About to give up. Will I be this size forever? :-(

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  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    Sugar tracking seemed to help for many people on here.

    Also - limit your grain intake. The grains we eat today have been modified - Which is why when I have pasta, it has to be from italy where they are not modified apparently.

    Use a tiny amount of iodized salt as well - which may help with your hypothyroidism. Don't give up, just keep testing new things for a few weeks at a time. It's like a puzzle you just need to crack! ;)
    Almost all pasta from Italy is made from wheat grown somewhere else. Italy is far past the point of being able to grow enough grain to feed their population, let alone export.
  • Guisma
    Guisma Posts: 215
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    http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/treatment/vitamins.html
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    You should probably try things for six to eight weeks at a time before trying to change them up. If you are doing something consistently for that amount of time, and you don't see a loss, then it's time to change things up.

    Also, calculate your TDEE and subtract 20% - that is the amount of calories you should net per day.
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
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    Well to be honest... if you give up then yes, you will always be this size ...or get bigger again.

    There is a lot of good advice given.. do a process of trial and error. Pick one thing you think may help and commit to doing that at least one month, preferably two. If it doesn't help try something else. The other thing I would tell you is be diligent about logging every little thing every single day. You don't realize how easy it is to go over calories until you log all the tume.

    Good luck, stick with it.
  • marinegirl92
    marinegirl92 Posts: 184 Member
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    Hey you! Congratulations on your 65# loss! That's amazing.

    Every person's body is different... what works for one person may not work for another....

    * When I first started MFP I was checking lots of food diaries. The one thing that was shocking to me was how much water the big losers were drinking like 8 - 10 glasses of water a day. Once I started drinking more water it was amazing the overall health benefits. Maybe consider upping your water on a daily basis.

    * Low glycemic eating program - about 14 years ago I joined a 12 week program at my gym - the program started/ended with a doctor visit, 2 x week you sat down with a dietician, 3 workouts a week with personal trainer, 5x week 45 minute cardio, mandatory weekly support group participation and 4 visits with a therapist to ensure you didn't have an eating disorder. I lost 16 #'s in 12 weeks adhereing to low glycemic eating program. It was eye opening to learn the techniques of keeping your blood sugar consistent throughout the day and the importance of healthy fats. Fast forward to the end of last year, I gained most of the weight back cause I was lazy and had some life craziness.... Nov 2, 2012 I restarted the same eating regiment and lost 17.8 #'s so far.... maybe talk with your dietician to see if low glycenic is right for your body.

    * Weight workouts is mandatory! Muscle mass burns more calories than fat.

    Good luck you!

    YOU GOT THIS!
  • cljabusc
    cljabusc Posts: 48
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    I was at one point tracking sugar then I realized most of what I get is natural so I took it off.

    So whole wheat bread, no good? Yikes! Just when you think you are doing good...

    I haven't tried the salt, I've been using sea salt and just a sprinkle here and there. Not much.
    Sugar tracking seemed to help for many people on here.

    Also - limit your grain intake. The grains we eat today have been modified - Which is why when I have pasta, it has to be from italy where they are not modified apparently.

    Use a tiny amount of iodized salt as well - which may help with your hypothyroidism. Don't give up, just keep testing new things for a few weeks at a time. It's like a puzzle you just need to crack! ;)

    Doesn't matter if your sugar intake is natural or not. Sugar is sugar! If you have an exess in natural sugar your body stores that as fat too. I try not to eat more than 3 fruits a day. Blackberries are low in sugar.
    Keep trying different things, if one thing doesn't work for you, change it up and wait a month and see how you feel.
    I took a quick glance at your diary and it looks like you are making good choices. If I were you, I would eat waaayyy more vegetables. Eat them as snacks (at least 1 cup to fill u up) with hummus or light dips. Also what I did was make small goals for myself, not necessarily for weight loss, but for health. I cut out coffee for a week, and replaced it with tea with 1 tsp honey...and i did it! now i just drink tea with no sweeteners and have the occasional coffee when i go skiing or out for breakfast as a treat.
    Maybe you should invest in a heart rate monitor, and do a little research about where your "zone" should be while working out to get maximum results.

    You don't have to take all my advice, but these are things that I would do if i didn't see any results. I know I"ve only been on this site for a few weeks, but i find health and fitness really interesting
  • lisa483
    lisa483 Posts: 105 Member
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    u need to be netting ur BMR.

    ur BMR is not 1500 calories

    Learn ur numbers, bmr, tdee

    scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/


    This^^^ Your BMR is at least 1800, eat above this and 20% below TDEE. You are not giving you body enough fuel.

