Just want to give up

angelzoya519

I am ready to throw in the towel.
I eat a lil less than my calorie intake and I exercise whether it be walking, or going to the gym. And most of the time I eat my calories back after exercising.
I weigh myself every Monday and Friday but Fridays I never record it b/c I always want to know how much I weigh before the weekend. But every time I weigh myself in no matter what the day it is. My weight is a roller coaster every other time I weigh in I"m losing weight then gaining it all back and them some.
I'm putting myself in depression again. This is a losing battle for me. I have to lose some weight for a wedding but at the rate I'm going I will be heavier than I was when I ordered my dressed. And what ticks me off the most is I lose a lb or two but gain 2 or 4 lbs back. Im not doing weights so it's not muscle. I'm just so done with it all b/c this has been happening every since I started to lose weight.

And also it doesn't help that I see girls who are like 150 lbs saying they need to lose weight. Actually I saw a 16 yr old on here once saying she needed to lose weight she was already pushing the 100 lb mark and she was wanted to be something like 85 lbs and she was taller than me. I'm 5'3 she was like 5"5 or something taller.
That makes me sick right there.
I'm just not sure what I can do to change this roller coaster I'm on. Anyone else have these problems and if so what can i do about them.
I ve even told hubby I wasn't gonna step on the scale anymore but I have to at least on Mondays to weigh in for the Pin up girls challenge. But still. This is too much. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Normalg

You might publicize your diary so we can see what you're eating. Maybe there are calories accounted for wrong. Are you drinking your water, it really makes a difference for me. Oh yeah do this for yourself not the wedding.

Saruman_w

No need to give up just yet. Weight loss is no easy task so don't expect it to be. Sure, you might not see short-term results but you just have to keep at it. You gotta train your brain into accepting that you're not going to eat as much as you did before, and find new ways to combat those hunger pains people get after dramatically changing their diet all at once. It happened to me. I'd always get those powerful pains and my arms'll start getting jittery and stuff. I think it is purely psychosomatic. Try chewing gum, sorta tricks your mind into thinking you're eating. Or drink alot of water.

So don't lose hope just yet, keep at it and eventually you'll see results.

uniqute1888

sometimes you arent eating enough... when you get to be more active you body needs more to fuel it and to help burn the excess... make sure you are eating your exercise calories!

camille97

Alright. This is not about the wedding. This is not about your weight. This is not about what anyone thinks or how fast you do it. This is about your health. It's a lifestyle change. If it's just about losing weight, and you don't see success, it will be very difficult to reach your goal. Change your attitude. This is not a diet, this is the rest of your life. And most of all, remember that you can't stop now. This is just the beginning! It's always scary! However, on this journey you will learn loads about yourself that you never knew, and discover that you are stronger than you think you are. Giving up will never get you that. Just remember, that someday you will be healthy, confident, and comfortable in your own skin. Not someday if you sit around and wish you had it easier. Someday if you get the courage and work through it. You've hit a wall. We all do. Now you just have to show yourself if you are a person who hits the wall, or crushes it. Best luck to you, you can do this!

Neliel

Whatever you do, don't give up. Whether you're stuck at this same weight for the next 5 months or lose a measly 5lb over 6 months you should keep going. Giving up would be like admitting you're not ready to change. I know it's hard. After Christmas my weight hardly shifted at all until about 2 weeks ago. In 7 months I lost about 10lb and I wasn't even near my halfway mark! I'll make a suggestion though that I think is responsible for helping me start shifting again. Get yourself some digital kitchen scales and weight EVERYTHING that you eat. You may think you're eating under your calories but you may be miscalculating your portion sizes (which is exactly what I was doing). Trust me, you deserve this. You'll be SO much happier if you just keep on pushing, even if it takes you 2 years to lose the weight. Because when you get there, you'll be proud of yourself for never giving up on yourself and your happiness.

marianeo

You might publicize your diary so we can see what you're eating. Maybe there are calories accounted for wrong. Are you drinking your water, it really makes a difference for me. Oh yeah do this for yourself not the wedding.

