Should I give up

Fit_2013

I have been in this site for 6-7 months and have gained weight. I log occasionally. I need a jump start. I truly feel low and I started the year 188.8 lbs and now I am 193.7lbs. I am menopausal and all the will power I have is seeming to be drained. I feel maybe I am destined to be this weight. I would some constructive advice,do I take a break,do I start slowly cutting calories, what am I supposed to do.Should I take supplements like L carnithine, green tea, zinc or any thing to see some light.

victoria4321

You sort of sound like you already gave up. Maybe you need to find out if losing weight is really what you want to do then work on finding a good method from there. You won't get any help from supplements. They only work for people who just want to put in extra effort and are already working out pretty hard.

airangel59

Log daily does it for me, you need to see what you are eating.
Are you watching your calories, what amount of calories, carbs etc are you consuming?
Do you exercise?
Am sure others can help if you give some more information.

lmelangley

Log every day. If possible, multiple times a day - as soon as you eat food of any kind. I'm peri menopausal as well and can attest to the fact that it's really easy for a nibble here or there to add up to significant calories over the course of the day. You need to make the commitment to do this. If not, you're not really using the site the way it's made to work. The bottom line is, if you measure your food and log it and stay at or below recommended calories for the day, you will lose weight. Even if you don't exercise much. It may take longer, but you'll get there. Just make the commitment to becoming healthier. Trust me - you'll feel better in the long run.

kcodding

I'm going through the same problem. I'm menopausal, I started about 6 months ago at 184 and now I am at 189. I lose than it seems like overnight I gain....I have started walking more and I am trying to cut out more sugars. I don't think supplements will do anything although I am very pro green tea : ) Good luck and don't give up! Stay active!

deevatude

u shouldnt be cutting calories.

i just assume ur eating way too few calories and thats y ur gaining. this seems to be everyone's problem around here.

just increase ur calories

vytamindi

Talk to your doctor.

mrsjennifermaffei

Stick to what the site is telling you to do. Do a 1200 or however many calories you are assigned and eat back your exercise calories if you earn them. Drink 8 glasses of water, etc. IT WILL WORK!! You also need to log every ingredient that goes into your mouth. I personally dont log stuff like spices but I log pretty much everything else. It doesn't take much time and it keeps you on track!

If all else fails, eat clean. Cut out sodas, even diet, and anything that is processed or made in a factory. You will slim down, I promise.

waldenlev

1) NO! Don't give up!
2) don't log sometimes, log always. The first thing you need to do is know what you're eating, then you can adjust. Remember, the math is simple calories in < calories out = weight loss.
3) Never give up!

Ydalgorf

Don't give up! My mom is giving up and it is breaking my heart! Like others have said LOG everyday! It makes a difference! I just started on this site but I have been keeping a food journal off and on for the last few years because of health issues...

Keeping a log keeps me honest with myself! I have to be honest and say that some day's I forget to eat.. I have four kids and some days just get away from me... and I know that is part of my problem! My body thinks I am STARVING... so when I do eat it SAVES EVERYTHING!

I also agree with seeing your Dr. if you haven't been to the Dr. for a while it's a great place to start again! Having the right Dr. makes a huge difference too! Make sure that he/she is actually LISTENING to what you are saying! Hang in there and don't give up! It's worth the fight! My New Years Goal was to be better to myself! So far I'm down 24lb's in the last 4 months... Give yourself permission to be the better you!

bradphil87

I started this journey at the same time you did....the one thing I always remind myself is that this is a lifestyle change. There is no "giving up." If you need some support I'd be more than happy to be your friend on here There is only one reason anyone should ever lose weight, for yourself!!!!! So if you want it, do it

Fit_2013

Thanks a lot for all the advice. I have truly decided to keep logging accurately and see my progress. I will have to do it for myself .

TheVimFuego

1) NO! Don't give up!
2) don't log sometimes, log always. The first thing you need to do is know what you're eating, then you can adjust. Remember, the math is simple calories in < calories out = weight loss.
3) Never give up!

If the math is simple and so many people really want to lose weight so diligently watch the calories and do the exercise then why do so many calorie-restricted diets fail in the long run? Is it simply they ALL return to bad habits?

I say deal with the metabolism first then worry about calories and the first law of thermodynamics (the basis of the "calories in/out, you will lose xxx lbs by creating a xxxx calorie deficit" hypothesis).

