I joined here a few weeks back. I worked really hard and watching what I ate. I actually started eating yougurt and salads I didn't loose any weight, not even an ounce.

Then I kept thinking there is something wrong with my intestines, like a cancer .. or that the diet was making me a little to loose. I convinced myself that the only way to be sure I didn't have a cancer was to eat normal.. and see if my bowels return to their normal way, still waiting on my bowels to act normal. I am constipated but when I have to go its very sudden.... which is not normal for me.

I am miserable. I feel like I can't loose weight no matter what I do. I am hypothyroid, on beta blockers and menopausal and almost 50. Its like I have all these things fighting me.. plus a really tight budget that makes shopping for good foods difficult. I also tore a muscle in my side when I joined curves last year, and haven't been able to go to the gym since last august without excrutiating pain a few days later. Just 16 short years ago weight was not an issue, now its the big one.

Can somebody please encourage me in some fashion. Give me some advice or challenge me in some way? I tried to get a buddy but..that didn't seem to work very well either.

Sorry to be such a downer. I felt like if I could make a connection here it would really help.

You can eat all of the salad and yogurt that you want (which is good for you) but you will not lose weight unless you eat less calories than you burn. You have to make sure you are eating enough, but not too much. It is a delicate balance.

Your bowel habits WILL change when you change your diet. That is natural. Go for a checkup if you feel you must, but it is a normal thing if you go from a meat and potatoes diet to one containing much more fruits and veggies and less junk.

You also have to give it some time. You cannot expect to do it in just a few weeks. You didn't put the weight on in a couple weeks, you can't expect to lose it all in a couple weeks.

Shopping for good food doesn't have to break the bank either. Shop the sales. I buy my produce based on what is on sale for the week-this week in my flyer cantalaupes are $1 each, nectarines are $1 a lb., and bagged salad is $1 each, so guess what I will buy when I go? Shop smart, and it will be fine.

If you tore a muscle at Curves last YEAR, then it really shouldn't be a factor now. You should be sore after a good workout, but excrutiating pain you should not feel. If you are still having pain in this area, go see a doctor. If not, get back on the exercise wagon, and don't let the fear of injury happening again keep you from exercising.

You sound like you are at a very crucial point-one that all of us who have lost weight have went through. You are at the transitional stage, where you want to lose weight and are close to making the mental connection that you need to change your life, but fear is holding you back, and you are making excuses for not doing what you should be. It is a lot easier to talk yourself out of eating better and exercising than to just get up and do it.
I am not trying to be hard on you, I have been where you are. I had to work through a physical injury myself, and I have. I just think that you have to be ready to do this, and if you are, start saying positive things to yourself, rather than trying to talk yourself out of it by listing all of the reasons that you "can't". If you think that you can't, then you won't. If you change your mindset and say "I CAN" then wonderful things can happen.

Good luck to you,
Aphil

I'm on a beta blocker too (I'm 19, though) and I asked my doctor if it affects weight loss and he said no it didn't. So, perhaps different beta blockers affect weight loss? If this is so, perhaps you should get on a different one so you do not have that problem.

I'd be all for doing some kind of challenge or contest or something like that, I can't really think of anything, so if you have any ideas let me know. I know I'm not very close to your age, but I'm always up for a challenge...

Good luck and don't get discouraged, you can do it if you set your mind to it, Also, perhaps you're not getting enough fiber in your diet if you're limiting yourself to yogurts and salads and things. Perhaps you should look into Metamucil (they have capsules and a powder you can stir into drinks) and I'm sure there are many other kinds of fiber supplements. Keep it up! You will lose the weight if you stick to it!

I've found that eating healthy isn't nearly as expensive as I always claimed it was. That was one of my excuses. "We have a strict budget, I can't afford to buy fresh fruits and veggies." Yes, I can. Because I'm buying veggies and fruits instead of "bad" foods, and I'm eating less in general. If you have a Walmart near you, they will match any competitor's prices. I don't like Walmart, and usually will make 3-4 stops when doing my grocery shopping because I'd rather go to the competitors than have Walmart match their price, but I do get some things at Walmart because it's just so much cheaper. I buy frozen vegetables and fruits, and canned as well because although it's not quite as good as fresh, a can of green beans is still a much better choice than a can of ravioli or a pile of chips.

