Ready to give up....

Lostfan51

I just signed up two weeks ago and I have been doing pretty well staying within my calories limits. A few times I have even been below the limit and only once went over. I used to grab fast food a lot and had soda every day. But for the past 2 weeks I did not buy any fast food and only had a soda a few times. But I got on the scale and have not lost a pound!!!

I admit I have not started any exercise yet and I have a desk job. I just turned 50 so I know that my age makes it slower to lose weight. But I would have thought that cutting down on my calories for the first two weeks would have been enough of a change to show some results. I was really excited and ready to make some changes and stick with this, but now I feel like giving up.

smilesalot1969

what are you eating? can you make your diary public so i can try to help

Lostfan51

I just changed it to public. The McDonalds meal was out of frustration.

schustc

There is a lot to this, starting with. 1. Do u weigh and measure everything? 2. Sometimes our metabolisms slow as we age, so that might be to blame, 3. Did u overestimate activity level? Lastly, did u have a lot of sodium yesterday? If u did, u could be holding water and actually have lost but don't know it yet

cmeroar68

Don't give up YET! Sometimes your body just needs time to catch up to what you are trying to tell it!
Hang in there!!

allycat54

Try to stay off the scale for awhile.

DefyGravity1977

You have only been at this for two weeks. The weight didn't come on overnight and it will take longer to take it off. Give it time. The first month or so your body will fight all the changes that are being made and it can be frustrating. I know...it has taken 5 years for me to lose 80 pounds as of this morning. One day, one step at a time. Give your body time to adjust and the weight will come off.

freyamaclachlan

Just stick to it eat healthy and no less than 1200 calories a day, try and fit more activity into your day walk to where you can instead of driving, drink at least half your body weight in water a day, get plenty of sleep and you really should try and get a good workout in your day try Jillian Michaels fitness videos like 30ds most of them are only 20 minutes long but very effective, and if you feel like giving up again remember you have a massive group of people here for when you need that kick in the bum to keep going.

Slim7Dee

Ok, I personally think you are possibly calorie counting, but not eating sensibly.

Your daily intake should include your fruit and vegetables, plenty of water and your proteins - not overdoing your carbs.

I try to eat 2 - 3 pieces of fruit a day minimum and take plenty of vegetables with my evening meal. Try not to eat too late in the evening.

Also, exercising is good and with that you burn off calories. If you burn off say 200 calories, then I would only reward yourself with half of that for the time being.

You will get there. Best of luck and don't give in. The fact that you posted this message suggests to me that you don't want to give up just yet.

schustc

I see LOTS of sodium high foods, not sure if u are not logging water or not drinking enough, and more importantly, very very little nutritious food. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, complex (whole wheat bread) carbs. Add those things and limit the salty snacks to one a day or less... you will feel better!!

Lostfan51

I will give it some more time. I actually feel better and less bloated, but was discouraged when I stepped on the scale.

Happyirisheyes

Don't give up. You have to take each day at a time. Do your best for today and if you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up because you have a whole new day tomorrow to try again. Weight loss isn't easy - if it was we'd all be skinny. Don't be too hard on yourself, you will have bad days but you will have lots of good days too and we are all here to support you :flowerforyou:

MrsBully4

I looked at your diary and on your non-McDonald's days you don't seem to be eating very much, with a lot of your calories from processed foods like pretzels. I think your protein also seems low. I would try increasing my protein intake per day (aim for 100g per day) and trying to get more of my carbs from things like brown rice and whole grain bread. That should help make you feel fuller for longer. Increasing your veggies would probably help too!

They sell packets of brown rice that you can microwave easily if you'd like to try it. A very simple and fast dinner is a 4oz serving of lean meat (whatever meat you like), 1 cup of brown rice, and something tasty and healthy to top the brown rice with like sliced avocado, tomato, or purple onion. It seems to me that your dinners are very low in protein, and probably not very filling.

A tip I've read is to have a serving of cottage cheese (half a cup) as a bedtime snack to keep your body from burning any of your own lean protein during the night. Add a bit of fruit and it's a very tasty and satisfying little snack.

