HELP I'm ready to give up!

crewellademel

OK somebody please help because I'm at the end of my rope! I've been trying to lose wt since July of last year and as you can see I'm down only 16lbs. It's really like 25lbs though becasue I lost about 10lbs before joining MFP. I did have a small wt gain of 6lbs back in March but lost that again in April. I do have hypothyroidism but have for 20 years and am well regulated with my meds. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I excercise, I document absolutely everything I eat, but I just CAN'T get it to come off! Although I don't log it I drink my 8-12 glasses of water daily........it is the only thing I drink except for the occasional diet soda. Would some of you PLEASE look at my stuff and offer suggestions? I just feel so awful, I feel like I'm trying so hard but with minimal results. What am I doing wrong? Does it seem that way to others or do I just need to suck it up!? :flowerforyou:

lynnmarie60

Have you thought about going to see your doctor to get a check up?

Msaip

We have similar goals. Im having the same issues. Have you tried messing with your calorie intake? Maybe bump it up 300 calories a day to see if you can restart your metabolism?

aflane

You might want to modify your food diary, so that it shows the sodium counts. You seem to be eating a bit of processed, artifical, and food replacement supplements. They're oftentimes loaded with sodium, which will make you retain massive amounts of fluids. Also, you're not recording your water intake. In order to get rid of all that sodium, you need to flush it out with water (not diet Coke).

crewellademel

Just had a check up in Feburary annual everything......looked good. He had no other suggestions....just said well it is harder to lose in your 40's then in your 20's....really helpful.:ohwell:

beastmode_kitty

Well by looking at your diary I can't see the sodium or the sugar intake. If those are in the red, then that could be the culprit. Also try and not eat so many processed foods, try eating more fruits and veggies and the like. Chicken breast is also good for the protein as well.

Also take a look at your exercises, try changing things up. Burn more calories. And remember when working out, do weights first before cardio. I was at a bit of a plateau because of not eating enough net calories, but I started doing that and then doing weights before cardio, and BAM the weight started dropping again.

Give those a shot, if it still doesn't work, speak to a doctor or a nutritionist.

aflane

Just had a check up in Feburary annual everything......looked good. He had no other suggestions....just said well it is harder to lose in your 40's then in your 20's....really helpful.:ohwell:

He lies... I'm 47... I'm losing.

millermichellelea

Have you looked at sodium or caffine intake? That is what the four year hold up for me was. Plus eating a lot of carbs and only a little protein was a huge part of storing weight. I am cooking from scratch and eating fresh produce and that made all the difference.

missy1970eb

hi, your fat contents over quite a bit,i would watch fat content and put up ur sugar to see how much sugar u r consuming, but thats just my opinion

katihamlin

Maybe you're not eating enough. I am at 193lbs right now and my calories intake is 1800. Try upping the calories and see if your body responds better. Also, fruits and veggies! Lots of them

talysshade

I'm not a nutritionist so it's hard to say.. but it seems to me that a lot of the food is not fresh. A lot of the products that are for " diets" such as atkins.. low carb.. usually contain a LOT of other ingredients that really aren't good for you or your weight loss. They may help in the beginning, but if they're common you're body will get used to them.

I'd suggest tossing those kind of shakes and bars out and eating regular good meals of fresh foods and fruit as snack in between.

BigBoneSista

My suggestions: Add sodium to your list. You eat alot of processed foods. I'm thinking your sodium intake is very high shich will definitely slow down your weight loss because of water retention. Also add more fresh/frozen veggies and fruits. I went through your diary and they are almost non-existent.

Have you tried calorie zig zaging? That might work for you. You can search the board. They had a post on it recently.

crewellademel

In regards to messing with my calories. I started out with an MFP wt loss of 1lb week but I didn't eat my excercise calories. Now I eat them based on MFP recommendations. I wasn't losing 1lb a week so I modified to 1.5lbs a week to see if that would help me get to 1lb a week and I eat my excercise calories but still not working. I've actually gained 1lb doing this!

Tacosmamma

I looked at your sodium intake.. I think it was Monday which was over 6000 mg . I checked back until april 29th and you are usually over 3000 mg. You need to lower that to around 2400mg a days. That is the only advice that I have.

reneeot

For me its been 1 year and I've lost only 24lbs. So I understand your distress. But 20lbs is 20lbs less than what you were. Don't you feel better? Why give up on being healthy? Another 6 months could mean another 10, 15 or even 20lbs for you. And then 6 months another 10 or more. Those digits add up and eventually you will reach your goal. I know its frustrating to be doing all the right things and lose weight slowly. But atleast you are losing even if its just 1 or 2 lbs a month. Thats what I did. Keep going!! I'm in my 40's too and its been slow going like a sloth!!. Take pictures that really help me to see I am progressing!!

