Never thought I'd post a "poor me" thread...

mightdomightnot

I'm so glad you posted this.....I lost 9lb before I joined MFP and 2lb when I first joined here but since then zilch...I have a lot of weight to lose and I would feel so much more encouraged if the scales just showed something in the right direction. I also can't understand how I lost weight before I joined here...I wasn't counting calories so I cant tell if there is any change in how much I'm eating. I have started exercising more though and I know that can affect weight. I also have an underactive thyroid so am also wondering if that's playing up again.

I'm not about to give up...like others here I want this to be a lifestyle change...but I have to admit I feel very disheartened at the moment.

thektturner

What allergy med was this??

I was on Claritin for 3 weeks, then my respiratory therapist told me to switch to Zyrtec because I was still having issues that were causing asthma flares. I have been on Zyrtec for a month.

That would be odd if that was the problem. I have also been taking Zyrtec (albeit a generic version) for 3 weeks. Before that I had lost about 3-4 pounds over the course of 3 weeks. And now I have lost about .5 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Hmmm.... I really have no idea if that could be the problem, or why it would affect things. But I may just need to find out.

hughtwalker

For those of us in the northern hemisphere our bodies will be preparing for Winter. This doesn't help.

some people are like a dormouse - they use up every calorie scurrying around and HAVE to eat else they'll fall over faint and weary.

As for me, my metabolism is miser, however little I give it, once it catches on that there isn't the "usual" more coming it will put a llttle way for "later" . Once the first couple of weeks of meteoric weight loss were over it ground to a halt - just persist and it eventually catches on that it is just going to have to use some of those fat reserves it has been so painstakingly squirrelling away for so long - but it isn't happy.

It is a battle of nerves between my body and my mind. One day I shall be thin - one day <sigh> (If I live long enough)

jchrisman717

Yep been on here about a year and actually have gained a pound. I'm still here and still trying to figure it out but it is frustrating. I know a lot of mine over the last year is not having will power where I should have. But I work out hard and am very active, I would have thought that would have still gotten me some results. The only time I have lost is when I cut all of my processed foods and ate a ton of salads, protein and fruit.

rinnismom

it's okay, i had this same "talk" with my husband a couple of nights ago...

i've been with mfp since august 2, 2011 and i had lost 14 lbs. by nov. 2011. i gained half of it back by the spring. i hate the cold and i was hiking and biking hardcore during the fall. in the winter, i wasn't as active.

i had a total-loss of 15 lbs. in august of this year. three weeks of not being "exact" each and every night and now my ticker isn't reflective of my true weight. i'm tired of being up 5, losing 1. up 3, down .3. i stopped changing it because of this weekly fluctuation.

the three weeks that i wasn't hardcore was because i was: week 1, getting the last-minute prep-work done for my wedding: week 2, still wrapping up last-minute and actually getting married: week 3, i was on my honeymoon. we spent a week hiking and camping in north carolina, eating apples and granola, a sandwich once, etc.... we were super-active, "roughing it" (no hot water, no power, no shower, over 35-minute drive to the nearest town, no restaurant meals, no gorging, no binging....). i came back to find that i gained 9 lbs. in those three weeks, 9!!!!!

i go months without seeing even an ounce of a change. i have checked my scale. i have cleaned up my diet more and more (still not perfect, though). i've adjusted a lot! i see a forum or a blog and i reflect and change. i try new things. i recheck my numbers. i alter my calorie intake. i keep drinking liters of water a day.

i see these folks post about how they lose so much weight in just months. what in the hell...

i go months starting at a weight, gaining 4-5 lbs., dropping 2 of those lbs., gaining 1 back, etc... i don't know what i'm doing wrong. i'm not taking pills, on a special "diet", drinking magical shakes, none of that. my weight just stays stagnant.

i'm going to have to get to a doctor, i suppose, and see what the issue is. people tell me it has to be something with my thyroid. i don't know. i figured that between blood work and a nutritionist, someone can tell me what i'm doing wrong. i'm constantly learning but whatever the right thing is for my body, i'm just ignorant to it.

i guess what my "poor me" story reflects is that i get where you're coming from and i sympathize with your frustration. i get discouraged after a time of "failing" and wonder why i bother. i slip up but keep going. one day i hope starts to work. *sigh*

chubbygirl253

are you measuring? I THOUGHT my progress had halted in Sept because I went from losing 3 lbs a week to losing ZERO lbs for 2 whole weeks. Only lost 7 lbs the whole month of Sept when I had lost double that in July and Aug. But when I took my end-of-month measurements I realized I had still been making lotsa progress. I may have only lost 7 lbs in Sept but I lost 19 inches from all over my body in one month. the scale isn't the only tool to track your success.

if you are not losing inches either you may be eating too much or too little or not getting enough exercise to compensate for your little indulgences. hard to say. I think you know your body best and you might just have to make some hard choices about food and exercise and stick to it.

cnelson1974

Speak with a nutitionist to make sure you getting exactly what you need to support your activity level. It worked for me.