I hope some of this helps! Losing weight is different for everyone, you will probably have to tweak things a bit to get to where you want to be. Please don't give up!

schustc

I am not terribly younger (in my 40s) so it can be done! Also, unless u are really close to your goal weight, within 20 pounds or so, I would think 1200 is too low. That is my opinion though. I need to lose around 80 and my target is around 1600~1800 average per day(varying high days and low days through the week~i am doing something different this week to shake a stall, but have been at it for over 4 months to lose 40+lbs)

Cdngal08

it appears from your diary that you are eating alot of empty calories...try more fruit veggies and protiens....let your carbs come from them, instead of pretzels etc....just a suggestion

kytte

make sure you are tracking your inches too, not just the lbs. they will be a better indicator of fat loss than the scale, especially if you are exercising.
some medications can also slow your progress so if you are on any talk to your doctor about it, that's what i did and we are trying new things

androidgal

Whatever you do NEVER EVER GIVE UP!!! YOU WILL GET THERE IF YOU KEEP GOING...

losing weight when you get older is harder, no doubt about it, I know as I am 53 and struggling to lose about 3 stone over the last few years...lost 1 stone when I went raw however find it hard to stay on raw especially in winter and also when i get difficult things to deal with in life......emotional eating kicks in.....but im never going to give up ...why because I AM WORTH IT!! & LADY SO ARE YOU!!! IF you were not bothered you would not be here now right????

Just keep going ........this will be like most of life a rollercoaster some ups and some downs.....but you will get there....:flowerforyou:

nsalerno90

You really need to eat some real food. No wonder you are frustrated. . . bet you are hungry too! Add lots of vegetables and fruits to increase your fiber, give up the soda (diet too) and increase your water. It is going to take some time for your body to adjust to a change but it is going to be so happy to get some real food that it will start to work more efficiently. With that said, it does take longer for those of us who are a bit older (I am 45) but you will feel better more quickly than the scale will move and that is some incentive. I lose very slowly but I have already lost some inches and can wear clothes that I haven't been able to put on in over two years. Take your measurements, drink your water and give yourself a chance. This is a great site for support - you can choose as much or as little as you want - and it will work.

Elizadolots

Give up and then what? Gain more weight? Live more unhealthy?

D'you know, my weightloss is almost non existent but it is the fact that I am not giving up trying that makes me feel ok about myself.

Keep going! You'll get there!!

fanakar

I think you need a bigger deficit if you want to see results faster. Right now, you're eating under your caloric goals, but on most days it's less than a 100 calorie deficit. You will lose the weight, but at that rate it might take you more than a year. At this point you're almost eating the same as you would to maintain your current weight. I'm not saying you need to eat less because you are already around 1200 calories a day. But I think the only way you are gonna see results is if you exercise. Aim to burn 300 to 500 calories a day. There is a controversy around here about the concept of "eating back your calories" in which people eat more food to compensate for the burned calories. But the other side to that is you are decreasing your daily caloric deficit and, I believe, sabotaging yourself. I don't recommend this, but it's up to you if you want to try. The good thing is, everyday is a new day and a chance to start over and experiment. Just because you have not been successful so far does not mean you won't be successful in the long run. But if you give up, failure is guaranteed.

ZugTheMegasaurus

Weight loss doesn't always make sense, at least not in the way we think it should. In an ideal world, more trying would immediately show more results; unfortunately, that's not how it works. Instead, people lose weight in different ways. Some people tend to see a slow consistent trend. Some people stop and start. Some people lose and gain and lose and gain. When it comes to just starting out, some people see a sudden drastic drop right away and then slow down. Other people see nothing for weeks and then experience a sudden big loss.

