I dont know what to do
Replies
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After all the great advice you've been given, this is going to seem sad and pathetic, but are you weighing yourself at the same time and under the same circumstances every time you weigh? I ask because in one post you referenced "tonight" in reference to your weight.
Weighing in the evening will almost always lead to heartbreak because your body still has all of the day's food and beverages in it. I find that morning, upon first waking up (but after using the toilet) is a more reliable and consistent number.
Also, don't weigh more often than once a day. That will only lead to madness as you see the numbers go up and down over the course of the day. In fact, you might want to put the scale away for a week and just weigh one day a week or even every other week. Then you'll be more likely to see a change, which will be more motivating than the emotional roller coaster of all the minuscule ups and downs.
Congrats on those first 27 pounds, too!
hi - yes im sorta scale-obsessed,, the more i fret about this, the more i cant wait till the morning to peek. it seems i am 2 pounds less in the morning than at night.. so if scale says 335 tonight that means i prolly will be 333 in the morning.. but i do my weight recording officially first thing in the morning.0 -
try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. it seems like a lot but trust me, it works. try to eat 6 small meals a day and include a protein in each meal.0
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good news! my doc gave me a script for a place here in the city that has a program (one of several) that has an 8 week - exercise/nutrition/motivation program, that will get me going.. they are professional nutritionists, dieticiian, physical therapist which i hope (will see tomorrow) if it will be paid for by my insurance. this would be great.. 3 x a week exercise, once a week motivation and once a week dietician, and they will do the measurements, bmi, fat measurement, etc... and all that.. its not like a gym trainer, this is like going to physical thereapy.
That ought to help a lot... its considered therapy under insurance....
will see tomorrow
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Water. Water. Water. Water. That is the easiest place to start! Your body NEEDS to be hydrated in order to function at its best!
Don't try to make a bunch of changes all at once. Start small. Get in a habit (habits take 21 days to form. Good OR bad!) and then add in something else!
I aim for a gallon a day. 8 oz right after I wake up and at least 8 oz before I got to bed. YES, I pee all damn day. YES, I get up at night to pee. But you know what? My mind is more alert and I have more energy. The days I don't get a gallon in, the next day I retain water and feel sluggish.
Baby steps! You got this!0 -
From what I have read, exercise is difficult for you at this point, which I totally get. For starters, I think you might want to invest in some really good shoes. You mentioned New Balance, which is great for some people, but not for you. I am not sure where you live, but you can usually find a store that specializes in running/walking shoes. When I trained for my first marathon (that I walked), I went to one of these stores and they had me walk barefoot outside and on a treadmill, asked me what type of walking i was doing (indoor, outdoor, flat, sand, etc) and they were able to determine the best shoe for me. I ended up with a Nike shoe that has never given me blisters or hurt my feet. Here is L.A. the stores are RoadRunners, A Runner's Circle, Front Runners. Google 'runner shops' in your area. You can get that kind of expertise from a department store, Foot Locker or even your basic sporting goods store.
Once you've got some good shoes, add walking into everyday things. At grocery stores, Target, the mall - I park the furthest from the door. I walk to lunch at work. Sometimes I walk to the grocery store if I just need a few things. I've added 2-3000 steps per day this way.
Best of luck!0 -
From what I have read, exercise is difficult for you at this point, which I totally get. For starters, I think you might want to invest in some really good shoes. You mentioned New Balance, which is great for some people, but not for you. I am not sure where you live, but you can usually find a store that specializes in running/walking shoes. When I trained for my first marathon (that I walked), I went to one of these stores and they had me walk barefoot outside and on a treadmill, asked me what type of walking i was doing (indoor, outdoor, flat, sand, etc) and they were able to determine the best shoe for me. I ended up with a Nike shoe that has never given me blisters or hurt my feet. Here is L.A. the stores are RoadRunners, A Runner's Circle, Front Runners. Google 'runner shops' in your area. You can get that kind of expertise from a department store, Foot Locker or even your basic sporting goods store.
