Discouraged:(

jess804

Hello, sorry I don't mean to be a downer but really struggling:( I am 5'4" and just over 200lbs. I havent been this heavy since I was 9months pregnant 11 years ago! At the begining of this new year I have been making changes for a happier healthier me, but it seems as though I'm slowly gaining? I have been in 1 boot camp class for 5wks now and a 2nd one for 2 wks now and walk in between I've been using MFP to help myself track but it kinda just makes me feel even more guilty about what I eat? And I'm always hungry, it seems more often than not now that I am cnstantly thinking about food. Stuck...........HELP!

sarahtroupe

Hi... my name is Sarah and i know what ur going thru... It's just gonna take a lil time for ur body to get used to this... keep ur head up and remember one day at a time:)

cessnaholly

Don't give up. You are doing great. Just keep it up and your body will catch up!

Olona

I would like to help but I'm in the same situation I just put up a post just like this one.

jess804

I forgot to add that I've gained 2 lbs over the last 6wks rather than losing:(

iluvmine

its ok.. keep on doing whats right.. and it will work out

jilld76

Don't get discouraged! It sounds like you're working really hard, you'll get there, it might just take some time.

I'm not sure what you typically eat, but what about adding more protein to your diet and less carbs, it might help with the hunger issues. Or eating more fruits and veggies to fill you up, but not adding a lot of calories.

I don't know about you, but when I input my exercise, sometimes I feel like it overestimates what I burned. Not on everything, but usually on aerobics classes. For instance, I did an hour kickboxing class the other day and it told me I burned 1100 calories!! Which I definitely don't think I did, so instead of putting in an hour, I only entered 45 minutes, because we have a warm up, cool down, and an ab session where I'm not burning as much. And I think that gives me a more accurate number and I use that to figure out my extra calories that I have to eat. I do usually eat most of my exercise calories, because otherwise I will be too far under my 1200 calories for the day.

Do you eat your exercise calories? Maybe you're not eating enough.

I know I rambled a lot but I hope something helps you out. Believe me everyday is a struggle for me, but I keep telling myself that I can be strong and that I can do this. Just try to stay positive!

tungaiunwa

just keep in mind you didn't put the weight on overnight you wont lose it overnight either. just watch your calories and keep positive. If you feel hungry find a low calorie snack and indulge (responsibly) If you want some pointers on your diet make your diary public and people can tell you where you could maybe make changes! Keep positive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tungaiunwa

I forgot to add that I've gained 2 lbs over the last 6wks rather than losing:(

if your working out at a boot camp you could be adding muscle...are your clothes fitting better?

Ceria

Hi. I understand what you are going through. Losing weight (I have just found out) is all about calories in vs calories out. It does not matter how much you exercise if you are not watching your food (fat, sugar, carb) intake. If you burn 1000 calories doing your bootcamp and then eat a Whopper value meal then you have just canceled out the 1000 calories burned and picked up a few extra calories from the 1200 calorie meal. This equals slow weight gain. I was just over 400lbs when I realized this. MFP is here to give you the tools to make sure that your workouts are not in vain. Try it for a week (correctly) and you will see a big difference in your progress (or you will clearly see where you are going wrong). Hang in there! Every day is a new opportunity to try again.

trackgirl_08

Just remember cardio is your friend.....cardio is going to be what helps to get the pounds off at first. I can't see your diary to see what you are eating, but make sure you eat enough calories....avoid added sugar and drink alot of water. It will happen....don't worry to much about the scale and let your clothes show your results because I think inches are the most important thing
You can do it :bigsmile:

jess804

Ibought a heart monitor/calorie counting watch to help and input what I do for exercise........Thank you

girlofsun26

I soo understand!! Been there done that!! I use to only eat 3 meals a day and I would constantly think about food..This time around I'm taking the 6 smaller meals a day and not only do I not think about it as much but sometimes I'm so not even hungry but know I have to eat the 4th meal of the day to keep my metabolism moving I have to force myself to eat it...Funny huh? How before I would think omg i'm sooo hungry must eat EVERTHING..and now I'm like dang I really have to eat AGAIN! I just ate 2 hours ago!!
Your body might still be adjusting to what your doing now and give it time..:) The weight gain could possibly be muscle too..Bootcamp is no joke! I applaud you for doing it!! Best Wishes!! I hope you see results soon! Don't give up!!