    I know you say u have upped cals before, but how long did you try it for and how much did you up cals by??
  • aimstergal
    aimstergal Posts: 1
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    Try uping your protein... try 3 protein shakes a day (20 grams or higher each, in "lite" form...I like Myoplex Lite Chocolate Fudge) and 500 calories from healthy foods...
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    I never know what activity level to check. I sit in a chair for my job getting up maybe 1-2 times per hour. I take the stairs to help with that. So because of this, I always choose sedentary.
    Zig-zagging and changing your intake for a month isn't necessarily going to make huge differences, at least none that you'll see in that short of a period of time.

    Keep logging, calculate your BMR/TDEE, make sure you're eating enough, don't fall in for any of the "do the military/mcdonalds/hip-hop dancing diet" garbage.

    A caloric deficit should work, but you have to be patient with it. Maintenance may have changed for you, too... as could your BMR. Take your measurements currently, adjust accordingly, log everything, and give it more than just a month to see results.

    ^This!

    ^Definitely this!

    If you want, check out this link by MFPer Heliotsdan - It'll give you a detailed walkthrough (with pictures even) on finding your TDEE and calculating what you should be eating.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Or for a different version to figure out your TDEE, as well as some great advice...check out:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/844040-raspberry-ketones-for-the-rest-of-us


    Also, if you are worried about the calorie intake, I also suggest you read this thread that has numerous people who met their goals and are maintaining. Some for years and they also provide their calorie intake and how often they work out.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/816542-let-s-hear-it-for-maintainenance


    For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group: (Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.)
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/865230-resources-and-references


    Yes, this is can all be overwhelming and complicated , but you are more than welcome to ask questions on the post.
    One of the things that I have found that has been one of the best methods for me to get fit is to understand fitness. To understand where all these figures, etc come from.

    The good thing is once you get the hang of it - it is something you'll be aware of constantly and you'll get a better understanding about your eating habits.

    So I HIGHLY suggest making the effort to take every chance to educate yourself. Even if you don't end up going with any of these methods, calculations, etc - at least you understand what they are, where others are coming from, and maybe they will still be able to help you figure out what is best for you.

    And most of all..don't change after 2-3 weeks. Stick with it for a couple months! Also make sure you pick the right activity level. Don't pick sedentary because you think you'll lose faster.

    I calculated mine activity level based on how many hours I work out. I am sedentary at work as well. My numbers came out to be right in between moderate and lightly active on this spread sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE

    You can always join this group and ask for clarification: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8017-in-place-of-a-road-map

    Good luck!
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Damn, that sounds frustrating.

    The bottom line is - if what you are doing isn't working, try something else.

    -If 5 workouts a week isn't working, try 3 - go for quality over quantity here.
    -If long-form cardio isn't working, try sprinting or tabatas.
    -Definitely look into thyroid enhancing supplements.
    -If your diet isn't working, try a different one. Personally I like to keep my carbs lowish (<150), but just try a mix that you haven't. Macro mix DOES have an effect on your metabolism, and different ones work better for different people.
    -I think the gluten thing is overhyped, but cutting out wheat might be worth a try.
    -How's your mental health? I personally found that I couldn't make any headway on my body until I got my head on straight.

    These things aren't easy, but it comes down to - how much do you want this?
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
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    Whatever you do dont give up!!! some things that have helped me....
    1/ - eat solid breakfast , decent morning snack,big solid lunch
    2- eat medium afternoon snack ( stay away from carbs) then light dinner salad/veges and protein (limited or no carbs)
    3- best time to work out is earlier in the day if possible no later than 7.30
    4- no food after 7.30pm
    5- cut out as much sugar as you can as it interfers with your bodies natural fat burning capabilities and make sure you log all sugar.
    6- watch your Posture !!! squeeze glutes, tighten core, stick out chest shoulders back !! BUT ALL MY PALS NO THIS ALREADY !!!
    7- eat pure fat and check labels as alot of higher fat foods are better than low fat as the low fat are packed with sugar which is worse.
    8- always do strength training before cardio
    9- change your programme every two weeks to a month to trick your metabolism.
    10- eat every 2-3 hrs smaller meals but often.
    11- drink 8 glasses water min or if training hard up to 12.
    12- eat whole grain brown bread (limit bread though) and rice
    13- LOG everything!!!

