Really really frustrated...

xoRein13

For specific reasons I'd rather not get into, I MUST weigh 145 or less by the end of Dec. According to my brand new digital scale, I am at 164 lbs. I was at 165 last month when I started counting calories and super working hard at my warehouse job. I burn way over 1000 calories a day and still stay under 1500 calories a day when I eat; my normal is under 1200 but when I work so hard I end up needing to eat a little more to keep myself going.

So for the first week of November, with everything I did, I had lost 2 lbs. Second week, lost another 2 lbs. But even since then I've been fluctuating up and down the SAME 5 lbs!!! I'm so frustrated, depressed, and discouraged I wanna cry my eyes out ALL the time!

What am I doing so wrong? I record all my warehouse work as my exercise and even then I only account for 1 hour of working out on site for every FOUR hours I actually work at the warehouse. I lift and move boxes 8+ hours a night and lately its been almost constant 12 hour shifts. And I eat relatively healthy too; I don't shovel tons of garbage in my mouth but I'm still not seeing the weight loss like I'm pretty damn sure I should!

On top of that; I think I lost a whole pant size too now! But my scale still reads 164 lbs. I'm on a daily dose of anti-depressants, could that be doing this to me? I have no idea what to do...how do I drop 20 lbs in a month? It should've been easy to drop 10 lbs last month and 10 lbs this month doing what I've been doing but its just not going down....:'(

Dementedllama

I'm in the saaaame boat here.

pixiestick

You should open up your diary so that we can see what's going on. It's hard to advise otherwise.

mockchoc

If you are eating 1200 and burning 1000 that means you are netting only 200! Your body is being starved which is why you won't lose. Find out what your TDEE is and eat 15% below that and you should lose. It might take a little while because of what you've been doing for it to drop.

onyxgirl17

Tough love here. 20 pounds in one month is not really doable unless you do some kind of crash diet(not advisable), you will lose water weight predominantly, and you will gain the weight right back. You can't really put a timeline on losing weight, good luck though.

kayduro

I don't think it is realistic (or healthy) to lose 20 lbs in a month. If you open your diary, I can take a look and make suggestions to help you improve your eating so you can continue at a 1-2 lb per wk loss.

ETA: not that it is unrealistic or unhealthy for ALL people. But considering you are so close to your goal weight, loss becomes slower the closer you get.

dakotababy

Alright. First off - Do you HAVE TO get down to 145 by the end of december? are you going to die if you don't?

From the sounds of it - you are not eating enough. It sounds like you take in 1500 calories a day...but you estimate a burn of 1000 a day. Thats only 500 calories you are living off of. Try to EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS.

onyxgirl17

you could always cut off a leg, you'll lose a bunch of weight then and make your goal....

envy09

16 pounds in one month is not really doable unless you do some kind of crash diet, and you will gain the weight right back. You can't really put a timeline on losing weight, good luck though.

Agreed. I would reevaluate why you NEED to weigh 145 at the end of December.

allisonistrying

Sounds like you are losing fat and gaining muscle since you've gone down a pants size. To me, it sounds like what you are doing IS working... but i echo the previous poster's concern you aren't eating enough.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

20 lbs in a month is not realistic or healthy. If your clothes are looser then you are making progress, but you need to relax. I get it-- I started this wanting to be smaller for my wedding. But I lost more easier after the wedding was over when I stopped stressing. Figure out your TDEE, then eat at a modest deficit. And try not to panic.

athens1000

From what other posters said, you are definitely not eating enough. The secret to losing weight is eating the right foods.. not just "less" foods.

Also, how long have you been on the medication? Is it new? Some of those meds (most of them) have weight gain as a side effect. That could be part of the problem.

Examine your food intake and go to a dietitian if possible.

nxd10

For specific reasons I'd rather not get into, I MUST weigh 145 or less by the end of Dec.

snip

On top of that; I think I lost a whole pant size too now! But my scale still reads 164 lbs. I'm on a daily dose of anti-depressants, could that be doing this to me? I have no idea what to do...how do I drop 20 lbs in a month? It should've been easy to drop 10 lbs last month and 10 lbs this month doing what I've been doing but its just not going down....:'(

I am going to assume you have a real reason for having to weight 145 pounds or less - like getting health insurance, losting your job staying in the military, or something like that. Otherwise this is just an arbitrary deadline that you don't need to meet.