fullbrights

What I found out 1 was I wasnt eating enough calories. 2. Also when I did I eat more calories then I did food. ex: egg mcmuffin and hashbrown 450 calories and not really much food. I started with the Jimmy Dean 1/2 the fat egg muffins at 230 calories now I can eat more food. Get more food with less calories and also try to have something to eat every 2 hours. Lean Cuisine has some great balanced meals low calories also low price. Also watch out for your artificial sweetener intake that can actually cause more weight gain and swelling. Also you doing a really big exercise like your doing you will be gaining muscle. Try to look at it as losing Fat not Weight. Weight is anything other than fat. So get you a tape measure or a fat scale and dont pay the scale much attention. Hope this helps take care Thanks G

kylakesgal

Dear discouraged, I know how you feel! I have learned something though that really helps curb your appetite. Increase your protein and fiber. This will give you more energy and keep you full longer plus drink your 8 glasses of water a day. Hope this helps you:)

jess804

Thank you but honestly I don't even remember the last time I had fast food because it usually upsets my stomach:(

Myschelle

Aside from "hungry all the time" how do you feel? Energized maybe? I know when I can't make progress (which is all the dang time) I try to remember that I want to loose weight, but it's more about how I feel when I walk, workout, or make smart choices....calm, refreshed, energized, powerful! Maybe concentrating on the positive aspects of your experience would help. What ever the case, stick with it, and know that we all have days we feel discouraged....this too shall pass. As for being hungry, my answer to this these days is water and fiber (aim for 35 grams of fiber daily), it will help you feel full.

jess804

I actually enjoy working out because its "me" time and I have been struggling to take "me" time and have finally done it! And ya I feel great after a work out and a shower I feel like a million bucks but then when I look in the mirror I don't like what I see:(

jess804

Last year at this time I actually did a 7 day cleanse where you wean yourself from certain things the first day or two then its a special liquid diet only for 3 days and then slowy back to normal. I was sooooooo sick. I threw up the first day I didnt have coffee and wanted a cup so bad but didnt do it, I went 6 or 7 days without caffine....it was hard the first 2 days but once i got to the liquid i was actually ok but I paid like $80 for this and you take supplement day n night and all i lost was 3 lbs so not worth it. I have already reduced my sugar intake and added protein I guess I really need to watch the carbs and I've had my slip up days too! I just figured out how to make my diary public so feel free any constructive critisism I will take!

jess804

Whats weird to me is I use to only eat pasta & veggies and boneless, skinless chicken once in awhile and had no problems maintaining my weight 3 yrs ago??? Dont know whats changed except life around me and I know when Im stressed my body holds onto things whether I want it to or not:(

bhb301

I'm new here. But I looked at your diary, try to cut out the white bread, crackers, a lot of food that turns to sugar. For me if I start out the day good, like eggs, then I continue the day good. I wake up and drink water, and I think about what I want to eat. Don't beat yourself up, life is a marathon not a sprint. Good Luck on your journey

jess804

Thank you

jlsAhava

I'm new here. But I looked at your diary, try to cut out the white bread, crackers, a lot of food that turns to sugar. For me if I start out the day good, like eggs, then I continue the day good. I wake up and drink water, and I think about what I want to eat. Don't beat yourself up, life is a marathon not a sprint. Good Luck on your journey

Agreed. It looks like you've got a lot of highly processed foods in your diet. These foods have a lot of empty calories and gobs of sodium. The sodium, of course, will cause you to hold onto water. I suggest you go into your food diary setting and add sodium to the list of nutrients tracked.

I think you'd also benefit from adding more nutrient rich foods to your diet. Choose whole wheat bread (not enriched) instead of white bread; dark lettuces instead of iceberg, a sandwich on whole grain instead of a frozen dinner (tons of sodium) etc., etc. Also, don't forget your fruits and vegetables... these nutrient dense foods are generally low in calorie, so you can eat a lot of them and ward off hunger.

