Hello, all. I am new here, and I hope my post won't be too long to read because I really am at my wit's end. I am PRAYING someone can help me. To say I am frustrated isn't the half of it.
I am a 48-year-old female, entering early menopause, and began a diet at the beginning of May hoping to get all this excess weight off. Plus my blood pressure is borderline, and I need to get it back to normal.
I did all three phases of the South Beach diet, and as instructed just pretty much kept up with the recommendations for phase 3. I had used this diet before and was able to lose weight, but this time around, I just can't lose a pound. Not one! Everyone around me seems to have no problems, but I just can't seem to find an answer on why I am struggling so badly.
In the first week on the SBD, I did lose 6 pounds but in the following week, each day I got on the scale, I'd inch up a pound, to the point that I'm pretty much still at my starting weight. I gave up weighing myself because it just brings me down, and if my clothes weren't feeling better, I knew I hadn't lost anything.
Here's my deal:
*I use MyFitnessPal to count all my calories each and every day religiously. Per my height and weight, which is 5 feet 0 inches and 156 pounds, I should be consuming no more than 1200 calories which I adhere to although admittedly there are days I am under my calorie count.
*I have a FitBit and make sure I am getting at least 10,000 steps each day. Most of this is obtained through an hour of walking briskly (I've tried running and it hurts my knees)
*I used to drink pretty socially on weekends, mostly beer, more than I probably should have. I have cut beer out completely and if I have anything at all to drink, I will choose just vodka with seltzer, something w/out carbs and few calories.
*I added some weight-bearing exercises three times a week
*I have had my thyroid checked twice and had a 24-hour cortisol level checked to see if there was any problem there.
*I know many will say "fat weighs less than muscle, so you're probably gaining muscle," yet none of my clothes fit any better. In fact, some days they feel tighter.
*I drink at least 128 ounces of water per day and have cut out soda except an occasional diet Pepsi.
*I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, sometimes get less, sometimes more.
Here is a sample of what I might eat in a day:
B: Better Oats Oatmeal w/flaxseed, half a grapefruit, Greek 100 yogurt
L: One egg, 3 slices of Canadian bacon, one slice whole grain wheat bread
and one can spicy V8.
D: Romaine salad, grilled chicken breast, light sesame dressing, green pepper, onion.
Snacks: 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 1 serving lightly salted almonds, grapes, Skinny Pop popcorn, serving of melon or strawberries, milk w/protein powder.
*I absolutely love fruits but do have a difficult time with veggies - that's why I try to supplement with V8 juice when I haven't had many veggies.
I have just recently purchased some matcha green tea hoping that this might be able to boost my metabolism a little bit but it's too early to see results with that. I also had heard some things about black currant seed oil helping to boost metabolism, but again, I just got these so am not sure yet.
For whatever reason I have also read that perhaps I need 300 minutes of exercise a week if the standard 150 isn't working. But then again, I see others around me who do far less activity than I who seem to be able to drop the pounds. It's so depressing...
I have read articles on what foods to eat to boost metabolism including almonds, grapefruit, Greek yogurt, green tea, capsaicin. There is just absolutely nothing helping me out at all.
I am at a loss. I refuse to give up as I know the way I'm eating is healthy and should become my lifestyle from here on out anyway. But there are days like today when I can feel every ounce of fat and every roll on my body, and I just want to crawl into a hole.
If anyone can offer advice on what worked for you, or what I might be doing wrong, I would dearly appreciate it. It's getting harder and harder to stick to this plan when I don't see any results.
I hope showing you what I am doing will help move your progress along. I have not bothered counting any calories. It is such a pain. That is why I am on South Beach (again). I lost 40+ lbs last time and plan on losing more this time and keeping it off. I am 57, in menopause, and do NO exercise because of an autoimmune condition. I tend to sprain and strain my joints just walking from one room to the other. I started my diet this time May 5. I have lost 18 lbs so far. On South Beach, you stay in phase 2 for weight loss, then move to phase 3 for maintenance. I am only eating 1-2 grains a day, about 2 dairy, and maybe 1 fruit a day so far. Other than that, I am still using only foods on Phase 1. I have not been hungry at all. Sometimes I don't even have a snack. I have been trying to have some sort of beans/legumes with one of my daily meals. I love lima beans, black beans, kidney beans in chili, and had some wonderful pinto beans when DH and I went to Cracker Barrel. These are complex carbs, very filling, and really considered a protein. When I do need to nibble on something, I might grab a string cheese stick or a few turkey pepperoni or a serving (14) almonds.