PomegranatePriestess

You're the second person who has posted about this issue in the past week or so; both times I've gone to the diary and seen the same issue: too much sugar. You're not tracking yours, but I can tell by what you're eating that your sugar is too high.

The last time, I responded to the person privately; this time, I'm posting because I'm thinking this is more common than I thought.

Counting calories works, but if you're staying within your calories that are set for loss and you're not losing, there's an issue, right? Can we agree that maybe not all calories are created equal? Basically, if your diet is high in sugar (naturally occuring sugar or otherwise), your body has to send insulin into your blood stream to balance your blood sugar level. Overproduction of insulin brings weight loss to a halt. This is one of the foundations of low-carb dieting. I'm not saying you should go low carb. I'm just suggesting that you cut back on your sugar for ten days, and see if the scale budges.

Bigfla

Hi, I hope this helps, I've lost 28 kg (62lbs) in 10 months. MFP is the single most important factor in how at age 65, I am lighter than I have been for 50 years...and I feel great!.

Indeed there have been periods in the last 10 months when my weight has plateau-ed and I've been despondent; I'm just coming out of a three wek week one right now....

In the end though MFP has worked so I am now convinced that;

1. Plateaus are normal
2. You must use MFP all the time - every day, every meal, every walk, every run, every swim.
3. You must be absolutely accurate, don't kid yourself, but if anything, over-estimate the food calories, under estimate the exercise.
4. Weigh yourself every day but only log in MFP when your weight is less than the last recorded weight ( this keeps you VERY focussed and gives you good data on how your weight changes normally),
5. Try not to eat your exercise calories so that you always have a decent surplus at the end of each day (coz it ain't that simple!)
6. Trust MFP coz it works...

Cheers

Rho_Ro

Well I'm one of the fortunate ones. I am just a few pounds from being half-way to my goal, but I usually manage something each week, even if it's only 0.1 kg for a week.

Sweet tooth. I used to think I had a sweet tooth so would have one or two sweet items per day (one in the am and one in the evening) whether it be a small piece of cake sliced in half or two biscuits or some lollies. This def killed the cravings.

Habits. Then I watched Dr Phil last week and he commented that you must replace an old habit with a new one otherwise the old habit will eventually creep back. So then I figured that maybe I hadn't really taken care of my sugar cravings. I head for sugar when I'm frustrated or angry so I've decided to go for a walk or paint my nails or put some eyeliner and lip gloss on (I'm a stay-at-home) or head into our spare room and sort thru some boxes as an alternative to downing sugar when I'm frustrated or angry!

Activity level. I have my level set at sedentary so ANYTHING I do challenges my weight. I log going for walks; mowing the lawn; long afternoons cooking or baking; gardening; vacuuming the house. BUT I DON'T eat the exercise calories if I can possibly help it. I have had the odd goof but I think you could count them on one hand.

Food. I did the healthy thing years ago and found it expensive and awkward as I still had to cook for the family. AND I put on any weight I lost PLUS more. So this time I am eating what the others eat and I am watching portion size. Now that the warmer seasons are here I can see me eating lots of salads which the boys aren't keen on - for example last night I grilled pork sausages, prepared mashed potato and the plan was to have broccoli. I had one sausage, 1 cup mashed potato, lettuce, 1 T Greek Yogurt, beetroot and tomato YUM. I use Greek Yoghut in place of butter and margarine as a spread and also as a dressing. I try to keep away from cheese coz it kills the calories.

Motivation. I've finally found a reason that works. I'm doing this for ME. That's it, full stop. Yes I have health conditions but they were never enough to get me too far on the weight loss cycle. Yes they are improving but that's not what it's about. It's entirely for me.

I hope this helps you guys in some way. It's a really nice feeling when it all comes together. Take care and if I can help any of you at all, just give me a yell.

soehlerking

I will join you in the pity party I work so hard to resist...

I lost weight like it was my job. 43 pounds in 8 months. These last two pounds are OWNING me. I know I don't even have the right to complain, so I don't (most of the time). But man. Seriously. I haven't had a solid loss since like...August? And I feel like if I eat anything over 1300 calories (I do over an hour of strength/cardio 5x/week), I get pudgy and the scale wiggles up a little. It's like my body knows how badly I want to just be done losing, and it's toying with me.