Basically, you've got to consider the nutritional value of the items you put in your mouth. When you don't give you're body anything good to work with, it won't do good work.

Best of luck! You can do this!

Jazziemay

I was at 184, and lost down to 155, then gained backe to 165, now I'm at 161 and still trying to lose at least 20 more pounds. I lost my mom, and two uncles, plus a good friend all last year. So I know that has had some to do with my eating habits. But I am trying my best to stay positive and eat right. I was staying at 20 carbs a day and now I have went up a little. which helps me to lose, there are days I eat less carbs and days I eat more. I have had trouble with my back and unable to exercise for at least two weeks or more, and just started back exercising today. starting out slow. You just have to stay positive

mimi7grands

A couple of people mentioned that you might be gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat. So...you could weigh more but be less fat! The tape measure is a good idea.

About feeling hungry. I had that problem too until I started eating lots of roasted veggies (475 oven, 10-15 minutes). I never liked veggies before I tried them this way. If I fill up on veggies and fruit, I suddenly have more willpower!

Good luck.

MissChelleBelle

Add Sodium & Sugar to your settings in your food diary, and pay attention to those too, especially the sodium. Make sure you're drinking enough water to counteract the effects of sodium as it causes you to retain water weight (bloating). Try to incorporate more fruit & veggies into each meal (don't worry so much about the natural sugars from fruit), and stay away from the high density carbs. Low density carbs will fuel your body for your workouts, and give you more fibre.

Protien is essential, but make sure it's low fat. I started buying 0% fat Greek Yogurt which is high in protein, and eat it every morning with 1 cup of frozen berries (blueberries, or a trio mix I get at Costco - relatively good price), with 1 serving of a high fibre cereal - like bran flakes (low in sugar). The frozen berries freezes the yogurt and it's like eating a frozen yogurt treat. I bash the berries up a bit to help sweeten up the yogurt, as it is quite tart. Make sure to always eat breakfast, as it gets your metabolism going for the day.

When I first started I was adding a lot of cream & sugar to my coffee. I started cutting down how much I added, and how strong I made my coffee, so I didn't need to add so much! Those coffee creamers are delish, but very high in cals. My cal goal is 1200, so if I had 100 - 150 cals for my coffee each day, it really took away from how much real food I could eat.

Everything will work out for you. Keep up your exercise! It will come off, don't give up!!!

chrisdavey

I had a look at your diary and I think the issue is probably portion sizes and snacks. Try and find some low cal snacks (or make some, checkout my banana/blueberry protein bread thread) Don't waste calories on liquids IMO. Coffee with cream for 300 cals odd just isn't worth it IMO.

I would be dropping cheese from most meals also where possible. Mass cals for small amount of food. If you want, substitute for cottage cheese.

Try to switch to lower gi options ie. brown bread instead of white. The higher fibre keeps you full longer.

How accurate are you with recording? Is it possible that you have underestimated food intake or overestimated exercise? I know when I started measuring some of my supplements I was surprised at how much 40g actually was.

I would also try to eat more fibrous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower etc) Also, beans are a good low gi carb source (keep you full for a long time)

Are you drinking enough water?

Checkout this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/171451-interesting-articles-from-john-berardi

Start With 7 Simple Rules

You'll start out with a plan based on my 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Nutritional Programs. Clever name, no? Possibly illegal, too, I imagine. Oh
well. (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey, is a great book which I recommend highly – perhaps that will stave off the lawsuit.) If you've forgotten the rules, here's a summary:

Habit 1: Eat every 2-3 hours.

Habit 2: Eat complete, lean protein with each feeding opportunity.

Habit 3: Eat vegetables with each feeding opportunity.

Habit 4: Eat veggies/fruits with any meal. Eat "other carbs" only after
exercise.

Habit 5: Eat healthy fats daily.

Habit 6: Don't drink beverages (soda, beer, etc.) with more than 0 calories.

Habit 7: Eat whole foods whenever possible.

