So discouraged. I'm truly trying but failing. Please help.

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  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I am a vegetarian as well so getting enough vegetables is never an issue. I
    You say this but looking at your diary there is a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is nothing wrong with occasional treats but overall your diet looks like a lot of pre processed food and a lot of processed cheese. So your sodium will be high which will make you retain water. Also If you had proper food not a liquid breakfast this may keep you satisfied longer and stop some of the cravings you seem to be having.

    I'm not saying don't eat pizza or the odd take away i'm saying try include it in a more balanced way. Also you only have 3 days of logging so you may need some patience just give it a few weeks.
  • lindsaymarcin
    lindsaymarcin Posts: 81 Member
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    yes, but sodium makes you retain water. Not sure what days you weigh in, but if it was one of those days you could have been retaining water weight! Also are you drinking a lot of water?
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    Ok so I ordered the sanity check DVD from beachbody to get me prepared for insanity and I looked for what unthought was a good coach on there when I signed up but when I emailed him to help with my nutrition he is like a nutrition natzi. Instead of being like good job eating subway for lunch, he was like "I'm not a fan of subway, their bread full of preservatives and you ate chips? Baked or not chips are not to be part of your diet if your trying to lose weight" I mean I know I did ask for help but I'm like da*n am I doing anything right? I know processed foods are bad but I'm trying to make "healthier" choices. If I have to be so strict I can't even eat subway I might as well throw in the towel.
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    This was very helpful thank you. And very kind. And to all you who are supportive thank you so much!
    Hello! I have had depression, severe stress and anxiety for 10 years, and at first I couldn't lose any weight either, but now I am doing great. I want to tell you a few things I have learned.

    I did MFP last January, February, March, just like I am doing now. I did it for 8 weeks, ate my 1200 calories religiously (I am short so 1200 is actually correct for me - actually Scoobyworkshop.com has me at about 1100 calories, so I usually eat under 1200). I was measuring everything, even teapoons of mustard! And I was doing about 45 minutes of Samba dancing 5 times a week. I had been eating like 2500 cals a day before I started, so you would think I would lose weight.

    I did not. Not a pound, not an inch, nothing.

    Then I started reading and talking to friends, and it turns out that because I had been depressed and stressed and everything, it was virtually impossible for me to lose weight initially. People always quote "calories in, calories out," however this is not the case if you have some condition such as stress, diabetes, thyroid issues, etc. etc. I could list references here but all you have to do is google "stress" "cortisol" and "belly fat" to see that a person who is distressed is often UNABLE to lose weight, regardless of what they eat. That is why I did not lose weight.

    Well, what helped?

    This summer I started again. I was just so tired of being fat and out of shape! I have a 3 year old son, so fat and tired wasn't working for me.

    So I started here again. And again, for the first 7 or 8 weeks, I did my 1200 cals religiously, AND started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred 4-5 times a week. And again, at first, I lost nothing. But the difference? Instead of quitting at 8 weeks, I KEPT GOING.

    And a magical thing started to happen. I started to feel better. My stress levels were going down. I was sleeping better. I was feeling more energized, my skin started looking better. AND... one day, I realized "OH MY GOD I am not depressed anymore!"

    The endorphins released by exercise are as effective as prozac on depression (I had read this many times in all the medical books I have been reading for the past 10 years to try to remedy my depression, but I didn't believe it until it happened to me). Exercise is also the #1 recommended stress reducer (depression has stress effects on the body and releases cortisol as much as anger or other "obvious" stressers).

    So, the cortisol levels in my body started to go down, and by the 3rd month, I STARTED TO LOSE WEIGHT. In fact, I am losing weight so fast, I have had to increase my calorie intake.

    So please, just keep going. Sounds like you are doing great. Give it a couple of months, and you'll feel better and that will allow your body to start losing the weight it had held onto for protection.

    Just keep going, believe!

    Here are some articles from the mayo clinic if you would like to read about these topics some more:

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495

    http://www.mayoclinic.org/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

    "When your stress and cortisol levels are high, the body actually resists weight loss":
    http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/belly-fat-and-cortisol-connection
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    Liquid breakfast? And processed cheese? I had cottage cheese and Parmesan. Are those bad?
    I am a vegetarian as well so getting enough vegetables is never an issue. I
    You say this but looking at your diary there is a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. There is nothing wrong with occasional treats but overall your diet looks like a lot of pre processed food and a lot of processed cheese. So your sodium will be high which will make you retain water. Also If you had proper food not a liquid breakfast this may keep you satisfied longer and stop some of the cravings you seem to be having.

