So Frustrated....so many changes..so little results

pcmoore
pcmoore Posts: 53 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I am really frustrated with this process. I have a LONG way to go and just beginning. I have made SO many changes and am just not seeing the results that I expected to see. My food choices still have to get better but I have cut out sweets (rare SMALL treat) I completely cut out soda (I drank up to 8 per day)....I have cut my caloric intake to 1200-1500 cals and am just not seeing results. I am not a water drinker so I am using Crystal Light but am drinking at least 8-10 glasses per day (will occasional iced tea but I can count on one hand how many of those I've had since 1/3/11)
I am moving, playing active games and doing aerobic things...dancing, walking housework. I am just stuck..I was able to record a 5lb loss but this week sadly most of that has returned....I'm confused and frustrated. So many changes I should be seeing things changing with my body as well....while I am not eating EVERYTHING healthy, the fact that I have cut so many bad things and greatly reduced overall intake I feel like I should be seeing results.
I know I have to keep working to make more changes but shouldn't the one's I've already made be showing?
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Replies

  • ashleyinthestars
    ashleyinthestars Posts: 107 Member
    Are you watching your sodium intake in your food diary? Water retention will cause you to see a slower loss. Also, have you measured yourself to monitor inches lost? Sometimes you will lose inches, but not weight. Are your clothes fitting any looser? That's a big motivator for me. :happy:

    I never measured myself from the beginning so I have no idea how many inches I've lost (though I'm sure it's obscene) but I make sure I stay under the recommended 2500mg of sodium a day. And I always drink at least 8 cups of water a day...yesterday I did 12 :smile:
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    It takes time for your body to adjust. Right now it's in shock but the wonderful things about our bodies is they adjust to new things. Just keep working at it. And remember - a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. Don't worry about the numbers and focus on the way you feel. It took a long time to put the weight on and it will take longer to get it off but that is the best way to do it.

    this is a post from another site that someone put on her yesterday.

    http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=3926473&SPShared=TRUE
  • Warmbloodwear
    Warmbloodwear Posts: 387 Member
    Hang in there it just takes time and I know how it feels. I lost 8 pounds right off the bat and then gained it all back and could not get the scale to move!!!
    Just stick with it and you can make it happened!!! You are on your way!
    I figure it took me 5 years to gain this weight it will take some time to get it off...Although I wish I could wake up tomorrow and be the way I want lol
  • ouryear002
    ouryear002 Posts: 325 Member
    Are you at the calorie level recommended by MFP? 1200-1500 seems low for you.
  • safetyscott
    safetyscott Posts: 66 Member
    Hang in there Girlie !!....it will come...your metabolism may have been so messed up that it will take a bit more time....keep doing what you are doing.....remember girld dont lose as fast as men, but when they do lose...the change is noticable. I know you dont like water...but...you need to..... our livers are constantly cleaning the toxins in our system...but if they dont have toxins to occupy them.....they burn fat....artificial sweeteners are a toxin... you are far better off letting yourself have the real thing once and a while then using a sweetener.

    Seriously tho...hang in there.....it WILL come.


    ~ SS ~
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    :smile: read this


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    Good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
  • tiffsNEWlife
    tiffsNEWlife Posts: 145
    I just bosted a blog about something similar to this. It is so frustrating that all you do is work and nothing seems to be working! I've been doing this for a little while and I too have only seen a 5 pound loss and some of that is coming back. But weight fluctuates so much day by day. So I decided to not check the scale for at least two more weeks. Just see what happens..... Ask yourself "how do I feel?" Do you feel good about what you are doing? Do you feel better about yourself now that you are working out and eating right? Don't let the scale determine your worth. People don't look at you see a number (up or down) they see you. And if you are happy with yourself then people will see that. And that is what matters. Not the number on that scale!!
  • frene2000
    frene2000 Posts: 3 Member
    Keep trying...Don't give up!
    Women's bodies have lots of hormonal changes including water weight that could attribute to the 5 pounds seemingly disappearing overnight.
    In addition, you should weigh yourself weekly not daily so that you don't get discouraged.
    Stick with it and you will see results and you will feel better.:smile:
  • princesslmc2
    princesslmc2 Posts: 264 Member
    I feel your pain!!!! Heck, I'm in a rut at the moment too... One thing I did when I first started this most recent journey last summer was... I'd try adjusting one thing for a week or two, and then would see if I noticed any results. If nothing really seemed to be happening, I'd adjust something else. For instance, I looked at my sodium totals... If that was a bit high, I'd adjust that to see if it worked. If not, I'd look at my sugars and adjust that (but keeping the sodium adjusted)... That helped, but not enough. So I decided to up my water intake (from 6-8 glasses/day to 12-15 glasses/day). That did wonders... Then I would take a look at seriously how many calories I was burning each day. I would switch up workout DVD's to find something that I liked AND that worked for ME.

