Cannot loose weight. HELP!

**Hlatimer1213** · 07-13-2011 06:46 PM

So at age 21 i weigh the heaviest that i have ever weighed. Ive been really down on myself and dont know where to go from here. I go a couple weeks eating healthy(or what i think is healthy at least) and excercisiing 45 minutes a day, but i dont loose weight. I get so dissapointed that i just giveup and start eating crappy and not excercising. Im not obese or anything, but im about 35 pounds over what i should be at 5'8. All day i constantly get down on myself about my weight. its all i think about and its the only thing holding me back in life. Someone give me some hope/insight! i was thinking of trying the Couch to 5k program, but i dont want to waste my time and just be dissapointed again.

**Jennax33** · 07-13-2011 09:32 PM

Drink only water. Seriously. So many useless calories and stuff in other drinks. It's so good for you too. I hear drinking a few glasses of water before eating a meal helps to curb your appetite. I find peanut butter helps curb my appetite. I recently have lost 20 lbs and I have made a complete lifestyle change. I would also recommend doing the weight machines if you belong to a gym. They will help build your metabolism and tone you up! I think it is a better idea than just doing the treadmill for 20 minutes. If you can do both that's great (: You just need to think positively. I hear some people look at a picture of themselves at their current weight to help curb them from eating. I always feel hungrier before my period, so I know that's the hardest time.. Try to eliminate unhealthy foods from your house. Also, I hear don't eat after 8pm. Don't give up! Results won't be immediate! Keep at it and you WILL see results. Also remember, muscle weighs more than fat.

**KMonte85** · 07-14-2011 06:05 AM

Part of any successful weight loss program is discipline and dedication. The excess weight didn't appear on your body in a couple days, and so it won't be that fast getting it off either. Don't allow yourself to get frustrated if you aren't getting the results you wanted in a week or two. Stay with it!

When you say you are eating healthy, can you give me an example of what your "typical" day's food would consist of? A good blend of lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in the CORRECT PROPORTIONS should be the staples in your meals.

A couch to 5k program might be just the ticket! They do work at making you a better runner, and you'll lose weight in the process through the training - *IF* you stay dedicated to the full program.

**Hlatimer1213** · 07-14-2011 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by KMonte85

Part of any successful weight loss program is discipline and dedication. The excess weight didn't appear on your body in a couple days, and so it won't be that fast getting it off either. Don't allow yourself to get frustrated if you aren't getting the results you wanted in a week or two. Stay with it!

When you say you are eating healthy, can you give me an example of what your "typical" day's food would consist of? A good blend of lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in the CORRECT PROPORTIONS should be the staples in your meals.

A couch to 5k program might be just the ticket! They do work at making you a better runner, and you'll lose weight in the process through the training - *IF* you stay dedicated to the full program.

I wouldnt call it eating healthy i guess because i dont exactly know what foods are considered healthy besides veggies, whole grains, fish? but my typical day woulld be, Bowl of special k cereal with 1/2 cup strawberries & nonfat milk at about 830am. a snack whenever i start feeling hungery, which i will normally have a cheese stick, pretzles, or yogurt with granola. Then for lunch i usually do a wrap or sandwhich with eaither coldcuts, or egg with turkey bacon. then a snack later after lunch, same as earlier snack. Then dinner i usualy have a salad with chicken or steak. Sometimes sushi, salmon or tuna sushi. But some days i have a hard time not eating because im bored. i normally have good discipline, but i find myself some days snacking more than normal. i try to drink alot of water, i started keeping a big bottle with me at all times. As far as excercise, i have no idea what to do, or what is best for me to be doing. also, when i started gaining weight, is when i started birthcontrol pills at 18yrs old. i know they do say a side affect it weight gain. so sometimes i feel llike that could play a partt in not being able to loose weight. maybe im just blaming the pills because i havent dedicated myself enought to actually see a change. im at a dead end and its really frustrating and its got me down every single day. i wish i could just figure something out and stick to it.

