Disheartened

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2

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  • danielehinds
    danielehinds Posts: 5 Member
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    I found this post very helpful!
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    I'm back on it!!

    Listened to everything everyone said and took it all on board - cutting out unecessary carbs, upping my fluid intake throughout the day and gave myself 2 consecutive days off the gym (first time in 8 weeks) and feel a million times better for it.

    Going to do some strength classes as well, i need to tone whilst I lose.

    Onwards and Downwards :) xxx
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    Whatever you do DON'T GIVE UP! Keep on doing your cardio keep logging calories cut out 'junk' carbs stay off the scales for 2 weeks don't focus on the numbers on the scales drink lots of water sipping it from a sports bottle throughout the day so you never feel really thirsty keep your goal in mind and go for it. One day you will get there and then you can reap the rewards you can be slim fit happy and healthy the only person who can stop you is you so don't give up try a hypnosis c d to help you focus keep you calm and inspired. There is no short cut to losing weight after all did you have a short cut to gaining it? Did you think I want to put on half a stone this week and I'd like it to go straight to my *kitten*? When you were gaining weight you were out of control now you are losing weight you are in control but you have to keep focused I cannot stress that enough. Losing weight starts in the mind and the body will comply as you take control. DON'T GIVE UP 'COS YOU'RE WORTH IT xxx
    btw since reaching my goal weight I have lost a further 9 lbs without trying I keep up with the exercise and eat healthy in fact I eat more now than I ever did I listen to my body and eat as soon as I start to feel hungry.

    Thanks Jeanette :) And WOW - you have done brilliant!! xx
  • levstein
    levstein Posts: 74
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    :bigsmile:
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    How many calories are you eating a day???

    Drink plenty of water and eat lots of protein!!!!!

    If your exercising, and burning calories, make sure your eating enough...........Not say 1200 a day
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
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    Here's a brief explanation of what seems to work and be sustainable for myself and quite a few others:

    Use a TDEE calculator, subtract 20% from this and try out what it spits out for a month or so and see what your body does, adjust up or down from there
    Eat adequate protein to ensure maintenance/building of LBM aka MUSCLE, 1-1.5g/lb of LBM or 0.8g/lb of bodyweight
    Eat adequate fat, roughly 0.3g/lb of bodyweight
    Fill in the rest of your calories however you choose, protein and fat are minimums, carbs are preferential
    Look into Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength or if you're a complete newb to lifting check out New Rules of Lifting for Women*, either way if you're not familiar with the lifts/movements google the hell out of it or buy the books
    If you enjoy cardio, do it, just not excessively, a HIIT or LISS workout here or there isn't going to hurt your gainz, but if your lifts start crapping out, cut back the cardio
    *You'll probably ditch it after a few months, most people I know rarely complete the entire program, they move on to something more advance after a couple months
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    Here's a brief explanation of what seems to work and be sustainable for myself and quite a few others:

    Use a TDEE calculator, subtract 20% from this and try out what it spits out for a month or so and see what your body does, adjust up or down from there
    Eat adequate protein to ensure maintenance/building of LBM aka MUSCLE, 1-1.5g/lb of LBM or 0.8g/lb of bodyweight
    Eat adequate fat, roughly 0.3g/lb of bodyweight
    Fill in the rest of your calories however you choose, protein and fat are minimums, carbs are preferential
    Look into Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength or if you're a complete newb to lifting check out New Rules of Lifting for Women*, either way if you're not familiar with the lifts/movements google the hell out of it or buy the books
    If you enjoy cardio, do it, just not excessively, a HIIT or LISS workout here or there isn't going to hurt your gainz, but if your lifts start crapping out, cut back the cardio
    *You'll probably ditch it after a few months, most people I know rarely complete the entire program, they move on to something more advance after a couple months

    I am completely lost. Totally. :-s What is TDEE? When I did a calculator for this, it spit out 2773 but I dont know what to do with that?? x
  • lcvaughn520
    lcvaughn520 Posts: 219 Member
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    Try taking your measurements. I've found that, even though I haven't lost much weight, my measurements are showing a significant amount of improvement. It's helpful when I feel frustrated that the scale isn't moving to remember that my body is still changing! And definitely start lifting weights - it is SO helpful. In fact, whenever I've lost weight in the past, it has been attributable, in large part, to weight lifting. It helps so much even though it seems counterintuitive.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    why are you eating very little fat?? the body NEEDS you to eat fat... just not excessive amounts...

    stop restrictive dieting... its self-defeating

    EAT THE FOOD!!! do not leave out entire food groups, especially carbs & fat.... try strength training instead of just cardio...

    I agree with the fat comment 100%...and weight lifting if you can.

    Also, how much do you eat in a day? You seem pretty active...
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Options
    Here's a brief explanation of what seems to work and be sustainable for myself and quite a few others:

    Use a TDEE calculator, subtract 20% from this and try out what it spits out for a month or so and see what your body does, adjust up or down from there
    Eat adequate protein to ensure maintenance/building of LBM aka MUSCLE, 1-1.5g/lb of LBM or 0.8g/lb of bodyweight
    Eat adequate fat, roughly 0.3g/lb of bodyweight
    Fill in the rest of your calories however you choose, protein and fat are minimums, carbs are preferential
    Look into Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength or if you're a complete newb to lifting check out New Rules of Lifting for Women*, either way if you're not familiar with the lifts/movements google the hell out of it or buy the books
    If you enjoy cardio, do it, just not excessively, a HIIT or LISS workout here or there isn't going to hurt your gainz, but if your lifts start crapping out, cut back the cardio
    *You'll probably ditch it after a few months, most people I know rarely complete the entire program, they move on to something more advance after a couple months

    I am completely lost. Totally. :-s What is TDEE? When I did a calculator for this, it spit out 2773 but I dont know what to do with that?? x

    TDEE = total daily energy expenditure, amount of calories burned including all daily activities and exercise
    BMR = basal metabolic rate, calories burned to sustain necessary bodily functions, like if you were in a coma or sleeping all day

    Calculate these both, I recommend using sedentary or lightly active for your TDEE. People often overestimate TDEE thinking that working out for an hour or two a few times a week makes them active... well, if you sit on your rear most of the day, that doesn't make you active. Active settings are for people who are active throughout most of the day.

