Feeling demotivated.....

eswash11
eswash11 Posts: 4 Member
edited December 1 in Getting Started
Right, enough is enough! It is time for me to sort my weight out and get back to feeling healthy and happy in my own skin. Over the last couple of years I have put on 3 stone(!) and feel miserable. Truthfully, the reason for the kick up the bum is that I broke up with my long-term boyfriend only a couple of weeks ago and what better way to keep busy is in the gym - right?!

Starting weight of 195lbs with a goal of 145lbs. I know it's going to take time, effort and pain but after 3 weeks of eating considerably less and exercising A LOT more, I have only lost 3lbs! Am I being unrealistic thinking I should be losing more on a week-to-week basis?

Any help, words of encouragement, hints/tips would be much appreciated :)

Replies

  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 623 Member
    edited April 2016
    Yo. I would say first thing is to log everything that passes your lips! ;) I've lost 3.3kg over 50 days. Not great but weight loss will not always be linear. Log everything and be good for a month then check your weight. Also monitor your hip, waist etc measurements since these will change even if your weight doesn't
  • eswash11
    eswash11 Posts: 4 Member
    I've been sticking to 1200 Cals a day (strictly) for about 2 weeks. And exercising about 4 times a week.
  • ThunderZtorm
    ThunderZtorm Posts: 27 Member
    When you first start exercising, your muscles do a lot of water retention. That'll stabilize in time. Patience is key.

    1200 calories sound very low considering you're also working out 4 times a week - are we talking full 1-2 hour workouts each time?
  • johnturnerbradley
    johnturnerbradley Posts: 37 Member
    Hey, firstly 50lb is a lot to lose so be patient.

    You might be eating considerably less but are you eating right and are you cutting out sugar?

    11 weeks ago I was 20lb heavier that I am today. I excercise 4 times per week and allow myself 1 cheat evening meal and 1 cheat day where I eat anything j want to, including McDonalds etc.

    But I have found the key is, is to mix up your training a little bit.

    Start the day if you can buy going to the gym, stretch for 5 minutes and try to some some resitance training for 3 sets at a heavy weight. You should not be able to do more than 12-14 reps, if you can then increase the weight. You will not become muscular but as you may already know you burn more calories throughout the day when you use resitance training than if you were to do cardio alone.

    Then after doing 2-3 different weight / resistant training. Do cardio (not swimming) for 45 minutes - 1 hour at a moderate level where you start to sweat around the 10 minute mark give or take. Then push yourself to maintain an increased heart rate for a further 30 minutes. You can even walk on a steep incline at a moderate speed for 30
    Minutes but make sure you can maintain your breath and you are not too relaxed. Use the bike, running machine, cross trainer, rowing machine and make sure you burn in week 1-3 between 300-450 calories per session 3-4 times per week (ideally 4).

    Then have a low carb / low calorie protien shake straight after but make sure you drink lots and lots of water.

    At week 3 increase your effort on each cardio machine. Have a healthy lunch like soup and when you can train in the evening with a protien shake for dinner then train the very next morning with a shake for breakfast and maintain a calorie deficit of 1000-1200 per day. Make sure you have a cheat evening meal and 1 cheat day providing you have exercised and maintained your calorie deficit for the other 5 days. I find going to the gym on a Saturday morning helps as weekends tend to be a bit more relaxed.

    I have used 'fat burners' before the gym and throughout the day but speak to your doctor to make sure it is safe for you. This has really helped me stay away from the food in the day and remember drink water.

    Here are my pics from 10 weeks ago and one I took today.

    Don't worry, keep going and you will get there but to lose 50lbs please give yourself 6-7 months at least. 40n6jxyc6rxc.jpeg
  • johnturnerbradley
    johnturnerbradley Posts: 37 Member
    Also are you demotivated because you have no energy from your calories? Sometimes eating less but more often is better for most people.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    well done thats a pound a week. thats good. keep at it, and before you know it the rest will be gone.
    you really have to have patience, but what i can tell you is that if you are you will make it.
    good luck.
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
    p.s you dont have to cut out sugar unless for medical reasons
  • eswash11
    eswash11 Posts: 4 Member
    johnturnerbradley wrote: »
    Hey, firstly 50lb is a lot to lose so be patient.

    You might be eating considerably less but are you eating right and are you cutting out sugar?

