So frustrated i'm in tears!

kriskaryl

I agree with those who have said to cut out the Mt Dew. Sodas in general are not a good chioce for weight loss. Replacing with water or flavored zero calorie water is a better choice. Starting your day with a protein shake made with almond milk or low fat/skim milk will help your muscles heal from workouts. The protein will also help you feel fuller and supress your cravings for sugary foods.

I also agree that setting smaller, attainable, timely goals is much easier. Say...2 lbs a week is smaller, healthy, and do-able. Inches falling off and the way your clothes fit is a better sign of weight loss. Muscle does weigh more than fat. Put a lb of fat in a bowl of water and it will float. Put a lb of meat in a bowl of water and it will sink.

Stick with it! You will do it!

Hearts_2015

I'm sorry you're frustrated, but I think you need to take a good, honest look at what you are putting in your body. Yes, you might be staying under your calorie goals, but you are working out and fueling your body with a lot of processed food and eating out. You really aren't giving your body the nutrients it needs to function properly.

Do you track sodium? I'm guessing those #s are pretty high based on the amount of restaurant food you are eating. And the soda isn't helping either. That's a ton of empty calories and sugar/carbs.

What about replacing those 200-300 calories a day that you are drinking in soda and make them good, healthy foods that will fill you up and provide you with some nutrients.

I think you diary is lacking in good fats, protein and fiber and way too high in sodium and sugar. It's not just about staying under your calories - I mean that is important as well, but just as important is eating healthful, nourishing foods.

Lots of good points above..tracking sodium can be very important for many at the beginning. I still track it and I've been here awhile. As the poster above shared, really take another at your diary and notice how much sodium is taken in each day. Pizza Hut alone could be several days worth of sodium, soda, even Subway, it's all processed with tons of sodium, fat and sugars.

It's great that you are eating better than you ever have,:drinker: concentrating on home cooked meals that are healthier might be a first step to taking back control. There are lots of ways to eat chicken, shake and bake can be homemade in a healthy manner (Google will you tons in finding healthier versions of foods you love and that the kids will love as well!) with no sodium and far less chemicals. Some have given up soda completely and are amazed at how much weight they drop in a week or two alone.

Water, water, water, lots of that can make huge changes in your body and energy level:flowerforyou:

Also don't know what you're doing for workouts or how long but there is such thing as doing too much of it and not fueling your body enough (with healthy foods), cardio can be overdone just as strength training can. Not saying you are, as I don't know but simply bringing it up.

Perhaps it's time to focus on your foods you intake and not so much on how much workout for a bit to get the food on track. Many of us start out that way and then move over to focusing on workouts. Good healthy (unprocessed) foods can take you far on your lifestyle change.

Someone shared a comment on breaking down your goals, I do that myself, into 10 lbs. goals, it's exciting to see the mini goals get accomplished. If I focused on what I had to lose I'd be going bonkers.:sad:

Sounds like you have a TON of motivation and energy to make these changes you just needed some direction.:happy: It's great that you posted on the boards, it's a good place to get re-inspired and see what's worked for others that are down the road from you in all this just a bit.

Cheers for your desire to change!

btw... I have to agree, anything more than 2 lbs. a week is fabulous weigh loss and likely won't continue so try not to think of how the BL show works as that's not really reality for 99% of us.

ETA: With the kids food can still be fun, nutritious and enjoyable. Pizza can still be had but check out the Search feature for how to make healthy pizza at home. Pita Pockets, Flat Out Bread, Tortillas all these can make yummy pizzas and the kids can pick their favorite topping. Veggies taste great on Pizza as well, just remember to measure out what you're putting on them, like anything else.

Showing the kids and Hubs how healthy food can be fun, nutritious and adventurous is important since then they grown up learning how to make healthier choices themselves.

You've got a lot going on but you CAN do this Hon, I know you can!!!:flowerforyou:

kdmccauley

You are doing great! Really 6 lbs in a week is a great success. Keep on it. But i also did look at your diary as well and the sodas should be replaced with something more nutrients. For me, cheese is a pitfall, so i stay away from those. My recommendation that has worked for me, is sticking with lean proteins, vegetables, whole grains (complex carbs- in moderation) and staying clear of processed sugars. Remember everyone is different and things that work for me arent always going to work for you. You can add me if you would like. Keep your head up. Also remember when you add weights muscle weighs more so you may not see that kind of a difference right way. My trainer has told me that it takes at least 8 weeks to see a difference in measurements, so dont get discouraged!

