I know everyone has different results, but....

I know everyone has different results from their program, but I am struggling with something. I have worked out every day for two weeks, reduced my caloric intake drastically, and now I am just wondering when I am going to see a smidgeon of results?! I have gone down a couple pounds and gone back up...it's not really the pounds I am interested in, it is the inches, and so far none of my clothing (especially my pants) fit any better! Any words of encouragement or anyone who has been through this?
I have never worked out in my life, or had to. Since I had my daughter, I have been a yo-yo, dropping pounds and adding them due to medications and medical issues I had in the past. Now that I am older, I am realizing that if I had good habits working out when I was younger, this wouldn't be so hard. I am doing the best I have ever done as far as working out and watching what I eat. I know this isn't going to happen overnight, I just want some little "light at the end of the tunnel" sort of thing to show me that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Any other time I have worked out at the gym, I have gone for a day or so and then not gone again. I have had a membership at the local Holiday Inn Fitness Center for 8 years now, and I have probably gone total less than 20 times. Now, I am going to give my membership up at the Holiday Inn and I got a membership at the local YMCA. I am just rambling now, but can anyone give me one of their stories? Maybe that will brighten my day!

Replies

  • cardgrl
    cardgrl Posts: 175 Member
    I know everyone has different results from their program, but I am struggling with something. I have worked out every day for two weeks, reduced my caloric intake drastically, and now I am just wondering when I am going to see a smidgeon of results?! I have gone down a couple pounds and gone back up...it's not really the pounds I am interested in, it is the inches, and so far none of my clothing (especially my pants) fit any better! Any words of encouragement or anyone who has been through this?
    I have never worked out in my life, or had to. Since I had my daughter, I have been a yo-yo, dropping pounds and adding them due to medications and medical issues I had in the past. Now that I am older, I am realizing that if I had good habits working out when I was younger, this wouldn't be so hard. I am doing the best I have ever done as far as working out and watching what I eat. I know this isn't going to happen overnight, I just want some little "light at the end of the tunnel" sort of thing to show me that my efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Any other time I have worked out at the gym, I have gone for a day or so and then not gone again. I have had a membership at the local Holiday Inn Fitness Center for 8 years now, and I have probably gone total less than 20 times. Now, I am going to give my membership up at the Holiday Inn and I got a membership at the local YMCA. I am just rambling now, but can anyone give me one of their stories? Maybe that will brighten my day!
  • melissac
    melissac Posts: 41 Member
    HI,

    fear not you will begin to see results. I think the more you have to loose the faster it comes off in the begining. I am not sure what you are doing for excersise but you may need to step up the pace with your cardio you could also try ciruit training i hear that works for many people. I think sometimes it is just a matter of what works for you trial and eror finding the right routine that you can stick with. also the benefit to loosing it slow is it should stay off forever quick loss tends to come back! keep up the good work.
  • I used to belong to a gym and the fitness trainers told me it takesa person about a month before they see any changes and that is why so many do not stick with their workouts. I personally have the same problem. I must have a very slow metabolism because I cant eat anything unhealthy without gaining weight. And it is getting worse as I get older. (26) I have about 40 pounds to lose and I cant wait for the scale to reflect the work Im doing! Dont give up, its never too late to develop good habits and change your health! (For me , its body image)
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    I think the hardest thing is the waiting. The problem with loosing weight the right way is that it takes months to really see significant results. If you loose to much too fast, health issues can result, if it takes too long, frustration sets in and many quit trying.

    Just remember these few basic things (courtesy my wife who works out more then anyone I know who has a full time job). If you haven't worked out before, or haven't worked out in years, your body will make repeated attempts to thwart weight loss. The body likes where it is, almost without exception. If you are overweight, your body thinks you should be overweight and tries to keep you there. If you have lots of fat, the body will try to work off the easiest available calories (I.E. food in your stomach, not the fat in your thighs).
    You battle these setback with constant, and CONSISTANT regements, that includes exercise and healthy eating. Eventually your body will see that this is the norm, will boost metablolism to make it easier to keep this norm, and the pounds will come off. Just remember, they will NEVER just fall off (in 90% of the cases), you must be consistant and try not to go to extremes. I would never expect more then 1 pound a week while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Also remember, body weight can fluctuate 6 or 7 pounds in the course of a week, so you can't measure weight loss in 2 weeks, despite what the biggest loser does. You could measure over 2 months, but even that is iffy in my mind.