Once you've got some good shoes, add walking into everyday things. At grocery stores, Target, the mall - I park the furthest from the door. I walk to lunch at work. Sometimes I walk to the grocery store if I just need a few things. I've added 2-3000 steps per day this way.
Best of luck!
Hi - i live in chicago and I think I will go to the Nike store here, I've seen the shoes with the smaller toe box, the New Balance which are supposed to be the best shoes, actually does not fit my feet too well because of the big toe box.. weird! I didn't know that shoe stores do that for your feet.. wow thanks!
Thanks for the excellent comments, already I am encouraged!! all is not lost,, i had a 30 day learning experience is all,but still was able to follow what i thought was right, vs eating pie or fudge or something... so I am ready for the next level of digging deeper.
Hey all what do you think about the Biggest Loser workouts? They are so tough, i cringe at some of the things there... i dont think i could handle THAT!! ever! 0 -
nonnymousse1 that program sounds great! I wish you the best of luck.0
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Try changing up your workout routine. If you aren't already lifting weights (not a lot) try substituting some weight lifting in lieu of cardio. Your body adapts to the exercises you are doing, so you need to change it up, to "jump start" your metabolism. Try it and see how it works.0
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Try changing up your workout routine. If you aren't already lifting weights (not a lot) try substituting some weight lifting in lieu of cardio. Your body adapts to the exercises you are doing, so you need to change it up, to "jump start" your metabolism. Try it and see how it works.
thank you! i will do that as soon as i begin to excercise regularly.. right now i can get swimming and water aerobics and a bit of walking on treadmill ... i hope the exercise therapist will give me some good exercises.0 -
Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolic rate working so you do not get the crash and burn. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. you want to keep your metabolic rate on an even keel and will control your blood sugar level.
Eat Low Glycemic foods. 50% vegetable and fruit, 25% good lean protein and 25% good fats like fish, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. This is what you put on your plate.
No
Hi - can you explain please?
Thermic effect of food scales with meals so you can have 1 giant meal a day or 36 small meals, its all the same.
Our ancestors used to eat for 4 hours a day.
They would walk around gathering food and hunting and they were lean, strong, and their metabolism was fine.
Since you are looking to lose fat, dont wrap your brain around eating frequency.
Just eat a healthy amount of calories a day, 1600-2200 a day, lift weights 2-4x a week, walk 10k steps and sleep 8hours a night.
I do start most of my clients out intermittent fasting but thats to teach them what hunger and hunger urges are so they can differentiate between the 2.
As for the nutritional break down...
Keep fructose to 30g or less a day so the equivalent to 3 apples or less.
Eat plenty of veggies and look to the paleo style: asparagus, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, broccoli, carrots and parsnips, spinach.
Eat about 30-40% protein in all forms except soy.
Truth is you could go as low as 90g of protein and up to 1g/lb LBM......you do know your body fat%? Right?
And if you want to save your carbs for dinner then so be it.
Eating carbs after 7pm is just as good as eating them after 7am.
>>>>>IMPORTANT!!! To get your numbers right please visit---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet<---read the instructions. I lay everything out to help you have a true fat burning diet.<<<<<<<0 -
Been there THe most important thing is to not give up or 'sabotage' your success to date. Mix it up a bit. Use this opportunity to focus on some new recipes, try new foods even. Treat yourself that way. There are some great low calorie treats on the market these days.
I'm also on a fluid pill and it takes a while for your body to regulate itself...even the prescription may require altering until your physican gets it 'bang on'. One thing about fluid pills is that it may affect your potassium levels and potassium is something our bodies need. My physician encouraged me to incorporate things like bananas, oranges, orange juice or other healthy sources of potassium into a regular eating plan.
Good luck. Don't give up!0 -
It sounds like you are stressing a lot about doing exercise "right" and thinking if you can't "Do Exercise" then you might as well not even....
What exercise physiologists are discovering, though, is that just about ANYTHING you do that gets you up and moving? Is incredibly beneficial. The CDC, WHO, American Heart Association -- they all confirm that you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. That's 25 minutes of walking fast enough to elevate your heart rate, 6 days a week. It can be done in 10-minute sessions.
