Ready to throw the towel in.....

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chickielou
chickielou Posts: 47
in Motivation and Support
I just cant keep going along as hard as i am and not see some better results, if any at all!! I have been aiming for 80mins cardio a day, in which has been including the 30DS and Im up to stage 3, just about to start that. I also then do a 45min kickboxing dvd and often a walk/run. Im not eating all my Cals and being very careful about logging everything I eat.

Last week I thought it was because of my monthly that I had increased 300gms and not lost, and thought that after that finished I would see some results.........but today, after 2 days of being super good and doing a 50min Combat class, 20mins on elliptical, 20mins running on treadmill and then the next day doing 60mins of walking up a hill, part of which was super dooper steep and I thought i might pass out and then a 20min run and my muscles being incredibly sore and my knees are starting to suffer from all the cardio impact I am putting them under, but I was determined to reach my goal of 65kgs by my birthday 3rd July........but I just cannot no matter what I do get the F@#$#@ scales to go under the 68kgs mark!!!!!

I have been really motivated and pushing myself hard to get the results that I want.........but after seeing that I was still at a 300gm increase today I just want to GIVE UP!!!!

So what do I do now??? Besides near starving myself and dropping way under 1200 Cals a day I just cant get down under 68kgs, which wouldnt be so bad if i wasnt short also (162cms)....... I dont seem to have any problem staying around the 68kgs mark but I just cant break into the lower numbers and am at a complete loss as to what I can do.

In the past this has also been a problem and Ive been tested for thyroid etc and all has been ok and the docs have ended up giving me Duramine to push past the 'sports plateau' they called it.............My whole life seems to be a plateau, and Ive always been a fairly fit person and exercised regularly

And what makes it worse is seeing people around me that barely have to look at an exercise machine and they start losing weight, and naturally they want to tell me all about their weight loss, thats taken barely any hard work at all, while i bust my guts out every day to do my 80mins of cardio and get NO RESULTS


SUPER FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!
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Replies

  • DietingMommy08
    DietingMommy08 Posts: 1,366 Member
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    I just cant keep going along as hard as i am and not see some better results, if any at all!! I have been aiming for 80mins cardio a day, in which has been including the 30DS and Im up to stage 3, just about to start that. I also then do a 45min kickboxing dvd and often a walk/run. Im not eating all my Cals and being very careful about logging everything I eat.

    Last week I thought it was because of my monthly that I had increased 300gms and not lost, and thought that after that finished I would see some results.........but today, after 2 days of being super good and doing a 50min Combat class, 20mins on elliptical, 20mins running on treadmill and then the next day doing 60mins of walking up a hill, part of which was super dooper steep and I thought i might pass out and then a 20min run and my muscles being incredibly sore and my knees are starting to suffer from all the cardio impact I am putting them under, but I was determined to reach my goal of 65kgs by my birthday 3rd July........but I just cannot no matter what I do get the F@#$#@ scales to go under the 68kgs mark!!!!!

    I have been really motivated and pushing myself hard to get the results that I want.........but after seeing that I was still at a 300gm increase today I just want to GIVE UP!!!!

    So what do I do now??? Besides near starving myself and dropping way under 1200 Cals a day I just cant get down under 68kgs, which wouldnt be so bad if i wasnt short also (162cms)....... I dont seem to have any problem staying around the 68kgs mark but I just cant break into the lower numbers and am at a complete loss as to what I can do.

    In the past this has also been a problem and Ive been tested for thyroid etc and all has been ok and the docs have ended up giving me Duramine to push past the 'sports plateau' they called it.............My whole life seems to be a plateau, and Ive always been a fairly fit person and exercised regularly

    And what makes it worse is seeing people around me that barely have to look at an exercise machine and they start losing weight, and naturally they want to tell me all about their weight loss, thats taken barely any hard work at all, while i bust my guts out every day to do my 80mins of cardio and get NO RESULTS


    SUPER FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!