If you're feeling so much pain after you work out, maybe you need to start slower with your workouts? It shouldn't be excruciating. Aphil said that you will feel sore, which is true, but honestly I kind of like that feeling. It means I worked hard, that I'm making a real effort to change my body, and it feels good. If it's painful to run, then walk. If it's painful to try to lift 20 pounds, try 10. You need to work your way up.

I wish you all the luck in the world. This is hard. It's frustrating, I know. But you CAN do it, if you make the commitment.

Like Aphil said, it all comes down to calories eaten vs calories burned.

I would suggest journaling your food intake to see where you're at. You don't really know what you need to change until you take a nice close look at what you're eating and how much exercise you're getting.

Don't give up on exercise, If you're having real pain, go see your doctor for a check up. I suspect though, that you've just been trying to jump into workouts that are beyond your fitness level. I would suggest **Slowly** increasing your activity. Try to go for low impact activities like walking and swimming to start. Going from zero to 60 will make you very sore, whether you have an injury or not! It can also cause an injury.

Good luck and hang in there! Patience and the snow ball effect of gradual changes to your eating and exercise habits will get you there in the end. Try to avoid the all or nothing perfectionist attitude that so many of us have trouble with.

Actually I have been to the doc a dozen times, had a bunch of different tests. The pain isn't from me over-exercising (thats funny) the pain comes two days later... its short and excrutiating, like I got stabbed with a knife. The doc says its a torn muscle, and its over a year later and I still have it.

As for the vegies.. I do buy fresh anyway. I guess for me its cutting down on that cheap red meat and pasta and switching over to leaner cuts and fish... cost more.. and I shop at meat farms, which is pretty inexpensive.

You guys are going to have to be a little harder on me... you are too nice.

Everyone who has responded has given you some great responses and there's only so much we can do. You need to take a hold of your life and realize, hey, I'm not going to do this to myself, to my body anymore. If you're counting on other people to motivate you to lose the weight, chances are you're not going to get very far in your weight loss. You need to become motivated yourself to lose the weight. You really have some great tips here from people who know what they're talking about. You need to make the conscious choice to eat more healthy, to exercise more, to lose the weight. We all know you can do it, do you think you can?

Hi Kathy,

I just joined yesterday, I'm 55, and would be delighted to buddy with you. I have 65 to lose. I've read all the diet books, and know exactly how to lose weight. My problem is applying that knowledge.

It really isn't more expensive to buy good food, especially if you can concentrate on seasonal veg and fruit. I don't know where you live, but most places this is a great time of year for fresh produce. And you can save a bundle not buying junk food, soda, fast food... And chicken is usually cheaper than beef anyway.

My favorite breakfast: a fruit smoothie, made with 1 scoop whey protein powder, 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit or berries, about one half cup unsweetened low or no fat plain yoghurt, a little water or chipped ice. Blend until it is smooth and thick. Filling, nourishing, and about 200 cal depending on your choice of ingredients. Try it!

Another trick is to avoid eating too many "white" foods like white bread. And the Metamucil (or health food store psillium powder - basically the same thing) helps with both diarrhea and constipation.

Can you do mild exercise and walking? The book "Strong Women Stay Slim" has some exercises with weights you could do at home, about 20 min a day, with variations depending on fitness level. All you'd need are some inexpensive dumb bells and a chair. You should be able to find the book in the library to check them out.

If you'd like to team up with me for a challenge, maybe 10 pounds by Labour Day, we could encourage each other and check on each other's progress. Twice in the past 12 years I've been at Weight Watcher's lifetime membership goal. A disappointing 9 year marriage and two years recovering from a devastating divorce have left me fat and flabby. It's never too late to change, and for me the time is now. You're very welcome on my journey.

Carla