Frustrated!! Still EXACT same weight after 12 days!

Hi, I have a couple of suggestions based only on my weight loss issues, so please don't think I'm saying this should work for everyone. I'm now 54 so I also have trouble keeping my metabolism up enough to lose weight, and I started taking thyroid meds in the last 2 years. Add to that, I'm working my way to menopause with all the fun issues that come with it. And....I'm only 5'2" so not much leeway on how much extra weight I should carry (and I'm carrying a LOT!).

1. Take a minute to write down how you feel physically. Any and all symptoms. Are you tired, pain anywhere, gastric issues, etc. Everything. Then talk to your doctor about it in relation to weight loss. What does the doctor think you need to do nutritionally to lose weight. It's different for everybody. Once I got my thyroid issue in check, the fatigue went away. That helped me mentally as well, because I hated the thought of diet or exercise just because I didn't feel physically able to do anything that I thought would help.

2. I hate, hate, hate food journals, but they are the only way I've found to really track all my extra litte snacks every day. This one is the easiest I have found and I am no longer clueless about why I wasn't losing weight before.

3. If you have tried to lose weight in the past, what type of foods have worked best for you? Right before the holidays I started a diet that counts only sugar calories called The 100 by Jorge Cruise. Again, I'm not advocating anything specific, but in my case, cutting WAY back on sugar calories (and carbs) and eating quite a bit less processed foods has, so far, been very successful. I've also been very mindful of portion sizes. Maybe it has helped me because in the past my weaknesses have been carbs & sugars & lots of them.

4. Don't deprive yourself of food, just count it in your daily food log and try to keep it within the calorie level you need. I "cheat" all the time, I just cut out something else and then get back on my bandwagon! Also, is your calorie level enough for your body?

5. Be consistent with your exercise, but it doesn't have to be intense! At this point (about 2-3 months since I started) I am only walking on the treadmill and recently started walking stairs 4 times a day at work to get my metabolism up during the day because I sit all day. These are neither long nor intense workouts, but they are consistent and I am working up to more workouts per week. I know I will have to mix it up at some point, but this way I will not get frustrated and give up.

6. Get workout and diet buddies. They are a lifesaver for me. Without them I wouldn't do half of what I do! I would keep putting it off. And people who aren't on board tend to not be very helpful when eating out, etc. You need a lot of motivators.

So far my results are 16 lbs in about 2-3 months. I have a lot more to lose so that might be one reason why I've lost this much. But I recently was advised to look to a shorter term goal and when I do that, I'm so much closer. Before, I had the mindset of "I don't want to weigh xxx" but I know it's a short term goal. I'm not kidding myself that I will be done when I reach it.

So there you go, for what it's worth. I wish you the best of luck with this. Friend me if you like. I'm trying to get on here once a day so I keep up my food diary.

Robin