What is your biggest issue/concern/struggle with weight loss?

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Replies

  • RandiNoelle
    RandiNoelle Posts: 374 Member
    I think a lot about how people see/treat me and the authenticity of their kindness.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    tomteboda wrote: »
    My biggest struggle is with hunger. I'm tall and active, and my blood sugar has always run low. I have played around with things to do but hunger remains an issue

    Have you ever talked to your doctor about this? do you ever feel week, dizzy, etc.?
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    Biggest struggle for me??? I get my moments (mother nature is so cruel) where all I want is to eat JUNK! And I get VERY mean if I dont. So I have to control that...some men just don't understand! *cough husband cough*

    I find that birth control is pretty good at helping control your hormones during that lovely time of the month. You just have to find the right one. I went through many trial and errors until I tried by current method and it's been such a savior with my moods, appetites, etc.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    LoraMartyn wrote: »
    I am bummed because I am stuck......for 4 weeks now. After losing some weight MFP gave me 1200 calories, but I really couldn't stick to that so I upped it to 1400. I do exercise so I get a little extra on top of that. I am trying different things to try to get thing moving in the right direction again, increased exercise, drinking more, trying to get my diet to be healthier, etc...Even went to a registered dietician but all she did was confuse me!

    I am also stuck for 4 weeks already, which is so frustrating because I've been working out religiously. I did the same thing as you did, went from 1200 to 1400 because I feel deprived from just 1200cals. I like to believe that I am fairly active, jogging in the morning for an hour 4x per week, then go out for an evening walk. On my best days, I go for an afternoon walk too. I also lift weights 2-3x per week and dance and bike once a week, but my scale isn't budging. I went back down to 1200cals because watching my burned calories go down (I have negative calorie adjustments on) was frustrating me.

    Ladies, I've worked with some dieticians with my clients and I have never liked them. 1200 is nowhere near enough for your body to function properly. At minimum your body needs 1500-1600 calories in order to maintain proper digestion, body temperature, no mention, if you work out, your body doesn't have enough energy to rebuild itself from the bout of exercise. Believe when I tell you, you need to eat more calories. Your body goes into what we call "starvation mode" in order to stay alive, that is the biggest reason most fail at weight loss.

    I have had female clients at 1700 claories, working out 3x per week and seeing amazing results. Also, make sure that you are throwing in some resistance training to build muscle. Unfortunately when your body goes into starvation mode, it eats away at muscle. 1lb of muscle burns an extra 50 calories at rest, just for maintenance. You can't build muscle from cardio, so even body weight exercises (squats, lunges, table or wall push ups) are beneficial.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Realizing that my fittest shape will never resemble that of my "models" (Ana Cheri, for example) because everyone's bodies are different (even if you hit your goal of squatting 220 lbs. just like them!). Accepting the fact that fitness is a lifestyle and there is no finish line, it's a constant process of transforming and gaining strength.

    Well said, I feel the same way. I need to stop following some of them on IG it is borderline motivating and discouraging at the same time.

    Another struggle was losing muscle as I was in deficit. I tried my best (lifting, protein, slower rate of loss) but I'm sure I inevitably lost some in the process

    Again, that is a slipper slope, I too compare myself to those IG models. In fact, I stopped following them unless they provided useful information for me (workouts, nutrition, etc.). If all they do is post pictures of them posing, they are useless in my book.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    I have been a yo-yo dieter for years. I am 30. 5ft 7in. and i used to be 138 and once i got into the diet yo-yo i have gained! I now weigh 156-57 and dieting caused me to gain. I have low faith in my ability to stick with anything so im just going to attempt to track what i eat without judgment just to see and gradually reduce. My concern is that i eat out frequently. It is very difficult for me to be accurate

    First off, you have to believe in yourself to achieve any type of goal, work, relationships, weight loss. I think that's a great idea to start tracking the way you eat now and then gradually decrease. Just keep in mind, you do not want to go below 1600-1700 calories especially for someone at 5 ft. 7 in. Let me know if you have any questions.
  • TomL19842016
    TomL19842016 Posts: 26 Member
    My biggest struggle is switching away from the bad for you, but oh so good tasting, foods to have a healthier diet. Couple that with being a rather poor cook, and it makes for a rather slippery slope.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    My approach is probably not the same as most people.

    my struggle right now is getting to what I consider to be a good fitness level. When I was in the army (back in the 80's) I was at a good fitness level and never had to worry about body weight. I could eat anything I wanted and always had a healthy body weight. I could run 2 miles in 14 minutes, do 70 push-ups in 2 minutes, and do 70 sit-ups in 2 minutes.

