Completely Depressed & Frustrated...HELP!

[happysinglemom]

For me I too get on the scale daily as both my reward and punishment,

 

Yeah that's a good way to put it. It keeps me in line and focused; it's my discipline. ;)

 

but yes it is the way my clothes, and for me, my ballgowns fit that tell the real story. Then for me as time went on I found it was not enough to know that simply things fit better but I wanted to know the whys behind it, and how my body was working and reacting to my actions.

 

I agree. If you pay attention, you do eventually figure out how your own body works, and the weight-loss puzzle is not so puzzling any more - just a matter of discipline.

 

I had a great work out today. During the week my time is so tight I have to be conscience of the clock when I am in the gym while on the week-ends I can stay there all day if I am so inclined!

 

Good going on the workout! I too had a great one. I did the step mill for 65 min...burned 650 calories according to my HRM...:)...and then I did a 1.5 hour strength training workout...for another 400 calories. (And I really only use those numbers as a relative measure, workout to workout.) I love when I have plenty of time to do everything I want...especially on those "strong" days like today where I feel like I can work out for hours!! Like you, I too am usually pressed for time...so I really enjoy days like today.

[Brenda33]

Good morning....

 

First let me say.... beautiful dress Smooth!!! I'm sure you will look fabulous!!

 

OK, I was so excited telling you all about how my dress fit, etc. But I still don't get it....Last Monday I had lost a pound...then one day during the week another pound....WOO HOO......today I get on the scale and it says I gained a pound! What the _____??? I have never in my life worked out as hard as I did this past week. I actually made it the most important thing I did each day! I eat all the right foods, etc. I am starting to believe I am destined to be this weight forever. I know...."step it up"....only I physically don't feel I can. I am beating the crap out of my body as it is. Remember that I am a person who never does exercise at all.....walking up the stairs made me huff and puff.....although I am happy to say I didn't huff and puff lately when going up my stairs. So yeah great...I'm healthy, body parts are shifting....but I am still not close to where I want to be.

 

Alright, I whined....I feel better....now time to get ready to go sweat. Have a great day everyone.

[Chigirlcruzin]

Good morning....

 

First let me say.... beautiful dress Smooth!!! I'm sure you will look fabulous!!

 

OK, I was so excited telling you all about how my dress fit, etc. But I still don't get it....Last Monday I had lost a pound...then one day during the week another pound....WOO HOO......today I get on the scale and it says I gained a pound! What the _____??? I have never in my life worked out as hard as I did this past week. I actually made it the most important thing I did each day! I eat all the right foods, etc. I am starting to believe I am destined to be this weight forever. I know...."step it up"....only I physically don't feel I can. I am beating the crap out of my body as it is. Remember that I am a person who never does exercise at all.....walking up the stairs made me huff and puff.....although I am happy to say I didn't huff and puff lately when going up my stairs. So yeah great...I'm healthy, body parts are shifting....but I am still not close to where I want to be.

 

Alright, I whined....I feel better....now time to get ready to go sweat. Have a great day everyone.

 

 

Step away from the scale...so many factors are involved in your weight at a particular point in time...weighing yourself so frequently is not going to be helpful. I see smooth and happysinglemom weigh themselves every day...that is fine for them, and if that works for them, great. I don't believe you should do the same as it seems the swings really get to you. The most important thing is the "Pant-o-meter" as my sister likes to say. The weight will come off if you cut back on calories and exercise. Keep going, you will be fine.

[happysinglemom]

Step away from the scale...so many factors are involved in your weight at a particular point in time...weighing yourself so frequently is not going to be helpful. I see smooth and happysinglemom weigh themselves every day...that is fine for them, and if that works for them, great. I don't believe you should do the same as it seems the swings really get to you. The most important thing is the "Pant-o-meter" as my sister likes to say. The weight will come off if you cut back on calories and exercise. Keep going, you will be fine.

 

What she said. :rolleyes: ;)

 

Remember what I said about fluctuations??? If you cannot take them in stride, then assign yourself a "weigh-in" day, and weigh ONLY on that day.

