I'm losing motivation...

smewoo
smewoo Posts: 28 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I started exercising a few weeks ago. I've been keeping track of weight and inches lost. So far, unless I'm measuring wrong, I have lost no inches and done nothing but gain more weight. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I'm starting to feel like I should give up. Although I do have more energy but other then that nothing has changed, I feel like I'm doing more harm then good.

Replies

  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    Give us an example of exactly what you eat in a day.
  • daniface
    daniface Posts: 338 Member
    make your diary public maybe we can start there
  • owno9700
    owno9700 Posts: 24
    There could be several reasons...a very common one is the types of food that you are eating may not have the right kind of calories, they may be empty, they could also be high fat or full of bad carbs. It would be helpful to be able to see your food diary. Make sure that you are recording everything and that you are drinking enough water during the day. You may have to also look at the type of exercise and duration that you have been doing.
    Give us an example of what type of exercise you have been doing and for how long.
  • HYeliab
    HYeliab Posts: 36
    Hi - dont give up! you have already changed your body even though you cant see all the positive impact. I agree with Daniface and Lina. It probably in what you are eating. I was having the same problem when I started working out with INSANITY. I was working out hard and not seeing any weight loss for 3 weeks. Someone told that I have to change my eating as well as my activity level. That when the changes started showing. I do not want to fool you it was drastic but I did see the scale go down. It will happen stay in it.

    Good luck

    -HB
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    I didn't really keep up with the food diary very well, I was having a hard time with that. I guess the exercise that I'm doing may not be sufficient. I've been using the wii fit plus mostly. Aerobic step, the rythym boxing and then 40 minutes of the combination yoga and strength training. I use a HRM when I do the exercises and I have been reaching my target rate and sometimes even going over.
  • jenn559
    jenn559 Posts: 11
    Watch what you are eating because no matter how much exercise you do, if you do not watch what you eat you cannot see any results. I started seeing results when I cut out all sugar and junk food and began to exercise daily.
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    I think that's definitely part of problem, I don't really know how to eat healthy.
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    I didn't really keep up with the food diary very well, I was having a hard time with that. I guess the exercise that I'm doing may not be sufficient. I've been using the wii fit plus mostly. Aerobic step, the rythym boxing and then 40 minutes of the combination yoga and strength training. I use a HRM when I do the exercises and I have been reaching my target rate and sometimes even going over.

    I wise person once told me, losing weight is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise.

    If you do not log your food, then you are not keeping track of what you eat and you can very well go over your calories and not realize it. I bet if you log your food for a month and exercise and not go over your calories, you will see a difference.

    So tell us, what have you been eating in a day?
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    I made my food diary public, there's only a few days that I did it though.
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    That's not really easy to answer I don't really eat the same things everyday. Sometimes I'm better about what I eat ( I think anyways) and some days I'm not.
  • jdsouthernbelle
    jdsouthernbelle Posts: 274
    Another thing is to watch your Sodium intake. You could be retaining water weight. Be sure to drink plenty of water each day.
  • MzMolly
    MzMolly Posts: 169 Member
    The food journal is huge! Use it because it really helps to show you what you are consuming and how it adds up. Then others can also offer you help by being able to look at your log.
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    What food I see back in mid-July looks GREAT! How long did it take you to put on the weight? A long, long time I'll bet. It's going to take a long, long time to achieve what you want to. It's a lifestyle change and YOU CAN DO IT! Hang in there, log your food and change up your exercises (more cardio) I have Wii Fit and I do Free Step for 30 mins while watching the news! Just do what you are doing and add that. Good luck!
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    I will the do one for today and stay on top of it better. I guess I was just having a hard time since I eat a lot of home cooked meals so it's hard for me to figure out how many calories are in it. I actually gained weight when I was pregnant, but I lost almost all of it when my son was born. But then I started working at Dominoes...so I started to eat a LOT of pizza lol. So I gained about 20 pounds in about 3 or 4 months....
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    I made my food diary public, there's only a few days that I did it though.

    Unfortunately, you have not been keeping a record regularly and that could be a massive part of your problem.

    You need to record absolutely everything you eat and drink, that way you keep tabs on how many calories you are consuming per day. If you don't keep track of it, it is very, very easy to go over the top by quite a lot and no matter how much exercise you are doing, you will most likely not be in a deficit and so not lose the weight.

    If you take in less calories than you use up, you have to lose the weight, that is how weight loss works. However, because you have not kept a record, there is no way that you can work out what has happened.

    The only thing you can do is start afresh immediately and ensure that you record everything from the very first thing you eat or drink to the very last thing. It may seem boring, but it is part and parcel of committing yourself to your weight loss programme.

    You therefore have just two choices you either do not bother, carry on as you are and get disheartened, confused and disillusioned and be forever convinced in the future that weight loss programmes just do not work, or, you can decide once and for all that you WANT to lose the weight and will do your utmost and very, very best to ensure that you succeed.