The calories in/out deal assumes that the human body is a closed system and that energy in and out are dependent variables ... i.e. change one and the other must change proportionally. This isn't so, it's too simplistic and makes no sense from an evolutionary point of view (or a historic point of view if you don't do evolution ...).

Human beings have survived and thrived though ice ages with varying levels of food available, if we needed exactly xxxx calories a day every day to maintain optimal fitness then we would not be here today.

Show me one solid study that proves that creating a x calorie deficit = x lbs lost consistantly. There isn't one.

Yes, ultimately you need need to burn more than you consume but I would suggest that attending to metabolic factors at play in most overweight people would help tilt the scales in favour of burning fat.

And there ends my weekly rant on "calories in/out". It's too simplistic and does not work in practice ... In the lab, in a test tube, yeh, not in the human body.

If it did then MFP would have about 50 users, all of whom have a particular fondness for cake and a distinct lack of aptitude for basic arithmetic.

To the OP: Log, log and don't give up, we are all born with a body that wants to be in peak fitness, you just need to find the key for that suits you.

deadbeatsummer

You can't give up if you never really started.
Allow yourself one weekend to do what you like guilt free.

Then start logging *everything* on Monday and thereafter.
Aim for more protein instead of eating lots of bread. Make your food diary public so that people can see where you are going wrong. Get into exercise. Learn to run. Try different classes.

You can't expect results unless you start doing something different. You CAN do it no matter what stage in your life you are in.

Whether you 'give up' or not, that time is still going to pass and youll still be eating x amount of calories whether or not you were noting it. So you might as well try your best. It's not a choice between putting in loads of effort or relaxing. Between now and next year you will still be a certain weight, have eaten a certain amount of calories so why not try to make better choices in between then and now and see what happens. Are you going to be happy when you give up? Or are you going to be wishing that you could magic away the weight still? There's no such thing as giving up - you'll still always be wishing and thinking.

You sound fazed by it all, so why not try something new and fun like a Zumba class, or Couch to 5k or Turbo Fire?

TheVimFuego

Stick to what the site is telling you to do. Do a 1200 or however many calories you are assigned and eat back your exercise calories if you earn them. Drink 8 glasses of water, etc. IT WILL WORK!! You also need to log every ingredient that goes into your mouth. I personally dont log stuff like spices but I log pretty much everything else. It doesn't take much time and it keeps you on track!

If all else fails, eat clean. Cut out sodas, even diet, and anything that is processed or made in a factory. You will slim down, I promise.

Cutting sodas, processed food and anything with added sugar is a fine idea.

I also cut grains but I can see some people would have a problem with that, helps me though ...

You can't burn fat in the presence of insulin so anything that raises it quickly and keeps it high is a prime candidate for cutting. In my opinion, etc, etc

bathsheba_c

Talk to your doctor.

This. There could be all sort of things going on that are making weight loss harder. For example, you are at higher risk for hypothyroidism, in which case the MFP recommendations are all off for you. It could also be that you are having a tough menopause, and your doctor could give you advice to help.

MessyLittlePanda

Do you have any digestive problems?
The reason I say is that I was diagnosed with coeliac disease (gluten allergy) this year after putting on weight steadily 2 years in a row and seemingly no matter how little I ate nothing would shift. It's under diagnosed, so if you have any of the following symptoms you should get a simple blood test.

Constipation
Diarrhoea
Unexplained weight gain or loss
Bloating/gas
joint pains
increased or decreased appetite
dizzy spells or balance issues
eczema/rash

Might not be this but it WAS the cause of the extra stone I put on and couldn't shift. Water retention was a big part of that as well.

snaxandpop

I also am going through menopause. I had given up too, then I got really determined, went to the dr. to be sure all was well and it is. I have no excuses! I started using the mayo clinic diet and using nearly all the tools MFP has to offer and am down 10 pounds. I also began to exercise, walking 30 minutes per day, and have increased the duration and now do a variety. You can do this but you must be pro active with your health. We did not put this weight on in a day and we will not take it off in a day! If you search the community for people who are getting the weight off you will see that they log every bite, every day. Don't quit just give it everything you have! Good luck

sel254

Log daily. It took me a while to get into it but once I made a habit of logging what I eat, it was really eye opening for me. All those "little bits" that I never really took into consideration really mounted up! Once I started logging regularly, I dropped 36 pounds in 4 months

jfan175

Set a daily caloric and exercise goal and then read your profile pic.

