I am getting depressed!
donna56
Posts: 412
I have been back on here faithfully for about three weeks now. I have lost only 3 lbs total and I haven't weighed myself for atleast a wk because I feel and look like I have gained it back and maybe a pound or two more. I feel so darn bloated it isn't even funny. I have been staying under my calories, but not enough to be in starvation mode. I don't understand what exactly I am doing wrong. My food diary is public so feel free to check it out, I don't think it is that bad. I am under the calories. I am getting depressed because I feel like I am failing big time at this and I don't want to. Tomorrow morning I am going to weigh in and I just know it isn't going to be good.
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Replies
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If you're really bloated maybe you need to do a little colon cleanse type thing. I have this tea...Super Dieters Tea, its not a huge harsh thing but if I drink some at night, a couple hours before bed, when I get up I have a pretty cleansing experience and it helps me with bloat, I only do it a few times a week.0
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Don't get discouraged. It takes time for your body to adapt to your new lifestyle. Keep eating healthy foods and exercising and you will definitely start to see results.0
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Well, the alcohol consumption could be holding back your weight loss. Also, you need to consume a bit more water every day to flush out the excess sodium we get from processed food. Just my opinion.0
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If you're really bloated maybe you need to do a little colon cleanse type thing. I have this tea...Super Dieters Tea, its not a huge harsh thing but if I drink some at night, a couple hours before bed, when I get up I have a pretty cleansing experience and it helps me with bloat, I only do it a few times a week.
Actually, I was just thinking about running, not literally, to the store and getting some milk of magnesium( I am sure I spelt that wrong) anyway sometimes when I feel like this I take that. I works well in the cleaning out.0 -
Do you know how much fiber you are getting a day??0
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Donna,
It looks like your carbs intake is to high and your protein intake is to low. Try going into the settings and customizing your dietary allowances. With your carb intake being so high and protein so low, you are probably matching your carb burning to intake ratio. I am not a big fan of extremely low carb diets, rather I favor a "lower" carb / higher protein diet. Try setting your carbs to 40 - 50% of your diet. It will be hard at first, because you are probably like me, and I LOVE my carbs. The first week or two are hard, and it can be tough to meet all your protein needs, but it's important.
Are you exercising at all? Just going for a walk every day or every other day will go a long way towards burning carbs. I find heart rate training a great help because it gives you something to focus on while you are exercising. If you're not familiar with heart rate training, it exercising to maintain your heart rate at 65% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) so for me it is 220 - 34 = 186 is maximum normal heart rate and 65% of that is 121. When I exercise, such as the eliptical trainer I try to keep my heart rate between 120 and 130. This is the ideal range to maximize fat burning. I joined Planet Fitness and love it. It is cheap too - $10.00 a month and no contract.
Good luck,
Kyle0 -
I agree that you should just give your body time to adjust. Don't get discouraged! The only sure fire way to lose weight (in my experience of going up and down) is just to be persistent with cutting calories and exercising. I have those days that I feel like I've done everything right but I"m scared to hop on that scale because I feel so bloated! Just avoid the scale for those few days and keep doing what you're doing! Good luck!0
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I have been back on here faithfully for about three weeks now. I have lost only 3 lbs total and I haven't weighed myself for atleast a wk because I feel and look like I have gained it back and maybe a pound or two more. I feel so darn bloated it isn't even funny. I have been staying under my calories, but not enough to be in starvation mode. I don't understand what exactly I am doing wrong. My food diary is public so feel free to check it out, I don't think it is that bad. I am under the calories. I am getting depressed because I feel like I am failing big time at this and I don't want to. Tomorrow morning I am going to weigh in and I just know it isn't going to be good.
How's your sodium levels? I ask only because I didn't see it tracked but I see alot of deli meats, pickles, mustard, salad dressing, V8 juices etc., lots of sodium items, I track sodium not for any reason other than for myself as it always blows my mind how much is in foods. Deli meat has very very high sodium, as does anything else processed, canned juices etc. I love me a pickle but the sodium, OMGgggggg! I have to want to want a pickle pretty bad
Might be interesting for you to track it for a bit to see how it adds up for you, that could be why you're feeling the way you are.
But hey 3 lbs. in 3 weeks isn't bad! :flowerforyou: That's a safe amount for losing weight!! It's pretty awesome actually:drinker: I know sometimes it's so easy to get impatient with the process but we not only want to drop the weight but we want to keep it off as well, so slower to lose means keeping off the weight long term. :flowerforyou:0 -
I would definatley check your sodium .... salt is a culprit when trying to lose weight .... salt is in everything ... having too much is not good ... and drink lots of water to flush out your system ... best of luck to you0
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Donna,
Milk of Magnesia (MOM) to "clean you out" is a REALLY BAD IDEA!. I am a critical care nurse, so I have a little experience here. MOM has sugar alcohols in it, including sorbitol, which when taken in excess, cause the bowel motility to increase dramatically and causes diarrhea. Diarrhea is a BAD way to lose weight and it does nothing to clean you out, it just takes away the important water, salts, and electrolytes that you need. Please do not use any medication or pretty much any product to clean yourself out. That is false and temporary weight loss and is it does nothing to burn off fat calories. It is a very dangerous thing to get into.