And there is no need to "beat the crap" out of your body either. I do insanely long workouts occasionally, (my boyfriend thinks I'm nuts) but I worked up to this level over a long period of time. Still - I never feel as if I have "beaten myself up". In fact I feel much more energized AFTER a good workout, than before.

 

What affects my weight more than ANYTHING, without question, is what I put into my mouth. I am a notorious junk-food junkie deep down, and probably always will be. :o For me it is an exercise in restraint every day to stay away from those foods that pack on pounds so quickly for me. I do it by journaling - whether I write it on paper or do it online, that is what I need to do in order to ensure I stay within my maintenance range. If I stop, as I did the last few months, it is a foregone conclusion that I will gain fat. I think many people don't have a good understanding of what their body really needs. My boyfriend said to me recently "With all the cardio you do, you should be able to eat anything you want!!". Yeah. Right. :cool: One M&M and you have to walk the length of a football field to burn it off!! So make sure you are accurately tracking what you eat - it makes a huge difference!!

 

Check out this article...

 

http://www.dietdetective.com/dev/content/view/1876/158/

[Gathina]

Brenda: Ok, here's a Monday morning dose of Menina..who CARES why ..when it fits rejoice..when it doesn't, don't beat yourself up. Move on and stay on the plan.

 

Remember: sodium, sodium, sodium..it's in everything..and weight fluctuates too depending on stress levels, cortisol levels, adrenals, sleep levels, melatonin, all kinds of stuff with neurochemistry I won't bore you with.

 

If you keep thinking you're destined to be this way forever, you will be. My darling sweetheart is a marine. One day I failed a test in a brain thing I needed for my PhD. He was in Iraq at the time. I was whining about the test and he told me "Everyday when I see a marine in my unit die I can either complain and call myself a f### up because I was the responsible leader, or I can get back on the horse and keep riding. You get back on the horse and keep riding".

 

I NEVER forgot that and everytime I want to complain or whine about something small like the scale fluctuating . It IS all in the mind. Dont' give it space in your mind or you will fail. You are doing a great job. But you've got to keep riding the horse...

 

M.

 

 

Good morning....

 

First let me say.... beautiful dress Smooth!!! I'm sure you will look fabulous!!

 

OK, I was so excited telling you all about how my dress fit, etc. But I still don't get it....Last Monday I had lost a pound...then one day during the week another pound....WOO HOO......today I get on the scale and it says I gained a pound! What the _____??? I have never in my life worked out as hard as I did this past week. I actually made it the most important thing I did each day! I eat all the right foods, etc. I am starting to believe I am destined to be this weight forever. I know...."step it up"....only I physically don't feel I can. I am beating the crap out of my body as it is. Remember that I am a person who never does exercise at all.....walking up the stairs made me huff and puff.....although I am happy to say I didn't huff and puff lately when going up my stairs. So yeah great...I'm healthy, body parts are shifting....but I am still not close to where I want to be.

 

Alright, I whined....I feel better....now time to get ready to go sweat. Have a great day everyone.

[Brenda33]

Brenda: Ok, here's a Monday morning dose of Menina..who CARES why ..when it fits rejoice..when it doesn't, don't beat yourself up. Move on and stay on the plan.

 

Remember: sodium, sodium, sodium..it's in everything..and weight fluctuates too depending on stress levels, cortisol levels, adrenals, sleep levels, melatonin, all kinds of stuff with neurochemistry I won't bore you with.

 

If you keep thinking you're destined to be this way forever, you will be. My darling sweetheart is a marine. One day I failed a test in a brain thing I needed for my PhD. He was in Iraq at the time. I was whining about the test and he told me "Everyday when I see a marine in my unit die I can either complain and call myself a f### up because I was the responsible leader, or I can get back on the horse and keep riding. You get back on the horse and keep riding".

 

I NEVER forgot that and everytime I want to complain or whine about something small like the scale fluctuating . It IS all in the mind. Dont' give it space in your mind or you will fail. You are doing a great job. But you've got to keep riding the horse...

 

M.

 

Thank you......You always seem to help me. You even bring tears to my eyes. I'm climbing on that horse. AND I worked out for 1 hour and 15 minutes today!!!

[smoothdancer]

Chigirl may just be leading you down the right path. Shoot, my scale goes up and down too, gain a pound, loose a pound but I am not bothered by it.

