Feel like giving up :(

I tried really hard, lost 5lbs the 1st week, gained 3, lost 6, and now i seem to have ended up heavier than i started. I've ended up getting obsessed with weighing, which doesnt help, as i've apparenly put on 4lbs since monday which I dont think is possible.
My food has been getting worse, because I just dont see a point now.

Just needing a kick up the *kitten* really, and is it normal to be like this?

Hi there, here's my advice....

When you make changes to your diet or exercise plan, it will take time to adjust. Weigh yourself once a month and hide the scales in the meantime. You need to remember that hormones play a masive role in how our body manages its weight and energy.

Go back to basics........at least 8 glasses of water a day. At least 5 portions of fruit and veg. Try and eat as lean as you can and when you work out, give it your all.

I would advise you to take your measuresments then in a month when you weigh in again, re-do them!

Dont give up. You need to keep trying. Changing your food intake and how much you eat is not easy! if it was, then no one would have fat on their body. Take a careful look at your food intake, make sure you are logging EVERYTHING that goes into your mouth and make sure that exercise is a part of your routine. Got to build muscle to lose fat the realization of the food that went into my mouth was the hardest and most eye-opening part of my adventure. My tickers says that i have only lost 10, but i have actually lost 50 with 40 of it being on weightwatchers where i learned how to eat

Here is your friendly kick in the butt!!! Just kidding but please don't give up but I totally agree with only weighing once a week as we focus to much on the scale. It is just one way to see how we are doing but it should not be the only thing we focus on. How you are feeling? How do your clothes fit?

Our weight does fluctuate so if we weigh every day it would make us a nervous wreck. Feel free to add me as friend.

I am corny at times but I mean well.

I am ready to dance in the rain to reach the rain bow? Are you? If so we can do it together and remeber its about Progress not Perfection!!!!

Don't give up. You can do this. It is tough thing to do, that is why we are here. We are living proof it is possible to do this, once you set your mind to it. We all have felt like you do. We all have bad days and that is what is great about mfp, we can come here for support on those days and it helps us get through. I come on here and look at before and after pictures and that really motivates me. There is so much help on here. One thing I found, is when I don't measure my food, I am usually giving myself more than what I write down. So measuring is so important. I learned about a sight with awesome recipes that I cook and put in containers for my meals or snacks so they are already portioned so I don't over induldge. The sight is: skinnytaste.com It has awesome recipes on it and you don't feel like you are dieting or giving up good food. Feel free to add me as a friend if you would like support.

That picture about giving up is pretty awesome btw! OK...so you don't want to quit...as everyone else here has said, Hide the scales!! You can get so obsessed so easily in daily fluctuations which are completely normal. Cut back to weighing once a week and just do your best in between. Aim for all your fruit and veg, drink copious amounts of water, lean protein, just a general good balance. Keep logging everything that crosses your lips. Put your diary to open if you are worried you aren't eating correctly.

And try to do some exercise, honestly, its what helps me carry on, I can eat a little more because of it, I feel better, more energetic and motivated. Good luck! Add me as a friend if you want some support, I'm here for the long haul x

If the scales are depressing you, stop using them. Once a week at most.

You have two options here. You can work through this and continue eating healthier and pushing through and hopefully start to lose the weight.

Or you can give up, eat crap and keep getting bigger. In three/six/nine/twelve months you'll be bigger and sadder. And wishing you'd done something sooner.

You can do this. You just have to believe. You have to realise this isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. And that is hard.

Friend me if you want It might also be an idea to open the diary so people can give you advice on what you're eating. (and if you're not logging everything you eat, START)

etaI'm probably going to sound harsh here, but I just read your profile. It's not your parents fault. It's not your boyfriend's fault. AS someone who used to play the blame game (my parents put too much pressure on too young, I have PCOS ect) it's never going to happen until you decide it's your fault and you can fix it. You need to let it go. You're a gorgeous person and it's not impossible to lose weight. Good luck!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!


I AGREE with what everyone said! I looooovvveee to eat and honestly what is helping me is I get up a few minutes early every morning and exercise. It starts my day out right, I have extra calories to eat during the day (which is AWESOME) and I'm less likely to go over in calories because of the hard work I know I've already put into my day!
Please stick with it, you will get over this hump and be so glad of the decision you made today!