All you can do is keep at it. Keep looking for ways you can improve, make little changes to be healthier as you go along. Eventually, you will see results. Maybe not when you'd like, but they will happen.

mdayishere

Are u drinking regular soda? If so it has alot of empty calories, also try taking a 10 minute walk 2x a day 4-5x a week. U will get more calories from exercise. If u like seafood at all it is fat free and can be your friend! I have salmon lightly covered in olive oil 2x per week and it has made a big differance. Also light yogart and a handful of almonds as a snack is great. Your body is struggling to learn a new way, hang in there and just start w/ little things to begin with. I wish u the best, Marj

BeantownSooner

You might actually want to start from scratch in my opinion. Looking at your food diary while you are staying under your calories the food choices you're making could be better. Many of your meals are snacks. Start looking to have a very balanced meals and I'd suggest changing your Macro nutrient levels: Carbs/Protein/Fats) to something like 40%/40%/40%. You can do this by going back into your Goals but do Custom and change the percentages then save it.

While it really is about calories in vs. calories out, you'll do much better if you start eating whole foods. There were several examples in the last two weeks where you've had 2 cups of Popcorn and a Dr. Pepper or 2 Hard Pretzels and a small bag of Cheetos for Dinner. Another example is the 1/2 Chicken Caesar wrap which looks like an entry from another source. If you're making this yourself actually log the ingredients you put in it b/c only you know what dressing you used, the calories in the wrap, etc. The generic listing, while helpful in a pinch, are often not the same as what you might be consuming so you're calorie in take is off for that food. Also, these types of foods are packed with Sodium so your likely way over.

Take a look at this food listing from Beachbody. It's called Michah's ladder. These are whole foods for you to use to construct your meals as you desire. The higher on the Tier the better it is for you. If you can stay on the top 2 Tiers you'll have near perfect nutrition. I personally stay in the Top 3 whenever possible. Use this as your guide.

http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder

Here's what I would suggest. For the next week commit to replacing one of your current meals per day with ingredients only from the Top 3 tiers of Michi's Ladder. Use a whole grain carb, lean protein and fruit/veg in each meal. In week two replace another.

Examples:
- Breakfast: 2 eggs, slice of whole wheat toast (little/no butter) and a small fruit; 1% Cottage Cheese is another great option in place of the eggs.
- Snack 1: Have your Fiber One bar
- Lunch: Salad with Protein such as chicken, use lowfat/nonfat dressings and only use the suggested serving, i.e. 2 Tbsp, Add a piece of whole wheat pita bread
- Snack 2: Could do before dinner or save for later; Have your popcorn
- Dinner: 3 - 4 oz Lean Protein (Lean red meat, chicken/turkey, fish, etc.), Sweet potato/whole grain brown rice, 1 cup or 2 of fresh veggies roasted or sauteed in olive oil

apontet

I'm a 50 yr old male that started with this site 7/30/12 by my doctor's recommendation. I'm 60 lbs overweight and have high blood pressure and peaking toward pre-diabetes. My sugar and sodium intake was WAAAY too high which was causing many of my issues. I have a VERY seditary job in an office as a Computer Systems Technical Support Anaylst and I work as much as 50-60 hrs a week. So my exercise time was none. The first week I started I didnt lose a pound. I didnt see much of an improvement the second week either. I found that eating a quick 10 minute lunch at my desk then taking a 50 minute walk around the neighborhood durinig my lunch hour started helping me lose some weight. I wouldnt look at the scale everyday since it was too depressing to not see any improvement or weight loss just by eating less. Now Im almost done with my second week and I weighed myself this morning and I lost 3.5 pounds in about 12 days. I think the loss started my second week but I didnt look at the scale very often so Im not sure when I started dropping the weight. I think from now on I will look at the scale maybe once every 3 days. Well, I hope you stick to it. I have tried many things in the past but since my doctor opened my eyes to my needs I am more focused on getting my health in order. I know each day is another step to my goal. So I encourage you to stick with it no matter long it takes. Every meal and every time you exercise it's another small step to the big goal of a healthy and happy person and fit body. I wish you the best! TA