    Well definetly dont give up. You cant expect high results in 1 day... thats why i only weight myself 1x a week so that I dnt get frustrated & under motivated. You are doing good and keeping it very healthy. Keep your head up, you still have a few weeks... Just keep doin what your doing and brace yourself with patience!!
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    i'd auggest eating at least 1/2 of your exercise calories.. it's what it took for me to break my plateau.. not working out harder.. just eating more to fuel my body properly
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    Take a rest day or two from exercise. Exercise IS good for toning and helping give us a nice shape...but the muscles can retain water while working out. So maybe try just watching your calories and taking a break on the exercise. I worked out everyday and maintained, then took a day off and literally just relaxed (and slept a lot)...went down 1lb.

    Worth a try right? And you can relax in the process.
  • MargieHere
    MargieHere Posts: 14 Member
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    Don't throw in the towel yet! My sister has got me on the right path here. Couple of things, muscles weigh more than fat. You sound like you are working out alot. Next I have read here that your body goes into starvation mode if you do not eat 1200 calories a day. You will start to store fat rather than lose it. Lastly, make sure you eat the right foods. I started off here eating 1200 calories but did not care what I ate to get those calories. If you eat the right foods, your body will work better.

    Believe me, I have alot to learn. I am pretty new here too but I am trying to learn from others.

    I wish you the best of luck! Keep it up! Feel free to add me as a friend if you wish!:flowerforyou:
  • rachaels7
    rachaels7 Posts: 20
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    Don't give up! You might want to try some other types of exercise; it sounds like your body has gotten used to the workouts you're doing. Give yourself a break from all the HARD work, work on maintaining for a bit and then do a push to see if you can get past 68 kg. You've done a great job losing your weight.
  • srp2011
    srp2011 Posts: 1,829 Member
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    It sounds like you may actually be trying too hard and also that you may not be eating enough, paradoxical as it sounds. Without seeing your food diary, it's hard to tell. Also, if your muscles are sore, they are retaining water as part of the healing process, and that will cause the scale to go up or stall. 3 kg by July 3 isn't very realistic at this point, when you have so little to lose - the closer you are to your goal weight, the slower it will come off. Also, try taking measurements to see if you are losing any inches.
  • StormChaser217
    StormChaser217 Posts: 70 Member
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    It's not good to starve yourself , I did that several years ago and looked bad , plus felt bad and almost passed out sometimes . It might take a little bit to get over this hump , but I am sure you will do it .
  • pauljsolie
    pauljsolie Posts: 1,024 Member
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    The solution is simple. You are starving yourself and your body and metabolism is shutting down. Anything and I mean ANYTHING you eat at this stage is going into storage and not fueling your body. Your body is holding on to fat at all costs because it thinks it is starving to death. You're going at thing too severely. Take it down a few notches. Increase your protein because you are exercising way too hard. Your body is storing fat and burning muscle to survive.
  • joanneeee
    joanneeee Posts: 311 Member
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    Im not eating all my Cals and being very careful about logging everything I eat.
    Besides near starving myself and dropping way under 1200 Cals a day I just cant get down under 68kgs

    try eating back all your exercise cals then???
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
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    inb4 "eat more". it is true though, you need to. When you have less weight to lose you lose it slower, and that's okay.
  • hstallings13
    hstallings13 Posts: 306
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    do you follow your measurments? Muscles weighs more than fat, so if you are building up muscle ton you won't see the scale move much. Weight is never somethig to really go off of if you are getting into shape measurements tend to be more honest.
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    How long have you been trying? Results take time... at least a week before you even will start to see something!
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    It's not the kind of advice you would normally hear... but maybe cut back on your exercise and focus on your food choices. When I was working out doing P90X six days a week and 60 minutes on the elliptical every other day, I was staying at the same weight fairly consistently. But a problem with my knee and hip prompted me to stop exercising for a while. I had to totally focus on my food intake. I switched to eating 1/3 of my calories at breakfast with tons of protein. Lunch was my second biggest meal of the day and dinner was the lightest. I also had a snack in the morning, afternoon and evening. I tried to stay at 1,200 calories or less. As soon as I focused on my food intake, I dropped just shy of 10 pounds in 3 weeks. Exercise is good for you, but should not be used solely for weight loss. Think 80% diet and 20% exercise.

