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Old 08-10-2011, 12:58 PM   #1  
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Default 3FC is seriously depressing me

I really want this weight loss thing to be simple.

Calories out exceed calories in, and you get weight loss.

Add cardio, and you get more calories out = good.

Add strength training, and you get better muscle tone and better metabolism = good.

Why, oh why, can't it be that simple?

I don't want the surgery.

And I don't want weight loss to be the entire focus of my life.

Isn't there a third alternative?

The more I read, the more I see and learn about struggles that are entirely unrelated to these core concepts. About how running for weight loss is not effective. About how you need to eat back the calories you expend training. About how it's not calories, but the macro or micro nutrients of these calories that is important.

I'm frustrated and exhausted because I know once school starts again, I just can't pay as much attention to all this. I desperately want it to be as simple as eating unprocessed as much as possible, eating relatively low-calorie foods, and getting some exercise regularly.

I just don't want to lose everything I've worked so hard for these past six weeks or so when school starts again, and I'm panicking a bit.

(Please don't think I'm criticizing anyone for posting these things. They have all been done in a wonderfully supportive manner, and have been in response to what people have needed to know at critical times in their journey. In short, the site is working effectively, and the supportive, helpful atmosphere is exactly what it needs to be. I'm just facing my own personal crisis, and this is how I'm reacting to it. In other words, it's not you. It's definitely, unquestionably me.)
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:05 PM   #2  
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It's certainly overwhelming and draining. The fact is, there are so many different perspectives and viewpoints on this topic. It's like googling "diet." There will be hundreds of thousands of sites and pages of info. It's too much noise! It looks like you've been losing already on your own. If I were you, I would keep doing what you're doing and trust that you have the right idea.

I personally think weight loss is much more simple than all these convuluted ideas. Calories in and Calories out. It's always worked for me. I limit sugars because they make me loopy, irritable, depressed, and more hungry, not for any other reason. And no food is really off limits. That's it. Simple.

This place can be wonderful for support and different ideas but don't get caught in the "noise." Do what works for you. People have so many different opinions. The basic principles are the same, however. Good luck! I hope you stick around.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:08 PM   #3  
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I am so sorry to hear about the fears and frustration and panic you're feeling right now. I am really not sure what advice to offer you because there are so many different way to approach and view weight loss. Some folks are hands off, not counting everything - just trying to be healther. Others, like me, count everything and analyze constantly. Then there are even others who sit somewhere in between that.

The one thing I do know is that if over analyzing is frustrating you, then that is NOT the weightloss plan for you. Whatever fits in your life, and your personality IS what will work and you'll have to accept the weightloss results (good/bad, fast/slow, everything in between) that comes with that because it will be what works for you.

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Old 08-10-2011, 01:10 PM   #4  
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I think that for the most part it is as simple as you stated.

I make healthy food choices, Calorie Count, and jog.

Sure the scale may not always show you exactly what it should (TOM, sodium, other fluctuations), but for the most part it does. I use a BodyMedia Fit and it tells me how many cals I have burned each day. I calorie count then compare them. Over the last 2 months when I calculate what my net loss should be, it has always been within 1/2 a lb.

Check out this thread...I think you might appreciate the just get it done attitude. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chic...camp-11-a.html
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:11 PM   #5  
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Hey there...
When I weighed as much as you did starting out, I simply counted calories and exercised and the weight FELL OFF!! I stopped eating processed foods and ate a more whole foods based diet. That is it. I used the freedieting calculator online to figure out how many calories to consume for weightloss.

Once I hit 70lbs down, that is when I had to start tweaking stuff, paying attention to the macronutrients, etc. (All the stuff that you are worrying about now.) Don't worry about that. You aren't there yet. Once you are there, it will get easier, trust me.

As far as it being the focus of your entire life, I understand it can be consuming. Losing this weight does take up a major portion of my day and thought process. But at 270lbs, I wanted OUT of the fatsuit I was living in. I was done being fat. Done. I desired health, and was willing to make drastic changes to get there.

I hope this helps. Remember the KISS method (keep it simple, stupid). That always works. Reduce your calories and move more. You've lost over 20lbs already, that is great. Keep doing what you are doing, and you will continue to lose. Baby steps. Don't overwhelm yourself.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:16 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JamiSue3916 View Post
The one thing I do know is that if over analyzing is frustrating you, then that is NOT the weightloss plan for you. Whatever fits in your life, and your personality IS what will work and you'll have to accept the weightloss results (good/bad, fast/slow, everything in between) that comes with that because it will be what works for you.
totally agree with Jami. The plan that works for YOU is the one that YOU can stick with. Having said that, it's never quite as simple as "eating less and moving more = a loss showing on the scale." But generally speaking, that will be true over time, it's just not an immediate thing. And if that is "as simple as eating unprocessed as much as possible, eating relatively low-calorie foods, and getting some exercise regularly" then just do what works for you and don't worry about what does or doesn't work for others. You can support people on 3FC even if their plans and goals are different from your own, you don't have to emulate them.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:16 PM   #7  
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I used to try tracking every little thing and making sure I got exactly right proportions of maconutrients, etc but it became such a timesuck and I felt like I was burning out. Now I just try to eat balanced meals. I don't know how many cups of vegetables or what percentage of carbs I've eaten - I calorie count but not to the point of obsession anymore. It's a lot more sustainable for me.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:17 PM   #8  
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I wanted super-simple, so I chose IP. Easiest diet ever. Not that it isn't hard, because it is a no-cheat diet.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:28 PM   #9  
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While I enjoy reading about others experiences the majority isn't applicable to me. I also found my personal trainers's advice too complicated!! I eat heathily 95% of the time, count calories and now work out three times a week. I lose weight and although it us slowing down at the moment I am happy with how things are going!