Sort out some meals that comply with the above and do that for 2 weeks. Make sure to comply 90% of the time. WIN

Definitely agree re measurements. Pics also (good for motivation )

YeaILift

I had a look at your diary and I think the issue is probably portion sizes and snacks. Try and find some low cal snacks (or make some, checkout my banana/blueberry protein bread thread) Don't waste calories on liquids IMO. Coffee with cream for 300 cals odd just isn't worth it IMO.

I would be dropping cheese from most meals also where possible. Mass cals for small amount of food. If you want, substitute for cottage cheese.

Try to switch to lower gi options ie. brown bread instead of white. The higher fibre keeps you full longer.

How accurate are you with recording? Is it possible that you have underestimated food intake or overestimated exercise? I know when I started measuring some of my supplements I was surprised at how much 40g actually was.

I would also try to eat more fibrous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower etc) Also, beans are a good low gi carb source (keep you full for a long time)

Are you drinking enough water?

Checkout this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/171451-interesting-articles-from-john-berardi

Start With 7 Simple Rules

You'll start out with a plan based on my 7 Habits of Highly Effective
Nutritional Programs. Clever name, no? Possibly illegal, too, I imagine. Oh
well. (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey, is a great book which I recommend highly – perhaps that will stave off the lawsuit.) If you've forgotten the rules, here's a summary:

Habit 1: Eat every 2-3 hours.

Habit 2: Eat complete, lean protein with each feeding opportunity.

Habit 3: Eat vegetables with each feeding opportunity.

Habit 4: Eat veggies/fruits with any meal. Eat "other carbs" only after
exercise.

Habit 5: Eat healthy fats daily.

Habit 6: Don't drink beverages (soda, beer, etc.) with more than 0 calories.

Habit 7: Eat whole foods whenever possible.

Sort out some meals that comply with the above and do that for 2 weeks. Make sure to comply 90% of the time. WIN

Definitely agree re measurements. Pics also (good for motivation )

Great Advice.

jodie1306

It can be terribly discouraging when you feel like you are doing all the right things but don't seem to be making any headway. The biggest thing you have to remember is that it could seriously take anywhere up to 6 months before you see some major changes. Coming to this realisation can be enough to make you give up but if you can get your head around this, then sometimes it is a bit easier "going through the motions" of eating right & exercising.

Definately 5-7 smaller meals a day helps. And water, water, water, water, water. LOL It doesn't fill you up but I know from experience that it seems to push those hunger pains down at least a little, enough for you to have the determination to say NO to eating something you know you shouldn't.

Another trick that I am trying is from another member on here. Whenever he hits a wall, he "plays the tape". In your head, run through what the outcome will be if you choose to eat that takeaway instead of a healthy meal. So in you mind run through it - "if I eat takeaway, I will feel ill because I know it upsets my stomach, then I will be berating myself because I fell off the wagon, then I will gain a kilo, then those pants that were just starting to feel loose will cut me in half again, then I won't be able to bend over to do up my shoes, then I will feel bad & will talk myself out of going for a walk, then the same thing will happen the next day, then the next, then the next."

You work out what your consequences may be & play the tape right to the end & hopefully this might make you think twice about giving up or making a bad choice.

You can do this. You know you can do this & there is heaps of support on here for you. All you have to do is ask. :-) :-)

Dom_m

Just to add to ChrisDavey's comments which are already spot on... it seems that apart from a very small amount of carrots you haven't eaten any fruit or vegetables in the last week. Where you have gotten vegetables from is all processed meals. You could benefit a lot by having a look at what you're eating, not just how much. You'd be surprised how much food it actually takes to get up to 1500 calories if you're eating real food.

knowmydestiny

Frequency of meals has helped me survive the past few weeks. I aim to consume 200 - 250 calories every 2 -3 hours and that's not counting small snacks. Switching the type of bread, ditching the cream in the coffee and adding veggies are good advice. If you can't change your meal selection overnight, try making one change a week to give yourself time to adjust. I have had to do this, not so much for me, but for my family. I couldn't just shock the hubby and kids with a completely eating habits. They needed time to adjust too.