Getting nowhere

You can lose weight without exercise.

Exercise and weight loss are what are going to heal your pain, though. You are strong enough to save your own life. You have to be - no one else can do it for you.

Don't be discouraged by the fact you're getting nowhere.

You should cut out all white food like bread, rice, etc... Definitely limit your sugar to natural sugars (like fruit only) and reduce fat. Have smaller portions, I find putting food on small plates helps with this and you still feel full!

You can't make excuses for exercise. I'm in my early 20's and I have a bad back/neck and knees from years of horse riding falls and breaks, and I still manage to exercise everyday! Try yoga or pilates (Blogilates is a m a z i n g !) and walking is really good for you. Even if it's really hot, take water with you (even freeze a bottle overnight to take with you) and go out there and do it! The more you exercise, the more you want to to do it, and you'll start seeing results :flowerforyou:

Don't get disheartened and frustrated - you will get there!

You can do this. I'm doing it, and I have nearly 200 pound to lose. I would recommend setting MFP for a 2 pounds per week loss. That's what mine is set on. As I lose weight, MFP reduces my daily calories to keep me at 2 pounds per week. But it's plenty of food for me. If MFP is telling you to eat 2000 or 2200 calories, try it. But make sure you count every morsel that goes into your mouth. Get out the measuring cups and the scale and weigh and measure every serving. I was shocked at portion sizes! I had no idea what a real serving was, but I am learning.

Also, you have to find an exercise you can live with. If you like the pool (which would be easy on your joints), invest in that drive! Who cares how far it is? You are saving your life! Plan to go 3 or 4 times a week. In a few months, your weight will be down and you may feel like walking more, or doing some other exercise. Then you can cut down on the drives. There are lots of "sittercise" workouts, where you do all of the moves from a chair. I've checked some out from my library, and they got me sweating! If you can't hold a dumbbell, try some weighted gloves. They don't have to be gripped. But if you are like me, my arms are so big, they are weights all by themselves!

Most of all, be consistent. Try to hit your calorie goal every day. Try to move more every day. Drink plenty of water. These simple steps will help you see big changes on the scale. I also find it very helpful to read the message boards. The Success Stories is my favorite. It's so motivating! Lots of people have lost large amounts of weight. Lots of people have overcome health problems, or lost weight in spite of them. You can too! Don't give up!

^^^THIS!^^^^ Agree completely with everything she said!!!!

