Frustrated

cynthiagoodman

Hi everyone - I am new to myfitnesspal. I really want to lose weight (about 40 pounds) but it just seems to be stuck! I have two kids and I am 30 years old. I have been working out for 3 weeks (4 times/week 30-45 minutes) and really making good food choices and the scale has not moved at all. It went up one pound but that is it!!! I am so frustrated.

I have never taken anything before but I am considering looking into taking something to help me with the weight lose. Has anyone ever tried any of the weight loss stuff before? Just interested in finding out more information.

Thanks!!

cynthiagoodman

Hi everyone - I am new to myfitnesspal. I really want to lose weight (about 40 pounds) but it just seems to be stuck! I have two kids and I am 30 years old. I have been working out for 3 weeks (4 times/week 30-45 minutes) and really making good food choices and the scale has not moved at all. It went up one pound but that is it!!! I am so frustrated.

I have never taken anything before but I am considering looking into taking something to help me with the weight lose. Has anyone ever tried any of the weight loss stuff before? Just interested in finding out more information.

Thanks!!

sophialittle

hello and welcome! first off, i haven't taken any of the weight loss stuff, but i will say that i've heard nothing good about any of it. most are a quick fix that can hurt your long term health.

let me share my story a little with you. in nov/dec, i started watching (or so i thought) what i was eating and working out a little.

in jan, i went to the doctor's and said something to him about wanting to work on weight loss. he (painfully) dug through my chart and found my high school weight and said, okay, sounds good, you work on it and i'll see ya back here in 9 months and you'll be 30 lbs lighter! i went AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! but it was the motivation i needed!

i came home and realized i had to figure out a way to lose weight, so i played around online and found this website. i realized i had not been making as good of choices as i thought! (i'm not saying that's the case with you, just sharing my experiences)

so, i've been on mfp for like 5 weeks and 2 days and i've lost 13.5 lbs. i MAYBE lost 5 lbs before i started the program. so my point is this: dont rush into using any weight loss stuff. just give this a couple of months of logging your food and exercise cals so that you can really keep in touch with what's going on with your body and i promise you'll see changes! good luck!! hope this helps! :happy:

aybaybay

:flowerforyou: Hello!... You might be sceptical about taking supplements but if youre not making any progress you should give it a try. Especially if youre eating right and excercising. In fact, weight loss pills Only work if you do follow a good diet and work out routine. Dont ever go for the outrageous, "Eat all you want, and lose weight!" pills. Those dont work. But a good one is SlimQuick, its designed just for women like us that have problems losing weight. Theyve got pills and drink mix's. Theyre not the type that make you tachycardic and crazy so that would be my best suggestion. Also, try talking to your primary care physician, they can usually suggest something or Rx you a temporary prescriction strength supplement that should help you reach your goal. Good Luck!

jpketz

What you're experiencing is not uncommon. Embarking on weight loss can be a little like turning around the Queen Mary—your body takes time to adjust to the new demands you're placing upon it metabolically.

It may be a good idea to find out what your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is and work from that number to determine how many calories you need to just be on the planet at rest. If you've been eating less than your RMR, you may be in "starvation" mode and holding onto every calorie as fat, in other words, your body may think you're getting ready to hibernate. There's a good Wiki on how to determine your RMR and your maintenance intake at: http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Metabolism.

Once you've determined your calorie intake is in the right ballpark for a reasonable rate of weight loss (1 lb/week ideal) then you may look at your exercise regimen. Since weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise, the diet is definitely the priority concern, although there are some things you can do to jelp things along, like working at 65% of your maximum heart rate or below in order to burn fat as fuel instead of glucose. Your maximum HR can be determined (at least a working number) by subtracting your age from 220.

Also, the "after burn" effect from weight training is actually greater than from doing just cardio. in other words when you stop a cardio exercise session, you may continue to burn calories at a slightly higher rate for a few hours afterwards, but with resistance training, the higher rate of metabolism lasts for several hours, often into the next day. So you might start combining a weight routine a few days/week (with a rest day between) along with your cardio routine.

There are other conditions that can contribute to a lower metabolic rate like hypothyroidism, but offhand it sounds like you just need to give it a few more weeks.

I think if you took a poll of the folks on this site and most health professionals, you'd get a resounding "No" when asked about weight loss medications. Besides, they're only effective when combined with what you're doing already, don't work at all on some people, and at best contribute an average of 8-10% to one's total weight loss (according to Web MD).

Good luck, keep us posted, and hang in there!

James

jaxkipi

Been there...done that....it doesn't work. You have to change your habits to make it work any length of time. As mentioned before quick fixes work quickly and then once off of it, guess what? You're right, the weight comes back...and for me, then some.:sick:

I was put on a 1400-1450 cal diet based on my physical activity. I log all of it into the exercise log here at mfp. Depending on my activity, it depends on who much eat. I have only gone over once at 1800 calories. I have been changed my healthy eating habits for 9 days now and I have lost 10 pounds. I limit my fat intake and because of my hypertension, I have to have a low sodium diet of no more than 2g or (2000mg) a day.

