No reason to continue

JPod279

Gonna tell ya a story that has stuck with me for about 20 years now....I was 18 and playing sports. I had just got my butt whipped and was complaining and making excuses about what happened to a friend's dad and he sat there and listened to me and was saying "yup" yeah" "uh huh" and so on. When I got done he said to me, "You can sit there and ***** about it and make excuses or you can do something about it." I thought to myself what a jerk. Then I thought I like it! We all get frustrated. It is good to vent. Once you do bear down and get after it. You can't make the right decision when your mind is not clear. Clear your mind, think about what you need to do and don't give up. I was glad he gave me that kick in the rear. It changed my whole outlook on what I was doing, not just in sports but in life. I actually recently had to give myself the kick in the rear again as I had been making excuses again instead of owning up to what I was doing. Don't give up.

kristinwalker

OK This is April Fools right?

Your breakfast today is part of the joke.

Your diary looks good (what do I know) before today.

Your funning us right???

kristinwalker

OK This is April Fools right?

Your breakfast today is part of the joke.

Your diary looks good (what do I know) before today.

Your funning us right???

Ummm, I wish I was, but NO not today. I will make up for it though. I am still not hungry so I guess that is good since I would have already eaten my second meal today.

edryer123

First as everyone has said, DO NOT GIVE UP!!!! We are all here for you. Second, I've gone through your diary and I have noticed that you do tend to eat food that is more processed. I agree with others that you may want to lower your carb intake, but not only that TRACK YOUR SUGAR!!! This is where I tend to go over the most and as I have family that are type 2 diabetics it is something I get tested for annually. I was told by my doctor as well that going over in your sugar and sodium can really slow down your weight loss. I was put on a low carb diet per dr's orders because of medical reasons, but I found even though I had stopped eating bread and pasta the sugars were killing me. I also love salty food and I tend to gain water weight from eating salty food.

Also, get to your doctor. Go through this with them and voice your concerns. It could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency or as big as a thyroid problem. You are going to plateau but you have come so far already! Do not give up!

abyssfully

Why would you go back to eating unhealthy, crappy foods? Doesn't eating healthier give you more energy and make your body feel better? Concentrate on that - the weight WILL come off eventually.

Jenna1971

I think we have all been there. I went to my doc a month ago regarding the scale not moving south. We talked through it - what I learned from this discussion is liquid calories count too. I wasnt tracking the gatorade, lemonade, cranberry juice ect. I think the liquid calories are a killer because they dont fill you up but do go right to the hips. I have since cut those out of my diet and things started moving downward again. Just a thought. Dont give up!

edryer123

Got a question for you, are you tracking your water intake daily?

kristinwalker

Thanks all for your responses. I do have a lot of starbucks and that is mainly because I drive my husband to work 1 hour 1 way and 1 hour back at 5-6 in the morning. I have found that it has the healthiest options for on the road eating with two small kids. I should probably plan ahead and bring a breakfast that woudl be healthier, and I don't. I think I will start that and also track my sodium as well.
Thanks

janemartin02

I know how you are feeling.today I got wt,monthly wt in.I gained 5.4 I have stuck to below my calories.I did indulge in some not so healthy food but still kept track and was under.I can`t ex due to surgery.Was wanting to call it quits,but I can`t.I don`t want to be 300+ again.So I`m gonna plug alone and do what I can .
If you want this bad enough,you can do it!! jane

Rloral

Kristin,

I looked at your diary and this is my opinion; your going over your goal in your fat grams. I went through the same thing and I stopped losing weight and ended up gaining all of the 5 pounds I lost. I couldn't understand what was going on until I found out your fat should not go up and down like it is. My fat goal every week without exercise is 43. Sometimes when I exercise it would go up to 60. When I started gaining weight I noticed that even though I was still under the range of 60 I was way over the 43. After researching and talking to other people to figure this out you're not suppose to go over your normal goal for fat.

After researching I try it and stayed within my 43 grams of fat regardless of exercise and lost 5 pounds in one week. Try it; stay within your given fat goal without exercise and see if you see results. Again, this is in my opinion but I worked for me. Good luck!

hikingmonk

Firstly, great job tracking your food and exercise. That's a huge accomplishment right there (and really gives us insight into what may or may not be working).

