Weight loss stall out

Here goes nothing! I'm a new thread post-er, although I've used MFP for over a year. I am 28, 5'2" and hovering between 152-155lbs. Several years ago I was my heaviest at 178, as I had been 118-125 for 10+ years and then life happened. I was diagnosed with hashi-moto hypothyroidism, b-12 deficiency and was going through a divorce. I also work a high stress job with long hours. Once my thyroid was under control and I started using MFP diligently I lost about 30lbs in a year or so. However, I have stalled. I rarely finish my daily diary, have been reverting to bad eating habits, and have no motivation to get moving for workouts- even the easiest 10 min of stretching takes me hours to motivate for. I need help and support. I have a loving boyfriend who says he loves me how I am, but doesn't understand my want to be healthier and smaller. My goal weight is 130. Any advice is welcome, as well as friend requests to build a weight loss support team would be nice. Thanks to all for reading this, and have a great day!

Replies

  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    It sounds to me like you already know your problems...so now you just have to stop it and do what you need to do. (stopped logging, don't work out, no motivation, etc).

    None of us can have anyone else do this for us...so pardont he Nike plug, but Just Do It. Because YOU CAN.
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    hi!! we all get stalled out at times. I know I do, but the only thing that helps me is to be mean to myself and be forcefull, I say things like "do you want to be a whale your whole life?" in doin this I make myself upset enough to go and grab the weights or go for a walk/run. I have a facebook account, and I added the "fitness girls" page to mine so I can see allthe pictures and motivating quotes and that has helped me a lot! I have even printed some of them off and hung them up on walls that I see and walk past everyday! no matter where I go, I see it. I once read that motivation gets you started and habit keeps you going, that Is so true!ive been at this for over 2 years combined and it seems easy when you see small results, you think, "im seing a change, I can do this." then all of a sudden, like you said life happens and it all seems to go down the ****ter from there on. you stop nbeing motivated. you have to do this for your own intentions,. no one else and you can do this. I have lost 73 lbs since feb 2012 all of which is by self motivation, this website and ive done it all at home. ive never stepped foot in a gym., good luck to you!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Re: long hours & exercise .... do you work in an office with a door? This is a stress reducing "walk" you can do at your desk during your lunch hour ....

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndVjwkaLGDk&list=PL3276123ADD7730EE&index=1&feature=plpp_

    Anything you can do to move more is great. You might invest in a pedometer ...... I feel challenged to bump up my number of steps.
  • Dwells9496
    Dwells9496 Posts: 12 Member
    One thing I did that really helped me at the start of mfp is I sat down and wrote out a list of all the reasons I want to lose weight. I then summarized them all on recipe cards which I keep in my purse. Any time I feel like I'm weakening I look at the cards and it reminds me that those reasons are more important than avoiding the gym or having cookies.I don't have to actually look at the cards anymore, I just have to remind myself that they are there.
  • jonchew
    jonchew Posts: 239 Member
    It seems that whenever I start obsessing-over how I've stalled, I'm falling behind & need to get-out there and workout, it's harder to get started.

    I personally need to stop analyzing how I need to workout... "it's a pain & I just don't think I can do it, now... maybe not today", and just start my workout.

    Sounds simplistic, I know, but it this actually works for me... instead of thinking-about how bad I am for not doing the workout, I "surprise myself" and just get to it. Thinking about it wastes time & will just bring you spiraling down.

    I eat at night... I eat a LOT at night... it's a problem. I'm trying something new; when I start getting the urge to late-night snack - I just go to bed. I'm not hungry late at night, you know, just bored - & I eat when I'm bored.

    Best of luck to you, I know that you'll do just great, because you already know your challenges!
  • hi Cunha47, I'm in a similar boat -- same age, height, even weight, stalled out, and also dreaming of getting back to the 120-130 I was in college. (Although, I was smoking and not eating then, and my weight gain was due to me just giving up-- in the midst of grad. school stress and losing someone very close to me.)