    Sometimes it's a matter of finding YOUR body trigger.
  • james3302
    james3302 Posts: 119
    I agree that you need to mesure yourself. Also with all these changes it could take your body a little while to get used to them. Your body it trying to stay at your current weight and you are trying to lose. Give it some more time.
  • 2bFitNTrim
    2bFitNTrim Posts: 1,209 Member
    You just started on 1/4/11 right? It is going to take time! Patience is key as a lot of folks here on MFP can attest to. You weight is going to go up, then down, then up, then down. Over time, if you stick with it, your weight will go down. You are going to have good days, then bad ones. Again : Patience!

    You stay with it & you WILL get there! :flowerforyou:
  • dmmsquared
    dmmsquared Posts: 69
    You migt want to start tracking your sodium intake. That can make you retain water. I couldn't believe how much sodium I was actually eating when I turned on sodium in my food log (go to Home, Settings, Diary Settings and add Sodium as one of your nutrients tracked). The weeks that I have been good at keeping my sodium down, I have lost more weight.

    Just an FYI... I was looking at the Applebees menu yesterday. One of their new Weight Watchers menu items - Chipotle Lime Chicken - has 500 calories and 12 grams of fat. That's great, right? Well, it also has 5,250 mg of sodium. That's more than double what you are supposed to have in an entire day!!!
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    Hang in there... many things can slow the process down. For me, and many others sodium was the culprit. RDA right now is 2,500 mg, but the government is working on changing that to 1,500 mg. For me, when I try to keep it between 1,500 and 1,800 I feel my best and see results. Watch out for soups, cheese and a few other foods that are high in sodium. Also, because I am older, I exercise so much more than most. When I only exercised 60 minutes I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. So I upped that to around 2 hours spread throughout the day. I've lost 45 pounds so far. Good luck. There are lots of people in here to cheer you on. Don't deprive yourself of things you love, just exercise moderation when choosing your foods and adjust your calories so you're still logging in around your calorie goal.
  • MelissaL582
    MelissaL582 Posts: 1,422 Member
    I will have to agree, it takes patience. I have been up and down the scale but I feel great! I have a hard time not weighing myself every day because I want quick results but that's not reality. It took us awhile to gain this weight and it will take us some time to get rid of it. You're doing amazing so far.
  • barberella
    barberella Posts: 199
    I know about frustration. Since I joined on here about 2 weeks ago, I will absolutely NOT check the scale. I had my boyfriend hide it. So, I honestly don't know if I had any changes in my weight. I don't want to know either because I think it's too soon. So, I recommend to tweak your diet (forget the Crystal Light and drink the water because the artificial sweetener will slow your weight loss. It's a toxin like SS said) little by little, and I think you will see the changes. But when you feel your clothes loosen up, then check the scale. Otherwise, it just may cause you to get more frustrated, and that can be detrimental. I know it is for me, and that's why I'm not ready to check the evil scale. I will when I feel my clothes getting looser. At least, that's what I hope is going to happen!
  • pcmoore
    pcmoore Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks for the support and the ideas! I do think that sodium may be a big problem for me. Going back through my diary I am WAY over on sodium even when I'm under on fats and sugars so I'll have to work to make a big change there! NOT paying attention to these things is what got me where I am and I have learned so much in the last couple of weeks! I did have Japanese over the weekend and of course added soy sauce....then had leftovers from that so my sodium was through the roof. I will try to drink more water instead of crystal light...maybe since I've been away from coke for a couple of weeks it'll be easier to tolerate.
    Thanks again!
  • CeejayGee
    CeejayGee Posts: 299 Member
    Sodium could definitely bea problem. Also, have you had a physical lately? If you haven't, it's worth getting one. You could have a thyroid issue or an insulin restistant. I have PCOS, which affects my period and also makes me insulin resistant. The doctor gave me metformin, which is actually a diabetic drug, but it helps regulate menstruation and helps with insulin resistance. I notice that when I take it regularly, my weight loss is faster. If I forget to refill, I stall some.

    Also, try a probioitic and cinnamon supplements.
  • darrenw74
    darrenw74 Posts: 86 Member
    You migt want to start tracking your sodium intake. That can make you retain water. I couldn't believe how much sodium I was actually eating when I turned on sodium in my food log (go to Home, Settings, Diary Settings and add Sodium as one of your nutrients tracked). The weeks that I have been good at keeping my sodium down, I have lost more weight.

    Just an FYI... I was looking at the Applebees menu yesterday. One of their new Weight Watchers menu items - Chipotle Lime Chicken - has 500 calories and 12 grams of fat. That's great, right? Well, it also has 5,250 mg of sodium. That's more than double what you are supposed to have in an entire day!!!

    This is one of the things I intend to do for myself, particularly the day before my weekly weigh-in. It's also been posted in the forums that drinking more water helps flush out all the sodium. So drink water to lose water weight!
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
    Are you at the calorie level recommended by MFP? 1200-1500 seems low for you.