I agree with many of the other posts here, primarily:

1 - Lower your Carb intake. Increase your intake of healthy fats (avocado, omega 3's from fish, olive oil). Increase lean proteins.
2 - Talk to your doctor about getting some blood work for Thyroid and other imbalances (low vitamin D, inflammation, iron, etc).
3 - Try a meal replacement for those morning Starbucks runs Keep an eye out for sugar and sodium in the RTD ones.
4 - More whole foods, primarily vegetables (iceberg lettuce does not count).

Keep at it. You are doing great. Also, maybe change up your workout routine. More strength - less cardio, or take a few more days off. Keep trying!

Losing2Live69

Don't give up, you can do this! Think of how long it took you to gain your weight. If you are anything like me...my weight started creeping up many many years ago. It is going to take time to get it off. I plateaued for nearly 3 weeks and then I upped my calories to 1400, focusing on low carb, high protein. Your body gets used to the routine of eating the same amount of calories and doing the same/ similar types of exercise. When you change it up you fool your metabolism into kicking back in. Look at what you have accomplished. Losing weight is a long hard process. There is pain in the process. Just when you feel like you are in the dark and nothing is going to change.....you will wake up one day and see that the scale is moving back down. Hang on...good things come to those who wait. Be strong and be proud of what you have accomplished so far and what you are going to accomplish in the future!!

With love and support,:flowerforyou:

Angela

janesmith1

Ok, this is just my opinion, but everyone has a calorie set within them that if you go over you won't see weight loss. I started off with MFP's advice and was eating my exercise cals but I wasn't losing. So I reset it to 1.5 lbs per week to lose which gave me a 1350 amount of cals per day plus exercise cals, so I can eat up to about 1540 per day on the days that I exercise. On days I don't exercise I have to keep under the 1350 range so that I can lose.

I went to your diary and saw that you were eating 1800 and 1700 per day and I would probably reset that lower by saying that you want to lose 1.5 lbs per week. I have been here since Jan.20, and started at 244. This is what works for me. At 1700 & 1800 cals I would not be losing - same with 1600 cals ....just the way my body works. My diary is open...you can see how I do it.

myukniewicz

don't you dare give up. you have been fantastic & congratulations on your weight loss so far!
weight loss takes time, patients and perseverance.
plus, why would you want to just give up and eat "crappy food" and not workout? you may not be losing weight right now, but at least you are becoming healthier!! and that's one of the most important things of all!

keep it up!

mkcalvert

Don't give up...regardless of what the scale says, you absolutely cannot go wrong with eating healthy and exercising.

There is no better way to put it...Just let the rest fall in place.

fcrisswell

I have not read too many responses yet but I did look at your food diary.

Eat more protein and less prcessed carbs. I am not saying avoid all carbs. Just the processed ones....mac and cheese, white rice, pasta...the starbucks is FULL of sugar too. I love my starbucks but I get a sugar free caramel soy latte (in summer on ice) or they can make the fraps with sugar free flavorings which saves a ton of calories! Also, Your calories seem set way high? 2000+ not sure what your settings are on MFP but you may take another look at that.

I think MFP over-estimates exercise calories too. Not everyone burns off the same amount doing the same activity. Depends on muscle, lean body mass, etc. If you have an HRM then that point may be moot. IF you do not, you may need to get one to see what you actually are working off.

Hope I gave you a few more suggestions to work with that some one else may not have thought of. Don't give up.

maserati185

You have come this far... you can do this!!!! I have lost 22lbs. in three months from 177 to 155 almost 100% through nutrition. Granted, I am a stay-at-home mom, so I do move around a lot, but it sounds like you've got the exercise thing happening. Here are my suggestions:

1) Get OUT of starbucks! That place is a sugarfest! haha. No, seriously, you CAN get lower sugar stuff there but temptation is EVERYwhere there and might be making it harder on you. (I fully believe SUGAR is why they are so popular!)

2) Try to keep your carbs around 20g every time you eat. Try to keep your sugars under 5g. I know that seems a difficult feat, but if you do say, chicken, greens, cheese, tomato, small tortilla wrap... or steak, two servings of broccoli, 1/2 small biscuit with butter... or an omelette made of 2 whole eggs, spinach, a meat, a cheese.. you can feel satisfied enough until the next snack. These are examples of high protein, vegetable, lower carb.

3) Try to eat your three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with snacks between... so you are eating 6x a day. A little here and there will help you far more than everything for breakfast or everything for dinner... or hahaha... the days we really hate... everything all day!

4) If you need the sweet taste... eat a few berries with something else without sugars. Berries are lower sugar than other fruits.

