I'm needing support/motivation... *warning - long!*

mmcdonald1230
mmcdonald1230 Posts: 11
edited September 18 in Motivation and Support
I apologize in advance because I feel like this is going to be a mini life story/pity party - I just really need some words from people that aren't my family or close friends..

Short back story: I have always struggled with my weight. My heaviest was definitely high school when I weighed about 230 pounds. I got down to about 215 when I was in college but it started creeping back up again. My sr. year of college I finally was sick of being fat - and started a lifestyle change - which worked great for a while, but it became an unhealthy obession - I got down to about 180 the healthy way - and down to about 160 the unhealthy way. As a result of that and some other factors, I had to have my gallbladder removed - after the surgery I could eat all kinds of food again without any pain - it was fantastic - like 30 pounds fantastic.. :embarassed: By this time I was home from college (June) and in my new job - everything was out of control.

typical day before:
breakfast - 2 pop tarts (chocolate), big glass of 2% milk
lunch - mcdonalds or wendys - medium sized meal with a candy bar for dessert
dinner - bbq hot dog or hamburger, macaroni or potato salad (multiple servings)
snacks - chips, candy bars, iced lattes (whole milk), etc etc

Thankfully my job was at a high-end retailer and I was on my feet all day, running around stock rooms and such - which I believe was my saving grace from not gaining more weight than I did..

Started this campaign to lose weight really back in November.. I had started a new job with my company and decided to take advantage of the gym in the bottom floor of our building - kinda fell off the wagon from time to time - but nowhere near what I used to be consuming. My job now is a desk job, so I am far less active than I was before. I really have been serious about losing weight since January - going to the gym regularly and watching what I'm putting in my mouth. I just joined MFP but I really feel like I have been at this much longer than what my profile date says.

typical day after:
breakfast - cheerios or raisin bran or oatmeal w/ fat free milk
lunch - usually left overs from dinner OR 2 tillamoos, 1 serving (i count!) of crackers, fat free yogurt or a pudding cup, apple slices
dinner - (these 2 are my favorites) chicken breast, 1 cup green giant red potatoes, 1 serving corn/cooked carrots OR 2 small tacos made with ground turkey, a little shredded cheese and light sour cream
snacks - fresh strawberries, tillamoo, apple slices

As of today - I have lost 5 pounds since January 1. I am 24, 5'8" and 200 pounds exactly.. Here's my issue and my real downer right now.. if you look at what I ate before and what I eat now.. I feel like there should be a bigger change than 5 pounds - before I didn't work out at all, since January I work out 3-5 days a week - weight training and usually the elliptical - a couple weeks ago I started Zumba on Saturdays as well. So if you combine the work out factor and the food factor.. am I blind? missing something? why haven't I seen more? Please help :frown: thanks

also wanted to add - been doing MFP for about 3 weeks.. no loss yet..

Replies

  • mmcdonald1230
    mmcdonald1230 Posts: 11
    I apologize in advance because I feel like this is going to be a mini life story/pity party - I just really need some words from people that aren't my family or close friends..

    Short back story: I have always struggled with my weight. My heaviest was definitely high school when I weighed about 230 pounds. I got down to about 215 when I was in college but it started creeping back up again. My sr. year of college I finally was sick of being fat - and started a lifestyle change - which worked great for a while, but it became an unhealthy obession - I got down to about 180 the healthy way - and down to about 160 the unhealthy way. As a result of that and some other factors, I had to have my gallbladder removed - after the surgery I could eat all kinds of food again without any pain - it was fantastic - like 30 pounds fantastic.. :embarassed: By this time I was home from college (June) and in my new job - everything was out of control.

    typical day before:
    breakfast - 2 pop tarts (chocolate), big glass of 2% milk
    lunch - mcdonalds or wendys - medium sized meal with a candy bar for dessert
    dinner - bbq hot dog or hamburger, macaroni or potato salad (multiple servings)
    snacks - chips, candy bars, iced lattes (whole milk), etc etc

    Thankfully my job was at a high-end retailer and I was on my feet all day, running around stock rooms and such - which I believe was my saving grace from not gaining more weight than I did..