    I'm not saying don't eat pizza or the odd take away i'm saying try include it in a more balanced way. Also you only have 3 days of logging so you may need some patience just give it a few weeks.
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    I'm trying to cut down on the fast food. I swear I am. Thanks guys for lifting me up. I guess when you really look at things it's a hard pill to swallow sometimes. Ill continue to press on but totally cutting out all processed foods and fast foods just isn't feasible for me at this point in life BUT I can cut down on them. I know I ate a slice of cheese pizza most days last week. I just hate letting it go to waste. From now on I need to be of the mindset of better to go to waste than to my waist. That way I can limit a cheat day. I am trying to make healthier choices when I do eat processed or food out. I'm more concerned with eating healthy over the long term vs trying to force myself into a strict diet. I'm hoping the weight will still come off eventually. Trial and error and balance. Logging everything is really helping see areas I can improve. Week one down and week two is looking better already I think.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I don't do cheat meals or cheat days. I work yummy treats into my calorie goal. You don't have to be perfect to lose weight. Eat "good" or "clean" (whatever those words mean to you) 80% of the time.

    One piece of pizza will not make you fat. Depriving yourself then eating a lot of pizza might. Fit a slice of pizza into your macros.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Processed foods and 'preservatives' are not specifically bad in anything but a nocebo from what I've seen.
    Chips are potato+fat.
    Lots of fat can be bad because it's calorie dense so easy to go over both your macro limit for fat and your calorie limit.

    I too am terrible for not "letting food go to waste" - but yes, a phrase there - better to let it go to waste than waist. It's a real struggle for me to see 'free food' sat there and NOT eat it.
    Nothing wrong with Pizza occasionally - I had about 1200 calories worth of 'meat feast' pizza with extra bacon and onions last night. HOWEVER that was after a workout and my calories for the day were low as it was.

    If you like these foods, there are way you can get them in without pushing your calories too much.
    For instance I have an 'air fryer' which uses very little fat but still makes really tasty chips.
    If you load up on the meat (protein) on a pizza, but go easy on the cheese and go for a low-weight base, it can be easily made to fit in to your macros.

    HOWEVER, to some degree it may be a case of getting used to not eating these.
    I am a massive cheese addict. I could easily a 350-400g block a day every day.
    For the first week or so it always feels really hard not having it, but then I get used to it.

    I would try and plan to be good for 30 days. Still incorporate an occasional slice of pizza and so on, but make sure it's no more than that. Really force your self to stick it out for the month.
    If you're still finding it really hard after that, then it's time to look at other strategies - maybe changing the food around, doing more exercise to burn calories or whatever.

    However, for most people, if they can stick at it for a month, they've got used to it enough that actually it now seems 'normal' because it's become habit.
    I do enjoy eating LOADS of food; but I'm sure part of my problem is that it becomes habit, so the trick is to get a 'good habit' instead.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Ok somehow I let depression get the best of me fell off my exercise/nutrition regimen. Now sitting at an ugly 182lbs I'm trying my hardest to eat back on track. I am exercising three to four times a week to Jillian micahels yoga meltdown which is far more intense than regular yoga, and I am tracking my nutrition. I struggle with dinner. I can usually do good all day and then fall off the wagon at dinner. However this past week I have tracked everything. I had cheese pizza a few days but made sure I had the calories left to do so. I only went majorly over one day and I noticed it was on a day I was super sleep deprived. Forgive me if I sound stupid but I thought as long as you were within your limits you were allowed to have pizza. I am a vegetarian as well so getting enough vegetables is never an issue. I just haven't lost a single pound. I could use some guidance. I think my diary open to the public. I just am lost as to where to go from here. I want to order insanity and start it in February but I'm discouraged that I'm struggling with nutrition as much as I am now. I feel like a loser for not being able to figure this out. I feel like there must be something right in front of my face I'm missing.

    Trying doesnt do anything. Doing and managing your food sees results. If trying saw results I would just try and win the lottery every week.
  • septembergrrl
    septembergrrl Posts: 168 Member
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    Based on your journal, I'd say you might want to try cutting back on the fast food. Yes, Subway is a better option than KFC, but it's still processed and probably full of sodium. Try packing your work lunches. You may also want to take a look at your snacking -- if it works for you, that's great, but it's easy to underestimate how many nuts you're eating.

    And don't get discouraged. This is a REALLY hard journey, especially when you're coming out of depression, but it's worth it. Best of luck.
  • RockinTerri
    RockinTerri Posts: 499 Member
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    As others have mentioned, don't get discouraged. It's a process, this journey of healthy living. And yes, while I do agree (and do myself) the "if it fits in your macros" approach, I have noticed that I can't eat junk foods as often anymore. It tends to make me feel sluggish, and I don't have the motivation I used to. And I agree - proper sleep can indeed help in making healthy choices. Yesterday (after not having slept a single wink the night before), I had a bad food day. Not just a few poor choices - I mean where I was several hundred calories over my goal.

