WHY AM I GIVING UP :(

libbygrammer

It takes months to see major change. 1200-1300 calories a day is a fine number, especially when coupled with exercise. You are not overdoing your eating at those numbers (Even though the app says 1200 for me, I have a cap of 1400, as long as I exercise most days -and guess what? I'm still losing).

You will lose, but the point is that you will DO IT SLOWLY. It is so important to take it slow - because otherwise, you lose super fast and end up with saggy skin and feeling puny. You need to build lean muscle (go take a cardio sculpt class at the local Y! You don't need to do it all alone.). And while you're exercising at the gym a couple of days a week with strength training, add in a couple of days of long walks or jogs (or just hop on the elliptical at the gym and watch an episode of a tv show on the attached tv - or listen to a string of your favorite songs) - the 30-40 mins on the machine will pass so quickly. Weight loss will happen, but it won't happen in a week. Every couple of weeks, you'll lose a pound or two. And one day you'll just notice - hey, I look smaller! This pair of pants fits better! There's nothing magic in this - it's a slow process that teaches us day by day to eat well and balance our exercise and food intake.

And good Lord, don't give up your favorite foods. I love pastas and cheese. I could never, ever be on a diet that disallowed those. Just eat good, healthy, filling pastas (whole grain, etc.) and eat them in smaller ratios to your veggies. I love a pasta primavera - lots of veggies and tomato sauce and some pasta mixed in. I lost 55lbs. in 2008-2009. Took 9 months - and I never, ever gave up my favorite foods. I ate less of them, sure. But I never deprived myself. I just got fitter over those months. I made sure I wasn't gorging all the time. And I stuck with the process. Make it work for you - you are worth it!!

On a side note, the strength training will help your legs and thighs immensely. While you build muscles and burn off fat, you'll start noticing small changes that amount to major change over a few months. You may never have buns of steel (I gave up that dream a long, long time ago), but you will feel more comfortable with yourself as you tone and get stronger. It affects not only your physical looks & well-being - it will make you feel empowered in every other part of your life.

Giving up is easy and not rewarding at all. Sticking through this process will make you strong, sucessful, and a lot happier.

hafsahkh

Do NOT give up! Only you can make this a success or failure! You have to REALLY want it. I started and stopped and started and stopped and yo-yo'd many times. I failed many times at this but it wasn't until I finally decided it was MAKE or BREAK time that I was a success. It did not happen over night. It took me 6 months to lose 35 lbs and 5 pant sizes, but I did it...and the thing is? I didn't think I could even do THAT...I was hoping to lose 20 lbs and I was hoping to drop 3 pant sizes and I really thought that it was the impossible, but I'm here to tell you....it is NOT impossible!

You alone are in control of your destiny. You like pasta? Eat the pasta, but eat 1/2 a serving of pasta and load it with lots of fresh vegetables; the vegetables will be more filling and give you that "satisfied" feeling and at much fewer calories. You want rice? Have the rice, but again have 1/2 a serving (and MEASURE and WEIGH the food). A food scale is very in-expensive and will really help you on your journey. Again, you want a sandwich? Eat it with one slice of bread and add lots of vegetables to it...the other "slice of bread" can be a lettuce leaf. You cut down on the carbs you're looking to cut down on while increasing your vegetables which you want to increase by a lot (you should strive for 1/2 of each meal to be vegetables; 1/2 your breakfast can be fruit)

YOU CAN DO THIS!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!

Thankyou for this!

hafsahkh

It takes months to see major change. 1200-1300 calories a day is a fine number, especially when coupled with exercise. You are not overdoing your eating at those numbers (Even though the app says 1200 for me, I have a cap of 1400, as long as I exercise most days -and guess what? I'm still losing).

You will lose, but the point is that you will DO IT SLOWLY. It is so important to take it slow - because otherwise, you lose super fast and end up with saggy skin and feeling puny. You need to build lean muscle (go take a cardio sculpt class at the local Y! You don't need to do it all alone.). And while you're exercising at the gym a couple of days a week with strength training, add in a couple of days of long walks or jogs (or just hop on the elliptical at the gym and watch an episode of a tv show on the attached tv - or listen to a string of your favorite songs) - the 30-40 mins on the machine will pass so quickly. Weight loss will happen, but it won't happen in a week. Every couple of weeks, you'll lose a pound or two. And one day you'll just notice - hey, I look smaller! This pair of pants fits better! There's nothing magic in this - it's a slow process that teaches us day by day to eat well and balance our exercise and food intake.

And good Lord, don't give up your favorite foods. I love pastas and cheese. I could never, ever be on a diet that disallowed those. Just eat good, healthy, filling pastas (whole grain, etc.) and eat them in smaller ratios to your veggies. I love a pasta primavera - lots of veggies and tomato sauce and some pasta mixed in. I lost 55lbs. in 2008-2009. Took 9 months - and I never, ever gave up my favorite foods. I ate less of them, sure. But I never deprived myself. I just got fitter over those months. I made sure I wasn't gorging all the time. And I stuck with the process. Make it work for you - you are worth it!!

On a side note, the strength training will help your legs and thighs immensely. While you build muscles and burn off fat, you'll start noticing small changes that amount to major change over a few months. You may never have buns of steel (I gave up that dream a long, long time ago), but you will feel more comfortable with yourself as you tone and get stronger. It affects not only your physical looks & well-being - it will make you feel empowered in every other part of your life.

