I'm mad!

Options
I'm so mad at myself. Six years ago I struggled to lose 100lbs (in 10 months). I fought so hard to get where I was. It helped that I was going through a divorce and the depression made me not want to eat. I've been married to the man of my dreams for 5 years now and I've gained it all back in my "happiness". I'm mad I did this to myself and now that I am in my 30's it's SO much harder to lose the weight. I have PCOS and Hypothyroidism, so the cravings are ridiculous and the scale doesn't move unless I'm under 1300 calories. It's frustrating to start over but I AM doing it again....I WILL do it again. I can NOT let myself get to this point again. I guess I just need some encouragement because this last week has been hell. I'm SO hungry all the time. I did drop 9lbs last week but I gained back 3lbs over the weekend (I know I should have been more careful with the eating out). It's been hard getting back in the mindset but I'm hoping I can. Any tips for getting back into the swing of things?

Replies

  • Gryrok
    Gryrok Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Have you tried intermittent fasting? I'm used to not eating anything between 8pm and 12pm, and then just eating a protein bar or shake and black coffee. Also, cucumbers, celery, carrots, etc. With lemon water or hot sauce. Also, for me, I've got to make sure I don't eat after 8pm, because of I do I always wake up hungry, but if I go to bed on am empty stomach I am not hungry when I wake up. Odd, right?

    The big trick for me is to keep going, and not lose interest when I have a bad day. I'm starting on my 4th week and I'm 5 llbs down, 10 to go. Keep at it, you can do it!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    My tip is to eat regularly (stick to a calorie target that gives you a daily deficit that equals no more than 1% of your body weight per week) and be patient. Plan according to real life events. Weight loss and gains actually happens very slowly - any big and abrupt jump has to be water weight.
  • U2BFM
    U2BFM Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I was the same way. Lost 150lbs and gained back 100lbs over 5 years. You clearly know how to do it so it’s just getting it done. Weight loss is 90% mental. Either way, you did it once and you’ll do it again.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    wow. 100 lbs in 10 months is too fast of a rate of loss!, that can lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, meaning your BMR and TDEE at your goal weight would have been less than you would expect, making it easier to gain back weight (what you think is maintenance would probably be a small surplus) When losing aim for 2lbs/week with 100 to lose, and strength train. slower rate of loss and strength training will help you retain more muscle this time around.
  • BubbieSprout
    BubbieSprout Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    For me, I'm having to change the way I think about food. I don't want to "diet", but to change the way I eat in a sustainable way. I just started the Whole 30, a little for weight loss but mostly to learn about food, how my body reacts to food, and how to take control of what I eat. Today is day 13 for me and I feel great! If you haven't checked it out, I highly suggest you do. It's hard for me to believe how much added sugar there is in every day food. I had to switch brands (or make my own) on nearly everything I buy. Bacon without sugar is near impossible to find! Even if you don't go Whole 30, my suggestion is to make a plan, set a date to start, make preparations to get you going, and then do it. You know you can, you've done it before, you'll do it now and you'll love that you did.
  • slossia
    slossia Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    Only 5 percent of dieters keep weight off that they have lost within 5 years!! 50 percent keep it off within 3 years! When you cut calories so low, and go back to eating more calories because your body is fighting you, that’s a loosing battle!! I say moderate exercise such as walking and cut calories only maybe a couple hundred a day and be patient is the way to go!! Your body won’t fight you as hard then!! Might take a lot longer but an easier lifestyle to keep when you reach your weight loss goal!! Find a macro that you can live with also!! The right amount of fat, protein, and carbs! MFP helps but cannot perform miracles!!
  • bombon4075
    bombon4075 Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    Gryrok wrote: »
    Have you tried intermittent fasting? I'm used to not eating anything between 8pm and 12pm, and then just eating a protein bar or shake and black coffee. Also, cucumbers, celery, carrots, etc. With lemon water or hot sauce. Also, for me, I've got to make sure I don't eat after 8pm, because of I do I always wake up hungry, but if I go to bed on am empty stomach I am not hungry when I wake up. Odd, right?