    Never give up! As soon as you find out what is causing you to plateau... you will come out much happier on the other side. Good luck!
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
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    I agree with others who suggest that you eat some of your exercise calories (play around with how many it'll take). I also advocate taking a day off or even two, from all of the exercising you do. Your body might need to catch up with what you're doing. I actually find that I feel thinner a day or two after I've taken some time off from exercising-- especially really intense exercise like you're doing. Make sure you're sleeping enough (7-8 hours will help to repair your muscles and let your body recover). And drink plenty of water--you'd be surprised how much salt your body can hold after a workout! Take care of your body and it'll take care of you!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    If you're working out really hard and not losing weight - it may be time to re-evaluate the diet side of things. Are you sure you're eating enough? Severely reducing your calories and working out super hard tends to cause a weight loss at first. However, eventually your body starts to think "Oh crap! We are starving to death!" and stops losing weight. You may be surprised to hear that eating more = weight loss. This doesn't mean gorge on a big mac at McDonald's, but eating more (healthy) food can actually jump start your weight loss. I can say this from experience because I upp'ed my calories and lost 5lbs in a week! Our bodies need to be fueled enough if we want them to lose weight. When they don't get enough food, they tend to go into survival mode. They don't like to burn fat - they like to store it (just in case). They don't want to build muscle - they want to burn muscle for fuel. So, eating is essential to weight loss.

    Are you getting enough protein? Drinking enough water?

    Also, taking days off from exercising is essential. Your muscles NEED time to relax, repair, heal and recover. Going 100% day in and day out is a recipe for disaster. I know it seems like working harder and harder gets you better results, but our bodies need that time to rest. And trust me, pushing too hard can result in an injury that will sideline you for awhile. Take care of your body!
  • deborahdnc
    deborahdnc Posts: 2 Member
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    Don't give up! You may not be eating enough calories for the amount of exercise you do. Your body may be in starvation mode and holding on to weight. Also keep a check on the amount of sodium in your food, you could retain fluid. Good luck!
  • Jenscan
    Jenscan Posts: 694 Member
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    I am with the others who say 1) take a day or two off exercising and 2) up your calories. Your body is being asked to do too much on too little.

    You're feeling like you're going to pass out because you are about to. Eat more, and the weight will start to come off again. Good luck!
  • FabOma08
    FabOma08 Posts: 500
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    inb4 "eat more". it is true though, you need to. When you have less weight to lose you lose it slower, and that's okay.

    Can you really not pay attention to this man??? 132 pounds??? Seriously, everybody's telling you this because it's true. You have to eat. No, you do not HAVE to eat back the exercise calories. But you do have to eat you minimum amount to keep your body functioning.
  • ser0630
    ser0630 Posts: 223
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    In addition to the advice from the previous posters, also try different workouts. Try adding pilates one day or going to a cardio class. I remember from taking exercise physiology and anatomy and physiology classes that after a period of time (I think it's 4 weeks), "muscle memory" sets in and you can plateau that way too. Throwing in different workouts here and there will help--and add some variety.

    There is also nothing wrong with taking a day off as a "rest day." It gives your body a chance to recover.

    Don't give up. Changes will occur in time. Also, count the "non-scale victories" such as clothes getting looser or noticing muscle tone. Another thing, make sure you try to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night...that helps with the metabolism.
  • chickielou
    chickielou Posts: 47
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    Thanks everyone

    I have been sitting at 68kgs for 2 weeks now. Well I got to 68.2kgs and now Im 68.6kgs. Sounds very much like I need to rest and I think if i take a few days Im picking(and praying) I will see results and my body will have a chance to recover. This will mean I have to focus on my food intake to stay under 1200 cals so will make better food choices.

    Actually thinking back to my last plateau(few years ago) I rolled my ankle and lost 1kg in the first week of not being able to
    exercise.

    I have an 18month old so I dont always see 8hrs of sleep. And I do suffer from insomnia, but with all the exercise ive been doing, I havent had any insomnia cos Ive been shattered. .......so one upside

    Im not very good at taking my measurements, esp waist.....it always seems to be different like way different.....10cms different. so i know im not doing very well in that area.

    And yes I should be picking one item of clothing that doesnt quite fit and do weekly checks on that to see how I am doing instead of the scales huh

    I have taken everyones advice on board and thank you for your support

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