Feeling hopeless

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MandyRachael
MandyRachael Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
So to start off, I am 18 years old, 5'6, and at a max high of 142lbs. Last summer I was around 134lbs, and when I got on birth control, went up to 144lbs. Well I got off over 4 months ago, and cannot lose weight for the life of me. I work out around 4-5 days a week for at least 1 hour each time(2-3 days a week it's usually 2 hours), and I maintain a diet of around 1200 calories a day. All healthy food.....I never allow myself to eat junk. No matter how much I work out though, I can't lose weight. As it is, 4 days ago I was 139 and now I'm 141 again. I do not understand it. Yesterday I did Zumba for an hour and ran and lifted weights but nothing helps. I can't stand seeing myself in the mirror and I hate how I look. Sure, I feel better and can do more physically, but that means little to me when I look the same. My goal weight is 135 lbs, but wouldn't complain if I was 130ish or a little lower. Any help?

Replies

  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
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    Weigh and log all your food, eat at a deficit.
  • monicapatituccijones
    monicapatituccijones Posts: 68 Member
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    As odd as it sounds, I think you need to eat more. You work out a lot, and 1200 calories is not much at all. I've been posting this reply to a lot of comments today, but I guess I'm just seeing it a lot. I was having trouble losing, too. I started having more success when I added about 100 calories to my allowance.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Are you tracking in MFP? If so, try changing your activity level settings. If you are exercising, it seems you should be eating more.

    Please read:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?page=1#posts-16625920
  • Kenazwa
    Kenazwa Posts: 278 Member
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    It isn't likely that you will fail to lose weight if you maintain a calorie deficit. I think you could slow down on the exercise a bit and concentrate on your calories. That's mostly where weight loss comes from, not from exercising like crazy.
  • pennyllayne
    pennyllayne Posts: 265
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    First of all, you are within a healthy BMI for your height and age. If you are looking in the mirror and feeling disgusted, I would suggest seeing a counsellor as you may be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder. Nobody at your weight should be feeling disgusted with their body.

    Secondly, over stressing your body with too much exercise will not make things move faster. It will cause you to have raised cortisol and will tell your body to store fat. Sounds crazy yes, but your body is not a machine so don't treat it as one. Listen to your body. If you're feeling exhausted after your workouts or they are becoming more difficult, you're over training. make sure you're getting enough sleep too as this will affect hormone levels and fat storage.

    Next thing is to look at what you're eating. You say you don't eat junk, but I don't know what you think of as junk. Some people think they're eating healthily when they're actually loading their bodies with processed foods that are full of toxins.

    What are your periods like? Are they regular? Going off the pill can really throw the body off and take time for hormones to re-stabilise.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    As odd as it sounds, I think you need to eat more. You work out a lot, and 1200 calories is not much at all. I've been posting this reply to a lot of comments today, but I guess I'm just seeing it a lot. I was having trouble losing, too. I started having more success when I added about 100 calories to my allowance.

    Yes, you are at a healthy weight. You do not need to eat 1200 calories a day. We are about the same size and I eat 1700 a day. Eat more and focus less on the # on the scale and more how you look.


    Start weight lifting.
  • petefromguelph
    petefromguelph Posts: 84 Member
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    Weigh and log all your food, eat at a deficit.

    This ^ food scale is your friend!

    There are a lot of threads about people just like you. Feeling hopeless, not losing. Etc. You are NOT alone in this. Every thread like this gets answered the same way. Once you find your groove roll with it. Log log log and keep on trucking! You can do it!!!
  • caffeinatedbookworm
    caffeinatedbookworm Posts: 32 Member
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    So to start off, I am 18 years old, 5'6, and at a max high of 142lbs. Last summer I was around 134lbs, and when I got on birth control, went up to 144lbs. Well I got off over 4 months ago, and cannot lose weight for the life of me. I work out around 4-5 days a week for at least 1 hour each time(2-3 days a week it's usually 2 hours), and I maintain a diet of around 1200 calories a day. All healthy food.....I never allow myself to eat junk. No matter how much I work out though, I can't lose weight. As it is, 4 days ago I was 139 and now I'm 141 again. I do not understand it. Yesterday I did Zumba for an hour and ran and lifted weights but nothing helps. I can't stand seeing myself in the mirror and I hate how I look. Sure, I feel better and can do more physically, but that means little to me when I look the same. My goal weight is 135 lbs, but wouldn't complain if I was 130ish or a little lower. Any help?

    We are very similar. I am 20 but we are the same height and, while I don't weigh myself right now, our weights are very close. I started taking birth control when I was 15 and had no issues with food or exercise, and my weight stayed the same. If you are really concerned about this, you can take a non-hormonal one. Your metabolism has likely slowed down and you should try adding in a bit more food (maybe 1400-1500). And remember not to expect overnight changes. But I absolutely know how you feel and have been through very similar patterns. Message me or add me as a friend if you ever want to talk.
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
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    As odd as it sounds, I think you need to eat more. You work out a lot, and 1200 calories is not much at all. I've been posting this reply to a lot of comments today, but I guess I'm just seeing it a lot. I was having trouble losing, too. I started having more success when I added about 100 calories to my allowance.

    Yes, you are at a healthy weight. You do not need to eat 1200 calories a day. We are about the same size and I eat 1700 a day. Eat more and focus less on the # on the scale and more how you look.


    Start weight lifting.
    This
  • BillyJan1992
    BillyJan1992 Posts: 171 Member
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    Sometimes I do feel hopeless and can't get myself to eat but sometimes its what I need to keep myself going. I am starting to get down to my weight goal already I am getting close. and sometimes when I am feeling hopeless I am also down and depressed and don't eat for 3-4 days but then after someone makes me happy or something good happens I start to eat again

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