Motivational Tips Please!

Hearts_Desire

Like many many other people, I've tried dieting my entire life and never succeeded. And alas, here I am trying again. I would really love some insight on what some of you do for diet and exercise to help keep me on track.

I'm petite, standing at 5'1" and 137lbs. According to my doctor I should be around 118-123 lbs, which I have NEVER been able to achieve before. I know I'm not excessively overweight, but I would still like to get rid of the extra chub, however I clearly must be doing something wrong if I can't reach my goal! I would be so teeny if I could just get down to 123 and stay there.

I started dieting and using myfitnesspal again just a couple weeks ago and have been weighing myself every morning since then. (I usually weigh in once a week, but wanted to keep better tabs on myself this time.) i even dieted during Thanksgiving, which was no fun. Up until yesterday the scale said that I was 136.3, so naturally on top of my dieting and exercising daily, I've been pretty excited about my results these past few weeks. the numbers just kept decreasing. But this morning, I wake up to find that not only does my scale not show that I've lost weight, I actually GAINED almost 2 lbs seemingly overnight! I started at 140lbs, so it gave me reason to worry. now it makes me wonder if I've just been losing water weight this entire time or not, and it's bumming me out. I have self confidence issues and seeing the scale this morning makes me feel... Blah.

Last night I had a bowl of a vegetable I like to call 'Singkamas', and with it was a little bit of vinegar and salt. So I'm sure the sodium is what contributed to my weight gain. But my concern is that since I'm part Asian, my mother tends to make a lot of fatty/sodium filled meals, and dieting as I have been is like depriving myself of everything I'm used to eating. I've been sticking strictly to cereal, nonfat milk, brown rices, and overall teeny portions whenever I eat. I HATE exercise, but I go out at least 5 days a week to walk my dog at a fast walking pace. So with how little I've been eating, on top of my daily outings, the extra couple hundred or so calories burned helps! I've also been eating a lot of fruits, especially pineapple lately, but I hear that even THAT can be bad due to all the sugars consumed. Every day I go over my sugar intake, but everything else seems to be in check. So what do I need to do then, if everything I try to diet with seems to be bad? And how can I get rid of whatever water weight I have left (especially the weight I gained last night) just drink loads more water? And should my exercise regime be more intensive and sweaty?

I know it's a lot to read, but I've had no one to talk to about my dieting and it's all kinda bottled up until now. So thanks for your patience! Any advice would be great.

Hearts_Desire

Bump

susanswan

VEGGIES! You MUST eat VEGGIES! The more RAW VEGGIES you eat the more water, fat, whatever you will lose! You are used to eating fatty, salty Asian? Not a good weight loss regime IMO. In order to change your body, you must change your diet. ADD lots and lots of green leafies and other VEGGIES. Just sayin! Take it or leave it. But it works!

Rockwoodcommalindsey

Welcome! Truthfully... for me.. Water weight is only lost with good old fashoioned cardio! It takes a lot of effort and will power to get into routine, but once you do, you feel SO GREAT and it becomes addicting.
I recently went to a FREE zumba class that was offered at a place close by, grabbed a couple of my girls and we all went and had a blast. Its so FUN! and you burn like 300-500 calories a session, im pretty fit, but I was feeling it the next day. Maybe this is something to consider?

Good luck!!

Tranceusz

try some jiu jitsu. its a very team oriented and family oriented atmosphere and you burn a hell of a lot of calories rolling around on the ground.

tabbykat6802

I understand your struggle. I am 5'0 and am @ 135 right now. I am also looking for 115-120. i would love to be there for you as a friend who is on the same road I am.

I, myself, am not looking at this as a diet, but as a lifestyle change. I'm not going to quit and go back to the way it was after I get to my goal. so it's not a diet to me.

Here's what I doing right now:
I am watching what I put in my mouth and how much. I do not deprive myself of a treat once in a while-that would make the craving worse for me and derail me. I just make sure is a smaller amount than what I used to eat in the past.
I am exercising 5x/wk for at least 30 mins/day.
I am always looking to find new ways to incease my motivation and keep things exciting, so that I don't lose focus.
I love finding new friends/people that are here for me when I need them and can do the same for them.

Please take all of my ramblings as just that. A ramble of my observations of what's going on in my journey. I do hope that I was able to help you in any small way.

ParkerH47

Dont let one day throw you off hun!

You have been doing well thus far, so just keep at it... maybe try and cut back on the sodium and add some more veggies. But personally I wouldn't worry about the sugar from pineapple. Yes it has lots of sugar, but it also has lots of nutrients and fibre to balance it out.

Try not to be so hard on your self. If you don't see change - just try changing a part of your routine. Try doing some sit ups, lunges and push ups before bed. That bit of strength training can make all the difference.

Everyones body is different you just have to find what works for you

Be your own cheerleader!

Good luck, you will be just fine!

FitEndAg_i

Hello, I agree with linz3052, and the vege's. I'm a cyclist, if you call someone who rides a fixed speed Huffy a cyclist, that's my cardio and there are a lot of other benefitsl I also watch what I eat but not as well. Jump on the cardio and I bet you'll see great results!

butlerjandb

Hey there Hearts_Desire.... I completely know how you feel when you step on the scale and see the increase of 2 lbs. It's very discouraging. Yes, the water retention from eating a sodium filled food can hurt you in your motivation to keep seeing that scale go down. In fact, I myself experienced this today. I gained 1.2 lbs in two days. I know that my choice for dinner last night didn't help that at all. You'll also see your body weight change before, during and after your time of the month (if you still have that occuring). It's frustrating, but don't lose sight of your goal. Make better choices the next day and the day after and the day after.

If you are eating a lot of food that your mother is cooking, try to help her in the kitchen and come up with ways to keep the flavor but reduce the sodium. It can happen.... Even if that means she is adding salt on her own plate and not the over all meal. It's a suggestion, though I know it's not the easiest to get mom to change the way she's cooking and thinking.

If you can, try to get some cardio in, if you aren't already. There are lots of in home exercises. Some where you do them in a circuit type training so you don't get bored. (I have to do this type of excersizing.)

Best of luck and keep your head up!

yoovie

DropOfSweat

Maybe you should be eating more. I read somewhere that not eating enough could put your body in starvation mode resulting in lowering your metabolism. So grab a bit when you're hungry. Just make it something healthy. Yesterday, I went through a point of counting calories and still hungry later. Sure, I ate more calories than I was suppose to but when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was one pound lighter and minus one pound looks nice after the scale's been going up.

You should definitely add something else to your regular routine of walking the dog. Maybe take the dog for a run instead and you don't even have to be running the entire time. Run half way then walk back.

P.S. Don't be afraid to gain weight at the beginning. You have to build muscle before you lose the fat.

scottcr1rider

Check out the podcast "The Angriest Trainer", search for Vinnie Tortorich. If all else fails give his advice 2 or 3 weeks and see how much you lose!

stephv38

watch your carbs.... you might be surprised at that count with your cereal and brown rice. They are also likely contributing to your frustrating "im dieting" feeling. Carbs often increase cravings for me, as do sugars, even fruit sugars. Look at it in stages, right now maybe you decrease some of your fav foods, but it wont be forever! Just enough to give your body a good running start and your motivation level a boost!