Weight_less

Never never never give up!!!

Dave198lbs

I have been in this site for 6-7 months and have gained weight. I log occasionally.

you "log occasionally" and are thinking of giving up.

giving up what? you have not really even started so how can you give up? until you log every thing that goes in your mouth, you havnt started.

nsblue

It is interesting to see the excuses we use to not lose weight.. .. to not change our lifestyle.

I too had at one point decided I was destined to remain BIG.. I too am menopausal.. I too tried n tried (half heartedly) and nothing worked. Did I get frustrated.. YUP did I give up ...YUP but it only got me fatter and more miserable and unhealthy. It took my husband getting sick and die to knock some sense into me.. dont let things progress that far with you.

Discouragement and frustration will come.... it is inevitable but one cannot give up. Even with myself .. in losing the weight I have...I still get discouraged and frustrated. I cannot allow myself to be sucked into that vortex and neither should you.

Get COMMITTED to yourself!! be HONEST, log your food, eat what you should, learn about your body and how it works with food and exercise...change habits, eat healthy, exercise daily and the weight will come off.

JesterMFP

I really like your profile picture. I think that being successful at losing weight really is about making small changes and sticking with them - turning them into habits. You say you feel your will power has been drained, but I think will power only gets you so far anyway. First, you've got to want it enough, to be determined enough to put in the effort and then you've got to create new habits.

The main thing that sticks out from your post is that you're not consistently logging, so start with that. Log everything. Don't beat yourself up about what you're eating, but just being aware of what you're consuming will put you back in control. Then you can go from there. You can do this! It's not something that will happen over night, but days become weeks, which become months, and suddenly you'll find you're in a much better position than you are now.

vim_n_vigor

Only you can decide if you are going to give up. Have you found your motivation? What drives you to want to lose weight? That has to mean more to you than <insert favorite foods here>. Do you have an exercise that you enjoy?

Have you been to the doctor? Have you had your thyroid and hormone levels tested recently?

Only you can decide what you are going to do, but I know you can lose weight and feel better - if that is what you want!

wellbur

i'm sure you will find that logging everything and eating your workout calories will really help. Please don't give up, it will be worth it in the end

Ilovedrinkingtea

Losing weight is hard.

Being overweight is hard.

Giving up and admitting defeat is hard.

Choose your hard!!!

darrensurrey

It's just a problem you need to figure out how to overcome.

Clearly, something you're doing isn't working so you need to change things whether it's:
-eating more (are you eating too few calories a day or underestimating calorie burn or overestimating portions?)
-eating less (are you eating too much for your daily activities or underestimating portions or overestimating calorie burn?)
-moving more (are you doing any exercise? are you lifting weights?)
-moving less (are you doing too much exercise and not letting your body recover?)
-eating at different times of the day (are you eating your daily calories too early then getting hungry later and sneaking more in towards the end of the day?)
-adjusting the type of food you're eating (too many simple carbs will keep you feeling hungry)
-doing different kinds of exercises (the body is good at adapting; constant state exercises can work for a while)

Food for thought; have a think about the above and be willing to question your own understanding of what it takes to lose weight.

caraiselite

if counting calories isn't working, try counting carbs. a whole new lifestyle just might work

kathiemcn

No, definitely not.
Just start logging every day, even if you're not dieting or staying under calories. That's what I'm doing at the moment, as I'm not up to dieting right now, but it really helps to see what you are eating and why you are gaining, and it gives you the incentive to be more careful with what you choose to eat.
Then when you get the urge to diet again, if I were you I would cut your calories down gradually until you get back on track.
Best of luck :-)

HappyStack

I lost the majority of my weight not by logging on MFP (and I still don't), but by buying a journal and logging everything in there. I found having it with me at all times, and being able to quickly & easily just jot down what I was eating/what exercise I just completed helped me out a lot.

I've never operated on a calories in vs calories out basis, but each day I would log what I ate, the times I ate, what I drank, and how I exercised.

After a while my eating habits became less erratic and I started noticing the need for structure -- not just in my diet, but in my daily routine too -- now I eat four (properly portioned) meals a day, every day, and exercise every day, too.

MFP does have its limitations, the majority of my fitness regime is strength training and the predicted calories burned for that isn't accurate, and it's not for everybody. The basic principle that logging your nutritional intake and exercises will help you lose weight always applies, though... so if you can't get on with MFP, try a journal, and just use MFP to log your weight loss progress.