Hello! I work with people who have all varieties of physical limitations in a professional context as I work in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals as a therapist. Arthritis is really painful and my heart goes out to you...however...and here comes the tough love part...there ARE many things you can do. BUT...YOU...are the one who has to do them. I hope you are still reading now that I have been a little blunt. I mean what I said in the kindest of intentions and it can be very hard to come on these boards, ask a questions, and have perfect strangers judge you or scold you or reprimand you or patronize you or whatever....basically...in essence NOT give you the answers you were expecting or hoping to receive. That can be a little hard to swallow. I think what you need to do is change your perception of yourself first, before anything else. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU DARN WELL PLEASE unless you are deathly sick, in a bed, with a terminal illness, or you have lost your cognitive or conscious functions. You are YOUNG and INTELLIGENT and SPUNKY. You are on HERE! You know it's possible somewhere within you, but you may have to admit that some suffering is probably going to have to come to the surface to reach you goals. But the most painful part may be the part where you become honest with yourself about the fact that it's your attitude more than your lifestyle that needs altered. Delve into your spirit and look for strength...it is going to be a bumpy ride. Here is what I suggest, based off professional experience with older people in rehab who have tons of arthritis and based from my personal successes with weight loss and fitness.
1. YOU ARE NOT OLD. Don't make yourself old in your mind if you are not...because I am 30 and I do NOT want to think of myself as old at 52...I don't look at any 52 year old and think, "They're old...." Don't put that negativity on yourself. Push it away. You are middle aged and on your way to meeting your goals.
2. Get active. This may require Tylenols, icy hot, heating pads, ice packs, very light impact workouts...so be it. Do try Leslie Sansone's walking away the pounds. It's an indoor walking program on a video. You don't need much space to do it. Don't even need shoes. You could do it naked. Try seated exercise videos too. Get on amazon.com and find a video or 5 of them that look good and DOABLE to YOU. Buy them. Put them in and do at least an hour daily. 5-7 days a week.
3. Cut your calories. If you want to lose weight, eat less than 1800 cal. If you aren't working out and you want to be 40 lbs lighter like the sis...follow her plan. You may be able to eat a little more as long as you are truly getting an hour of the low impact exercise in, but remember...with the lighter types of exercise, you can't really eat that much extra. You will negate the hour and not lose anything. In 60 min. of the leslie sansone walk workout, you may only burn 300-400 cal. eating 1500 and burning this amount is safe in my mind and COMPLETELY doable.
4. Choose healthy FILLING foods often 80% of your time, but allow some "naughty treats" here and there BUT responsibly so...STAY AT YOUR LIMIT CALORIES WISE.
5. Research arthritis. Get online and find out all you can about this condition. Look for people who have overcome this with diet and exercise. NOT MOVING IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE you can make with this condition. When you move, your body creates a lubricant for the joints...not moving, the joint become sorer and stiffer over time. Ask any doctor or physical therapist and they will tell you MOVE MOVE MOVE. You don't have to do things that outright cause pain, but for the first months of this, you may simply have to do seated workouts and light weights. I've seen 90 year olds with YEARS of arthritis and broken hips lift 2 lbs weights over and over like it's nothing and pedal arm bikes. Research arthritis. Find supplements and foods that decrease INFLAMMATION. Look into it all. Nutrition can heal your body. Find the foods that will do that and EAT them EVERY day.
6. Buy fitness equipment that fits in your home. An arm bike that convert to a foot pedals that you can adjust resistance on is a great one to start with. It will loosen up all your joints with minimal impact and will increase your heart rate for light cardio. Again, look on amazon.
7. Go for walks in the evening when sun goes down. Even if it's for 15 minutes. Who cares. It is better than nothing.
8. Stay positive and be proud of any small thing you add into your life to rejuvenate and strengthen your soul, your mind and your body. You can do this. You have the power and the intelligence. You have will power. If you find will power a challenge...if you find cutting calories and working out an hour a day TOO MUCH...pray, meditate, read self help books that address your psychological problems...RISE ABOVE THESE MENTAL BARRIERS! Stop allowing yourself to accept mediocrity and stop giving into instant gratification. Prove to yourself you can reach your goals! And then flaunt the same size pants as your sister at the next family gathering in 6 months from now.

Hi , first you should open up diary so we can see what you are eating. Yes you should give up sugar , it is evil. I keep to 2 servings of fruit a day that's it. If you want you can add me as friend and I will look at your diary and give you some ideas:flowerforyou:

Go to the bodymedia.com site directly and email or call them with your arm measurements and they will let you know what you need. The BMF armbands are fantastic and give you a very clear idea of what you are burning everyday, so you know what you can have to do to create the deficit you need. They are also very motivational in that you can try and beat past "personal bests" I have consistently lost an average of 2lbs a week since buying mine in Feb. I find it every bit as valuable as this website!

^^^^^^ THIS

Hi. I've been on MFP for several months now, just haven't participated in the forums. I am getting nowhere.

I'm pretty good about logging my intake. I've been doing that for years so I'm used to it. The hardest thing to overcome was when I overate and didn't want to write it all down. But now I do. That way I have to own it when I've eaten 3500 calories in one day, which is my worst.

MFP says I should be eating 2200 calories a day, but I have changed the goal to 2000. My sister, who is about my same size but down 40 pounds from where I am, is eating 1200 a day. I can't imagine that! 1800 is a trial for me, but I can do it.

