Okay, just to be clear - for the record - I DID NOT SUGGEST that she lower her calories further. I said THAT IS THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR ME.
-but I have to say, a woman's body is so very different from a man's.
I apologize for any offense I have caused you. Congrats on finding something that worked for you and more importantly not regaining it all back. I totally get that a woman's body is vastly different than mine. If you read my posts you'll see I am actually a proponent for women and against the unrealistic body image that so many women have had drilled into their heads from an early age.
I realize I was a little harsh on your post and you did not explicately suggest the OP lower calories. I'm a little sensative about this due to the experience of my wife.
Just to gauge, I like 75g of protein or more, daily. Getting that protein up to where my body needs it has really changed this game for me and tipped the scales in my direction. Pun, totally intended.
Height: 1.74 or 1.77 meters, not really sure haha :) think that's around 5.8 feet or something.
I've never had anything like this, although my dad's been working out for two weeks now and has only lost 1 pound (he works out twice - once in the morning, once in the evening, 30min each).
Maybe you should change your eating habits radically and see what happens.
Unfortunately, I don't have any other advice to give you. Hope something'll work for you!
I'm not sure if anyone has said this cos I havnt read through all the
Replies , but im a similar height and weight and the same
Thing happened to me and someone said lower your carb intake.... I was so against low carb diets... But I was on my last nerve so I dropped my carb intake to 90g a day and bam... 1.5-2 lbs a week every week without fail..
. I totally agree with what you are saying about having a more realistic goal and rate of loss, I just get so dang upset when I dont lose ANYTHING!!
... I think I started to obsess over this stupid numbers game because it took my mind off the fact that I might not be able to have more children... I was so depressed, so upset and ANGRY. I felt like I had no control over something that I should...
I really think this is so common to so many of us. I truly think that feeling "I have no control over something I should" is what kept me from losing weight in the past. I kept pouring more and more effort into what I thought "should work" instead of what actually did. I also blew a gasket (and usually binged or went off the diet) when the results I got didn't match my perceived effort.
I would pour every ounce of effort into losing the weight and when I didn't see the results I expected, I'd decide it was hopeless... and with my definition of success it truly was hopeless. I was never going to see the results I felt I was due.
"This time" has been a slap in the face to all those other times I quit because I thought "at this rate I'll never be thin." In the past, when weight loss slowed to 1 or 2 lbs a week, I'd get so frustrated and angry because I'd think "at this weight, at this calorie level, at this exercise level, with this much effort I should be losing so much more. There's no way I can put in enough effort to see the results I want (to see the results I deserve), so there's no point in continuing. If I'm going to be fat anyway, I might as well get to eat what I want."
On the surface it seems like crazy logic, but the fact is it's entirely reasonable logic. If success really is impossible than giving up is the logical reaction. The problem isn't the logic it's the realization that the underlying assumption is faulty. The assumption that a specific effort "deserves" a specific degree of reward.
The reward is what it is, regardless of our effort or our degree of perfection.
When I stopped feeling "entitled" to a specific result, it removed the rationale for giving up. I made changes that I was willing to make regardless of their results. The results were the reward, not the sole reason for the changes. If I wanted a bigger reward, I could try more changes, but ultimately the exact degree of reward was out of my hands.
To a very huge degree, I've put very little effort into weight loss this time. I have so many other things going on in my life, that I was only willing to make small, gradual changes (which meant I had to be content with small, gradual results). I could work harder and see better results, but it still puts the actual results out of my hands. I can only make changes and see what happens.
I also had a weird kind of perfectionism in the past where dieting is concerned. Though I think diet-perfectionism is learned behavior - it's the way weight loss "is done" in our culture. We're taught that the only way to do weight loss correctly is by perfection, or at least stretches of perfection. We're taught to see a any imperfecdtion as equally horrible so that if we're going to go off plan a little, we might as well really **** it up. If we're going to be "bad", we might as be truly evil. It's a weird mentality, but we buy into it, because it's how it's done - how we see almost everyone doing it.
