So frustrated i'm in tears!

MOS3

Hi - well done on your success so far. I feel for your frustration. It;s maddening when you cannot fathom out what has happened. Looking at your diary I think your fat may be too low. (I had this problem). So a good way to introduce really good fat is flaxseed. However you will need to weigh them out as they are quite high in calories. That said, it worked for me. Just another word - how to you estimate the calories burned? Many people have found that MFP over estimate calories burned, therefore there is the chance of overeating if you eat back all the calories. I just walk (and do strength training excercises) so I use a pedometer - which has a much lower calories used reading than MFP. Other people used Heart Rate Monitors and this seems to be the most accurate way of measuring calories used, Hope this is of interest to you. Good luck.

MellieR

You can do it! Remember this is a journey and you will learn a lot along the way. I'm a slow loser so I can relate to the scale frustrations. Please remember to look at what you have started doing - like MOVING! and tracking what you eat. Celebrate what you have done! As you gain more experience you will find what works for you. One foot in front of the other - you can do this!

jazzalea

I'm the last person I thought could do this.....


I THOUGHT I was already eating healthy and it wasn't making a difference,

I THOUGHT I was working out effectively and it wasn't making a difference,

I THOUGHT it really couldn't be done by one person alone without help and guidance and a muzzle


But it really really can..... you just have to keep it really really simple....

start with your diet.....

Face the fact that it's not just how much you eat it's what you eat and when

don't punish yourself for being overweight by forcing yourself to eat foods you don't like..... find a diet plan that works for you ( for me it was atkins) and then research foods that you really will eat...... if there aren't enough options you will get bored and start reaching for old teasers..... STOP rewarding yourself for losing a few pounds by having a "cheat"day.......BUT DO allow the occaisonal treat and snack GUILT FREE......


Set smaller goals for yourself..... NO ONE CAN LOSE 150 pounds....... but anyone can lose 5% of their body weight..... set that small goal and reach it and hold it.... then reach another 5%.... reward each goal with something for your BODY.... a pedicure or a manicure...... something that makes you feel beautiful....

Praise yourself and learn what works for you......

Take ownership of your body..... think of it is as a small child that needs to be taken care of...... you wouldn't let a 3 yr old plan the menu......you be the adult and decide what is best for the body you live in.......

Remember... when your body is complaining... it's because it's out of it's comfort zone.... and it's comfort zone ISN"T WORKING FOR YOU



Finally..... if the gym doesn't work for you.... get up and dance...... put the music on at home and keep yourself moving..... get something with some good beats and get your hips moving...... When I started I was so big I wasn't even sure I was dancing under there.... just started swinging my *kitten* and hoping I was catching a couple of beats....... now I'm dancing up a storm... dipping and weaving...... and my *kitten* is :smokin:

Good luck add me if you want support

craft338

i'm 5'6" and had 130 lbs to lose when i first started. i just passed 1 year on MFP and have lost 98 lbs so far, and there have been MANY weeks that i didn't lose. your body is a weird thing, you can't predict what it's gonna do. for the past 2 weeks i've been exercising every day and eating perfectly to try and reach 100lbs lost, but the scale just isn't budging. it's happned before, and i know it will happen again, but we just have to be patient with our little plataues and know that the weight will come off if you're eating right and exercising. don't rush and don't push yourself too hard. make small changes that you can stick with for the rest of your life, not huge changes that you'll want to give up in a month or two. don't stress and focus on how healthy you're becoming. the weight will take care of itself.

good luck!!!

Lozze

I have lost a total of about 4 inches in the last 3 weeks, I know that's good, I think i'm jus so stinking stuck on the number. I have to get over that and look at this as a journey that is more than numbers, it's health.

That's AWESOME.

You are getting results. You've lost 11lbs in three weeks. That's well above average. You're losing cm. You're eating healthier. You're getting results.

It's also not unusual to have a week in the first month where nothing happens. My first week I lost 3.4kg/7.5lbs. The next week I lost 0.1kg/0.2lbs. The third week I lost 2.9kg/6.3lbs. When you first start your weight losses can be crazy high to crazy low. After that my numbers even out and I'm now pretty much at 1kg a week for the weeks I've done. What you're experiencing is completly normal.

