Frustrated with...EVERYTHING!!

Not to add to your frustration, but about 3 months ago I had a 6 week plateau of no change on the scale and what I thought to be minimal changes in my body composition. Since then, I have dropped a few more pounds, but in the last 6 weeks when I added some aggressive weight training to the mix (with the help of a trainer), I am on another 6 week weight loss plateau. I am however seeing some small changes in my body, but only because my trainer tracks my progress by measurements and body fat %.

You won't have a chance at the fresh start or coming back to roller derby strong and healthy if you give up.

Well no wonder you are not seeing results, you are not logging. So you are probably over eating, it's pretty shocking when you start logging your food and see how much you actually eat.

First off, congratulations on taking the steps to becoming healthier! I know it can be frustrating when things don't exactly go as planned.

I want to try and find a way to say this that won't result in me getting a cyber beating...You don't need to track calories to lose weight. Yes, it absolutely helps, and big congrats to everyone who has had success in losing weight, tracking calories. You DO need an awareness of what you are eating and consuming, but it's not necessary to track every single calorie. How did they do it in the past when things like this weren't available?

I didn't join MFP until I reached Maintenance mode. Yes, like I said, I did have a general idea of what I was consuming/burning every day but I didn't count calories(again, just want to make it clear that there is nothing wrong with counting calories to lose weight).

If you know you're eating is mostly in check, may I ask what types of exercise you are doing? If you are spending an hour at the gym, but doing basically the same workout over and over, your body eventually falls into a routine, which results in your body not having to work as hard, which results in fewer calories burned. If you change up your workout frequently ,about every 4-5 workouts, you will always keep that body of your guessing, which means you are always making it work hard and blast those calories! Try to change up/amp up that routine of yours every 5 workouts to keep your body from falling into a routine.

The keys that made me successful were: Portion control, healthier eating, exercise, moderation and substitution. I wrote a blog post that goes into more detail on how I incorporated all of those keys into my daily life. You are more than welcome to have a look: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/crazybookworm/view/i-did-not-use-my-fitness-pal-to-lose-weight-468643

I hope this helps!

Hang in there, girl. Frustration is all part of the process You are doing great, and I know I'll be reading your success story in no time!

You can do this!

Rome wasn't built in a day. You didn't get this way in 30 days it's not gonna go away in 30 days. Never give up. Never never never quit. That's the key to success.

Another vote for accurately tracking your food, drink and workouts via MFP, and accurately measuring your portion sizes. I had no idea how I got so fat until I realised I could get through 3,000 calories on a regular basis without feeling stuffed. In fact, I'd recommend tracking your normal intake for at least three days before switching to MFP's recommendations - when you see where you're going wrong, it's much easier to fix it.

When you are ready to lose weight - you will do what it takes to lose weight.
If you don't want to log? No one is going to make you. The ball is in your court. We always can find excuses for things - but

YOUR BODY KEEPS AN ACCURATE RECORD OF YOUR FOOD AND EXERCISE - REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU WRITE DOWN.

Get real with yourself. When you do, you'll make a plan and work it every day. Good luck.

Bump - To read and learn for later

TRACK WHAT YOU EAT!!! Try a simple test - eyeball a cup of something and then actually MEASURE it to see how much you have. I bet you'll find that your eyeball measurement is larger. It only takes a few assumptions like that to throw your calorie intake way off each day. Even chewing too much gum can derail you - even sugar free! The package may say that a stick has ZERO calories, but if you're chewing 10+ sticks a day, there's about 100 calories right there that you don't even think about! The exercise is great and will help you build muscle, but remember that muscle weighs MORE than fat. Tell yourself tthese 10 little words each day - - - - - "IF IT IS TO BE IT IS UP TO ME...". Believe in yourself and know that you can make it happen!!!

Weigh and measure everything you put in your mouth. Eat the correct amount of calories for you to lose weight, but have proper fuel for working out.

Do that for a month and see what happens. If you don't do it, the only one you are cheating is yourself. Otherwise, just stay frustrated and see no change.

FYI, the trainer should tell you the same thing. You don't know how much you are really eating unless you are keeping track.

Another vote for logging everything into MFP and get a HRM. You'll be surprised what you are and are not eating once it's written down.

Then:

Figure out your BMR and do NOT net less than that each day. MFP is set up so you eat back your exercise calories. You will drop weight fast on 1200 calories but I would not recommend that for more and 1-2 months. 75lbs by April 2014 is very ambitious, healthy weight loss is 1-1.5 lbs/week.

Get a food scale and weigh everything. My family makes fun of me because I take my scale and a little cheat sheet of average plate weights everywhere with me but I don't care.

Take your measurements every 2 weeks or so. You could be losing inches and not know it. It took me over 30lbs to really see a change in the mirror but I was taking measurements and that helped.

Find a group of supportive friends on MFP that will also hold you accountable. That has been the biggest help is knowing that I'm not alone in this. Good luck and feel free to add me if you want.

Tracking your food is the only way. Meticulously.

I gained up to my highest weight ever after I started kickboxing training and was training 4-5 hours a week. Our bodies naturally compensate for increased activity by prompting us to eat more.

A calorie deficit must be purposefully created and adhered to if you want to lose body fat.

OP....

If your not losing weight, then you're not doing something right. It's not the food, it's not the exercise. It's *you*. Right now I've been exactly the same for 2 months. I eat healthy food. I generally stay in a calorie deficit. By all accounts I should be losing weight. But i'm not. I've been bad with sugar this week, but usually that's not in my diet either. Stress, miscounting, not fully committing. All these things lead to no changes. All of these things I cam guilty of these last 2 months. Even if there is no loss, weight or inches wise, but you are making healthier choices you are *still* doing something good for yourself. Start there. its' *HARD* to make the good healthy choices, because we are conditioned to pick the ice cream and sugar is the most addictive substance on there is (and the most abundant, it's literally in just about everything) I am still committed to this, but I have realized there are just some time in life where no matter how well intentions or how much you have told yourself this time you will choose the apple, you will also eat the cake and skip the gym.

You have to make the time and commit the time and the energy to it. If what you are dong isn't working, it's not the foods fault or the exercises fault. It's yours. Something you are doing or not doing, whether it's intentional or not. I know my exact problem. i'm stressed beyond belief and completely strapped for time. I am still cooking healthy, but i'm not sleeping right, so i'm craving and caving in to sugar. It's ok to get off track, or to have trouble finding the track. Just don't give up. The simple fact that you re trying and you are aware that you need to change puts you leaps and bounds ahead of half the people who claim to be on a diet.

Don't ever judge yourself or your loss by gauging others. You have no idea what they are really doing. One of my friends lost a ton of weight, by "eating healthy" yea until she came off the fad diet she wouldn't admit she was following and put double what she lost back on.

You don't have to open your diary up to others if you don't want to. But you do have to open it up to yourself. Log everything and be honest to yourself. I'd bet money you're eating way more then you think you are. When you do cardio make sure you get you heart rate up and you are having fun. I hate the treadmill. I do Zumba and kickboxing and combat and step class. I have so much fun I forget i'm exercising. I joined an ultimate Frisbee group in my area too.

None of this will matter unless you truly change your diet and keep that under control. Weight is lost/gained in the kitchen not the gym.