    11 weeks ago I was 20lb heavier that I am today. I excercise 4 times per week and allow myself 1 cheat evening meal and 1 cheat day where I eat anything j want to, including McDonalds etc.

    But I have found the key is, is to mix up your training a little bit.

    Start the day if you can buy going to the gym, stretch for 5 minutes and try to some some resitance training for 3 sets at a heavy weight. You should not be able to do more than 12-14 reps, if you can then increase the weight. You will not become muscular but as you may already know you burn more calories throughout the day when you use resitance training than if you were to do cardio alone.

    Then after doing 2-3 different weight / resistant training. Do cardio (not swimming) for 45 minutes - 1 hour at a moderate level where you start to sweat around the 10 minute mark give or take. Then push yourself to maintain an increased heart rate for a further 30 minutes. You can even walk on a steep incline at a moderate speed for 30
    Minutes but make sure you can maintain your breath and you are not too relaxed. Use the bike, running machine, cross trainer, rowing machine and make sure you burn in week 1-3 between 300-450 calories per session 3-4 times per week (ideally 4).

    Then have a low carb / low calorie protien shake straight after but make sure you drink lots and lots of water.

    At week 3 increase your effort on each cardio machine. Have a healthy lunch like soup and when you can train in the evening with a protien shake for dinner then train the very next morning with a shake for breakfast and maintain a calorie deficit of 1000-1200 per day. Make sure you have a cheat evening meal and 1 cheat day providing you have exercised and maintained your calorie deficit for the other 5 days. I find going to the gym on a Saturday morning helps as weekends tend to be a bit more relaxed.

    I have used 'fat burners' before the gym and throughout the day but speak to your doctor to make sure it is safe for you. This has really helped me stay away from the food in the day and remember drink water.

    Here are my pics from 10 weeks ago and one I took today.

    Don't worry, keep going and you will get there but to lose 50lbs please give yourself 6-7 months at least. 40n6jxyc6rxc.jpeg

    Thank you so much for your tips! You look fab after 10 weeks!
  • eswash11
    eswash11 Posts: 4 Member
    I think the moral of the story is to have patience! Which is what I have always lacked haha. But thanks everyone.
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    It took you a couple of years to put that weight on, so give yourself about a year and a half to lose it.
  • johnturnerbradley
    johnturnerbradley Posts: 37 Member
    thank you. yes just keep at it, you will be fine and be able to make the ex jealous before you know it :-)
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    3 lbs in 3 weeks is 1 lb a week. I think that's great! Lower your expectations. What you are doing is definitely working! keep up the good work!
  • WendyLaubach
    WendyLaubach Posts: 518 Member
    I agree, a pound a week is great. It will be a few weeks before enough pounds accumulate so that you really see and feel the difference, but as soon as you do you'll be off to the races. When you say 1200 calories, do you mean actual, or do you eat back some exercise calories? If you do, and you want to increase your loss rate, you might cut that out, or at least cut it back. At 1200 calories, I lose faster than 1 lb. a week (I was in the mid-190's a month ago), but I don't eat back exercise calories. Are you weighing your food and so on?
  • Frank_Jr
    Frank_Jr Posts: 103 Member
    If he was a bad BF, then you already lost a lot of weight, right? :D
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    frankpairis wrote: »
    If he was a bad BF, then you already lost a lot of weight, right? :D

    You took the words right out of my mouth! :wink:

    OP, a pound per week is terrific! I'll join the cautioners about eating only 1200 with your stats. You want to make sure you give your body the nutrition it needs and preserve as much lean body mass as possible.

    Be good to yourself--you deserve it!
  • steviejanedrake
    steviejanedrake Posts: 43 Member
    I don't know about you but high levels of stress dramatically change my weight loss capabilities. if you just had this bad break up and your feeling the stress that could be a reason for the slow going. keep at it and try to find ways to make yourself happy even if it's just little things. good luck and feel free to add me. I know that feeling well.
  • seanafvet
    seanafvet Posts: 57 Member
    I know it is easier for men to drop weight quicker then women as a 1lbs a week weight loss is pretty good. For me I have only been doing this 6 days and so far I am down 3.4lbs cutting out liquid calories eating something every 2 hours to keep my metabolism going and working out has helped. I do not expect me to be able to lose this much week after week. And I expect a lbs weight lose a week goal. It takes time to put weight on so it takes time to take the weight off. You will get there. Keep doing what you are doing.
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