HI
I am new here. Let me tell you a little about me.
I met my husband when I was 20 and weighed 130 at 5'7. I had a child from a previous marrige. We got married and I had my second. I gained 60 lbs and only lost 10 lbs of it. I went from a size 5/6 to a 12. I became comfortable in a 12 but not exactly happy. Then 2 1/2 months ago I gave birth to our third child. I gained 40 pounds lost it all except 5 lbs<10 lbs was all baby!>. Well I have been very self concious about my body and some things have been happening in my married life that has made it worse. Lets just say I know my hubby in't really attracted to me anymore. So now I have become depressed about how I look and am considering plastic surgery fo my horrible stomache. I keep my calories in the 700's aday and I do aerobics 4 times a week, use free weights 4 times aweek and I Jogg/walk <not up to jogg the whole time yet> 3 times aweek at 6 miles each time. I feel discussting when I eat or go over 700 cals. Hubby says I am still beautifull but I can't belive him. Any one have any good execise videos to help? Or any weight loss advice? I do not eat ANY TYPE of junk food, I whatch my carb and fat intake as well and drink lots and lots of water.
Any help would be helpful. I feel so alone most of the time in this.

Wow. Well, first welcome. I know you said you don't like to eat over 700 calories, but girl that is too low!!! Your body is going to fight you every step of the way at that calorie level! Try to step it up to at least 1100 or 1200, at LEAST. You are working out a lot on top of that so you would be fine at 1500 and you'd lose faster for sure.

As far as videos, I don't do many. I like Pilates a lot, those are the only ones that I use and like. It sounds like exercise wise you are doing great. Get your nutrition in check and it'll melt off. I never went below 1200 and the first few months that I really tried, I lost from 8 to 11 pounds per month!

Keep your head up. Half the time when we think someone thinks "badly" of us, it's just our own thoughts reflected back at us.

I read your story and do think that maybe your calories are too low and your body is "storing" because it is hungry? Just a thought. I have never had the will power to eat that few calories, but I have heard that your body will "protect" itself. I am envious of your weight loss after your last baby. My baby is 11 and I still am carrying around an extra 20 pounds. You need to be confident in what your husband says and maybe things will get better. I am sure he loves you no matter what - he just wants you to believe him. Take care and I hope what I have said helps. Annette

Hi
Thank you both for replying.
I am afraid to go above 700. Afraid to gain more. I have tried but felt disgusted. Hopefully finding this forum will help me. I go to see my Dr. in August, I hve asked him to perscribe my weight loss pills, but since Iam not obese he won't.
Jessica

I know how it feels to be afraid of going above 700-800 calories a day. I've been there and it was a really bad time for me.

The ladies above are very right when they say you're body is fighting you tooth and nail to hold onto its energy stores because it's in "starvation mode"

I actually read a quote from (I think it might have been this sub-forum) that your body will find a way to get the energy it needs and if you aren't supplying it enough from what you take in it will begin to take it from the only source it can - your muscles but even worse, your organs.

Talk to a nutritionist and try and find a healthy solution/relationship with your food. Try talking to a counsellor or therapist.

If you ever need to just have a chat my msn is [email protected]

*hugs*

Liv

You MUST start eating more calories! You are doing yourself more harm than good... read below:

So what happens to your body on fewer than 1000 calories a day?

Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

Your body uses blood sugar, made from carbohydrates, for fuel just as a car uses gas (petrol). Without blood sugar, the brain and central nervous system, as well as other bodily systems, will cease to work efficiently.

To try to counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat, which is what you want, but it will also breakdown muscle and other lean body tissue.

Losing lean body tissue can be very dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel.

Losing lean body tissue can also be counter-productive. Muscle tissue increases the resting metabolic rate. With reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism will slow. When you come off the diet, increased fat cells will form because your metabolism is slow and so your body needs less blood sugar for fuel. It is also a survival mechanism in case of another 'famine'.

With very low calorie diets, an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes can occur, which can be dangerous. These govern the balance of fluids in the body allowing nerves and muscles to function.

Osteoporosis can be another danger, especially for women. Often dairy products like eggs, milk and cheese are cut out of a very low calorie diet so cutting out a major source of calcium leading to loss of bone mass.

Anaemia (a lack of iron in the blood) can also be another risk. If taken to extremes, women can find that menstruation (periods) becomes irregular or stops altogether.

A lack of serotonin in the brain can be another problem which leads to clinical depression.

You might find that the lack of essential nutrients on a very low calorie diet leads to a deterioration in the condition of your hair and nails.

One of the great dangers of this kind of dieting is that you can become acclimatised to it. As your body reduces some of its functions, including those of the brain and nerves, and as depression takes hold due to a lack of serotonin, you can slip into anorexia nervosa - a truly life threatening condition.

As mentioned above, when you finally come off this diet, you will almost certainly regain all the weight you have lost plus more leading to yoyo dieting, now believed to be dangerous.

We are rooting for you!!! We are all here doing the same thing, fighting the same battle. We just want you to do it in a healthy manner. Please try to increase your caloric intake. We are here if you need support!!!

Welcome to you!

Yes, 700 is too low, and you'll lose weight faster if you eat more. Sounds weird, but eat veggies, lean protein and whole grains and you'll see the weight come off. Also, know how much you have accomplished. You've had 3 babies!! Look what your body can do. It is amazing and you CAN do this. I always say to myself when I feel like quitting, I'll hate myself in the morning if I quit right now. You know how you feel when you finish a workout?? Keep that feeling and use it to eat more and look at yourself in the mirror and say "I am amazing and can do anything I set my mind to." I actually started saying that out loud to myself. It has helped A LOT!

This is a GREAT place for support! We will all be here for you....

firstly we are always here as a sounding board or for advice - whatever you need.

secondly i have to echo everyone elses advice that you need to up your calorie intake. as crazy as it sounds - it will help you to lose the weight.

the minute i ate proper food and around the 1400 calorie mark instead of 1100 mark - i lost a kilo. i firmly believe i was pushing my body too hard and it was holding onto everything it could when i was eating too little.

lastly, your doctor was right IMO to not give you pills. believe me if there was a pill that would ensure weight loss forever i would be taking it - but there is nothing a pill can give you (except horrible side effects) that eating healthily and exercising can't.



i hope all this has helped and try not to feel too overwhelmed. we are here for you.

Thank you all for your info. I will start to increase the intake and see how it goes. I am sooooo glad I found this forum! I am sooooo glad there are other people that I can talk to that is or has been there. Once again thank you sooo much. Yes, I agree haveing 3 babies is a great accomplishment, best thing that happened!