    A few months ago I quit smoking and started working out regularly for the first time in my life, mostly doing zumba dance/hot yoga/spinning/eliptical and running occasionally -- hoping doing it this way, the right way, will end the yoyo dieting between 120 and 160 lbs. and make the results last. So my advice, what worked for me, is trying something new to find a physical activity I love doing and look forward to every day (dance)--REALLY helps the lack of motivation problem. Try different activities/sports until you find one you enjoy! Take it as a challenge to become a more well-rounded person in general, by expanding your hobbies. You'll meet people, make friends, and feel 10,000 times better about yourself for taking on this new thing you enjoy. Trust me, "group fitness" is SO MUCH more fun than just working out alone. Your local gym probably offers classes (that's where I take mine)--try them, and be really patient w/ and proud of yourself while you catch on in any class, b/c it takes a little while to learn. And whatever you do, do not give a damn what you look like doing any of these things--you're doing it for yourself and no one's opinion matters!--that's the best way to improve quickly. You can even involve your boyfriend and/or try whatever physical activities/sports he likes-- hiking is a fun easy one.

    As for the stall, I've gotten good suggestions recently so I'll share them w/ you (and hopefully update you later that they worked!)... The problem is, although I've been working out for 3 months regularly 3-7 times a week (sometimes twice a day), I am having trouble losing any weight. I am noticing slight changes in my body getting tighter but they're barely noticeable and don't account for all the work I'm doing. The advice I got was to get a personal trainer and nutritionist, b/c there are slight changes I can make that will make a world of a difference. The personal trainer I spoke to said that "to change my body composition" I need to lift weights-- A LOT--in addition to what I'm doing, and that's how I'll start to lose. The other advice is to monitor what I eat more (which is where this app. comes in): yes I will be much more hungry from working out, but 200 cookie calories are much worse than 400 chicken calories. I've been falling for the trap of indulging ("I deserve it for quitting smoking and working out so much") when I'm hungry instead of eating better calories... and I think I feel that starving is the other option, which it's not. Eating something healthy when you're hungry (instead of a dessert or nothing) makes you feel and look the best.

    I hope any of this helps! I feel it's really a universal struggle to look better and to be healthy and to feel good--we ALL go through the problems you're talking about--lack of motivation, falling into bad habits, self-doubt etc. Thanks so much for listening to me share!
  • marionmmm
    marionmmm Posts: 61
    It seems that whenever I start obsessing-over how I've stalled, I'm falling behind & need to get-out there and workout, it's harder to get started.

    I personally need to stop analyzing how I need to workout... "it's a pain & I just don't think I can do it, now... maybe not today", and just start my workout.

    Sounds simplistic, I know, but it this actually works for me... instead of thinking-about how bad I am for not doing the workout, I "surprise myself" and just get to it. Thinking about it wastes time & will just bring you spiraling down.

    I eat at night... I eat a LOT at night... it's a problem. I'm trying something new; when I start getting the urge to late-night snack - I just go to bed. I'm not hungry late at night, you know, just bored - & I eat when I'm bored.

    Best of luck to you, I know that you'll do just great, because you already know your challenges!

    wow - It is like we are related. Same goes for me... "exercising is hard and it hurts, will just do it tomorrow..." and the boredom-eating... But just like you, I get up on that treadmill and focus on how good I feel the next day. Nice to see I am not the only one!. Everyone stalls. JUST DONT QUIT. Remember your goal. One good day can make up for several bad days. Then all you have are a bunch of good days.
  • Cunha47
    Cunha47 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks to everyone. I know I need to "just do it" and need to get over this hump. I know I can, I hope!
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    Thanks to everyone. I know I need to "just do it" and need to get over this hump. I know I can, I hope!