I so agree will normalg, you must do this for yourself, it's your journey and no one else's so don't put extra stress or pressure on yourself by watching others targets! Take a look again at your diary, are you adding portion sizes correctly, are you correctly calculating the calories in the food you are eating, or the calories burnt in the exercise you are doing? I was on a plateau for about 8 weeks and looked at all these things. I Bought an HRM and found that I was overestimating my calories burned....

Chelij

You aren't doing weights? Well that is something you should DEFINITELY do then. If you gain weight during weight training you'll probably see a 3 lb gain (especially if you are sore) due to water and it'll quickly disappear after a few days.

Honestly, no exercise routine is complete without weight training. It's A MUST! Muscle will increase your metabolism and help you start to lose fat.

Before giving up PLEASE try adding some strength training first. Give it a few months and see what happens. I PROMISE you will at least FEEL slimmer if not start to look slimmer and even see it on the scale.

Jennyzfit

I feel your pain. for the longest while I was in the same boat as you. Forget about the weigh scale. Just measure yourself. You maybe losing inches. Also try interval training. Walk for 5 minutes and jog for 1 - 2 minutes and keep alternating. Listening to music really helps you with the intervals. This will help you burn more. This method helped me overcome my plateau. You have to change up your exercising a bit. Also watch the salt. You've lost 4 lbs and that is good. You need to increase your metabolism by exercising. Your body will adjust. Give it a bit of time. Take care on your journey

Hope this helps. flowerforyou:

justann

Losing the weight has been VERY slow going for me. I have also been going up and down in pounds. It is extremely frustrating. One thing I noticed for myself though is that sodium is my main problem. When I have a high sodium intake I know I can expect an extra pound or two show up on the scale. Just a thought that if you aren't tracking your sodium you might want to try that to keep an eye on it. Hang in there and good luck. Slow and steady.......

Clairezibel

You poor thing . It's natural to become de-motivated when you don't see a change in the scales - and I'm currently experiencing that too, but don't give up! What is your diet like? Do you eat a lot of carbs, or protein, or do you eat fatty foods but not enough to go over your calories (if you get what I mean)? Do you drink enough water during the day? What kind of exercises are you doing at the gym?

Have you tried changing up your routine, experimenting with the type of foods you eat, and trying out different ways to exercise? I'm currently stuck at the same weight because I've been doing the 30 Day Shred, so gaining muscle - I haven't lost *any* weight on it but I've lost a good couple of inches - have you tried measuring yourself instead of weighing yourself?

Whenever I hit a plateau, I change what I'm doing in terms of types of food I'm eating and exercise I'm doing. You have to be unpredictable with your body - that way you rarely get in to a rut. This information has been helpful to me anyway - so I hope you'll find it useful too. You can achieve your goals - and just think, for us heavier girls, the best possible thing is to lose the weight really slowly (unless your health is at a serious risk) because that way our skin can recover from being stretched out and you hopefully won't end up with loads of excess skin! That's what I tell myself anyway! Hope you feel better

tauny78

I've had that feeling too. Just want to give up, to not care.....it would be easy to give in. Without being able to see your diary, I can't say much. The only thing I can so right now, is maybe don't eat back your exercise calories. And I suggest only weighing yourself once a week, and always at the same time of day. Your weight will change throughout the day: some people weigh less in the mornings before they eat, others weigh more because of bloating. Just pick a time and use that every week. Just hang in there though! Stick with it and you'll break through! We are hear to help and support you! And as far as people who weigh 150 and want to lose weight, don't worry about them. Everyone has a right to decide for themselves, and we're not here to judge, just to be supportive.

AmyNaylor7205

I've always heard that stressing out can be a huge factor in not losing weight. I don't think you should give up just yet. Maybe you should change up your workouts, your body may need a change up. Also, it helps if you are drinking your water. It could be possible that you aren't eating enough of your calories back after a workout and your body goes into starvation mode and refuses to change. Anyways, I sincerely hope that you don't give up! Everyone has days where they want to give up but it is important that you don't. You may want to go to the dr. and talk about the issues your having with weight loss, have you ever had your thyroid checked??

