Struggling to lose weight

[mousefanmichelle]

I follow weight watchers. I eat normal, every day food. I do not eat or drink artifical sugar. No soda/pop (i stopped drinking that about 4 years ago now), nothing that is "sugar free" and i don't count calories but i also don't eat a lot processed food. I am down 17 pounds of the 40 I want to lose. I don't work out. I am going to be 49 in a few months and I feel it is a do-able lifestyle for me. I am not hungry and I plan my meals out. Thats super helpful to me. If I fail to plan then i really do plan to fail.

 

[DLgal]

This is what I have yet to accomplish in 56 years. I cannot buy a giant cookie and make it last for days. If I buy a giant cookie, I try to eat a few bites and leave it alone. So far, hasn't happened.

This is something I struggle with too, but I am making progress. I do intuitive eating. Last week, I was having a STRONG craving for rice krispies treats (homemade only). I tried to ignore it but 5 days in, I caved and made am entire batch. I ate 500 calories worth of the batch (1/4) of it over 2 days, and threw the rest away.

I was so proud of myself.

I have had more success with just strictly limiting my calorie intake to 1450/day, but basically eating ANY food I feel like having. Most of the time, I crave fruits, veggies, grilled chicken breast, salads, yogurt, oatmeal...stuff like that. But when I feel like having a cheeseburger and fries or pizza or ice cream, I have it. I adjust the rest of my day accordingly. I have a whole routine when I want In n Out burger (a 1000 calorie meal for me). I have a 150 calorie Greek yogurt for breakfast and a 280 calorie fruit smoothie for lunch. Then a double double with fries for dinner. I do this whenever I eat a meal out. I don't feel deprived at all.

 

[DLgal]

With the exception of the body pump/kettle bell, none of these activities really burn a lot of calories. Oh, I know what the tracker says, but don't rely on that.

My friend, who lost 30 pounds several years ago, found this out. She routinely walked 5 miles a day (6 days a week). She was "watching" what she ate. She never lost a pound. She finally got serious with tracking her food and the weight started to roll off of her. The 5 miles walks really did nothing for her weight loss. They certainly help you to keep fit. For me that was a hard fact to learn, that I could go from sitting on the couch to walking 5 miles and day and see nothing.

I do think things like walking *do* add to your deficit it's just not as much as you think. If you very obese, you will see something like a walk make a difference. Those are the same people who can just stop drinking sodas and lose 10 lbs quickly. A person who is close to their ideal weight won't see this effect.

Since you are very close to your ideal weight, I suspect that you have a combination of overestimating both your food intake and your calorie burn so your deficit is not as much as you think. Again, when you are at a lower weight and just need to lose those last 10 lbs, extreme measuring is very important. Honestly, when I am measuring and tracking, I don't even acknowledge the exercise I do. I tell My Fitness Pal that I'm sedentary, get the calories they say and stick to them. If weight loss happens to fast, I adjust back up a little.

This is spot on. Walking will not help most people lose weight. It just won't. I walked 5 miles a day for years and put on weight. What happens is, you come home from that 5 mile walk (that maybe burned 350 calories) and you are "tired" so you sit down for the next 4+ hours.

Its that whole mechanism that your body has that will regulate its resting state metabolism downwards to counteract the "activity" you engaged in earlier. The net calorie burn over the day will remain the same, regardless of how much walking you do, unless you literally walk all day, every day.

 

[wenrob]

This is what I have yet to accomplish in 56 years. I cannot buy a giant cookie and make it last for days. If I buy a giant cookie, I try to eat a few bites and leave it alone. So far, hasn't happened.

Can you divide it up into servings and put the extra into the freezer? This is what I did at first (still do it with chocolate) then I was able to move on to having things around that were divided into portions (like single serve bags of chips or cookies) and trust myself to have only one. Eventually I got to where I could trust myself to get one serving for myself from a large bag or package.

 

[CT Yankee]

Then why would the FDA approve me for the Lap Band surgery if I were not a good candidate for it?