The simpler your approach is the mire likely you are to stick to it -keep ip the good work'
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:29 PM   #10  
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3FC has just as many opinions on weight loss as does the rest of the internet.

It's an incredibly supportive and caring environment... BUT....

We still have to have our filters on. Different methods work for different people. One piece of advice that works wonders for one member, might do devastating things to another.

Each member can only offer the experience and solutions that they happen to see when faced with helping solve another member's problem areas.

It's so simple: Calories in/Calories out.

It's not so simple: There are a billion methods of doing that. Not every method is correct for every person.

What is great, though, is that such vastly different opinions and experiences mean that people who are getting stuck in a rut or feel that their methods aren't working right for them get the opportunity to see that they aren't alone, that maybe they need to change something.

It might even give someone like me (who LOVES her method to death - Go WW & Activity!) a few extra things to consider along the way. (ETA: In fact, I've taken many great offerings of advice to heart from 3FC. Whether it be a word of wisdom, or an idea to try a new food.)

There are people here following different paths that are seeing the same successes, and I think that's important, because we get to see that really... the one universal truth in all this... "There is no one right way for all".

Think of the ideas presented as different opinions, some of which you will agree with. Some of which you will simply understand that OTHERS need in their lives. And some of which you might come to find fit your life at certain points, and not at other points.

Don't let the varying opinions stress you, though! If what you're doing right this very moment is working for you, then you're doing it right.

Last edited by Lovely; 08-10-2011 at 01:32 PM.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:29 PM   #11  
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Agreeing with most everyone. If it's working for you, why feel the need to change it?

Is it too time consuming? There are work arounds. Cook a bunch of meals on weekends (or whenever you have time) then freeze in individual portions, pack and carry food wherever you go. Know the places near you that have healthy options if you are in a crunch. There is a grocery store salad or a gas station that sells fruit, for instance.

If exercise takes a back seat during the school year, figure out ways to work a little bit of movement into your day, even if you can only do 5 minutes at a time; take the stairs, park farther away, fidget, do 10 squats over the toilet every time you go potty you get where I'm going.

I think stressing about it only makes it worse. If you can't be perfect, then be the best you can. All or nothing is over-rated. I think you've got a handle on it!
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:32 PM   #12  
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This site is great for me. I count my calories also.
On this site I join challenges and get support. I read about others problems too.

I keep track of all my calories and my exercize on LoseIt.com
I like the charts there that track my loss. I am keeping this as simple as possible.
Without both sites I would be lost. I lost 25 pounds last year and 15 this year.
My weight loss is really slow, but it's steady.

Best of luck to you on your weight loss journey!



I spent so much time last night poking my head in the fridge, my nose got frostbite!
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:39 PM   #13  
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I think that for the most part it really is that simple.

Good enough is good enough.

I see a lot of what strikes me as orthorexia at 3FC. No one needs to play that game.

Last edited by MariaMaria; 08-10-2011 at 01:46 PM.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:42 PM   #14  
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It is actually quite simple once you firgure out what works for you. Finding out what works for you is going to be the hard part.

I am still trying to figure out how to lose weight. Here is what I found so far that works for me:

1) Prepare meals at home from scratch: Eating out, or eating prepackaged food with excess sodium, additives, artificial coloring & flavors, slows down my weight loss.

2) Dont skip meals: I tend to make poorer food choices when I skip lunch. We have candy, cookies, and cakes in the breakroom at work EVERY FRICKIN' DAY. I find it easier to say no if I have had breakfast & lunch. I always take a piece of fruit with me incase I get tempted to indulge. I also tend to order out in the evenings if I had skipped lunch because I am starving by the time I get home, which in turn means that I dont have left overs for lunch tomorrow and end up skipping or making poor choices at lunch. It is a domino effect.

3) Get any Exercise: I tried running, didnt like it. I tried going to the gym, didnt like it. I tried doing Beach Body & Jillian Michael's videos, didnt like it. I took a walk in the park, LOVED IT!!!! The important thing for me was to do something that I enjoyed so it didn't seem like a chore.

4) Go to a doctor:I was constantly tired and had trouble losing weight. It turned out that I was severely deficient in Vit D & B12, plus I had PCOS.

5) Dont weigh yourself everyday: The daily weight fluctuations really messed me up and had me so discouraged. Now I try to weigh myself once a week but usually end up weighing myself every other day

6) Don't be so hard on yourself: I used to be so hard on myself when I went off track with eating, or gained weight due to the steroids that I had to take. I would feel like a failure and decide to give up completely. But then I realized that it was not the end of the world, and there was always tomorrow to get back on track.

Last edited by nina125; 08-10-2011 at 01:44 PM.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:43 PM   #15  
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It's really confusing, isn't it? The problem is that weight loss is so individual that you get a lot of mixed messages. I posted a link in my signature about how I reached my first mini-goal. Basically, the long story short of it is that I made small changes at a time. Things that I knew I could stick to and my weight loss has evolved from there. All I did to start with is go running on a consistent basis, then I gave up all sweets (because that was really my weakness), then I switched to whole grains etc. It's been a long, slow process for me but always in the right direction.

If you are really feeling overwhelmed, why not start with something that you know you CAN do. Pick out a type of exercise that you enjoy and tell yourself you're going to do it 3x a week for X amount of minutes. Once you feel OK with that work on your eating habits (or do the reverse if that's easier for you). I've changed more journey over time and adapted it to my needs. I've learned a lot along the way but it IS overwhelming all at once. Do what you can now and worry about the rest later.
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