I give up!

blackburn23

Your are doing a great job! I too have a job that is stressful and I wish I could leave, but there are no other jobs in my field open in my area and I refuse to drive more than I already do, so hang in there. You only have a few more weeks. Drink water, water, water...it will help. Also, fluctuations are part of the process, so don't beat yourself up. Give yourself a well deserved pat on the back for what you have already accomplished with your weight loss, then give yourself another one just for hanging in there with your job. Just think, in 3 weeks, you will be doing the happy dance!!!

Sentrita

and before anyone says how unhealthy this way of eating is ie lowcarb/atkins, take a look at my meals on my food diary, meat lots of veg or salad veggies twice a day,
How can all those natural healthy foods be unhealthy?? Im def getting my 5 a day! lol.
When i was following a 'normal' diet plan based on calories i would always go for low fat things but these are all piled with sugar and sweetners! how is that healthy?
I suppose everyone is different and everybody responds to diets or should i say lifestyle changes differently.
But I can honestly say I feel great less bloated, less headaches healthy skin hair and nails. check out the thread 'unexpected benefits of atkins' people have a lot of great things to say!

Low carbs is not bad, the lack of ANY carbs is bad. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, the very first source of energy your body turns to when it needs to use energy. When you have a really active life, carbs are a necessity, but as some people have said, there are good carbs and bad carbs. My dad is always telling me to cut out carbs entirely. I can't do that because 1) I am not a fan of the smell of ketones, 2) I don't believe cutting out a macronutrient entirely is healthy and 3) according to my food diary I rarely eat all my suggested carbs anyway. I do eat over my allotted protein and fat amount. I also cannot say what weight I am gaining or losing, because I am still nursing my 10 month old.

Suziq1023

Ha! My weight fluctuates 3 to 4 pounds between evening and morning and I'm not hormonal and post partum!

Eat healthy, walk that baby, get some fresh air and take deep breaths. then say a prayer for those of us working 8 to 12 hr days - taking on call rotations - and no summers off.

rcc1988

Losing five pounds in a month is nothing to sneeze at! Keep at it, play around with your exercise/diet to find what works that you can also stick to, learn what your body likes. Eventually it'll all add up!

rubyjules

Please don't give up! Just keep saying to yourself that you have made an accomplishment, and you ARE worth it!! A 1-pound gain could be, as many posters mentioned, anything from stress, to menstrual cycle, to even building pure muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat, and as you begin building muscle your weight may fluctuate a bit higher at first. Then, as you continue to build muscle, those muscles will help to burn fat more efficiently, and you will see the weight begin to drop again.

I am a quitter, but I keep coming back to it. Unfortunately, when I start again, I'm usually heavier than I was when I quit, so I have that much further to go. You have 3 weeks until school is over, so just try to push yourself through those 3 weeks. Remind yourself that you have a wonderful 6-month baby to go home to, and when things seem bad at work, try to put a positive spin on it. Go to your "happy place" when you need to. If you're feeling extremely stressed when you get home, rather than sitting down with a bowl of ice cream (which I admit, I've done!), load the baby up in the stroller and go for a walk. Not only will the walk help you to bond with your child, and get to see the world outside, it will help to relax you, and give you exercise.

Please just try to push yourself through the next few weeks until school is done, and don't give up!! The only person you're hurting by giving up is yourself.

Best of luck to you! :happy: :flowerforyou:

pholbert

Take a lunch time walk outside . I am a custodian at a school , that's what some people do . Fresh air really helps and a good way to burn some calories. When I have a free moment i take a walk around the school, it's a huge school, grades K-8.

Sentrita

A few weeks ago I got really disgusted with my weight, again. So I vented on facebook and a friend sent me this article as a way to cheer me up

http://blog.metaboliceffect.com/2012/02/15/hormonal-body-fat-signatures/

Due to the fact that I'm nursing, I can say that I probably have some hormonal imbalance, but the cool thing is this article mentions what type of exercises I should be doing to work on it! That's the only active thing I can suggest, but I will also tell you that I know how you feel and I understand, but I want you to keep it up, because I refuse to give up and I don't think you should either. Good luck!