5) If you are hungry, eat some nuts or some string cheese. They are fatty but will help you feel full longer. Don't over indulge in these, just eat as needed while drinking water and wait it out 10 minutes and see if that helps the hunger.

And, while it isn't the healthiest, for sure, I sometimes eat a couple of chocolates from the sugar-free section (I have a hard time with chocolate around TOM). Dove and Russell Stovers... even Reeses has some chocolates there that it is HARD to tell the difference between them and the real sugar chocolates.

If just one of these is helpful, fantastic! DON'T GIVE UP!!! Friend me!

hikingmonk

Also, you may want to reconsider the 'free day'. I use to believe in it back in the Body-for-Life days, but now I don't think it's such a good idea for many of us. I would recommend having a free meal perhaps, so that you can eat that slice of pizza or whatever, but generally keep close to your normal goal on that day.

giggles1973

I have dieted for so long and pretty much done everyone (diet that is ) out there...I can really say the slower it comes off the longer it stays off...Don't quit, you've done great so far!!!

hikingmonk

Something else to consider trying is 'no snacking'. This is a pretty touchy topic with a number of nutritionist, but everyone is different and it might help (seems to work well for me).

Check out the 'Leptin Diet' if you are interested by Byron Richards. Fat Resistance Diet by Leo Galland is also very good.

kristinwalker

Kristin,

I looked at your diary and this is my opinion; your going over your goal in your fat grams. I went through the same thing and I stopped losing weight and ended up gaining all of the 5 pounds I lost. I couldn't understand what was going on until I found out your fat should not go up and down like it is. My fat goal every week without exercise is 43. Sometimes when I exercise it would go up to 60. When I started gaining weight I noticed that even though I was still under the range of 60 I was way over the 43. After researching and talking to other people to figure this out you're not suppose to go over your normal goal for fat.

After researching I try it and stayed within my 43 grams of fat regardless of exercise and lost 5 pounds in one week. Try it; stay within your given fat goal without exercise and see if you see results. Again, this is in my opinion but I worked for me. Good luck!

Thank you, I don't know why but this one speaks to me a lot. I will try that and track it closer.

astovey

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to feel sorry for you. NO ONE said losing weight was easy. Don't expect it to come off in a month or two, it takes time, and no one should have to hold your hand. You have to want to do it for yourself and your family.

I don't even know why you would post this? Do you want people to feel sorry for you? You've lost 14 pounds....many people would be happy with that. Do what you want, but you know what you should do. The tools are out there for you to use.

lovinlowcarb

Kristin,

Hang in there!!!! You need to find a way to make this work for you and I truly believe you can. I see a lot of room for success! Obviously from my post, I am following a low carb lifestyle. While I highly recommend that, I also realize it is not for everyone. I have read somewhere that your diet should be linked to your blood type. I am curious to find out more about that. I think there are many ways to achieve weight loss and exercize.

Having said that, I glanced through your log and have to agree with other posters. I think you have too many "fast / convenience" foods in your diet and your calories need to come from heathier options. Actually, you will be able to eat more and can find ways to still be satisfied. I tend to eat very clean...and what I mean by that is unprocessed foods with few chemicals when i can help it. I still go for a lot of flavor, because who wants to eat a diet of bland food that tastes like cardboard?!

I recently went through a month where I only lost 3 lbs and then in one week , I dropped 6! Go figure! I was getting a little careless with my "cheat meals," which became "cheat days." Once I refocused on what I know to be true about my diet, I saw results.

If you ever want to chat, let me know...you are not alone. There's lots of support here!

Take care and be kind to yourself.

stormieweather

I'm skipping a lot of the answers, so forgive me if this has already been said.

I went through the same thing last year. Was logging, exercising, working very hard and no progress at all for three months. I took two months off (Nov/Dec) and gained 5 pounds. As of January 4, I started again and am losing (12 pounds so far). Here is what I am doing differently:

1) I buckled down on measuring and weighing. Every last thing gets measured now - tbsp of olive oil, chicken breast weighed, zip loc baggie of carrots, cup of lettuce, 8 oz of lemonade...every frigging thing I put in my mouth is weighed, measured and logged.

2) I bought a FitBit so I know exactly how much I'm burning. I make sure what I'm eating right around 500 calories less than I am burning. I track every number - burned, eaten, cumulative, weight loss daily and cumulative.

3) No more cheat days or meals. I allow myself to eat up to maintenance once or twice a month, no more. All must be logged.

4) Eat enough protein - 30% or 1g per pound of lean body weight.