    Doing this means recording EVERYTHING, leave nothing out. Stick to your calorie allowance, be honest with yourself and what you put in your diary, do not cheat. Have one day per week to weigh and measure yourself, stick that in your diary too and then get yourself a ticker to record it all onto so that both you and everybody else can see your progress, this can spur you on. You may then see a big difference between now and in the future :flowerforyou:
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    Don't lose heart!

    Just as you're sticking to your exercise, dedicate some time to your food diary for a week and just enter in the warts-and-all version of what you're actually eating (including measuring your food) - without trying to "be good". I kicked off my weight loss with this and found that I was eating the equivalent of a good evening meal in random snacks during the day... and another 200 cals in the amount of coffee (milk, 1 sugar x 6 or 7!) each and every day.

    I cut those out straight away, made some tweaks to portion sizes - I realised I was eating twice the recommended portion size of rice/pasta - and saw weight loss every time I stepped on the scales (apart from my 5 week plateau!)

    Oh, and as an aside, before my wedding, I went to the gym 4 times a week for 6 months "to lose the back flab" and generally tone up - with no diet involved - and lost 100g and expanded my chest by 2 inches. Guess who was NOT a happy bunny having to have her dress altered the wrong way after so much effort!
  • Lilliesmom2010
    Lilliesmom2010 Posts: 52
    First of all HELLO!! I'm Jenn. We're all here to help support and encourage you on this lifestyle change!! :flowerforyou:

    Now let me say this... If you don't want to keep your food journal public then don't. BUT I feel it's 100% of your responsibility to YOURSELF to be honest with yourself to record everything you eat and drink at each meal!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

    By keeping yourself honest about what and how much you eat of what foods on your journal you will first of all... see where you are going in the RED and then you can work on what you can do to change that. Secondly, once you know where to change the rest will come to you! There's so many wonderful, caring and supportive people here. We have been/are where you are right now!! It's so easy to just give up and say I can't do it!! But I know that you can do it!!! You are WORTH doing it and you will do it!!

    Here's your first challenge... tomorrow morning I want you to start logging everything you eat and drink... if you aren't sure how much, get out the measuring cups and spoons. I do it all the time! Log it all.. be honest about it and do this for you! Tomorrow night before bed see where you are in the food journal, look and see if you have any totals in the RED... maybe there's not any? Maybe you aren't eating enough to burn the calories. Maybe you just need some support and encouragement! :happy:

    You said that you eat a lot of home cooked meals? Then start by keeping a note of what you are putting in each meal, then come back to your food diary and click on food, recipes and enter new recipe on the right side. Now add each ingredient for the meal. I know this sounds like a lot of work, and it is/can be at first. But once you got it in there, you can add it to your food diary the next time you eat it in a few clicks. It will be listed in the recipe tab on the left side. Once you get that part down, you can find out how much you can allow yourself of that meal without going over. Try cutting it back into smaller portions. These are just some ideas for you to think about. You don't have to take it, but we're only trying to help you figure it out.

    I've been doing this for about 3 wks now... I lost some quickly the first week, this last week, nothing in weight but I did lose another 2.5 inches the last time I measured. I've lost 9 lbs and 4.5 inches in 3 weeks. Everyone is different and we all lose at different rates. Just don't give up and when you are feeling like it, ask someone to help you keep you on track!

    Set small goals to start out with... maybe it's just to faithfully do your food diary? Maybe it's to take it one meal at a time and one day at a time! Whatever it is, we're here to support you in your journey and help you get there. :heart:

    If you'd like to add me, please feel free! Good Luck to you and please don't give up!! :wink:
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I eat homemade meals, too. I've found it's easier as I go on because I tend to eat from a range of items, so the next time I make a similar loaded salad, or sandwich, or pasta dish, my go to ingredients are already listed for me to select from. It was pretty daunting the first week, however.

    Good luck!
  • ltlhmom
    ltlhmom Posts: 1,202 Member
    I would change your food daily to track sodium, log every day if it goes in you mouth log it. Get you 8 8oz of water in a day, Try to get in 5 servings of fruit and veggies. Weigh and Measure your food. Invest in a HRM. This is all a learning process we need to learn how to eat all over again. Some days a harder then others don't beat yourself up. Chin up! Hugs! You can do this!
  • Dreaj79
    Dreaj79 Posts: 212
    dont give up!!!! You have to do your food log. Changing your eating habits will make you successful at weight loss. I agree with the person who said it's about 80/20 diet/exercise. Stick with it! Don't quit! We all struggle at first. Find some other people with public diaries and get some ideas.
  • smewoo
    smewoo Posts: 28 Member
    Thank you everyone more the support, this is the most I have ever gotten anywhere! The father of my son doesn't understand what I'm going through at all, he's one of those little skinny people who CAN'T gain weight no matter what they do. When I first found this site and decided that I was done being this weight and wanted my body back I was sooo excited. It was all I talked about to him for that first few days and I just felt like he was looking at me like I was crazy. I tried to explain to him how it was so important for me to keep track of everything that I eat and all my exercise. He just didn't understand and kinda made me feel like it wasn't important. So thank all of you so so much for reminding me how important keeping track of all of it is!
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