Keep it up and be patient. It takes a while to gain the weight its going to take a while to get it off.

speede12001

Keep Rockin out, scales don't matter, measurments do besides 8 pounds in 3 wks... awesome! ... Keep up the hard work it will pay off!

Lozze

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'm not sugar coating things here. But I don't think telling someone who is three weeks into changing their food habits that they need to cut out all junk food and eat clean is going to help them. You need to crawl before you can walk, let alone run!

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, need to crawl before they can run. Those are three BIG changes. One of them would be a good start for the first month.

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.

A week is too quick. It's too many changes, too quickly.

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

This I am firmly in agreement with you

christina0089

Have you measured yourself? or tired to put on clothes that are normally tight? you might be surprised , I find that the numbers on the scale move incredibly slowly , but I am back to wearing pants that were super tight just a few months ago ...


Hugs , you can do this

This is so true! You can definitley be losing inches and fat but be gaining lean muscle in its place, especially if you have added in weight training. Since a pound is a pound you won't see a weight decrease but you should be able to feel the difference maybe even see it in the mirror or in your measurements. AND because you have increased your excercise so much it could also be your muscles holding water as it is necessary for them to repair. Also making sure your body is getting enough fuel (calories in) is important. If you have too much of a deficency you can sabatoge your weight loss efforts unknowingly by slowing your metabolism. If the body feels it's not gettingthe right amount of fuel it will slow down the metabolic rate to compensate and sustain itself. I know it is hard to do but don't make yourself a slave to the scale, it will only leave you stressed and upset as well as making you feel your efforts are useless, as you can tell. I am willing to bet while you didn't see a weight decrease you are feeling healthier and stronger than you have in sometime. Sore with it I am sure! you are working hard don't let a scale make you feel defeated. One of my favorite quotes and my own interpretaion of it where weightloss is concerned: Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. ~Robert Louis Stevenson Thought this was a good one to be interpreted as: Don't judge each day by what the scale says but by the effort that you put in! ~

cthoma70

Watch your sodium, I was eating way under my calories but my sodium was thru the roof and it caused weight gain. Also believe it or not artificial sweetener will cause weight gain. I also hit a spot where I wasnt losing weight and I was eating oatmeal with splendia and read about this, cut out the splendia and dropped it. But the MOST IMPORTANT THING IS DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!! Stay at it keep working out, keep moving and it will happen. I did 1200 calories a day for 6 months to drop my weight and thats a rough diet to be on. I did have a lot of foos to eat I researched the food with the lowest calories and I ate those. I did have a reward meal once a week but I ate low calories during the day so I could eat my meal. I had mexican and it was chicken fajita fixed with no oil, corn tortillas instead of flour, no sour cream or that green junk and I gave my beans and rice away. I had a bowl of salsa and no chips. I got a spoon and ate my bowl of salsa while everyone else ate the chips and salsa. No double dipping with your spoon with your own bowl. You can do this I promise just set your mind to it and want it more than anything else. If you got a bit of food in your mouth and you dont need it spit it out, I did that just about 5 minutes ago with a half a slice of bacon. If you are temped by food in a room, leave that room. If you have to run out of it do it, its your life on the line not their's. You can DO THIS!!!!! Hang in there

em9371

First of all, well done on what you have lost already!!
It's usual to lose more in the first week or two, after that you should be aiming for max 2lb week as its unhealthy to have more than 1000 cal/ day deficit. I eat more than you with only 80lbs to lose and have lost 25lbs in 3 months. My diary is open if you want a look.
Cut out the soda you could have a nutritious meal with those calories - I used to drink huge amounts of diet coke, have totally cut out and now only drink water, milk, tea, coffee, pure juice.
Eat back your exercise cals - as I said before you need max 1000 cal day deficit. Mfp already includes this deficit in your cal allowance.
Start tracking sodium- too high can cause water retention. Try and make home cooked meals, try and limit eating out/fast food etc to one or two meals a week
It's too early for you to have built much muscle but exercise can cause water retention for muscle repair especially if you have just started.
Take measurements, sometimes the scale will stick but you will lose inches
Set smaller goals, eg 10, 20, 30lbs, it helps to have mini goals to aim for instead of just thinking *kitten* me I've got to lose xxxlbs!
If you want a 'cheat meal' or a treat like chocolate, don't worry just make sure it fits in your cals and eat healthy rest of the day.
Hope this helps :-)

Hearts_2015

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'm not sugar coating things here. But I don't think telling someone who is three weeks into changing their food habits that they need to cut out all junk food and eat clean is going to help them. You need to crawl before you can walk, let alone run!

