[Beach Patrol]

I am getting so freak'n frustrated...

So I'm on Day 14 of no junk food. That means not even one little tiny Tootsie Roll Midgie. Not even a stick of gum. No chips from the vending machine. No crackers. The list of "no's" is endless. I am exercising every other day (up to 25 minutes now) and slowly building my time with that.

SO... yesterday, my "write it down" weigh in day... 185 on my regular home scale.

I have been VERY diligent with my fitday, keeping track of every little morsel that goes into my mouth. I am averging 1200-1400 calories per day. Mathematically I have to have 1800/day to maintain. SO WHY AM I NOT LOSING... WHY AM I GAINING???? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

This is the kind of crap that makes me want to give up & just embrace my unhealthy fatness, go ahead & eat the junk food, don't care what the stupid scale says, blah.

I seriously don't know what else to do. I know I'm in perimenopause, and yes I take Prozac, & I know hormonal wackiness may be in play here. BUT STILL.

[GONNABE165]

Sorry you are feeling so mad & sad and yes there are times when loosing weight makes you crazy but remeber no matter what the scale says you are doing whats best for your body and your health. You will find what works for you and wil be well on your way to goal.

Good luck!

[yoyonomoreinvegas]

Hang in there Beach! I think you've already heard all the standard "TOM, or water from increased exercise" possibilities. Maybe try putting the scale away for a bit and focus on measurements or how your clothes fit instead.

Sounds like you have a sensible plan in place but maybe you could rattle it up a bit by switching the types of food you are eating? I don't know what your menu looks like but I found (for me anyway) that if I eat too many grains - yep, even whole grains - I get sort of puffy and crabby. If you're logging your food, take a look back at what you've been eating and see if there is something you've had a little more of lately and try cutting that food back to a couple of servings a week instead of daily? And, there is my favorite - try cutting back on artificial sweeteners I really think that during times when our bodies are going through chemical changes (like menopause or perimenopause) it changes how we are able to process what we're putting into it so we need to reevaluate our menu from time to time.

I know it's sooo frustrating when you think you're doing every thing right and not seeing results. The hardest thing about this whole process is learning to be patient. But, again, hang in there! You can figure this out and you will get the results you want. Just maybe not next week

[gerly1]

I am right there with you. I understand I am pretty much having the exact same thing happen. ITs so frustrating. I did quit smoking 2 months ago and think that might have something to do with my total non weight loss...I guess that slows your metabolism. But thankfully I haven't gained any weight from quitting. I hope you see the scale move soon!

[BlzMaxGnrCCJkMly]

sometimes when we do ALL the right things out body just doesn't follow along, wish i had the answer! just DONT give up!!

[JayEll]

Well... let's see if I can help you figure this out.

From January 1 to March 1, my FitDay (downloaded version) tells me that I consumed an average of 1,422 cals and burned an average of 1,701 cals.

So, theoretically, I should have lost 4.4 pounds from January to March. Did I? No, I did not. As a matter of fact, I went from 149 to 151.

What this means is that FitDay does not tell the whole story.

For one thing, an average alone doesn't say anything about the range of calories I was eating, and the fact that a few days of eating above 1600, for me, makes a big difference! A difference that doesn't go away quickly...

For another, the estimates FitDay has for exercise calories burned are inaccurate, and they run high. In some cases, you're better off not even tracking the exercise calories.

So, I've learned not to trust FitDay for small differences.

I would bet that 1800 calories would not be your maintenance number... You might try some different sites to see what they say--but the fact is, any number is going to be just an estimate. Try:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

When I chose "basal metabolic rate" I get 1225 cals per day. If I choose "little or no exercise" I get a whopping 1471 cals per day. That's close to what FitDay tells me. Exercising 3 times a week puts it up to 1685. Well, that's just a completely ballpark figure, and it doesn't take into account that I used to be obese.

My point is just that when playing with less than 300 calories difference a day, it might be within the margin of error for the estimates and make no difference.

Some people think that Prozac makes it much harder to lose. I have no idea.

So, suggestions form me: Don't go by exercise calories. Don't let the amount of calories eaten vary too much. Drink water. Be patient!

Jay

[srmb60]

No weight loss but are you getting smaller? Sometimes the two don't happen together.

Did you know that you can link your fitday here and we can look at it and see exactly what you've been eating?

I'm going to suggest that you ... follow Glory87 around and see what she eats ... add some intensity to your workout ... add some weight to your workout ... but you don't want to hear another person say be patient do you

[kittycat40]

I find the aging process to be a real B.I.T.X.X. I am struggling for every ounce lost. And you know I can breath it back on in an instant. --WIth 'ya beach.