Breaking the "I should..." cycle with weight loss, and dealing with what is true rather than what should be true, isn't easy, but I think it pays off in a big way - heck even if it only makes the process a little less miserable that removes some of the temptation to quit. Frustration after all is probably the worst and most common enemy of weight loss.
Most people quit diets not because they're failing, but because they believe they're failing - they're not succeeding to the degree they expected or feel they deserve, or because of that inevitable sense of lost control - of not having control over what is felt should be controllable.
Learning to keep going despite the lack of precise control is perhaps the biggest hurdle of weight loss. Realizing that trial and error is the only option (especially accepting the error part).
Kaplods- you are right. (which, I read your posts a lot, and you always are) It is very hard to accept the numbers I see, because I do see them as failure. My goal is to lose weight, and if thats .2 pounds per week, that is still losing.. I should be happy with that. And like you said, not feel entitled to seeing 2 pound losses. *sigh* this is tough stuff!
I feel like I am stalking you, but all of your posts are so similar to mine. I agree, you should up your caloric intake. Try it out for a couple of weeks, see if then if it makes a difference. The weight gain you might be seeing is the muscle you are building in your training sessions.
I am being a hyprocrite, but seriously, inches mean WAY more than a number on a scale. If you are not eating enough, you are only breaking down the new muscle you have built.
Ah, 60 is MUCH closer to normal . I do still suggest mixing something up to shock your metabolism a bit, but being a creature of habit, myself, I know how hard that can be!
One more thing, are you only doing the eliptical for your running/cardio? Have you thought about doing interval training on the treadmil? How about the stair master? I switch up my cardio work outs, and I see a difference, minor, but a difference.
I apologize for any offense I have caused you. Congrats on finding something that worked for you and more importantly not regaining it all back. I totally get that a woman's body is vastly different than mine. If you read my posts you'll see I am actually a proponent for women and against the unrealistic body image that so many women have had drilled into their heads from an early age.
I realize I was a little harsh on your post and you did not explicately suggest the OP lower calories. I'm a little sensative about this due to the experience of my wife.
Hug?
No worries John! - you didn't offend me - I just wanted to be clear to the OP that I wasn't suggesting that she lower her calories drastically; I was just stating what I had done.
I'll see your .... and raise you a
I just feel the OP's pain SO MUCH, because we're on the same level. All this work, all the sacrificing, and even tho we've accomplished good loss, we still just feel.... I don't know... inadequate, somehow? (at least that's how I feel when the scale refuses to cooperate! Like I should be doing BETTER, doing MORE, accomplishing MORE, etc)
In fact, last night, I felt so belittled (what a bad pun!) about my body's stubborness to let go of some fat, just had that evil voice in my head "what's the use? I try & try & get nowhere!" ...& I did a BAD thing. I had club crackers and canned cheese for dinner. Ack! I hate when I do things like that! - and that is certainly part of my own personal struggle... fighting against giving up. Every. Single. Day.
This morning, I'm in a better frame of mind!- Turkey w/2% cheese on whole wheat bread for brekkie. Much better now!
Oh, & I have read many of your posts. I think generally you use the tough love approach & you're very inspiring! And what you've accomplished on your own journey is really awesome. Yay, you!
Wow, you've gotten quite a lot of advice and support. I'm really sorry for what you've gone through in ttc. I think it's great that you are so athletic and that you use exercise to help with your feeling.
I've read through all of these posts and maybe I'm crazy (good possibility) and I know you're not seeking advice but more of a desire to vent...but I just wanted to suggest something that I didn't see here: calorie cycling. Seems like you've tried upping to 1600 for a week and that didn't work. 1200 isn't doing it for you at a rate that you're comfortable with....so how about 1200 four days a week and 1600 maybe 3 days a week? Honestly, that has helped me break through plateaus in the past. I also would suggest upping the protein so you can build more muscle and keeping the thyroid levels monitored closely.
Sorry for the unsolicited advice. I really wish you all the best. Congrats on all that you've accomplished. 30 inches is fanfreakintastic!