RocketsGirl75

Well by looking at your diary I can't see the sodium or the sugar intake. If those are in the red, then that could be the culprit. Also try and not eat so many processed foods, try eating more fruits and veggies and the like. Chicken breast is also good for the protein as well.

Also take a look at your exercises, try changing things up. Burn more calories. And remember when working out, do weights first before cardio. I was at a bit of a plateau because of not eating enough net calories, but I started doing that and then doing weights before cardio, and BAM the weight started dropping again.

Give those a shot, if it still doesn't work, speak to a doctor or a nutritionist.

I was thinking the same thing....I have a feeling that a lot of the foods you eat are high in sodium and sugars...I would suggest also lowering your fat intake. it seems like you go over on fat a lot of days even if you are under on calories.

kylakesgal

Hi there.....don't give up!!! I'm 45 and I'm having pretty good success. I checked your diary and it looks ok to me as far as calories but you might start tracking your sodium though. I try to keep mine under 1500. I was shocked at how much salt is in food you would never think has salt! Salt can make you retain water and make you body hang on to the lbs. Try and limit salt, processed foods, frozen meals, salted nuts, etc. It definately gets harder to lose as we age but isn't impossible. Just guessing by looking at your diary, your sodium is pretty high most days. Bananas can counteract the effects of salt and of course drinking tons of water!! Don't skip meals, make sure you have breakfast and good healthy snacks in between meals. Change up your exercise routine from time to time and keep your body guessing what's next. Best of luck to you.....feel free to add me if you like:)!

paigele

I have found this "recipe" to work for me when i need to get a boost:

NEVER do I eat carbs (except a 1/2 cup of fruit) without pairing with a protein (small quantity)

I break up my food intake to small frequent meals. This is a challenge many times but by planning ahead (i.e. put a Tbsp of all natural peanut butter in a baggie and a cut apple in another and pair them for a mid-afternoon snack,) I get through it.

I eat a small quantity of protein and complex carbs a few minutes before a morning workout-even if all I can squeeze in is 20 minutes on the bike.

I substitute tea and coffee with green tea. No sweeteners of any kind. They just trick the pancreas into doing its insulin thing and aren't beneficial to sensitive systems.

I use cinnamon, ceyenne pepper and salt-free seasonings on many of the foods I eat.

MOST importantly- VERY VERY IMPORTANT- I try my darndest to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night so that I can restore my body and keep it going.

Get sunshine. Practice relaxation .

and when you need to, "phone a friend."-like you just did.

I hope some of this is helpful to you.

tlcAK

As I am sure everyone is pointed out sodium! It's a horrible yummy factor that can affect your weight. I definitely would add that to be shown on your diary. You'd be suprised at the amount of sodium you consume in a day. My mom had hypothyroidism and she had to cut sodium way down or else she would gain like crazy. keep up with your meds and don't give up.

srp2011

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the high fat/high protein/extreme low carb diets, esp. with the meal substitute drinks - they just aren't healthy. I would suggest trying a healthy, well balanced diet - lots of fresh vegetables (steamed, raw, sauteed in non-stick cooking spray), lean proteins, some fresh fruits, whole grains or healthy carbs (like potatoes) (don't go overboard), split into 3 meals and a few snacks throughout the day - much healthier and much more of a lifestyle than a diet. That's the other problem with the low carb diets - they aren't something sustainable over the long term.

aviduser

Who can say for sure. What strikes me about the last week or so of your food diary is this:

1. No veggies
2. No fruits
3. Lots of carbs (stuffing for breakfast?)
4. Lots of processed/packaged foods

But that is just my thoughts. BTW, I am hypothyroid as well, and have recently had to have my meds adjusted (upwards). I have still managed to lose weight.

Up the exercise, try out some fresh fruits and veggies, ease up on the carbs.

Good luck.

fmouco

I was worried with the composition of your meals. Well, I have some tips, but not necessarily you will like them:

- erase mayonaise from your vocabulary (I didn´t see butter at your diary, but it aplies to butter also)
- cheddar doesn´t help at all. Try cottage, low fat, white cheese or no cheese at all
- add fresh vegetacles and fruits, loads of them (specially vegetables)
- Eat grilled chicken breast every meal you can (the size of your hand (fingers together)
- try to limit you processed meal to 2 things a day (example: 1 atkins meal + 1 scoop of whey protein)
- exercise 1 hour a day, 1 day of weight lifting, another for cardio (5 to 6 days a week)

You can start with these, I believe it will help.

Good luck!

aflane

Another issue... when you eat veggies (raw or cooked), don't just put it in as "Generic - raw vegetables - 1/2 C". Actually itemize the vegetable. You can look up raw carrots, broccoli, etc, by just typing in the name of the item. 1/2 C of potatoes is a heck of a lot more calories than 1/2 C of broccoli. Also, I wouldn't depend on the cup measuring system. I suggest buying an inexpensive digitial food scale. WEIGH everything by the gram... that's much more accurate.

