Throwing in the towel
tjbonsignore23
Posts: 12 Member
I really feel like throwing in the towel. I have fluctuated with my weight for years. I would hit my target weight then stop what i was doing and gain it back.
However, any time I wanted to lose I lost...until now. I have been back on the program for 6 weeks and only just 6 ounces. I don't know what I am doing wrong or what to do. It is so disheartening. I was going to go to the gym today but feel like what is the point. It is nearly impossible to stay motivated with little to no progress.
I feel the cloud of depression overtaking me and just don't care. Sorry for such negative post
However, any time I wanted to lose I lost...until now. I have been back on the program for 6 weeks and only just 6 ounces. I don't know what I am doing wrong or what to do. It is so disheartening. I was going to go to the gym today but feel like what is the point. It is nearly impossible to stay motivated with little to no progress.
I feel the cloud of depression overtaking me and just don't care. Sorry for such negative post
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Replies
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What program? To lose weight, you have to be in a calorie deficit, so how are you tracking your food intake?9
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sorry!!! its sucks when you are putting in 100% and not seeing the benefits....it makes you feel why try?
what is your cal intake? is it accurate? I know when preparing foods from scratch its really hard to be accurate...are u eating enough?
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Yes. I have been tracking everything and every day I am well below my calories. Which is why I am so frustrated. When I say program I mean taking track of everything I eat and exercising. I have wondered if I was too far below my calories.1
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This⬆️@kommodevaran
You really have to just stick to it. There will be moments when the scale doesn't move. Just as there will be times when the scale is showing great numbers, only that you can't see it - mirror, progressive pictures, measurements. The key is being true to yourself. Meet your caloric allotment. Decide on how much of your exercise calories you want to eat back. Measure everything you eat using a scale, going forward.
The choice is yours. Throw in the towel means you will have to live with you being at your current weight. Can you LIVE with that? If you cannot, then it takes commitment and accuracy to remain in a deficit. You may need to have your numbers/settings recalculated. Read the stickies to help reset your mind to losing. Great prompter questions with supporting posts. They're there to help you.
Read Paul's weight loss story. It's a wonderful account of commitment to lose: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10678145/80-pounds-lost-in-21-weeks#latest5 -
Thanks for the encouragement. I will continue to try and lose and see what happens. Thanks again. I can't just settle.5
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tjbonsignore23 wrote: »Yes. I have been tracking everything and every day I am well below my calories. Which is why I am so frustrated. When I say program I mean taking track of everything I eat and exercising. I have wondered if I was too far below my calories.
This clears things up quite a bit.
You don't say anything about how you track your intake.
You don't say what your calorie target is, and your height and weight (to establish if it's appropriate for you).
You're not even trying to stick to the program - you are eating below your calories (or so you think; you don't mention a food scale, for instance).
And you wonder if you are eating too little, not even considering if you're eating too much.
Weight loss is so simple it hurts - mostly it just hurts our pride, but it stings - we just have to eat less (and move more), but for real, consistently and for a long time. Your weight is directly, but not immediately, controlled by the calories you take in and expend (and you control calories in and out). Calorie counting is just a method for weightloss, in its nature foolproof, but it is based on real data in and out. If you cheat (if you prefer to call it cutting corners, you can do that, but it is the same thing), you won't succeed. Healthy and sustainable weightloss is also quite slow, so you need to be patient and keep on through water weight fluctuations, temptations and tantrums. Weight management is pure maths, but also a lot of mind work. To win, in anything, you need a set of skills as well as attitude that supports your goals.17 -
tjbonsignore23 wrote: »I really feel like throwing in the towel. I have fluctuated with my weight for years. I would hit my target weight then stop what i was doing and gain it back.
However, any time I wanted to lose I lost...until now. I have been back on the program for 6 weeks and only just 6 ounces. I don't know what I am doing wrong or what to do. It is so disheartening. I was going to go to the gym today but feel like what is the point. It is nearly impossible to stay motivated with little to no progress.
I feel the cloud of depression overtaking me and just don't care. Sorry for such negative post
I think you should still go to the gym. Exercising is good for one's soul regardless of whether or not weigh loss is involved!4 -
I'd say you're likely eating more than you think you are. This is easy to do, even if you think you're doing everything right. IMO, erroneous and generic entries are the biggest culprit...like "breakfast burrito"...if it's not a recipe you built, you have no idea what's in someone else's generic "breakfast burrito" recipe. Eyeballing portions or randomly selecting weights without actually weighing is another issue...like I always used to log my chicken as 4 oz because that was the recommended serving and it always said one breast...when I started weighing things out I quickly realized that one chicken breast is more like 8-10 ounces or more so I was eating double or more than what I was logging.
