Frustrated

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Kelmac284
Kelmac284 Posts: 4
in Introduce Yourself
Hi my name is Kelly and I signed up for this app on my cellphone but just came across this site today on the computer when looking up a food to enter. I need LOTS of motivation cuz I am REALLY frustrated!! I have been on the diet yo yo for years with my last diet being in 08/09 when I started out at 192 and got down to about 153 (my goal was the 140's) and before even MAKING my orig goal I started gaining. I had stayed consistent at the 153 for quite awhile and was doing great but then had some health problems, a few surgeries and got on some new meds and ever since I have gained like CRAZY. Part of the problem I KNOW is that I stopped working out while I was ill and then I kind of gave up on my good eating but even BEFORE I stopped caring I was gaining like 2 lbs a day it seemed. BUT at the beginning of this year I decided to get BACK on the wagon and do what has ALWAYS worked for me in the past. I am working out 6 days a week min 30 mins to 60. I do a mix of cardio and strength training and do aerobics, walking and different ST with weights, bands etc. I have cut my calories down to 1400 a day per this site and am eating WAY less, better and healthier and yet have only lost 2 lbs in about 5 weeks!! This is NOT normal for me. In the past it has sometimes taken me about a week or so to get going but NEVER this. I don't get it!! I don't know if it is my meds or something else but I am SO frustrated. I am working out like mad and eating the right amount of calories and yet the weight is just NOT coming off. HELP!

FYI I am 43 almost 44 and I started out the first day at about 198.6 but then that first week went UP to 199 and then 200 after cutting back and working out. So I don't know if the first day I weighed in it was inaccurate or what. But I am now down to about 197.2. I have a wonky scale and it is really sensitive but I have been hovering around the 197 mark and even saw 196.something one day but went right back up. So that is where i stand. In the past I should have lost at LEAST 5 lbs by now but based on what "I" am going by I have only lost like 1 or 2 maybe. I know people say that you gain muscle and to judge by your clothes but mine are all still pretty tight so not sure. I DO feel like my stomach is not as fat as it was but it is just hard to tell at this point and I feel like I should have lost more by this point for as much as I have cut back and as much as I am excerising.

Anyway if anyone can offer any advice I would love it!

Replies

  • shellio
    shellio Posts: 3
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    I think it is good that you have only lost a couple of pounds, the slower the better and the more consistant your pounds will stay off. Quit being so hard on yourself. You will get there, your doing all the right stuff!
  • eroni14
    eroni14 Posts: 8 Member
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    I'm in the same boat, Kelly. Add me and we can work through this together! We are starting near the same weight with the same goal in mind, and it's frustrating because just a couple years ago I was also able to lose a bunch of weight rather quickly with exercising almost every day. I am very impatient and struggling just like you.

    Hang in there, be patient.

    You can DO THIS!!!
  • Caroline9252
    Caroline9252 Posts: 68
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    I can understand. I will tell you that I have been in plenty of the yo yo diets, and this is the change that I am making this time that I know will be the key to my sucess (positive thinking here) My goal is to lose one pound a week. I think why we fail in the past is we put too much pressure on ourself to lose a bunch of weight and to lose it fast. Especially when we are doing everything right.

    I think your best thing is to rememebr how long it took you to put the weight on, and remind yourself that it will take a good amount of time to get it off. This is why cash diets dont work for the long run. We do them and then always put the weight back on and then just get upset with ourselves.

    Set a goal you know you can attin - I picked one pound a week and I weigh myself the same day and the same time every week, and as long as I see that number going down, I know I am doing something right.

    Try not to look at what you "used" to be able to do. Focus on what your body is doing now, and dont expect to lose it as fast as you were able to before. As we age we have a lot harder time - and make sure you are eating ALL day small meals 4 - 5 a day a least. You need to keep your metabolism going - too low of calories slows down your leptin levels and can really mess up your weight loss.

    Dont beat up youself. Take it one day at a time - do what you know is right, and it will payoff.
  • CalorieNinja
    CalorieNinja Posts: 645 Member
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    I understand your frustration. First I would say since your scale is wonky maybe you should invest in a new scale. Also, your weight on any given day can fluctuate 3-5 lbs due to water, so maybe only weight yourself once a week so you can actually see progress. Don't be discouraged, your doing great! You have the motivation and you are doing something about the weight. Give yourself some credit!

    Also, through a lot of reading and research I have found the more yo-yo diets you do the harder it is on your metabolism and it can actually cause your metabolism to slow down. Feed your body 5-6 times a day in SMALL increments, drink lots of water and it seems like you have the exercise part down. Just don't stop, you will get there even if it is slow!
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Hang in there! Be patient. Change up some foods, mess with carbs. play around with various things. I dont like to use too many carbs, they are like poison for me.

    Good luck!
  • tifersmom1
    tifersmom1 Posts: 1
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    Make sure you are watching your sugars. Try to cut-out all processed and artificial ingredients. My coach has me counting my calories and dietary fiber. I'm not allowed to have anything that is processed or has sugar in the double digits. Aim for 30g + of fiber each day. You'll notice that you will be eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. I know I live for my mornings. Not only is that when I work out but after I have my green smoothie.