GOOD LUCK,
AMY

P.S. the skinny girls trying to lose weight annoy me too!

carolynponder

May I suggest that you reevaluate your reasons for losing weight. If you are starting a new life, make your objective to start living a healthy lifestyle. You want many more years to enjoy with your husband, don't you? When we focus on the scale alone, we set ourselves up for failure, because water weight varies according to what we have retained from eating, sore muscles, etc. If you need to drop our of the challenge, then do. That's not failing, it's just making a good choice for yourself. Cut yourself some slack. Focus on eating healthy foods and exercising. myfitnesspal has been a real help, because it tells me exactly what i need as far as calories and also the food areas. I'm focusing on sodium right now, because it is hidden in so many foods and diet drinks and that caused water retention. The only way I have ever been successful is through First Place 4 Health. Check out their website and see if there is a group near you. I am 70 years old. I am active, and although I have gained some of the weight I lost in 1994 and am getting it back off, I am able to find the love and support I need to stay focused and upbeat about getting it off. Enjoy looking forward to the life you have ahead of you. Many Blessings! Carolyn

dls06

IF you open your diary maybe we could make suggestions. I know it's frustrating but don't give up. Maybe just don't obsess. If you keep Eating Healthy stop processed and fast foods, don't drink your calories, add more fresh whole grains, fruits and veggies, do just a little exercising everyday you will see results. It is not going to be over night but every little thing you change will help in the long run. A year from now you will see results. It didn't take weeks to put the weight on and you need time to take it off the right way and not just for a wedding. You need to make it a lifestyle or you will never be able to keep it up. Slow small changes will make the biggest difference in the long run. Everytime you pick something up to eat ask yourself " is there something healthier I could eat".
Log you foods before you eat them and see if they meet your goals. I always enter my foods first. I usually plan a day ahead. If something changes then I adjust the rest of the day.

Here is a sample of what I eat in a day. I change the foods but the keep the portions and the kinds of foods the same. If I eat pasta I only have an ounce and add tons of veggies and a piece of grilled chicken or fish and always a salad with dressing on the side. You can adjust it with anything that meets your goals and your taste. Evern more calories if your goal is higher then mine. I am not always under but this is a good example of how you can eat a lot of food and still lose weight.

Breakfast Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Chol
Coffee - Black, 10 fl oz 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sugars - Granulated (sucrose), 1 tsp 16 4 0 0 0 0
Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat, 0.5 fl oz 8 1 0 1 6 1
Lactaid - 100% Lactose/Fat Free Milk, 0.5 cup 45 7 0 5 65 3
All Whites - 100 % Liquid Egg Whites, 1/4 cup (63 gm) 30 0 0 6 95 0
Kroger - Frozen Green Pepper and Onion Blend, 0.25 cup 6 1 0 0 3 0
1 Tsp Smart Balance Light W/ Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Buttery Spread, 0.5 tablespoon 25 0 3 0 35 0

Snack
Dannon Activia - Blueberry Yogurt, 1 container (4 oz; 113g 110 19 2 4 65 5


Lunch
Tomato - Raw, Red, 0.25 tomato 3 1 0 0 2 0
Butterball - Smoked Ham Style Turkey, 1 slices 10 0 1 1 100 5
Weight Watchers - Bread - Whole Wheat, 2 Slices 90 17 1 6 180 0
Grey Poupon - Mustard - Dijon, 1 tsp 5 0 0 0 120 0
Lettuce - Cos or romaine, raw, 2 leaf outer 10 2 0 1 4 0
Dietz and Watson - Cheddar With Horseradish Cheese Slice, 1 Slice 110 1 9 6 270 30

Dinner
Potatoes - Red, flesh and skin, baked, 1 potato medium (2-1/4" to 3-1/4" dia) 154 34 0 4 14 0
Generic - Avacado- Fresh, 2 tbsp or 2-3 thin strips-1/5 of a medium 50 3 5 1 0 0
Dole - Packaged Salads - Classic Romaine, 1 1/2 cups 20 4 0 1 15 0
Cucumber - Peeled, raw, 2 slice 2 0 0 0 0 0
Newman's Own - Ceasar Dressing, 1 tbsp 85 1 9 0 170 10
Tomato - Raw, Red, 0.13 tomato 1 1 0 0 1 0
Corn on the Cob - Corn on the Cob, 0.5 ear (8 3/4 oz) 44 28 1 4 5 3
Beef - Sirloin Steak - Lean Only, Grilled, 3 oz 79 0 3 13 28 38
Generic - Sauted Mushrooms With Onion, 2 ounces 63 7 3 3 567 8