That amount? May not be enough to burn thousands of calories and make you lose a lot of weight? But what it does is to significantly improve how your body handles insulin and significantly lower your risk of diabetes (and heart disease).
Just because activity doesn't make you slim doesn't mean it's not beneficial. The research that tells us "losing weight improves mortality?" Generally is only looking at a 10% loss from starting weight. Even a loss that leaves you officially 'obese' is an improvement, and even exercise that doesn't seem like stereotypical "EXERCISE!" will make you healthier.0 -
Exercise: I do very little because of severe feet issues.
Food: I weigh and measure everything I eat. I eat protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs (if any room left)
Water: I drink 48 to 64 ounces every day
Weighing: I weigh myself once a week only, at the same time.
**I have a loss every week!0 -
Exercise: I do very little because of severe feet issues.
Food: I weigh and measure everything I eat. I eat protein first, then vegetables, then fruit, then carbs (if any room left)
Water: I drink 48 to 64 ounces every day
Weighing: I weigh myself once a week only, at the same time.
**I have a loss every week!
Hi - that has to be the key to all this thank you for letting me know it does not have to be drudgery 0 -
Eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolic rate working so you do not get the crash and burn. Insulin is the fat storing hormone. you want to keep your metabolic rate on an even keel and will control your blood sugar level.
Eat Low Glycemic foods. 50% vegetable and fruit, 25% good lean protein and 25% good fats like fish, avocados, walnuts, olive oil. This is what you put on your plate.
No
Hi - can you explain please?
Thermic effect of food scales with meals so you can have 1 giant meal a day or 36 small meals, its all the same.
Our ancestors used to eat for 4 hours a day.
They would walk around gathering food and hunting and they were lean, strong, and their metabolism was fine.
Since you are looking to lose fat, dont wrap your brain around eating frequency.
Just eat a healthy amount of calories a day, 1600-2200 a day, lift weights 2-4x a week, walk 10k steps and sleep 8hours a night.
I do start most of my clients out intermittent fasting but thats to teach them what hunger and hunger urges are so they can differentiate between the 2.
As for the nutritional break down...
Keep fructose to 30g or less a day so the equivalent to 3 apples or less.
Eat plenty of veggies and look to the paleo style: asparagus, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, broccoli, carrots and parsnips, spinach.
Eat about 30-40% protein in all forms except soy.
Truth is you could go as low as 90g of protein and up to 1g/lb LBM......you do know your body fat%? Right?
And if you want to save your carbs for dinner then so be it.
Eating carbs after 7pm is just as good as eating them after 7am.
>>>>>IMPORTANT!!! To get your numbers right please visit---> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974889-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet<---read the instructions. I lay everything out to help you have a true fat burning diet.<<<<<<<
ah! thank you for explaining that. 0 -
It sounds like you are stressing a lot about doing exercise "right" and thinking if you can't "Do Exercise" then you might as well not even....
What exercise physiologists are discovering, though, is that just about ANYTHING you do that gets you up and moving? Is incredibly beneficial. The CDC, WHO, American Heart Association -- they all confirm that you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. That's 25 minutes of walking fast enough to elevate your heart rate, 6 days a week. It can be done in 10-minute sessions.
That amount? May not be enough to burn thousands of calories and make you lose a lot of weight? But what it does is to significantly improve how your body handles insulin and significantly lower your risk of diabetes (and heart disease).