    Over about a 20 year period of not exercising and having a desk job, I became obese and my fitness level became very poor. I started having health issues and my doctors told me I had to start exercising and loose weight or else.

    I started exercising and after a year I have increased my fitness level from very poor to fair, and lost over 50 lbs. Another 5 lbs. or so will put me in the top end of my healthy weight range.

    I did learn how to eat a little smarter but for the most part it was the exercise. As my fitness level increase, my weight decreased.

    This year I started adding jogging into my power walk sessions, and my goal is to be able to jog for an hour non stop. I am also starting to work on muscular exercise.

    My overall goal is to struggle through a couple of years of getting to a good fitness level instead of having to be on a diet for the rest of my life.

    I think total health is a much better approach.

    I completely agree with you, total health is important! I believe that it is so much easier to maintain than to have work on weight loss. Most likely you metabolism was very high while in military which is why it was easy for you maintain in during that time. Plus as I know from training from military retirees, that working out was part of your life back then. As you started to age, your metabolism slowed down.

    I've been getting my fiance to start lifting weights in his late 20's so that the same thing doesn't happen to him.

    Good luck with the rest of your journey and try to change your thinking of this being a struggle and try to look at it as a journey instead.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    No Issues with food/eating other than a lack of protein. I'd happily eat nothing but carbs if I chose to. I'm very picky with food.

    Main issue is lack of muscle- mostly upper body strength. I'm banned from most of the machines at my gym for being to small to sue them safely (I can't get into the correct position to operate them and told I risk injury). I could use free weights but Id prefer to do that at home , in privacy- and I weights are expensive. I know I could start with body weight exercises. Honestly , strength exercises make me feel like vomiting when I do them. No idea why. I'm also depressed, anxious , lethargic and work 11 hours a day most days. I don't eat much (1050 cals ish) and would love to use exercise to up that, plus get more lean-looking. I'm 5ft, 40 years old and 98lbs.

    Purchase one of these sets: https://www.amazon.com/Kinzi-Resistance-Anchor-Exercise-Carrying/dp/B010FEY7SG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472141773&sr=8-3&keywords=resistance+bands

    I used these when I traveled to peoples homes to train with. They are light weight and inexpensive, considering everything you can do with them. Message me if you'd like some ideas for beginner exercises to get your body used to them. I promise you that you can do everything at home!
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    That I'm never going to reach my "goal weight" and that it will forever be held over my head.

    That's the toughest thinking to get past, maybe instead of reaching for a goal weight, reach for feeling healthy, confident, and happy instead. Do you best to not let a number dictate your success or happiness.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    Areaw wrote: »
    My biggest struggle is fear I won't get to where I want to be. I know losing 2lbs a week is practical and the way forward but it seems slow going! Learning to be patient and taking each day at a time is the hardest thing for me. I have lost the weight before (after my first baby) so I know it can be done again (now after my second baby) but do have daily panic moments of "I'm never going to lose it")

    Keep your eye on the prize, I know some mommies that took a year to get back to their pre-baby bodies, but the best part is that they did it safely, and they will be able to maintain it at the end.
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    Really it's just coming to terms with the fact that I will need to be vigilant and track/weigh my food for the rest of my life.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    memickee wrote: »
    My biggest struggle is me. It's all in my mind, self sabotage and an all or nothing attitude. I am my own worst enemy.

