let's chat, 'cos i am bummin'

DangerDiv

Alright, so forever now, I've been trying to lose some weight that i've gained. I've tried everything, it feels like... eating less, eating more, more cardio, more weights, more protein, less carbs, vice versa, UGH, like tried it allllllll and this stupid weight won't come off.

today and yesterday i've just kinda been like, "whatever, screw it, i guess i'll just eat everything i want and not workout, 'cos it's not like diet and exercise do anything for me anyway."

so, about 4 weeks ago i decided to get more serious about all this (i mean, all i am doing this summer is studying for the bar anyway, so may as well get my body back while I'm at it.) Well, you'd think in 4 weeks I'd be able to lose about 8 lbs, but no. in the past 4 weeks, i have lost 0 lbs. (don't let my ticker fool you, i always weigh closer to 140 when i have my period and it makes me feel good just to see that ticker move, so i plug in my period weight just to be like "oh gee, look at all the weight i lost!" which, in reality, is just my period coming and going.)

i don't understand what i am doing wrong. i have no clue. did anyone else start at 130-ish and find it incredibly difficult to get below 128-130?

depressed, man. just makes me want to eat more and cry and wallow in shame cos after 4 weeks, my body is the same: a total disaster.

rmac18

hang in there. I went through a couple of frustrating plateaus over the past year and it sucks. What I learned is that occasionally your body does need a break and if you are pushing really hard on exercise then sometimes taking a week off can be beneficial. The other is that you have to eat enough to fuel your body, especially when you are burning lots of calories with exercise. I ended my last plateau by not doing any heavy exercise for a week and eating my TDEE, when I started back on exercising and diet to lose 2 pounds per week it worked. The first time I had been well below 1200 net per day for weeks and then just stopped, I found that by eating back a large percentage of my exercise calories so I was always over 1200 net helped me break a plateau. Nowadays I try to make sure that my net average for the week is over 1200 per day as a minimum. If you are studying for your bar then you may also be impacted by stress which can work against you as well.

mzabicki

I have the same problem, it seems like I have tried everything and I cant get anywhere. I thought I lost 3 pounds, but guess what they came right back, then went away then came back. It is so frustrating! Although it is hard and I get scared that I will gain all my 73lbs back, it does help me to skip a week of exercise. I just make sure that my friends and family promise to push me no matter what it takes to start it up again a week later. My best advice is just to keep going as hard as it is!

The other thing that worked for me once was switching up my foods. I began to realize that I was eating the same foods every day (and doing the same exercises every week) and once I switched it up for a week and added in some new things the weight started coming off again.

If all else fails call a friend and yell then cry It may not help the weight go down quicker, but you'll feel better about it!

EricV2

DONT GIVE UP!! Change things up everyonce in awhile and make sure you arent starving yourself.

JoyfulSparkle

Have you changed up the exercise routine? Sometimes your body gets used to the treadmill, or it gets used to your particular workout, and it needs some confusion- try a spin class or a kickboxing class, just for fun, just to see if you're strong enough to get half way through it- no pressure, just be relaxed about it. My body won't release a calorie on the treadmill- but in the pool, that's when I lose inches. It took me a while to figure that out, a physical therapist reccomended it to me. Also, make sure you rest, take your rest day, don't force a work out when you are already exhausted.

Good luck to you, it's impressive, mst people actually give up when a plateau lasts this long, but you haven't that's great! You habve the will power to see a change, and that is a powerful thing

rmac18

It's a good point about switching up foods. I also have a tendency to eat the same things regularly and sometimes it helps to just shake it up a bit. I'll take a few days and try to just massively reduce carbs and it helps. I usually then go back but just a few days of change will help. The BIGGEST thing is to just keep the faith and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. Work hard, eat right and be patient and you'll get results. Today was an incredible day for me. I went clothes shopping and bought pants size 34 waist and shirts in medium and they really fit me well. Now understand that all my pants previously were size 40 and I knew I needed to buy new ones but had no idea they were that far off. A year ago every shirt was XXL and pants waist were 46. I feel great because I know how hard I worked to get here and I definitely had periods of frustration. I am sure you can do it as well. hang in there.

dorothytd

That was my exact issue before MFP - stuck around 132 - 135. I will tell you what worked for me, but you are being too hard on yourself! You're in a super-stressful time. Focus on being healthy, but not losing weight. Once you've settled in to a post-test routine, I think you'll find things will work better for you. I'm down to 128, with lower body fat from finding that routine of mixed exercise (lots of cardio plus strength 3x week), better eating. You have what, another month before you sit? Do what you can and celebrate that you're not gaining. You can do it! Just not all at once, girl. You're only human!

DangerDiv

That was my exact issue before MFP - stuck around 132 - 135. I will tell you what worked for me, but you are being too hard on yourself! You're in a super-stressful time. Focus on being healthy, but not losing weight. Once you've settled in to a post-test routine, I think you'll find things will work better for you. I'm down to 128, with lower body fat from finding that routine of mixed exercise (lots of cardio plus strength 3x week), better eating. You have what, another month before you sit? Do what you can and celebrate that you're not gaining. You can do it! Just not all at once, girl. You're only human!

awwww, dd, this is why I you!

melloncat

When I was in grad school I was constantly overworked and stressed. There was nothing I could do to lose weight. Two weeks after I turned in my last paper I lost five pounds. Keep focused on passing the Bar. Just maintain for now. You have enough stress. Before you know it the exam will be over and your next goal will be shopping for power suits. :-)

DangerDiv

Have you changed up the exercise routine? Sometimes your body gets used to the treadmill, or it gets used to your particular workout, and it needs some confusion- try a spin class or a kickboxing class, just for fun, just to see if you're strong enough to get half way through it- no pressure, just be relaxed about it. My body won't release a calorie on the treadmill- but in the pool, that's when I lose inches. It took me a while to figure that out, a physical therapist reccomended it to me. Also, make sure you rest, take your rest day, don't force a work out when you are already exhausted.