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, need to crawl before they can run. Those are three BIG changes. One of them would be a good start for the first month.

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.

A week is too quick. It's too many changes, too quickly.

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

This I am firmly in agreement with you

I do hope I didn't come across as 'changing everything' overnight. I tried to make it general and suggest ideas that can be done overtime. My apologies if it came across differently than that. Changing our ways of eating is hard and takes time. Rushing that can cause us to get frustrated and fail miserably. Many of us came from eating crap and I do mean crap, chips, cookies, pizza everyday, lots and lots of simply carbs that were empty calories.

I hope my post came across as ideas tossed out to include the kids in the changes so you wouldn't be making extra meals for yourself vs. the rest of the family.

I think sometimes those of us that have been at this awhile forget how hard it was at the beginning for us when we starting changing up everything. As the poster above shared, making small changes can be a big deal! More energy and as you get one habit licked you can work on the next. :flowerforyou:

mutt182

I think it is wonderful that you are trying to get healthier!

But you have to face a fact...you are addicted to sugar. In some ways it is no different than any other addiction. Find a way to get it out of your diet and you will be amazed how good you feel, and how bad it has been making you feel for so long.

Many of the other recommendations on here have been good as well, but the sugar is probably your single greatest limiting factor. Do some research on the bodies reaction to calories ingested when there is a high level of insulin response due to sugar intake...

Keep going! This does not happen overnight.

laddyboy

OK, I'll admit I didn't read all the post in here so I don't know if this has been mentioned. But I"m going to ask a question.

That 20oz bottle of Mountain Dew you drink everyday. Would you fill that up with water and add 19 tsps of sugar to it?

If your answer is no then think again cuz that's what you are doing. The 1st thing I tell people to cut out of their diet is Soda and see what happens after a week.

LORELLI

Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser show? Doesn't sound like you have much time to watch it but if you ever have you may remember that the 3rd week was always the week of low numbers. It was the same for me as well. But if you keep it up and just realize that you are doing not only your body good by your new habits but your mind and family as well.....then the results will be there next week. You are doing amazing!

Lozze

I do hope I didn't come across as 'changing everything' overnight. I tried to make it general and suggest ideas that can be done overtime. My apologies if it came across differently than that. Changing our ways of eating is hard and takes time. Rushing that can cause us to get frustrated and fail miserably. Many of us came from eating crap and I do mean crap, chips, cookies, pizza everyday, lots and lots of simply carbs that were empty calories.

I hope my post came across as ideas tossed out to include the kids in the changes so you wouldn't be making extra meals for yourself vs. the rest of the family.

I think sometimes those of us that have been at this awhile forget how hard it was at the beginning for us when we starting changing up everything. As the poster above shared, making small changes can be a big deal! More energy and as you get one habit licked you can work on the next.

You're cool As someone who was eating so badly when I started and I still remember that week vividly. It's so hard. I have help by doing Jenny Craig, I give kudos to all the people who have done this without outside help. I couldn't do it.

Melodypharmon

I understand completely! I have 100 lbs to lose, and for the past three weeks I have been trying so hard. A bunch of my friends have joined mfp too so we can have a support group. I have been tracking everything, and exercising 30 minutes a day on the treadmill. I have yet to lose a single lb! In fact I gained a lb! It's made me cry so many times because I see all my friends have lost a minimum of ten lbs. I just am trying to remember that I am feeling better than I have in a long time, and my clothes aren't as tight as they were. You should make a list of all the positives that you see from the change you have made. Then post it somewhere you will see a bunch to keep you motivated.

hope this helps!

imkegoal

You will stall once in a while. Don't worry, keep going at it- your weight will go down eventually!

