Feeling depressed.......

Another good site (that is free) is Spark People. It's sort of like Calorie King in that you can count what you are eating, and it helps you keep track and see if you are getting the right amount to not have your body think you are in starvation mode (when you don't eat enough, your body shuts down to try to conserve body fat for energy). There are also exercise plans and they send out daily articles on trends, workouts, etc.

Don't worry. You'll get to where you want to be. You just need to keep it up and not lose hope!

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Posted by PeteysBride

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Posted by magbride

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but you probably need to eat a little more. Skipping breakfast and having a protein bar or fruit (which is what, 200 calories?) is not a substantial amt of food. When you don't eat enough, coupled with working out, your body goes into starvation mode and cling on to every last fat cell. I know you've been eating like that for awhile, but your metabolism probably got slower from that.
I think if you add a little more to your earlier meals, you'll start to see a change.

Another option, depending on your insurance is to see a nutritionist.
I did that once. My insurance actually covered it. She helped me figure out what types of food I should eat and exactly how much. I kept a journal and met with her once a week or so.

Definitely stay away from pills! Been there, done that in my younger days--they don't work and can make you ill.

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I agree with krista. If you starve yourself what happens is your body goes into survival mode and starts trying to hold onto your weight with a venegance because its trying to save itself.

I was anorexic for MANY years and it took me getting to9 7pounds (I am normally 125-130lbs on an average frame and 5'6) to snap myself out of it. Its NOT worth it.

talk to a nutritionist like Krista suggested. they can teach you what to eat. If you read female excercise mags-the REAL ones not crap like SHAPE but Fitness RX etc, the diets they show for these women show them eating ALL DAY in such quantities taht you're liek HOW can ANYONE lose weight and get shapely eating all that??!!! But they do.

Muscle burns calories faster so startign a weight lifting regimine helps too. FM me and I suggest some stuff for you that worked for me and might help you.

ETA You should join the SELF challenge with Krista and I-we support one another and it does help!

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Nicely said Jenn!

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Posted by portjeffbride

you may be losing fat but gaining muscle (which weighs more). don't judge by the scale, judge by how your clothes fit and how you feel several weeks from now....

don't get discouraged!

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I agree !! Im sure you look great

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Posted by vmystique33

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Posted by portjeffbride

you may be losing fat but gaining muscle (which weighs more). don't judge by the scale, judge by how your clothes fit and how you feel several weeks from now....

don't get discouraged!

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I agree !! Im sure you look great

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Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat. It's more dense so it takes up less space. 1 pound of muscle and 1 pound of fat may look different but they're still 1 pound.


Sorry but it totally irks me when people say that!


Anyway...don't get discouraged. Results take time.

I know what you mean!! i was working out like a maniac and watching what i was eating when i stood on the scale i gained 5 pounds. I was so mad and upset that i just gave up. I might as well gain weight the fun way.

After a week of feeling sorry for myself I got back on track. My friend follows weight watchers so she gave me some tips. I'm not on weight watchers but I used what she taught me to learn about portion size and eating a balanced filling meal. I asked her what she has for her 3 meals and what snacks would be best. With her advice I worked it into my daily habits.

I usede to never eat breakfast but now I eat something. It was annoying at first because I felt so full still from the night before but after a few days I found I didn't eat so much at night because I was not the most starving person that ever lived.

Also the trainers at the gym told me it takes about 3-4 weeks to notice any change. they said it will slow at first but then it will all drop off you.

My gym doesn't have a scale in it. it is the judgement free zone, even judgement from ourselves. Think of how good you feel after a workout. i think the best part about going to the gym is leaving but I still force myself to do it. I love how good I feel the next day. Don't go by the scale go by how you feel.