Can you explain what you mean by the FDA approving you for this procedure? It could just be my own ignorance, but I am only aware of the FDA approving certain drugs or treatments for public use, not issuing approvals to individuals for specific procedures.
I would also strongly caution against going to a foreign country for a major procedure. What protections do you have? What recourse in pursuing a malpractice claim would you have should God forbid something go wrong?

 

[Christine]

Can you divide it up into servings and put the extra into the freezer? This is what I did at first (still do it with chocolate) then I was able to move on to having things around that were divided into portions (like single serve bags of chips or cookies) and trust myself to have only one. Eventually I got to where I could trust myself to get one serving for myself from a large bag or package.

Yeah, I'm not in the "trust" phase yet. I just can't do it at all, that's the only way for me.

Unfortunately, yesterday I bought a pretty big bag of World's Best Gummy Bears for my husband. He wasn't home. My DD and I opened them. I was only going to have one service. By the end of the day, I had eaten most of the bag. Fortunately, the rest of my day was good, but that was just the out of control thing that happens. It never should have come into the house. I don't even especially like gummy bears.

 

[Wishing on a star]

It looks like we are back to that exercise-vs-dieting discussion!
I remember seeing this mentioned on TV, a study that did, in fact, seem to verify that exercise just doesn't carry the weight (sorry, a pun!) that diet does.
In other words, it just isn't going to happen that you can walk off that giant cookie.

I do think that BOTH are important.
I do believe that, for women, age and hormones are a big factor. Hasn't this been proven over and over. Hormonal situations and imbalances do cause the body to store fat/weight.
I also think that, in our culture, what we might consider to be a moderate or healthy diet, just isn't.
I think that many people just don't have a true understanding or concept of portion control, and how much we really need to eat to fuel our bodies. It is probably a lot less than what many people eat every day!
At my age I know I have really really cut back.. Often everything except for supper would just be considered a snack. And supper is a small plate, not much more than lean cuisine.

For Emer, I do believe that she is exercising and burning calories!
I do believe that she is limiting and restricting her diet!
If these are not, finally, going to start get any results... I do wonder if she is restricting her diet TOO much, as she seems to be staying very active and doing some heavier exercising (weights, walking, running outdoors with the kids, etc...)
I would want to make sure that I were totally fueling my body, keep that metabolism burning, etc.
Plenty of protein and healthy fats.
I know some people who are vegetarian or mostly vegetarian who are overweight.
I think that eating a lot of veggies (which can be good!!!) might set off a situation where the body is not getting everything it needs, and then starches and unhealthy fats start to fill that gap.

And age and hormone and metabolism changes and issues might also be good to research.

 

[Chirple]

This is what I have yet to accomplish in 56 years. I cannot buy a giant cookie and make it last for days. If I buy a giant cookie, I try to eat a few bites and leave it alone. So far, hasn't happened.

I'm a little older than you; it's definitely a matter of retraining the brain. I leave the cookie in the bag and break off a piece. Then I don't see the whole cookie at once.

 

[wenrob]

I will have a tool to help me. People can get pissed off all they want that they don't have that tool. Like I said before, I could care less what everyone else thinks. I will have the last laugh.

You are not using it as a tool, you’re using it as a crutch. A doctor in the US will not approve you for good reason. No one is pissed off or jealous we’re trying to get you to see reason. This is a DRASTIC step that has health consequences you’ll have to live with for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. But you go on and do you. If you want to go to some doctor that ignores all protocol have at it but I suspect you won’t be laughing in two years.

Can you explain what you mean by the FDA approving you for this procedure? It could just be my own ignorance, but I am only aware of the FDA approving certain drugs or treatments for public use, not issuing approvals to individuals for specific procedures.
I would also strongly caution against going to a foreign country for a major procedure. What protections do you have? What recourse in pursuing a malpractice claim would you have should God forbid something go wrong?

The FDA does not approve individuals. They approve for a certain weight AND issues/illness/diseases that go along with it. She’s ignoring that second part.

 

[Christine]

You are not using it as a tool, you’re using it as a crutch. A doctor in the US will not approve you for good reason. No one is pissed off or jealous we’re trying to get you to see reason. This is a DRASTIC step that has health consequences you’ll have to live with for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. But you go on and do you. If you want to go to some doctor that ignores all protocol have at it but I suspect you won’t be laughing in two years.