    (cal/fiber)
    strawberries 1c 50/3
    protein powder 1 scoop 110/0 *this has no sugar/carbs. I buy it at Raley's.
    raw spinach 1 c 7/2
    almond milk 1c 40/1
    blueberries and blackberries 1/4c 85/6
    1/2 banana 50/1

    Hope this helps. Keep up the good work :)
    I freeze my fruit to make it creamier. Blackberries are awesome. They have so much fiber.
  • rayemlls
    rayemlls Posts: 45
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    Im having the same problem. I was working out 2 hrs a day and sticking to 1200 calories and I gained weight so now im trying 1500 calories but I have been able to work out because of my knee injury..I don't know why I thought I could jog(lol) but I am going to try walking again today..Its been over a month and im pretty much where I started out!The great thing about this page is that it taught me that I am a stress eater..Never realized that until I started loging what I eat and this has been a good learning process for me to make better choices. Just wish the weight would start to come of...
  • tcar_2
    tcar_2 Posts: 7
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    You said in your post that you are working out 30 to 60 min. Which is it? Thirty minutes is a big difference. Also you said you cut your calories to 1400 a day per mfp, I am assuming this is your base calories. If you are eating only 1400 calories a day and working out for thirty minutes a day and 6 days a week you may not be eating enough! There are a lot of factors to consider. What is the intensity level of your work-outs? How many calories are you burning? It may be you are only doing enough to maintain your current weight rather than lose weight. Your medicines could be causing this. I would consult a doctor who specializes in nutrition and fitness. You should be able to lose at least 1 - 2 pounds a week considering the number of days you are working out. Good luck
  • shellio
    shellio Posts: 3
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    Maybe check out some websites to determine your metabolism. That may help?
  • Kelmac284
    Kelmac284 Posts: 4
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    Thanks so much everyone for the quick responses. I am not sure how to add people LOL since this is my first day on the actual website. Up till now I was just using my phone to log my cals and exercise. Can someone tell me? And as far as my eating just fyi I meant to say that I wasn't really on any fad diets other than a few years back I did do slimfast and while I DID lose the weight I learned that it is a BAD idea and once you reintroduce REAL food it all comes piling back on. What I have ALWAYS believed in is eating REAL food but in moderation, watching WHAT you eat and how MUCH etc. I don't even really believe in "dieting" per say but rather a change in lifestyle. I also don't believe in completely abstaining from things as I believe it leads to binges. I think that esp for me I need protein and I do drink a TON of water and my water bottle is my best friend LOL. My "yo yo" has been that I have lost weight but then got "bored" or tired of having to watch what I was doing and being good and started slowly letting myself eat the bad stuff and exercising less and therefore the weight came back. I "know" what I need to do but I have let myself get off the routine. I know that I can't do that but sometimes it gets difficult and esp this past year when I was so ill. But I am already feeling so much better just by exercising and I feel good about all the healthy food I am eating and am enjoying keeping track on this site AND I am so proud of myself that I haven't had any french fries or hamburgers in over a month. That is HUGE for me! :) Anyway thanks so much everyone and I look forward to chatting with everyone as we go along on our journey. :)
  • Lynnhilaire
    Lynnhilaire Posts: 33
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    add me as a friend. we can motivate each other.
  • Kelmac284
    Kelmac284 Posts: 4
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    tcar what I meant was that depending on the day I workout a min of 30 mins to a max of 60. So for examp today I did a kickboxing tape that was 30 mins. I have several workout tapes that alternate between cardio, pilates, home walking etc and then I have ones that focus on strength training that utilize weights and bands etc. I switch it up and do cardio one day and strength the next. Then on Tues and Thurs a friend and I walk either outdoors or in our local mall for an hour. We walk at a fairly fast pace and I bought a pedometer to see exactly how far we are going but based on the person in the mall I spoke with I think we did about 4 or 5 miles last Thur. And when we walked outdoors last tues I think we walked about 3.

    So I change it up and do different things on different days. I try to keep my heart rate up but I have bad knees so I can't run or do real high impact stuff but I think I get a decent workout as I def work up a good sweat. And I thought about the calorie thing. I was eating a LOT of calories I think before and I sometimes wonder if I cut back TOO much??
  • mollianna
    mollianna Posts: 18
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    I'm sorry you are so frustrated. I was like that too a few months ago. I started this website I think 4 months ago and I was not seeing much progress and I slacked off I gained back the 6 pounds I had lost so I decided to try again. This time I lost 14 pounds in a month! I didn't worry so much about hitting my target exactly. I would be 200-300 under one day and maybe 200-300 over the next day. I then started drinking tons of water and suddenly I was losing the weight fast! I also started school again and find I am walking a lot more.

    So.. my point is:
    Try staggering your calories
    Drinks lots of water
    Get moving
  • PearlMarie_3gen_11484
    PearlMarie_3gen_11484 Posts: 272 Member
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    I think it is good that you have only lost a couple of pounds, the slower the better and the more consistant your pounds will stay off. Quit being so hard on yourself. You will get there, your doing all the right stuff!
    I agree.

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