Kyle0 -
Ahem...don't take this the wrong way but I get more fiber in my typical breakfast than you do all day which could be why you're feeling a bit bloated.0
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I only had a quick look at 4-5 days and my impression was that you're eating is basically healthy. There was a couple of minuses, but it looks like they're really in moderation, so I don't think they'd cause you problems. Do you have cholesterol problems? If not, get rid of cholesterol in the fourth column and add in iron and calcium. You possibly aren't getting enough iron, I don't know.
The biggest stand out thing was that I didn't see any exercise. I don't know what your fitness level is like, but assuming you haven't been exercising for quite a while, If you start doing moderate exercise 3 times / week (say 30 minutes of brisk walking, if you haven't been active for a while, you'll have to judge what's right for you) then you might find things turn around.
This will not only strengthen your muscles (yes, even walking does that) which makes daily activities easier and less exhausting, it also releases endorphins which get you feeling good instead of lethargic. And you'll have to eat more to keep your calorie balance, which means more nutrients and more yum.
If you don't know where to start exercise wise, I can't recommend yoga enough. Many people don't like it because they aren't flexible. The key to doing yoga well is not to push yourself. Yoga should be at least 60% relaxing and only 40% exerting. And actually the more you relax while you're doing it, the better your results will be. There is a free youtube channel I sometimes use when I want to do yoga at home: http://www.youtube.com/user/sadienardini
Mix that in with some brisk walks on alternate days and I think you'll start feeling more energetic and less bloated and also start getting better results on the scales.
Above all, have patience. Remember life is an endurance event, not a sprint.0 -
No expert here, but I read your diary and I saw: salt, salt, salt and beer. :drinker: Maybe switch the V8 to low sodium version, or cut one out, or make your own. Mix up your proteins a bit cuz the salt will make you retain water like crazy which could be why your scale refuses to cooperate. Instead of deli meat, maybe egg salad. For dinner, try chicken or fish. I think If you lower your salt intake you will begin to see some results. keep us posted.
Mel 0 -
Are you exercising at all? Just going for a walk every day or every other day will go a long way towards burning carbs. I find heart rate training a great help because it gives you something to focus on while you are exercising. If you're not familiar with heart rate training, it exercising to maintain your heart rate at 65% of your maximum heart rate (220 minus your age) so for me it is 220 - 34 = 186 is maximum normal heart rate and 65% of that is 121. When I exercise, such as the eliptical trainer I try to keep my heart rate between 120 and 130. This is the ideal range to maximize fat burning. I joined Planet Fitness and love it. It is cheap too - $10.00 a month and no contract.
Good luck,
Kyle
I am excercising 5 days a week, walking usually @ 3 mph due to lung issues, and I am using what MFP says I am burning instead of what my treadmill says. ( my treadmill says more) and I have recently started dancing to the oldies, hehehe for the past few days. I try to keep my heart rate @ 1220 -
I would definatley check your sodium .... salt is a culprit when trying to lose weight .... salt is in everything ... having too much is not good ... and drink lots of water to flush out your system ... best of luck to you
Since I cut sodium & sugar down to nil I have been really seeing the pounds come off. And I like my wine so I have a couple glasses a couple of times of week. RED of course (ggod for your heart) LOL
So yes I agree that you might need to watch the sodium intake - good luck and really 3lbs/3wks NOT BAD, cut yourself some slack0 -
First - 3lbs in 3 weeks is entirely reasonable. We aren't doing "biggest loser" here, you aren't going to see 10lbs a week lost. So first I'd ask you to adjust your expectations.
I too looked at your food diary and you are getting almost double the sodium you should be getting. There is the bloating issue.
Alcohol should be eliminated entirely until you are at a weight you would like to maintain.
Still, 1lb a week is a very good weight loss pattern. It's sustainable, it's not a "diet", and I really think that slow and steady weight loss is the key to being able to maintain your "happy weight" later on.0 -
Hi Donna.
I checked out your profile and since your diary is public I looked at today and I think I may be able to give you some clues as to what is going on. FYI, we are about the same age--I am three years older.
I looked at your diary and the first thing I noticed is that you are tracking cholesterol, in addition to carbs, fat, protein and calories. Unless you have some overwhelming need to track your cholesterol, I would suggest eliminating that category and replacing it with sodium. I assume you know that you can customize your food diary to track what you want to. Then I would also start tracking fiber. To make changes in your food diary, just click on the "settings' link while you are on the food diary page.
That said, I think you will find your diet is higher in sodium than you might think. Regular V8 is loaded with sodium. You have logged 16 oz today and that is 960 mgs of sodium!!! That is almost half of the recommended amount. There are a couple of different numbers I see thrown around for daily usage 2400 mgs, or 2200. I stick with the lower nbr because I used to take meds for high blood pressure--happily I am off of them as of January. I usually consume around 1700 -1800 mg of sodium on an average day.