Okay I'm putting on my big girl pants and dealing. 2 pounds ain't nothing to cry about.

butterfli7o

Thank you all so much for the reponses. I will be making a few changes to see if things move. I honestly never bothered to look at sugar intake much because I never use it...for my coffee and etc. I always use Splenda, so I never thought about how much of it might already be in the food I'm eating.

bipsqueen

I wasn't able to loose weight for a long time. I worked out 4-5 days a week at the gym for 2 years and lost a sum total of 7 lbs. Then 2-1/2 years ago I started watching two things, my sugar and my carbs. I have since lost 55 lbs. It may not work for everyone but that's how I got it off. Milk of any kind has 11-13 grams of sugar in an 8 oz glass! You really have to read labels carefully!! The diet I was on limited me to 15 grams a day. Now that I have lost the weight, it's more about staying within the daily calorie intake which seems to be working to keep the weight off. However, I still watch the sugar and carbs to make sure that things that are marketed as "healthy" really are.

PeachyKeene

Make sure you are measuring your portions properly.

Some of it may be water weight. Drink lots of water with real lemon juice added.

You may have hormone issues. When I first started trying to lose weight, I found it near impossible to lose. I went to a bioidentical hormone specialist, test showed I was lacking a lot of different hormones. Plus, test showed I had a hypothyroid. All have been corrected through medication and as long as I stick to my proper calorie count, I lose really well. Not 2 pounds a week because I am so close to my goal, but about a pound a week.

Walternator

I took a look at your diary and you have a lot of missing days/meals.

The science is pretty simple: calorie deficit = weight goes down, calorie surplus = weight goes up.

If your serious about losing weight then your first step is to be meticulous about logging everything you eat and all your workouts. Get solid in these two areas then look at your weekly averages of calories burnt vs calories consumed. The calorie counting cycle does not start over at the stroke of midnight. Your weight today is a result of your net calorie count over the last xx number of days/weeks.

I can tell from my own experience that working towards weight loss can be a terribly frustrating experience if you are not keeping accurate logs of what you are doing. I have experimented with a number of diets including keto/low carb etc. and have lost weight here and there on all of them. But I never had consistent success until I got consistent with my logging.

likemeinvisible

You are skinny-fat, I was the same. You need to burn the fat and little bit of cardio won't do it ! do lots and lots of cardio, and eat less. Once your CVS is strong and your BF% is low you can go on a surplus and lift heavy to build muscle. Or not. I eat to maintain and do very little strength work. Depends on your goals.

hollyNhollywood

Well, I lose very slowly too and and am lifting. It has basically taken me 9 months to lose 25 lbs but I've gone from size 12 to size 6. Something else odd I've noticed- people start asking me if I've lost weight whenever I haven't lost for a few weeks. Really while I'm dropping no one notices, but then a month with no change and suddenly people ask if I've lost more. Our bodies are just strange!

I experienced this too! I saw my best friend and her husband after losing about 20lbs and her husband told me that he couldn't see the change. (He of course tried saying that he's always seen me as I appeared at that time). About 4-6 weeks go by and I only lost about another pound, maybe two, in that time and I see them again. And he says that he can totally see I've lost weight since last time. Too funny.

My weight loss has also been slow going. 23 lbs in almost 5 1/2 months. And of course majority of it was the first month or two. But I personally just try to focus on this being my new lifestyle and I know the weight will come off. Just a little slower than I expected.

lallaloolly

i don't have much weight to lose, and every time i lose a pound i seem to gain it back... my scale has been in the same place for 2 months... BUT... this is a happy story, because i've lost many inches, my clothes fit so much better, legs and arms are tighter, middle is getting smaller, and things have definitely shaped up. (i blend 30DS/RI30 5 days a week, and i hike a mile uphill and back 5 days a week with my dog).

it takes a long time to lose the fat around your belly, thighs and butt. we store much more there, so it takes a lot longer to come off than the rest of your body. i've had to let go of the scale, and focus on the fact that i am doing what i need to do to shape up and get fit, and one day, my body will be where i want it to be, and that might not be the magic scale number i have in my head.

Pentdad

You know for an overweight person, rather than a morbidly obese person, unless you start some harsh trials for your body such as heart attack diets and fasting (certainly not for everybody), the weight isn't going to drop off dramatically. If you're only around 30-40lbs over it could take months and months.

For the 400 pounder he could see a loss of 12lbs in his first week- but what would he give to be starting at 210? My conclusion is, dramatic weightloss only occurs with a) extreme diets, b) normal diets on massive people

sarahrbraun

What allergy med was this??

I was on Claritin for 3 weeks, then my respiratory therapist told me to switch to Zyrtec because I was still having issues that were causing asthma flares. I have been on Zyrtec for a month.

That would be odd if that was the problem. I have also been taking Zyrtec (albeit a generic version) for 3 weeks. Before that I had lost about 3-4 pounds over the course of 3 weeks. And now I have lost about .5 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Hmmm.... I really have no idea if that could be the problem, or why it would affect things. But I may just need to find out.

mine is the cheapest generic version I could find. I cannot afford $20 for 10 days or whatever. I found a store that has it for $10 for 30 days, $15 for 45.