 

Here is the way I look at it... There is fake loose a pound result, and then the real thing. When I loose a pound, stay right on track, the next day I may be up. I am getting on the scale everyday to see when that pound will stabilize, even if I say go out to dinner and was not all that careful, and I still have that pound loss, then it becomes the real thing. Often my goal is not to loose another pound but just keep the one I have lost. I dont loose weight rapidly and I just take it one pound at a time, sometimes to stabilize that one pound can take a few weeks.... As long as it keeps happening I am OK with it. If you cant deal with this up and down that happens, maybe try a once a week weigh in... Now that would drive me crazy!

[Brenda33]

Smooth....The lady at Curves tells me I am torturing myself with the weigh in everyday also. She says she weighs herself every Friday. I think that is easier said than done. I was actually excited and thought I lost weight.....I almost threw the darn scale out the window though. :eek:

[Gathina]

Brenda: don't stress yourself on the workouts too hard or you'll injure youself. I'm amazed you are doing an hour. But as you're still new at it I wouldn't push it too much more beyond that.

 

Garfield said "Diet is Die with a T". I think you need to tell yourself that you are getting healthier. So when people say something, you say "I decided this was the year I was going to focus on my health and on me" as this is really what it's all about.

 

Do you like to cook? I do and I can share with you a lot of international recipes that are very healthy and low in carbs, some vegetarian. It's a fun thing for me to relax. I rarely eat meat rather than chicken or fish, I eat al ot of beans plus they are filling.

 

Singlemom: You're right YOU are the only one who controls what goes in your mouth! :) We all are :)

[Brenda33]

Gathina, I do like to cook. I cook all my meals except usually Saturday nights. My question of the day was going to involve what foods are OK...? Anyhow, I have been eating things like grilled chicken, veggies, veggie soup....bean soups....etc. I have not really incorporated any other meats like pork or beef. I did make shrimp one night. But, other than some shell fish I do not like fish. Is it OK to eat pork or beef or will that totally kill my diet? I try to eat very low fat and I am afraid if its not chicken, shrimp or veggies I may kill the entire diet. But, I am starting to get bored. The other day I made 99% fat free ground turkey breast meatballs and whole grain pasta. That was a nice change....but I need more. The way I used to eat is a steak with baked potato and veggies one night....pork chops with rice another night...then a pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, etc. I am really missing all these foods. So how can I get more variety? I would love recipes! Oh and are potatoes a totall no-no since they have carbs? Thanks for all your help everyone!

[Chigirlcruzin]

Brenda, the surest way to "fail" in a "diet" is to limit your foods too much. Pork can be very lean, just trim off any visible fat. I love pork tenderloin! Beef can be too - filet mignon, even ground beef (I use 95% fat free that makes a cup of my chili only 3 WW points!). Potatoes are very lo-cal and have a lot of nutritional value; sweet potatoes are even better. The trick is in preparation and portion size. When you add a lot of sauces, butter, etc, you're going to up the calories. If you grill or broil, you can get great flavor and keep the meat lo-cal. Baked potatoes over mashed. Brown rice over white. I have a couple great cookbooks - Better Homes and Gardens New Dieters Cookbook Volumes 1 and 2. Lots of great ideas in here. Also, allrecipes.com of kraft.com have a lot of great recipes, and the nutritional info is included.

[Gathina]

Others will disagree with me, but I believe you can eat everything that is healthy IF you don't load it with crap and IF you weigh/measure correct portion sizes. If you check out the thread on this board "Easiest Diet Ever No Joke" I posted some recipes on there.

 

Meat has so many hormones in it I won't eat it unless I know it's organic. It costs more but it tastes so much better and doesn't shrink much. I just sacrafice in some other area. One thing you could do is hit your vegetable market and try a new vegetable or fruit each week and use the internet to find a good recipe. I love Yucca (casava) as it is like potato and it tastes great with a little chopped garlic and lemon juice sauce. I eat brown rice a lot with raw cashews, scallions and dried cranberries (it's one of the ones I posted) and also eat kidney beans. They are a bargain at 1/2 cup serving for the protein and low fat/carbs. I also make an artichoke pizza..has a cornmeal wheat free gluten free crust, some sliced tomatoes on top, drained aritchoke hearts and a sprinkling of parmesan..YUM.