Giving up is easy and not rewarding at all. Sticking through this process will make you strong, sucessful, and a lot happier.

thanks so much for this it was very motivational:D

hafsahkh

Are you exercising? Those thighs aren't going to firm up on their own just because you're cutting calories! In fact, you may be losing muscle tone if you're cutting too many calories.

As far as motivation goes, I can tell you from experience that if you're a pastaholic, cuting it out completely isn't going to be good for you in the long run. Just have it in proper portions and you'll do just fine on your weight loss. Why can't you buy you're own pasta and cook it separately? Portion it out into containers, add a little oil or butter so it stays fluid, keep it in the fridge and pop it in the microwave to warm up when it's dinner time. Easy fix!

Im walking an hour a day up a very very steep hill and back down and thats about it, but i have decided to get on the treadmill at least 30 minutes a day! I like pasta a lot but i know how bad it is for me i always tend to go back for seconds;/

hafsahkh

If 1300 hundred is pigging out for you, how much are you normally eating a day? Eating such a low amount of calories is probably going to make you miserable, slow weight loss down eventually, and cause you to binge from feeling deprived all the time.

Just below 1200 a day but i have seen my gp about this and they seem to think this is fine as this all my body needs for my height

Curvimami

Okay up until last week i was doing amazingly well on my diet i was eating in moderation staying away from all the 'dirty' foods and really caring about my weight, the weekend came and i was shot down although mfp was saying i was eating just under 1300 calories i stll felt disgusted with myself ive lost 10lb so far and its amazing seeing the results on the scale but im not seeing any results on myself which just unmotivates me everytime. Another problem i am having is my thighs theyre so awful and flabby and ive seen no blooming difference literally just want to shoot myself for giving up its soooooooooo hard to lay off the carbs im a pastaholic and although i tell my parents that i want BROWN PASTA it just seems to be a nogo in my house please somebody help me get back on track want to see that scale on 8 stone!

I took me til I was 15lbs down to notice a slight difference. Dont worry your body is changing. Dont give up. Keep going and the next thing youn know, you will be down some more weight, your clothes are fitting even better and ppl are commenting on how lovely you look. Patience is key. Pictures and measurements are wonderful tools when the scale is being evil. Keep doing the right thing and you will be at your goal in no time. Remember that if you give up now, you will regret it in the months to come when you're saying "if I just stayed on track I could've been near goal or at goal by now". YOu've got this!! keep going!

MissLotte

Firstly I want to say congratulations on losing 10lbs so far. I have just started and hope in a few weeks I can be saying the same. I have 73lbs to lose and for a little while I know that it's going to just be a tiny bit coming off of every where and I'm not going to notice it that much but sticking with it will mean that you will notice a difference and I bet it will be sooner than you think!

I know it seems hard but if you really want it, you'll work for it. No one else can do it for you. You made the first step by starting, the 2nd by making the effort and losing some weight and the 3rd by asking for some help when you need it most... We all want to help, just remember the reasons that you started in the first place and take inspiration from the weight loss success stories on here.

I wish you all the best and hope that you find your weight loss mojo soon and get back on it! x

hafsahkh

You don't need to cut out carbs, I sure don't! Just eat less of them. A serving of noodles is...freaking tiny. Try to load up a bowl with veggies and add some noodles. I always eat the veggies first to get them out of the way hahaha.

Also...

THAT PICTURE OMG! I CAN NOT GIVE UP

AmberJo1984

You definitely don't need to give up. But... I wouldn't work at cutting out carbs all together. I know there will be people who tell you to; but, not even my doctor tells me to, and I'm diabetic. I'm just supposed to eat them in moderation.

If you need support, feel free to add me. I'll try to help you from day to day.

Koldnomore

Okay up until last week i was doing amazingly well on my diet i was eating in moderation staying away from all the 'dirty' foods and really caring about my weight, the weekend came and i was shot down although mfp was saying i was eating just under 1300 calories i stll felt disgusted with myself ive lost 10lb so far and its amazing seeing the results on the scale but im not seeing any results on myself which just unmotivates me everytime. Another problem i am having is my thighs theyre so awful and flabby and ive seen no blooming difference literally just want to shoot myself for giving up its soooooooooo hard to lay off the carbs im a pastaholic and although i tell my parents that i want BROWN PASTA it just seems to be a nogo in my house please somebody help me get back on track want to see that scale on 8 stone!

First off..It's not up to your parents to cater to you. If you want brown pasta then go and get it yourself though you don't NEED brown pasta to lose weight. What you do need is to take responsibility for yourself. Get a scale, weight your food and log it. You don't have to give up everything you like, just have to eat less of it. No one can make you do that but you. I'd be willing to bet that you are probably trying to starve yourself and expecting to lose weight instantly..This won't work. At your age you need to eat. Figure out your BMR and TDEE and go from there. Read the stickies at the top of the general forums and put them to use.

fitQueenbeast

Are you exercising? Those thighs aren't going to firm up on their own just because you're cutting calories! In fact, you may be losing muscle tone if you're cutting too many calories.

THIS!

As for the food choices, you can't expect your parents to start eating better just because you want to. You're 18 years old...go to the store and buy what you want, and cook it yourself. I don't mean this to sound harsh, but you are the only person who can make these changes in your own life!

Ha! This allllll the way! ^^^ #nuffsaid