Hope4Loss' Weight Loss Diary

Today is one of those days where I am really facing my frustration. I have lost some weight by changing my diet, but I stepped on the scale this morning and my weight is slightly up (by a little over a pound) from my lowest weight yet. I know it's only a bit over one pound. And I know weight fluctuates by the much or more day to day. Still, seeing the number go up is not the direction one wants to see. I did the math, and figured out that if I keep progressing at this rate (let's say, on average, I've lost 7 pounds per month), it will still be almost four months before I am at a weight that is within an acceptable BMI. Even if you believe BMI is a bunch of BS, in complete and utter honesty it will be months before I'm at a weight that is no longer overweight. Logging everything I ate for one month was hard, but made easier by thinking to myself, "I'll just try this for one month and see where I'm at." But 4 or 5 more months? So what I just did times 5? Or, realistically, for a lifetime???? (Since I will have to add accountability for a lifetime and have to watch what I eat for a lifetime.) HOW, I ask you, HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS? For a little while, okay. But seriously? Losing 7 pounds per month? And the truth is, I actually have to keep going even harder! I have to add daily (with one rest day) exercise in to this.

Feeling disheartened. I feel like, "I did all this work for 7 measly pounds??"

I hope someone can relate to this.
 
I think we can all relate to this.
I think you should go back & read your diary from the start. Your first 2 weeks were great. As it is 7 lbs is a good loss. It has taken me 7 months to lose 7kg & I am really happy with that. I am in this for the long haul. I NEVER want to be obese again. I lost 36kg back in 2007 & I have to constantly watch what I eat & keep track of my weight as it goes back on very easily. That is life.
You have to REALLY want to be slim. If you go back to eating what you used to for the rest of your life, you may well end up a lot more than overweight. To me, there is no choice.
 
Hope4Loss said:
Alright everyone, I have a question. Is it true that weight loss comes in fits and starts and is not a linear process? As I mentioned earlier, the needle has been stuck for me at 151.4, and I record every single little thing that goes into my mouth. As a result of this consistent logging, I have looked over what I am doing and as I mentioned my goal is to cut out completely the "cheats." It's only been a few days but I am doing better. Gonna keep going. But I never dramatically went over my 1300 calories for each day. So, upon closer inspection, I thought I could reduce my added sugars, and I need to get in exercise that really pumps up my heart rate (I'm already walking, but not very fast, just to get places like random acts of fitness stuff).

Have other people hit weight loss plateaus? What accounted for it?
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I haven't checked journals in a while so I'm a little behind. Anyway...

The reality of weight loss is that you are never going to lose weight on a continuous basis. Some days/weeks you will lose weight, some days/weeks you will not. Nor will you lose weight at the same rate every week/month/year, etc. There are so many variables that influence your weight loss (how much you eat, carbohydrates, sodium intake, exercise, heart rate, etc) and it is extremely rare for someone to have a consistent weight loss each and every week.

If you have a week that doesn't result in a drop in weight don't get discouraged. Sometimes it happens. You could've built muscle, you could be retaining water or it could just be one of those days. It's hard to tell. So, just keep pushing yourself in the right direction and don't focus on the scale TOO much.
 
ChefChiTown said:
I haven't checked journals in a while so I'm a little behind. Anyway...

The reality of weight loss is that you are never going to lose weight on a continuous basis. Some days/weeks you will lose weight, some days/weeks you will not. Nor will you lose weight at the same rate every week/month/year, etc. There are so many variables that influence your weight loss (how much you eat, carbohydrates, sodium intake, exercise, heart rate, etc) and it is extremely rare for someone to have a consistent weight loss each and every week.

If you have a week that doesn't result in a drop in weight don't get discouraged. Sometimes it happens. You could've built muscle, you could be retaining water or it could just be one of those days. It's hard to tell. So, just keep pushing yourself in the right direction and don't focus on the scale TOO much.
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Hi ChiChef, thanks for the encouragement. It really means so much that you check these and keep up with so many of us!! It really makes my day to have an alert and a real response from someone. Makes me realize I'm not just typing into a void here!
 