The FDA does not approve individuals. They approve for a certain weight AND issues/illness/diseases that go along with it. She’s ignoring that second part.

wenrob, don't waste your time with this one. It's one thing to eschew advice, but they are "going to have the last laugh" or, in other words, they are enjoying the fight here too much. Not worth anyone's time here at all.

 

[wenrob]

wenrob, don't waste your time with this one. It's one thing to eschew advice, but they are "going to have the last laugh" or, in other words, they are enjoying the fight here too much. Not worth anyone's time here at all.

You’re right.

 

[Searc]

You are not using it as a tool, you’re using it as a crutch. A doctor in the US will not approve you for good reason. No one is pissed off or jealous we’re trying to get you to see reason. This is a DRASTIC step that has health consequences you’ll have to live with for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. But you go on and do you. If you want to go to some doctor that ignores all protocol have at it but I suspect you won’t be laughing in two years.

The FDA does not approve individuals. They approve for a certain weight AND issues/illness/diseases that go along with it. She’s ignoring that second part.

 

[Kellydelly]

I'm 48 and defnately have a slower metabolism than in my younger days. That being said, if I eat less calories I lose weight. I don't even need to work out (I really abhor it). When my friends tell me they watch what they eat and still don't lose I just don't believe it. It takes some will power to dodge sweets and carbs while you're trying to drop pounds. Eating those things make you feel good, that's why many of us are fluffy . I am a late night snacker, that's my downfall.

 

[mnrose]

I will have a tool to help me. People can get pissed off all they want that they don't have that tool. Like I said before, I could care less what everyone else thinks. I will have the last laugh.

I honestly hope you are right, and I am wrong. Truly.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Try resistance training

 

[Wishing on a star]

I'm 48 and defnately have a slower metabolism than in my younger days. That being said, if I eat less calories I lose weight. I don't even need to work out (I really abhor it). When my friends tell me they watch what they eat and still don't lose I just don't believe it.

Some people do have it harder than others.
All bodies are not created equal!
It is very complex....
Except for real obesity where the person clearly eats whatever, whenever... I will not be quick to believe or not.

I have THAT ten pounds.
I DO eat healthy and do not over-eat.
I have some very real physical/biologocal factors.
So, based on that, I am not quick to make determinations about others.

 

[Kellydelly]

Some people do have it harder than others.
All bodies are not created equal!
It is very complex....
Except for real obesity where the person clearly eats whatever, whenever... I will not be quick to believe or not.

I have THAT ten pounds.
I DO eat healthy and do not over-eat.
I have some very real physical/biologocal factors.
So, based on that, I am not quick to make determinations about others.

You eat healthy, but you don't say you are eating less to lose weight.

 

[ashley0139]

I was never overweight, but I was on the upper end of healthy for my height. In January of 2018 I started counting calories and by October I lost about 30 pounds. I didn't add exercise, I only counted calories. I weighed everything I ate. I love sugar, so instead of trying to be drastic and cut out sugar, I worked a certain amount into each day. I had a specific motivation that kept me on track. If I was traveling I didn't count, and I had random non-counting days, but I'm a pretty small person and was able to lose 30 pounds just by counting.

 

[elgerber]

You eat healthy, but you don't say you are eating less to lose weight.

I am, I measure and record everything I eat, and I am still not losing, so it's not just a simple as you seem to think it is.

 

[holden]

My gym has a six week program that helped me drop those 10lbs. Here's the guidelines:

No alcohol (except on cheat meal day)
No sugary drinks/sweets
Keep daily carbs under 50g
Increase protein intake
Lots of veggies
exercise as often as you can (3x a week minimum)
No eating after 7pm
One cheat meal a week (eat that pizza!)

I don't have a sweet tooth, so this program worked well for me. Giving up carbs is hard (I love bread), but the results are really worth it. Instead of a sandwich, I'd have a salad with soup; instead of pasta, veggie noodles, etc. Every time you put food in your mouth think, "Is this going to make me feel healthy?" Nothing tastes as good as watching your body transform.