will I ever get there?

amother

Wed, Oct 23 2013, 9:19 am

I'm in my early 40's and 50 lbs. overweight. I wasn't always 50 lbs, but 10-20 too much. 3 1/2 weeks ago I started a diet and going to the gym. In the gym I walk for 20 minutes at a medium pace. I don't like to run. And biking at a medium pace for 15 minutes. I also use the machines for strength exercises. I'm eating less than the 1200 calories I'm supposed to have. I'm drinking between 5 and 8 cups of water a day. Last week I cut flour and sugar out of my diet as much as possible. I'm trying to sit and eat normal meals without noshing. I started in middle of last week being more careful not to eat after 9. I can't eat earlier. I lost a total of 2 lbs. since I started. Each week seems to be steady, the same amount. On other diets, the first week I lost more than the rest of the time I was on it. Will I ever lose the rest? I figured I should lose a pound a week and it will take me a year, but it seems to be going slower. I'm getting really frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!!

PinkFridge

Thu, Oct 24 2013, 8:54 am

Cutting out/reducing sugar is a good thing. You may find that your taste for sweet stuff changes, fairly quickly.
To get there, you need to be on a plan you can live with and that won't frustrate you. Also, we women of a certain age might need to focus on being healthy vs. the numbers.
I just started reading a really interesting book by Mark Bittman, a certified foodie, called VB6, subtitled Eat Vegan before Six. His doctor read him the riot act, he realized he had to get control, and he came up with this idea. It's really worth thinking about, and tweaking if necessary (minimally). He has unlimited foods, "flexible" foods which are healthy vegan foods you shouldn't eat in an unlimited way, and then the post 6:00 PM treats. Really, nothing's off limits after 6, in moderation, but for someone who wants to eat healthily all around, there are guidelines.

doctorima

Thu, Oct 24 2013, 9:13 am

Sorry it's so frustrating and seems to be taking so long! Unfortunately in today's day and age everything is about short-cuts, but losing 50 pounds safely, healthily, and sustainably is going to take time, and there's no magic pill that can do it. It sounds like you're doing all of the right things, though it couldn't hurt to check with your MD or a nutritionist. Try to focus on the progress you're making and find a way to reward to yourself for your accomplishments, even if they're smaller and slower than you'd like them to be.

33055

Thu, Oct 24 2013, 5:10 pm

amother wrote:

You have a great start. You need to up your exercise. You can use the elliptical or the rowing machine. You dint have to run. Have you kept track of your calories you are burning? Are you drinking enough water?

What do you mean that you can't eat earlier?

I found losing weight that I didn't lose a steady amount each week. It only averaged out that way. Keep on doing things right and you will lose.

33055

Thu, Oct 24 2013, 6:01 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

OP, it sounds like you are exercising a lot. What you mentioned in your original post, was that every day? What do you do at the gym? For how long?

From what I can see she is doing around 100 calories a session on her aerobics which is a good start. There is not much calories burned during strength training unless you keep your heart rate up. I combine aerobics with my strength training. I keep my heart rate up. It has been my experience to lose serious weight more exercise has to be done especially once a woman reaches a certain age.

OP you should measure your portions carefully if you are not doing it already. Also the lack of immediate results could also be where you are in your cycle. I vary around 5lbs due to my cycle.

Keep up the good work!

amother

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 6:57 am

Thank you all for your answers. I did see a nutritionist, but I'm not necessarily go according to her plan.

chocolate moose wrote:

HAVE YOU HAD your thyroid checked?

I did and b'h, I'm fine.

Squishy wrote:

There's no machine like that in the gym I go to, but I can try the skiing thing or whatever it is. I am keeping track of the calories I'm burning and I try to drink enough water, between 6-8 cups a day.
I don't like eating with my kids because 1. I have to get up every minute for them for something or other and 2. they eat earlier than I want. I can't start eating until the little ones are settled in bed and by the time that comes around, it's late.

PinkFridge wrote:

OP, it sounds like you are exercising a lot. What you mentioned in your original post, was that every day? What do you do at the gym? For how long?

I go 3 times a week, but I try for 4. I wrote in my op what I do. Walk at a medium pace for 20-25 minutes - do a bunch of strength exercises - bike at a medium pace for 15 minutes. I exercise for about 45-50 minutes.

Squishy wrote:

OP you should measure your portions carefully if you are not doing it already. Also the lack of immediate results could also be where you are in your cycle. I vary around 5lbs due to my cycle.

I do have to be more careful with my portions. I don't really have a cycle because I'm on mirena, but that has nothing to do with the weight gain. Can it have to do with the loss because I am losing, but very slowly?

PinkFridge

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 7:06 am

Oops. For some reason I thought the walking was after the gym.
And chances are your thyroid is fine. I assume you had a full thyroid panel, not just TSH? And that if you had just TSH is was under 2 and if that it wasn't your doctor did a full thyroid panel?
Also, I'm not familiar with Mirena but I thought hormonal bc can often cause some retention.

busydev

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 7:09 am

oim no expert but if you suddenly started exercising and didnt before could it be that you are also gaining/toneing muscle? that weighs more then fat... and eating less then the minimum calories you need isnt such a good idea really. as a pp mentioned your body will think you are starving and make the fat last longer. healthy eating and portion control is the way to go. and having set meals and snacks may be good too.

amother

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 8:06 am

PinkFridge wrote:

I assume you had a full thyroid panel, not just TSH? And that if you had just TSH is was under 2 and if that it wasn't your doctor did a full thyroid panel?

I have no idea, she just told me to do bloodwork.

busydev wrote:

I did just start doing exercising, so that's probably the problem.
I try to eat enough, but according to myfitnesspal I'm not. That's where I'm counting the calories from. I have 3 meals a day and even a snack in between.

PinkFridge

Fri, Oct 25 2013, 8:10 am

amother wrote:

PinkFridge wrote:

I assume you had a full thyroid panel, not just TSH? And that if you had just TSH is was under 2 and if that it wasn't your doctor did a full thyroid panel?

I have no idea, she just told me to do bloodwork.

busydev wrote:

Just for the fun of it, ask for copies of your labs. Feel free to follow up, on or off list. It's really important to have thyroid work done and interpreted properly. Honestly, I don't know if you'll come up with any magic bullets. But worth checking out.