Getting frustrated

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mysupersix
mysupersix Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know im not the best at eating right, hence my weight problem. I do try, though, and have been slowly changing habits over the past month or so. I've greatly reduced eating out, cut out soda except the rare (once in a couple of weeks) soda, cut my sodium, increased fruits and veggies, cut late night eating (nothing after 7. I go to bed at midnight or later), and am working on sweets. I've increased my activity by walking several miles a week.

I am still in the same 8lb window. I do have some medical conditions that affect metabolism, like PCOS, but feel that I should be making progress, even if very slow. Instead, I'll lose 4-5lbs in a few days, but, as soon as I slip up even the littlest, I put that back on in a day. I do have fluid retention problems but come on! For example, last night, my kids and I had subway, first time in MONTHS. I put back on the 4lbs I lost. I know I'm not perfect and it will take a while to get that way but not even one slip up? Grrrr

Replies

  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    Give it time. A month is not much time at all. Keep going because this is not a quick fix. It is a lifestyle change, if you want to loose the weight and keep it off at least. Stay positive and stay strong and before you know it not only will you notice the change but everyone around you will too.
  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
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    Hmmmmm. How many calories are you eating a day, and do you weigh and log all your food? How much do you have to lose, and how tall are you?

    The fact that you say you can lose 4-5lbs 'in a few days' leads me to believe that you aren't eating enough. The fact that you eat one subway and put that 4lbs back on also gives me that impression (as someone who used to deliberately under eat, I know that is how it goes).

    Not trying to be offensive or anything, just honest.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Subway can be low cal but high sodium. Temporary water weight.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    The key is consistency.

    First, set realistic goals & expectations. If you constantly feel like you're messing up, then maybe your calorie intake range is too restrictive.

    Second, there are many things that can affect water weight which is temporary. High sodium & TOM/hormones (for women) are major causes. Compare your weight monthly, not daily. Do you weigh less now than 30 days ago? If so, great. If not, then go back to the first point. And once you have a realistic calorie intake goal then be accurate, honest about what you eat. Weigh all your solid food, log everything, and give it 4-8 weeks.
  • mysupersix
    mysupersix Posts: 4 Member
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    I am 5'5" and ~278lbs so I've got a lot to lose. I will get as low as 273 and bounce right back up. After having my last baby, I was 249 and gained about 30 lbs in about 3wks at 5 wks post partum. I've been trying to get back to that point since. My cal goal is 1492. Most days, I'm about there, not counting exercise. Sometimes, I'm less than 1000 or closer to 1600-1800. Most days, I'm at 1500. I don't log exercise as I don't want to burn 300 cals and tell myself I can eat that lol
  • mysupersix
    mysupersix Posts: 4 Member
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    I haven't been doing a ton of weighing cause I'm eating things like healthy choice steamable so it's a whole portion or, like, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 bagel. That kinda portioning.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    If you're not using a food scale - and you're not seeing results when you need to lose 100+ pounds, perhaps THAT is the issue? What could it hurt to use a food scale for 4-8 weeks and test the results?

    The bagel, by the way, is a great example. The bag probably says something like 1 serving = 1 bagel, 100grams. (I just made up a #, I don't know what a bagel weighs.) Food contents can be off by 10-20% according to FDA guidelines. So if you thought it was 300, it might be 390. Eggs I don't typical weigh, but I also assume the egg is bigger than its supposed to be, so I log an 85 calorie egg rather than 70. I don't even weigh my bread anymore - its always heavier for 2 slices than its supposed to be, so I just automatically log 1.1 servings. Those little bits add up.

    Though truthfully, if you have 100+ to lose you should be seeing some results. How long have you been at this? If its not been 4-8+ weeks, then using a food scale can still help but giving it more time also.
  • mysupersix
    mysupersix Posts: 4 Member
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    My youngest is 5m old. I've been trying since the gain at 5 wks pp. I've been trying harder for the last about 6wks.

    I guess I'll try a food scale. Are there certain brands that are better than others?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I bought something basic off Amazon. Can buy them at Walmart, Target, etc. also. $10-25.

    At 5 weeks pp there may have still been hormonal stuff going on. And if you're on birth control now that could have an effect as well. (Just a thought.) But the key to your success, and you CAN do this, will be consistency. Logging everything, everyday, and tracking results month by month. Trying to do it day to day will only succeed in driving you crazy. Monthly helps to smooth out the fluctuations.

    Aim for 1500-1700 calories a day. Move more as much as you reasonably can. Walk in place while watching tv. Dance with your baby. Whatever you want to do, it won't be worth 'logging' but moving more is better for you than moving less. :)
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Fluctuating within an exact window (8 pound range) sounds like maintenance to me. I'm struggling with losing more and this is what I've been experiencing, although the range is much smaller in my case, 2-3 pounds, which I attribute to water weight.

    The only way you know for sure how many calories you consume is to weigh and log every single thing. I've found that getting loose on my food weighing and tracking means I don't lose, especially if I don't pre-log or log immediately after eating. It's very easy to forget what you eat if you don't log it right away. Sometimes I'll remember something I ate the previous day that I forgot to log right away, and this often results in excess calories for the day, after the fact.

    Also, if you eat quite a few pre-packaged frozen meals and the like, you may want to check the sodium content since they can be high. That could account for much of the water weight fluctuations you are seeing.

    It does seem very odd that you are not losing if you are eating less than 1600 calories a day, considering what you weigh, so most likely you aren't (eating 1600 or less, I mean). I think once you buy a food scale and control your calorie intake using the scale along with choosing accurate entries in the database, you'll see a loss.

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  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    With regard to a food scale, make sure you get one that you can put the bowl or plate on before turning it on and it won't count the weight of the bowl or plate. I forget what this is called, but it greatly simplifies food weighing. Also make sure you can choose between ounces and grams. I have started using grams for better accuracy.

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