Losing confidence....Advice?

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Charlottekd
Charlottekd Posts: 94
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so im being totally honest with everyone, and myself.

The last few weeks i've not been perfect with my logging, or my eating. Nowhere near as good as i was in the beginning.
I guess it gets a bit boring.
But, i still have been pretty good with my eating. The last couple of weeks i've been doing more exercise than before too.
Since the beginning i've gone from 183lbs to 166lbs, just over 16 lbs lost altogether.
And i know this is a good achievment. I just dont feel it.
A couple of things feel looser, and i bought some jeans a size down. People are starting to say that they notice it.....

I feel just as fat as ever, I dont feel more confident in myself and i dont feel happy about my weight loss.....
Maybe because i dont think its good enough? I want to lose more. I want to be thinner. I dont want to be fat anymore!!

Basically, im pretty gutted that i haven't lost anything for a couple of weeks at least now. And i haven't lost inches either. I dont want to give up, because i know 16lbs is better than nothing. I just dont see the point in carrying on, counting calories and forcing myself to exercise when i dont want to, just to stay the same as i am now,(which i dont feel is good enough)

I probably average about 1400 net calories a day, This is up from before when i was having about 1200 net. When i upped it i lost weight, do i need to lower them again, or up?

I would appreciate any advice. I feel like a bit of a failure to be honest. I still have 16ish more pounds before i hit the 'healthy' bmi range, so want to lose around another 20-22 in total. Is this realistic? Feel free to look at my diary - its not 100% over the last coupld of weeks, weekends particularly - profile, etc, and comment honestly :)

Thanks in advance guys :)

Replies

  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    Have you tried lowering your sugar in take...I know that most of your sugar probably comes from fruit, but unfortunately your body doesn't know the difference. To your body, sugar is sugar.
  • bluemist248
    bluemist248 Posts: 207 Member
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    Bump. I'm in the exact same situation as you, I've looked at your diary and you eat similar things to me too so I'm watching out for the advice you get.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
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    Hi Charlotte! I'm no expert in anything, but just wanted to say hi. You sound a little bit depressed (or at least bummed) and you really shouldn't be! You have lost some weight in a healthy way and although you have a little bit more to go, if you can get back on track then you can do it! You said you don't want to exercise, maybe you just have not found the right exercise for you. I have found that when I am bummed or feeling bad about my progress that exercise makes me feel better. Is there anyone you could go walking with or do other activities with?

    If you are taking care with what you eat, there is no reason to beat yourself up for not logging. Actually, stop beating yourself up in general :)

    Best of luck to you :flowerforyou:
  • daddyssunshyne
    daddyssunshyne Posts: 110
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    I am kind of in the same boat. So, I sympathize. I have lost about 16 pounds total...and a couple pants sizes.

    But I had to work a LOT harder after that first 10. It is going MUCH slower now, and I have to fight for every little change in those digits.

    Very frustrating.

    But, what is the alternative? Giving up? Gaining it all back? I would rather keep fighting, because I know at some point, it will make a difference.

    I will say that I am learning to live with the limits as opposed to dieting. I am not as strict on myself. I allow myself a rare night out now and then to eat. I don't live and die by the numbers as much as I did at first. Maybe that is partly why I have to work harder, but I also figure the changes will stick better if I am realistic vs super strict.

    Sarah
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
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    Reducing Carbs and increasing Proteins should help with weight loss. Looks like you have them set to the default for the site, which is 50% Carb,30%Fat, 20% Protein. This carb percentage makes it much more difficult to lose weight.

    Also, it is normal to hit a plateau here and there, so stick with it, and experiment a little. Eat more calories for a week and see what happens. Eat less calories for a week and see what that does.
  • nalia08
    nalia08 Posts: 252
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    I say don't give in or give up. I hit a point where I was stagnet. The problem was, I was doing the same workout routine and my body got use to it. Your body is calling for more....this could mean anything. I would run hard for 30 minutes at a speed of 6.0 sometimes 6.5 or 7. I actually gained all the weight back plus more. It was also my eating. I realized I had to go more intense so now I do bootcamp cardio 2x a week, body pump 1x per week, walk on the treadmill (as oppose to running) 1x per week, a just weights class 1x per week and may swim to give my body a break. So all in all, I am in the gym 5 times per week.

    Also, I have had to change what I'm eating because certain foods work best on certain body types. For example, I love cheese. But after not having cheese in my diet for the past 2 weeks, I have lost 4 lbs. I loose weight faster on a high protein low carb eating plan. Also, if I eat any fruit, I must eat a protein with it to control my sugar levels from spiking. This keeps me from having low energy levels. Also I usually try to eat a protein after working out to replenish my muscles.

    I've recently (last 4 weeks) just started doing weights. I say research on anerobic and aerobic type exercises and how they help the body. Once I found out about that, it started helping me in my weight loss journey.
  • Sillybunni
    Sillybunni Posts: 61 Member
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    First, you must realize that the hardest part of losing weight is getting over mental blocks. Your pictures look amazing- YOU look great! I know sometimes it's hard to let ourselves believe that though. Also- change that header! It's too self defeating! :)

    Secondly, everyone stalls in their progress now and then. Maybe it's time to pick up a new hobby or workout routine? Join a class you wouldn't have considered before, start weight training if you haven't been doing this- or add in cardio if you've been focusing on weight training. - switch it up. Even if it doesn't directly affect your progress, it'll keep you from becoming bored and not seeing results. I love weight training and you will see results on your body even if the scale doesn't change!

