Disappointed and confused

CherryOnionKiss

I've been avoiding MFP lately. I think I haven't logged in for 2-3 weeks. What depresses me is that I can't seem the shed a single pound. My goal was to be able to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes at the end of this summer. (Gave birth in March). Now, I'm only gaining weight. I have to buy an entire wardrobe and it depresses me. Even if I buy good looking clothes, I don't like what I see in the mirror. It's not the clothes. It's me.

I do aerobics at home 3 times a week for 35 minutes at the time. I'm trying real hard to eat healthy food, because when depressed I tend to binge. I''ve worked hard and haven't lost weight yet.

I have a doctor appointment on August 17th and I can't wait to ask her why she thinks I'm not able to lose weight. I'm kinda hoping that it's a thyroid issue that keeps me from losing it. That way there would be something I could do to regain control of my weight.

What more could I do other than exercise and eat well? I'm confused.

szczepj

It actually offends me that you WANT a thyroid issue.
If you are binging that right there is enough cause to gain weight. Change up your routine, count your calories. It works of you do it.

graysmom2005

Hang in there. :-) Baby weight is awesome isns't it? UGH! 35 minutes of exercise 3 times a week isn't going to cut it if you really want to see some results. 45-60 minutes 4-5 times a week and you should see a big difference...that being said it's mostly food. Get the junk OUT of the house, and log everything. EVERYTHING (within reason...like skip gum. LOL) It's probably not thyroid. It's possible over estimating exercise cals/underestimating food. Measure food, drink lots of water, avoid sodium...in most processed foods...amp up the exercise and slowly but surely it should come off. Grab a measuring tape too. You'd be surprised how the inches can come off faster than the scale. Good luck! You can do it!

psuLemon

First, I would like to say, if you stick with it, the results will come. Second, you should never hope for an issue with your body because it's expensive and you will only give yourself an "out" for why you aren't losing weight. Third, I just looked at your food journal and it's full of processed foods which are loaded with sodium. That could be a major contributor to why you aren't losing weight.


Ok, for the real stuff. You need need need to incorporate weight training. Muscle is the key to having a faster metabolism and the ability to burn more calories. Cardio is not enough to make you lose weight. I would suggest 3 days of stregnth training and 3 days of cardio for 45-60 minutes if you have time, but 30 minutes better than nothing. Next, look into incorporating more proteins and healthier food like eggs, chicken, turkey, etc... and eliminate prepackaged and store bought type foods. Try to get your sodium to 2000 mg's per day and you should have the weight start to come off.

ChanMay

You should also give yourself a break. You just had a baby in March. Yes, there are those people who lose the extra pounds easily and quickly and there are those of us who take longer. My doctor told me that it can take up to a year for your hormones to go bac to normal. In that time, your body may not react to weight loss in the same way.
You should definitely stick to it, add in some extra movement where you can, watch those calories closely and it will happen In the meantime, don't be so hard on yourself!

CherryOnionKiss

So exercice 45mins 5 days a week and avoid processed food. What should I replace the processed food with ? Do you have an example of substituing?

What kind I of weight should I work with ? Little weights that you strap to your arms / legs of regular dumbells ?

lmarshel

In the little info I see in your diary, there are a lot of 'generic' foods. I would recommend that you try to be a LOT more accurate in what you are logging. Get a food scale and use it. They're not that expensive, and they will really open your eyes to the quantity of food you are actually eating. If you cook at home, measure everything and enter the ingredients individually. There's a recipe feature on MFP that will allow you to enter the ingredients for things you cook often and portion them out accordingly. Be honest with how much you're actually eating. Even when you binge...log it. Seeing the calories add up may just help with that issue.

Best of luck to you. I know it's not easy to make those changes, but you can do it! And you'll be glad you did.

jbenton091011

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momof3and3

There is the saying "it takes nine months to get big and nine months to lose it". Your baby is only about 5 months old, give yourself a break. First, ask your doctor about your weight issues, it could be hormonal. Also if you are feeling depressed, it could be post-partumn depression, which can add to weight gain. Again, talk with your doctor about feeling "blue"...don't suffer in silence.

Now, if everyhting checks out with the doctor, try upping your cardio. Put the baby into the stroller and walk as added exercise, plus the fresh air is good for a little one . Try and eat balanced meals, but eat every 2-3 hours so you don't feel hungry. Keep a lot of easy to grab snacks and meals in the house...baby carrots, 100 calorie packs of snacks, protein bars, muscle milk, lean cusine dinners, etc....that way if you are having a busy day taking care of the little one you can still eat a calorie controlled diet instead of grabbing the bag of oreos.

You can also buy a dvd of baby and me exercises, or join a stroller strides type program where you work out with the baby. Plus you get to meet other moms and have a bit of a social life

Take a deep breathe...motherhood is hard enough!

Riebop

For me, tracking my food is the most important thing to do. When I track accurately and stay at my daily caloric target, I lose weight. If you can't always be on the computer or don't have a smart phone to track, get a small notebook. You need to know how much your consuming. For alot of stuff, I'm pretty good at eyeballing my portions. However, I keep my measuring cups and a food scale on my counter so I can portion out the stuff that I have a tendancy to over estimate on (like pasta and rice).

starberi30

I couldnt lose any baby weight either... until the 6th month post pregnancy (and a halt in breast feeding)... then all of a sudden it just all came off.

give it time!