    But It's one day, and It truly takes time to adjust your mindset and thinking. I sometimes get a bit down on myself when I see friends on here who have dropped 25 pounds in a few months, whereas I've done that in 2 years. But then I realize I'm still down 25 pounds from 2 years ago, I'm more active than I was then, I eat better (smaller portions and better choices) than I did then, and I do have some health issues that slow down my weight loss too. So I pick myself right back up and get back into my plan.
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    This came across as very rude and snarky. If you don't have anything nice to say please don't say anything at all. This is supposed to be a place of encouragement and support.
    Ok somehow I let depression get the best of me fell off my exercise/nutrition regimen. Now sitting at an ugly 182lbs I'm trying my hardest to eat back on track. I am exercising three to four times a week to Jillian micahels yoga meltdown which is far more intense than regular yoga, and I am tracking my nutrition. I struggle with dinner. I can usually do good all day and then fall off the wagon at dinner. However this past week I have tracked everything. I had cheese pizza a few days but made sure I had the calories left to do so. I only went majorly over one day and I noticed it was on a day I was super sleep deprived. Forgive me if I sound stupid but I thought as long as you were within your limits you were allowed to have pizza. I am a vegetarian as well so getting enough vegetables is never an issue. I just haven't lost a single pound. I could use some guidance. I think my diary open to the public. I just am lost as to where to go from here. I want to order insanity and start it in February but I'm discouraged that I'm struggling with nutrition as much as I am now. I feel like a loser for not being able to figure this out. I feel like there must be something right in front of my face I'm missing.

    Trying doesnt do anything. Doing and managing your food sees results. If trying saw results I would just try and win the lottery every week.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Ok somehow I let depression get the best of me fell off my exercise/nutrition regimen. Now sitting at an ugly 182lbs I'm trying my hardest to eat back on track. I am exercising three to four times a week to Jillian micahels yoga meltdown which is far more intense than regular yoga, and I am tracking my nutrition. I struggle with dinner. I can usually do good all day and then fall off the wagon at dinner. However this past week I have tracked everything. I had cheese pizza a few days but made sure I had the calories left to do so. I only went majorly over one day and I noticed it was on a day I was super sleep deprived. Forgive me if I sound stupid but I thought as long as you were within your limits you were allowed to have pizza. I am a vegetarian as well so getting enough vegetables is never an issue. I just haven't lost a single pound. I could use some guidance. I think my diary open to the public. I just am lost as to where to go from here. I want to order insanity and start it in February but I'm discouraged that I'm struggling with nutrition as much as I am now. I feel like a loser for not being able to figure this out. I feel like there must be something right in front of my face I'm missing.

    I think you need to give yourself a little more time. Tracking really well for one week is not going to give you big results. Be patient, stay consistent, stay within your calorie goal. You'll get there!
  • WithWhatsLeft
    WithWhatsLeft Posts: 196 Member
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    I didn't look at your diary, just read the entire thread. You've gotten so much good advice to chew on - I have another for you:

    Prepare & plan. Sounds like you have to rely on fast food and less than healthy snacks due to a busy schedule. Is there one day a week where you could cook in large batches, and eat off the meals for the rest of the week? I think that really would help you get the most out of your meals for both yourself and your daughter.

    Spend some time looking for recipes you can cook in bulk, that will freeze and reheat well - then plan out your meals for the week. Shop, cook up a storm, and have great food ready.

    Other than that, just give it time and be good to you. It's a process, it really is.
  • AusEliza
    AusEliza Posts: 60 Member
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    Track your calories and weigh yourself on a weekly basis to get a good idea on your progress. i have found this invaluable to my weight loss.
  • kieferz
    kieferz Posts: 37 Member
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    That's a good idea. I usually try to get foods that I can make several different ways. Come tax time I'm going to turn a closet into a pantry and then stock up on as much as I can.
    I didn't look at your diary, just read the entire thread. You've gotten so much good advice to chew on - I have another for you:

    Prepare & plan. Sounds like you have to rely on fast food and less than healthy snacks due to a busy schedule. Is there one day a week where you could cook in large batches, and eat off the meals for the rest of the week? I think that really would help you get the most out of your meals for both yourself and your daughter.

    Spend some time looking for recipes you can cook in bulk, that will freeze and reheat well - then plan out your meals for the week. Shop, cook up a storm, and have great food ready.

    Other than that, just give it time and be good to you. It's a process, it really is.

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