Crying over... Need Support

delania

My history: I am 5'8" and, at my lowest weighed 145. A year and a half ago I was prescribed a medication that made me gain 55 pounds in 6 months. During the entire duration I have continued to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Four months ago I went off of the medication and no weight loss occurred. At the start of this year I really pushed it, calorie counting, eating extremely healthy, exercising 5-6 times a week, etc. This morning I weighed myself and I haven't lost an ounce. I haven't really dealt with it all day, but this evening I am just breaking down. I have a closet full of clothes that are way to small for me. I am disgusted with my body and so immensely frustrated. For someone who never cries, I just can't stop. I have no more answers and no more tricks up my sleeve. I pretend like I am fine with my body the way it is, because I know I should be, but I'm just not.

ajbeans

*hugs* That's hard to deal with. You've been through a lot.

This might sound odd, but the first thing I would do would be to get rid of those clothes that are too small. Yes, you'll fit into them again one day. But in the meantime, they're just taunting you, making you feel badly about your weight. It's not worth it. Pick out a few favorites, and donate the rest. Because you've been working hard, and when you do get down to that size again, you'll deserve a new wardrobe as a reward.

Have you talked to your doctor about this? If the medication caused the gain, perhaps you need to approach weight loss from a different angle than what worked before.

BecciL

Hi Delani ! I am so sorry you are having such a rough day, As I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist I can not give you any advise , however I think it might be a great idea to either seek a professional , that way that can give you the exact answers you need on a professional level , I wouldn't beat myself up about it until you can get a professional opinion, Just know as of NOW you are doing everything you think is right , it just might be an imbalance with your body and medications or maybe even stress.
but just take a deep breath and look for a nutritionist and or doctor in your area , I hope your evening gets better, A warm bath and relaxing candles and tea might do the trick tonight !
Blessed Be
Becci
Seattle

rokikio

It sounds like you are having a hard time but I think you are in the right place for support. There are hurdles we have to jump over during our weight loss journeys. Each and every single one of us struggles with our own demons in our heads. It's the strength we build to overcome those hurdles that is magical. And YOU have that strength. Focus on small accomplishments like your endurance and your overall feeling of health because you have made those food changes. The rest will come to you when it is time. Don't be so hard on yourself. You can do this. We can all do this if we just don't give up when times are tough.

Wishing you all the best and praying for a wonderful turn around for you. It will happen!

nilisabel

you know what, something similar happened to someone I know really well. It's so hard when you do EVERYTHING right and it just doesn't seem to work. Don't give up, this stuff takes time. when you are on medications that alter your chemistry everything from you mood to your weight are completely at odds not just when you're on it, but when you're still coming off it for a few months. Give it time. Drink water. talk to your doctor about your symptoms and take them seriously, because your quality of life is important and you don't want to get too depressed.

For me, even with no meds on or off, trying so hard didn't work. I just HAD to allow myself to make "the wrong choices," to go ahead and have the sugar substitutes and the olestra. Sorry to all the critics out there. For me, it wasn't all about eating the healthy food, but just making sure my calories out exceeded my calories in. I try to get exercise when i can.

TrainerRobin

Oh man, that's a tough one. I've kind of been in your shoes. When I was in law school, I slowly gained 70 pounds, due to a previously undiagnosed thyroid condition. Once they got my on the right meds, it got better and the weight was melting off, but then with about 40 pounds to go, it stopped. Stuck. Seemingly no matter what I did.

My new reality is that body just won't shed weight like it did before the medical changes that popped up. I have to be extraordinarily careful. If I don't watch it closely, and just eat like I could in my 20's, I can gain ten pounds in a week. Seems impossible, but unfortunately it's my reality.

I have to be extraordinary careful now. It was slow, but I managed to lose all of the weight I gained, but it'll forever be a challenge for me to stay at a healthy body weight. So much so that I studied to become a certified personal trainer (so I'd know every little nuance and "trade secret"). It takes a lot of time away from my primary occupation, but it's a necessity for me to maintain a healthy body.

All I can suggest is to work closely with your doctors and reconcile yourself with the notion that you may now be in the shoes I, and so many others, walk in daily. For some of us there is just no "wiggle room" anymore and staying healthy is almost a full time "job."