DON'T GIVE UP! I have been there and totally understand what you're feeling - but you're worth the effort! Stick at it and you WILL see results eventually. I have been at this for a while and it's only in the last couple of weeks that the weight has started coming off (and staying off!) A few things that have helped me:
1) Only weigh in ONCE a week! Your weight will fluctuate daily! Once a week - same time of day is the way to go.
2) Try to do some form of exercise each day (even just a short walk is fine). For me if I don't make myself do it each day then it is easy to "excuse myself" and put it off until another day. Exercise is NOT easy at first, but it does very quickly become part of your routine and you do miss it when you don't do it. Honestly!
3) Watch what you're eating. Log everything - even if it takes you over your calorie goals initially. That helps you see what you're really putting in to your body. And beware of portion sizes! I thought I was eating normal portions until I actually WEIGHED the amount of rice/whatever that was on my plate!
4) Find a couple of good friends on here and "check-in" with them each week. I have one friend in particular who has REALLY helped me in this sense and keeps me motivated!
Hope some of that helps a bit. Feel free to add me as a friend if you think that might help. But whatever you do - DON'T give up!

I would also change your food radically. You're eating under calories but you're eating complete crap right now. There's fast food every day and I don't see any fruit and veg in the days you've logged. You'll feel SO much better in yourself by eating healthier. You're not logging water (and I KNOW how hard that is!) With the exercise you're doing you need to fuel your body better.

I promise, as someone who ate the exact same way you used to, you'll feel SO MUCH BETTER once you're eating better. And the water is an amazing tool.

Oh and you'll find the weight will come off as you won't have as much sodium holding the weight on!

Do t give up!!! The alternative is to stay the way you are or get fatter. You're not happy the way you are so why not continue? Lots of water and be completely honest in your food journal. Smaller portions. When you go to eat something **** just think about how you'll feel after the 10 minutes it takes you to eat it. Are those 10 minutes worth it? Can you opt for a healthier version? Eat less of it? Don't give up m'lady! You CAN do this. Just give yourself permission.

I know my foods been slipping more and more, been a tough few weeks (great grandma in hospital again)

I'm sorry about your great-grandma. My GG is 92 and I live on the other side of the country and live in fear of that call.

and my boyfriend has only just in the past week or so decided to actually support me. I think being down has put me back into old habits of comfort eating

You can't do it because your boyfriend supports you. You need to do it for you.

Fingers crossed I'll start getting somewhere now[

No, not fingers just do it! No matter how many times you fall down, keep getting up and keep going.

Maybe this will help you out. I started this thing in September. I have not lost my first Solid 5lbs either. But you have to stay the race. You have to crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run. Do whatever it takes to get to your finish line. Celebrate the small victories.Think about how misreable you were just staying in your current situation and now you are doing something about it. So don't give up now!

You have rec'd great advice. I have had to stop weighing myself. I've lsot weight before and my head KNOWS that I can't gain 2lbs of FAT in a day. My head KNOWS that I am being honest with my calorie counting and that I am eating at a deficit but right now since I'm just starting out.... my heart just can't take the yo-yo action of the scale right now. I am *trying* to weigh just twice per month.

A year from now you will be so glad you didn't give up!

Don't give up. Don't, don't, don't!!!!!

First, this not a sprint, it's a marathon, and you need to be into it for the long haul. This may seem like a stretch, but you should plan to use the next 1 year as your long term goal focusing on getting regular exercise, and eating healthy.

But, your immediate goal should be the next month.

Take you focus off the scale.

First, your food - this is the most important thing you need to work on, because you can't out-train a bad diet.

Try to change your focus from what you "can't" eat, to what you CAN eat. Are you getting 5 serving of fruit and veggies a day? Are you drinking 8 glasses of water a day?

If not focus on those 2 first.

If you are like me, you have a habit of eating a particular high calorie, high fat, high sugar (or all three!!) food item almost every day. Just cut back on the frequency - e.g If you are eating chocolates every day, but back to every other day, then every 2 days, then every 3 days, until you are at once a week. If you keep the portion small, you should be able to manage 1 portion of your favorite food every week - e.g one Magnum ice cream bar a week - DON'T buy a large container that contains 4-5 servings - you'll might end up eating it all - we've all been there.

Next, exercise - commit to getting 10 minutes of exercise a day, at least 5-6 days a week. Look on YouTube, you'll find lots of short workouts. But commit to keep it up for the whole month. You can do more than 10 mins if you want, but try to get the minimum of 10 mins, even if you have to play some music and dance for 10 mins, or go for a 10 min walk in the mall before you go shopping.

Print out a calendar for the month, and put up upward mark for the days you eat your fruits/veggies and drink your water, and a downward mark for when you get your 10 mins of exercise.

Try to get X's on as many days as possible.


For the next month, try a new nutrition habit (e.g switching baked food for fried food) and add a new exercise goal and start a new monthly calendar.