Ryeb- I actually tore my acl in highschool, and had surgery, but it has never been the same- It is always sore, and ocassionally "pops" out of place, causing me to be on crutches for a week or longer. SO, with that being said, I am not ALLOWED to run on the treadmill. I can briskly walk uphill on the treadmill- but no running. I am actually training for a half marathon, so once every couple of weeks, my trainer and I will be getting on the treadmill together (and I will wear a brace) so that I can find my stride. We just cant risk injury everyday. I also do the bikes (the one you sit low and the tall one for cycleing classes) and I occasionally do the stair master- but I get bored on the stair master, and dont feel as much "cardio" with the bikes. So to answer your question... kinda.. lol.
luckymommy- I am actually going to talk with my trainer on Tuesday about calorie cycleing.. So we will see what he has to say!!
I am feeling a lot better today. My weight is what it is. I am taking all the steps I need to, to get healthy and thats really all I can do, right!
WendeeLou-I have also followed your postings, and you have done a terrific job. I understand your frustration. Are you a runner? Running made the weight melt right off of me. Also, I gave up sugar. I mean, g.a.v.e IT u.p. I eat almost 2200 calories a day, I am the same height as you, and I am still losing. Of course, much slower now as I am very close to goal, but still consistently losing. I'm sorry if any of this was addressed in your other posts, or answers to this post. I didn't have time to read everything. I had a 10k this morning and am rushing around currently and just checked in. Best wishes girlfriend. You are in my thoughts.
Milmin- I have only been running for about 3 weeks. Before that, I hadnt ran in years.. I hated running. I decided to start running in hopes that it would be a good cardio for me. I did Zumba for a long time, but it got to easy.. and I kinda got bored. When I started running, I was only able to do one mile.. and it took me like 12 minutes. Within a week (and me pushing to my MAX) I was able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes.. without stopping. I am now doing 6 miles in about 37ish minutes, so I am definitley doing a lot better. I "run" on the eliptical at about a level 4 to build my resistance because I tore my ACL in highschool- had surgery- but its never been the same. So my trainer thought it best I train on the eliptical and every couple of weeks do a session on the treadmill to find my stride and what not. Hoping the next treadmill session I can do 4.5 miles without stopping (treadmill is def. harder than eliptical) as the last session, I was able to do 3 miles without stopping. I am really enjoying running now that it isnt such a chore. I am hoping to run my first 5k at the end of May! Then I will do a 10k, half marathon, and eventually, I would LOVE to do a full marathon.
You say you cut out sugar.. ALL sugar? Or just "sweets". Do you still eat fruit? or..?
Thank you for the thoughts and encouragment! It means the world to me!! <33
That's great about your running. Running has become my passion and I absolutely love it. I plan to run my first full marathon at the end of this year.
Yes, I still eat fruit. I consider it natural sugar as it is not added. I check the sugar content on every single thing I eat. I no longer eat any desserts. None. I thought I would die without them, but I feel really good and surprisingly, I don't miss them. Of course, that also means I don't eat highly processed carbs. I don't follow a high protein diet, but it's just kind of ended up that way. With very few exceptions, I eat mainly fish, vegetables, a little chicken, some red meat, cheese, greek yogurt (which has some sugar) seeds, nuts, fruit, and a small amount of whole wheat bread. I use coconut oil and butter for cooking. I don't drink my calories at all. I drink water, unsweetened tea and an occasional diet cherry 7-up. I don't worry about the fat content very much of anything. If I drink coffee, I use sugar free creamer, not fat free, or I use whole cream. In my case, cutting out sugar has been the single largest factor in finally getting rid of this weight. As I stated, I consistently eat between 1900-2200 calories per day and I am still losing. I exercise 1.5 hours per day, usually running and weight lifting. However, my running is not at a kill-yourself pace. It is relatively slow and consistent. BUT, I sweat a lot every single day. I used to hate to sweat, now it is something I look forward to.
I don't know if any of this will help you...I hope so. I understand your frustration. You really have done very well so far and you do look great.
. I do still suggest mixing something up to shock your metabolism a bit, but being a creature of habit, myself, I know how hard that can be!
Ack! I hate when I do things like that! - and that is certainly part of my own personal struggle... fighting against giving up. Every. Single. Day. 