If you ever want to have someone look at your food diary, consider making it public. Sometimes others can catch areas for potential improvement in our daily diets that we simply miss.

Good luck and keep us posted!

kthom

You say you started counting calories at the start of this year, 2011? If so that is only 17 days. Even though you gained it quickly you probably won't lose it quickly. It takes time, if you do it right. Work out, count your calories and give it time, it will come.

Liatush

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this.. like you, and Robin, I have gained a lot of weight in a short period of time (both thyroid issue and a knee injury) so I know what it feels like to wake up and realize your body changed almost overnight....

I would absolutely suggest that you speak with your dr to see if there is something that can be done medically to reverse the effects of that medicine. Aside from that, maybe speak with a nutritionist to see if you can work together to come up with a menu that will challenge your body and help you lose and a trainer that will help you do different workouts that will also challenge your body.

Always remember that this is a long road, but its the right one and you are never alone in this.

Feel free to reach out if you ever need a friend or someone to talk to.

delania

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses. Having gone through weight loss once before I know everything that will happen, frustrating as it is. I have spoken to my doctor and gotten blood work done: all clear. I know that my response is probably overly dramatic, but I really have been working so hard. I have an ankle injury which prevents me from doing my normal exercises but I have been swimming almost daily in addition to weight training. I just wanted a result, even a small one.

nilisabel

ooh! good point, it's been 17 days. You know, when I work out all hardcore and don't reward myself at all with a little something I love to eat, I feel like crap! Like I said, calories out > calories in and you're losing weight, so you can have the goodies every once in awhile, especially after working out 6 days a week. jeez, I'd be over it already! You just need a reward for all your hard work!

Kella22

I too am 5'8 and weighed 137 when I was put on Anxiety medicine in college. With in 4 months I got up to 178... thats a lot in 4 months and I was soo upset. Especially because I wasn't sure I needed the medicine in the first place! I got off the medicine about 9 months and I will tell you that it takes a while to lose the weight. I honestly didn't lose any at first, but then I noticed I was slowly losing. It took me almost 6 months to get down to 163. That was in Oct. and since then the lbs have started falling off. I am at 144.6 now and can't believe how much better i feel! Just stay positive! I know its hard but eventually you'll make progress!!

Best wishes!

nilisabel

I think you should get yourself something to wear that you like, just like that other person said, you know?

ajbeans

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses. Having gone through weight loss once before I know everything that will happen, frustrating as it is. I have spoken to my doctor and gotten blood work done: all clear. I know that my response is probably overly dramatic, but I really have been working so hard. I have an ankle injury which prevents me from doing my normal exercises but I have been swimming almost daily in addition to weight training. I just wanted a result, even a small one.

Your response is not overly dramatic. You're allowed to feel how you feel. To work that hard and not see the scale move is a hard pill to swallow. Try to do something to pamper yourself tonight -- bubble bath, favorite movie, good book, early bedtime, whatever makes you feel good. And tomorrow, start fresh with a blank slate and the knowledge that nothing's going to defeat you on this journey! You can get through this!

TropicalKitty

It's frustrating! Most of us go through things with plateaus and what not, so we can understand the frustration of working and not seeing the results you want. But don't torture yourself by staring at the stuff you can't wear. I've hidden all of mine. It's awful to see the things you used to wear but can't. That just makes it harder on you by making you feel like a failure. Truth is, it'll take time for the weight to come off. No one starts this and loses 55lbs in 17 days.

Add some other things into your way of tracking changes. Like measurements, body fat %. The scale I think was created by the devil as a torture device for women. Evil psychological torture. Random things could be keeping you from noticing any difference - water retention from the workouts, for example.

Look at the great things you've done. Try looking for a different goal than expressly weight loss. Set goals like "I want to do 150mins of cardio this week." Or in 3 months I want to complete a 5k. Or I want to have 6 servings of veggies every day this week. Focusing on something else than the scale can help you move forward.

Stick with it and we're here for you!

luvamig

I've been there. Sometimes if I have too much caffeine in a day I start to get stressed, then turn against myself. I don't know if this is the case for anyone else, but it's something to think about.

We're all here for the same thing, and as long as you stick with it, and talk to your doctor, you will get results.