 

Will post more, am at work and have to head to Miami...M

 

Gathina, I do like to cook. I cook all my meals except usually Saturday nights. My question of the day was going to involve what foods are OK...? Anyhow, I have been eating things like grilled chicken, veggies, veggie soup....bean soups....etc. I have not really incorporated any other meats like pork or beef. I did make shrimp one night. But, other than some shell fish I do not like fish. Is it OK to eat pork or beef or will that totally kill my diet? I try to eat very low fat and I am afraid if its not chicken, shrimp or veggies I may kill the entire diet. But, I am starting to get bored. The other day I made 99% fat free ground turkey breast meatballs and whole grain pasta. That was a nice change....but I need more. The way I used to eat is a steak with baked potato and veggies one night....pork chops with rice another night...then a pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, etc. I am really missing all these foods. So how can I get more variety? I would love recipes! Oh and are potatoes a totall no-no since they have carbs? Thanks for all your help everyone!

[smoothdancer]

I also have the New Dieters cook book, it is great. Although I don’t follow weight watchers, they also have put out some good cookbooks. It might be a good idea to invest in a good cookbook or start to research recipes on line. Some of my best recipes have come from those little cookbooks you find near the check out in the grocery store. I will not buy a cookbook that does not have both the calorie and nutritional value for each recipe, and then I can stay within my eating goals and still have variety...

 

Lets see,. I will make stuffed peppers, with a turkey meat, cooked in crushed tomatoes in my crock pot, and usually on the week-ends will make a pork roast with veggies or pot roast and for myself choose the lean cuts with lots of veggies. It is important to me to have dinner with my husband and with a little planning can find meals that satisfy us both.

[happysinglemom]

I did follow Weight Watchers 6 years ago, never joined, but bought the books and followed the plan. It helped me lose the 60 pounds, and I've sort of stayed with that philosophy ever since then, though it's really all about portion control. I now know that a meat serving is 3 oz, how big that is (believe me I was eating WAY more than that!!). And I learned to eat only when I am HUNGRY - not by the clock. I never "go out to lunch" at work - I have saved endless $$$ and calories that way!! :D (I always bring my lunch, and my lunch hour is spent at the gym.) If you don't have a food scale, you might want to get one - it really helps when you know how much you are really eating. Also, I rarely use a traditional cookbook anymore (though I have several), I use allrecipes.com, cooks.com, recipezaar.com, and other online sources, that offer nutrition analysis. Also, I just recently found out that Sparkspeople has a recipe analyzer, you enter the ingredients and it provides you with the nutritional analysis. I have done many of my old home "favorites" that way. Some are pretty heavy, so it just means I have a lot less, but I still get to enjoy!! ;)

[Chigirlcruzin]

I did follow Weight Watchers 6 years ago, never joined, but bought the books and followed the plan. It helped me lose the 60 pounds, and I've sort of stayed with that philosophy ever since then, though it's really all about portion control. I now know that a meat serving is 3 oz, how big that is (believe me I was eating WAY more than that!!). And I learned to eat only when I am HUNGRY - not by the clock. I never "go out to lunch" at work - I have saved endless $$$ and calories that way!! :D (I always bring my lunch, and my lunch hour is spent at the gym.) If you don't have a food scale, you might want to get one - it really helps when you know how much you are really eating. Also, I rarely use a traditional cookbook anymore (though I have several), I use allrecipes.com, cooks.com, recipezaar.com, and other online sources, that offer nutrition analysis. Also, I just recently found out that Sparkspeople has a recipe analyzer, you enter the ingredients and it provides you with the nutritional analysis. I have done many of my old home "favorites" that way. Some are pretty heavy, so it just means I have a lot less, but I still get to enjoy!! ;)

 

I second this advice, and thanks for the new sites to visit. Restaurant portions are so huge that our idea of what a true serving size is skewed. I had a business function last night - not a sit down dinner, but heavy hor deouvres (I know I butchered that). One of the things they had was a carving station with roasted turkey...people were saying they were going to go home and have a full dinner...I was like, this is my dinner (along with veggies), this is an appropriate serving size lol! The scale will be a big help, and you'll get to the point that you know what a cup is, what 3 oz is, etc.