Hi Willi_Squirrel! Since you've had some lab work done, did you happen to have your vitamin D level checked? I am 54 and entering menopause, and I know that I was severely deficient (as in the number didn't even register because it was so low). Supposedly, vitamin D and weight gain are related, so if you haven't had your level checked, you might ask your doctor to do that. Here is just one article that talks about vitamin D and weight: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/re...ight-loss.html.
Ugh! I feel for you. My frustration level would be beyond extreme in your situation. I am pretty sure I would never have stuck with it as long as you without the reward of some pounds lost. You are being very strong and committed!
I can't think of one reason you shouldn't have lost a few pounds at least. That's a good amount of walking each day and 1200 calories is about as low as you can go.
I use Myfitnesspal, too. I know that it can be hard to be accurate with logging food, especially if you aren't actually weighing everything and are using more generic measurements like half cups and such your calorie counts could be off by a couple hundred calories. The way I find foods on MFP is to search for the food followed by USDA--like, "carrots, usda" and that gets you to the most accurate source of nutritional info. Then you have to find the listing for grams or ounces, not the cups and tablespoon options. Weigh your butter, your bread, etc. Not kidding, it is so easy to go over by a third when you are using a tablespoon measurement or just estimating.
Usually there is no need to be that obsessive, but in your case, it certainly couldn't hurt to double and triple check your numbers. (You probably are already doing this, if so, never mind!!)
The other think you could try is cycling between low calorie/carb days and higher calorie/carb days. I know some people have had great success rebooting weight loss that way. There are a few plans out there you could look at.
You could even try eating 1400 or 1500 calories for a week and see if you actually do better on a few hundred more calories. Maybe add them to breakfast and lunch?
I don't know, but experimentation is certainly needed because what you are doing now sounds very strict and you aren't getting any results!
Please keep updating this post as you try various ideas!
Thank you all for your input - I certainly do appreciate it!
Kati, it had totally slipped my mind about staying at stage 2 for SBD until weight loss goals are achieved. With that in mind, though, I guess I am more than likely doing modified phase 2/3 - I am pretty strict about not eating much in the way of breads and some things not allowed in phase 2. That being said, I'll have to look through those phase 2 foods again. I wish I could simplify like you - but congrats on your weight loss thus far!
Jaqui, I had not heard about the vitamin D link so definitely may look into that. I am going to switch doctors as well, so when I do I think I'll have her run this test. My current doctor basically poo-poos my problems with weight. And an added negative is that I do have a little bit of pitting edema and borderline blood pressure, but she refuses to let me try a diuretic, even at a low dose. My SIL gave me one of hers to try, and I totally noticed a difference in swelling/water weight. I will do more research on vitamin D for sure, though! Living in the Midwest, it is possible I could be deficient especially in changes of season. Thanks for the tip!
And Jean, thank you as well. You're right, I am pretty strict using MFP and adding calories. Most times I use the "verified" entries for my foods. And I use the bar code scanner whenever possible as well to be accurate (even though I've noticed errors with that as well).
A couple of people have told me that I probably just am not taking in enough calories which is causing my body to store fat/slow metabolism. But then again, if I'm not hungry it seems counter-intuitive.
I'll give this green tea and black currant seed oil a couple of weeks to see if it makes a difference. And will try to implement some of your suggestions. This whole process is just consuming me (no pun intended), and if I don't see results soon, I just don't know
You're welcome Willi. Be sure to pay attention to the part about transitioning from phase 1 to phase 2. You are supposed to slowly add back in the foods allowed on phase 2. For example on week 3, the book says to only add in 1 new food. I tried to add cereal for breakfast. After 1 week I had stalled, so I cut back the next week and had cereal only 2 times, then I ate the South Beach muffins made with flax meal. Those are really yummy and easy to zap in the microwave and I had V8 along with it. I also had turkey bacon (2 strips) and eggs with V8. The next week I worked in strawberries, but not every day to see how my body reacted. The book states that moving to phase 2 is a learning phase. You need to experiment with your foods to see how you react.
Frustration 9 weeks into my diet
Since you've had some lab work done, did you happen to have your vitamin D level checked? I am 54 and entering menopause, and I know that I was severely deficient (as in the number didn't even register because it was so low). Supposedly, vitamin D and weight gain are related, so if you haven't had your level checked, you might ask your doctor to do that. Here is just one article that talks about vitamin D and weight: 
