How to overcome feeling defeated!

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Strength2Succeed
Strength2Succeed Posts: 126 Member
in Motivation and Support
I would like to share some struggles I have encountered and get some feedback if possible!
In a nutshell the past 6 years have been quite an eye opener and discouraging to say the least. I never struggled with my weight however from stress my body shut down about 7 years ago and I was in the hospital for a few mnths. The doctors had me on different medications-6 at one time and I continued to gain weight with them just telling me that I wasnt exercising enough or eating well...There was a point I stopped weighing myself as I was so discouraged and so large (probably close to 300lbs Im sure). I had some terrible side effects from all the medications and decided I couldnt allow this for myself and I have no reduced to 1 medication only which I am slowing trying to come off of. Last year I saw a naturopath who found my thyroid levels are low (sorry still learning this stuff....so he said basically no matter the amount of exercise my weight would not budge) and that I am hypoglycemic. It was a relief to learn this because I have been extremely frustrated because I never just feel "great" I always feel sluggish, tired, dizzy etc. I play ball hockey one to twice a week, walk my dog in trails off leash for 1.5-2hrs 5 days a week and go to the gym for 1.5hrs 5 days a week. My weight will not budge under 250lbs. Whenever i see the doctors they say nothing is wrong when my blood work comes back however when my naturopath showed me my levels for thyroid and glucose I understood how it could affect me. He did start me on Thyroid PX and Glucose PX, also explained how to change my diet. Needless to say following this I am still at a dead end. I have now started new weight training exercises which I was afraid to do before so I just stuck to cardio. I dont want to give up, I refuse to give up its just discouraging not seeing any results. The kicker to all this is I am limited to the exercises I can do as I have had quite a few sports related concussions so I can get dizzy-for example doing alot of ab related exercises as I am on the floor and have to sort of swing my body upwards. Some days I can try them but I have to be careful. Like I said I have started new weight lifting exercises and I am hoping to see some fat loss soon I have been working so hard to get back down to at least 180lbs I am almost 5'8" and truthfully I would be so happy to be under 200lbs again. Has anyone gone through a similar situation or have recommendations? Thanks in advance and wishing you the best on your journey!

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Put your numbers into MFP, set your activity level to sedentary and your loss to 1 lb per week. Get a digital food scale. Read the sticKY posts on MFP about how to weigh and log your food. Then eat at a calorie deficit. That is how you lose weight and it works for anyone in any situation.

    Everyone (almost) is limited in some aspect as to what exercises they can do. There are a million exercise variations for different abilities and limitations. For example, you can do planks instead of crunches for your abs. Some programs don't have you do any crunches. Squats are great for abs too. Do some searches on Google, read the threads on MFP, and/or meet with a trainer for few sessions to get set up on a program that meets your abilities & limitations.

    Hope that helps!
    sw 301
    CW 152
    2 1/2 yrs
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    Seconding @lorrpb. Weight loss is about eating less calories than you burn.
    Set yourself a reasonable calorie deficit, exercise for health and eat back at least a portion of those calories.

    Read the 'stickies' at the top of each sub-forum. They contain so much useful information.

    Cheers, h.
  • Strength2Succeed
    Strength2Succeed Posts: 126 Member
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    Thank you so much to you both!! Yes planks and i have a love hate relationship lol and i learned different ways i can do squats as well. I will try to reset my goals with MFP and thank you for recommending putting the setting to sedentary, i was never sure what to put there!! I have seen that taking photo helps encourage alot of people so i was going to start that as well! Thanks again!!!
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I see nothing wrong with the weight training you mentioned, but I wouldn't stop the cardio. Maybe mix it up a bit. Also your diary isn't open so are you logging everything, sticking to a calorie goal for CICO? The Thyroid can be an issue, but if you're not watching calories you probably won't lose weight even if you get stronger lifting. You must be in a deficit for it to work. Standard stuff applies, weigh things if you can with a food scale for accuracy, don't cheat on logging (log everything even if you go over your calorie goal), and keep up the exercise. If you're eating back exercise calories (and you should) then adjust how much of those calories you eat back based on your losses. If there's no loss after 30-45 days at your current levels reduce the amount of exercise calories you eat back by half and see what happens in another 30-45 days. Don't fall for the fad diets, just practice CICO and keep at it. Don't give up!
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Strength2Succeed wrote: »
    Thank you so much to you both!! Yes planks and i have a love hate relationship lol and i learned different ways i can do squats as well. I will try to reset my goals with MFP and thank you for recommending putting the setting to sedentary, i was never sure what to put there!! I have seen that taking photo helps encourage alot of people so i was going to start that as well! Thanks again!!!

    Yes, take pics & measurements. Set other goals like trying new foods, new recipes,steps, new exercises, etc. I find that when I have lots of small goals, a few are always going well, even when another area lags. That way there's always something to feel positive about. That's what it takes to keep going!

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