It helps me to set short goals.
This time last year I weighed 87.5 Kilos (Sorry I work in Kilos) My first aim was 82 Kilos, my second aim was 80 Kilos, my third aim was 76.0 kilos, with my eventual aim of 68 Kilos.
A year on I had gone down to 78 Kilos by April (4 months to loose that weight) and by end December I put on 4 Kilos, getting back up to 82 Kilos. Today I finally weighed 77.7 Kilos- less than all I managed to loose last year. My aim now is to go down to 75 Kilos by the end of April (plenty of time for that) and 72 Kilos by the summer, for me to eventually weigh 68 Kilos.

Lots of numbers there, but what I am trying to say is:
* Set yourself small goals with realistic deadlines, and treat yourself if you achieve them (I used to buy a Wii exercise game everytime I achieved a goal)
* Be proud of what you acheived (as you should only loose 1 pound per week you are actually still above that target overall!)
* and stick at it.

I now weigh 10 Kilos (22 pounds) less than this time last year. It may have taken me a year, but it will stay off this way! If it takes me another year to loose another 10 Kilos, I will eventually be my target weight- and when I got there I won't care how long the journey has taken me!

Good luck! Stick at it, I am sure you will do it!!

heatherterp

wow first off it is great you have made your health a priority. good for you. I too am 5'5" and I had 150 pounds to lose and NEVER find again. I have been on MPF a few months now and have had some success. i am .4 pounds away from 1/3 of my goal. almost 50 pounds. It is so exciting. here are my thoughts.
First look at what you have listed as your activity level. I know you are going to the gym EVERY day, but maybe if you lower the level in MFP it will lower your calories and you will continue to lose pounds. My husband had to do that.
Second weight is not the only thing to use to "measure" success. have you taken measurements? You may lose inches and not pounds.
Third, if you eat great everyday your body adjusts, sometimes you need a "bad eating" day. not every week, but every so often.
is your diary open, maybe other MFP-ers can look at it and help with tips ideas.
I gave up soda all together. just one day said I think i will quit. it is a mind set. How bad do you want this.
what is it about the soda that you like?

Much luck to you!

jillmsweeneytaylor

I hear ya Sista!! It is so easy to put on and such torture to take off and it is a hateful feeling to be stalled! All I can say is hang in there baby and keep talking to supporters for the pep talks that are soooooo important. It can be a good thing to cry sometimes, it can put things into perspective & help us to find solutions. :flowerforyou:

zabbyvinny

Not much I can add except keep going, you do not lose if you stay the same weight for a week but you will lose if you quit :happy:

tenax

HI there. first of all, i commend you on your exercise regime. that is impressive..stick with that, you will lose weight. now, if you don't mind a bit of feedback on it, i looked at your food diary..and i'll relate it back to me so you know, it's not like it's easy for me to get the results i have so far and what i needed to do.

i'm a big guy..6 ft tall, big frame. these calorie intake systems tell me that to lose 3 lb a week (that's as much as they will recommend you do) i put in about 1600 calories per day and will constantly encourage me to eat back my carbs. . i can tell you i wasn't losing 3 lb a week by eating 1600 calories a day, never mind say 2000 plus per day if i add back what i burned doing exercise! i only accelerated my weight loss to about 3 lb a week by dropping to about 1000 to 1100 calories per day. you can do what you want, i'm not an expert but i feel good, i'm getting results doing that.

i looked at your diary and i wonder if you're average 1700 calories per day is simply too much, to get the results you want as quickly as you want them?

i wonder about drinking mountain dew. for me..i've said too many friends who've asked me how i lost weight that one of the first things i did was gave up sugar aside from sweetener in my coffee. my rule of thumb is if it has over 5g of sugar, don't eat it.

i wonder about eating bagels. they are so heavy, dense and high calorie. when i diet i find generally staying way from breads aside from the rare occasion, even whole wheat, multi grains etc, is important for me.

i've lost 15 lb this time but i lost 80+ originally. i gained 40 lb back by first..eating sugar (i love blizzards in the summer time and gave myself the excuse i was working it off doing other stuff when i had one). eating sugar led to me eating other bad carbs...finally, i stopped strenuous exercise (convinced myself a leisurely 20 minute dog walk 5 days per week was enough)

i've lost 15 lb in 4 weeks and feel great. couldn't have done it without the tips i throw out above. i really do wish you all the best. i've been utterly depressed over weight many times, going back to when i was as young as 6 years old. it's hell on earth. take care.

RickMckc

A great article that explains what might be going on in your body, especially at first, is here:

http://hussmanfitness.org/html/TSInsideOut.html