Serving sizes are important too. I was told to eat small frequent meals (every 2 hours) rather than larger infrequent meals. Sometimes, because of the job I'm in, that's impossible. Never starve yourself, or your body will start to go in starvation mode. When that happens, you sustain your weight. Also eating foods high in salt can cause you to gain weight.

Also, water. I was told a lot of the time, when you're hungy, drink water first, because a lot of the time, you're only thirsty.

I'm no expert. But all this is working for me. I follow what my doctors are telling me. I see a nutritionist as well. That was by far the best choice I have ever made. Following the advice of a nutritionist.

Didn't mean to ramble. I'm just so happy with my progress and wanted to tell you how it's working for me.

Best wishes!

:flowerforyou:

aybaybay

:flowerforyou: well, i think you should do what you think is best for you. I dont understand why everyone is saying no no no.. its not like doing crack or anything. And for some people it does work and can be effective if used in the proper manner. after two children your entire body changes and your metabolism isnt what it was before you had them. There are herbal green tea supplements designed to boost metabolism with natural caffeine to give you energy to burn more calories. Why would anyone object to that? Unless it didnt work, but you never know until you try. Again, good luck!

deanea

Don't waste your money, can you afford to buy and take extra pills for the rest of your life, will you remember to take them every day 30 min. before meals for the rest of your life. Start how you intend to finish....au naturel is free and can hopefully last a life time. Look up this topic on the search bar under message boards there are alot of past posts on this topic, you could find some valuable info.

prettyinpink

I understand that there are many different opinions about all of this and the truth is: Yes, diet pills are ONLY a quick fix. You have to make weight loss a lifestyle change. If you watch "The Biggest Loser" and see them dropping pounds each week you may get a little discouraged. They have a trainer and nutritional advisor. That is why they are dropping pounds. You can't afford one (no saying that you can't; just an example) so you have to use what resources you have to you. Obviously you have the internet so do some research. I have said this before "GOOGLE is a WONDERFUL thing!". Google what you are looking for. Search the pages, something will catch your eye and you may try it. It may not work. Don't get discouraged. It took you however long to gain the weight ~ Don't expect it to come off in a flash. Keep your head up!

Tip: If you are watching one of your favorite shows, during the commercials get on the floor and do a small workout. It will not wear you out and it will help build muscle to burn the fat and help boost your metabolism. Our goal is to boost our metabolism to help keep weight off. Each little exercise you do and every calorie watched helps toward a healthy lifestyle later in life. It is easier to maintain a weight after you have lost it.

zenmama

I dont understand why everyone is saying no no no.. its not like doing crack or anything.

You are right is isn't crack but I think most of us agree that they don't work and the side affects not to mention the long term damage is not worth it. Just do it the right way, this site, food moderation and healthy choices....and the big exercise!!!

I think banks said it somewhere...Rome wasn't built in a day...just like gaining the weight...losing will take time.

dd/zen

aybaybay

:flowerforyou:
Dispite popular belief, not all weight loss supplements are for short term use and dont have lasting results. If you were to use a weight loss pill, and you reach your goal... when you discontinue use you need to remember that you have to eat and excercise to conture to your new weight, not your old one, or the weight will come back. I am a nursing student and have worked with patients in a level one trauma center for three years. I would never suggest someone take "trimspa" "rapidslim" or anything containing ephedra, but there is a ton of evidence supporting green tea's ability to boost your metabolism and help you burn more fat. You can find information on this at medicinenet.com, consumerlab.com and about.com. weight loss isnt just about the calories you take in, and the miles you run, you need to have the correct mind set to reach your goals. If you arent seeing any progress, do whatever is right for you, but research first and keep your best health in mind. I hope we have all been helpful to you.
*LiVe*LaUgH*LoVe*

ali106

well in the past I've tried my share of weight loss aides and I have to say I always gained the weight back and then some....it may have just been me, but most of the ones I used had some type of appetite suppressant and well had an adverse affect on me....speedy etc...

I'd talk to your doctor if that was the route you wanted to take, but I wouldn't recommend it from my past experience, I have a few friends who tried Alli or whatever its called sorry...too early....and they said the stomach issues were horrific! sigh...so no good reviews on my end sorry!

Ya know what too, I used to think I was watching my cals and once I started really watching them on here and actually measuring things I was in shock....I was taking in close to 2000 a day or more and thought it was much more like 1300-1400 cals....so maybe just some fine tuning and you'll see some really cool results...ALSO take your measurements hon, don't always go by the evil scale...it can play w/ you...not in a fun way either LOL

best of luck whatever you choose!
hugs!
Ali