Just because activity doesn't make you slim doesn't mean it's not beneficial. The research that tells us "losing weight improves mortality?" Generally is only looking at a 10% loss from starting weight. Even a loss that leaves you officially 'obese' is an improvement, and even exercise that doesn't seem like stereotypical "EXERCISE!" will make you healthier.
ah! that reminds me of a while back when i was walking about 15 miles per week when i was healthier and could do it - i went walking and it was fun, out here by the lake, i was even walking the 4.5 mile walk to work... then someone rained on my parade - a trainer at one of the health club chains here, told me "oh that walking did you no good, you have to work inside here with a trainer to get the best benefit"... that totally was the WORST thing she could have said... sounded like she wanted to get more $$$$ because you'd have to pay her.... all that work, seemed to come crashing down in hearing that one discouraging thing. but i knew i was doing some good, walking to work rather than take the bus.. sheesh!!! people should not say such things whether on purpose to take advantage of people, or just being inadvertently stupid.0 -
hey eveyrone! I thank you for all your comments, which i have read them all.. I might not comment on everyone's but i appreciate your input, thats what i wanted to say. i think i'd be taking up too much space here replying to everyone.. lol and believe me i could write an essay ...
i am able to use some ideas, some not ready for yet, will have to build up to it.. but I cant wait to see the results from these feww changes i can make in this next month.
if anything, the month was not wasted because i did wean myself off some things that were addicting to me.
thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to care enough about me.. and no one was rude! You guys are the BESTEST bunch evah!!!!
xoxoxo - from a person totally discouraged and frustrated the other day to now enocuraged!!! 0 -
Hi everyone!!!
welll well well, i measured a few things today - found out I WAS UNDERREPORTING MY CALORIES / FOOD.
amazing.
I thought a cup of milk was a small glass - turns out it is about half that same glass.
in the morning when i get my large coffee (16 oz?) i dump out the half and half creamer, thought it was a few tbs, but it was 1/4 CUP half and half. sheesh!!!!
im firing my eyeballs,, coz they have NOT been doing their job grrrrrr ..
thats the problem. sheesh!!!
thank you all for pointing that out to me.0 -
Great job! It is very eye-opening when we start actually measuring and weighing food. Our perception of normal serving has been skewed for so long.
Cereal is one of the worst. A serving is typically 3/4 to one cup. But the picture on the box shows a full bowl that is probably 3 or more servings.
Now that we know better, we can do better. You are on your way to better health!0 -
Hi everyone.
Well I am rethinking the exercise thing that i was going to try. Today i walked to the gym from home and i made it there ok, but on the way back i only could go 2 blocks. something happened in the week that i think i stretched the back of one of my calf muscles or something, because now i am walking with a limp, so it is very exhausting. It probably has to go away in time by itself but i am thinking that I am not ready to go do exercise 3 times a week.. not sure what they will propose at the wellness center, but i just dont know about doing exercise right now that much. maybe i should just stick to my swimming. or maybe im going to have to go to the expense of taking my car and paying $3.00 for parking each time
Good news though,, when i walked past the one bus stop that is half way between my home and the gym, they put up a bench this week there.. yay! so i dont know, i might be able to handle this short distance to the gym, but not sure if i can trot to the wellness center all the way which is going to cause me to walk more than 2 blocks which is my limit.
or maybe i will go check with the other wellness center at the hospital and go with that, it will be less walking..
but my rambling here ,, what im saying is, maybe i could lose weight first (about 30 pounds) which may take a couple months and not do a lot of exercise .. i dont know if i need to.. heck, some of you guys exercise and eat back your calories so if im going to the gym its in order to lose MORE calories. I could lose 200 calories either by walking the treadmill a half hour or just not eating a food item. ok i understand exercise is not necessarily to burn calories, but i dont see the benefit if we're just eating back our calories. so eating back my calories is a no for me. that would be too discouraging to go thru that pain just in order to eat back calories. im pretty much overweight so i dont think that i need to do that.
so i guess what i am sahying is - i am having a hard time walking and this is keeping me from going out and so unless i take my car to the gym, its going to be a very hard challenge to actually go, so i really dont know if i need to worry about exercise now, if i go once a week or twice a week that is enough for me. (the gym is about 5-6 blocks from my home, and it is very hard for me to walk more than 2 blocks, and so i need to take the bus partway at least. after a long day of being on my feet that 2 blocks is very painful for my feet. so i am tryhing to work on it by at least trying and i have to go get new shoes. i did get out today walking around, so i am doing waht i can do, but short bursts is it.0 -
Good for you for walking!
