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Old 10-26-2009, 07:37 AM   #1  
on the way to skinny
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Unhappy Absolutely Completely Hopelessly Frustrated

Well, the title says it all...


I started the halloween challenge in the 20 somethings thread on september 28th this year at 213 lbs. It's now October 26th, it's been almost a month....and I currently weigh 210.1 lbs. I'm so frustrated and so close to just giving up...I'm not used to not losing weight when I'm trying...I was averaging 2 or 3 lbs a week before this past month...and now I keep losing and gaining. I got all the way down to 207 a couple times, but I keep gaining it back. It's like my body doesn't EVER want me to get below 200 lbs, and its literally making me so frustrated I'm ripping my hair out...
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Old 10-26-2009, 07:45 AM   #2  
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There is three pounds less of you!! Three pounds 12 sticks of butter. That's not too shabby.

You say that you keep going down and then going right back up. Are you consistently staying on plan? No splurge meals or days? Are you accurately tracking your caloric intake? Measuring your food correctly? Adding in each and every bite, lick, taste and crumb? Is there anyway that you're underestimating the amount of calories you're taking in? How's your exercise looking? Your activity level in general? What plan are you following?

I can feel the frustration. But with a little detective work, some fine tuning and tweaking, determination, perseverance and patience - you WILL get that scale to move down - permanently.

I'm curious to hear your answers so that we can better help you. Get back to us.

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Old 10-26-2009, 09:54 AM   #3  
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Some chicks find the challenges to be very motivating and they have great success with them. I found that I can't join the time-based challenges because I start to feel just like you do--frustrated and like I have failed, simply because I haven't met a time deadline.

I usually lose between 3-6 pounds a month. I'm not setting any records, for sure. But as Robin says, three pounds is still a real, meaningful loss. Can it be maddening to have a slower month? YES. But please, please, please don't consider yourself a failure because you didn't meet an artificial timeline! You are getting down closer to your goal and sometimes things will periodically slow down at that point. I lost a lot faster when I weighed more, but now it's slowing down.

Think about the things that Robin suggested. And think about whether or not the time-based challenges might not be for you. On my spreadsheet, I had estimated that I would be at goal by November 1st. Well, I'm over 12 pounds away from my goal. Does this mean I'm a failure, and I should quit? Nope! It means that I keep going. I have to keep going during maintenance anyway, right? So I try really, really hard not to set time limits on this. You will get there if you stay on plan. Keep your eye on the goal.....you can do this.
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Old 10-26-2009, 10:05 AM   #4  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DivineFidelity View Post
Well, the title says it all...


I started the halloween challenge in the 20 somethings thread on september 28th this year at 213 lbs. It's now October 26th, it's been almost a month....and I currently weigh 210.1 lbs. I'm so frustrated and so close to just giving up...I'm not used to not losing weight when I'm trying...I was averaging 2 or 3 lbs a week before this past month...and now I keep losing and gaining. I got all the way down to 207 a couple times, but I keep gaining it back. It's like my body doesn't EVER want me to get below 200 lbs, and its literally making me so frustrated I'm ripping my hair out...
See all those bouncing little happy guys at the bottom of your post? See them? They're all celebrating 5lbs EACH. Since you began this journey you've already earned all those bouncy little guys. With all that work your body has been doing, with you urging it on, is it not a little understandable that it wants to take a minute to catch itself. Give your body time to adjust to this new it, and you'll start again.

You started this journey and you're kicking butt so far...and when it got slow you knew to come here and post, so you know you're still hanging in there. You CAN do this. I know it's hard to be patient - I totally get that...but you're doing it - one day at a time.

You ROCK, and I'm in awe of your accomplishments!
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Old 10-26-2009, 10:14 AM   #5  
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I don't know if it's in my head or in my body but I have never met a challenge. I've never met a timed goal ... I dunno

If you're finding that it's the challenge itself that's frustrating you (would you be happy with that loss if it was simply 3 pounds in four weeks?) People here are very understanding. No one holds it against you if you decide something is not working for you.
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Old 10-26-2009, 10:41 AM   #6  
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I know how you feel. I was consistently loosing 2lbs a week up until August when I stopped loosing or would gain and then loose a lb but always go back to the same. I added the 30day shred in hopes it would help and I have lost 2 lbs but 2lbs from August isn't saying much. I love joining challenges to keep myself motivated but I try not to set a goal to meet because I know I might not make it. Just keep pushing we will make it to goal if it kills us.
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Old 10-26-2009, 11:24 AM   #7  
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Time-based challenges are rough because one's body is not a linear machine. I lose weight in fits and starts, even if I am totally consistent with eating and exercising. So for me, a time-based challenge is not a great way to go - one month I might make the challenge in two weeks, and another month I might not get there at all.

If you find yourself in a plateau, try shaking something up. Step up your exercise routine a bit. Change the ratio of carbs to protein in one of your daily meals. Just change something in your routine for a while and see what happens. Plateaus suck; it might take a few weeks to shake yourself out of it.
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Old 10-26-2009, 11:31 AM   #8  
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You have already gotten some great advice. I think we will all reach those plateaus and we just have to stick with it and keep working it until we get over them. Maybe that means cutting back a few more calories or walking or whatever your excercise is just a little longer.

Don't give up - you have come so far already!! I know you have it in you!
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Old 10-26-2009, 12:03 PM   #9  
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It IS incredibly frustrating!!

I've found the weight loss challenges don't work for me, as my weight loss is painfully slow. Right now it stands at 6 lbs in 4 months. At this rate, I am going to miss my end-of-year goal by around 20 lbs!!! I am in awe of all these folks who consistently lose week by week, but I'm not one of them and it just makes me feel like a failure to compare myself to that. And then I want to give up. Not good.

If you like the challenges for motivation, maybe try an exercise challenge? You can hardly fail, as you pick your own (supposedly achievable) goals, like walk X steps or minutes, go to the gym 3x/week, make it through an exercise program, whatever you want ... I was doing the exercise challenges over the summer, with a goal of minimum cardio and strength minutes/week, and I will get back on in the November Exercise Challenge. There are some bad-a$$ chicks in those challenges, who really inspire me to do more, more, more. I find it motivating to improve my strength and endurance when the scale isn't cooperating.

And the scale will cooperate - just in its own sweet time!
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Old 10-26-2009, 07:38 PM   #10  
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Thanks guys, I really needed to hear some of that. Maybe you're all right, maybe I should stop thinking about weight loss from a time perspective...since obviously it ISN'T as linier as it seemed at first...

Robin, here's the answers to the questions you asked. Any advice would be appreciated. =D

Quote:
Are you consistently staying on plan?
Other then this past weekend where I went a little over on points (but just a little) while I was camping at the texas ren fest, yes.

Quote:
No splurge meals or days?
No, it's too hard for me to get back on track when I splurge a little bit. I've just stopped doing it completely...I haven't done it in probably over two months.

Quote:
Are you accurately tracking your caloric intake?
I don't count calories really, I'm doing weight watchers at home, and I DO keep track of the points. I try to journal them every day, but I just got a new job and have been having trouble adjusting to the new schedule...so I've actually been texting my boyfriend every time i eat something as a way to keep track of it....but yes, I do track every single thing I eat.

Quote:
Measuring your food correctly? Adding in each and every bite, lick, taste and crumb?
Definitely. That's the one part I've been extremely strict about. I'm definitely lenient on the foods I eat (as long as I stay within my daily points) but I keep track of every single thing that I eat.

Quote:
Is there anyway that you're underestimating the amount of calories you're taking in?
Other then the possibility that I underestimated them this weekend, no...but I haven't been losing for a whole month...not like I used to anyways. I'm just used to 2+ lbs lost a week, and I've only lost a little over 2 lbs this MONTH. It just seems like SOMETHING has to be going wrong.

Quote:
How's your exercise looking?
I haven't exercised at all since I started losing weight. I know, I really should...and part of it is just me being lazy, and sometimes i legitimately don't have the time....but I'm also not exercising because of my mother. She's almost 300 lbs now, but she's got bad knees and degenerative disc disorder and fibromyalgia and bad feet and is just constantly in too much pain to exercise. I guess I figure if she can see that it can be done without exercise, then she'll be willing to try (because right now she insists it's impossible). Like I said, I know I should exercise, and my plan has always been to work exercise more into my routine once I'm much closer to my goal, to start toning and working on becoming healthier...I just want to push it off to show my mom it can be done.

Oh, and I actually did get more exercise this past weekend then I have in a long time. We camped at the ren fest, and our camp was as far away from the entrance as you could get, and I definitely walked back and fourth (a couple miles each way) 5 or 6 or 7 times during the day, and then around the ren fest for the whole day, and then around the campgrounds at night. Basically, from 9am to 9pm, I was walking...and my legs are STILL SOOOO sore...haha

Quote:
Your activity level in general?
Honestly, I don't have time for much activity. I work full time and I'm also taking classes and between the laundry and taking showers and homework and my job, I don't even have time to do the things I WANT to do, let alone exercise. At work I'm moving around a lot, but it's nothing strenuous...and when I'm at home I'm sitting on a couch on my laptop working on school work.

Quote:
What plan are you following?
I'm doing Weight Watchers at home. My mom had the materials laying around (someone gave them to her to try and get her interested) so I figured I'd try it. It has been working really well, but I really am getting frustrated at this point...I'm somewhere between 207 and 211 at this point, and I'm eating (generally) between 23 and 26 points a day. I don't use flex points (unless I go visit my bf...which doesn't happen often at all)...

I don't keep track of calories or fat or carbs or sugar or sodium or any of that...because I honestly don't know enough about it to know what is good and what isn't and what good ammounts are, and I couldn't handle all that counting anyways...THAT would stress me out...

I just try and make healthy choices....try and eat whole grains and vegetables every day...drink lots of water...and stay OP.

Last edited by DivineFidelity; 10-26-2009 at 07:42 PM.
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Old 10-26-2009, 08:41 PM   #11  
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I don't keep track of calories or fat or carbs or sugar or sodium or any of that...because I honestly don't know enough about it to know what is good and what isn't and what good ammounts are, and I couldn't handle all that counting anyways...THAT would stress me out...
Well for me, the calories that I consume really, really MATTERS. As far as tracking fats and carbs, etc, causing you stress, it sounds to me like you've got a lot of stress from the scale not going down. If they're both stressful, why not at least choose one that has great benefits, no? Again, where my calories come from is very important. What kinds of foods are you eating?

As far as exercise and not having the time and the situation with your mom,, I don't mean to sound harsh, but those really aren't legitimate reasons, they're excuses. Anything that is vital, anything that MATTERS, we need to FIND the time for. There are TONS of us here with very hectic lives, but again, we MAKE the time, because it matters that much. It's time very well spent. Much better then time being spent feeling hopeless and frustrated, IMO. Losing weight takes work, time, effort, planning, discipline, determination, patience, commitment, being open to changing ones plan, and a slew of other things.

Maybe at one point you were able to lose without the exercise and with "trying to make healthy choices", but it seems to me as if this is no longer "working". It sounds as if it may be time to rethink and tweak your plan a bit. The time to exercise is NOW. Don't put it off. You want to lose fat - NOT muscle.

You've done great thus far, there's no reason you can't continue to do so. A tweak here and there and you'll have that scale moving downward once more.

Another thing entered my mind, perhaps those free WW foods are throwing you off as well??? Just a thought
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Old 10-27-2009, 08:41 PM   #12  
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I think you will probably need to increase your physical activity somehow, to break the plateau. But you could start with simple things like choosing stairs instead of elevator / escalators at work, increase the distance you walk, even if you park further away in a parking lot. I know it's difficult to think about making time to work out when you have work and school.
If you have health insurance with the new job, you could probably obtain a referral to a nutritionist. I really enjoyed working with one and got great information on healthier food substitutions.
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Old 10-27-2009, 09:13 PM   #13  
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I already walk up and down the stairs all the time, I live on the 2nd floor...and go up and down probably 20 + times a day. I bike ride with my sister sometimes, but not for exercise...and the only place I drive is work, and I already park at the back of the huge parking lot because I HAVE to...lol. My health insurance won't cover a nutritionist, I already tried, but thanks for the suggestion.

I honestly think I probably just wasn't tracking points correctly. I'm HOPEFULLY back on track now, and I DID just get to go buy a size 16 pair of pants from walmart instead of a size 18...so I'm feeling more confident about my weight loss as a whole. Maybe I got smaller and the reason I gained was because I gained more muscle the weekend I went camping because I walked SOOOO MUCH more then I'm used to....and my legs are definitely smaller and more toned, so that might have at least contributed.


I think I'm doing okay. I don't think I'm making excuses about exercise, I think wanting to put it off until I get at least under 200 to prove to my mom that it can be done is a legitimate reason. When I started, she said if I could do that, she probably could too...so I'm doing it to prove it can be done. Yeah, so what if it's not the best thing for ME....I love my mom and I want to see her healthy and happy...not miserable with the way she is now.
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Old 10-27-2009, 09:18 PM   #14  
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Oh, and Robin...it wasn't free WW foods that I got...it was the books and slider to calculate points and the materials ABOUT the program, not the actual food...so it has nothing to do with that.

Also, I eat all whole grains, when i drink milk or eat cheese or yogurt it's non-fat. I eat A LOT of broccoli, that's my snack food most of the time. I'll occasionally have a pack of 100 calorie cookies, but just to get rid of a chocolate craving because I know they're empty calories. I snack on popcorn (94% fat free butter) when I'm craving something salty. I drink mostly water, with occasional crystal light or rarely a diet soda. I eat super lean beef or grilled chicken or fish...occasionally when we don't have the money for anything but SUPER cheap food I get the highest fiber lowest cal buns I can find and some turkey dogs. I honestly don't think I'm making bad food choices...I think I just need to be more careful of point values for things...since my books are slightly outdated...and I am thinking of investing in a scale so I can actually weigh the foods.
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