LET IT OUT! (The Frustrations Thread)

dward59

OK my friends. I see a need and thought this might be a great thing to have. A spot where you can come yell, scream, vent, throw a tantrum, whatever to get it out of you so you can let it go and get on with the process.

There are these times. We all have them. This process just isn't going to flow logically and we will have our frustrations.

I suggest you think as you write. Look for the underlying core of "why" this may be happening. It may not be anything that registers on your mind, but maybe someone can look into what you write and give sage words of advice.

Bottom line: If you get annoyed by people complaining, this is NOT the thread for you to follow. We are keeping the overall tone of this group. Be supportive and if a kick in the backside is needed, deliver it with love and kindness. If it is a really strong kick, maybe use a PM and let the recipient share as much with us as (s)he cares.

dward59

And off to the races:

OK, I'm admitting right now I was looking for a HUGE loss this week. I was in calorie deficit big time for multiple days. I walked along the lines of 30 miles in the last eight days (so much so that I was in abject pain on the day we were snowed into our hotel on Thursday.)

I thought, nailed it. I should show a 5 lb loss. I drag my backside out of bed on six hours of sleep, get on the scale. WTF???

.6 lbs? Really? POINT SIX? Six freaking tenths of a pound?!!!? AAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, lets check this. Yes I walked and I'm reasonably sure on the mileages. The pedometer I have tends to not register small steps, so I'm sure I've done at least this amount of walking. I am down a belt loop in the week so I know good stuff happened.

So, the possibilities I see: 1) I'm retaining water from travel yesterday. Since I didn't drink as much as I normally do this could be it. 2) More water retention may be going on because of muscle repair from all that walking. 3) Having Thai Pad See Eew the night before flying out which included (I counted) eight small broccoli florets, giving me four in my portion, may have sodium levels up--as will the pretzels that Delta shared, and the Quest bars I mostly subsided on until 10 last night. 4) I was wildly off on the guestimates I used to fill in my log. Possible, but doubtful.

Bottom line. Drink a ton of water today, eat REAL home cooked protein, limiting the salt and see how this goes in a day or two.

CRody44

dward59,

I find that eating out just loads me up with sodium. I don't add any at home but I always seem to suffer after a meal out. But then, after a few days at home I'm usually back to what I should have lost without the meal out.

leannabseven

Before I even post my first vent please let me say THANK YOU for this thread!

leannabseven

I can completely empathize with you on the weight loss! I am working out 6 days a week at a minimum of 45-60 minutes per day. I'm sloshing in water and I think I'm eating reasonably well. According to MFP I should lose 2 pounds a week. I am struggling just to lose 1 pound!!

I know it's whining when I AM losing, but my feet hurt, I am falling behind on housework and I seem to spend more time with an elliptical machine than with any friends. I want more and I want it now!! *lol*

dward59

LeAnna, it isn't completely whining. There is an old adage about exercise in weightloss; "Don't exercise more during the losing process than you are willing to do for the rest of your life." If you think about this, it is actually very wise. Do you really plan on spending more time on the elliptical machine than with your friends once you get to a happy spot with your weightloss? If not, you are going to have to cut those calories from the amount of food you are eating to maintain.

This is partially why I have dropped my gym time way back. I really do find I prefer walking outside, and if I was where you are, I'd be rocking the outside now while I could, and use the elliptical in the AC later in the year!

I feel your pain on the slowness of the loss, although I dropped almost as much in the last 24 hours as I had over the entire trip, and I still feel puffy, so my loss, while it isn't going to be the five pounds I thought I deserved, since MFP dropped my calories again this morning, it is probably going to be realistically where it should have been!

Hang tough. You have been doing very well. People are noticing, embarrassing or not! ;-) You are feeling better overall. Instead of working out six days a week, why not drop it to 4 days a week, let your feet stop hurting, take care of the things you feel you've neglected. Then in a week or two, bump it to 5 days per week with the days off spaced apart? You have to let your body heal from the workouts.

Ignaura

My weight fluctuates a lot and its frustrating. I mean, I weigh in monday morning to find +3lbs than sunday morning. I know I didn't gain 3lbs overnight, but, come on!!!

808malia

I know this feeling very well... I seem to lose and gain the same 5lbs over and over again... It kinda stresses me out :grumble: Sometimes it feels like I'm running in circles!

dward59

I know this feeling very well... I seem to lose and gain the same 5lbs over and over again... It kinda stresses me out :grumble: Sometimes it feels like I'm running in circles!

At least you are running! :flowerforyou:

leannabseven

LeAnna, it isn't completely whining. There is an old adage about exercise in weightloss; "Don't exercise more during the losing process than you are willing to do for the rest of your life." If you think about this, it is actually very wise. Do you really plan on spending more time on the elliptical machine than with your friends once you get to a happy spot with your weightloss? If not, you are going to have to cut those calories from the amount of food you are eating to maintain.

This is partially why I have dropped my gym time way back. I really do find I prefer walking outside, and if I was where you are, I'd be rocking the outside now while I could, and use the elliptical in the AC later in the year!

I feel your pain on the slowness of the loss, although I dropped almost as much in the last 24 hours as I had over the entire trip, and I still feel puffy, so my loss, while it isn't going to be the five pounds I thought I deserved, since MFP dropped my calories again this morning, it is probably going to be realistically where it should have been!

