Frustrated and Discouraged...need advice/help

aneubaue

This weekend I was home and tried the dress on for the first time in several months.  I was crushed to find out it does not fit   I knew it would be close but was really hoping that it would fit and not much alterations would be needed.  On top of being disappointed that the dress currently does not fit (yes I know I still have a little bit of time before the wedding) I also am getting frustrated with my weight loss (or lack there of). 

My FH and I have joined a gym (about a month ago) and have been pretty good about going 4-5 times a week.  We also recently joined at weight loss challenge at the gym and he is doing great.  I think he has lost 8 pounds in the first 3 weeks of the challenge and I have yet to lose the pound I put on during the first week.  I have tracked my calories on MFP and have done well in meeting those goals so I am just frustrated and don't know what else to do!  I originally wanted to lose 15-20 pounds before the big day...which would have been realistic, but now I think we are too close to the day to lose this much.  I guess I just am frustrated that my weight is not really coming off and I don't know what to do so that the dress does not need a lot of alterations (I have an appointment on the 28th of April for alterations..so about a month out).

I have thought about trying the Jillian's diet pills (I think it cleanses and jump starts your metabolism/fat burning process) but don't want something that will just put the weight right back on when I stop taking the pills. 

If anyone can help with any advice, thoughts, or ideas that would be great!!

Lobsters25

Can you tell us a bit more about what your workouts and diet involve?

firsttimersluck

^ Agreed with Lobster. 

Also, How are your clothes fitting? Because if you're really putting in the effort at the gym and in the kitchen, you could be jsut losing fat and gaining muscle. Are you tracking your bf% as well, not just your lbs? I get that your dress isn't fitting still, so whatever weight loss you have had hasn't been drastic enough.. but still. 

Remember that it's about 70/30 diet/exercise when it comes to weight loss. It sucks, but it's true. 

ALso, remember that our bodies don't always immediately react to sudden dietary/workout changes. Sometimes it takes a few weeks for our bodies to wake up and kickstart itself. Try not to compare yourself to your spouse.. You two have MANY different variables that differ (height, weight, shape, gender, age, muscle, etc). It will just chew your insides up to compare yourself to him constantly.. and something you need for successful weight loss is good sleep and less stress! 

aneubaue

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_frustrated-and-discouragedneed-advicehelp?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:f2ace4e4-d61d-4dac-ac69-b3cffd3a1834Post:e93217eb-a023-4875-aab2-abe5cd41378b">Re: Frustrated and Discouraged...need advice/help</a>:
[QUOTE]Can you tell us a bit more about what your workouts and diet involve?
Posted by Lobsters25[/QUOTE]

My workouts typically include at least 30 minutes of cardio (either on a treadmill or elliptical) and then some type of weight lifting or core work.  Per the recommendation of a trainer at the gym we joined I am making sure I at least burn 300-500 calories during the cardio activity (I know that the counters on the machines are not always 100% accurate, so I try to aim for at least 350 hoping that I will for sure have gotten 300). 

Diet wise, I vary on what I eat day to day.  But for example, today I had a English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast, string cheese for a snack, a spinach salad with 1 teaspoon of raspberry vinaigrette dressing, for an afternoon snack I have dried banana chips, and for dinner I have plans to grill chicken with a side of vegetables and a glass of milk.  I also have gotten into the habit of drinking 8 glasses of water a day.  

Looking at my food log on MFP I am typically 100 calories or less shy of getting 1200 calories which is what they recommend for my goals.  When I add exercise to the log I am anywhere between 100-300 calories shy of meeting the extra calories they give me.  I am also over in my sugar calories on occasion, but I am over because I am eating fresh fruits not because of candy bars or other sweet snacks. 

Hope this helps explain some things a little more! 

anna.oskar

Your body could be in a starvation shut down.  I was having the worst time losing any weight for ages and as soon as I increased my intake i started losing.  It doesn't sound to me like you're eating enough.

I eat at least, never under 1400 calories a day.  If I burn 300 calories with exercise, I eat them.

firsttimersluck

holymoly you need to eat woman! Your bod needs a MINIMUM of 1,200 calories (give or take.. but rarely does a body need anything less than that) just to  BE ALIVE. That is without any gym workouts. You NEED to be getting that much. So if you're eating just 1,200 and then burn 300 at the gym YOU NEED TO EAT THAT MANY CALORIES BACk. Or your body figures it needs to start storing everything as fat.. sugar, fats, fiber, PROTEIN. Protein stored as fat. Not good. 