Exercise wise, you should do it regardless...regular exercise has numerous health benefits and isn't just for losing weight.6 -
yes, just keep with it....its a *kitten* and that's all there is to it and there are lots of people here that have been in your shoes. Just know that and keep going.0
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I take measurements to help me realize that the scale isn't the master. I find even when the weight loss seems like it's moving like a snail on crutches, the tape measure shows success. Good Luck to you, throwing in towel will make you regret it later with probably even more to lose I'm sure.2
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Don't give up! You have just one body, you will have this body your whole life. Even if the scale isn't moving as quickly as you like make other healthy goals like drink more water, exercise longer, less sodium, etc.2
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Losing weight is never really veey much fun.
I found when I tracked my food I ate way too much sugar and it would hinder my weight loss. Perhaps you're eating too much sodium too which is easily done.
Keep going to the gym, keep trying, it'll work its worked in the past.1 -
I think one thing is mindset. You may be looking at all this as a diet...diets are temporary. You need to make this a lifestyle change. How you will eat and exercise the rest of your life....you have to burn more than you consume. CICO. Very simple, and yes, not always easy to accomplish unless you have a rock solid plan and stick with it....And remember, you never really fail until you give up.....2
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I think you are most likely eating more than you think you are. If you recently started working out water retention can mask fat loss.1
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kimber0607 wrote: »sorry!!! its sucks when you are putting in 100% and not seeing the benefits....it makes you feel why try?
what is your cal intake? is it accurate? I know when preparing foods from scratch its really hard to be accurate...are u eating enough?
On the contrary, it’s much easier to be accurate when you’re cooking from scratch. Also if he wasn’t eating enough he would still be losing.
OP, I second @L1zardQueen’s suggestion of a food scale. If you aren’t losing you’re eating more than you think.
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tjbonsignore23 wrote: »Thanks for the encouragement. I will continue to try and lose and see what happens. Thanks again. I can't just settle.
As your working on both eating less and moving more. I think for a little bit of extremely motivation (and to see results), set 2 goals. One, you already have, and that is weight loss. Set an activity goal: cardio or strength (it doesn't matter ) Sometimes the scale is exceedingly frustrating, but realizing that you can do something this month that last month you couldn't is a great way to see progress.1 -
But you can't just do that if your goal is weightloss. If you want to lose weight, you have to make sure you're in a calorie deficit. If you're not losing weight, you're not in a calorie deficit. That means you have to change something. Doing the same you are doing now, will not make you lose weight.tjbonsignore23 wrote: »Thanks for the encouragement. I will continue to try and lose and see what happens. Thanks again. I can't just settle.1 -
This is true. People tend to be very ambitious, and burn out in no time. To succeed, you have to embrace the daily grind, which is quite mundane, neither very strenous nor very exciting.AliNouveau wrote: »Losing weight is never really veey much fun.
Nothing hinders weight loss. You either lose weight (fat), because you're in a consistent calorie deficit, or you're not losing weight, because you're not. Water weight fluctuations, that occur because of variations in sugar and sudium intake, along with a range of other reasons, is irrelevant.I found when I tracked my food I ate way too much sugar and it would hinder my weight loss. Perhaps you're eating too much sodium too which is easily done.
To lose weight, you have to eat less than you burn, but you don't have to exercise, and you don't have to go to the gym to exercise - but you must do, not try. Whatever the OP has done before, what he is doing now, it's not working.Keep going to the gym, keep trying, it'll work its worked in the past.3 -
So today is a new day. I dont know where you are in the world but look out the window. Take a breath. Appreciate your surroundings, the fact you are part of this world and have family and friends you can reach out to. (Including MFP friends).
Then today just really revel in one thing you do today. Whether it's taking that biscuit out of the tin, almost putting it in your mouth but then putting it back; making it to the gym and just doing something; cooking one meal from scratch and understanding what you are giving yourself to eat.
These are all choices you make. And just making one 'good' choice and feeling good about that is all you need today.
Focus on the choices you make. Not on external measures of achievement. You will feel better about yourself. Everything else will follow.
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Get yourself a food scale and be religious about weighing your food. No eyeballing anything. I thought I was being good but after getting the food scale and getting real about what I was eating, I realized I had been severely underestimating my portions. Keep going, you will see the scale go down eventually.3
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sarahlucindac wrote: »Get yourself a food scale and be religious about weighing your food. No eyeballing anything. I thought I was being good but after getting the food scale and getting real about what I was eating, I realized I had been severely underestimating my portions. Keep going, you will see the scale go down eventually.