Sesilje

I've gone through your diary about three weeks back, and you very often seem to finish the day below 1200 net calories. Many experts say that's the absolute minimum that your body would need to function properly. If you eat less your metabolism will switch into starvation mode and do it's best to preserve energy. That's why you're gaining instead.

I'd suggest you try to average 1300-1500 for a week or two and see how that works.

And I also agree with everyone else that you need to eat more real food instead of shakes and supplements. This is a change for life - otherwise you will gain the weight again. Do you really want to live on those shakes for the rest of your life?

morganadk2_deleted

Just had a check up in Feburary annual everything......looked good. He had no other suggestions....just said well it is harder to lose in your 40's then in your 20's....really helpful.:ohwell:

He lies... I'm 47... I'm losing.

i'm 50 and have lost over 30lbs, in the last to years! i have to say though your diary is not very healthy, to much sugar and salt and on the days i looked at no water either.. perhaps add in more fruit and veg , what ever you decide to do i don't think giving up is the answer

good luck on your journey

Babytoy22002

i agree with all of the above!!! i'm no expert but based on what my nutritionist talks to me about... you are eating way too much processed foods. although these items are marketed as diet, they contain chemicals that people react to differently. and also your dinners are extremely high in calories...you shouldn't be eating that heavy at night especially processed foods. your body doesn't break most foods at night so when we go to sleep it stores it instead. dinners should be light. TRY TO EAT A LOT EARLIER IN THE DAY THAN AT NIGHT.
i also noticed that although you work out. you are eating back about 90% of the calories you've burned. which makes the exercise useless.
might i suggest doing some sort of detox to get rid of those processed foods in your system before starting a new diet regimen.
YOU CAN DO IT..DON'T GIVE UP

jenny25277

I have thyroid issues too and it can make your weight go up and down. I wanted to quit so many times but all the progress I made would be lost I started in july myself and I hit a plateau when I lost twenty five pounds it was three months of not losing any weight. It was hard I changed my exercise routine I changed it up and I been going to gym did cardio only for about an hour started losing weight again its a slow process but don't give up. I noticed I didn't lose any weight until I started taking vitamins they were a major thing.

jesslarocque

Try a different exercise program. Switch it up. If you do jogging for cardio try swimming. If you like the bike, try the elliptical. Enroll in a class that is out of your regular routine. I just started a Dance to Fit class and it kicked my butt because it was out of my comfort zone and made me work twice as hard!

rgsmi

I agree with the comments about sodium, fat calories, and processed foods.

Also look into breaking the same food into more meals, trying to eat every couple of hours.


The best comments though were the ones that said not to give up...little progress is much better than none.

Zita_Jenn

This is what I want you to try. I am going to post Daily Servings.

5 vegetables
4 fruits
3-6 whole grains
2-3 high-calcium foods
8 glasses of water

Weekly Servings
5+ beans
5 nuts
2 fish

One vegetable and fruit serving is equal to
1 medium piece of fruit
1/2 cup chopped fruit
1/2 cup cooked or raw veggie
1 c raw green leaves
3/4 c vegetable or fruit juice

Whole Grain Serving is equal to
1 slice whole wheat break
1/2 cup cooked brown rice or bulgur
1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta

High-Calcium Foods Serving is equal to
1 cup fat-free or 1% milk
1 cup fat-free or low-fat yogurt
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice
1 oz reduced-fat cheese

Beans Serving is equal to 1/2 cup cooked beans/lentils

Nuts Serving is equal to 2 Tbsp chopped

Fish Serving is equal to 3 oz cooked

I hope this helps.

syates83

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the high fat/high protein/extreme low carb diets, esp. with the meal substitute drinks - they just aren't healthy. I would suggest trying a healthy, well balanced diet - lots of fresh vegetables (steamed, raw, sauteed in non-stick cooking spray), lean proteins, some fresh fruits, whole grains or healthy carbs (like potatoes) (don't go overboard), split into 3 meals and a few snacks throughout the day - much healthier and much more of a lifestyle than a diet. That's the other problem with the low carb diets - they aren't something sustainable over the long term.

I agree...the Atkins plan can work short term but its not a healthy LIFESTYLE change and that is what it will take to get the weight off permanently. Eating all the sodium and processed foods is probably holding you back too. Try only eating things that have nutritional value...for instance...mayo doesn't have value, so if you have to have it try a reduced fat version. Everything goes back to that pyramid they taught us all in elementary school, whole grains, tons of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, water, water, water and low-fat dairy too. Good luck to you! I hope you get to your goal!