    The biggest thing to remember is that we are all here for the same reasons, and I'll bet the farm that at least a few others feel the same way as you do or have in the past. Vent here, and yell at yourself here, but stay focused and try to keep your schedule.
    Good Luck
  • pamelawh
    pamelawh Posts: 162 Member
    hi,

    i have had fantastic results with a menu on crosscrunch.com and i have seen better results in my workouts since i went to that menu plan. try it.
  • apaden4
    apaden4 Posts: 137 Member
    pamelawh,
    I went to crosscrunch.com and all I found is an advertisement for a piece of exercise equipment. Am I going to the wrong site, or are you trying to sell us something, ; ) lol
  • cardgrl
    cardgrl Posts: 175 Member
    I really appreciate everyone's input. It gets so difficult sometimes because I want to see results now, and it seems like I am already setting myself up for failure!
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    This is really hard, and believe me...I feel ya.

    This is not what you want to hear, but it made a difference to me. I have acheived and maintained a large weight loss over the last three years. (I'm almost to my "goal weight", which has changed several times.)

    I had a very smart fitness trainer who told me: "quit thinking short term...commit to this for a year. keep thinking how much better you will feel a year from now if you keep this up."

    When I began this life change, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain syndrome. I could barely walk from the sofa to the refrigerator. Three years later, I can do two forty-five minute spin classes back to back, walk a mile to the gym and back. I also do yoga and belly dance. I feel like I have been cured of both conditions, even though they are supposed to be chronic and lifelong.

    Another very good piece of advice is that the motivation rarely comes first...you just have to do it. Even now, some days I don't want to go to the gym, and repeat to myself: "you'll feel better when you've worked out". I always, always do.

    At the risk of sounding like a nike ad, you must "just do it."

    One more thing...you can do it, and you deserve to do it.
  • neverbeenskinny
    neverbeenskinny Posts: 446 Member
    I'm sure that you have worked very hard for the last 2 weeks, and that's great. Over the last year, I worked extremely hard in the gym at least 5 days a week, I try to go 6 days and have a day of rest. I've been determined to drop some weight. It has taken me almost exactly 1 year and I have lost over 50 pounds. It sounds like a lot, but it equates to only about 1 pound a week. And let me tell you sista, you can't see 1 pound a week in just 2 weeks. But you will see it soon. One day you will look in the mirror and say "Wow, I look great!". Just keep it up, it's hard, we come from a society of instant gratification, but weight loss does not work that way. Keep it up and you won't regret it...I promise. Keep up the good work.
  • dnjcountry
    dnjcountry Posts: 22 Member
    i sort of know how you feel. I have lower my calorie intake and upped theexercise. I have read that stress will make you gain weight. so if we are stressing over what we are doing to loose this weight. than it seems we might be fighting a losing battle. so I guess we need to relax and try to enjoy the time we are creating for ourselves and watch the pounds go away as they do. Good luck to everyone and lets all of us keep going to make ourselves feel better.

    Don't worry, be Happy(sounds like a song in there somewhere)
    J-
  • You do want to make sure you eat enough. You should net a minimum amount of calories per day (for women, at least 1200). If you're eating less, you're starving yourself and if you lose weight, you're more likely losing the muscle you have. This contributes to the yo-yo problem since it's quicker to add fat back on then muscle.
  • Have you got yourself tested for thyroid or any hormonal imbalances.They intefere a whole lot with weight loss.

    Talk to your doctor and make sure you have no conditions that might interfere with weight loss.After that if you are noting down every little thing that goes into your mouth and working out regularly,the pounds will peel off.Have Patience.Weigh once a month.
  • alymarest
    alymarest Posts: 115
    I agree with what cltimes2 said. If you starve yourself, at all, your body will go into starvation mode and store everything you eat as fat.
    I just had my baby six months ago and it is realy hard for me too. I also am trying to see results right away and it's not working. But as long as I am trying I feel better about myself.
    it took my best friend four years of yo-yo dieting before she lost all of her baby weight.
  • nbuehrmann
    nbuehrmann Posts: 47 Member
    I'm in the exact same place as you cardgrl... only it's been about five weeks for me and I've actually gained weight since starting. It could be muscle I'm sure, or I was told, because I was actually in starvation mode for I don't know how long, months... the change from eating too little calories to the correct amount may have caused the gain but, even though the scale says an increase and my clothes don't exactly feel loser I can see changes in my body that I like, like a different shape to my legs and arms which is encouraging. So I'm following advice from the majority on here, and keeping with it.... trying not to weight myself too often and hopefully I'll see the pounds start to drop.
    Good luck and keep with it!