I've been doing everything I can: eating better and less, being more active, choosing water over soda and juice, trying to keep a positive attitude... what is that that I'm doing wrong?

I can't believe it, I'm back up to 326!
What is wrong with me?
I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle... more like a cliff.

I hate to sound like I'm whining, but it's so frustrating.
I was down to 313,
And now I've gained despite trying.

Ugh... time to reevaluate and adjust xP

I know it sounds daunting at the beginning but writing down everything you eat, and counting calories, can really make you realize things. If you can't figure out why you're gaining..... I'd definitely try that out. After a few days it gets easier!

I track EVERYTHING even down to a tick-tac I pop in my mouth because calories and such add up pretty quickly. Good job on opting for water instead of sweetened drinks. I thought I could never do water but now it is all I drink lol. I know people say to weigh yourself weekly, but personally I do better weighing myself every morning. I like to see the fluctuations in the scale so I can see how it matches my food intake.

Write down all the food and drink you are having daily and also write down the calories, carbs, or whatever you are tracking (I use a spreadsheet) and have your weight put next to each day so that you can link weight gain to your calorie intake and whatnot. Good luck to you.

I am a carb counter and it's amazing how certain things like fruits (too many) make the shift upward for me. By process of elimination, I have learned what foods throw it for me. By writing everything you eat down, you can learn what affects food have on your weight. Sugarless gum was a culprip for me! It has 2 grms of carbs and I totally went overboard with it. That's when I realized how important it was to track everything!!! Good luck.

It sucks to feel like what you're doing now isn't really doing anything, but your body thanks you for the healthy choices you're making. Its just taking the scale a little longer to get with the picture.

Good luck and well wishes

I wonder if you're drinking enough water...The good news is as you lose weight, your water requirement goes down as well. The formula is half your weight - and it's that # in ounces -so if you weigh 300 - drink 150 oz. It's a commitment -but it has helped me -and it's easier than giving up even more food than I already have. I use Crystal Light and decaf Iced coffee to help me reach my quota and for some variety.

Just another possibility -have you been checked for Insulin Resistance? It's so much more common than ever before and is often the reason for a person's inability to lose weight even when they have a lot to lose.

Please don't give up - keep posting and stay supported. We care about you! L.

You know all of us know your frustrations. I too have been very frustrated with a plateau that has been very hard to budge. My history with loss has been consistent but like a ladder - with plateaus and then big drops. Don't give up. Keep making smart choices. It will start showing in inches and then the scale will show as well. I know when I up my treadmill time it tends to kick things in gear for me.

I hear ya. I've been on a plateau for months. My brain is telling me "but I'm not doing anything different from when I was losing weight before!". Guess that means I need to do something different.

I had an "A-Ha" moment not too long ago when I looked at everything I was eating. I was doing the healthy thing, only weighing once a week, exercising, etc. One day a week, I'd have ONE thing off-plan (something in the "thou shall not have" list). I found that the one thing sent me over the edge of whether I'd lose a half pound during a 2-week period or gain a half pound (or stay the same).

I still have that mentality of being "good" or "bad" when it comes to my eating and still categorize foods that way. I'm trying hard to change this mindset as it plays havoc with my moods.

I have no sage advice to give you, just hugs and a BTDT t-shirt (been there, done that).

Hugs,
Ratkity

I am a calorie counter, too and agree that writing everything down that you plan to eat that day.In other words Plan Ahead. I plan my meals for the entire day, rhis takes me about fve minutes once you get used to it. If I need to make alterations during the day I stay in the same calorie count and I am OK.

I very recently got a referral from my doctor to see a nutritionist/dietician. Until then, I was really fooling myself with portion sizes and calorie counts. I was and still am very suprised at how easy it is to underestimate the quantity, size, count, etc (duh, now I know why I was not losing weight). Anyway the first thing she had me do, was buy a food scale and begin measuring and weighing my foods. She also gave me a realistic calorie intake goal for my weight, and explained how I should change it as I lose. Well I don't know if you can visit a nutritionist, but I highly recommend it if you can. Good luck and hang in there!

This is a myth, and a potentially dangerous one, particularly if you're on blood pressure medications. It can result in water intoxication (my mother was hospitalized a couple years ago for drinking barely more than a gallon of water per day. Over time, it washed too much sodium from her blood, and what she mistook for the flu was actually water intoxication (sometimes called water poisoning).

As the kidney specialist called in told us, obese people's kidneys aren't bigger or stronger than those of smaller people, and we only have a little more blood than someone smaller (a person that is twice as big, doesn't have twice the blood or twice the kidney strength/capacity, so water needs aren't that different either).


If you intend to drink more than 3 quarts of water on a daily basis, please consult your physician first, especially if you're on blood pressure medications and/or on a low sodium diet. The symptoms can be deadly by the time they're noticeable.

I think staying hydrated is important, but I really wonder where these formulas come from. The actual research I've read suggests that the old advice to drink 8, 8 ounce glasses wasn't ever based on research, and that for the most part, we get our water needs met from our food and drink. So now I wonder when I see advice to drink more and more.