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

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  • Well, I don't have a specific goal for my fat intake. Since I eat a lot of lean meat and fresh veggies, I dont really have to count. I also stick to non-fat or low fat dairy, when I do have it...which is maybe once a week. I get a most of my "healthy fats" from almonds, avocados, olive oil, and then the minimal trace fat from chicken breast and eggs. I am just stubborn and don't want to undergo surgery to have it removed.

    The counting I do is for carbs, protein, and calories. I have oatmeal every day for breakfast, and then I allow myself one other carb meal, i.e. Sandwich (whole wheat), wrap, rice (brown)...for either lunch or dinner. If I eat a wrap/burrito for lunch, then I'll stick to veggies and chicken for dinner, or vice versa.

    Hope this information helps. Trust me, I have bad days, especially when its that TOM, but its all about getting back on track. :)

    Thanks, it does help, I know what I should do - and I was doing it, I think the surgery just messed things up a bit and i've gotten off track. It's hard to get back on!
  • i feel for you on the weight gain after surgery i had hernia surgery and initally gained 20 pounds however ive noticed ive lost 2 inches around my waist and hips and now i need to buy a new scale( genius husband dropped it and it broke) to see exactly what ive lost all i did was wii boxing and tennis in sitting position to avoid messing my stomach up again and since mid june ive done 2 hour walks per day some days longer

    wow WTG! I hope your new scales bring you good news!
  • grimnir
    grimnir Posts: 61 Member
    My mother was never able to have meaningful success losing weight until she cut out gluten, like she'd eat 1200 calories a day and not lose any at all, or hardly any. It made a world of difference for her, and cleared her brain fog and headaches considerably as well. Anyway, there are a number of different medical conditions that can have a significant impact on your ability to lose weight, not just celiac. Could also easily be a vitamin deficiency (cross your fingers and hope that's the case, since it's easy to treat). Don't give up, mix it up! There's so many different things you can do to change your diet so that it might start working for you. Eat more, eat less, eat earlier, big breakfasts, low carb, low fat, high protein, 100% clean, paleo, zig zagging, fasting days, cheat days, maintenance weeks, dairy-free, vegetarian, raw vegan, gluten-free, SOMETHING will work for you. Try drinking 15 cups of water a day for a couple weeks, that should help if some of your issues are caused by toxins in the blood from pollutants and such. Measure your food precisely, using a scale. If you can't afford to see a doctor, just pick something and try it for a couple weeks, see how it goes. But get real info if you can.
  • Hello!
    I know how you are feeling and everyone has been there! Unlike most of the advice already given to you, I am totally opposite of what they say, and only because I have had to experiment to figure it out. Alot of people have said no starchy carbs, white this or that, all protein, veggies, fruit, ect. I can tell you if you are used to not eating clean doing it 24\7, you like most other people will not want to stick to it because you are not used to it! So, I tried the all clean diet before after I had my daughter last year. I did it for 3 months along with exercising 3-4x per week. After that I was so dishearted! I had only lost 5lbs of my pregnancy gain and felt like I was killing myself for it! So I decided to hell with it! I am going to eat what I want when I want. And guess what? I lost weight! 7lbs in a month! Now I am not saying all day I ate without accounting for it, but I did have pizza if I wanted. Or ice cream, or candy. I just poritioned it out and figured it into my calorie allowance. To this day I still eat that way. I knew I couldn't stick to a "diet" so I made up my own so that I knew I would stick with it and not feel deprived. And in one year I lost 40 lbs, which is alot for me because I'm not bigger to begin with. If there is nothing wrong thyroid wise and hormonal wise, I am guessing this is the reason why your body is rebelling. It is worth the try for a week and if you continue to gain then you have to figure out something else.

    I also noticed with my body when I was doing strict 1400 cal a day 7 days a week I wasn't losing anything. But when I ended up letting myself have one cheat day a week then I was losing. If you know you can't control youself when being on a "diet" then have what food you want and keep it in your calorie range. And exercise! The more you exercise the more you can eat. Find something you like, even if at the beginning you find you don't like anything, keep trying because you might surprise yourself! I used to hate running and now I love it! I don't overdo it so that I stick with it. Something is better than nothing.

    I zigzag eating also. This is something you might also want to experiment with. Some days I will go 4-500 calories over my goal and the next I will go 4-500 calories under my goal. I find on days that I don't exercise, I go way over because my limit is much lower than if I did exercise. So I go over and then compensate on opposite days with more exercise and better eating choices.

    The book I read about giving up dieting is called lose weight without dieting by david nordmark. Also he suggests not counting calories I still do and go about eating what I want.

    I hope this info helps and would love to be mfp friends to help motivate eachother if you want to friend me! Hang in there and take one day at a time!:smile:
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    First things first. Breath and stop thinking about it! Stress doesn't make anything better.

    Second, do NOT stop eating right or exercising. You need to do both for a healthy pregnancy. Watch your sodium and stop measuring your success by the scale. Every day your diet is healthy and you exercise is a step toward your goals.