Even though it is really hard now, don't give up. As you lose weight walking will become easier, but walking more even without losing any will help it become easier too. The walking is great for your heart, and you won't get better unless you push yourself. Even walking 2 blocks will increase your ability until you're walking 3, then 4, and so on.
Also, I try to eat back my exercise calories because I'm not just exercising to lose weight, I'm doing it to get in shape. I want to be able to run, to go on ten mile hikes (I don't actually want to go on a ten mile hike, but I want to have the option). I want to be able to keep up with my best friend when we try new things like stand up paddleboarding or doing fun 5ks. I can't do those things unless I build a good foundation. You see people that are "skinny fat" sometimes, which means they don't weigh as much, but they also aren't in good shape. I want to be in good shape and skinny, so I exercise to increase my strength.
MFP already has a calorie deficit built in, so by eating the surplus calories allowed from exercise you'll still be at a deficit for the day. You have to eat enough calories to sustain your body, otherwise you can't gain more muscle or become stronger.
Good job though, 2 blocks of walking is better than none!0 -
No exercise you do should cause you pain, other than maybe some muscle soreness. If walking is going to stress your feet/knees too much, don't push it. You will only end up injuring yourself and putting yourself off exercise longer.
Look into some simple bodyweight/home exercises you can do at home that are low impact. Squat in place. Do wall sits. Do "girly" pushups (from your knees). You could even use your milk jug as a weight. Look up some beginner yoga videos. There are a lot of resources out there for ideas on simple moves you can do in the comfort of your own home so that you can pace yourself and avoid injury.0 -
No exercise you do should cause you pain, other than maybe some muscle soreness. If walking is going to stress your feet/knees too much, don't push it. You will only end up injuring yourself and putting yourself off exercise longer.
Look into some simple bodyweight/home exercises you can do at home that are low impact. Squat in place. Do wall sits. Do "girly" pushups (from your knees). You could even use your milk jug as a weight. Look up some beginner yoga videos. There are a lot of resources out there for ideas on simple moves you can do in the comfort of your own home so that you can pace yourself and avoid injury.
yep thats exactly what i am thinking... thank you ...0 -
Again, a food scale is critical. Without it, no one can help you by looking at your diary. Your diary is incorrect, who knows how many calories you are eating, you certainly don't.
then i wasted all this time!!!!!
sorry, I think this is silly. While you will benefit from a food scale, both you and I lost 30lbs without one. It does help, don't get me wrong, but. ... Lots of people get by just estimating. It depends on how you do it and if you make sure to compensate. Best of luck.0 -
No exercise you do should cause you pain, other than maybe some muscle soreness. If walking is going to stress your feet/knees too much, don't push it. You will only end up injuring yourself and putting yourself off exercise longer.
Look into some simple bodyweight/home exercises you can do at home that are low impact. Squat in place. Do wall sits. Do "girly" pushups (from your knees). You could even use your milk jug as a weight. Look up some beginner yoga videos. There are a lot of resources out there for ideas on simple moves you can do in the comfort of your own home so that you can pace yourself and avoid injury.
yep thats exactly what i am thinking... thank you ...
You don't have to eat exercise calories back but it is important to work on maintaining your lean muscles and increasing your cardio vascular fitness. If you can walk two blocks then do it. Try to increase the distance every week by a bit. Google geriatric exercise and find some things you can do sitting. Leslie Sansone has some great DVD's called Walk Away the Pounds that you can do at home and modify as you need to.
Exercise shouldn't cause you a lot of pain but there also is something to "no pain, no gain". Just eating less and remaining with muscle weakness and poor cardio fitness isn't the answer. If you swim, that's great exercise too. Just keep moving. A FitBit might be a good motivational tool for you to see if you can improve your activity.
My husband is in the same place. His weight prohibits him from doing things easily so he doesn't do things which in turn makes it so he can do less and it goes on and on. It doesn't seem to bother him because he's still at a point where eating whatever he wants is more important than being healthy but it bothers me because the rest of us have to make concessions for his inability to participate in life. Keep your eye on your goal and keep pushing forward.0 -
thank you all wonderful peeps!!