I don;t know if anyone has said this or not, but if you skip breakfast that SLOWS DOWN your metabolism... which is why you probably aren't losing weight... you should always eat something within an hour of waking up... it jump starts your metabolism.

try a small cup of oatmeal or some yogurt

My advice

1. You must eat more during the day. Coffee is NOT breakfast. If you intake no food within one hour of waking up your metabolism automatically slows down. I suggest having a light breakfast and make it a habit. If you have something to eat everyday eventually your body will get used to it. Also you need to have a well rounded lunch. A piece of fruit is not sufficient.

2. I suggest adding more cardio. Like you, I was maintaining my weight, but wanted to lose a little bit. I increased my cardio by about 8 minutes each day I went to the gym. I have since lost between 3-4 lbs.

3. Lifting weights is so important. I find that women are often scared of the weight section of the gym; probably because the men in the area can be intimidating. You will not bulk up if you do 8-12 reps/3 sets of a light weight. Additional muscle actually helps you lose weight.

I do a low carb lifestyle and I am still losing weight. When I was able to do the gym, I did a lot of cardio, which helps speed up your metabolism.

Try to cut out sugar, bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes and watch the carb count in foods (go for good carbs-high dietary fiber)

Don't starve yourself, it has the reverse effect. Your body's metabolism will actually slow itself and you will get ill or gain weight because your body goes into starvation mode and stores everything when you eat since it does not know the next time you will eat.

I would also write what you eat down and try to eat more frequent, smaller meals-you would be surprised how much less you eat when you see it on paper!

Good luck!

so i know this had been mentioned already but you HAVE TO EAT BREAKFAST. and u have to eat within an hour of getting up. If u dont, your metabolism completely trashes, which results in your body going into 'starvation mode'...ur body then actually stores all the fat from ur food(which is why u don't 'feel' hungry) and is exactly why ur diet is plateauing instead of working.... this is why people who yo-yo diet, crash diet, or do diet pills put a ton of weight back on when they're done....because they majorly screw with their metabolism. you should be eating three meals a day & two to three healthy snacks in between. After recovering from an eating disorder, for the last few years I've become a major health nut & really researched what is GOOD for the body and what is NOT. If you'd like, throw me some FM & i'd be happy to send you meal & snack ideas that actually fuel ur metabolism to get it back on track if u eat the right things at the right time, drink water & excercise - u will absolutely lose wieght & above all BE HEALTHY. Also, weight training really is just as important as cardio. Cardio trains ur heart rate & metabolism..but if that's the ONLY thing ur doing, it will become routine for ur body...if u weight train and build muscle, it's like walking on a treadmill all day long...which is exactly why muscle vs. body fat is so important. LEG MUSCLES, abs, lean arms muscles...they will work WONDERS!! so now i'm rambling lol - but i have a bunch of great snacks & meals that are actually calorie blasting & metabolism fueling - so just throw me some FM if u want some... i get a lot of good ideas from Fitness magazine(LOVE it! check out their website!)...Shape is good as well! whatever you do, do NOT get discouraged & do NOT deprive urself. Realize how beautiful u are & know that eating is SO important as long as it's in moderation! hope this helps a little FM me if u want some more ideas or even if u just want to talk i can also tell ya what works for me at the gym if u want some new ideas for that as well!

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Posted by Summer07Bride

My advice

1. You must eat more during the day. Coffee is NOT breakfast. If you intake no food within one hour of waking up your metabolism automatically slows down. I suggest having a light breakfast and make it a habit. If you have something to eat everyday eventually your body will get used to it. Also you need to have a well rounded lunch. A piece of fruit is not sufficient.

2. I suggest adding more cardio. Like you, I was maintaining my weight, but wanted to lose a little bit. I increased my cardio by about 8 minutes each day I went to the gym. I have since lost between 3-4 lbs.

3. Lifting weights is so important. I find that women are often scared of the weight section of the gym; probably because the men in the area can be intimidating. You will not bulk up if you do 8-12 reps/3 sets of a light weight. Additional muscle actually helps you lose weight.

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yup! everything i tried to say just more clear! lol.