Snack
Watermelon - Raw, 0.5 cup, diced 23 6 0 0 1 0
Pop Secret - 100 Calorie Popcorn - Butter, 0.5 bag 50 9 2 2 100 0


Totals 1,039 146 39 58 1,846 103
Your Daily Goal 1,410 176 47 71 2,500 300
Remaining 371 30 8 13 654 197
Calories

UpToAnyCool

And what ticks me off the most is I lose a lb or two but gain 2 or 4 lbs back. Im not doing weights so it's not muscle. I'm just so done with it all b/c this has been happening every since I started to lose weight.

Don't give up!

You might try switching it up w/ some weight training. While the burn isn't incredible, it is always beneficial to add muscle mass.
I think it works something like this: your body burns more to maintain muscle than it does to upkeep fat, so adding muscle mass improves your metabolism, etc. etc. This is also the reason people try not to lose too quickly - you want to make sure to lose fat and not muscle mass. (You'll forgive me for not having links to studies, but you can Google this to find out more.)

I thought Camille97's message was dead-on; you can do this, but you have to want it enough to realize that this isn't about losing weight for a wedding. That is a great motivating mini-goal, but it is true that after we all get to our goals, 'maintenance' is about integrating all we've learned about healthy lifestyles into a new increased allotment - not about going back to the habits that got us here in the first place.

Best of luck, hon! :flowerforyou:

JennyJH

You say you aren't doing weights - perhaps you could try that? It slowed my weight loss but increased my inch loss which is the important thing.

Are you measuring yourself? Are you loosing inches at all?

Drinking enough water? Logging everything (including tea/coffee etc)? It is suprising how much little snacks and drinks add up over a day!!

If you eat back your exercise calories, try not eating them and visa versa.

Are you sure your MFP information is accurate for your BMR?

And don't stress about other people's weight loss goals. Whether someone else weights 100lb or 300lb doesn't affect your weight. You have to concentrate on you here.

Hope you stick around - I think that's the single biggest difference between those who loose weight successfully and those that don't. Just plain old sticking with it.

Chelij

May I suggest that you reevaluate your reasons for losing weight. If you are starting a new life, make your objective to start living a healthy lifestyle.

I LOVE THIS! So true! You have to approach weight loss in a different way than just "I want to lose weight because I feel fat" or "I have a special event coming up and I want to look good in my dress". I wrote an article for Associated Content on this a while ago actually...you need to have the right reasons for weight loss to be successful. If you are just in it to lose weight, you won't stick with it. You need to think of yourself 5 or more years down the line....how do you picture yourself then? Are you willing to keep working at it for that long? I have at least 70 lbs to lose total and it has taken me almost A YEAR to lose these 21 freaking pounds! But you know what? I'm still doing it! Yeah i wanna lose weight and look awesome (I just got engaged and need to go dress shopping soon!) but at the same time, I just want to look good, feel good and be healthy! Of course I want it sooner than later, but in the end, as long as it happens PERIOD, whether it be next month or in 5 years, I want it to happen. Sit down and think about this a bit and consider exactly how bad you want it and WHY you want it.

lindak71

You need to take it one day at a time, one meal at a time. If you can't tackle both exercise and diet at one time, concentrate on one. Believe it or not, it's what we eat that is the biggest obstacle. Exercise doesn't burn nearly as many calories as we would hope. Make sure you eat breakfast and try not to eat after dinner or late at night. I took the book 'Make the Connection: 10 Steps to a Better Body and a Better Life' by Bob Green (Oprah's "brother") out of the library a long time ago and it is very helpful. The 1st step was to not eat 3 hours before bedtime. This helped me tremendously because I loved to binge when the kids and husband went to bed. If I close the kitchen, then I'm not as tempted to eat. I think you should read as much as you can about others who are doing it to help inspire you- you're not alone and you CAN do it, others have. I've been obsessed with 1 woman's blog since Sparkpeople posted her success story on Facebook. She's at www.runsforcookies.com. She went from 253 pounds to around 150 and she's still at it!

