Just can't seem to lose any weight!

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tlilly80
tlilly80 Posts: 27
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I am getting ready to throw in the towel. I have been using the site for 2 weeks now but I have actually been calorie counting and excersizing for over a month. I have probably lost a total of 5-7lbs. I know that might seem like a lot of weight to some...but....I have quite a bit to loose! (and I've always lost a lot of weight upfront when I start eating better and working out)

I am averaging 1500 calories a day and doing 45-50 minutes of excersize 5-6 days a week. (Usually a brisk 3 mile walk or 3 miles on an excersize bike). On friday I am going to have my thyroid checked due to the weight issues and other things.

Anybody out there that could give me some advice or inspiration? I could really use it!

Replies

  • williams3023
    williams3023 Posts: 49
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    I believe your answer is simple, eat more. You need a defecit of roughly 450 calories to lose 1 lb a week. A bigger defecit doesnt always mean you are going to lose more weight. If you are not feeding your body when working out you metabolism will slow. Good Luck! You can do it!
  • Hermit4Hire
    Hermit4Hire Posts: 197
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    Your quote says "mom on a mission". If you're really going to give up after 2 weeks, that's a very unimpressive mission. You've lost 7 pounds in 4 weeks, that's just about the maximum for healthy loss.

    What would happen if you gave up? Just forget it and get bigger and bigger? How does that make any sense?

    You're a smart person just for wanting to start. Keep up the solid program and it will happen. You can't rush it. It is hard work. Nothing worthwhile is easy to attain.
  • p8ntballa00
    p8ntballa00 Posts: 16
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    The only thing that comes to mind, is (if you're not already doing this) Cut out pop and juices. They contain TONS of empty calories and they will add that weight back. When i first dropped pop, i lost 5 lbs a week without doing anything else. If that's to no avail, try getting with a partner. Online or in real life. They can be invaluable to your self esteem. I work better in a team anyway. Hope i helped somewhat. I know i kinda stated the obvious, but as a paramedic, sometimes the obvious is the thing thats needed the most.
  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
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    :flowerforyou:

    Take advantage of the boards - you'll find tons of inspiration to continue on. You'll find people just like you that can help motivate you. Stick around a bit - you didnt put the weight on in a month, its not going to come off in a month. Hang in there.
  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    an average of 2 lbs a week is healthy.....you're doing great!
  • EmilyAnn89
    EmilyAnn89 Posts: 564 Member
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    don't give up! i almost gave up when i became pregnant again (unexpectedly) if i would have done that, i wouldn't be where i am now. it's a struggle for me everyday to try to cut calories and work out. and i slip up a lot. each time i take a step backward though, i try to take 2 steps forward. it is a hard process to lose weight!! after having 2 kids i've gained a lot that i didn't want! you just have to keep pushing yourself! work through the hard times and trust me you will see results and be so happy that you didn't give up! i know you can do it!
  • acarlson526
    acarlson526 Posts: 2 Member
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    I have been dieting since January and have only been on this site for a week, I feel like it's easier for me to stay on track with this site and it motivates me more depending on if I feel like working out or not. I just started working out and I only consume roughly 1200 calories a day, I work for a doctor and she said that's fine but anything less than 1200 you wouldn't be getting the nutrients you need. So with that said I think you should stick to and don't give up I've lost 15 lbs since I started and I do feel like I should have lost more than that but if you average it out that's a little more than 1lb/week. My motivation was almost lost too after 1 month because I felt like I was changing so much but getting no results, but if you stick to it, you will see results. Plus the faster you loose the weight the easier it is to put it back on.
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
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    You've done well, don't give up. The weight didn't get put on in one month, and it won't all come off in one month.
  • cruisegirl
    cruisegirl Posts: 43 Member
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    Don't give up!! Can you make your food/exercise diary for us to see? I'll friend request you. I've only been here for almost 2 weeks and I've lost 2.5 lbs. My husband started when I did and he's lost 5 lbs! We didn't gain our pounds in a few weeks and it's certainly going to take more than a few weeks to get rid of them. Are you eating your exercise calories? Since I'm new here, I'm definitely not the expert, but I believe you're supposed to eat your exercise calories. If you're exercising every day or almost every day, you're adding a lot of calories to consume. Some of the other people that have been here for a while hopefully can give you more advice about that. Sounds like you need to jump-start your metabolism. Maybe switch exercises around. Don't do the same thing every day.

    I have a friend who is overweight and she has been running for years. When I say 'running', I mean 15 miles a day, goes to the gym, everything. She never loses weight. I think her body has just gotten used to what she does so her metabolism is 'stuck'.

    You hang in there and don't quit!!
  • ractayjon
    ractayjon Posts: 365
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    So you have been "working on this" for 4 weeks and you have lost 5 - 7 pounds. Let's just say 6 pounds to make this easy. So 6 pounds in 4 weeks woul dbe about 1.5 pounds per week.
    What part of this is not ok with you?
    What do you expect?
    A healthy weight loss...one that will stay off and not come back... is no more then 2 pounds a week. You are losing 1.5 ish a week - sure maybe a bit more one week and bit less the next but on average 1.5.
    What good is giving up going to do? Stay with it and in 4 weeks you may be down another 4-8 pounds - give up and either be exactly where you are or (gasp) gain some weight.
    You didnt get to where you are overnight and its not going to come off overnight either.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
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    Just keep doing what you're doing. You've lost a reasonable amount of weight in the given amount of time- stop putting unrealistic expectations on yourself! Like people have said, this isn't a race and you're not going to magically transform overnight.