[Chigirlcruzin]

I did follow Weight Watchers 6 years ago, never joined, but bought the books and followed the plan. It helped me lose the 60 pounds, and I've sort of stayed with that philosophy ever since then, though it's really all about portion control. I now know that a meat serving is 3 oz, how big that is (believe me I was eating WAY more than that!!). And I learned to eat only when I am HUNGRY - not by the clock. I never "go out to lunch" at work - I have saved endless $$$ and calories that way!! :D (I always bring my lunch, and my lunch hour is spent at the gym.) If you don't have a food scale, you might want to get one - it really helps when you know how much you are really eating. Also, I rarely use a traditional cookbook anymore (though I have several), I use allrecipes.com, cooks.com, recipezaar.com, and other online sources, that offer nutrition analysis. Also, I just recently found out that Sparkspeople has a recipe analyzer, you enter the ingredients and it provides you with the nutritional analysis. I have done many of my old home "favorites" that way. Some are pretty heavy, so it just means I have a lot less, but I still get to enjoy!! ;)

 

I second this advice, and thanks for the new sites to visit. Restaurant portions are so huge that our idea of what a true serving size is skewed. I had a business function last night - not a sit down dinner, but heavy hor deouvres (I know I butchered that). One of the things they had was a carving station with roasted turkey...people were saying they were going to go home and have a full dinner...I was like, this is my dinner (along with veggies), this is an appropriate serving size lol! The scale will be a big help, and you'll get to the point that you know what a cup is, what 3 oz is, etc.

[Gathina]

Ugh..what a good example of how we view food in the "wrong" way! I've traveled to Europe, S. America, and Asian countries and I've NEVER seen things like people standing around eating aimlessly or walking down the street eating or driving, and it is rare to find an all you can eat buffet. A lot of people eat together with their families at night (how I was raised). It's all about timing and planning.

 

Brenda: Do you like hummus? It's easy to make. A can of drained chickpeas or garbanzos, 1/2 cup tahini, lots of lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil. Process in the food processer untli smooth. You may have to tweak the lemon juice and seasonings to your preference. I use an entire head of garlic. You can peel it quickly by popping it in the microwave for 10 seconds then the skins pinch right off.

 

Another thing I like alot is orzo. Whole Foods sells a tricolor orzo in the bulk section. I take two cups of cooked orzo (about 1 cup dried) , 4 cloves minced garlic, half a diced green pepper, a pint of halved grape tomatoes and mixed with 1 cup red wine vinegar. I let that set for an hour to blend the flavors, THEN I add almost an entire bunch of fresh basil leaves, and mix that all together. It makes about 4 servings. You don't eat much of the orzo becaue you are eating more of the veggies. It's very filling. Fresh herbs go along way with flavor. You can taste the food and less of the sauces.

 

I guess what I'm saying is you have to get adventurous. In Fla we have so many different ethnicities. I've found I can get the best vegetables sometimes in the Oriental or Carribean markets, and if you have an adventurous spirit like me the cooking international thing can be fun..M

 

I second this advice, and thanks for the new sites to visit. Restaurant portions are so huge that our idea of what a true serving size is skewed. I had a business function last night - not a sit down dinner, but heavy hor deouvres (I know I butchered that). One of the things they had was a carving station with roasted turkey...people were saying they were going to go home and have a full dinner...I was like, this is my dinner (along with veggies), this is an appropriate serving size lol! The scale will be a big help, and you'll get to the point that you know what a cup is, what 3 oz is, etc.

[happysinglemom]

Brenda: Do you like hummus?

 

Oh my do I love hummus! :) I had heard it mentioned on WW often, and I saw it in the grocery stores, but I just figured it tasted blech (although I do like chick peas in my salad). Well, one day I saw some on sale, (Sabra's Supremely Spicy - I love HOT!) and took a chance. Got it home and tried it. WOW! :eek: Now I have to fight my son for it - we just love it!! I pretty much always have some in the fridge. Never tried making my own though - don't know if I could ever match the taste of the Sabra - it is awesome. So yeah, I totally agree - it pays to be adventuresome!