Reading what you said, you are doing fine on a normal weight loss journey. You've lost weight and inches.

I was reading what you said as netting those calories - in which case some days you are going over because you're hungry because you're working hard physically. If that is not true, then people are correct in saying you're eating too little so you aren't taking weight off for that reason. That phenomenon is very well documented. It will also make you depressed and emotional.

Anti-depressants do make it hard to lose weight. They screw up water balance, among other things. But they are absolutely essential to your health.

The only healthy thing you can do if all those constraints you lay out are true is to eat as clean as possible. The best documented way to take pounds off quickly (not necessarily long term, but quickly) is a very clean very very low carb diet. They are extremely difficult to maintain, but if there is a real need, that is the healthiest way to do it safely.

However, one of the characteristics of depression is that you tend to build artificial boxes for yourself. So I'd ask yourself if you're in one.

Good luck.

xoRein13

I can't really explain my NEED to meet this goal by the end of the month...But basically I've had this goal almost all year and don't want to fail another time....:'(

Also, opened up my diary and such to public views....

onyxgirl17

I can't really explain my NEED to meet this goal by the end of the month...But basically I've had this goal almost all year and don't want to fail another time....:'(

Also, opened up my diary and such to public views....

Stop thinking of it as failure. Right now. I'm serious. You lost 16 lbs this year I suppose. Well guess what, that's FANTASTIC!!! You have not failed when it comes to your health.

Setting deadline goals is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment, which is exactly what you are doing right now.

So get out of your glumminess and love yourself for who you are... and who cares if you are 20 lbs more than you'd like to be, hell most of us that are here are too. You are working on changing that, and that's what matters.

wvval

As long as you are making some progress, you won't "fail again". If you've gone down a pant size, you are making progress. Just take your time and make small monthly goals.

BattlingMaxo

You need to eat 6 times a day, It's important to get you cut. By keeping your stomach full you will lose weight. Each time you eat you jack your metabolism. Make no mistake you need to eat small amounts each time. Set your Macros to 50 % protein 40% complex carbs and 10% fats DO NOT STARVE yourself eat a minimum of 10% minus your maintenance for the day You should also workout in a gym Lifting weights will protect your muscles so your weight loss should primarly be fat. Bodybuilders will go to a 500 cal deficit for the day X 7 days is 3500 cal =1 lb of fat loss a week That's what i did. Losing weight slowly is healthy. Hope this helps

Selunca

Looking at your diary, what little is logged, is all over the place. One day you eat 900 calories, the next you eat 1800. Your body is probably super confused. Find a calorie goal, and stick to it. and eat more, but also, don't eat such poor foods. Try vegetables, good carbs, and less processed foods. And stay away from diet shakes, their a joke, honey.

Good luck!!

envy09

Also, opened up my diary and such to public views....

You eat A LOT of processed foods. They also don't seem to have much nutritional value.

onyxgirl17

Looking at your diary... honey buns, easy mac, fries, lays potato chips. That's a lot of unhealthy choices don't you think? Your diet is similar to a teenagers. Your body is lacking the fuel it needs to work a job like the one you have. You need to start with better meal choices. Or at least take vitamins. Or something.

It would do you well to see a nutritionist I think.

zen82

You're not eating enough and you're going to make yourself poorly as hell if you continue this way. You're exercising / moving around a lot... it might be scary moving to eating more, but seriously, you need to. Your body needs to have fuel to get the most out of moving around and to not wither away - what you're doing with eating so little on this activity level is leading (almost 110% certain of this) to loss of lean mass not fat (or small amounts of fat, a bit of water, but mostly your body is eating its own muscle... worth remembering the heart is a muscle!!)... I'm scared for you that you want to lose 20lbs in a month and that you write about being disgusted with yourself on your profile. Try searching the forums for "In Place of A Road Map Revised 2.0" and there are a few threads of people talking about eating more (with the right sorts of macro nutrient balances) and exercising to lose fat. The first thread is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 and later ones have a link to a spreadsheet that can help you work out your numbers. I am now eating loads more than I was, lifting weights as well as my running, and have got down to the range I wanted to faster than I was approaching it with the starve self - hate self - give up - starve self - hate self cycle! Good luck! xx

envy09

You need to eat 6 times a day, It's important to get you cut. By keeping your stomach full you will lose weight. Each time you eat you jack your metabolism. Make no mistake you need to eat small amounts each time. Set your Macros to 50 % protein 40% complex carbs and 10% fats