    I know how easy it is to want a quick fix- and there are diets out there that will help you lose weight fast. But the fact is, those diets don't work long-term and if you take that route, you will more than likely lose weight and then gain it right back. Focus on making healthy, sustainable, long-term changes to your lifestyle. THESE are the changes that will not only help you lose weight, but also become a healthier person overall and KEEP the weight off.

    This board is a great source of information and inspiration. If you're letting yourself get bummed out now- wait until you hit your first plateau! And you WILL hit a plateau eventually- it happens to us all! I had a period of a month where I didn't lose a single pound. The fact is, you WILL experience challenges, you WILL get frustrated, and losing the weight you put on will NOT be easy. So it's up to you- are you going to suck it up and do what it takes to be the person you want to be, or are you going to throw in the towel? You're the only person who can make that decision. You can either push on in the face of frustration, or you can give up. It's your journey.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    I WISH I could have lost that much in the beginning. I tracked and worked out like a mad woman for 7 weeks on this site before I raelly started to see any weight loss. Had to get those muscles going and my body used to working out, eating less, etc. before it started to kick in good metabolic gear and head in the downward direction.

    Don't give up! You are doing great!

    Maybe read some of the posts about exercise calories and eating them, etc. to give you ideas to keep on this good trend of losing.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Because giving up is going to get you where you want to be? :laugh:

    As everyone else has said, you're doing great! I doubt you gained that much weight in a month, what makes you think you're going to lose it that quickly? My weight loss lived up to my expectations (of over 10 pounds a month) for a few months, and then came to screeching halt. If I had stopped as soon as I hit that wall, I wouldn't have lost the 11 pounds I've lost since then. Sure, it's taken me 2 months to lose those 11 pounds but who cares?!
    I have nothing to "quit!" This is my life. I've found healthy foods that I love and healthy physical activities I really enjoy. I LOVE my life now -- so much more than I did before. I never would've gotten to this point if I had quit after a few weeks. Tomorrow is my 7 monthiversary with MFP. And I'll be here for many more months. Enjoy the JOURNEY, hun! This is your life we're talking about here. And you (and everyone you love) are worth it.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
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    Just because in the past you lost a lot of weight starting out, doesn't mean this will be the same. As we grow older our metabolism slows down and losing the weight can become more difficult. Plus if you have started working out again, your muscles could be retaining water, which might make it seem you aren't losing the weight as fast as you like. Be proud that you have lost that much in a month and don't give up. You might want to shoot for smaller goals rather than looking at the big picture. I am going to assume you didn't gain the weight overnight, so it won't come off overnight.

    Best of luck.
  • acakeforawife
    acakeforawife Posts: 207
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    Keep with it! I had a lot to lose when I started too (over 100lbs), and I too expected big losses, at least in the first couple of weeks, right?! But I lost 6 lbs in the first 6 weeks -- I was so depressed! Haha! And you know what, my losses never really got any faster. But now, after a year and a half, I'm down 85 lbs and I'm just 17 lbs away from my goal. I eventually realized -- hey, time is going to be go by anyway, and at the end of the year I can be thinner or fatter. And I realized that even if I was only 6 lbs thinner, that was STILL better than FATTER! :laugh:

    So I honestly can't say enough about SLOW AND STEADY. It really is the way to go! The best thing is I know that after a year and a half of working at this, I have built up habits that will really and truly stay with me for a lifetime. I'd much prefer that to cutting all the carbs out of my diet, losing 20 lbs and gaining them back the second I get a whiff of some bread!! :happy:
  • jbuffan218
    jbuffan218 Posts: 275 Member
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    Tilly,
    After 2 weeks to 1 month of doing this your thinking of quitting , already? Why?
    You say you have lost 5-7 lbs in a month, well that seems to be right on track. What did you expect?
    Did you seriously think you would have lost ....what? 20-30 lbs? Seriously?
    I know we all want to loose 10 pounds a week,myself included, but thats not realistic nor is it healthy.
    Not to take anything away from you but I have been doing this since Jan 5th and I have lost a grand total of 10 freakin' pounds!!!!
    I have been diligent on the food and water, my area of weakness is the crappy exercise, very in-consistant. But every day I vow to do better than the day before. Some days I succeed and some days I dont. But if I dont do this now , when will I ? Is it going to be easier next year? Next summer do I want to wear a pair of shorts with confidence or spend my summer in old lady capri's"
    No, I want to put on a sleeveless blouse and know that my arms look good, wear a pair of shorts and gladly shave my legs every day because they will be tan and smooth. No matter what your reason, it's important to you.
    Saying all that, quitting is not an option. Not for me anyway. Why would I just quit? For what benefit? How is anything ever going to change if I just quit because this isn't happening as fast as I wish it would? If you quit now what will be any different next week? Are you going to loose more than 5-7 lbs next month if you just quit? Your 29 years old , trust me when I tell you that if you wait until you are my age you will regret it, besides I dont think you will stay at your current weight for the next 21 years, more than likely you will gain some. If comes off at at a snails pace when you get older so, do it now while your young. Personally I would be thrilled with 7 pounds in a month, I would jump for joy ! That would be 7 pounds closer to goal rather than 7 pounds on my *kitten* or belly.
    When I get frustrated or pissed off, I just ask myself ( out loud to myself) " What do I REALLY want?"
    Only you will know the answer, but you will know. And no matter what it is, it's important.
    I hope you hang in there, for your sake.

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