Need some encouragement

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Demeter92
Demeter92 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
I’m feeling incredibly discouraged about trying to lose weight. I’ve been logging my food and doing frequent exercise for over a year now, but have only gained weight. Changed up my routine in June, trying to lose faster, but only gained more. I’ve taken a few days off because of a sore shoulder and now I don’t feel motivated at all to try working out again. What’s the point if I just keep gaining weight? Any tips/ advice?

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  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited October 2020
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    Deficit. That's it in a nutshell without the whole bushel.

    What’s the point if I just keep gaining weight?

    How much of your progress are you willing to give up. It's not only physical progress but mental as well. If you have a job/career you have to get out of bed every single morning to make it on time. You can do that until you no longer work without fail. If you don't get out of bed, you risk getting fired.

    Make yourself a priority like your job. Show UP for yourself every single day. There's no such thing as the Finish Line with your overall health and well being. You don't want to just throw in the towel and start stacking weight on like a freight train because it's not going fast enough.

    You can't have a sense of unfairness or self-pity if you're going to make it to your dream weight. Thoughts always precede our behaviors and lifestyle choices. Rein it back in with your tracking. Five months are not enough. It might take you 2-5 years to see the results you want to see.

    Your tolerance and indifference for giving up is a muscle that grows stronger with use.


  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 230 Member
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    I have been where you are many times. I would not see the results I wanted or I would not see them quickly enough- so I woud say "why bother, it's not working" and I would quit. Recently I realized I had no choice but to do this for my health. When I got serious about logging my food- EVERYTHING, even the things I was ashamed of, it began to work. Prior to the pandemic I was going to the gym 3 days a week for an hour each time- but when I am honest I know I wasn't working as hard as I could. I now exercise much more and I put effort into it. When I changed my mindset, when I started to be honest with myself it began to work.
    Accept that you need to get serious about measuring and logging. You need to get serious about working out. If your shoulder hurts take a walk. Weight loss will happen slowly, it will not be linear but it will happen. For me the biggest change was to stop dieting and to make lifestyle changes. The end result will be worth it.
  • Demeter92
    Demeter92 Posts: 3 Member
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    I’ve been pretty dedicated to logging all food for quite some time, but I’m planning on buying a kitchen scale tomorrow.
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 230 Member
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    Good for you for being dedicated to logging. I know for me that has made all the difference. I don't currently own a food scale but I do measure my food. Just know that I feel your pain when you say why bother- I have been there so many times. I don't think I would have figured out what I needed to do to make this work if I wasn't faccing serious health issues because of my weight.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Definitely get the food scale. You would be amazed at how wrong measuring solid food in cups/spoons meant to only measure liquid can be.

    Do not use package suggested serving sizes unless it is something really low calorie. When a label say 'ABOUT 4 SERVINGS" it can be a range sometimes exceeding 5 servings.

    Do not use package weights. 16 oz of fish for instance is almost always 19+.

    Do not use piece counts unless it is something extremely uniform in size like a pringle chip or a cheez-it and it is still a good idea to weigh them.

    Labels that say 0 calories are usually under 5 calories which means if you use are liberal with cooking spray for instance you are getting more calories than you think.

    Remember that the MFP database is crowd sourced and full of errors. Not only is it crowd sourced but it is open to entries by a person who has used the app for less than a day. That same person may not ever use it a second day.

    You need to make sure that all entries (including scanned and green checked) are verified against a label or the USDA site. I scanned some almonds just yesterday that should have been 180 calories per serving that came up 130. It might have been entered by someone needing glasses. It is also common for the serving size to be different between the scan item and the label.
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
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    Have you tried joining a group that can help keep you accountable and motivated? MFP has those too and I'm sure there's at least one or two that may help you as you log/track your nutrition and exercise more precisely.

    btw, to break down how your "frequent exercise" plays a factor, you'll need to be clearer about what you're doing and what the goal is. You can do that here but there's also many a dedicated thread for this too.

    You can do it; it's a big deal that you didn't give up in the past year!

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