I'm so upset. I know how I got fat. I really do. I'm a stress eater, and that's just the excuse. Over the past 7 years I've managed to get myself 60lbs overweight. The problem is EVERY summer I'm off school I bike, I work out, I run, I cook my meals, and track my food. I stay on schedule. I even MEASURE and weigh my food! And I lose... maybe 5-8 lbs in 3-4 months. Every summer. I should see double that or more! And all the work I do feels wasted.

The story is the same, June I'm motivated I work my butt off and calorie count, I promise myself the following summer I'll swim again and I'll wear that sexy halloween costume this time! Come October I expect to drop 20 lbs or at least a PANTS SIZE (Is that expecting too much for 5 months of intense work?) I get upset. Midterms hit, I give up. I gain all the weight plus some. Next summer, start over.

I have no motivation this summer. I feel like "why" because come october I'll maybe lose 5 lbs. Why go threw ALL this just for a pathetic amount of weight loss. I discovered I had a thyroid problem and was medicated around October last year after asking my doctor. I feel better, less tired and other things, I just expected that this year I would do well too. I started working out (The Shred) a month ago. I have been adding calories and eating healthy. I've been biking to work for 3 weeks (7 miles each way for a total of 14 miles). I get on the scale and I lost .4 lbs. 30 days... and I lost HALF A POUND!?! How is this FAIR!

I thought the whole "Well... maybe I lost inches..." so to make myself feel better I go shopping. Last time I went I was a size 14, guess what!? I'm now a size 16!!! The 14s wouldn't even FIT!

I HATE MY BODY!

I get blood work done Thursday and another meeting with my doctor. I'm telling her this problem and telling her I'm about to just stop eating. So what if it's unhealthy, so is being fat. At least I'll feel better if I don't look so fat and everyone acts like my weight makes me a bad, dumb, lazy person. I can't stop crying. Why can some people just stop drinking soda and drop 20 lbs while I try everything and lose barely any weight?

I completely empathize with this. I used to get so angry when someone would say "I cut out the beer" or "I stopped drinking soda" and that's the one sacrifice they made. Whereas I had to revamp my entire diet and didn't have any obvious bad habits to toss out like that. And yes, sometimes the weight loss is very slow and it's so frustrating.

Don't give up, though. Experiment. In my case when I cut carbs I lose weight. Apparently I have a metabolic type that is super sensitive to carbs. If I cut them, I lose. If I don't, I can't lose. That's not to say it will work for you, but read here what is working for people and try one of their tactics.

Kurisitaru, I sympathize! EagleRiverDee is on point with her suggestion. Hugs!

I have to admit, DONT GIVE UP!!!

I have tried many diets myself, so far the IP one is working well for me. Just try to find one that works for you. The carb watching seems to really help and the fat watching also. Cutting out sugar really helps also. I was a total pop-a-holic before starting IP a week ago. Two to four liters a day of diet pop. I kinda miss my pop but I have replaced it with water and do feel better.

Please don't give up sweetie. You will find the program that works for you!!

Kurisitaru,

Can I relate... Lots of times I've felt like I am Sysiphus who keeps trying to push that boulder up the hill. Every time I have lost. weight, I gain back even more. The harder I'd try at the gym, the fewer results I would see.

Recently through my brother's encouragement I've started a quality protein low carb (max 40 g carbs a day) food plan. It seems to be working...the weight is coming off fairly effortlessly and I am not experiencing cravings. I feel like I am being vey gentle with my system -- no major exercise, regular meals, good sleep at night, lots of water-- and the weight is coming off.

So now I am realizing it never was me who was the failure. My body is really carb sensitive. Convential nutrition says carbs should be the bulk of our food intake. Yet for me and many others, it appears that this is not true. We need an approach that flips convention on his head and puts more emphasis on protein -- gives the pancreas a rest, overcomes insulin resistance, coaxes the body into at burning instead of lean muscle loss.

Don't give up hope. Keep going. You'll get there.

Annik

Ideal Protein is what I am doing but there are others. There is an Ideal Protein community in these forums that is really upbeat and positive and encouraging and supportive in the way I helps you get through.

Hun I feel the same, been on South Beach for TWO weeks, have lost 2 lbs- wtf?! I want to hurl the scale across the room I'm so mad, but you have to keep pushing and trying different things until something sticks...

I feel your pain. I sincerely do... just keep at it. Even if you only lost 5 lbs a year, you'd be 25 lbs lighter in 5 years. Isn't that better than giving up completely and being heavier? My weight loss has been painfully PAINFULLY slow the last couple years. I just keep reminding myself that 175 lbs is supremely better than 300+ lbs and keep on trucking. You can do this!!! You deserve to be healthy. Stay active, eat right, NEVER give up. You'll get there!

The thing is you don't have that much to lose which makes it harder. I lost at a rate of .5 a month and sometimes nothing (and believe me I busted my @ss in the gym) but 14 months later I was finally at goal. I'm so glad I made the commitment to never give up so just be patient.

Thanks everyone for responding. I was too upset to really write anything in June.

I saw a doctor. We upped my thyroid medication shortly after I posted this. I asked her about carbs and cutting them out. She gave me ideas and a "diet" plan to follow. Which was more a calorie system, lower sugars, higher B vitamin rich foods, and to eliminate saturated fats and "bad" cholesterol (As my blood work showed this as an issue). 3 weeks later, I gained a pound. GAINED. I really really really think anorexia or bulimia is the only way to go.

I followed all the doctors rules. I WEIGHED and MEASURED strictly. I've worked out, I went walking. I downloaded all these helpfull apps and logged in and exercised. I drank plenty of water. I have NOT HAD A PIECE OF CHEESE FOR 3 WEEKS which is my FAVORITE thing in the world! I haven't had pasta's. The only thing carby I ear are whole grains and plenty of vegetables and water. No soda of any kind. I gain? I GAIN?!

I'll stick to her plan. I honestly would prefer to be healthy and do this correctly. I'll keep doing this for the rest of the summer, but I swear if August hits and I lose basically nothing or keep gaining, I'm just going to stop eating or indulge and then just vomit EVERYTHING. I'm tired of being a cow. I'm OBESE! OBESE! and my body fat percentage is a joke. I just want to kill myself. Why can't I just be thin?

i am totally empathized with you... but is it possible that you re gaining muscle and loosing fat? muscle weight much more than fat...
please dont be discouraged...

The scale reflects more than just what you're eating. Where are you in your monthly cycle right now? Most women see multiple lb water weight shifts, and not necessarily right before/during/after your actual period.

Im with you, I've been on a diet and have been working out since May and I've only lost 1 pound so far but I've upped my work outs so hopefully the next time I get weighed which will be Aug. 27th I will have lost more weight.

Better than none. Don't give up, your body just needs some more time to get used to losing weight.
Some bodies get used to it quicker than others, so no biggie, I guess. And once it does, it'll just accelerate.

I went through this...have thyroid and auto immune issues and the endocrinologists had no answers for me.

Heard about using a Low Glycemic Index to choose foods, and what I've done helps me. Never had an issue with my blood glucose...but for some reason my body finally responded well to the very low carb/lo GI diet I've been on for the last 6 mos..

Am a believer & may need to do some form of this for the rest of my life..but it's not hard to do something that works after nothing else did.

Hugs

I've only lost a pound this past month so I can empathize!