This.1 -
Hi everyone. I have struggled with my weight from a very young age. I suffer from a binge eating disorder and as a result, I've gained almost 5 pounds this week, which means that the 2.8 pounds that I had lost last week was all for naught. I could really use some encouragement as I feel like throwing in the towel myself.1
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Go ahead and give up. What's there to gain by being a quitter? NOTHING!!! First off, you, and only you, have to set your mind to it. Two years ago, I said "I'm done being this heavy". I have not regretted a single day. I had lost 80 lbs. I've had my gains (now up 20 lbs), but I'm not quitting because I want to feel good, to be able to move, to be able to say I did it on my own will. I'm still at a 60 lb loss but I would not be here if I had given up.
Having other members to talk to and get advice is important to me. Having an open diary is important to me. I could not get advice from them if they don't know how and what I eat. I don't restrict my food. Anything goes but I make it fit in my calorie goal. I don't do fad diets because that's not how I will eat the rest of my life.
For me, it's all about mind set. If my goals are not constantly on my mind, then I will fail. That's just how I am.
You can do this if you have your priorities in place. You just have to decide what those priorities are. Open up your diary and get your friends onboard who will genuinely help you.1 -
ireallylikeyourface1989 wrote: »Hi everyone. I have struggled with my weight from a very young age. I suffer from a binge eating disorder and as a result, I've gained almost 5 pounds this week, which means that the 2.8 pounds that I had lost last week was all for naught. I could really use some encouragement as I feel like throwing in the towel myself.
You know you have the ability to lose the weight. You did it. Don't look at it as "all for naught". If you hadn't lost the 2.8 lbs, you would now be up almost 8 lbs. Seek professional help for your eating disorder and things will fall in place. It may take you a little longer, but have patience.1 -
We've all done it. Lose an amount then stop, either because we're fed up of logging or some think they've got to where they want to be and that's the end. Sadly it's not and it's more that it's all been throught about wrongly. It's not a short term thing. It's long term and though it's seriously hard sometimes to get the weight off either due to mistakes ,lack of will power or health it's really is keeping it off that is the hardest part. That length of time is much longer than the time getting the weight off.
You sound like you need to refresh your thinking and write down on paper how you plan to go about things. Set yourself miles a month or steps to meet.
I've had to change the ways I go about losing weight as I've got older over the years.
Weighing food and drinking enough water is definitely 2 things that you have to do to know you're tracking your food. Also be careful that your exercise calories are right too.
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I am not good at motivation, but here is my best shot.
https://youtu.be/V8lT1o0sDwI 1 -
One thing you have to remember is that you're not "special" (I don't mean that in a mean way) Calorie counting works for everyone here, there is no special reason it will not work for you. As long as you are consistent, and honest, you will lose weight. Check out the success story forum. All those people lost weight, and some A LOT of it, all by counting their calories, in and out. Get a food scale, log your food accurately. You should still exercise as it has a lot of health benefits besides just burning calories. Find something you enjoy doing. Think of it as a lifestyle change, not just weight loss. You want to be healthy and happy long-term, for the rest of your life.0
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tjbonsignore23 wrote: »I really feel like throwing in the towel. I have fluctuated with my weight for years. I would hit my target weight then stop what i was doing and gain it back.
However, any time I wanted to lose I lost...until now. I have been back on the program for 6 weeks and only just 6 ounces. I don't know what I am doing wrong or what to do. It is so disheartening. I was going to go to the gym today but feel like what is the point. It is nearly impossible to stay motivated with little to no progress.
I feel the cloud of depression overtaking me and just don't care. Sorry for such negative post
Others have addressed the issues of accuracy & patience, so I will skip that.
But there are 2 other aspects of your post that I have keyed in on. "I would hit my target weight then stop what I was doing and gain it back." One of the best pieces of advice I've ever seen on this site is "Don't do anything to lose the weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life". This would include things like a very low calorie diet, cutting out entire food groups, insisting on only "healthy" foods, or an exercise regimen that you don't enjoy. You may just mean that, like many of us, over time you have become less diligent and allowed bad habits to creep back up, but if it's more the first issue, you might want to give attention to how you approach your weight loss.
The second thing is "I feel the cloud of depression overtaking me and just don't care". Do you, or might you, suffer from actual clinical depression? This has been the biggest hindrance to my weight loss/maintenance over the years. I know how to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable, enjoyable way and have done so successfully over the years. But when I go through depressed periods, I often can't bring myself to care about my choices. Overall, I weigh 50 lbs less than I did 10 years ago, but have successfully lost much more than that, and have sadly regained at times. I try to fully commit myself when I can, and minimize the damage when I can't, but it's a hard struggle. If you think this may be an issue, addressing the depression, in whatever ways you are comfortable with, is really key.2
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