    If you need any help, check out In Place of a Road Map in the forums and that has a good step by step process or PM me with your stats and I can help out too.
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    Fresh start today! Positive head on xx
  • cplanoue41
    cplanoue41 Posts: 34 Member
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    As someone said earlier you are at that point where you find out how strong you are. Lot's of people drop initial pounds, hit a wall, and give up. Make a choice to power through the wall and come out a different person. There will be lots of days where you put on your workout gear, step on a scale and it's unchanged or *gasp* up. Strong people ignore it and go work out anyway....weak people order a pizza, change to sweat pants (the comfortable ones, not the workout ones) and give up.. ........Don't order that pizza....just yet.....Good luck!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Fat does make you fat, carbs do! I eat 1600, 80-120g carbs, 120-140g protein and 70g fat per day. Works really well. Just. Keep to lots of healthy fats. I'm guessing you like in the UK like me where you are brainwashed into thing fat makes you fat.

    If your jot moving you may as well try my macros...

    30% carbs,
    35% fat
    35% protein.

    Home, goals, change goals, manual....

    If your eating little to not fat, I'm guessing your eating very high carb.

    Zara
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    why are you eating very little fat?? the body NEEDS you to eat fat... just not excessive amounts...

    stop restrictive dieting... its self-defeating

    EAT THE FOOD!!! do not leave out entire food groups, especially carbs & fat.... try strength training instead of just cardio...
    ^ This. A lot!

    Have you taken measurements? I use Fat2Fit Radio for my Body Fat percentage and I measure my neck, waist and hips once a month, and use that for a Body Fat % estimate (yes yes I know - calipers/proper tests but I am a freelancer and I can't afford it so this will do for now, before people start suggesting it!)
    I lost a load initially and then my loss slowed to a half a pound here and there.
    But when I did a measurement - I saw that even if the scales are largely not moving in a month, the inches are coming off and more importantly my body fat % is coming DOWN.

    Someone has mentioned TDEE and BMR - it took me ages to get my head around it, and now I swear by it. Do some research and REALLY get to the point where you understand it for yourself... there's plenty of threads out there - I do a variation of the roadmap (search in google for In Place of a Road Map or look at groups like Eat more to Weigh less - you don't HAVE to do any of this stuff, but it might give you a fresh perspective, or perhaps just nudge you in a different direction).

    These are the things that helped me:
    1) Portion control and really understanding how many calories were in things (that was two weeks of horror, let me tell you!!)
    2) Building up my cardio exercise - by the sounds of things you have nailed this.
    3) Introducing strength training into my routines - doesn't have to be much but something to mix things up
    4) Perseverence. You didn't put on this weight overnight, so why in god's name do you think it's going to drop off overnight?

    Don't give up... just be patient - this is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • Hughesers
    Hughesers Posts: 22 Member
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    try increasing the fat slightly you need the right balance between protein fat and carbs. You could also try changing the gym workout, the body sometimes need a shock change to start loosing. I go to the gym regularly and sometimes my body tells me it needs a change in class. Good luck x
  • yaybazinga
    yaybazinga Posts: 54
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    you've already received great advice here so all I can say is: hang in there! i know how you feel! I've been having this disheartened feeling as well lately but after a good workout that makes me realise that I'm getting stronger and more fit I feel better :) stupid scales!


    All calories are not equal. Well, they are in a calorimeter, which is used to measure calories. It will burn off everything. But the human body is not a calorimeter and digests different foods differently. One study found that only about two-thirds of the calories in almonds were digested.

    really?? HALLELUJAH I love almonds :D
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    I have recieved some FANTASTIC advice on this thread :)

    Worked out the following (which is not pretty reading for me):

    BMI - 39
    BRM - 1778
    TDEE - 2468
    TDEE -20% - 1900
    BF% - 49

    I actually understand all of the above now - thats a shocker for me! My goal now is to reduce my BF% and BMI :) xx
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Change up your exercise. Change up how much you are eating.. make sure you are eating enough.

    Add healthy fats into your diet. You need to be consuming some fat. Don't forget, dietary fat doesn't make you fat.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    I have recieved some FANTASTIC advice on this thread :)

    Worked out the following (which is not pretty reading for me):

    BMI - 39
    BRM - 1778
    TDEE - 2468
    TDEE -20% - 1900
    BF% - 49

    I actually understand all of the above now - thats a shocker for me! My goal now is to reduce my BF% and BMI :) xx

    Well first off - don't fret too much about BMI - it can be notoriously inaccurate - but instead work on the Body-Fat% - as a former athlete my BMI could be quite skewed despite my being able to jump over hurdles quite nimbly!

    I aim for between 15-20% TDEE deficit which gives a little bit of wiggle room, but then... I eat pretty much what I want, when I want (just a little less of it than I used to).
    And I can live with half a pound a week coming off...and when people stop me in the gym and tell me how much better I look... believe me it's worth the slower burn!

    Stick with it matey!
  • whairigaila
    whairigaila Posts: 71
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    I still have a few questions :-s

    I've input all my data and personalised goals but it still states im only gonna lose 0.5lb a week, surely that cant be right if im going on my TDEE - 20%?

    What meal ideas can anyone give me for lunches/breakfasts? I have a microwave at work but nothing else.

    xx

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