Time for you to start finding some good filler snacks to get that number up. That's more than likely your problem. 

aneubaue

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_frustrated-and-discouragedneed-advicehelp?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:f2ace4e4-d61d-4dac-ac69-b3cffd3a1834Post:a060521b-8dfe-4c68-81d1-a9be2a0702af">Re: Frustrated and Discouraged...need advice/help</a>:
[QUOTE]holymoly you need to eat woman! Your bod needs a MINIMUM of 1,200 calories (give or take.. but rarely does a body need anything less than that) just to  BE ALIVE. That is without any gym workouts. You NEED to be getting that much. So if you're eating just 1,200 and then burn 300 at the gym YOU NEED TO EAT THAT MANY CALORIES BACk. Or your body figures it needs to start storing everything as fat.. sugar, fats, fiber, PROTEIN. Protein stored as fat. Not good.  <strong>Time for you to start finding some good filler snacks</strong> to get that number up. That's more than likely your problem. 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

Any recommendations for some good filler snacks? 

anna.oskar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_frustrated-and-discouragedneed-advicehelp?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:f2ace4e4-d61d-4dac-ac69-b3cffd3a1834Post:c9b1368b-4e69-4cb2-816c-4ed743aa6d34">Re: Frustrated and Discouraged...need advice/help</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Frustrated and Discouraged...need advice/help : Any recommendations for some good filler snacks? 
Posted by aneubaue[/QUOTE]

*nuts
*meat and cheese rollups
*pudding
*beef jerky
*fruit/veggies and dip
*yogurt
*popcorn
*smoothies
*oatmeal
*hard boiled eggs
*meat and cheese cubes

pretty much anything.

hypergrl

I'll tell you to eat more, you'll see the weight drop off more quickly there are simple things you can do.

I agree with all the snacks ^^^from anna.oskar - nuts are a great way to up your calorie intake with just a serving, they can add up to 200 or more calories.  I have issues with getting enough calories.  I was working out like mad before my cruise, but wasn't losing any lbs (although I was getting toned) when I got aboard the ship and started to eat more I actually lost 5lbs on my cruise!  So starvation mode does happen, on the days you are working out eat up to 1400.

aloisk57

Yup, you're eating way too few calories!  Your body needs nutrition to repair itself and if you're not eating enough, you go into starvation mode and then your body hoardes every. single. calorie.  I say bump it up to 1500-1600 calories on the days you exercise and you'll see a more noticable weight loss.

firsttimersluck

I'm a clean eater, so my filler foods tend to be things like (some of the listed items from Anna so I won't repeat those) and...

-Banana (105ish cal) 

-Avocado (I will make this into guac and use cucumber to scoop it so that I'm not eating crappy chips lol) 

-Quinoa (I make a big batch once a week so it's easy to grab) 

-Chiliiiiii (I'm all about the chili. I make a huge batch on the weekend and separate it all out so I just throw it in the mic) 

-Spaghetti Squash (again, I make a big batch ont he weekend.. but this is going out of season so it will be difficult to find soon) 

-Have you seen those "salad in a jar" recipes? those are awesome to premake and grab... You can always add nuts, seeds, cheese to a salad to up the calorie content) 

Have you tried flax seed at all? It's a great addition to things like salads, soups, etc. 

I know it seems strange that you need to up the calories, but you should give it a shot just for a few weeks to see if that helps... I bet you'll discover that's what's holding you back  

jrooks72

Agree with everyone else, def need to eat more!!! I have been in the same exact situation, needing to lose 15-20 lbs. Also what I've noticed helps me the most is doing workouts that are nonstop and a mix of everything, a great one i use now is the Brazilian Butt Lift workouts, I know sounds COMPLETELY corny but I can tell a difference every single day along with making sure I eat enough and healthy on a daily basis. Keep your chin up! Everyone is different in how they lose weight! As someone else mentioned hard boiled eggs are great, I have 2 every morning for breakfast and it doesn't take any time at all to grab them and go and the protein keeps you from starving by 10am. Good luck!!

KatWAG

I am clean eater also. So as soon as a saw that for breakfast you eat an english muffin, I saw a red flag. I agree that you need to consume more calories but just make sure that the calories you eat are worth it. An English muffin is not, in my opinion there are much better ways to get carbs into your diet. How about trying a fruit smoothie in the morning? Mixing all your favorites fruits, some OJ, add some protien powder and its a meal.

I would also suggest getting a heart rate monitor. This will help you better track your calories burned.