Weighed myself today and I am at my lowest yet, 147.8. That's almost 10 pounds down from when I started (157). I'm stoked, but I still have 20 more pounds to go so I can't get too comfortable. My health has definitely improved, and the best tool that has helped me is keeping a food diary using MyNetDiary. The next best thing has been the support from my husband and all of you guys, so thank you so much! It's a big help to feel supported.

I'm eating a lot healthier, and last week I got my labs drawn (no results yet) so I can see where I'm at health-wise. I asked my doctor to run a metabolic, lipid, and a bunch of other tests on the blood draw. (Sorry, sounds gross, but that's how they test all that stuff and tell you where you're at. It's no big deal really, just a regular old visit to phlebotomy.) Next week we're going to meet to discuss the results - I don't know what they are yet but assume I'll find out then.

My BMI is still pretty darn high since I'm short, but my next step is to buy a body fat percentage tester thingy (where you hold onto the metal handles and it sends a low current through you to figure this out). Last I tested, before losing the weight, I think I was over 30% body fat and I'm supposed to be at 19% so got a ways to go.
 
This is so not a void Hope4Loss. We are here to help one another & offer support. I don't think you will find a more supportive community.
Good for you on eating healthier. Every time you make a healthy choice give yourself credit for it. None of us should underestimate making good choices. They add up.
 
Hi Everyone,
It's been a little while since I checked in, so I thought I would say hello and let you know how things are going with me. My last weigh-in was 145.8, so things have definitely slowed down on the weight loss front. I thought it may be that I need to add in more exercise or perhaps I was slipping with my calorie restrictions - and Yes, on both counts but only just barely. I've intended to aim for 1300 calories a day, and usually end up in the neighborhood of 1450. Even though it's only 150 calories off, it's really crazy hard to cross that line into 1300 territory. My exercise has increased, I'm not lifting or doing strength training but I do either walk to and from work (1.5 hours round trip = 420 calories) or go running and burn between 420-520 calories (I wear a HR monitor that calculates this) each time. Exercise happens for me about 3 times a week, if I'm honest. Three times per week is a good start, but not enough so that's why I've thought perhaps I was plateauing because I needed to exercise more.

At any rate, I got my labs (blood work) drawn and asked my provider to order a metabolic panel, lipid panel, and examine my TSH (thyroid) just to see if that might have something to do with the plateau. Low and behold, she found out I have hypothyroidism. While that can be seen as a good thing to know because it's manageable with a daily pull for the rest of my life that will increase my metabolism and aid in weight loss, believe me it's not something to envy. Side effects of these drugs seem to vary between individuals, but often include hair loss!! Like, the hair on your head and people say that even if they change the drugs the hair loss continues. Also, in some cases, other nasty side effects.

If anyone has personal experience with hypothyroidism please share!
 
Hi Everyone,

So this is crazy, but I somehow have been busting through my latest plateau! I haven't started taking any meds for hypothyroidism or anything, but I have been working on cutting out grains and overt sources of sugar including fruit. I eat mostly meat and veg. And it appears to be working, albeit slowly. It's really hard, because the world we live in - well, the world most of us on this forum live in which is America 2016 - is not conducive to this type of diet. And when I say diet, I mean nutrition. Our food in the USA is just not set up to cater to a low sugar, low grain existence. But, it does seem to be working for my waistline. It may be that grains and sugar are causing my system inflammation. However, I bet they aren't great for many others as well. At any rate, I hit 144.4 today, so I lost a tiny bit over a pound. It is super slow going compared to how I lost the first 10 pounds in about 6 weeks. I have lost 3 more, but it's taken another 4 weeks to lose those 3! Weird how our bodies do adjust and seem to slow down once the weight comes off.

I also am finding that while losing is motivating, and I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable going back to the way I used to eat, I still do cheat. They aren't the hugest cheats, but it's not all clean all the time. It's probably like 60/40 or 70/30 instead of 80/20. Cutting sugar down was one of the hardest things I've done in years. I literally felt the withdrawals - I got down to 14g per day grand total. I'm going to try to go there again.

So, that's me, 13 pounds total down since March 5th. That's 10 weeks of being reformed!
 