    The big trick for me is to keep going, and not lose interest when I have a bad day. I'm starting on my 4th week and I'm 5 llbs down, 10 to go. Keep at it, you can do it!

    Question?? A way of intermittent fasting is when you only have one meal a day but with the calories you supposed to eat, examplr... chicken rice salad bread, all that with 1200-1500 calories, you eat that lets say at 2 pm and then nothing else but water till next day same time or am I wrong?
  • MoonLiteDancer
    MoonLiteDancer Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    Thanks everyone. I have done intermittent fasting before. Problem is my thyroid, fasting messes with it terribly.

    I've done many diets over the years...weight watchers, Whole 30, fasting, DASH...etc. The issue for me is always the calories. Because of the PCOS and thyroid issues I can not eat more than 1300 calories, if I eat 1400 I gain weight. A few studies have shown that women with PCOS have slower metabolisms vs women in general (also increased hunger cravings) it sucks.

    The 100lbs in 10 months was followed by a Dr. ( I was on 1000-1200 calories a day). After the initial loss I did start working out to regain muscle mass. We are a very active family (we hike, bike and swim a lot). Being active has never been the issue, it's always eating so little calories (I do make sure they come from good sources, with LOTS of veggies/protein) but I'm still starving all the time. I know it's a mental thing, I need to get used to feeling like this again (growling stomach and all lol) but it's so frustarting when you did it once, to do it again.

    Thank you all for you tips and information. I really appreciate it! :smiley:
  • Susanne_JH
    Susanne_JH Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    What I do when I feel hungry but don't want a lot of extra calories is drink a glass of water, chew gum, or eat a slice of cheese or a banana. The water is actually the one that works best for me. Good luck with your weight loss, hope you are successful and stay healthy!
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
    Options
    First off - stop being mad at yourself. It's not productive or helpful. You are where you are now. All you can do is be positive and go for the ride. You'll have good days and bad days but remember - you already did this once, there is absolutely no reason you can't do it again.

    I gained a little back from being happy as well, while it sucks and I'm annoyed I have to lose some of it again - I enjoyed every single one of those pounds that I gained. Meaning, it was fun while it lasted, but it's time to pay the piper.

    You got this!!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
    Options
    I've been looking into oestrogen dominance recently. It seems, you'd need to look for yourself, our progesterone levels can be reduced because of stress and environmental issues, there is an interesting long list of associated issues PCOS is one. Overly high oestrogen levels suppresses the thyroid. From my experience progesterone levels just are not tested. Could be worth a read.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Options
    Keep committing to logging on MFP. One reason is checking to see if there are patterns, both on your "successful" days as well as the ones...well not so much. That's how I figured out I was eating too many carbs, which left me hungry during the day. When I ate more protein, I wasn't as hungry.

    Find high-bulk foods, too: popcorn, veggies, baked potato.

    Exercise gives you more calories to work with, too. Always worth considering, if possible.

  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 701 Member
    edited February 2018
    Options
    For satiety, I have a few suggestions. First, make sure you're hydrated. Increase your fluid intake if you're not. I've found coffee and tea help with feeling fuller as well. Second, really pay attention to the foods that satisfy/stay with you. I discovered fat and protein don't keep me feeling full like high fiber does. On days where I'm in <20 g fiber, I'm hungry at the end of the day even if I've eaten my TDEE and gone over my protein and/or fat goals. I know with other people, it's the opposite. So experiment with that. Third, experiment with meal timing. I don't mean IF, I mean more along the lines of do you need two large meals a day, 6 small ones, or some combination thereof? Lastly, research diets specifically for PCOS that might help your symptoms.
  • sunnycloud82
    sunnycloud82 Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    Hugs!! I can totally relate! I lost 111 pounds but gained back 74. It is so hard. I went through a phase of being very angry with myself, but now I'm just giving myself some grace and starting again.

    I also have PCOS and hypothyroidism so I know that those just make it all the harder to lose. It's possible though. We've got this! <3