Need some inspiration! Feeling defeated

brownislovely · July 2010

Hello Guys,

I have been dieting strong and working out for about 7 weeks now and ive only lost 12 pounds. I know it takes time but I been busting my butt at the gym and carefully watching what i eat. The scale is very discouraging as well, in the morning I'll be at a certain weight then in the evening after the gym i will always be 1-2 pounds heavier (what's up with that????:mad: )

I'm trying to lose overall 100 pounds but my goal for my birthday which is November 2, 2010 is 200 pounds currently i weigh 248. I just need some advice, tips, inspiration, success stories, diet plans, etc. Please help im a bit sad now.

Sincerely,

Diary of a Mad Fat Woman

mm3898 · July 2010

Hey! If you think about it from a math perspective, you have lost 1.7 pounds a week! Girl, that is amazing! This is a great rate to be going at and you should be proud! And the scale being crazy is normal: whatever you eat or drink during the day is still in your system at the end of the day, so that registers on the scale. My only advice is to keep trucking, and despite any "bad" days you might have, remember the great days that are ahead!

You are doing great, don't beat yourself up!!!
Best of luck!
xoxo
Maggie

jasonwitt · July 2010

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Eat fruit if your not currently doing so. Watch how much sodium you are taking in. ( If you're like I was and eating a lot of lean cuisine and weight watchers frozen dinners, those are full of sodium). Also eat plenty of fiber. I also only weight myself first thing in the morning, once a week on the same day. Just my routine though that works for me. Keep your head up. You can do it!

Papaya81 · July 2010

No one said it would be easy right?! I hate that feeling because I find myself going through stretches of really dedicating myself and not seeing the results i want. But you need to remind yourself, you are 12 pounds lighter!!! if you would cut out the work out and the dieting it might be the other way! So congrats you are obviously doing the right things...maybe you just need to alter a part of it! Either way the goal is the most enticing and motivating part of the journey. I agree with JasonWitt, when I added fiber into my diet and drank a lot of water I not only felt better but saw better results. Good luck and don't be down just cause the scale isn't showing what you want yet! keep it up

jrbowers83 · July 2010

The best advice I can give is to get that word "only" out of your vocabulary when it comes to this weight-loss thing. I've tortured myself with I "only" lost this, or "just" worked out that much....

Congratulations...you've lost 12 pounds...in 7 weeks. That's 1.7 lbs/week! Much better than the average of 1 lb/week. It's so easy to get caught up in how much is left to lose and forget how far you've come. You didn't follow the trend and gain weight, and you didn't even maintain. You're burning it off. Yes, I imagine you feel like you fought tooth and nail for that loss, but please celebrate the losses. Even if it's .2 lbs (because believe me after a 6 week plateau, that .2 lbs makes a huge diff!) I'm struggling a bit as I'm getting close to my goal...just have 10 more pounds to lose now. So I can relate well to your frustration and that's why I stress the importance of looking back on where you've come from. Stress over losing the weight (at least for me personally) can make the weight stick on. Just let it go, focus on eating healthier not for a new body, but to keep the body you have, and as the weight comes off what a great reward! I also try to set goals that will be relatively easy to meet, so that I don't get discouraged and want to quit. I keep beating myself up when I go through a week without a loss, but if I look at the overall pic, I've lost 44 lbs in 9 mos....that averages out to about 5 lb/mo or 1 lb/week, so I'm technically right on target. But that's even with 6 weeks of NO loss and a few weeks here and there with little or no losses.

As far as the scale goes, I would recommend weighing only in the mornings. Your body weight can fluctuate by 1-5 pounds easily in a day, especially if hormone related. And if you're weighing yourself AFTER a workout, the muscles often take on extra water in the cells to protect against small tears as well as the additional water most people drink after a workout can all cause that slight gain you're experiencing in the evening. Also, monitor your sodium if you aren't already. Despite staying within your cal goals, excess sodium can easily make that scale jump by a few pounds. MFP has goals set at 2500mg/day, but the USDA actually recommends less than 1800/day (and I have to stay under that amount to see any loss).

I'm feeling particularly good about this lifestyle change after 9 months of doing it for myself, and I can only hope to help those who are struggling with it as I have so often. Stick with it, make it a lasting change, because you are doing great.