Womona

I've never been an emotional eater. Sounds like when you get depressed or discouraged you reach for food for comfort. I'm here to tell you that it is entirely possible to eat ONLY when you're hungry!

I find keeping a journal nearby is a great way to help me vent my frustrations, feel sorry for myself, explore why I feel blue, etc. Once it's down on paper it gets released and I feel much better. Give it a try! Or grab a cuddle with the baby, or call a friend.

I'm a personal trainer, and I suggest that if you don't belong to the gym, you can pick up dumbbells at the store (Target, etc) and do your strength workout at home. There is one that lets you adjust from 2.5-12.5 each. I'd start with strength training 2 times per week, working my way up to 3. There are loads of exercises you can do in your house without all the fancy equipment. You'd be surprised at how great a workout you can do with a balance ball, a set of adjustable weights, and a stretchy band! The magazines are full of them!

Also, you need to up your cardio to 5-6 times a week and go longer.

Don't get discouraged, you can absolutely do this!

Rae6503

Are you nursing? I pretty much can NOT lose weight while nursing. My body tends to just hold on to it. I nursed my last 2 children until 6 months and didn't even try to lose weight until I was done. And yeah, baby is now 13 months and I'm still not all the way back down, but that's okay. It not a race. I'm doing it the healthy way. I work out 5-6 days a week. I eat 1750 NET. I have loads of energy, and am starting to get some really good muscle tone!

But yes, go to you doctor to see what is up. Log, but make sure you eat enough (if you are nursing you need 300 extra calories a day, I think). I'd recommend setting your goal to 0.5lbs per week and eating all your exercise calories. And most importantly be patient. So what if the pregnancy weight takes 2 years to go. How long will you enjoy the love your child brings? Forever. It's totally worth it.

CherryOnionKiss

I just made the decision to switch grocery store. The one near our house is really shady and their products are always almost expired on the shelves and even in the fridges. There no organic/bio section at all. We don't own a car, so we'll pack our bags and take the bus to go to the other grocery store. At least until they're building this new grocery store in Sept. 2012 right in front of our house. I can't wait for it to be finished.

Krazydwc

WOW I feel your pain of not loosing weight!! I lost my son 5 years ago when i was 51/2 months pregnant it really messed me up. I found I had chemical unbalance, and hormones that were effecting mine, and mind you I cant take hormones. It's been a uphill battle since. I know you can do it!! Stick with what you know and are capable of doing. It's hard when you feel defeated, but i promise it will get better!! I think going to the doctor to find out if something is wrong is a smart choice, and everyone needs to do it. Hang in there YOU CAN DO IT

CherryOnionKiss

WOW I feel your pain of not loosing weight!! I lost my son 5 years ago when i was 51/2 months pregnant it really messed me up. I found I had chemical unbalance, and hormones that were effecting mine, and mind you I cant take hormones. It's been a uphill battle since. I know you can do it!! Stick with what you know and are capable of doing. It's hard when you feel defeated, but i promise it will get better!! I think going to the doctor to find out if something is wrong is a smart choice, and everyone needs to do it. Hang in there YOU CAN DO IT

Thanks, I wish you the same

jemko

I agree with the others on here that spoke of cleaning up your diet. Definitely try to cut back on the processed foods, replace them as much as you can with fruits, veggies, healthy snacks like hummus or nuts, etc. Also, be more exact with tracking and calculating your calories. When you have something 'homemade', rather than using generics or estimating calories, break it down by ingredient and log them (or build a recipe). Maybe you're underestimating?

Don't worry about being perfect in what you eat - just focus on trying to be 'better' - no one can be perfect all of the time, especially if you're prone to stress/emotional eating.

I'm sorry you're having such a tough time. Stick with it and try not to get too down on yourself about it. If it was easy, we all wouldn't be here, and needing support!

pbajwally

The more you strive towards "clean" or "whole" foods -- meaning, less processed -- the better off your body will be. Minimal ingredients is key. One way I started doing it is making my own food (i.e., bread, granola bars, applesauce, etc) things that I used to buy in the grocery store and never paid attention to ingredients... it's amazing what we consume. Anything with partially hydrogenated ANYTHING should go right out the window. It takes some doing, but it can be done! I love knowing exactly what I'm feeding my family. Plus, getting away from processed stuff has cut back on my headaches (I get very frequent headaches).

Fresh fruit, fresh veggies, whole nuts, nut butters, etc. Do you have a weekly farmer's market in your area? Or a food co-op? Money is an issue for just about everyone these days so it takes some investigation and leg work. Do you have an Aldi in your area? Aldi's is FANTASTIC. I love them... when my husband lost his job, it made a HUGE difference in our food bill (for the better!) and their produce is consistently fresh and beautiful.

It's actually LESS expensive to do things yourself. It just takes a little planning and forethought. You can do this. We are all here to help you!

yanicka

I do not know if you are breastfeeding...but for me it was impossible to lose weight when breastfeeding ...I know that for many, it help lose weight but for my it pushed me into the obese category

jwhit31

I'm no expert by an means but I see that you haven't been logging in your daily food intake. It's hard to know if you are eating the correct amount of calories or servings if your aren't logging them. Our perceptions of portion amounts is usually way higher that it's actually suppose to be. I know that when I don't log I always consume waaay more calories than I'm suppose to even though I felt like I didn't eat a lot.

CherryOnionKiss

No i'm not breastfeeding, I'm bottle feeding. I have a question though, if hydrogenated stuff is bad, should I switch from Margerine to Butter? I always tought butter would be less healthy than margerine.