You definitely need to be honest with yourself and reevaluate what you've been doing. Is your activity level correct? Are you exercising often? Rigorously? Accurately counting calories? Try setting your goals to lose 1/2 pound a week so that you get more calories daily and can slowly adjust to the restrictions. It's not easy. It's not going to be easy. Like Oprah says, if there was a magic pill or solution, she would have definitely found it by now! I started my journey on 8/17/09 and I am now down 73 pounds. I still have some weight to lose, but once I hit my goal weight, the journey is not over. I will forever be concerned about the amount I eat and exercise. I look at it this way, if you are a diabetic you always have to test your blood sugar. If you have high blood pressure, you have to take your meds and take your readings. I am an overeater and I have to log my food and exercise, most likely for the rest of my life.

sivadsirhc

The only way you'll be defeated is if you give up. So don't do that.

Try weight lifting. Why not? You don't have anything to loose (pun intended) by mixing up your workout and letting people in the know evaluate your fuel input.

And the really good news is that there is a whole bunch of people on this site wanting to help and are totally rooting for you.

So go get 'em girlie!

kellyrorie

DONT give up!!!!!!!! It takes time to get what is right for you down to a science. Even then, everyone fluxuates. I would say keep doing your best and try not to weigh so often. I messes with you mentally. big time. When I was coming down from 238 I only weighed once a month...otherwise it made me feel like how you just described. Whereas if I just did my best, I kept feeling better and better by the day. Please hun, dont give up. Friend me. I will help you any way I can. also, you can read my "fatty" blog about how I got down from 238, i think it is a good techniqe for you. ... you CAN figure this out. You CAN do this! it may feel hard for now, but if you stop, it will NEVER happen. Good luck

angelzoya519

I've always heard that stressing out can be a huge factor in not losing weight. I don't think you should give up just yet. Maybe you should change up your workouts, your body may need a change up. Also, it helps if you are drinking your water. It could be possible that you aren't eating enough of your calories back after a workout and your body goes into starvation mode and refuses to change. Anyways, I sincerely hope that you don't give up! Everyone has days where they want to give up but it is important that you don't. You may want to go to the dr. and talk about the issues your having with weight loss, have you ever had your thyroid checked??

GOOD LUCK,
AMY

P.S. the skinny girls trying to lose weight annoy me too!

I had my thyroid checked out a few years ago. My gyno dr called my thyroid dr a quack. B/c he told my gyno that my thyroid was inactive and we knew it wasn't. My thyroid is a problem but until I can get my insurance back and I can't have anything done yet. Sucks too. My thyroid is a roller coaster itself. One test it will be hyper and the next test it will be hypo. It's really doing flips. lol But I know not to give up. Just today feels like it.

angelzoya519

You aren't doing weights? Well that is something you should DEFINITELY do then. If you gain weight during weight training you'll probably see a 3 lb gain (especially if you are sore) due to water and it'll quickly disappear after a few days.

Honestly, no exercise routine is complete without weight training. It's A MUST! Muscle will increase your metabolism and help you start to lose fat.

Before giving up PLEASE try adding some strength training first. Give it a few months and see what happens. I PROMISE you will at least FEEL slimmer if not start to look slimmer and even see it on the scale.

Just got off the phone with the gym. I go in later today and have the trainer walk me through the weight training part of our gym plus she will also set goals with me on how much cardio and weight training to do every day. I normally do cardio every day b/c I LOVE to walk on the treadmill and listen to my music. So we shall see.

RozeGod

I cannot tell you how many times I've felt the same way - please dont give up.

Rilke

Not much more to say than what has been said. A lifestyle change is incredibly difficult.

