Hi, it sounds like you are definitely retaining water...and in part a gain as well. I don't want to tell you how to do anything and I'm somewhat reluctant to speak my thoughts here on this, but since you are having a difficult time, I feel I need to offer some input since I can really feel your pain and frustration...and I really do care and I am concerned. By no means am I wagging my finger at you because I have been there myself, obviously. Sometimes, we just need a strong nudge. I know I do and some people here have given it to me!
I have been following your posts.
It seems that a modification in what you're eating
needs to come into play, as you know. Have you considered buying some Whey Protein at Target ($20) and dumping the carbs a bit (i.e. waffle, white flour products...waffles are high in carbs and low in protein)? Whatever
healthy carbs you do eat, put them into your meals
early in the day so your body burns them off throughout the rest of the day. The carb indulgences here and there, by what you have typed up in your posts, are what's setting you back. I'm sorry to say, but you will have to put your foot down on what your family puts in front of you to eat by explaining to them how very important fat loss is to you..or...make a decision on how much of it you are going to eat. I am taking into consideration how young you are, but remember, it's your body, your life and no one can force feed you. Eat 4-6 small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going. You burn calories through digestion, keep it on the go. Make a set time in the early evening (6-7pm) where you stop eating and only drink water after that.
What you put on a salad can and will hold you back (the dressing), as opposed to say...squeezing a lemon/lime over it. Salads can be very deceptive little items. Calories per teaspoon of salad dressing are insane.
Whey Protein shakes
will help you with cravings and will keep you feeling FULL. We need protein also to repair and build our muscles. If you have a lack in this, you will be at great risk of your body eating away at your muscle to get the protein. (Trying to explain it in the most general terms possible here without getting "way out there.")
The sugar you are eating....it's got to GO.
Weaning off of sugar is very hard. I went batty-dingo during the process of it. Took me about 1 month'ish to stop the cravings completely. Please consider this for your own benefit.
Cutting back to 1200-1400 cals will help you see an improvement. My scale won't budge when I go over 1400 cals and will usually only go upward to 1400 cals when I need to trick my body into resetting itself, making it believe it's not on a diet (adding these cals and increasing carbs), then when it shows it realizes this, I jump back down to 1200 (cutting the carbs, back on high proteins) and continue on. The daily calories that you are eating right now may be your maintenance calories, not the calories you need for fat loss (speaking outside of the cheat days). I don't care what charts or calculators tell you, me or anyone....charts for the most part are bullhonky and in my opinion, are practically for entertainment purposes, it seems. You're going to need to do the same thing with exercise, our bodies adapt to exercise and you will need to switch it up. All I can say is water, water, water! ~and cardio, cardio, cardio 4 to 6x a week! You *must* get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes a day on the days that you exercise....results! Lifting some weights/strength training (with bands or weights) 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes each time will help greatly. You will not bulk up like a man, have no fear of this at all, you're not going to be doing weights like someone who is going into competition. Muscle burns fat and it will increase your metabolism, even when sitting on the couch. Riding horses is nice exercise but it's not getting your heart rate up enough to where you need it to be to burn fat. Remember, this is about fat loss, not "weight loss."
You have the desire, I see it in you. Remember that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. You are such a bright and intelligent young woman, I'm so impressed with many of the things that you post here....I only think you need a wee bit of fine tuning as you discover how your body works, as all of us go through. I cannot wait to see you punch the rut you're in square in the nose.
You can do it! Incorporate some modifications, but....increase in baby steps, do not take too much on yourself all at once, do not overwhelm yourself. Be friends with your body and listen to it. It talks to you, just hear it.
) in me. I was expecting to take off maybe a lb because of that... But... 5 lbs worth?
Dhani 