Support system wanted

nicolesamara1
nicolesamara1 Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
Hello all,
I'm Nicole and I'm here because I finally want to make a change for myself. I'm 23 years old, I live in Greece and I'm a psychology major, third year.
I'm trying to lose weight since 2011, when I first realized that I had enough. When I first started, I weighed 304 pounds - 138 kg (I'm 5'9 - 1.80 m). I went on a hard restricting-calories diet and I lost almost 45 pounds - 20 kg by myself. Then I stopped for some time. I didn't lose any weight and I didn't gain any as well. It's been almost three years since then and I feel ready to start working again. Currently I'm 246 pounds- 112 kg (I lost a few pounds, 13 to be exact, (or 6 kg) through these years, without dieting..I guess it just happened).
My goal weight is 176 pounds - 80 kg. Which is the weight that I remember myself being before I got clinically depressed and gained all that weight. I was an athlete once, and a very good one indeed. I was chosen to be on the pre-selection of my country's national team when I got deep vein thrombosis on my leg and everything changed.
Now, I finally found the courage to start working out again and I'm doing so with a personal trainer three times a week. We're doing strength training mainly and my diet consists of 1800 calories (40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat). I'll be trying to add some cardio, at least once a week but because I have post-thrombosis syndrome this is not very easy for me, since cardio causes my leg to swell and it can be really painful as well.
Also, I'm taking metformin, 2000mg/day for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
I've been working out with my trainer for about 2.5 weeks now and I haven't lost a pound. I guess it could be because I just started and I'm gaining in muscle tissue but I'm worried. I mean, I did lose almost 3 inches - 8 cm from my waistline and almost 2 inches - 5 cm from my hips and I do feel better but I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong and thus not seeing the scale going down.
Any recommendations? I don't want to go on a strict diet, I want to keep a normal healthy diet and lose slowly but steadily all the excess weight that I have.
Anyway, thank you guys for reading all this...and I would appreciate anything that any of you has to say. :)
Wish you all the best,
Nicole

Replies

  • radimage
    radimage Posts: 99
    I do wish you all the best.

    Feel free to add me as a supporter.
  • witchcadet
    witchcadet Posts: 6
    I have struggled with all that you mentioned. It took 10 years, a surgery to level off at 199 right now. I got as low as 165, but had Ovarian Cancer and gained back up to 240..... I am also a psychology instructor :). I have lost about 4 pounds in the last 6 months of near perfect food and exercise. This is just hard. The only thing I have found that works is patience, patience, patience, patience. It will EVENTUALLY happen, I guess I figure 1 to 2 pounds a month is doing pretty good. I have also had dramatic improvements with getting rid of the allergens, have you looked into Gluten? Anyway, add me as a supporter anytime. YOU GO GIRL!!!!
  • nicolesamara1
    nicolesamara1 Posts: 3
    Thank you, radimage :)
  • nicolesamara1
    nicolesamara1 Posts: 3
    Dear Witchcadet,
    Thank you for your message and wish you to reach your goal as soon as possible! :)
    I haven't checked for allergens but I may do so if I see that it's not working...We'll see...
    Really thank you for the support :)
  • theycallmearth
    theycallmearth Posts: 196 Member
    Hey. First of all, thank you for sharing your story. Second, gratz on taking steps towards your goals.

    If you ever need motivation/advice feel free to ask. Also, you're welcome to send a friend request if you like.

    Good luck to you!
  • mandyosetti
    mandyosetti Posts: 72 Member
    All the best Nicole and feel free to add me, I'm on the site everyday. You and I are very close in weight as well so I'll be here for the long haul. :)
  • emma1982
    emma1982 Posts: 5 Member
    Hi Nicole!
    I am also Greek (grew up in Athens) and now I live in the US. My weight has been going up and down since I was 14, between 70kg and 55 kg, and I have never managed to stay at a stable and happy spot for too long.
    I understand you have ambitious goals, but also, you have a couple of great achievements in your history, you lost a lot of weight, and you want to lose more. That's awesome!
    My latest commitment, which in all honesty, I did when I was 20 in Greece was not to restrict any food groups from mine and my husband's diet but to be very conscious as to what anything we eat adds to our bodies. So I eat anything, but if it is high in fat and carbs, I make sure I moderate and/or eat early in the day.
    I usually cook variations of food I grew up with, so it's mostly greek food. Feel free to add me and good luck with the rest of the weight!
  • mabernier
    mabernier Posts: 62 Member
    Are you looking back at your food dairy and learning any trends? I started looking at mine and realizing that I was eating too much sugar and my body didn't like that...I usually ended up with swollen fingers. So review your food dairy. Have you calculated your BMR to find out how many calories you should be burning at rest, then adding on for activity and then calculating to burn? If you haven't you should do so to ensure you are not eating too much OR too little. Either one is going to slow your rate of loss.
  • trixibelle_
    trixibelle_ Posts: 5
    Hi. I'm Victoria, a 29y/o Brit in Amsterdam. I'm new to MFP (joined in beg of August) and this is the first time I've ever looked on the forum part! I would really like to add some people on here for advice and motivation.

    I am 6'1" (which I have found really difficult in finding estimates/other women to compare with in what weight I *should* be etc). I currently weigh approx 97KGs/215lbs. I never used to weigh myself when I was younger but I know when I was at my thinnest and healthiest I was a size UK14. That is my goal (I am now a size UK18-20) but I don't know how much I have to lose to get there. I estimate that I need to lose about 19KGs/42lbs.

    I am working exercise into my daily routine and my diet is very good (I go for the 80/20 thing - 80% of meals etc healthy, 20% whatever I want), but I have been tracking everything for 5 weeks and have only lost around 2.5KGs which I find really depressing and confusing. I am wondering if part of the reason for the lack of weight loss is due to mental health medication but I've really no idea.
    So: Current Weight 97KGs, Goal Weight 78KGs.
    I hope people that have already posted on here don't mind if I add them?
  • skoutariotis
    skoutariotis Posts: 9 Member
    Hi, I'm Demetris, born in Greece!
    I was never overweight growing up, then life took over!
    I'm here for support for each other!
    I'm committed to get back to a healthy weight!
    Opa! (No, no, that's what got me in trouble to begin with!)

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