    I just glanced over your diary- at first i though not enough protein but it seems to catch up farther back. Also keep in mind, unless you change it, MFP has a low default on protein. Personally, I don't focus on carbs/sugar/protein stuff much- but I've also been lazy about reporting lately. I focus on calories.

    Keep it up! if nothing else, maintaining your current loss is just as important and will prepare you for the lifestyle changes you'll be making to keep it off when you do reach your goal weight.
  • lbigham1
    lbigham1 Posts: 132
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    You have accomplished a great deal. Don't give up! :-) Perhaps you could try just shaking things up a little. Look for different healthy meal options (especially if your finding yourself eating the same things daily). I have been choosing different recipes from the skinnytaste website and so far every one is delicious. Also, try changing up your workout routine. If you're in the gym regularly, find an outdoor activity to add to your workouts. One more suggestion ..... If you have a "positive" friend or co-worker who is willing to buddy up, do so. It may help boost your motivation.
  • CharityEaton
    CharityEaton Posts: 508
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    I think you might need to seek out someone that is very supportive of your efforts. Even then you are going to have your days that you feel like "what's the point" I think it is normal. I have 2 very close friends that are my support team, as well as my husband and 3 little girls. It is the best thing to have my little girls wrap their arms around me to hug me and say, "wow mommy, you are getting healthier." I don't like to use the "s" word (skinny). Also with my two girlfriends we are brutally honest with each other and even text or call each other several times a week to compare work-out routines and weight/inches lost. When one of us is down the other seems to be our cheerleader and tell us we can do it. We use terms like "no more mashed potato thighs," we talk about how we hope to look in a month, three months, etc. We also share the latest new recipe that we liked and are always trying to find low-cal or low-fat or whatever twists on different meals for each other. We also encourage each other when we decide to start a new routine...new work-out plan or trying to shake our calories up a bit. One thing we have all three found to work is the day-off. We all three give ourselves one day off a week to skip working out and eat what we love....pizza, apple pie, whatever. The high-cal day jump-starts your metabolism and confuses your body. It keeps your body guessing and it also gives you the chance to enjoy all the stuff you love and then you can gain your focus again. You can look forward to that one day and as it gets closer you might find yourself working harder to have something really special. I'm no expert by any means but it seems to work for the three of us! : ) Hang in there! it is worth the hard work!!!
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
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    I noticed on several days you're leaving a lot of calories on the plate. Over 200. This isn't good. Your body needs those calories. Under eating puts your body into starvation mode and then you will start losing muscle instead of fat (body burns from the inside out). This may seem strange, but eat more, just make sure it's healthy. Also, add some multi-vitamins and fish oil (at least 600mg of DHA).

    http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/daily-dose-omega-3

    I'm in the same boat. Stuck at 195 for about 4 weeks. I just joined a brand new fitness place that does these amazing interval fitness classes.. You do treadmills at different speeds and inclines, then rowing machine, then some weights, and Pilates, then some more rowing. The goal is to get your heart rate at 85% and keep it there for 12-20 minutes and do different exercises every time

    So this has recharged me. I'm tracking my food like a hawk and getting a 800-900 calorie work out in 4 times a week.

    My advice, find some new exercise you like and then restart with the food/meals. Just start over. Don't worry about where you've been. Pretend like this is day one. Throw out all the junk food in the house, get all new fresh veggies and prepare your meals.

    Today is the first day of the rest of your life (I know corny but it's true)...

    - Mike
  • stroken96
    stroken96 Posts: 436 Member
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    I'm with you, I took a vacation in hopes to loss when I started back and I did, down 3lbs. But now very slow, I was thinking its my age(52) but not sure. So just seeing the advice
  • nowornever47
    nowornever47 Posts: 333 Member
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    HI there! First of all, congrats to you for losing the 16 lbs, and being honest with yourself (that is the first step!) ... because everybody knows that it's much harder to take it off than it is to gain it! Secondly, this note hits home for me today as I've hit a little plateau myself and there is some really great advice on there that I will try and follow also. Thirdly, my birthday is in April also - so I say let's ROCK it together in 2012 - baby steps, you can do it!!

    Another person hit it right on the head - which would you rather do: overcome a hurdle and feel awesome or go backwards? I think I know the answer... it's just a little bump in the road... we're all in this together.
  • cacraft
    cacraft Posts: 76
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    Plateau's are tough. Maybe shake your diet up a bit. Have you tried a clean-eating diet? It might be a bit more work, but it's very healthy. Stay away from anything processed and pay attention to the nutritional labels on everything you eat.

    Do you plan your meals the day before? I find it helps a great deal to start my day with already a plan in place so I can go through the day knowing confidently that I've met my nutritional goals as much as I can.

    Hold your head up! Walk with purpose and pride! You are the best! Stay the course!
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
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    I hit a plateau after about three weeks (this is typical for me -- I've actually been trying to shed my weight for nearly 7 years, and I typically hit plateaus BRUTALLY fast). I'm trying different things. One thing that I noticed is that some people recommend using a zig-zag diet. Try looking for one of those calculators and try that. Also, as someone else suggested, raise your protein. I do NOT lose weight on diets that are 50% carbohydrates. Look into different TYPES of healthy diets -- South Beach and Zone diets are two that are reasonable and balanced and that a lot of people have had success with.

    Good luck, and let me know what you find! I'm suffering from the same frustration. I've pretty much gotten to the typical point at which I always just chuck it: a couple of weeks' worth of weight loss -- a sudden screeching halt in progress -- and sudden overwhelming feeling of exhaustion as my wretched body fights to lower my metabolism DESPITE my increased exercise levels. It's enraging.

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