    Started this campaign to lose weight really back in November.. I had started a new job with my company and decided to take advantage of the gym in the bottom floor of our building - kinda fell off the wagon from time to time - but nowhere near what I used to be consuming. My job now is a desk job, so I am far less active than I was before. I really have been serious about losing weight since January - going to the gym regularly and watching what I'm putting in my mouth. I just joined MFP but I really feel like I have been at this much longer than what my profile date says.

    typical day after:
    breakfast - cheerios or raisin bran or oatmeal w/ fat free milk
    lunch - usually left overs from dinner OR 2 tillamoos, 1 serving (i count!) of crackers, fat free yogurt or a pudding cup, apple slices
    dinner - (these 2 are my favorites) chicken breast, 1 cup green giant red potatoes, 1 serving corn/cooked carrots OR 2 small tacos made with ground turkey, a little shredded cheese and light sour cream
    snacks - fresh strawberries, tillamoo, apple slices

    As of today - I have lost 5 pounds since January 1. I am 24, 5'8" and 200 pounds exactly.. Here's my issue and my real downer right now.. if you look at what I ate before and what I eat now.. I feel like there should be a bigger change than 5 pounds - before I didn't work out at all, since January I work out 3-5 days a week - weight training and usually the elliptical - a couple weeks ago I started Zumba on Saturdays as well. So if you combine the work out factor and the food factor.. am I blind? missing something? why haven't I seen more? Please help :frown: thanks

    also wanted to add - been doing MFP for about 3 weeks.. no loss yet..
  • dshandt
    dshandt Posts: 192
    First of all, I am so sorry. As is obvious from the fact that so many have viewed this post without responding.....we really don't have any good answers for you. At least, I don't. From everything you are saying, you SHOULD be losing weight! Are you eating all of your calories? I think it is safe to say that for some strange reason, your body is not responding in the normal way, and there must be a reason. I wonder if you might be someone who would benefit from talking to a dietician or nutritionist. I can't help but think that in the looooooong run, if you continue doing all that is right, your body will get the idea, and you will start losing faster. Maybe it is just taking it a while to recover from all of the abuse??? :huh:

    Hoping for the best for you !!
  • BlackBeltLJ
    BlackBeltLJ Posts: 190
    I see a lack of veggies in your diet- I don't really know if this is a factor but it is an observation. And what is your water count? Water fills you up which keeps away the munchies.:love:

    Question to you- did you measure your waist, arms etc in Jan? Are your pants looser? The reason I am asking is, if you are exercising you are probably developping muscle- muscle weighs more than fat!

    I am also wondering if you are eating the calories needed- don't starve yourself- eat your calories (ironic coming from me. I need 311 more tonight- but I am out of carbs!)

    Don't give up. I remember asking myself- do I want to be 44 next year and weigh 243 or do I want to 44 and 194 with a good blood sugar count. :glasses: I will be 44 either way so I would rather work (and work and work and work...) for the healthier me than not see my children finish growing up (of course 2 are boys and I don't know if they will ever grow up!:ohwell: )
  • alimassa
    alimassa Posts: 275
    I dont have an answer for you either... :-( Just hang in there....It will come. I agree, maybe your body is just trying to recover. I find that during my biggest weight loss (30 pounds) whenever I felt like I wasnt making progress, I changed things up a bit. Take a week and eat totally different food...do a different work out...try to shock your system a bit.

    Good luck to you!! Keep us posted....we are cheering for you from the online sidelines!!:heart::heart:

    Ali
  • travelbug
    travelbug Posts: 153
    It looks like you have made many great changes that your body is thanking you for. As to why you're not losing, I agree with dshandt, you may require professional guidance. We'll definately do our best to keep you motivatedyou but sometimes you need to go higher up for advice.
    I was convinced I was eating well (whole grains, fruit, yogurt, veggies...) and working out enough but I was really consuming too much and slipping in too many treats. MFP has shown me that I was really far out of a healthy range and I am slowly seeing results.
    Keep us up to date on your progress.
  • windian
    windian Posts: 20 Member
    I understand where you are coming from. My body will not let me loose weight unless I keep the calories under 1000 per day. I went to a nutrionist and she wanted me to have 1600 calories per day. I gained weight on that. I have tried almost everything from ear stapling to human placenta shots, protein diets, starvation diets, heart healthy diets, Slim Fast, Cambridge in the 70's; you name it; I've tried it. I lost weight on all of them, but my problem is keeping it off. In 1984, I had a gastric band installed and this helped me to loose the weight and I kept it off for 14 years and then the band migrated and I had to have it surgically removed. I gained 100 or more pounds after it was removed. Two weeks ago, I had the new version of the lap band installed and I have lost 10 pounds. I am not saying that lap band is for you, but it is the only way that I can loose weight as I do not have the will power to keep the calories under 1000 per day. Have you tried a low carb diet? I have had great success on low carbs, but I don't have the will power to stay on it. This site is really great for me because now that I can't eat much food, it is great to watch my calories and it motivates me to stay away from the high calorie foods. Good luck and stay with this program.
  • mmcdonald1230
    mmcdonald1230 Posts: 11
    Thanks all for your support - to answer some of the questions..

