Losing all the hope ... Please helppppppp !!

BudhiRooh
BudhiRooh Posts: 89 Member
edited July 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,
MFP has been a very nice motivator for me to lose 50 lbs from Sep '15 - Apr '16 ... What happened afterwards? It's a horrible story and it's something which is making me sad day by day and I think I'm losing all the hope in the world and I guess I've come to the point where I badly need your help / advice.
After April, I've tried to stick to my diet (I couldn't stick to my exercise routine though) ... But looks like whatever I do, however do I change my diet, my body has given up on me and it had starting up piling pounds one by one... In March my weight was 191 lbs (I was so happy about it) and then in April / May it got stuck at 197 / 198 ... Now it has reached to 203 (I was so happy to be below 200 at New Year day :( ...
I'm a female, 5'11, 34, I've PCOS too ... My starting weight was 242 lbs and my current weight as of today is 203 ... Please help me in revamping my diet and exercise routine ... I badly need to lose 8 - 10 lbs to come to the weight that I had already achieved ...
Please advice me how should I change my diet (I want to get your suggestions and start a total new diet regime, that's why I'm not telling what I'm eating at the moment and I would like to try what you guys will suggest), feel free to give me advice on what I should eat on daily basis and how should I do exercise ... Currently, I'm doing 1 hour walk and dumbbells training at home (youtube videos) ... I believe I can lose 8 lbs in a month (which is a healthy and reasonable weight loss) ...
Please help me and give me some motivation ... My clothes are getting tighter and my hope is shrinking day by day ... :'(

Replies

  • Bxqtie116
    Bxqtie116 Posts: 552 Member
    Have you adjusted your new weight to reflect what your new calorie intake should be? It seems like you may be in maintainence mode (and actually over eating). Are you weighing your foods? What does your sodium intake look like? Are you eating out a lot? How much water are you drinking? All of these factors result from the gained weight.
  • spyro88
    spyro88 Posts: 472 Member
    edited July 2016
    If you were losing weight when you were using MFP, but are now gaining it back, just look at what you're doing differently now. You said you have stopped exercising so maybe you need to try and work that back in? There should be no need to revamp with a completely new diet (unless you really want to) - you already lost the weight so you know what you need to do. It will be easier to go back to that than start something new. Good luck x
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
    If you have pcos do you have insulin resistance with that? If so, either asking your doctor for metformin and/or going low carb (do your homework beforehand, I'm no expert but I do know this is the advice my sister who has pcos has been given by her gynae) may help.
    I would advice if at all possible to add the exercise back in too.

    Also reassess what you have been doing, I recently have been stuck for about 6 months but I know that my heart just wasn't in it so I have been slacking on all fronts and over eating. It wasn't until recently I kicked myself up the backside and tightened my eating habits back up again.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    BudhiRooh wrote: »
    Hey guys,
    MFP has been a very nice motivator for me to lose 50 lbs from Sep '15 - Apr '16 ...

    That's awesome, so you know how it works, calories in against calories out

    What happened afterwards? It's a horrible story and it's something which is making me sad day by day and I think I'm losing all the hope in the world and I guess I've come to the point where I badly need your help / advice.
    After April, I've tried to stick to my diet (I couldn't stick to my exercise routine though)

    This right is the crux of your problem, if you stick to your calories in but change your calories out you hit surplus

    ... But looks like whatever I do, however do I change my diet, my body has given up on me and it had starting up piling pounds one by one...
    Nope you stopped moving as much, stopped burning as much, probably have issues with your logging Food which confounds it

    In March my weight was 191 lbs (I was so happy about it) and then in April / May it got stuck at 197 / 198 ... Now it has reached to 203 (I was so happy to be below 200 at New Year day :( ...
    I'm a female, 5'11, 34, I've PCOS too ... My starting weight was 242 lbs and my current weight as of today is 203 ...
    So you're still 39 pounds down and you're addressing your current glitch ..kudos

    Please help me in revamping my diet and exercise routine ... I badly need to lose 8 - 10 lbs to come to the weight that I had already achieved ...
    You know how to do it.
    Recalibrate your MFP allowance, set to lose 0.5-1lbs a week, weigh all your food and measure your drink (no cups or spoons for solids or oils) ...check every entry against other food databases

    Please advice me how should I change my diet (I want to get your suggestions and start a total new diet regime, that's why I'm not telling what I'm eating at the moment and I would like to try what you guys will suggest), feel free to give me advice on what I should eat on daily basis and how should I do exercise ...

    Currently, I'm doing 1 hour walk and dumbbells training at home (youtube videos) ... I believe I can lose 8 lbs in a month (which is a healthy and reasonable weight loss) ...