Good luck to you, it's impressive, mst people actually give up when a plateau lasts this long, but you haven't that's great! You habve the will power to see a change, and that is a powerful thing

thanks for this!

yeah, maybe i should switch up my workout, who knows.

DangerDiv

It's a good point about switching up foods. I also have a tendency to eat the same things regularly and sometimes it helps to just shake it up a bit. I'll take a few days and try to just massively reduce carbs and it helps. I usually then go back but just a few days of change will help. The BIGGEST thing is to just keep the faith and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. Work hard, eat right and be patient and you'll get results. Today was an incredible day for me. I went clothes shopping and bought pants size 34 waist and shirts in medium and they really fit me well. Now understand that all my pants previously were size 40 and I knew I needed to buy new ones but had no idea they were that far off. A year ago every shirt was XXL and pants waist were 46. I feel great because I know how hard I worked to get here and I definitely had periods of frustration. I am sure you can do it as well. hang in there.

yeah, i am gonna keep going, just to see if MAYBE something will change, but if i am still like this in another month or 2, i'm giving up. screw it. i don't like working out, i love junk food, so I'm not going to bother sacrificing all that for nothing as i have been, you know? what a serious waste.

rmac18

It's a good point about switching up foods. I also have a tendency to eat the same things regularly and sometimes it helps to just shake it up a bit. I'll take a few days and try to just massively reduce carbs and it helps. I usually then go back but just a few days of change will help. The BIGGEST thing is to just keep the faith and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. Work hard, eat right and be patient and you'll get results. Today was an incredible day for me. I went clothes shopping and bought pants size 34 waist and shirts in medium and they really fit me well. Now understand that all my pants previously were size 40 and I knew I needed to buy new ones but had no idea they were that far off. A year ago every shirt was XXL and pants waist were 46. I feel great because I know how hard I worked to get here and I definitely had periods of frustration. I am sure you can do it as well. hang in there.

yeah, i am gonna keep going, just to see if MAYBE something will change, but if i am still like this in another month or 2, i'm giving up. screw it. i don't like working out, i love junk food, so I'm not going to bother sacrificing all that for nothing as i have been, you know? what a serious waste.

First of all, I think you look great now and you appear to be in very good shape. Maybe you are being too hard on yourself. I would encourage you to stay positive about your self image. If you decide to try and lose weight then being positive and doing the right things will pay off over time. You may also look for ways to work out that you do like. I like playing basketball and cycling but I hate treadmills. Maybe you can find something you like more. I also have a personal trainer that I enjoy working out with and motivates me in a way that makes it fun for me. Good luck

DangerDiv

It's a good point about switching up foods. I also have a tendency to eat the same things regularly and sometimes it helps to just shake it up a bit. I'll take a few days and try to just massively reduce carbs and it helps. I usually then go back but just a few days of change will help. The BIGGEST thing is to just keep the faith and hang in there. This is a marathon and not a sprint. Work hard, eat right and be patient and you'll get results. Today was an incredible day for me. I went clothes shopping and bought pants size 34 waist and shirts in medium and they really fit me well. Now understand that all my pants previously were size 40 and I knew I needed to buy new ones but had no idea they were that far off. A year ago every shirt was XXL and pants waist were 46. I feel great because I know how hard I worked to get here and I definitely had periods of frustration. I am sure you can do it as well. hang in there.

yeah, i am gonna keep going, just to see if MAYBE something will change, but if i am still like this in another month or 2, i'm giving up. screw it. i don't like working out, i love junk food, so I'm not going to bother sacrificing all that for nothing as i have been, you know? what a serious waste.

First of all, I think you look great now and you appear to be in very good shape. Maybe you are being too hard on yourself. I would encourage you to stay positive about your self image. If you decide to try and lose weight then being positive and doing the right things will pay off over time. You may also look for ways to work out that you do like. I like playing basketball and cycling but I hate treadmills. Maybe you can find something you like more. I also have a personal trainer that I enjoy working out with and motivates me in a way that makes it fun for me. Good luck

yeah, but how much does all that cost? i just graduated law school, so I'm not exactly ballin' out of control, hahahah

rmac18

You'll find something that you enjoy and is in your budget. Stay positive and surround yourself with people to motivate you and maybe even work out together.

DangerDiv

When I was in grad school I was constantly overworked and stressed. There was nothing I could do to lose weight. Two weeks after I turned in my last paper I lost five pounds. Keep focused on passing the Bar. Just maintain for now. You have enough stress. Before you know it the exam will be over and your next goal will be shopping for power suits. :-)

Sorry, I am just seeing this now! Yeah, I hope you, rmac, and DD are right. I hope it's just the stress that is making me hang on to all this mess.

Also, i think i am really sick of working out. i need to change up my routine. I'm scoping bb and m&s right now to see what else I can do, but right now I'm just like blah about it all.

EpiGaiaRepens

first of all, you might not need to lose.

second, um. "bar exam"... you do realize stress affects your ability to lose fat, right? Don't stress the scale, stress the test!!!! And when it's all said and done, destress and then focus on the weight.

owl92

i get you. well you arnt overweight u are the perfect weight so it takes a lot more time, months, to shed the pounds u like to but dont give up if its all you want and think about.
you can do this but dont weight yourself for a long time.
thats my plan x
good luck xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx