[McKenziesmomma]

I know its long but help please if you can...

Hey everyone! I'm a long time member of this community, but it has been a while since I've checked in regularly. I'm in BAD need of some support.

Here is what is going on with me....

Around the first of January I decided to get FIT by eating healthier and challenging myself to making and meeting exercise goals. My focus was to be on healthier living and happier living. I was determined not to make it about a number on a scale because I know that will follow if I live the way I should.

For food I have been doing weight watchers and closely following the program. I have been eating alot more fruits and veggies, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and only drinking water and milk. I have cut out carbinated, sugary sodas AND sweet tea. I'm not even drinking diet drinks. I have cut out going out to eat. I limit that to once per month unless there is a special occasion (example more than one birthday dinner that month or something like that). Even when I do eat out, I try to make better decisions (i.e. drink water, have a lower points dish instead of what I normally eat, etc.) I try not to have alot of carbs...but thats not to say I've cut them out. I refuse to do a fad diet where I eliminate one kind of food. If it isn't sustainable for the rest of my life then I won't do it.

For my exercise, I decided to get into running. I LOVE running; however, at almost 287 pounds (when I started)....my feet do NOT love running. I decided to start slow, but my goal was to be able to RUN a full 5K in 45 minutes or less by Thanksgiving.

Here is what its been like -->

I have LOVED what I have been eating. I have counted my points, planned meals, pre-prepped food, had 3 meals a day with 2 snacks, and I have allowed myself the occasional splurge. I'm tracking my good health guidlines also.

I walk/run 3.11 three times a week and walk 1.5 to 2 miles on the other days. I take one rest day per week. Occasionally to change things up I will do an interval challenge on a stationary bike at work OR do some Jillian Michaels DVDs (30 Day Shred and Cardio Kickboxing).

I have struggled greatly with plantar fasciitis (spelling??). I tried taping and wrapping my feet AND stretching them. Nothing seemed to help me. It would be so bad after walking that sometimes I couldn't walk that night. I did my first 5K on Feb 2nd. I finished DEAD LAST, and I couldn't walk for 2 days after. My feet hurt for a week. Many of the runners I know suggested I go to FLEET FEET to get fitted for good running shoes. I did that last Saturday. I ran Sunday and the shoes have made a HUGE Difference.

Here have been my scale results

Week 1 - down 1.8 (I really hadn't started yet but still lost)
Week 2 - down 3.4
Week 3 - down 2.8
Week 4 - down 1.8
Week 5 - down 1.8

Total - down 11.6 in 5 weeks. This greatly discouraged me. Typically when I have tried to lose weight I have a bigger loss the first couple of weeks AND lose at least 2 pounds a week every week after that. To top it off I normally don't exercise. I don't understand why this time I'm working SO hard and I am not even losing 2 pounds a week. I would like to lose at least 10 pounds a month.

The stress from thinking about this along with some things at work this week got to me and I allowed myself to binge all week long.

Week 6 - UP 4.6 points (279.6)

I'm kicking myself. I know I said I wasn't going to make this about a number on a scale, but I can't help it. What makes me so mad is the results I WAS getting every week were really good results. I'm really upset with myself right now. I'm mad that I gave up and gained back almost half of what I've lost.

All I can think about is maybe I should quit weight watchers or maybe I should work out more...or who knows what. I can't begin to tell you how badly I want this and how hard I've worked these past 6 weeks (not counting the last one). Why aren't I losing more? What is wrong with me? Are my goals unrealistic? What should I do? Has anyone else out there dealt with these issues?

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your responses.

[ichoose2believe]

I am not a seasoned member so I can't really offer real advice. I am just starting my journey myself and still figuring things out myself but I did want to say please don't give up on yourself. You can do it.

[berryblondeboys]

Take a deep breath and let's think.

We all want quick solutions. Well, we didn't get fat by gaining 1.8 pounds a week mostly likely. We got fat by a couple pounds a month. Maybe a bit more over the holidays/vacations. Then one day we woke up and we were really fat.

Then we want to diet and get it over with = poof, we are thin.

I wish it were possible to do it fast and easy and painless. It's not.

Now, you can take off the weight at whatever speed you want (within reason). These are just random numbers thrown out there - but they are different kinds of approaches people take:

if you want to cut your calories to 1200 and exercise 2-3 hours a day to drop 3 lbs a week. Then great (though that will probably decrease as you get closer to goal).

or, if you want to eat 1800 calories a day and workout an hour a day and lose a pound a week. Fine.

Or, eat at maintenance level if you were sedentary and just throw in exercise and lose a pound a month.

Any of these ways and you will be losing weight and getting fitter and healthier. It's all moving in the right direction.

The first option might get you to goal in less than a year. The second option might get you to goal in 2 years and the third option might take you close to a decade to lose the weight. But in all three cases you got fitter and were getting thinner and were losing the weight.

What doesn't work is getting impatient and giving into the mental side of the game.

You were losing great. Then you got frustrated and undid some of your hard work. If you totally give up because the scale didn't cooperate, then you will be where you are (and probably gaining) and never get better. You will not be losing weight or getting fitter.

It's your choice. Just pick the direction you want to go and don't worry about the speed it takes to get there - keeping that same direction is a victory. And it will hopefully lead to lifelong habits that will keep you from gaining ever again.

[LRH]

Look at the big picture. In five weeks you lost over ten pounds--that's more than 2 lbs per week, on average. Our bodies lose more some weeks than others. A lot of it has to do with fluid retention, etc. You are doing all the right things. Keep going and best of luck to you. You will get there!

[KTB]

Perhaps you've been losing inches? Did you measure yourself?

I know it's hard, but the numbers will go down, it's all about consistency, you just have to keep at it.

[IanG]

Forget the recent increase. It happens. I went out for a big restaurant dinner last week and (lots of) drinks and there was a 2lb weight gain in one hit.

You're not back to where you started so keep going. Those numbers in weeks 1-5 look great to me. I'll take 'em if you won't have 'em!

[Amarantha2]

One thing is that YOU HAVE ONLY GAINED BACK LESS THAN HALF, NOT ALL, OF WHAT YOU LOST!

You are still in a net loss. Good for you!

Just breathe.

Don't quit anything, although there is nothing wrong with continually re-evaluating your program but right now your results, in my opinion, are typical for Weight Watchers, which is a liveable, healthy program.

But you don't have to do WW, there are plenty of other programs, including just counting calories and exercising on your own.

It is all up to you. Whatever you do, give it a chance.

You are doing great. You just got anxious and gained a little. No worries. Hop back on the train and keep going.

[BeachBreeze2010]

I think Melissa answered your question really well. All I have to add is on the running part. When I was at the beginning of my journey, running was very hard. It was hard from a fitness perspective as well as from a pain in my body perspective. It didn't feel good and I hated it. I hurt my ankle at one point and developed a bad plantar fascitis. Finally, I went to a physical therapist and was fitted for an orthotic. That helped A LOT! But, it helped for just daily walking and mobility, not for running. If you are experiencing pain from running, I would honestly stop doing it. Keep your calories/points in check and focus on weight loss from nutrition and then once your feel better, walk and walk and walk as much as you can but not the point of pain. If you feel good, try adding an incline to the treadmill or taking a route with hills.

I don't want this to discourage you - I just don't want to see you end up like I did with injuries that threatened my daily mobility. Remember - weight loss happens in the kitchen and fitness happens in the gym. There are other ways to weight loss and fitness than high impact exercise. If you feel good in 20lbs, try again and see how your body feels. The weight loss will make running easier on your body.

[Angihas2]

So, in the past you didn't run, but lost weight by restricting calories. This makes sense. It also makes sense that the loss is slower because you're now running. The muscles retain a bit of water to aid in repairing itself after working out. I concur with the previous poster who suggested you cut back/stop running just a bit. You REALLY don't want to be sidelined by an injury because the mental games we play with ourselves are much more detrimental than the injuries are. I was sidelined in 2010 after getting below 200 pounds when I broke my right leg and left arm in the same incident. If after losing an additional 10, 20, 30 pounds running isn't as rough on your body, take it back up. Or try a gentle jog. Try fast walking.

Be gentle to your body, it has carried all that extra weight around for a long time now, reward it by nourishing it with healthy food and gently easing it back into a life full of activities you enjoy.

[Moving Forward]

I agree with all of the good advice you've already been given. I had hoped to run at the beginning of my weight loss but developed plantar fasciitis. I have been happily walking since and have recently discovered that I can do short bursts of running with intervals. You can stay active with plantar fasciitis! Please remember that weight loss is not a race. Some of the best advice I've heard is that it is all about making a commitment to yourself. As long as you don't give up, you cannot fail.

[rahul2330]

Hi Mckenziesmomma ...........
I think i can somehow delve into your slow weight loss problem--

Weight loss does, certainly, depend upon the "calories-in, calories-out" picture, you might at times work out without losing weight.

In addition, gender and genes matter. Ladies, who keep fat in different ways than guys and have a more challenging time losing fat around the abdominal areas, have the tendency to slim down more gradually. And some individuals are simply born with a quicker metabolic process, so they burn calories more rapidly.

Exactly what can you do to push the scale down? Keep these suggestions in mind:.

Do workout a bit more. Slowly enhance the period of time and intensity of your exercises to burn even more calories. Simply walking 15 mins more, for instance, will help you lose an extra 100 calories.

The even more muscle teams you work, the even more energy your body utilizes. Thirty mins of weight-bearing workout, such as walking, hiking, dance, tai chi and some kinds of yoga exercise, burns more calories than 30 mins of fixed biking or some kinds of resistance training.

Aim to burn about 1,500 calories weekly with workout. Walking 3 miles per day over 5 days will do it.
Do not grab a post-workout treat, or you might get back the calories as you simply burned off.

Do not trust the figures. If you walk on a treadmill machine or ride a stationary bicycle, the lot of calories you really burn is typically 10 to 15 percent lesser than exactly what's shown on the display. Due to the fact that the mechanical help of the equipment enables your body to do less work-- and the majority of calorie-counters do not take that into account, that's.

When you go home, do not collapse on the sofa. Your body slows down and does not burn as lots of calories as it generally does if you rest after a workout program more than you would typically.