Hang tough. You have been doing very well. People are noticing, embarrassing or not! ;-) You are feeling better overall. Instead of working out six days a week, why not drop it to 4 days a week, let your feet stop hurting, take care of the things you feel you've neglected. Then in a week or two, bump it to 5 days per week with the days off spaced apart? You have to let your body heal from the workouts.

You are a very smart man and you've made some good points. Actually the reason I'm exercising so hard right now is that I don't intend on being in this park past June. Then, we'll be traveling in the RV and I won't have access to the kind of facilities I have here. My long term goal is 30-45 minutes of exercise at least 4 days a week. But I'm not adverse to a daily walk...I just don't want to always be power walking.

Ignaura

I love lifting weights. Heavy weights. It makes me feel strong and powerful.

I hate, HATE cardio. I hate the stair-master, the elliptical, the stationary bike.. I hate zumba, I hate cardio pump things, I hate cycling... I HATE cardio. My trainer told me to do 3 HIIT sessions a week. It's not so bad because time flies when you are counting intervals. However, i feel like I need to add more damn cardio to my routine. Arghhh... Maybe boxing or something that doesn't make me feel like I'm wasting my time lol

808malia

I know this feeling very well... I seem to lose and gain the same 5lbs over and over again... It kinda stresses me out :grumble: Sometimes it feels like I'm running in circles!

At least you are running! :flowerforyou:
[/quote]

LOL, Dan! You are right, and at least I am healthier for doing so :drinker:

hollyla9905

Sorry I missed this the last few days! Hope the venting helped my friends

leannabseven

I love lifting weights. Heavy weights. It makes me feel strong and powerful.

I hate, HATE cardio. I hate the stair-master, the elliptical, the stationary bike.. I hate zumba, I hate cardio pump things, I hate cycling... I HATE cardio. My trainer told me to do 3 HIIT sessions a week. It's not so bad because time flies when you are counting intervals. However, i feel like I need to add more damn cardio to my routine. Arghhh... Maybe boxing or something that doesn't make me feel like I'm wasting my time lol

I had trouble with this as well at first. It's not easy to stay in one place...I get distracted. But listening to AC/DC seems to help the time pass faster. The plus side of the elliptical is that I can get my calorie burn faster and be done.

Boxing sounds kind of fun. When I was young I studied martial arts and really enjoyed it. I also love to dance, so Zumba might work for me...if it doesn't kill me!

Wolfmother61

Ok here goes my vent. I seem to be able to do a steady weight loss until I hit a drop from one 10 pound section to the next (i.e. right now it is going from the 240's to the 230's). When I get close it just stalls..up .5 down .4 up .6 down .5. This goes on for a few weeks and is very frustrating. It is like my body wants to hold on to what is familiar and stay there and oh no we can't go down into the next one that is a scary number.

I know if I keep at it things will eventually go down it is just when I am in that place I just want to chuck the scale out the window.

Thank you for letting us vent in a safe place :happy:

hollyla9905

I know if I keep at it things will eventually go down it is just when I am in that place I just want to chuck the scale out the window.

Thank you for letting us vent in a safe place :happy:

I think everyone has wanted to dispose of their scale in some creative ways, sounds frustrating that it seems to repeat at 10 lbs intervals! Maybe as you get closer like 241 you could try and do something totally different and shake your body up! Sling shot right past the stuck point!! Keep up the good work looks as if you came a long way already

dward59

Ok here goes my vent. I seem to be able to do a steady weight loss until I hit a drop from one 10 pound section to the next (i.e. right now it is going from the 240's to the 230's). When I get close it just stalls..up .5 down .4 up .6 down .5. This goes on for a few weeks and is very frustrating. It is like my body wants to hold on to what is familiar and stay there and oh no we can't go down into the next one that is a scary number.

I know if I keep at it things will eventually go down it is just when I am in that place I just want to chuck the scale out the window.

Thank you for letting us vent in a safe place :happy:

Hi Wolfmother61 and welcome to our little haven in the midst...

I think you hit a frustration many of us share. I know I have it, but I've also looked at it honestly and for me my fluctuations really are no different there then they are in the middle of the range. What is different is my desire to see that lower decade number! I'm right there too. I'm flirting with the next number range down and those little 1/10's of a pound fluctuations are maddening!

What helped me see that the fluctuations are really ongoing is using yet another online tool called the Hackers Diet Online. I have decided that if I MUST be a daily weigher, I need a tool like this to help me understand the trending. On the other hand, now I'm obsessed with plugging those numbers in daily and watching that downtrending line. When I'm away from the scale for a week I get a nasty flat line that disrupts my trend. :sad:

Anyway, that is much more than you probably want to hear. We understand and empathize!

CRody44

My gym easily has over 500 pieces of equipment and/or machines. Why is it that the only machine (rope pull) that I use for resistance training is always broken?

leannabseven

I lost another 10 pounds so MFP asked if I wanted to re-evaluate my daily goals. I thought..."Cool! Maybe I'll get a break. MFP cut my calories to less!" I was struggling to make my goals and now I have to cut nearly 100 more every day. WHEN am I supposed to have my skinny margaritas!?! *lol*

hollyla9905

LeAnna: maybe this will help you get the 2 lbs a week you were looking for
Chuck: how frustrating it must be a popular equipment piece, did you ask if they had something that would give the same results, but isn't always broken??

CRody44

Holly,

I had a trainer that showed me 20 different machines that all did the same thing. I'm basically lazy and don't care to spend all my day at the gym. The rope pull gets all the above the waist muscles with a one workout.

Chuck