Molly182

Losing weight is much more about food than exercise. Don't give up yet. You'll be glad you didn't

jml7403

Don't give up! After I turned 59, I decided that there was nothing I could do to turn back the hands of time except to lose weight. I'm not for sure how much I weighed when I started this 'diet', but I approximate around 212 lbs. I do know at one time I was at 220. I started with the Mediterrean Diet, then switched to South Beach to cut down a bit on carbs. About every month, I alternate between South Beach Phase I and II and the Mayo Clinic Diet. I also have read all I can get my hands on about healthy eating and vitamins. I am now down to 166 which I have not weighed since my son was born in 1991. (I lost 30 pounds while I was pregnant and he weighed 10 lbs!!-the weight loss was do to depression and an abusive husband) So you can do it!! What I like about South Beach is that after Phase I, you slowly add carbs-1 or 2 a week while watching your weight closely. If you hit a plateau or start gaining, just cut your servings of carbs down a bit. Sorry for rambling, but I am so passionate about this, and I feel wonderful! If it wasn't for the arthritis in my back, I would feel 30! I have gone from size 18 to 12, and size 2X tops to larges. The only thing is that I spent way too much money shopping. Hang in there! Another trick of mine is that the hardest time for me not to eat is between 6-8 at night. I either leave the house, call my mom, or go in my bedroom and read a book or take a nap during that time now. Good luck!

lynnldt

I just signed up yesterday, and just wanted to say how much this motivation and support board is going to be helpful to me, just by reading other peoples weight and food issues. Turning 60 this year, and weighing more than I ever have in my life, was a wake up call. Hoping by documenting food intake and what I eat, along with exercise and drinking more water will set me on the right track. To" ready to give up."..... keep going, one foot in front of the other, don't ever give up,

smilesalot1969

You really need to swap out a lot of those junk type snacks and replace it with proper food.. Fruit, veg, lean protein and try and add in a couple of snacks rather than just three meals. Also i'd increase your calories and make sure you hit your target every day. I dieted and trained like crazy for 6 weeks before the scale budged and it only started to move once i upped my calories from 1200 to 1400-1500 per day because my intake was too low and im 43

JlenniferL

Don't give up!! I am on a 1500 calories per day. Have not gone over my daily. Limit your soda intake or drink ice tea. I only have a soda if I have 200 calories left over. My hubby @ I weigh out all our foods. I ate out yesterday with the sis in law @ craved a greasy burger @ fries. Settled for a nice chicken salad. Hang in there, it's worth it in the long run. I'm down 9.9 lbs since July 14th.

vbmama2012

Don't give up! It IS frustrating when you don't see movement on the scale, for sure. However, you're 2 weeks into this, and you're finding your way to a healthier means of eating.
I was 205 lbs at age 40, diagnosed Diabetic. I NEVER did any exercise, didn't watch what I was eating, and when the reality hit, I had to make those changes too! I agree with everyone who says you didn't put it on overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight! It's a slow process, intertwined with "re-learning" habits!
I also work a desk job, and started out doing a casual 1 mile walk every night. I never thought I would get through even that, thought it would kill me. I pushed through, added a mile at a time, within a month or 2 each time, and was up to walking 5K at a fairly brisk pace (completing a walking 5K in 41 minutes, less than a 5 minute walking mile!). Now, I'm up to doing C25K (just finished week 4) and doing Power 90 at home.
It's a huge amount of working out, but I'm also not just starting out.
My point is, stick with it! Don't be a slave to the scale numbers, and genuinely see how you FEEL...how do your clothes feel, how does your overall energy feel? If the clothes start fitting better, if your energy is higher, it DOESN'T MATTER what the scale says...those are more of a testament to your overall health! You got this!!! Keep going!!

DLKeeble

First off, I noticed most days you are not netting the very minimum of 1200 calories. You should watch your sodium intake. You are new and your food choices will change as you go. Your body will want healthier choices the more you have them. Add more fruits and vegetables. Baby steps, and don't give up all your old favorites, just don't have them as often. If you say I can never have that again, you will set yourself up for failure.
Keep logging and use measuring spoons, cups and a food scale if you have one. It is amazing the difference in a 1/4 cup of something and the ounces or grams of the same item. Those differences add up over the course of the day.
DRINK WATER!
Best of luck and don't stop, you will only be cheating yourself. I am 52 btw.