    Message me if you need someone to vent to without judgement. We are our own biggest critics. You are not the problem. Maybe instead of going all in, make one small change per week and see how that works for you.
  • CharlieICURN
    CharlieICURN Posts: 89 Member
    Oh boy.
    I think there's probably a lot of mental aspects for me. I'll start eating healthy and being more active and feel great, start losing weight, etc... Then for no damn reason I just stop and go back to old habits and gain back more than I weighed prior.
    I can't seem to determine the "fall-off" trigger.
    I tend to be a binge eater and I'm still trying to determine what sets me off.
    I'll literally wake up at 2am and just go searching for food, eat uncontrollably, then go back to bed like nothing. There have been days where I just eat all day for no real reason. I try to talk myself down, so to speak, but I feel like I have no control when I start. Then I feel super guilty.
    Every time I eat better I do really really well incorporating foods I love and just monitoring my calories so I don't go overboard. I incorporate healthy foods I love and all that jazz. Then usually six weeks into whatever health change I go on like a binge and can't stop myself and just give up. And just cannot seem to pick up the pieces and motivate myself to stay healthy.
    I guess it's because eating some foods feels really good at the time because in sure there's some depression or some crap going on but I don't know. I'm doing well with the whole eating healthy thing and I'm already trying to anticipate when the binge will happen.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    I'm concerned that each time I indulge, it will spiral into a binge which will continue until I've regained everything. Dramatic, huh?

    Have someone hold you accountable! I tell my fiance that he has to stop me if I go for a second serving of my treat. Most of the time it works :wink:
  • Pissy_Sissy
    Pissy_Sissy Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2016
    I'm struggling with the people around me judging me on my weight loss. A lot of the people I work with typically feel that they can say anything they feel about my body-they talk like it's an inanimate object. It makes me feel incredibly frustrated and somewhat defeated. Just this morning the receptionist in her most condescending voice asked (no less in front of a group of co-workers) 'well now, what size are you now?" I told her that it was just a number and that it didn't matter. Of course she got cross at me and mocked the way I said it back to me. It's very difficult not to come back to that and start trying to justify myself (I didn't, I walked back to my desk to enjoy my morning banana, almonds and hot steamy peppermint tea).

    I've also had the other side of this where a firm partner has made numerous explicit sexual comments to me about how I look now and what he would like to do to me, he also asks if my boyfriend at home 'it giving it to me on the regular'. This is a whole new set of issues-I don't want to complain because it would ultimately lead to career suicide for me. I've told my boyfriend each and every time this has happened and unfortunately he doesn't know what to do about it either.

    What these people fail to realize is that I am an adult, I am responsible only for myself, I work incredibly hard on a daily basis to have to body that I have-it's the only one I have and I haven't always been kind to it.

    I really do have to learn to keep my mouth shut and not immediately react to other's incredibly intrusive and rude behavior, and not to have hurt feelings (as you can tell...I have hurt feeling right now and am ranting uncontrollably). I also tell myself all the time that people are petty and jealous of achievement and they don't want others to have what they aren't willing to go and get themselves.

    I try to combat this is looking AMAZING when I walk in the door-I dress like I own the place.

    I'm currently trying to get a new job which is a long and hard process in itself.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    Return2Fit wrote: »
    My biggest challenge is maintaining weight, losing body fat and retaining muscle.
    What's your throughts on...
    • fasted cardio
    • intermittent fasting
    • training body adaptation
    And any other suggestions are appreciated...

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    Fasted cardio: Needs to be moderate pace, nothing crazy, so you don't shred your muscle you've built. Fasted cardio isn't for everyone, but I am not opposed to it.

    Intermittent fasting: This is a good article that outlines the pros and cons of intermittent fasting: http://jjvirgin.com/fat-loss-fast-metabolism-intermittent-fasting-fast/
    I can see how it can be beneficial, but I worry a little about some of the long term damage/side effects it could have. I wouldn't recommend this to any of my clients as a professional.

    Training body adaptation: I'm not really sure what you mean by this. Is it just resistance training because essentially that is what RT is, training your body to adapt to the stress. Please elaborate.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    PMS that pretty much make me crave bready thing and makes my willpower go away.
    Passing on dessert when I eat out (picking healthier entrees is relatively easy for me at least).

    As I mentioned in above post, try going on a birth control to help control your hormones. I went through several choices before I found the one that was best for my body.
  • dariacsf
    dariacsf Posts: 32 Member
    DanerTee wrote: »
    binge eating.

    When do you find yourself binge eating the most?