[Gathina]

Hummus is SO easy to make and SO much cheaper than what you can buy in the store..the cost of a can of tahini is the same as ready made hummus but you can make maybe 7 batches out of it. I like to experiment, I add a few black olives or you can add sun dried tomatoes, lots of different things. But I about kill my friends when I throw a hole head of garlic in it and bring it to a party.

 

Oh my do I love hummus! :) I had heard it mentioned on WW often, and I saw it in the grocery stores, but I just figured it tasted blech (although I do like chick peas in my salad). Well, one day I saw some on sale, (Sabra's Supremely Spicy - I love HOT!) and took a chance. Got it home and tried it. WOW! :eek: Now I have to fight my son for it - we just love it!! I pretty much always have some in the fridge. Never tried making my own though - don't know if I could ever match the taste of the Sabra - it is awesome. So yeah, I totally agree - it pays to be adventuresome!

[happysinglemom]

Well, I just might have to try it!! ;)

[Brenda33]

Well I posted last night......It didn't work! LOL

 

Happy Valentine's Day all!

 

What is Tahini? Where do u buy it?

 

Does anyone know the correct portions size for COOKED whole grain pasta? Is it 1 cup?

 

Can a lack of food alter the way you are behaving? I have been very edgy the past few days....snapping at people, etc. Is my body freaking for some reason?

[Gathina]

Saw a website once, I believe it was www.calories.com and it gave calories for almost everything imaginable.

 

Serving size of pasta: check the box labels, as is true for all your foods. I think it's like 1/2 cup. Pasta tastes ok to me, but is so "blah". Try some of the more exotic grains like quinona, couscous, orzo. Those typically have a whole lot more fiber than pasta does. Whole wheat pasta is probably better, but in the end the wheat , because of the gluten, is not real conducive to weight loss.

 

Edgy: Of course it can affect your moods. You're cleaning out all the garbage out of your system. Carbs trigger insulin which can trigger certain parts of the brain that have to do with feelings and emotions (I won't bore you with the specific parts!) I bet if you don't eat carbs for awhile then you eat them again they will either make you sick or you'll lose your taste for them. Also, remember yours stomach, but more so your "mind" is balking at having less food. Tell yourself and your stomach you'll get over it. The reality is you stretched it out from all the bad food you ate and gained the weight. Ya, that sucks and it hurts but it's reality so face it and move on.

 

Tahini: You can buy it in any natural foods grocery store. Some regular grocery stores like Publix sell it in the greenwise section. Tahini is a sesame seed paste. You can also buy it in an Indian supermarket.

 

Happy Valentines Day!

[smoothdancer]

You can also try http://WWW.Sparkpeople.com for a good calorie counter. Still, pasta is hard to measure isnt it? I think I read somewhere that a "fist" of pasta is a serving. Me, I love pasta so generally I stay away from it because there is no way I can stop at a serving. I love orzo, too.

 

My eating habits have really gone in the toliet that past 2 days. I hate when this happens. From nowhere I loose all my willpower. That is what makes me irrrtable, not lack of food. Well, today is a new day.

[Brenda33]

GOOD NEWS! Well first off, don't know if I said, but that mysterious pound that went back and forth is GONE....not only is that one gone, but another one too!!!!! What a great way to start a day!!!! I started at 143 and am now 135!!!! I am sooooooooooo happy!!! I needed that after the day I was having yesterday.

 

I had one cup of whole grain pasta......but it was whole grain and had 5 grams of fiber. Anything smaller feels like not even eating! lol As it is, one cup is about 1/3 of what I usually eat!!! I'll have to try and figure out the box....and adjust my serving size from there. Orzo is actually pasta. I have used it in this house all the time. I use it in soups. (although I haven't added any lately) We eat couscous also.....I like that with sauteed zucchini, onions, garlic and tomatoes (and herbs) over it.

[NailLady]

Your behavior can be affected by not getting enough calories. You need enough calories for your body to work ( around 1200 -1500 I believe ) also to lose weight you need to eat enough. Sounds like you are doing that so it might just be your body adjusting to your new lifestyle. :)