at my wits end

ladyphoto

Totally frustrated. I am not one to complain but I am worried I am getting to a place where I will quit if I don't see results. I am frustrated because I am working so so hard, and still have so much weight to lose- and nothing is coming off.

I work out a lot. I burn between 700-1200 calories 6 days a week. I eat many of my exercise calories. I drink 80+ oz of water a day. I've been working out like this for the past 6 weeks. (working up to the level I'm at now).

My husband is trying to tell me that I am putting on muscle and that is why the scale is not moving- how is that humanly possible? And, with 30 lbs still to go, how could the scale not move? Am I going to be a 180 lb muscle woman? (I'm 5'9") I don't want that either.

My stomach is still poochy and saggy- and I still look 3 months pregnant- and seriously- I'm just ready to scream. I have a formal event to go to tonight and I so wanted to go looking beautiful, sexy, and fit- instead I will go looking old, fat, and pregnant. I am not happy about any of this.

mlbroad1

hang in there dont quit it takes time try measuring yourself instead of weighing you might see the difference then

wickedcricket

You don't want to quit. You've lost 38 lbs, what will happen if you give up? I was where you are- less weight loss too. Everyone stalls. Just keep plugging. If your weight loss stalled, you're still getting more fit from the workouts. Are you eating your exercise calories? Try increasing your calories just 50 or 100 per day & see if that helps.
Honestly, if you're watching your calories, working out vigorously and not losing, I'd go see the Dr. Could be your thyroid or something.
But don't quit. You KNOW what happens when you quit.
We're here for you -

luv2ash

Wow thats a lot of calorie burn for a day? Is that recorded per a HRM??? Why don't you cut back on the exercise some. Still exercise every day, but 1200 calorie burn a day is not necessary. You need to do something that you can stick with every day, like walking briskly, or a bike ride.....hope that makes sense. You may be in starvation mode and that is why you are not losing.

abbie017

Are you getting good feedback from other people? You're always the last one to notice a change. You've lost 38 pounds, and that's incredible! Keep at it and don't give up, because you'll just stay unhappy with yourself. This struggle will pass, and you will accomplish your goals! I'm sure you'll look fabulous at the event tonight, and your husband will be beaming about his sexy wife on his arm!

amysuespears

Wow thats a lot of calorie burn for a day? Is that recorded per a HRM??? Why don't you cut back on the exercise some. Still exercise every day, but 1200 calorie burn a day is not necessary. You need to do something that you can stick with every day, like walking briskly, or a bike ride.....hope that makes sense. You may be in starvation mode and that is why you are not losing.

completely agree... if you're body isn't getting enough fuel, you will store every calorie you take in as fat and not lose any weight. try exercising less (30 minutes/day) and eating your calories that are suggested. you'll see results

WolffEarl

It can indeed be so very frustrating when we finally decide to do something about our fitness or weight level and then not see the results we expect. However, quitting is not really an option is it, no matter how slow the progress? So this is what I see. You have started to exercise regularly and, from the calories burned, clearly you give it some serious effort. That shows determination and grit.I be it is not always easy. Right there, you are already seeing results, when you can be stubborn on behalf of your health. Secondly, I bet, fitness wise, You are able to do much more than you could do 6 weeks ago. So once again, the results are in. You are becoming more fit, your heart is getting stronger, your endurance increasing, your muscles slowly growing, your blood chemistry changing. You also consume lots of water, Once again, I see a winner, someone you can give up the ever tempting soda, etc, and stick with something that is actually good for you. Again, a reason to be proud, not feeling like giving in. And I bet if you ask your husband, he will say: "You are beautiful"
Never fear, the weight too will eventually drop too. Give it time, and enjoy the awesome, often "unseen" results along the way. Be well.

krstnmuir

... I'm sorry it sucks to feel that way! frustrating as it is, keep it up because even if you are sitting on platau right now, everytime you work out and eat healthy you are doing something fantastic for your body and eventually it'll kick into gear and reward you with the results again. You've lost a lot already, and you'll start loosing again. Just think of how much better you feel and look now than when you started your weight loss journey. Keep it up, your doing great. Good luck at your event and don't let body issues stop you from having a great time. Look at how much you've accomplished.

yanicka

I would say take your mesurements : In the last month, my scale didn't moved but I lost 4-5 inchs total all over my body. Smaller behind = happy Yanicka.

Are you sure you burn that much? My own workout burn between 150 and 300 calories.

Are you eating enought fat and protein?

Are you eating good quality food rich in nutrients? If your body does not have all it need, it will not want to shed the pounds.

Lastly, this is a life style, not a diet!!!! You are (I hope) doing this for the rest of your life. What is one week or 2 without a lost? Not that important.

