I want to give up.

snuffybitts

Don't give up...I was the same way and the weight just stayed. I finally found a great way to calculate my caloric intake on my own by reading a book that came with my beachbody workout. I will use my stats as an example....you take your weight (208) and add a zero (2080) then add 300 for normal daily activities, such as walking to the car or around the store (2380) then in order to lose one pound a week you would subtract 500 for a calorie deficit...I want to lose two pounds a week so I would subtract 1000 leaving me with a total daily calorie intake of 1380. Keep in mind that you do not want to lose more than two pounds a week to keep the weight off. Some people can do it and succeed but aim for two pounds a week and only weigh in once a week in the morning....keep track of your weight and take your measurements. I saw results from working out 6 days a week in my measurements first...then saw it in a weight drop.

I hope this helps....good luck and keep going!!

Prefessa

Have you seen your doctor of lately??? Most diet and exercise plans will suggest you see your doctor before attempting to loose weight...and while many look at this as a legal disclaimer...they would save alot of frustration if they did. Metabolic issues, Hormonal issues, endocrine issues, vitamin deficiencies, food alergies, medications, sleep disorders and a host of other things can get in the way of weight loss.

If you are really being honest with your energy balance (cals in/cals out w/HRM) then I would see a doctor. Have him run some blood work.

At my fattest...I had both a Vit D and a Vit B12 deficiency....I can see the D....cause I worked so much I never got outdoors...but B12??? I thought I was the most overfed being on the planet. I also had Prediabetes, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and borderline hypertension. Doesn't take a whole lot of medical issues to grind weight loss to a hault. The Vit D deficiency alone would have been enough (messes with your insulin sensitivity).

Weight loss is a matter of calories in/calories out...but our bodies are this black box that can adjust the calories out through many different biological pathways that we evolved to have to survive famine.

kaetra

The more you have to lose the bigger your deficit can be.

Gtimes3

Make sure you are drinking more than the 8 glasses of water a day...I just read in women's health mag that if you aren't hydrated enough, your workouts will have little effect. Drink plenty of water to ensure your workouts have the fullest impact. Also, make sure your carbs stay pretty consistent everyday. My sister's trainer told her that if your carbs are going up and down from day to day, your body has a harder time shedding the pounds. Good Luck!!

AbiNichole

Congrats for starting the journey! That's a very big step! And you are very brave to go on these message boards and ask for help (as people can be very critical) usually for the best but occasionally just flat out harsh. I echo many of the things people say.

- Lower sodium
- Lower sugar
- Minimize wheat/carbs
- More protein and veggies

But all in all I think what helps me the most is I don't try to think about what I can and can't have- instead I think everyday of what I NEED to eat so I set quotas for myself. These are my quotas:

- 4-5 servings of veggies
- 3-4 servings of protein
- no more than 3 servings of fruit
- no more than 2 servings of carbs

It's helped me focus on what I need to be healthy instead of living my life in deprivation. Just a tip.

I hope it helps! I can tell you really want to be healthier and I have no doubt that your mind is there, it's just a matter of manifesting that on your body. Best of luck girlfriend:flowerforyou:
- 12 or more cups of water

nataliefallbach

Don't forget, this is a marathon, not a sprint. There are some great suggestions in this thread, try them out, see which works best for you but don't get disheartened.

Very true! Its about changing your lifestyle and figuring out what works for you. So much info out there and what works for one person may not work for you, but don't give up. Don't ever stop trying to better your life. You have lost 8 pounds, that is awesome!