    I agree with this 100% I know eating more goes against what you hear about weight loss, but in order to lose you need to feed that body!! Trust what MFP is telling you to do, a slow and steady loss is the most healthy. Your body starts holding onto fat if it stops getting the energy it needs to run.
  • cragmor
    cragmor Posts: 24 Member
    What others have said, you may be too low on calories. Another suggestion may be to eat for your goal weight, and not eat to lose weight. Figure approx. 10 calories per pound * your goal weight, and start there. A possible upside to this would be that once you hit your goal, you do not have any adjustments to make. Well, not big ones. You might have to tweak your calories etc a little to get to your goal.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    With so many changes going on your body is just in "WTF" mode and is trying NOT to adjust. Be persistant and your body will start to cooperate with you sooner or later.
  • TeddyCharlton
    TeddyCharlton Posts: 46 Member
    Hi, I also have a long journey, your body can fluctuate in fluids dramatically. Try not to worry, I am a painter and it seems like when my whole canvas looks a mess-somewhere in the middle of start and finish, I'll have an aw haw space and that will be the turning point for my entire piece. Focus on your ankles or your fingernails or someplace you revere as pretty, focus on the process. I like to think of it as a living piece of art and I am just tweeking things, lining it up for a balanced image.
  • MadeToCraveHIM
    MadeToCraveHIM Posts: 213 Member
    I've been feeling the same way the last few days, but I've noticed that all that stress & worry is going to show up on the scale. I think you're dead on about the sodium and drinking water instead of Crystal Light. Even though Crystal Light has aspartamene your body still reacts to it (increases insulin production) like a sugary soda would. So, I know from experience that when I eat or drink a lot of things with aspartamene that I crave something sweet the rest of the day. It's a personal struggle and something I am determined to overcome. Also, if you know that you've had a lot of sodium and want to flush your system take a large glass of water and a whole lemon (quartered) and microwave it for about a minute or so until it's nice and warm (very important to drink warm). I add some honey to mine sometimes for taste, but this is a great way to flush your system of extra sodium. If you do this for a couple of days in a row you will see a difference in how your body retains water. There's a great group on here you can join too "100 pounds or more to lose"
  • Hourglass25
    Hourglass25 Posts: 340 Member
    I have been feeling th same way, but refuse to give up instead I have been working harder. Lets see what happends
  • kristilovescake
    kristilovescake Posts: 669 Member
    I didn't see how long you've been at it. These things take time and a healthy weight loss is typically around a pound a week, which may not seem like a lot but it can really add up. It may be helpful to step off the scale and measure yourself (I bought a cheap cheap tape Myo tape online) and focus more on the body changes and not necessarily weight changes. I would also suggest trying to drink regular water instead of crystal light. You can always squeeze a fresh lemon into it, but my body seems to like just plain 'ol water best. Good luck and remember that it will take time and you're not just doing this to lose weight - you want to have a healthy and long life free of diabetes and any other complications caused by weight!
  • mjrcjb26
    mjrcjb26 Posts: 3
    Hey everyone! I am new to this website and I read that you can monitor sodium intake, etc...how do I add those options? Also, I too have been frustrated. I had a baby boy 8 months ago but my mid section stayed the same while everything else has pretty much gone back to normal except for about 10 pounds. I haven't seen any inch loss in my tummy but my legs yes! I have been at it for two weeks working out 4-5 times a week at least 30 minutes. I did have a suggestion from a friend who said if you push yourself past 30 minutes you will burn more since your body will burn sugar first. :happy:
  • chelebe
    chelebe Posts: 13 Member
    DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I am the same way. I lose a little and gain it bck. It a horrible cycle for me. I have co worker who have lost 30 lbs while I have struggled to lose 10. It is defeating.

    But for every pound I lose, my jeans are loser.
    I can stay an extra few mins playing with my kids and not being so tired.
    I am happier.
    I laugh more.

    Small steps will get you to the same goal as will big ones. Keep the faith and find your postive. when in doubt lean on us.
  • mayana2002
    mayana2002 Posts: 192
    It is funny....
    We joined at the same time (I started my diet after New Years), lost the same wight and got stuck at the same time!!!! I am not checking my sclae for 2 weeks... I am confident and I do feel so much better! My skin is not oily anymore! I have mor energy and I want to try new outdoors activity! Keep it up! We can do it!
    :)
  • NuclearGirl
    NuclearGirl Posts: 80
    Of course you can do it - you have all of us to nag you, encourage you and tell you to stick with it. Give your body chance to adjust. In a few weeks time you'll look at this post and think "Yes I can do it!"

    We are all behind you! :bigsmile:
  • glasielady
    glasielady Posts: 34 Member
    Don't give up, change takes time but change will come. You're on the right track, sometimes the body just doesn't want to cooperate and it takes it time to drop the weight. Hang in there and don't give up, when you start doutbing yourself remember this quote. This quote has gotten me through a lot of obstacles.

    "Believe in yourself and all that you are, know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle" ~Christian Larson

    Keep on keeping on one day at a time.
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