 16 calories, so there is no way that one heaping teaspoon is 15; What is one cup of cheerios with milk? How much of that is cheerios and how much is milk? If you don't have measuring spoons and cups, you can find them at thrift shops. You might even see a cheap food scale there. These things will save you money within a week, as you will use up your food at a slower rate.
-Look into local resources. Some charities are distributing more fresh food these days, not just non-perishables.
-Visit your local farmer's market at the end of the day: many of the vendors don't want to load all of that back into the truck and will accept offers.
-Learn to cook with beans and eggs - they are the cheapest protein sources, and even cheaper than junk food. Lentils make a decent substitute for ground beef for taco meat, for example.

Also, look into free yoga or meditation in your area, as stress can make it difficult to lose weight.

wicky24

Thank you for the replies. I will try and start eating eggs instead of the cereal for breakfast and see how that goes. I also tend to snack a lot. I've always been a snacker but I will try and find lower carb options for that too.

captmiddy

It isn't about the carb makeup, it is about the calorie count. A high carb low calorie snack would likely be better for you than a low carb high calorie snack. You should set a calorie target then make sure you accurately record your consumption. Get a scale even if it is a cheap used one somewhere that will at least get you started. You can weigh most anything. 1 C of Milk weighs about 240 grams just for information purposes. 1 serving of cheerios is about 30g (do not use liquid measure for food like cereal). If you really can't find a scale then at least be as accurate as possible measuring out everything. 9 times out of 10 the reason you aren't losing is because you are consuming far more than you think you are. That 1 time out of 10 is usually because your exercise isn't burning as many calories as you think they are.

concordancia

Thank you for the replies. I will try and start eating eggs instead of the cereal for breakfast and see how that goes. I also tend to snack a lot. I've always been a snacker but I will try and find lower carb options for that too.

Unless you have underlying medical issues the "low carb" is only important in so far as fats and proteins are more satisfying. Something like nuts, which have fats, proteins and fiber, tend to be very filling, but again you have to be careful that you are measuring them out (and they are not cheap).

_HeartsOnFire_

Read this...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+sweet+<span class=

And most definitely read this!!!
http://www.vicmagary.com/blog/fitness-motivation/#comment-10883

RobbinRL

Thank you for the replies. I will try and start eating eggs instead of the cereal for breakfast and see how that goes. I also tend to snack a lot. I've always been a snacker but I will try and find lower carb options for that too.

I have learned to weigh/measure all my food. You'd be surprised at how we over estimate! I was big time. Anyway, I snack on carrots and other veggies; there are many low fat/low salt snack chips - que here is to weigh them out and eat 1 serving; lunch meats are very low fat such as Oscar Meyer Turkey Breast, ham in water, etc are only 50 cal's for 2 oz; salmon and or tuna pkts with 1 serving of crackers. Many of these items are on special and more economical. Eating 1 serving of things saves a lot, if your hungry more protien to make you feel fuller. AND DRINK TONS OF WATER. After a while your stomach adjusts to everything and it becomes the norm.

GOOD LUCK.

MagJam2004

It is my understanding that weight management is vastly controlled by what we eat. Exercise plays a role, but it is second fiddle to food and nutrition. For myself, I had to take a couple of weeks of meal planning, no exercise or anything, in order to get the swing of things before I added exercise into that mix. Kinda like how you eat an elephant, take it one step at a time.

Just Googled it and an elephant has over 6 million calories. So DO NOT eat any elephants, that would be unwise...

RobbinRL

OOPS one more thing, walk. Go for nice long liesurely walks and work up to power walking for a minimun of 1 hour per day. More if you can .

Ang108

Last year around April I weighed 208 lbs. and got down to 193. I was more strict with my diet but didn't exercise that much. I could not get under the 193 lb. mark. I was there for about 6 weeks then just gave up. Gained about 6 of those pounds back. So now this January I wanted to start again. I just lost those 6 pounds again and now here I am stuck at 193-194 for the last 3 weeks. I've added more exercise than I normally do but my diet isn't as strict even though I'm keeping my calories down. I was thinking that if I still had a little of my treats then I wouldn't fall off the wagon like I did last year. But I am getting very frustrated. Why can't I get past this number? I really want to keep going and stay motivated.
Also, some weeks my diet has been poor because my husband has been out of work and there's only been $40 or 50 or less a week for groceries. Not an excuse, just explaining why some things are not as good as they could be.

Wow, you seem to live of Pizza, cereal, pretzels, cookies, cake, lots of full sugar soft drinks with no really beneficial protein ( chicken, fish, legumes, pulses or even a protein shake ), hardly any fruit and no vegetables. I wonder if that might influence the way you lose weight. If you eat consistently at a deficit, sooner or later weight will come off. The question however I'd ask myself is how the general state of your health would be with such a ( with all due respect ) bad diet.
BTW: eating carbs is not bad at all and the carbs from fruit and vegetables are especially good. In your place I would exchange some of the non-nutritious carbs ( like pretzels, white bread, cookies etc ) with more nutritional carbs at least....maybe that will add to the difference in which you will lose.