JoolieW68

Don't give up! As other have said a 1lb gain could be anything, from water to poo, to the phase of the moon.

If I gave up every time the scale went up I would never have achieved my goal. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will get there eventually.

And 5lbs IS awesome, so celebrate that and not a minor setback. :flowerforyou:

Hearts_2015

I've been at this for about a month and have lost 6 lbs. Stepped on scale this morning and my weight was up about 1lb. Yes I count calories ( some days better than others) and I try to get the motivation to exercise but by the time I get home from teaching 23 bratty kids all I want to is come home and play with my 6 month old! I know...no excuses but I know there are people who feel me. Anyway I've been a bit stressed because my job sucks and I have 3 weeks left of the school year until I quit so it's been a rough few weeks. Every time I put on clothes I just look and feel blah. All I want to do is cry! Sorry for venting...also if you don't have anything nice or positive to say please don't comment. Thanks!

Attitude is everything in life! 6 lbs. in a month is Fantastic, keep going, who knows why you picked up that pound it could be water retention from something you ate. Remember this is a lifelong change and as some say a marathon, not a sprint.,

it's not only the lbs. lost that count but changing our entire being. Food changes, attitude changes, changing how we view the world it's all a pkg. deal and we need to continue making changes in all areas, not just watching the scale drop. It WILL drop but holding onto the stress in our lives is like fighting against ourselves.

Yoga, Mediating, Pilates, lots of ways to de-stress and relieve our bodies from it. Getting enough sleep is VITAL!

When we work on our thoughts it can change our entire outlook in life. Those 3 weeks will fly for you if you're able to pick something positive about your experience with your job. Either a friendly co-worker, decent working hours, the beautiful sun shining... it really can make a huge difference when we walk in to situations with our minds peaceful.

Hang in there, you can so do this!:drinker:

Yes2HealthyAriel

Dont give up!!! Remember that peoples weight tends to fluctuate, especially in women. You have lost weight and that is all that matters. I to have gotten on the scale and had the numbers go up a pound or 2. Just continue eating healthy, try cutting out pop. Also you might try some of the exercises that use your 6 month old as resistance/weight in your work out. There are some good exercises that include infants. Look it up on the internet. That way you can be getting your exercise while still being involved with your child. Just a thought. Keep up the good work.

jiggy_gibby

If you give up, you won't lose and may go back to gaining weight. Is that what you want?

Your body does not bounce back right after a baby, especially when you are not sleeping and working full time.

It took me 16 weeks to lose 12 pounds. Look at my stats- up/down - but I'm sticking it out for the long haul. Once you make up your mind to stick it out, you won't give up. Keep pushing forward.

Week 00: 256.0 (January 28, 2012)
Week 01: 253.8 (February 5, 2012)
Week 02: 253.6 (February 12, 2012)
Week 03: 248.2 (February 19, 2012)
Week 04: 251.0 (February 26, 2012)
Week 05: 247.6 (March 04, 2012)
Week 06: 249.6 (March 11, 2012)
Week 07: 249.4 (March 18, 2012)
Week 08: 250.8 (March 25, 2012)
Week 09: 248.4 (April 01, 2012)
Week 10: 249.2 (April 08, 2012)
Week 11: 249.8 (April 15, 2012)
Week 12: 247.7 (April 22, 2012)
Week 13: 246.6 (April 29, 2012)
Week 14: 245.9 (May 06, 2012)
Week 15: 245.8 (May 13, 2012)
Week 16: 244.0 (May 20, 2012)

I have 100 pounds to lose- you have 40. Will you lose it by June? NO!!! Reset your expectations.

Good luck! And remember, you CAN DO THIS!

LorinaLynn

Five pounds in a month is perfect progress.

Weight loss is very rarely linear. There will be weeks you lose, weeks you stay the same, weeks you gain, weeks with a bigger drop, weeks with a smaller drop.

Any weight gain you're seeing while on a calorie deficit is normal fluid retention and fluctuation caused by sodium, exercise, or hormonal changes. I "gained" eight pounds overnight after going out for shrimp alfredo, garlic bread and a scone. It was water weight from the excess sodium. I would have had to have consumed 28,000 calories above my maintenance level to have really gained 8 pounds.