Another source of sodium is processed lunch meat. Unfortunately ham is usually high in sodium. I looked up the one you had entered and 3 oz has 660 mg of sodium. The canned green beans you posted for dinner have another 400 mg. (Frozen beans usually have almost no sodium--as long as you don't get those with sauces added.) So just those three items you have consumed 2020 mg sodium!!! And that is for just 3 entries in your diary!! This is a contributing factor to why you might feel bloated. There could be other reasons as well, food allergies, health conditions that you haven't mentioned or are not aware of.
I use the low sodium version of V8 and find that I like the taste better if it is room temperature, rather than from the fridge, but that is a personal preference.
Also, since you are not tracking fiber, you probably don't realize how little you are getting. Consider replacing your white bread with a whole grain bread, or whole grain sandwich thins. With the thins you get two slices to work with and the total calories for both are about 100 with most of the thins out there. I see you used 6 teaspoons of non dairy coffee creamer. This is processed empty calories, and you would be better off to changed your milk to skim, from 2% and use milk in your coffee instead. Whenever possible, use fresh fruit rather than canned. That reduces the amount of sugar you are getting and will increase your fiber content. For example a fresh apple rather than processed applesauce. A couple of clementine oranges, rather than a fruit cup with orange slices and sugar laden syrup.
There is lots of nutrition information available on this site and elsewhere on the internet. I wish you well in achieving your goal, and hope my suggestions are helpful. Since you are in the right age group, I would also like to invite you to the 50 + women's thread--here is a link to the current thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/93006-women-ages-50-for-april?page=4#posts-1291958
EDIT: Some of what I said is repeated above this post, but I started my message before any of the others were posted. 0 -
I have been back on here faithfully for about three weeks now. I have lost only 3 lbs total and I haven't weighed myself for atleast a wk because I feel and look like I have gained it back and maybe a pound or two more. I feel so darn bloated it isn't even funny. I have been staying under my calories, but not enough to be in starvation mode. I don't understand what exactly I am doing wrong. My food diary is public so feel free to check it out, I don't think it is that bad. I am under the calories. I am getting depressed because I feel like I am failing big time at this and I don't want to. Tomorrow morning I am going to weigh in and I just know it isn't going to be good.
How's your sodium levels? I ask only because I didn't see it tracked but I see alot of deli meats, pickles, mustard, salad dressing, V8 juices etc., lots of sodium items, I track sodium not for any reason other than for myself as it always blows my mind how much is in foods. Deli meat has very very high sodium, as does anything else processed, canned juices etc. I love me a pickle but the sodium, OMGgggggg! I have to want to want a pickle pretty bad Might be interesting for you to track it for a bit to see how it adds up for you, that could be why you're feeling the way you are.
But hey 3 lbs. in 3 weeks isn't bad! :flowerforyou: That's a safe amount for losing weight!! It's pretty awesome actually:drinker: I know sometimes it's so easy to get impatient with the process but we not only want to drop the weight but we want to keep it off as well, so slower to lose means keeping off the weight long term. :flowerforyou:
I have to agree with the sodium intake. I just noticed mine today and wow!! that's alot of salt. I have to drink lots of water to flush that out. Will be tying to find way to do that.0 -
too much sodium & far too little fibre. But increase your fibre gradually! Apples are great source of fibre, applesauce is not so much.0
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First, I just want to encourage your efforts. Several have commented about the sodium and I just had to share... I actually started this diet because of high blood pressure issues, so in my diary I kept track of my sodium intake and was amazed at the amount that I was unknowingly consuming.
I am glad to say that the first success that I celebrated was the day I saw my blood pressure (without medication) in the normal range. I felt better, so I continue to keep track of the sodium in my diet. I'm fortunate to have the time to make a lot of my own food, so I can control the sodium. It has made a huge difference for both me and my husband. Also, there are many "low sodium" and "no added sodium" products on the market these days, which make it a little easier.
Good luck to you.0 -
Your diary does not show your sodium. If you go to food, settings, you can add sodium to what you watch. If I go over in sodium I get bloated and gain0
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I would track your sodium. Get your water in. I recently changed my carbs to 35% protein 40% fat 25%. It does take some learning and retraining to eat like this. Hang in there and keep your chin up! You can so do this!:bigsmile:0
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Donna, lots of good advice here! I would just like to ditto what a couple of others have said about 1 pound per week being really good for women our age! Just remember, we're here for you! We need to be kind to ourselves. Big Hug!0
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I want to thank each and every one of you for your reply and advice, The sodium tab is now in place in my food diary
Some very good advice, that's just what I need, advice. I am far from being health savy so all is appreciated. Thank you all. 0 -
I want to thank each and every one of you for your reply and advice, The sodium tab is now in place in my food diary Some very good advice, that's just what I need, advice. I am far from being health savy so all is appreciated. Thank you all.
Glad we could help you. I looked back a couple of days and you have been going over on your sodium. As soon as I see red in the sodium category I am almost 100% guaranteed for the scale to go up the next day. :ohwell: Then I just drink a LOT of water and hope it flushes. Sodium is the worst0
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