Feeling like giving up.

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abbyegael97
abbyegael97 Posts: 10
in Motivation and Support
So during my sophomore year of High school when I topped out at around 235/240 pounds, I finally decided enough was enough and that I had to get a handle on my eating. During the summer I walked on the treadmill, guzzled water, and kept track of what I was eating. I lost a bunch of weight and kept it up for the first few months of my junior year. Around late September I got really sick and missed many days of school. I went days without eating(due to a stomach disorder called CVS) and ended up hitting 177 which was the first time I'd been under 200 pounds in several years. (Probably since the 7th grade.) I gained a little of it back when I finally was better and was eating everyday again, but I let my eating habits slip out of control. It is now late March and I"m a senior in high school and back to being about 220 pounds.
I've tried and tried all year to get a handle on doing better, I'll do good for a few days and lose 5-7 pounds and then I'll stop tracking and eat the stuff I shouldn't be and end up gaining it back. It's driving me crazy.
I've tried talking to my friends about finding ways to do better and they either flat out ignore me, change the subject, or say I don't know.
Is anyone in a similar situation or just "funk" where they can't seem to get the motivation they need? Let's help each other!

Replies

  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
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    The 5-7lbs that you lose in a day isn't fat, it's water. The 5-7lbs that you're gaining back? Also water. You are spinning your wheels by looking at weight loss in the short-term and misinterpreting your weight fluctuations.

    I can't give you motivation - nobody can - but the tools are all here. Weigh your food, track your calories, eat at a deficit. The fat weight will come off but you need to be patient and stick with it.
  • areallycoolstory
    areallycoolstory Posts: 1,680 Member
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    Hiya,

    Thanks for sharing your story:-) It is a good one! The fact that you are here is a really good sign of your commitment to succeed in your weight loss this time around. It seems like you already know through experience that it is not just about losing weight, it is about keeping it off. That puts you ahead of the game. Many are much older than you when they finally figure that out. Weight loss is a journey not a destination. Having said that, try not to put a time limit on your loss, or be a slave to the scale as you travel this path. I get you want to be in great shape at the start of college. To do that you just need to focus on being healthier each day. Track your progress. And if you are on your way to being healthier at the start of college, feel proud and keep it going. Even if you have made it to your goal weight at the start of college, you still need to keep the healthy lifestyle going to keep the weight off.

    Are you already tracking your food each day? You should plan and log your meals and exercise at the start of each day and try to stick to it. If you deviate, log accurately and do better next time. Open your diary and seek out MFP friends who will encourage and help you stay accountable. You should track your food it in a way that won't need to be altered when you start school. For example, if weighing your food is going to be inconvenient, research other options. There are websites that will tell a portion of baked potato is the size of a computer mouse and so on. Good luck on your journey. I have a feeling you will do great! Feel free to friend me. I saw in your profile you are a Potter Geek. I am as well:-) I also teach high school...hopefully you won't hold that against me. All the best:-)
  • abbyegael97
    abbyegael97 Posts: 10
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    areallycoolstory wrote: »
    Hiya,

    Thanks for sharing your story:-) It is a good one! The fact that you are here is a really good sign of your commitment to succeed in your weight loss this time around. It seems like you already know through experience that it is not just about losing weight, it is about keeping it off. That puts you ahead of the game. Many are much older than you when they finally figure that out. Weight loss is a journey not a destination. Having said that, try not to put a time limit on your loss, or be a slave to the scale as you travel this path. I get you want to be in great shape at the start of college. To do that you just need to focus on being healthier each day. Track your progress. And if you are on your way to being healthier at the start of college, feel proud and keep it going. Even if you have made it to your goal weight at the start of college, you still need to keep the healthy lifestyle going to keep the weight off.

    Are you already tracking your food each day? You should plan and log your meals and exercise at the start of each day and try to stick to it. If you deviate, log accurately and do better next time. Open your diary and seek out MFP friends who will encourage and help you stay accountable. You should track your food it in a way that won't need to be altered when you start school. For example, if weighing your food is going to be inconvenient, research other options. There are websites that will tell a portion of baked potato is the size of a computer mouse and so on. Good luck on your journey. I have a feeling you will do great! Feel free to friend me. I saw in your profile you are a Potter Geek. I am as well:-) I also teach high school...hopefully you won't hold that against me. All the best:-)

    Thank you so much! I'm trying to get in the habit of tracking calories. And get the rest of my junkfood out of the house. Hopefully I can be a pant size or two smaller by September.
  • momentofmadness
    momentofmadness Posts: 7 Member
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    Hey abbyegael97, it sounds like you already know what goes wrong so make it your mission not to let this keep happening.

    Motivation gets us started on the journey but it's dedication that makes the difference; the tricky part is that motivation comes and goes, but dedication you have to dig deep for and find within yourself through the good days and dark days.

    So you really can do it, just stick with it even when you don't feel like it - if you make a slip then get back up and keep going !

    All the best,
    Paul
  • PithaCastaneda
    PithaCastaneda Posts: 10
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  • billc2
    billc2 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    . I'm
    abbyegael97 wrote: »
    So during my sophomore year of High school when I topped out at around 235/240 pounds, I finally decided enough was enough and that I had to get a handle on my eating. During the summer I walked on the treadmill, guzzled water, and kept track of what I was eating. I lost a bunch of weight and kept it up for the first few months of my junior year. Around late September I got really sick and missed many days of school. I went days without eating(due to a stomach disorder called CVS) and ended up hitting 177 which was the first time I'd been under 200 pounds in several years. (Probably since the 7th grade.) I gained a little of it back when I finally was better and was eating everyday again, but I let my eating habits slip out of control. It is now late March and I"m a senior in high school and back to being about 220 pounds.
    I've tried and tried all year to get a handle on doing better, I'll do good for a few days and lose 5-7 pounds and then I'll stop tracking and eat the stuff I shouldn't be and end up gaining it back. It's driving me crazy.
    I've tried talking to my friends about finding ways to do better and they either flat out ignore me, change the subject, or say I don't know.
    Is anyone in a similar situation or just "funk" where they can't seem to get the motivation they need? Let's help each other!
    you don't mention how tall you are or how active you are. You can get down to under 200 lbs it may take a while and you lose and gain a little at a time I'm trying to get down to wait after I was sick for several months and I want to get down to 240 I am 6'3" tall and it's been a struggle for me but I watch what I eat and I take the recommended serving on the box the carton this will help a lot. Just don't get bummed out about it and don't tell your friends what you're doing and you will make it just remember you can lose too much weight where you will be too skinny for your height and you won't look good good luck

  • CrazyMermaid1
    CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 348 Member
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    You might want to consider seeing a counselor to help you understand the reason weight is an issue.

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