I couldn't find an appropriate place to post this, but I need to just quickly get this off my chest. I've worked hard and lost some real weight, but damn if it ain't hard being a woman and losing weight. For me, the worst part is that other women will tear you down for your progress out of true jealousy! Even friends will give you the stink eye, as if you are Keira Knightly or Kate Moss in the 90's, when you are actually just you and still overweight - they don't want you to succeed! So all the ladies out there who are dealing with "competition," take heart in the fact that it happens to all of us when we start looking good. It's a shame that other women are our biggest detractors, but take a breath and realize that it's their journey, don't you worry your pretty little head about it! (Drops the mic haha)
 
Women can be very jealous, which is such a shame. It should not be a competition. When people start saying things to me about my "diet" I say that I was once 111kg & don't want to go back there, & they soon quieten down. I never told anyone what I weighed back then & it shocks them.
Good for you H4L on your success so far. We're barracking for you!
Can you start off the meds on a really low dose?
 
Hope4Loss said:
For me, the worst part is that other women will tear you down for your progress out of true jealousy!
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Jeez, I guess I'm lucky coz that's never happened to me but stay away from these women, if you can! Surround yourself with people who are rooting for you (in 'real' and 'virtual' life ;) )
 
Hey Guys,

I'm maintaining the weight loss but the sleep, no cheating, and eating breakfast in a timely manner are slipping. I have to remind myself not to give up my hard-won gains!

Hope4Losss
 
Hi there, just caught up with your diary...HUGE CONGRATS on your weight loss dear, what an accomplishment...not only on the scales, but most importantly to your health.

You have mentioned that you don't know how people do this forever (count calories, a diet or a food diary)...I think every person has a journey/different relationship with food, you need to find a healthy ground that works for you...for most people, me included - specially when anxiety kicks in, they see food as a mean to comfort their feelings, but rather food is nourishment and fuel to your body so you can live a long and productive life...so it is TOTALLY up to you how you treat and fuel the machine that is your body. It is a choice that you have to make it daily...exercise and eating healthier are a choice that a lot of people frighten up at first, but I find that most that go through this journey, once they see the benefits of it...it becomes easier, healthy food can be yummy too, and I hope that's the case for you. Once you reach your goal you can go into maintenance phase...work-outs will become easier once you are lighter and hopefully by then, take control of some of your food addictions(I too have a sweet tooth even though I love eating healthy, so I can definitely relate on how hard it is to give that up)...I am true believer in moderation, deprivation won't take you further for too long...reward yourself when you work hard, or as I usually do, I work hard to get rewards...you can still take pleasure in eating some of the "not so healthy" food, but you work your way to it...you earn them. The most important aspect of ALL OF THIS, is you remembering that YOU ARE IN CONTROL, you can control what goes into your body...and by learning that it may take 1-2-3-4 months...a lifetime of efforts, but as long as you are moving on the right direction, you will see POSITIVE changes in your life, rather than just focusing on a number on the scales, though I have a feeling that will go on the right direction too. ;-)

PS: creating a positive relationship with exercise/work-outs is just as important too, it's a lifetime thing...again, it's about how you treat your body. Think of the older version of you...active and looking years younger than your age...your health, body, AND your loved ones will never forget the efforts you are making to become a better and healthier version of YOU!!

Keep up the good work and always keep us posted.

Xoxox
 
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Hope4Loss said:
I also am finding that while losing is motivating, and I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable going back to the way I used to eat, I still do cheat. They aren't the hugest cheats, but it's not all clean all the time. It's probably like 60/40 or 70/30 instead of 80/20. Cutting sugar down was one of the hardest things I've done in years. I literally felt the withdrawals - I got down to 14g per day grand total. I'm going to try to go there again.

So, that's me, 13 pounds total down since March 5th. That's 10 weeks of being reformed!
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I know being vigilant can feel a bit tiring at times, but you've made huge changes and through that you're being kind to yourself. It's not been THAT long for both of us (I've been on this forum since the end of Feb) but I know it can feel like forever at times ....and in those impatient moments I start looking at this as some sort of short term thing, where I just want a quick fix for all my food related issues, but that ain't gonna happen. Gotta keep working on it or go back to my old ways. And just as you I don't want to :)

All the best of luck and strength!
 
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