    yes, there is a lack of veggies - I reeaaally don't like them.. I know that is something I should work on.

    water is good - I drink usually over 8 glasses a day

    I have had quite a few people tell me I may need to see a doctor - I know I'm not a perfect model of health and fitness, even now.. but I just feel that I should have seen something big by now :smile:

    I had measurments taken when I bought my wedding dress in Feb and when she took my measurements my waist number horrifed me (37") so I remembered that. Last weekend I bought a tape measure and measured everything but my waist was 35" - granted she measured a bit loosely because it was for a dress but I do feel a little difference - and my 'fat' jeans are too big for me now.. at 5'8" and 200 I wear a comfortable size 12, they're almost getting loose - I'd love to be in a size 10 by June :) I was a size 6 at my smallest at 163 pounds.. I must carry my weight fairly well - I tell some people I weighed 163 and wore a size 6 - they look at me like I'm totally lying :wink:

    I'll stick with this for a while longer and see if results start happening!
  • pmkelly409
    pmkelly409 Posts: 1,646 Member
    You need to read more posts on nutrition - it doesn't sound like you are eating nearly enough calories - I think you may be in starvation mode.

    I know what I eat during the day (thank goodness for the food diary!) and I weigh less than you - I eat ALOT more food than you do.
  • sophialittle
    sophialittle Posts: 344 Member
    i'm sorry too, i know it's frustrating, here's a few things i could catch floating through my head. ..

    i would second what lj said about the water intake. also, make sure you're counting every lil calorie, don't forget to include the hershey's kiss you steal from the co-worker's candy dish lol, crystal light mix, mini twix bar, all that stuff. measure out your food so you know your portions are correct. eat all the cals that mfp allots you in a day. also, i second what lj said about a change in your body's build even though the pounds aren't coming off. are you sure you're not toning even though you're not losing? and also, remember that exercise and good eating habits are not ever "wasted" i know sometimes it's frustrating when you want to see the scale go down and it's not moving but you know overall, you're leading a better lifestyle for your body now than you were back in the non-exercise and mcdonald's days even if the pounds aren't tumbling off :wink:

    and last but not least, my name does not have md at the end lol honestly, if you're trying all the usual suggestions and not getting anywhere, i think you need to see a doctor or nutritionist honestly so that you are fully away of all the medical aspects of why you may not be losing weight as well. good luck with things! hope that helped!:happy:
  • mmcdonald1230
    mmcdonald1230 Posts: 11
    I eat my calories everyday - also my exercise calories, sometimes I come in 50-70 under - but not drastically under.
  • jesusgrl14
    jesusgrl14 Posts: 250
    I have heard over and over that MFP calculates 1200 calories/day for loss but that may not work for everyone. If your particular body and lifestyle are calling for more maintenance calories than 1700, then you may be putting your body in starvation mode by eating only 1200. I 100% agree that you should consult a professional, but in the meantime maybe try boosting your calories by 200 or so. Just a suggestion! Good luck! :flowerforyou:
  • dshandt
    dshandt Posts: 192
    SIDE NOTE: I want to encourage you to try to eat vegetables.....I was a really fussy eater as a kid, and the only two vegetables I ate were potatoes and corn....of course, just the starchy ones. Well, I decided to start trying veggies in my 20's. Truth is, I was just plain embaressed that I didn't eat them....I wasn't that concerned with health issues at the time. It was a struggle and it didn't happen overnight....but over the course of quite a few years, I started experimenting and learning to enjoy them one by one. Things like one pea, then two or three, in a forkful of mashed potatoes. :laugh: Or broccoli with cheese sauce. But it did work! These ideas may not work for you and may not be the best way while you are dieting, but please do try. Vegetables are SO good for your body on many levels, and will help prevent disease in the future! Hang in there!!!! :bigsmile:
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