First month - NO LOSS!!

I have made so many similar posts over the past 5 years and each time had to face the fact that my lack of success came down to one thing - overeating! Yes I told myself I was tracking and eating well but being brutally honest I was doing it for a day or two then going back to my old habits.

Only this month have I finally 'seen the light' and am seeing results from my latest efforts. What have I done differently? I make myself acknowledge the choices I'm making - eg last night in Sainsburys I came across the creme eggs which I LOVE. As my hand went towards them to slip them in my basket I asked the question " Are you happy making the decision to buy then eat this chocolate and potentially sabotage all your hard work of the past few weeks". I had to be honest and put them back on the shelf and walked away. Ive done this with biscuits, cakes, alcohol, childrens leftovers, crisps - the lot!! It has been SO empowering - for once I am in control and my eating/sugar addiction/chocolate cravings/hormones are not.

Oh yes and I've finally acknowledged that hungry isnt an evil thing! I'm not talking about starvation that you see overseas but the grumbly tummy you get when you are ready for your next meal. Its not a reason to go stuff your face or snack on biscuits - grumbly tummies are fine in moderation!!

Hope this has helped a bit - I'm almost 47 and really need to shed around 21lbs so desperately hoping I've cracked it, at least for now :-)

gt2lvit101 wrote: »

So discouraged. I have been tracking and eating well for a month now including exercising and I have lost nothing. I realize at 50 almost 51 it will come off Harder but I at least thought I would see some sort of lost. Very hard to stay positive

Age makes very little difference, 100 calories a decade I seem to remember.

How are you measuring your food and exercise?

I know the feeling. I'm trying a low carb diet for the first time. For the last 2 weeks, I have had no weight loss. That's not suppose to happen. I should have lost 2 to 5 pounds. I'm well over 50 years old. In my younger years, I use to just think about losing weight and it would come off. Now I have to fight to lose a single pound.

I gained the weight when I quit smoking last spring. I run a sheep farm and am very physical but mother nature seems to NOT care. During spring I have nonstop planting and hard physical labor when the lambs are born and the crops go in. But none of it made a difference. I still gained 35 lbs.

Now I'm counting carbs and calories too. I think if I had done nothing, I would have just kept gaining - getting bigger and bigger and bigger. At least you are Not gaining. Re-evaluate what you are eating and keep your exercise up but don't expect exercise to help you lose weight unless you are doing Olympic amounts of exercise. The exercise is to keep you from gaining and to keep you healthy. You may want to keep an eye on those carbs and sugars too. They encourage your body to store fat so cutting back on them will help too.

I found that sometimes a really severe calorie restriction like 500 calories for a day or 2 will kick start your metabolism to lose weight. If in the next 2 weeks, I don't lose, I'm going to try that.

First off, don't beat yourself up about it. We've all heard the old saying, muscle weighs more than fat.. It's not true, but muscles look better. It still comes down to eating less calories, and working out. No one but you can make the change. So change more. Research a few more diets, make sure you are being honest with your food intake, and most drastically....Drink more water! When I am at a plateau, one of the things I find the hardest to do is to continue to diet and exercise without losing weight.

Here's My quick tips.
1. Drink water. Lots of it, unless you are eating...then don't drink anything. One of my close friends had weight loss surgery, basically this is what she was told. When drinking along with your meal, the fluids wash the foods to the bottom of your stomach. So instead, stop drinking water 1/2 and hour prior to a meal, don't drink during your meal, and wait 30 minutes after your meal. It tricks your mind because your food remains at the top of your stomach instead of being washed downward.
2. If you really think you are still hungry during a meal, and go for more food... Wait 20 minutes. 20 minutes is the time it takes for our minds to register that the stomach is actually full. I like to put a snack on the counter if I'm still hungry after a meal. I walk away.. complete the dishes.. fold clothes.. shower... and If I'm hungry later, I go back and eat it. 9 times out of 10, I just put it back in the fridge.
3. Get more friends who will help you. Quite honestly, I've found people my age, and weight, have a better idea how to help me then the fitness guru who is all about keeping themselves looking good. They don't know what it is to be my age or weight, and they don't often give any inspiring comments that help.
4. Lastly, don't deprive yourself of what you like to eat.... but know the calories you will be putting in, must come off somewhere else. I know a snickers will take me an 30 minutes jog with the dog to burn off. There are times the treat is worth it!!!! If I want a snack, I determine first if I have the energy and time it takes to burn it off.

Best of luck to you. Don't forget, you set your diet and exercise goals for a reason. Only you can get in the way of them.

gt2lvit101 wrote: »

So discouraged. I have been tracking and eating well for a month now including exercising and I have lost nothing. I realize at 50 almost 51 it will come off Harder but I at least thought I would see some sort of lost. Very hard to stay positive

Did you take a look at your measurements? I mean, waist, hips, arms, etc. You can have gained muscle.