    YOU CAN!!! :flowerforyou: :drinker: :flowerforyou: :happy:
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Don't under eat the good stuff and don't over eat the bad.... I moved a lot of my carb calories over to proteins and it's helped.
  • celtbell3
    celtbell3 Posts: 738 Member
    I totally understand where you are because a month ago I was you! We all know that true desire and motivation comes from within. In my case, I have been on my journey for better health three years next month and have lost almost 100 lbs. However, in the past year I have only lost 15 lbs. It has been a disheartening year. I only gave up one time, this past winter. I still worked out daily but stopped trying to eat healthy, whole foods. I never went crazy but I certainly stopped watching. Not really sure why but probably because it has taken so damn long to reach my goal that I just kinda got tired of trying to get to there. I never really had the I don't care attitude but in my heart I was beginning to believe that I would never get past my plateau. About a month ago I was really involved in my workout and it felt so good. I came home and just sat and reevaluated my past and future. Then I decided to rework my diet and nutrition and cut 200 calories a day - I have lost almost 7 lbs and I feel great. The best part is that I'm finding I didn't need those 200 calories. I truly haven't felt this excited in over two years about reaching my goal. Don't give up on yourself. Rethink the why's and why not's. Evaluate what is in your way and kick it aside. Your health and your life is up to you! Good luck! :happy:
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    Sign up for a Diet Bet! www.dietbet.com It has made an ENORMOUS difference for me. You put $$ on the line- usually $25 - and you have 4 weeks to lose 4% of your starting weight. Everyone who accomplishes that is a winner, and gets to split the pot at the end! (so the people who don't make it lost their $25- it gets split among the winners)

    I won my first one a month ago, and now I'm in another one and I already made goal (today, actually!! :D ) so I'm on track to win again! I'm signing up for another immediately after. THE. BEST. MOTIVATION. EVER! it's very supportive with a message board and everything too. 4% is really reasonable and doable- and when you hit that goal and get PAID for it, you feel like a million bucks :)

    Because I know you're probably wondering - I won $44.50 last time, so I earned about $20 as well as getting the $25 I bet back. Plus I lost the weight! Talk about a win-win!
  • hockra
    hockra Posts: 43 Member
    I've also had a slow start at going for the next ten and I have a ways to go. Something that has helped me get active is a list of 10 exercises that I do every week at my desk or in the office/building. I change the list every week and add/change what the exercises are or keep some but change repetitions or lengths to give variety. I'm in week 3 of these minicises and it's helping me combat inactivity. I keep a spreadsheet and one entry example is march in place 1 minute (5 times a day), then I put the clock time in another column (so I can see "when" I complete each piece like 8:15, 10:05, 10:15, 2:05, 3:30). Other examples are deep breathing 2 min, 3X/day, 15 arm lifts 3x / day, and walk up 1 flight of stairs 2x/day, and mild stretching 5 min 1X day. It is so nice to add up those minutes/calories at end of work day and add to MFP and see that I have more calories to eat for evening (than I did without the list). If it gets to be within 2 hours of end of work day and I see holes in the completed column, in order to keep my own goal to be less sedentary, I have to work through the uncompleted exercises. I also find out that when I get home, I am more likely to stay active. Looking back at last 3 weeks, I'm realizing how the little changes during the day make a big difference.
  • katpudda
    katpudda Posts: 8 Member
    hi!! we all get stalled out at times. I know I do, but the only thing that helps me is to be mean to myself and be forcefull, I say things like "do you want to be a whale your whole life?" in doin this I make myself upset enough to go and grab the weights or go for a walk/run. I have a facebook account, and I added the "fitness girls" page to mine so I can see allthe pictures and motivating quotes and that has helped me a lot! I have even printed some of them off and hung them up on walls that I see and walk past everyday! no matter where I go, I see it. I once read that motivation gets you started and habit keeps you going, that Is so true!ive been at this for over 2 years combined and it seems easy when you see small results, you think, "im seing a change, I can do this." then all of a sudden, like you said life happens and it all seems to go down the ****ter from there on. you stop nbeing motivated. you have to do this for your own intentions,. no one else and you can do this. I have lost 73 lbs since feb 2012 all of which is by self motivation, this website and ive done it all at home. ive never stepped foot in a gym., good luck to you!
  • katpudda
    katpudda Posts: 8 Member
    You are not, nor will you ever be a "whale". I am willing to bet that you wouldn't say those things to another human being. So why do you think it's ok to talk to yourself like that? It's another way to keep your self esteem in the dirt. You are a young woman who is trying to do something positive for herself. Be kind to yourself. My dad used to say "People make mistakes, that's why pencils have erasers".
    The reason I replied to your post is because I used to do the same thing. Every evening while ready to shower, I would look at myself in the mirror and say horrible things about the way I looked, which usually included the word pig... The world bashes people enough about their weight and looks. You are a beautiful person INSIDE AND OUT. You are someone's child. You wouldn't want your child to talk to himself/herself like that.
    Keep up the good work, and be your own best friend. Take Care.