[Hat Trick]

BP -- don't have any words of wisdom. Glory, SueB and others have pretty much covered it. Just wanted to let you know that I know and feel your frustration and totally empathize. I've been there, done that and all I know is that it sucks, big time.

I know the first few weeks for me nothing really happened - scalewise or measurement wise. Seems to me that my body should have been dropping lbs. like crazy since I was exercising and eating exactly right. Nope, and I have no answers. But I do know that sticking with it is the only way the wt. will come off. Please do not give up because that will get you nowhere and you'll only end up feeling worse. Hang in there!

[polkadotfever]

Originally Posted by Hat Trick

I know the first few weeks for me nothing really happened - scalewise or measurement wise. Seems to me that my body should have been dropping lbs. like crazy since I was exercising and eating exactly right. Nope, and I have no answers. But I do know that sticking with it is the only way the wt. will come off. Please do not give up because that will get you nowhere and you'll only end up feeling worse. Hang in there!

Same here. Nothing happened for me the first month. Just keep on plugging along at least you know you're making healthier choices for your body in any event.

[Beach Patrol]

I thank you all for your responses.

Let me see if I can add some extra stuff & maybe we CAN get a conclusion as to why this is happening (or not happening, as the case may be!)

ON AVERAGE: I consume 1371 calories per day.
Fat/Carbs/Protein (according to FitDay) = 34% - 37% - 28%
I am exercising at least 3x week (that is a work in progress) and am now up to 25 minutes of exercise. I am currently walking, and doing 5-10 minutes of martial arts type movments (kicks/punches, & adding lunges & squats,)

* I am in perimenopause.
* I take Prozac (anti-depressants are well-known for weight gain in the medical field)
* I have some health issues but am pushing past them (herniated discs in my neck for one...pressing on nerves, causing pain to radiate up & down my back & into my legs).

I do think I am having "raging hormonal" problems. I recently joined WomentoWomen (dot com) and am trying a 3 month trial-approach to controlling my body's changing needs. No medications: this is a "natural approach" & I strongly believe in nature's healing. I CAN'T GIVE UP. That would serve no purpose at all. So that's not an option... even tho right now I really feel like it!! But I have GOT to find SOMETHING that works for me. (Before I dive head first into frozen margaritas & chocolate pudding!!!! )

[polkadotfever]

I'm in my late 20's but I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis a couple of years ago and it attacked my entire reproductive system and caused my ovaries to basically shut down which put me in perimenopause. Eventually, I had to have a total hysterectomy. Believe me, I KNOW what wonky hormones can do to your body. I fight the good fight all the time.

I can tell you after loads of talks with my doctor and trial and error with my own body that refined sugars and carbs will slow down weight loss in a menopausal and possibly perimenopausal body (I spent less time in perimenopause so I know less about that). I know you've given them up as you've given up junk food. I can be sensitive to something as simple as brown rice even...so for me the carbs don't have to really be "bad" ones. I am by no means on a low carb diet...but when my weight loss stalls out I can almost always see that i was eating too many carbs.

If this really does have anything to do with hormones then it's going to take a little trial and error to get things moving again but you CAN do it!!

I have taken prozac as well and it made me gain weight to the point that I stopped taking it.

[Jasmine31]

I know it can be frustrating when you are doing everything right. Hang in there!

[peachcake]

I would just like to put in that on MSN recently I saw an article saying that smokers actually tend to have MORE BELLY FAT than non-smokers. I think it was MSN anyway, I can't find the article again. I know it's off-topic but someone mentioned it somewhere. I don't know the effect it has on metabolism.

[Skinny Magee]

I am in the same situation..I am SOOO good with what I eat. Drink GALLONS of water. Do not drink anything other than water else except 1 coffee a day. Not going crazy with carbs, eating fruits and veggies...I feel smaller but nothing on the scale. I had lost 9lbs in about 2 weeks then gained 2 back. Now..I am at a standstill. I exercise 5 days a week. Everyday on the treadmill for a minimum of 25 minutes hard core walking. Weight training alternating arms and legs every day as well. I walk on the weekends too...why am I not losing.
I may be perimenopausal (will find out more this month) I have just had a Total Abdominal Hysterectomy but was able to keep one ovary. It was badly damaged from endo and scar tissue but my dr managed to "save" the poor thing. So, I am not sure if this has something to do with my standstill. My stomach hangs down and it disgusts me. (an aside- my 3 year old asked me why I had 2 stomachs the other day!). I am going to keep exercising like crazy and talk to my dr when I go see him in 2 weeks.
Sorry to vent here..I was just feeling what the OP had posted and had to blurt it all out....