Track your progress through measurements, how clothes fit, and photos, as well as the scale. Don't be concerned about a slight increase on the scale.

rubyjules

Have you done any body measurements? That is the true test of how well you are doing!
My personal goal is to be down to 130lbs but with my frame and lean muscle I am not sure that it will be possible to hit that NUMBER, but to achieve a smaller size and look pretty damn good is possible.

I meant to mention this, too. Concentrate on your body measurements more than your actual weight. That is the true sign of improvement. If you don't have one, try to find a scale that will not only calculate your weight, but also your fat/muscle %. That's another way to see what you've accomplished.

realme56

Quitting is easy.... you have a child and need to be a role model for that child as well as the ones you teach (which considering how you described them I am thinking you should try a different job). Just start eating healthy cause it is the right thing to do. You can walk with your child, use your baby as a weight to lift up and down (the babies love it!)

Burlesque12

Read 17 Day Diet. Its a healthy approach to cutting out the carb and re-introducing it back in cycles. You dont even have to count your calories in the first cycle if you dont want to because you'll be eating so clean and all day long, you'll be full but your calories will hardly meet your daily goal. Its worth a try...but dont give up. Your 6 month old needs you, a healthy you.
As far as activity, walking is so easy and can be done with your baby. A 20 minute daily stroll alone will make a huge difference.
Good luck!

yksdoris

Don't give up! You're doing really well. I constantly fluctuate as much as 3 lb from one day to another. It's the overall trend that counts and your trend is going the right way.

Something I noticed myself : stress makes me gain weight. That's one of the reasons I quit my previous job. Also, a good bit of cardio - a long walk in the park (with a friend, while you vent) can really do wonders for the stress level.

letmebeda1_wechange

don't give up honey, we are here for you. there are alot of reasons why the scale will shoot up and many have already listed them. stress definately can shoot it up as well. when was the last time you had a cleansing done? if you haven't for awhile do that. please don't give up, stay focused and continue moving. we are all here with you and for you. much love ♥♥♥

daisyhougan

You're doing awesome! End of school year teaching can be stressful and add on top of that a little baby (who is wonderful but a baby and they're kinda needy, in my experience, ya know?) and you've got a lot on your plate. The weight loss stuff? Sounds like you're successful already. Yay you!
Now you can stop now the MFP stuff if you want. It is a choice. Are you happy with your current weight and fitness? If you're okay with it, you can stop now with no regrets.
But if you're not happy with your current weight and fitness, then you can do something about it. You already are! The time is going to pass regardless of what you choose. School will end. Your baby's going to get bigger. Imagine yourself at baby's first birthday party, celebrating with friends or family and pictures of the happy occasion. Where will you be on your weight loss journey? Will you be at your current weight or higher because you've given up on losing weight? Or, having stayed strong and kept going, will you have lost more weight? Weight loss isn't a straight downward line....it does zigzag. Stay strong.

ktsmom430

Everyone I know, has stress (a lot of it) in their lives and jobs. You have a few weeks till you get break from your job. Concentrate on that goal. Use your summer to be with your baby and get healthy, and I am pretty certain that you do not want to go back. You are worth it. Try not to dwell on the bumps in your journey.
Do Not Give Up! You are now ahead of where you were a month ago. It is a very positive step forward. Do it for yourself so you can be there for your baby.
There are so many tools available today that I wish were available 28 years ago when I had my daughter, but it is never too late! I am now doing this for myself, but my daughter who is in a wellness health care profession, is my biggest supporter. I missed a lot by not being healthy when she was growing up.
You can do it, and at the same time give a gift to your child, teaching him/her to have a healthy life.
Best of luck! You know many of the folks here are hoping for the best for you!

kris4chloe

i haven't had time to read the other replies. But you are down 5 lbs in 1 month. That is 5 lbs you don't have to worry about anymore. Keep pushing, read about nutrition, read success stories. You will have weeks you dont lose or even gain but as long as you are moving toward a healthier you and the overall trend is down you can NOT be doing anything wrong.

Slow and steady wins the race.