No. You can eat as many times in a day as you want, as long as you're under your calorie goal. The "jacking" your metabolism myth has been thoroughly debunked. Also, her macros are completely dependent on her weight and goals, you can't just give her general weight lifter macros.

natalie412

You can't lose that much weight that fast and have it stay off. Unless you are really obese, which you are not. You need to eat a way more balanced diet. Less processed stuff, more protein. It will satisfy you more and help you feel better. I also think there is a good chance you are overestimating your calorie burn at work. Not to say you should eat less - I am a big believer in eating back your exercise calories, but don't overestimate what you are burning. Since you have such an active job, it might be beneficial to you to get a Fitbit or something like that to get a better idea of your daily burn, then eat 15% below that. It took me about 4-5 months to go from 165 to 145 (I am 130 now). I have been maintaining since May now.

thisisiamj

Agree with all of the above. All I see are processed foods and foods that are pretty unhealthy overall. This is a lifestyle change... You'd succeed not by losing 20 lbs by December, but sticking to a reasonable calorie deficit with healthy unprocessed foods.

lvtruu1

Wow, it really is calories in calories out but wow, you need to find some "healthier" options.

onyxgirl17

You need to eat 6 times a day, It's important to get you cut. By keeping your stomach full you will lose weight. Each time you eat you jack your metabolism. Make no mistake you need to eat small amounts each time. Set your Macros to 50 % protein 40% complex carbs and 10% fats DO NOT STARVE yourself eat a minimum of 10% minus your maintenance for the day You should also workout in a gym Lifting weights will protect your muscles so your weight loss should primarly be fat. Bodybuilders will go to a 500 cal deficit for the day X 7 days is 3500 cal =1 lb of fat loss a week That's what i did. Losing weight slowly is healthy. Hope this helps

no, this is inaccurate. You don't "need" to eat 6 times a day. I've lost weight just fine eating 3-4 times a day. Also those are weightlifters macros.

Looking at your diary, what little is logged, is all over the place. One day you eat 900 calories, the next you eat 1800. Your body is probably super confused. Find a calorie goal, and stick to it. and eat more, but also, don't eat such poor foods. Try vegetables, good carbs, and less processed foods. And stay away from diet shakes, their a joke, honey.

This is not really true either. Eating high and low calories on different days is called calorie cycling and is a pretty good way of keeping the metabolism guessing so as to not reducing it too much. Many people lose weight on this.


As to the OP, please see a nutritionist/dietician, they are the ones licensed to give advice.

cedarghost

You need to eat 6 times a day, It's important to get you cut.

This is wrong. Doing it won't hurt you, but it's wrong.

MCproptart

Look at my profile pic. See how much space 5# of fat takes up compared to 5# of muscle? This is why your pants are getting smaller while the scale stays the same. Keep eating, keep hydrated, and keep logging. Once your system has finished "recalculating" for this round, you will see the scale go down, too. I lost tons of weight in retail/warehouse, but it took more than a month.

agoofynut

I'd reevaluate whether or not 145 is even realistic. You said you've gone down a size, but not dropped weight, so it sounds like your body is changing even if the scale isn't. The scale is not the end all be all to fitness. Get a tape measure, evaluate your body fat % and let go of the "perfect" number.

kayduro

I agree with the others that you eat too much junk.you will feel tons better, physically AND mentally if you change that. Maybe look at others' diaries, people who have been doing this for a while and are successful.

basillowe66

One big thing, make sure you get 80 grams of protein each day. Protein burns fat . Realistically, you can't lose 20 lbs in a month. But if you workout hard almost everyday, you will notice, even if you don't lose a lot of weight, your clothes will fit you better, which is what we want anyway. Sto p weighing yourself so much also. Go everry 2 or 3 weeks. If you are getting more excersize than you used to do and if you are eating less, you are going to lose.
Like the other person pointed out, you should open up you eating table so we can help.

Add me to you friend list and I will help you

Basil