If you care to open your diary (or lock it with a key and share the key), I could give you more specific advice

mowfaux

I'm not losing weight quickly either, but I am losing inches.

Maybe you should stay off the scale and measure yourself instead?

VStar55

I've felt the same way, sometimes still do. Don't give up! I'm over 40 and have started to notice that I REALLY need to start weight lifting because I've noticed that my muscles are smaller than they used to be and I know that's part of the reason I'm losing so slowly. Stick around and do this with us.

MamaKatel

I feel exactly the same way today. For the past two days i've been under my allowed calories and have been very proud of myself for that, however i've only gained weight and i'm so frustrated! I'm really re-thinking this whole diet thing. Honestly I don't even know how i'm going to get through today. I'm just taking it moment by moment and hoping I don't end up eating everything in the house!

angelzoya519

I don't plan on giving up. I know that this is gonna happen.

I used be 120lbs when I was in school. I graduated in 03 and I weighed like 120 to 125. Now I'm 263 and I'm 26 going on 27 and I've been out of school for 8 years. I gained another me.

I know this is for me and not a wedding but I can't help but think that this for the wedding. B/c well the wedding started me off on the weight lost track. If it wasn't for my best friend asking me to be her maid of honor. I wouldn't be here b/c she is the one who got me thinking about my lifestyle.
Also it's so hard to do this by urself. I know no one at my gym so I have no workout buddies and well I'm not gonna say that I never try but I'm shy and it's hard for me to open up to people b/c everyone is so judgmental and sometimes even them just looking at me makes me feel like I wanna crawl back into the dark hole. So I have found it's easier for me to just exercise by myself and tread this journey by myself as far as the gym goes and turn to MFP for my support but nothing beats having a person standing beside you pushing u that much more at the gym.
Every day is a new day and there is days when we all wanna give up. Just today happened to be my day.
I have mini goals and they are to lose two lbs every two weeks.
Its nice to see that no matter what there is support on MFP. Thank you all.

vinkariz

I know how you feel. I have the same problem but you can't give up. I always have to remind myself that it's a long process. It doesn't happen quickly. Take all the good suggestions and consider how they might help you. I started taking water aerobics and it's great. You have the resistance from the water but you don't feel it as much because you are supported by the water. I lost eight lbs in 4 weeks after a long time period of no weight loss. I go the the YMCA and it' s not that expensive. I felt funny putting on a bathing suit but when I got there I saw I wasn't the only one there with a weight issue. Everyone was friendly and I enjoy it very much. It hardly feels like exercise but I feel sore the next day. For me....water, water water. Boy if I don't drink the water the scale just won't move. Weigh and measure everything....another thing I was slow to do. It makes a difference. Watch the salt intake. After too much salt I'll easily gain a few lbs. If I have a time where I'm not drinking water, not watching the salt intake and sitting on my butt I can gain 10lbs in two weeks. Everyone says that's not possible but it is for me. It's all water weight! I retain water like crazy. Anyway, maybe none of this will ring true for you but don't give up. Whatever you do don't compare yourself to those skinny girls. I know it's hard but they are who they are and you are who you are. Be your own best friend. Don't get down on yourself! At the very least, when you know you are doing everything you can do ,you can go to bed at night knowing you did your best....not that feeling we all know so well ...the oh I screwed up again feeling. Keep going.............

alex_marie85

Don't give up. Consider a few things first:

-Your calories actually may be too low, throwing your body into starvation mode (meaning it holds on to fat like it's going out of style).
-Look at your sodium intake. Salt and Carbs both make us retain water.
-If you are exercising is your heartrate between what it needs to be to be called "aerobic" (if it's not at your ideal heart rate for aerobic activity you won't burn fat) or is it too high so that it's "anaerobic". To get your max heart rate its roughly 220 minus your age. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm
-Check your bloodsugar and insulin levels by going to the doctor. You could be prediabetic or have insulin resistance and if so, eating too many carbs, even if you are under your cal limit will translate into fat stored because your body lacks the capability to break the glucose down.

You are worth the work it will take to consider these things and find out which is inhibiting weight loss. You are strong and you can overcome this slump!