Good luck

SLLaurence21

Everybody hits the plateua at some point - it is inevitable and very frustrating. I agree with luv2ash and amysuespears that you could be over doing the exercise, it sounds like a massive calories burm 6 days a week and maybe your body could do with a break.

I might also be that your body has adapted to the exercise you're doing so you won't see the same results. Are you mixing up your exercise routines and trying new things? What exercise are you doing?

I hit a plateua after lossing 28 lbs in 3 months using an exercise bike, occasional aerobics DVD and weights. I got through it by adding a Zumba class, some different kick-boxing and boot camp style DVDs and changing up my weights routines.

It is frustrating, but if you stick with it and change it up, you will see results :-)

melcowenfitness

I agree with many of the postings here - you are burning tons of calories. Are you eating enough calories back to help fuel your body?

Have you considered opening up your diary for people to look at and comment on? Sometimes the answer we are seeking is right there in front of us, but we can't see it until someone points it out.

I'd be happy to provide constructive feedback to you.

Mel

ncwingnut71

I got stuck for 4 weeks when I first started going to the gym, but the next time they did my measurements, I had lost 7% body fat and quite a few inches. My clothes are fitting a lot different and I know I am building muscle, because I see it.

Do I get frustrated when the scale doesn't move? ABSOLUTELY. But I'm not going to let it get me down. I know what I am doing is good and it'll eventually move.

Do I want muscle? Heck yes. I don't want to look like a body builder, no, but my hubby is very happy with how I look now, even though I have A LOT more than you to lose. He sees a difference. And that's what matters to me, besides seeing it for myself.

Evelyn2050

don't quit . . . Go and enjoy your evening tonight and feel good about the process not the "dress size". This is also about being healthy. You may not be seeing any results yet on the outside but your heart and muscles are making a great transformation. You are also building character - patience and perseverance. Good luck! and enjoy!

ladyphoto

Thank you all so much- I cannot tell you how much it meant to me that you all took your time to lift me up on my bad day- it is amazing. I thought my food and exercise diary was open- maybe I did it wrong-

As far as hwo I know how many calories- yes I wear a hrm and I have always been an athlete, so for me to work that hard and burn that much is not uncommon when I am in shape.

I just wanted to follow up- I went to the event last night- of course I had every kind of undegarment ever made under this very fitted cocktail dress- but- I had at least 3 people come up to me and ask me if I was ever a model... I wanted to cry. That hasn't happened to me for at least 4 years.

So in the end, you all are right and thank you so much for just being supportive and there for me when I was down. I will return the favor!

hamiltonba

I have a friend who joined our work gym with me. When people join, they get a fitness assessment which includes weight, percentage of body fat, body mass assessment, strength and flexibility test. She had this assessment done again 5 months later and she GAINED 3 lbs. At first she was upset until she found out that she lost 8 lbs of FAT, and gained 5 lbs of muscle!! I wanted to share this as it might help put things in perspective. Although she hasn't lost weight, she is definitely getting leaner, can breath easier and has better health overall.

ladyphoto

Thank you for sharing that- it's funny you brought that up because I am having a fitness eval done on Monday! I wanted a way to track progress...thanks for sharing.

keithaj1

Try Calorie cycling (also known as “calorie shifting” or “Zig Zag dieting”). It is an approach to eating that is intended to prevent weight or fat loss plateaus by “tricking out” your metabolism.

Calorie cycling or Zig Zag diets are not really ”diets” in the sense of something like Atkins or South Beach, but instead a method of manipulating the metabolism through varying your calorie intake day-to-day.

Calorie cycling tries to avoid the body’s natural tendency toward homeostasis by essentially tricking it into thinking that your not actually dieting at all.

Because total fat loss isn’t necessarily about your calories on a specific day, but rather creating a total calorie deficit over a time, it’s possible to alternate days of calorie-deficits, with days of calorie-surpluses and still lose body fat.

Even better, because you alternating higher calorie days with lower calorie days, you may be less likely to lose lean tissue and less prone to developing fat loss plateaus. This can be especially effective if you match your higher-calorie days to the days when you are performing weight training, since your body can use the extra energy to fuel your workout and recovery.

eksb

Have you checked to see if you have diastisis recti? It's where the rectus abdominis (6 pack) muscles separate during pregnancy. Sometimes they do not go back afterwards unless you work on strengthening your transverse abdominals (the ones that wrap around your abdomen like a girdle), doing crunches will just exacerbate the problem. Check by laying on the ground and lift your head slightly off the ground like a crunch and feel around your belly button, if there is a big gap, work on your transverse abdominals and hold off the crunches until you get that gap closed up. That could help with the "mommy pouch". Good luck!