I do have a question to ask. How are you getting your exercise calories? MFP or heart rate monitor? What you have for a 30 minute walk seems a tad high.

Also, do you weigh weekly or daily? If you weigh weekly I would avoid doing weights the day before you weigh in. When your muscles are repairing themselves, they hold onto water. Water makes you 'gain' weight. You don't want to be fooled.

You could possibly change what you're eating, but honestly I'm not seeing much wrong. Your fast food is a bit more than it should be, but at the same time you're just starting out. Let yourself ease into it. Weight loss is calories in, calories out.

HOWDY11

I know how you feel. Do you watch the Biggest Loser? Every one of them slow down on week 3 so thats normal. I feel the same way. I started April 4, 2011. I weighed 232. I lost 35 lbs just from lowering my carbs. I really just have been maintaining and not loseing over the holidays, I planned to hit it again hard after the new year. I started working out in Nov. and since then have really watched what I eat... I gained 6 lbs.:sad: I'm going to keep on keepin on. I blew it yesterday so I have to get it together and jump back on. My name is Tamie and I'm new to this site. I'mnot sure how to add you but feel free to add me.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

vpaxson

I totally understand how frustrating it can be. When I started I had a personal trainer, tracked everything and nothing seemed to be happening. Eventually your body will realize that it is getting healthy and you are not starving yourself. I would just like to say, like another, that you need to cut soda of all kinds out of your diet. Get the whole family on board. It doesn't take long before your body will like not having soda and when you try to drink it, it will upset your stomach. I like having flavored drinks a lot so find different flavored fruit teas. There are all kinds and they can taste awesome. Also, gradually begin to cut out processed bread products. This is still the harded for me. I love bread, but if you do eat it some, always stick to whole grain or if you must have some white bread get sour dough - it doesn't spike your blood sugar as quickly as regular which bread. Anyway, don't give up. See the beauty in yourself. You are worth living a long healthy life. Oh, just so you know I started at 247 pounds and I'm down to 168 now. I feel so good. This was my original goal but I have decided to keep going. Hope you do too! All my love to you!

zookeepersuzy

I suggest keeping a log of your weight weekly somewhere other than MFP b/c their charts aren't the best. I keep mine in excel & it is nice to see that even though some weeks I gain, overall I still average about -1 lb per week. I know it is frustrating at first b/c you don't really see the long term loss, you just focus on "this week sucked!". Don't expect to have big losses every week either like they do on tv, it is not reasonable for normal people.

Also, find a diet or zero soda that you like. I absolutely LOVE real coke, but I slowly transitioned over to coke zero & haven't had a real coke in about 4 months. This will give you a lot more room in your diary for food.. even if it isn't CLEAN or homemade all the time, it is still better than a soda. (I might get flamed for that last bit.. but not everyone can give up restaurants/fast food with a busy schedule) When you do go to fast food/restaurants, you can make healthier choices.. like if you really want a burger, skip the onion rings. If you get something with grilled chicken, you could have a few fries. Try not to eat the majority of your calories for the day in one sitting. It's no fun (& not healthy) to have a huge lunch & then have celery for dinner b/c you're out of calories.

You can try substitutions at home too. Instead of hash browns or tater tots with cheddar, try a baked potato with cheddar. I noticed that your diary said "Potatoes - Hashed brown, frozen, plain, unprepared, 1.5 cup" How did you prepare them? did you use oil, cooking spray, or butter? You need to add whatever you use to prepare food to your diary as well b/c it adds up!

funauntsherry

please do not forget that you are building muscle under there, and muscle does weigh more than fat so "loss" will be slower... it took me a year to lose all the weight I've lost. and I'm not at my goal yet!!

don't cry, don't quit!

slayerdan

Consult with a nutritionist.

khk2010

This is a journey which has ups and downs, starts and stops and even plateaus. Think of it this way. You lost 8 pounds over 3 weeks. That is about 2.6 lbs per - week which is excellent!

Secondly, start measuring. Your inches will go down on weeks where the scale doesn't move. Validate that. In the end who cares what the scale says if you are physically smaller?

Great work and stick to it.

rpantusa

fight through the frustration and keep going, you will see the results, its not always about what the scale says. Keep it up!