    I've had more restarts than I care to count. So, believe me, I understand your frustration.
  • pickenslmc
    pickenslmc Posts: 47 Member
    I have learned that formal exercise isn't for me. I try to simply increase my activity level by taking walks, mowing the lawn, and I have a sport hula hoop I use for about 10-20 minutes a day. Maybe you can find a sport or activity you really enjoy. I like hula hooping so I stick to that with out any trouble. For me it is easier to focus on eating real food, mainly meat, veggies and fruit (and ice cream-the real stuff). Good luck on your journey.
  • My mother was never able to have meaningful success losing weight until she cut out gluten, like she'd eat 1200 calories a day and not lose any at all, or hardly any. It made a world of difference for her, and cleared her brain fog and headaches considerably as well. Anyway, there are a number of different medical conditions that can have a significant impact on your ability to lose weight, not just celiac. Could also easily be a vitamin deficiency (cross your fingers and hope that's the case, since it's easy to treat). Don't give up, mix it up! There's so many different things you can do to change your diet so that it might start working for you. Eat more, eat less, eat earlier, big breakfasts, low carb, low fat, high protein, 100% clean, paleo, zig zagging, fasting days, cheat days, maintenance weeks, dairy-free, vegetarian, raw vegan, gluten-free, SOMETHING will work for you. Try drinking 15 cups of water a day for a couple weeks, that should help if some of your issues are caused by toxins in the blood from pollutants and such. Measure your food precisely, using a scale. If you can't afford to see a doctor, just pick something and try it for a couple weeks, see how it goes. But get real info if you can.
    I've been trying to increase my water, I was drinking 3.5 litres for a while and it definitely helped so i'm trying to get back to that level. It's not that I can't afford to see the doc, I guess I just feel embarrassed that I've gained a lot of it back...
  • Hello!
    I know how you are feeling and everyone has been there! Unlike most of the advice already given to you, I am totally opposite of what they say, and only because I have had to experiment to figure it out. Alot of people have said no starchy carbs, white this or that, all protein, veggies, fruit, ect. I can tell you if you are used to not eating clean doing it 24\7, you like most other people will not want to stick to it because you are not used to it! So, I tried the all clean diet before after I had my daughter last year. I did it for 3 months along with exercising 3-4x per week. After that I was so dishearted! I had only lost 5lbs of my pregnancy gain and felt like I was killing myself for it! So I decided to hell with it! I am going to eat what I want when I want. And guess what? I lost weight! 7lbs in a month! Now I am not saying all day I ate without accounting for it, but I did have pizza if I wanted. Or ice cream, or candy. I just poritioned it out and figured it into my calorie allowance. To this day I still eat that way. I knew I couldn't stick to a "diet" so I made up my own so that I knew I would stick with it and not feel deprived. And in one year I lost 40 lbs, which is alot for me because I'm not bigger to begin with. If there is nothing wrong thyroid wise and hormonal wise, I am guessing this is the reason why your body is rebelling. It is worth the try for a week and if you continue to gain then you have to figure out something else.

    I also noticed with my body when I was doing strict 1400 cal a day 7 days a week I wasn't losing anything. But when I ended up letting myself have one cheat day a week then I was losing. If you know you can't control youself when being on a "diet" then have what food you want and keep it in your calorie range. And exercise! The more you exercise the more you can eat. Find something you like, even if at the beginning you find you don't like anything, keep trying because you might surprise yourself! I used to hate running and now I love it! I don't overdo it so that I stick with it. Something is better than nothing.

    I zigzag eating also. This is something you might also want to experiment with. Some days I will go 4-500 calories over my goal and the next I will go 4-500 calories under my goal. I find on days that I don't exercise, I go way over because my limit is much lower than if I did exercise. So I go over and then compensate on opposite days with more exercise and better eating choices.

    The book I read about giving up dieting is called lose weight without dieting by david nordmark. Also he suggests not counting calories I still do and go about eating what I want.

    I hope this info helps and would love to be mfp friends to help motivate eachother if you want to friend me! Hang in there and take one day at a time!:smile:

    Wow what an interesting story - thanks!!! Adding you now!
  • First things first. Breath and stop thinking about it! Stress doesn't make anything better.

    Second, do NOT stop eating right or exercising. You need to do both for a healthy pregnancy. Watch your sodium and stop measuring your success by the scale. Every day your diet is healthy and you exercise is a step toward your goals.

    I've had more restarts than I care to count. So, believe me, I understand your frustration.

    Awww thanks so much for your words of support! It's just so hard! *sigh* trying to shake it off!
  • I have learned that formal exercise isn't for me. I try to simply increase my activity level by taking walks, mowing the lawn, and I have a sport hula hoop I use for about 10-20 minutes a day. Maybe you can find a sport or activity you really enjoy. I like hula hooping so I stick to that with out any trouble. For me it is easier to focus on eating real food, mainly meat, veggies and fruit (and ice cream-the real stuff). Good luck on your journey.

    Thanks so much - I think formal exercise is the only kind I'll do - I can't walk here in TX it's just too hot! :-(
  • Bump!
  • rainbowbuggy
    rainbowbuggy Posts: 320
    I have learned that formal exercise isn't for me. I try to simply increase my activity level by taking walks, mowing the lawn, and I have a sport hula hoop I use for about 10-20 minutes a day. Maybe you can find a sport or activity you really enjoy. I like hula hooping so I stick to that with out any trouble. For me it is easier to focus on eating real food, mainly meat, veggies and fruit (and ice cream-the real stuff). Good luck on your journey.

    Hula Hoops! OMG that is such a good idea :-) Great ab workout! Thanks :flowerforyou:
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