4lafz · July 2010

What they said and remember, how long did it take to put the weight on!

brownislovely · July 2010

You guys are correct! WHen im at the gym i usually get on the eliptical for 45 minutes a day and the treadmill for 15 minutes a day. Some weight training as well for about 30 minutes

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widmane · July 2010

Don't let your goal defeat you. I think it is a bad goal. Scrap it. Every indication is that 1 pound/week is best.

Your goal should be to establish a lifestyle that takes you to 150 pounds at 1 pound/week, and then keeps you there.

Buy the book "Food Rules" and make some lifestyle choices. Rule 64 is, break the rules sometimes. Lets you have some of the things you really like a little more often than never. Find an exercise level that you can live with for the rest of your life. One that doesn't exhaust you or make you sore or take too much time.

Do that and you will be down around 230 at your birthday and still sticking with it. There will be plenty of other changes for you to celebrate than just your weight. You will have changes in your look, how you feel, how you picture yourself. You will be faster and stronger. You will have that new lifestyle that will put you at around 160 by your next birthday.

If you are just trying to get to a number as fast as you can...I'll see you back at 260 some day. Sounds like you are depriving yourself and over-exerting yourself. It won't last.

worththeweight · July 2010

BE PROUD!! I am impressed with your 45 minutes on the elliptical!! I did mine today for the first time in about a year, maybe more and could only do 15 minutes!!

quilinna · July 2010

i think you're losing weight constantly and normally therefore you shouldn't stop and be proud of yourself because all that weight is good .
you're not supposed to check your weight so much once a day is good enough, maybe that weight is water weight . so just check your weight in the morning or after lunch or before working out

xmcalderon · July 2010

Everyone is right it takes time. Just hang in there. url=http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker]

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rlouise247 · July 2010

I have been going to the gym 6 days a week and doing much better than I have in a long time with my eating and not losing a pound. Last week I looked at some of the newbie blogs that explained why you have to eat at least 1200 calories and your exercise calories. I figured out that I must be in starvation mode after so many weeks of eating under my calories so, i cut my gym days down to 4 this week and started making sure to eat my exercise calories or get very close to it. I'm not due for weigh in till nxt monday but got on the scale yesterday and found that I am down 4lbs. I was getting frustrated too, but I'm learning to be patient with myself and using all the wonderful information on this site as tools to get me to where I want to be. I'm breaking my attachment with the scale and depending more on what I can see in my clothes and my measurement. The scale really is the devil lol I've seen that a lot on this web site. I think your doing great and keep up the good work and ck out the newbie postings if you have'nt. :happy:

Kera885 · July 2010

I've been frustrated about my slow weight loss as well, I only have about half as much to lose as you but in this first month I've barely lost 5lbs but at the same time, I've dropped a pants size AND if it comes off slower, there's a better chance it'll come off of fat rather than lean muscle.

BigVinney · July 2010

Hi, make sure you are burning fat and not just calories etc...
Make sure you are exercising at 60 to 70 percent of your max..
Get a heart rate monitor and stick to it...
EAt complex carbs like sweet potatoes, and quinoa etc...
They do not store to fat.
I wish I was loosing 1.7 pounds per week, great job!!!
Big Vinney

lisacherrone · July 2010

you should really be proud of yourself!!! i had gastric bypass in jan, and i am averaging about 2-2.5 lbs a week, and you are at 1.7!!!! keep up the good work at the gym, i would recommend that you try some classes so you dont get bored. i mix up a lot of different things, and so far (knock on wood) i am down 73 lbs, and havent hit a plateau yet.

diet45 · July 2010

Great job...losing 12 lbs!!!! Keep it up and don't get discouraged!!!

fivefatcats · July 2010

You are moving in the right direction!

I have heard repeatedly that cardio burns calories and is great for your health but doesn't contribute as much to weight loss as weight training does. I find that tough too. I enjoy running but lifting weights bores me. But it has to be done. I weight train once a week, its the only day I get to the gym, so I use their equipment and try to get my money's worth the one day I go!

Hang in there! Try not to be discouraged!

Johnnyswife · July 2010

Well the best advice I can give is to step away from the scale. Only weigh yourself once first thing in the morning, and maybe only once a week. Also make friends with your tape measure. You'll find yourself losing inches over pounds at times and this is what makes the clothing fit better.
Hope that helps. :flowerforyou:

Need some inspiration! Feeling defeated

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