MaximalLife

2 quick observations
Again, most days you are not eating back exercise calories.
And you eat out a lot, and some food choices are not to healthy.

It's the little things that kill us.
Try this.
Go into settings to Update diet/fitness profile.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.
AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES~!
That's it.

Good Luck to you!

amc2509

If you think you are eating well, you need to think again... I've gone back through your diary for a few days and you are actually eating very little food... a very high percentage of your calories are empty calories, your body is not getting vital nutrients here, mountain dew, hershies, pizza hut??? Try switching to some whole foods, and you really need to cut out the soda's. Whole foods will make you feel fuller for longer, maybe try and start eating some good fats too, some nuts ( I find brazil nuts brill) or maybe some avocado... As far as i can see, you really need to eat more, your body prob thinks it's starving

pokergal76

You sound to me like you are doing a fantastic job! Kudos to you!!!!

One reason that you might be at a standstill is that you are probably gaining some muscle from all the hours in the gym. So think about this for a minute. If this week you gained 2 lbs of muscle and lost 2 lbs of fat. The scale will say you didn't lose anything. However, if you gained muscle, you boosted your metabolism. That's a good thing!

Years ago I went to Diet Center and once a month they did a body comp. They measure how much of your weight is fat and how much is muscle. Well, one particular month, my weight loss really slowed down. My diet counselor was concerned and I don't think she thought I was following the program faithfully, but I knew I was. Well guess what happened when she did my monthly body comp? I had lost 10 lbs total and gained 4 lbs of muscle! All 10 lbs on the scale were from fat! This happened because I was working out so much. I asked her if this were ok and she said YES!!!!

Also one other thing, We used to weight in twice weekly. I f I weighed in very soon after exercising, I didn't get as much of a drop on the scale as the days when I hadn't excercised. I believe it has something to do with your muscles retaining fluid after excercising. (I can't remember precisely what I was told about this, sorry), but I was told it would affect my weight in.

Don't lose heart, my motto is as long as the scale is headed in the right direction when you step on, you are moving toward your goal. You didn't gain all this weight at once, and it isn't going to come off all at once.

ncfranco

Just keep going.. Don't stop. One thing I have learned is to accept the journey. Once you accept it and you keep pressing forward and you are positive about your progress it WILL happen.

ebaymommy

You could possibly change what you're eating, but honestly I'm not seeing much wrong. Your fast food is a bit more than it should be, but at the same time you're just starting out. Let yourself ease into it. Weight loss is calories in, calories out.

Really, truly? Did you look over her diary? The OP is regularly (like, nearly every day) getting 20-25% of her total daily calories from soda. And she admitted that Mt Dew is a huge weakness.

I do agree....baby steps. But I don't think sugar-coating (sorry, probably bad choice of words) things is going to help her.

I know soda is addicting. I drink a diet soda pretty much every.single.day. Working on that as it's nearly my last bad habit in a pretty clean diet and.

Going cold turkey is hard. And you don't need to make yourself miserable striving for perfection. How about setting SMALL weekly goals that you can stick to - also as a way to measure success even if the scale doesn't move much that week.

For example, you could choose 3 things to focus on one week like:

1) cut down to no more than 1 20oz Mt Dew per day (really, this would cut probably 800 calories a week from your current intake)
2) drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day
3) replace 2-3 restaurant meals with meals at home

Again, not cutting out all the "bad" habits at once, but focusing on small reductions and replacing old behaviors with new. Pick 2-3 things for this week, then next week add another 1-2. Give yourself a month and you will have a whole host of new, good habits that you have built up.

I want for you to succeed and depriving yourself and being miserable will only lead to spiraling back to old habits.

jenncaroon

8 lbs in three weeks is amazing! Weight loss is not always going to happen in a linear fashion. Be patient and enjoy what you have accomplished. This is a learning process. Learning about fitness and healthy eating habits can be rewards along the way. Don't forget to take your measurements so that you have another guage for success. Keep at it!

Shanphichloe

I'm sorry that you are feeling so frustrated but give it time! We are so used to seeing "big numbers loss for bigger people" but that is not always the case. My advice to you: You are still new at this and you are in the learning phase. You need to change your eating habits and that takes time. Watch you salt intake (Restaurants and take out meals are very high in sodium). Try to only drink water and lots of it; 8 glasses is the minimum! Limit juices and pop for the OCCASIONAL treat (especially pop: nothing healthy in this type of chemically-sugared mixture!). Aim for lots of fruit and veggies and proper protein intake.