    #8 and #13 are good! The rest are just not necessary.
  • lcorzo
    lcorzo Posts: 1
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    Have you considered food intolerances? My nutritionist told me there are common food intolerances that cause inflammation in the body, which sabotage weight loss, virtually grinding it to a halt. The common ones are: sugar, wheat, dairy, eggs, but there are others. Sugar is common and is known to cause inflammation, wheat is bad - read 'Wheat Belly', dairy was only introduced into the human diet in the last 10,000 years, and eggs have sulfites which can cause an allergic response. Basically, you have to eat like a diabetic to lose weight - protein and vegetables, striving for 100 grams of lean protein per day. Your carbs should be small quantities of brown rice or sweet potatoes. Snacks can be nuts, or celery with peanut butter. Try to incorporate protein into EVERY snack and meal. I don't know your age, but IMO, everyone over the age of 40 should give up wheat and dairy.
  • starkitty13
    starkitty13 Posts: 2 Member
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    Yes, don't give up! I agree with seeing more than one type of doctor. Also, 1500 calories seems extremely low. I was tracking at 1380 not including the exercise I got. I reviewed my plan with a nutritionist and registered dietician. This program tracks your calories waaaaayyyyy too low! She bumped me up to 1700-1800 calories during low training weeks and 1900-2100 on my high training weeks. I just started but instantly saw a difference in my body fat ratio within a couple of days. Tracking is very important and definitely recommend watching your sugar like the others say.

    Definitely try different options as the other comments suggest. But give it at least 4 to 8 weeks. Everyone's different. Just don't give up!! I would really love to hear updates on your journey. :)
  • SuperKeely
    SuperKeely Posts: 20 Member
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    That sounds super frustrating :(
    Definitely push your doctors on the thyroid issue. I had symptoms of hypothyroidism for years before my levels were "officially" low enough for them to medicate me. Now my meds have me at a level that is technically borderline HYPERthyroid, but only now do I feel 'normal' and I am able to lose weight. I think their levels and level ranges are complete BS, though that is all they have to go on since symptoms can be exaggerated/misread.

    Good luck - stick with it, 65 lbs is an amazing loss!
  • drbizzie
    drbizzie Posts: 1
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    Have you ever had a 3 hour glucose tolerance test? I've been seeing a doctor that had me do one and I found out that I am insulin resistant. My insulin levels spike after I eat a huge carb load, making it impossible to lose fat. This also causes a rebound decrease in my blood sugar, making my brain think that I am dying and need to eat food about 2 hours later- it has nothing to do with will power.

    What has worked beautifully for me is to decrease carbs and eat often- 5 to 7 small meals a day under 200 cal. Less than 20 grams of net carbs and over 10 grams of protein (more if you can). Oh and TONS of fiber. I've found that the less carbs you eat, the less you crave them. It was also refreshing to learn that your body requires 0 carbs to survive. All carbohydrates are completely non-essential.
  • viajera99
    viajera99 Posts: 252 Member
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    It sounds like maybe you need to take a step back mentally and start over. By that I mean, pick a day next week and say "OK, now I start my new diet and exercise plan," as if you were doing it for the first time. Go shopping, clear out the cupboards. Plan your menus in advance for the first week; arrange your life to make it easy to be successful. Get a scale and measuring cups and LOG EVERYTHING. I know you think you're eating the same, but then go ahead and log it and prove it! Pick a reasonable number like 1800 kcal/day and stick with it...do the Keep It Simple Sweetie plan. Work out doing what you enjoy and log it too. Take your measurements and stay off the scale for at least 2 weeks.

    You were quite successful before, there's no reason you can't be again! A month from now you can post about how you're back on track again!
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
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    You need a diet break. Google diet break and Lyle McDonald.
  • lisad52893
    lisad52893 Posts: 1 Member
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    try not to stress too much. take it one day at a time:) you are beautiful either way.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
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    You need a diet break. Google diet break and Lyle McDonald.

    I know someone else who might agree with this.

    Although, if she's not been logging consistently, it might be the same.
  • lovinlifelaura
    lovinlifelaura Posts: 12
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    Have you tried following an "eat-clean" diet as outlined by Tosca Reno? I have been amazed at the results that I'm getting which include weight loss and, finally, reduced carb/sugar craving.

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