I eat very little bread, and not every day. I like soups and salads. My husband keeps a stash of naughty treats, but he keeps them locked up and I don't know the combo. But every time I ask for something he gives it to me.

My knees and feet are killing me and it's wicked hot. So walking is just not doable now. I would swim, but it's a 40 minute round trip to the pool. Plus I have arthritis in my hands and cannot do things like pushups right now. Or lift weights. I do enjoy weight training.

I have gained 60 pounds in the past 7 years. And I was already morbidly obese before that. I'm over 50 and feeling old and discouraged.

HELP!

It'd be helpful if you opened your diary for better help.

Do you know why MFP set you to 2000/2200? I ask because I too am over 50 and not very active. The calculations I used put me about 1700 to maintain and I set my daily calories to 1300 (I eat back most exercise calories, admitedly sometimes less than 100 ). I've been steadily losing 1/2 to 1 lb a week without much exercise (I began this journey in February). My plan is to add more exercise and more daily calorie intake at this point (about 1/2 way to my goal).

You're welcome to look at my open diary to see IMO I eat aplenty! And I'm always satisfied.

Just to be clear I am NOT encouraging you to lower your calories , just offering my experience.

You are way ahead of many people because you are making an effort and have not given up. Exercise is about physical fitness. Cutting calories is about losing weight. If 2000 calories is not getting you the weight loss you desire then you may need to drop to 1750 or even 1500. It is your choice of what works best for you. When I started I cut back on my sugar and carb calories because it helped me to control the amount of food that I was eating so maybe it could help you also. Exercise is very good for you in many ways and helps to burn more calories. As you are losing weight you will be able to exercise more. You can do this!!!!! Do not quit trying.

If you haven't given up sugar that will explain an awful lot.
the trick to losing fat really is in carbohydrate reduction.
caloric reduction is only incidental to this.

read the summary at the link below and get started on the science. good luck

http://www.dragaonordestino.net/Drachenwut_Blog_DragaoNordestino/Ernaehrung/Ernaehrung_arquivos/Notes-to-Good-Calories-Bad-Calories.pdf

Ive lost 60 lbs. It was and still is hard. I have many ups and downs. I started very slow. I use to eat everything and anything. So I cut out sofas and fries. I also cut out eating junk between meals. I ate what I wanted but only 3 meals and 2 snacks. Then I decided to give up fast food. I occassionally will eat say a breakfast jack. Maybe once a month. I went to my doctor and he told me to start walking. Start at 5 minutes per day and work up to 15 minutes per day. I know ride an exercise bike for 60 mind. This allows me to eat more calories. Don't worry start slow and work your way up. Try to control when and what you eat. Good luck

I mentioned it in my post. Bodymedia.com but if you look on ebay they are cheaper.

Sugar is my biggest problem too, it doesn't hurt to cut it down.

I already weigh everything or use measuring cups and spoons. I already don't eat out. Thanks for suggesting them, though.

If you're following a good plan, one that basically has you eating 50% produce, and 25% each of protein and starch; and no caffeine or snack food at night, it may be time to try a supplement.

I just read a review about such a supplement called Plexus. It was initially designed specifically for Type 2 diabetics. Anyhow, the reviewer, a running coach, really seems positive about it...see the link below.

http://runtofinish.com/myplexusreview

Please don't spam the forums pushing fat loss supplements. Out of the few posts you have made, most have been a sell for this product. Most forum users will not appreciate that technique. And most forum users do not subscribe to any specific 'plans' where you 'cut' out certain macros or worry about when you eat. Losing weight is about maintaining a calorie deficit. For most people, carbs are not the devil, nor is eating late at night or caffeine. I am sure you mean well, but please use the forums responsibly.

I agree, you have to get out of the house and do some exercise. Zumba, is really fun and it doesn't feel like exercise. One more thing, your hubby has to get rid of the treats...it's too much temptation, he should know better, he is naughty.