Good luck and hopefully everything will fall into place for you!
(You can add me for support if you wish )

FlyByJuly

[ However I am told when I don't lose weight, to measure myself, because if I'm expecting to lose pounds and don't then something most likely has lost. So measure yourself. I find I get more excited about inches lost .
[/quote]


I was just going to say the same thing; take your measurements. Photos will help as well. Every two weeks, I have new photos taken and I measure myself again. These two things tell me much more than the number on the scales does.

mp13cat

Just one tip after looking at your diary, try to avoid the Mountain Dew.

philOHIO

I have been stuck at my current weight for quite a while, and wifey pretty much slapped me with the obvious as to the reason why... I am eating 2300-2500 calories a day. Strangely enough I am still hungry most of the evening, which is where my problem is. I have been exercising quite a bit, as much as 1000 calories/day or more. Still, need to watch how much I eat... I think I suffer from portion distortion. "How" are you working out? Are you sweating profusely after you are done? I have seen some girls at the gym go thru the motions, only to see that their elliptical resistance is still set to ONE! EAT VEGGIES, VEGGIES, VEGGIES!!!

bono

Give yourself some time to figure it out and look back on the weeks that worked for you. As a woman you are going to have monthly fluctuations. Concentrate on the overall, month to month losses. You are doing everything and making the right changes, but it took awhile to get to where you are and of you really want it to change for good you have to take the time to figure out how to get there. Old habits will be shed and new ones gained, but it will take time.

People here have great advice, ask questions, find some friends that are making healthy choices and have already figured it out. Then try, watch, adjust and try again. You've got this!

DonnaRe2012

Hang in there. It can be a frustrating journey. A few things to think about, drop all the soda not only are they empty calories they are full of chemicals that WILL effect how your systems work. Also I would suggest adding sugar to what your tracking ie fat/carbs/fiber. Lastly try to eliminate processed foods. They are faux foods and offer no nutritional value and they like sugars impeed your bodies ability to work properly.

Shariet0630

Hun, you lost weight. Thing to remember is that your body does not loose weight and inches at the same time. So u are prob now loosing inches from your weight loss. Keep at it, you are making a difference.

sllm1

"Do what you know is right and the numbers on the scale will follow."

I repeat this to myself over and over when I get frustrated. It's absolutely true.

MyaPapaya75

didnt read the whole post but.....im willing to bet you need to start tracking your sodium....and watch your sugar/carb intake

77tes

You are crying because you lost 11 pounds in 3 weeks?!? Don't make yourself crazy -- plan to lose slowly to make this part of your life and not just a diet! Slow and steady. Good luck!

Mandypt

I have almost 150lbs to lose (i'm 5' 5.5"), seems so daunting. I've been going to the gym for 2 months now, 4 days a week, averaging an hour of cardio and recently i've started adding weight machines, alternating upper/lower body. I wasn't worrying about counting calories too much in the beginning as I was trying to just focus on consistency with my workouts.

For the last 3 weeks i've been tracking EVERYTHING I've eaten and staying under/at my calorie goals. The first week I lost 6lbs and the second week was 2 lbs, this week was NOTHING! I admit it, I cried like the frustrated girl I am!

I weigh so much that I figured in the beginning I should be consistenly losing. I am working so hard (ok here comes whining) I am eating better than I ever have, I've worked out more than I ever have, i'm taking time to focus on myself finally, and i'm just so mad. I have 4 kids plus 2 foster kids, I don't have time to take at the gym, but I know it's important for my health. Not seeing results is so hard, i'm not sure what I need to do differently.

Feel free to add me, I need all the help I can get. I'll open my diary and promise i'll take constructive criticism well!

you have been working out and the only thing to explain is that muscle weights more than fat so you probably didnt lose or gain because of it...

also, you need to weigh yourself as soon as u get up in the morning.. thats when you weigh the least..

no lie, i weigh myself naked..

iluxoxo211

Girl dont get all stressed...You are doing wonderful! You have been adding weights into your work out..it could be that you are gaining muscle.