Struggling so bad...and losing hope...seeking advice, sugges

I'm sorry you're struggling...I'm 25 and up until 2.5 months ago I was trying to lose weight every other week. However today I'm stronger than ever! I'll deal with tomorrow when I get there...because this is a one day at a time journey!

You've got to want losing weight SO badly. You've gotta want it SO bad that absolutely nothing will stand in your way, even yourself. Do you have a supporting group of family and friends?

I understand your frustration. I haven't lost more than 5 lbs and I've been at it for over 1.5 years. Don't give up. Sometimes you have to fail 100 times before you know what you are doing wrong. Important things to look at are

1) Eating Habits - No/Little processed foods, lean meats, lots of veggies/fruits, around 1200-1500 net calories per day

2) Exercise - Aim for 50 mins cardio 3-4x a week. Switch it up by doing intervals examples such as : Run 1 min, Walk 2 min for 50 Mins Total; Spinning, Elliptical, etc. Strength training is VERY important. Make sure you do weights 3-4x a week for at least 30 mins.

3) Check your hormones. Sometimes you can be deficient or low in certain vitamins/hormones causing your weight loss to stall. I recently found out that I was hypothyroid therefore my metabolism is much slower these days. Also, I found out I was Vitamin D deficient, which is important in regulating your body.


I hope this helps. I also recently joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. I need that outside motivation and help for me to get back on track. Hopefully this website will guide you in the right direction. Feel free to add me for support

P.S. I also have gallbladder issues, but I refuse to take it out. I just limit my fat intake because any time I do eat anything high in fat, I have huge attacks...

Have you had your thyroid, hormone and vitamins levels checked? I would start there. NEVER give up. Are you checking your measurements along with weighing? If not you need to, the scale is only one way to tell you are losing.

"make sure you're sticking to nutrient dense, wholesome, natural foods - fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and really watch the starchy carbs, especially breads, pastas, etc"

Very very true! I was 240. I am 5' 4"...I was miserable. I've lost 80 lbs and I can tell you the most important thing I did was do avoid the "refined, white starches" No white sugar, no white flour, no white potatoes, no rice." I only eat whole grain bread's, sweet potatoes and fiber rich foods.

Make sure you don't have too many long periods without eating. I know in this day and age with working and all it's hard but even if it's a 100cal stick of cheese it's keeps your metabolism going. Now that I am close to goal I am allowing myself occasional treats but 95% of the time I stick to a low-moderate carb and 1400 cal diet. I also make sure i get some sort of treat or snack..each day because it really has helped break up the routine. I just budge it in my calories every day. I'm losing slowly about a pound a week. I see the end in sight and will not give up. Drink lots of water (i still struggle with that) and don't dwell soley on the scale..measure because you can lose inches without the scale budging. Good luck and God Bless

I want to tell you my story.....

A little over five years ago I had my daughter, during the pregnancy I almost lost her, numerous times. I was then diagnosed with gestational diabetes, they were going to wait a couple weeks and then induce me. Well I didn't make it those couple weeks, I went into labor within a few days. During my entire pregnancy I was stressed out, we have a son also (they are 12 months and 20 days apart). When our daughter was born, she had some medical problems that scared me to death, we were back and forth to the hospital the first week, then back and forth to different hospitals and specialists the first couple years of her life...my son was diagnosed with SPD and is borderline autistic.... with all of this, it took them years, but I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, diabetes Type 2, IBS, seasonal affective disorder, arthritis, sleep apnea, and a couple other things. The more medication I was put on, the more weight I gained. I quit smoking, and I gained more weight. I also have a history of gall stones and kidney stones, I can swell and my ankles get triple their size. I used to try to lose weight, I would follow diet after diet, I tried Weight Watchers, pills, Michael Thurman, Taebo, you name it I've tried it..... sometimes I would lose a pound or even 10 lbs.....but it would always come back.