5) Every three months, take one week and eat at maintenance. That happens to be today...yay me!

6) I've been pushing myself to do different forms of exercise. I got out of the gym. The elliptical on max hill intervals wasn't challenging enough, so I am now on the street, actually doing intervals...with a stopwatch and speed records to beat! I'm running the bleachers instead of the stair stepper. I made a slant board and am pushing myself on it for crunches - using medicine balls or weights.

7) Never give up. The laws of physics says that if I eat less than I burn, I HAVE to lose weight. I'm not so special that I can defy the laws of physics. Maybe it will take a longer time than everyone else, but it will happen as long as I DO NOT GIVE UP.

Good luck and I hope you hang in there.


Ninja edit: 8) I cut out my nightly ice cream. I always estimated the portion size and I believe it was nearly double what it shoudl have been. Bye bye beloved ice cream.

mara232

I'd suggest you weigh all your food out and eat clean - absolutely no processed foods. I bet the lbs come flying off. Check out the Clean Eating Diet. Stay motivated - good luck!

awelch79

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to feel sorry for you. NO ONE said losing weight was easy. Don't expect it to come off in a month or two, it takes time, and no one should have to hold your hand. You have to want to do it for yourself and your family.

I don't even know why you would post this? Do you want people to feel sorry for you? You've lost 14 pounds....many people would be happy with that. Do what you want, but you know what you should do. The tools are out there for you to use.

OUCH! That wasnt very nice...everyone gets down on themselves and maybe all she needed was a little support and seeing success stories and advice is the best way to do that...shame on you for reacting like that to someone asking for help!

kristinwalker-I had a plateau for a while too that SUCKED! I just pushed through it and told myself that if anything, I was being a "healthier" me if not a thinner one, and almost without realizing it, it started coming off again. I give myself a "gym free day" every week (Sunday) but I still try as hard as I can to stay at my net calorie goal. *I didnt check your site, but if you are closer to your goal weight, it is even more important to eat as many of your exercise calories back as possible* I had a huge problem with this when I worked out at night because I would get home at 8 and have 900 calories to eat...so I have just started logging my exercise that I know I will do in the morning so I can plan my meals and snacks around where I need to be at the end of the day & I dont end up eating later at night. I also re-did my food diary (you can look at it) with snacks between each meal and after dinner & I put in an average time I try to eat it at --helps keep me on track--. I also put my calorie goal for each meal/snack next to it so I remember where I want to try and stay. I have different calorie burns depending on the day/classes I take so I did a low end calorie count for my "gym free days" and the higher end for the days I burn 600+. If I burn any more than that (I usually do 4x a week) then I am still close to my net goal using the higher numbers.

I hope this helps...this is what this site is all about...a support system for our down days and a place to celebrate the ups. Im sorry you got such a negative response from astovey.
Good luck!

smjshipley

Please don't give up!! So many answers are correct on here, try having a free meal instead of a free day. A free day can triple your calorie intake and could be setting you back. Also, muscle definately weighs more than fat!! Do this for your health, not just for a drop on the scales. Everyone hits plateus, just don't give up, you can do it

fteale

How tall are you?

I have had a look at your diary, and even ignoring today, if I ate that many calories a day I would be putting on weight, not losing it (I am 5'5"). I am not one to criticise, I am not a paragon of healthy eating, but you are eating similar things and quantities to how I was 2 years ago, which is when I put on weight (after I learned to drive and stopped walking 6 miles a day).

I have had to completely cut out things like Starbucks. Not just most of the time, I mean completely. I know I can't afford to waste calories on drinks. Also things like toast and pasta. I simply can't eat those things, ever if I want to lose weight. I have 5 times gone over my 1220 cal intake, but never by more than 200 cals, and I am still only losing weight very very slowly (I exercise hard for an hour 5 days a week). I think you need to be stricter with yourself, which I know isn't what anyone wants to hear when they are already trying hard. I do feel for you.

lauriallen

Don't give up, you can do this.

slimkitty

Too many responses, sorry I didn't read all of them. I took a peak at your diary and was just wondering what kind of exercises do you do that you spend 1400 calories? Something is not right there. Are your settings correct (lifestyle, weight loss goal, activity level)?
Here is a link to an article that I hope you read. It has a lot of good reliable information.
http://www.tomvenuto.com/articles/metabolism_repair.shtml
Please read it.

...and don't give up. We are doing this to improve our overall health and fitness, not jujst to lose weight