After making a couple changes - 64 oz water friday, measuring since friday and swimming half hour and walking yesterday, i broke the stupid plateau or whatever it was. (maintenance inadvertently).
i am now down past that stupid number!!! im going to keep this up.
yipee yahooey!!!!
it wasn't that hard either.0 -
thank you all wonderful peeps!!
After making a couple changes - 64 oz water friday, measuring since friday and swimming half hour and walking yesterday, i broke the stupid plateau or whatever it was. (maintenance inadvertently).
i am now down past that stupid number!!! im going to keep this up.
yipee yahooey!!!!
it wasn't that hard either.
yay nice one!!! :flowerforyou:0 -
I was just thinking this - could this be true?
If a person has been maintaining their weight for a time, because of overestimating the calories eaten, then as soon as the person begins to lower just 500 calories a day, then the weight ought to come off 1 pound a week. so maybe i was just 500 calories over each day.
That would be great if the weight was ready to come off but i had just been ingesting a bit too many calories.. now i hope this trend continues.
this is the reward.. it was so discouraging for a bit. but i didn't give up. mentally though this is a tough thing to deal with getting on the scale and it doesnt move. and i thought i was doing everything right.. wow... so glad you guys enlightened me 0 -
I was just thinking this - could this be true?
If a person has been maintaining their weight for a time, because of overestimating the calories eaten, then as soon as the person begins to lower just 500 calories a day, then the weight ought to come off 1 pound a week. so maybe i was just 500 calories over each day.
from http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat#calories
"It’s traditionally suggested that you subtract 500 calories from your maintenance level per day. This 500 cal/day would net a 3,500 calorie deficit by the end of 1 week. Since there are 3,500 calories in 1 pound of fat, it’s a simple way to lose 1 pound of fat per week. Or so it seems.
Many people quickly learn that this simple formula doesn’t typically pan out in the real world. There are a number of reasons why it doesn’t – most notably is the fact that as we lose weight, our metabolic rate drops. Most of this is due to the loss of tissue… which means less mass to support and move around. Some of this has to do with what’s referred to as adaptive thermogenesis (or zomg! the starvation mode), which is basically your body shifting into conservation mode in response to the energy shortfall.
The formula also fails quite often due to the fact that even if metabolic rate was static, very few people come close to accurately creating a 500 cal/day deficit. As noted above, it’s common to have people underestimating their calorie consumption and overestimating their calorie expenditure. Not to mention the fact that the 3,500 calorie/week deficit assumes we’re losing fat tissue and nothing else, which is rarely the case.
Put simply… the rate of weight loss is not always linear.
Of course when the formula doesn’t pan out… when people don’t lose their targeted 1 lb of weight per week… they blame it on calories not working rather than the obvious. Manage your expectations according to reality! If you expect to lose weight each and every week and to reach your goal weight looking exactly like the model on the cover of your favorite magazine, you’re likely to wind up disappointed and frustrated.
We have an alternative solution.
What you estimate your energy expenditure to be isn’t all that important compared to what you do after you estimate it. Remember, you’re not signing a binding contract here. You’re simply estimating how many calories your body burns in a day. From there, you can set calorie intake above or below your estimation in order to gain or lose weight respectively.
Our recommendation is to autoregulate this intake on the fly based on what’s happening in real time. You don’t set your car to cruise control and expect to arrive at your destination without touching the breaks or turning the wheel, do you?"0 -
I may be late to this party, but the place you want to go for shoes in Chicago is Fleet Feet Sports- there are two locations in Chicago, I've gone to the one in Old Town. When my daughter first started to run cross country, I took her there. They spend about an hour with her - can you imagine, an 11 year old!!! - looking at her gait and seeing how she runs. They have a treadmill with a video to see how your run - they can no doubt help you get the right shoes for what you need. They were amazingly helpful and I am sure that they will cheer you on so that one day you'll be asking for help getting ready for your first 5k!!
Stick with it! It will happen.0
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