    How much are you allowing for calories for that movement ?
    I'd half your weight loss goal - go for 1lb a month


    Please help me and give me some motivation ... My clothes are getting tighter and my hope is shrinking day by day ... :'(

    I think you know how to do it

    I think you've done it before which makes it hard to repeat because you're using your tricks ...you need to not do that

    Personally I'd switch where you log so you have to build from scratch again and pay attention to all food...try fatsecret.com for logging or maybe even start a new account of MFP do any food mistakes aren't compounded...and weigh and double check

    If you don't have a pedometer like a Fitbit, get a basic one (zip or one) and synch it to your account

    If you are logging exercise for your dumbbell routine, log it at half the calories you currently imagine you're burning

    Good luck

    I'm going to have to start cutting again in a weeks time ...I share your concern
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited July 2016
    Why are you setting such a difficult goal (2lb a week) when you know you're struggling?

    If you're training for a run, you start slow, not fast. If you're trying to learn to bake, you start with scones or cookies, not a soufflé or a croquembouche. If you're new to losing weight, or if you're struggling, you aim for a pound a week at most, half a pound if you're finding it particularly hard. Just the PCOS alone means your journey will be harder than most.

    My advice - set your goal to half a pound a week, log EVERYTHING you eat and weigh your food wherever possible, err on the cautious side when logging exercise (but do log it), and cut yourself some slack. This is a difficult thing you're doing, stop expecting perfection.

    Also seek out others with PCOS, there are plenty on here who can give you specific tips and encouragement.
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    edited July 2016
    What Sued0nim said.

    You know how. Thing have just gotten out of balance.

    Why did you quit the exercise? Can you add it back? Or cut the equivalent amount of calories from your diet?

    You have had a setback, but not a terrible one yet.

    As far as what to eat most of us do better by keeping up protein intake, including a reasonable amount of fat, and not overindulging in fast carbs (sugar, flour, fruit juice) because satiety is better.

    MFP tends to default to a relatively low level of protein. You can get a rough calculation of your lean mass with a tape measure and an online Navy tape body fat calculator. If MFP has you set to less than .8 grams of protein per pound of lean mass then fiddle around with your percentages to fix that.

    I focus on hitting my protein goal and calorie range. Not too fussed on fast carbs, but don't have PCOS or pre-diabetes either. Since you do you may do better by limiting those things to 1-2 servings a day.

    ETA: For me I've found that I do better front loading my day with protein and keeping sugary stuff later in the day. I added a whey protein shake with almond milk a while back in the afternoon and found I was hungrier the rest of the day. So now if I have one I use it closer to bedtime.
  • manicmuse1
    manicmuse1 Posts: 17 Member
    edited July 2016
    My answer has been also a keto paleo like diet. I have to keep all grains, dairy and almost all beans out of my diet. I eat fruit only a few times a week and about one sweet potato a week. Keep in mind I have several hormone imbalances because of my PCOS. I am unable to take medications to reduce the issues of PCOS, like pre-diabetes because the medications give me very adverse side effects.

    For me there is a very fine line between maintaining my weight and losing weight that are dependent on my food intake and workouts. Things like consuming less than a gallon of water one day can set me back.

    Keep in mind with PCOS your hormones can change all of the sudden. If you have ruled out everything else, I would suggest following up with your doctor for a full blood work up. My hormone levels randomly flipping out has caused me issues before.

    Lastly, working out. Remember how important that work out is. It's not just about the calories it burns. Getting that work out assists your body is being more sensitive to the hormones PCOS creates issues with. Including reducing insulin resistance, which clearly can play a major role in achieving goals.

    I have lost about 40 pounds in the last 6 months with this process. Its slow going but I am working toward keeping this long term so that for once in my life, I can maintain.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    You might find it helpful to join a PCOS group. I don't know how active this group is but it might be worth a look around: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis

    I have read that some people who have PCOS follow a low carb diet and it seems to help. It might be helpful to discuss diet options with your doctor.
  • mabrams27
    mabrams27 Posts: 2 Member
    edited August 2016
    I have hypothyroidism as well as PCOS and have found the only thing that works is a Paleo diet combined with moderate walking. Due to the PCOS I was also suffering from insulin resistance which required diabetes medication to control(metformin). Paleo certainly requires a commitment it's not a quick fix its a lifestyle change. After starting Paleo I felt so different, lots of energy and all around just wonderful. About a month in I had to have my thyroid retested to adjust my medication(for the better!). In one month on strict Paleo I lost about 8 lbs but it wasn't just the weightloss it was how I felt that made me continue. With a thyroid issue, PCOS combined with insulin resistance it make weightloss difficult but Paleo has been amazing at helping me reach my goals. I am continuing my Paleo journey so that I can improve my overall health but also to balance my hormones to fight off PCOS all together, which is possible!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited August 2016
    At your weight and 5'11", losing 2 pounds per week is a rather aggressive goal. What's your goal weight? Aggressive goals are a common cause of failure.

    Sounds like you changed your exercise routine but didn't change your calories accordingly. I've gained weight every time I became less active as well. So you know what you need to do - exercise more or eat less.

    PCOS can make things harder, but by no means impossible - do checkout the group linked above.

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