Hi everyone, my name is Beth. I'm new to this board so I think I'll give a brief introduction. I am 26 years old, I work night shift in a nursing home as a CNA (nursing assistant). In 2001 I had to be admitted to the hospital, I weighed 385 pounds and my blood sugar was 1100. I lost a lot of weight on a "diet" (I didn't make a permanent change in eating) and I ended up gaining 40 pounds of it back. In Feburary of this year, I decided to make a permanent change in the way I look at food and went from 320 to (as of today) 249. I still want to lose another 60-70 pounds, but I feel that I am on my way for real this time because I no longer let food control me, but I control what goes into my mouth. I do 90 minutes on the treadmill a day (approx. 1000+ calories burned). I feel that I am on my way, but I seriously am at a plateau right now where I feel as if I am not losing any more. Any advice? Hopefully, like someone at the gym told me, a plateau happens, and then all of a sudden weight loss comes back full force. So hopefully I'll be able to bust off my plateau and start losing again.
Nice to meet you all, and hopefully I'll make some buddies on here
Wow, that is incredible! You have already lost SO much. Maybe this plateau is your bosy holding water in the fat cells and giving your skin time to shrink a bit. I read recently about that happening. Since water weighs about the same as fat, you might not be losing any weight while your cells are retaining the water, but when your skin gives the go-ahead, the cells will start squeezing out the water and you'll drop a bunch quickly.
Anyway, that might be what is going on if you are still eating right and exercising, but just not losing pounds right now. Do you know about how many calories a day you are consuming? Sometimes your weight loss can stall if you are eating either too much OR too little. If you have been on a plateau for more than a month, maybe it is time for a check-up. Your doctor could help you determine your current calorie needs based on your body and level of activity. Good luck! You've come so far - I think you can probably do anything you set your mind to!
Wow Beth - it sounds like you're doing great! The changes in your BP and cholesterol are terrific. You must have made it past the plateau you were describing in your earlier posts - can you tell us what helped you get past it?