Recently, my doctor took me off all medication except my migraine meds. In 10 weeks I have lost 17 pounds and 35 inches. I have had my ups and downs, but for the first time in my life I am fed up with the person I see in the mirror. I am embarrassed to be seen in public with my husband and children, and I am appalled when I have to buy new clothes. This is not something that I can live with a moment longer. I am ready for a life style change with no more excuses, no more feeling sorry for myself, no more hiding behind my weight because I don't feel good enough to live. I am for the first time in my life proud of myself for taking the steps I needed to make this lifestyle change. I am no where near where I want to be, but I am no where near where I was 10 weeks ago either. I am no longer classified as a diabetic, I have not had an IBS flare up in a long time, nor have I had problems with my gall bladder or kidneys. I still have problems with my fibromyalgia, I probably always will, but they are bearable. I follow the calories the MFP has set for me, I am under a doctors care, and I exercise..... it is hard I will not lie to you...but it is harder to get up every morning and look in that mirror and know that this is one thing that I can control and that I can finally say, I have taken control. It's about changing your relationship with food, and it won't happen over night....if your willing to take the step.... I'm willing to stand beside you.... feel free to add me!

^some good thinking here^



It helped me to realize I didn't have to change everything all at once. All the millions of things I SHOULD be doing seeming overwheliming and impossible. I started by:

1) tracking for a couple of weeks before I worried about losing.
(although seeing what I was eating I couldn't help but rein back a bit)

2) seeing where I could make small changes on things that weren't that important to me.
(Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
--Reducing quantities where I won't notice it so much
--Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

3) Look at my diary and started adding foods that had positive healthy effects specifically for the health issue in my family.
I found most of the things I "should" add were really yummy too! salmon, avocado, oatmeal, mango, red grapes....
(Sort of think of food as medicine to deal with family history of various health issue oatmeal is good for heart health, mango and red grapes lower cholesterol, tumeric and cinnamon good for arthritis)

4) every couple of weeks I see where I can make another couple of small changes.
If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress.
If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

5) also rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me I did the math to find out the calories needed to maintain my goal weight and my current weight and I gave myself a range with 1200 as my rock bottom, lose 1 lb/wk as my target and maintain my goal weight as the top of my range. As long as I keep within in this range I'll lose. I tend to naturally zig zag my calories 3-4 at very close to my target and then a higher calorie day closer to the top of my range.

As long as I stayed under maintain my current weight calories I won't gain. So no need to throw in the towel, just pick-up where I left off.

Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people nee the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as acheivable. I only worry about it 1 lb at a time.)

I figure if I've got a good plan that I can actually maintain I can keep this off for a long time to come, without feeling deprived.
Good Luck

Hello, hello... don't give up hope!
You're on the right track..
You have the right idea with the frequent meals, the water, the exercise and the calories.
Has your health care provider has ruled out all the usual suspects like thyroid, PCOS, etc?
What kinds of resources are you using, books, internet advice, etc? I liked Jillian Michaels' "Master your metabolism" and the New Rules of Lifting for Women.
There's no quick and easy solution, but there are some tricks...
Two big wild cards are what kind of exercise are you getting and what kind of food are you eating.
I'm not a specialist, but here are some things that really helped me:
The more intense your exercise, the less of it you have to do and the greater effect it will have on your metabolism. Think power, not endurance. Resistance training creates more calorie-burning lean mass, & amps up your metabolic rate. Interval/high intensity training (alternating short bursts of high-intensity with rest instead of steady-state cardio) & plyometrics (jump training) both boost your metabolism -- you train your heart rate recovery, increase your aerobic capacity, and stimulate a growth-hormone boost while revving up your metabolic rate for up to 48 hours.
If you enjoy steady-state cardio, a good time to add it is right after HIT or weight training -- your energy stores will already be depleted so you'll burn calories at a faster rate and burn more fat for energy. Vary your cardio type to keep things interesting and keep your body from adapting, which it's very good at! Over time you burn fewer and fewer calories from the same exercise as your body gets more efficient at it. You need to keep adding new challenges to stimulate your body's adaptive response to grow stronger, fitter, healthier muscles and bones.

For food, the more satiating your food, the steadier your blood sugar. I believe my body functions best with about 1 gram of lean protein per pound of bodyweight. Some people would be shocked by that amount, but it works for me. I eat a giant breakfast and snack throughout the day. I also aim to eat lots of high-fibre foods like berries, veggies, beans and legumes every day.

So that's what I'm doing, and it works for me --

I know it can be really really frustrating. I called my husband in tears at work one day I was so baffled by the immovable scale!!
You can do it!

Take care,

)

Tara

Vary calorie intake day to day working for an average of your target, one big cheat day to keep your metabolism from slowing down. Increase protein, fiber, and healthy fats while lowering starches and carbs.
The scale won't move steadily -- it will start and stop. Beginning a fitness program can cause temporary water weight gain, so don't panic if you work hard and gain weight. Don't just watch the scale -- watch your measurements -- body recomposition is more important than weight loss.