**Beautiful Disaster** · 07-14-2011 10:45 AM

Go to google and search : LoseIt

Then sign yourself up, it's free, and when you set up your account you set your weight loss goals, etc. It will tell you how many calories you should consume each day and allows you to log every thing you eat. It is a perfect way to truly get into perspective what you are eating. I thought I was a healthy eater, but when I started actually logging my calorie, fat, protein, fiber intake I realized I wasn't doing as well as I thought. 8 weeks of logging, and I lost the 2-3 extra lbs I had left in order to meet my goal.

**Little** · 07-14-2011 12:30 PM

MyPlate by Livestrong also has a good calorie counter with a big database of foods. It seems that when you are eating healthily, you're not giving yourself a lot of variety. Are you cooking for one?
You might try steamable frozen vegetables with a side of lean meat instead of salad. Maybe a baked potato? Pasta tossed with olive oil? What about vegetarian options - rice and beans, hummus, quinoa? Give yourself more options, and you'll be less likely to stray.

**Hlatimer1213** · 07-14-2011 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Beautiful Disaster

Go to google and search : LoseIt

Then sign yourself up, it's free, and when you set up your account you set your weight loss goals, etc. It will tell you how many calories you should consume each day and allows you to log every thing you eat. It is a perfect way to truly get into perspective what you are eating. I thought I was a healthy eater, but when I started actually logging my calorie, fat, protein, fiber intake I realized I wasn't doing as well as I thought. 8 weeks of logging, and I lost the 2-3 extra lbs I had left in order to meet my goal.

Just went onto Loseit and started filling it out. Its awesome! cant wait to track my progress...or what i hope will be progress. Thanks!

**Hlatimer1213** · 07-14-2011 06:23 PM

To Little's post:
Tonight i did the steamable bag of veggies that you put in the microwave and a small peice of chicken and topped it with some cheese. It was actually really good. I had the cauliflower florets one. Now, you are saying baked potato, pasta, rice, and im thinking Omg, isnt that all carbs? isnt that all stuff that i should be staying away from? maybe thats my problem, i go from eating a ton of carbs and crapp food, to eating so sparce. i got from one extreme to another. Today was my first day cutting back or 'dieting'. I had special k cereal for breakfast, a cheese stick and veggie sticks for snack, tuna pasta salad for lunch, watermelon for snack, then cauliflower and chicken with cheese for dinner. i feel like i did well, but i was hungry more often, which i dont think is a bad thing, and i was drinking alot of water so i was using the bathroom 50 times a day ( kind of annoying). but i feel ok. slight headache. but i feel like my body will get used to it.

**Little** · 07-14-2011 07:10 PM

Sorry I didn't specify, I meant those as separate options to interchange! Your body needs some carbs, after all, veggies and fruits are a kind of carb - simple carbs. Heavy starches, breads, pasta, and the like are complex carbs and are important for giving energy. Websites like the ones we've suggested can tell you how many calories are in a certain dish, so you can decide what size portion you should be having of each one. You can get whole grain pasta and brown rice is a whole grain. "Wild rice" is a different kind of grain, but I believe it's also whole. You can usually get these in steamable bags as well - I'm assuming you're cooking for one, which I always found quite tedious, so I'm trying to give you easy solutions

If one potato is too large a portion, you could bake the whole thing, then cut it in half and mash the second half for another meal. Some whole grains even have protein content to complement the carbohydrate.
I can't speak at length about what amount of carbs vs proteins you need, but maybe LoseIt has that option? Unfortunately, MyPlate requires a paid subscription to balance that part of the diet for you. Only the calorie tracker is free :/ So I've never used the paid option. I'm not currently dieting, but I am trying to eat healthier and I prepare meals for my family every day, so I think up a LOT of options! Just hoping to share and help you out with the tedium.

**KMonte85** · 07-15-2011 08:44 AM

You shouldn't really find yourself being "hungry" very often. That might indicate that you need to increase the amount of fiber you're eating in either your meals, your snacks, or both. Think fresh cut veggies with a an oz. or two of hummus. Vegetables are very low in calories and very filling! A cup of veggies should keep you going in those times where your body is telling you "FEED ME!"

If you're confused about exercise, read up on those couch to 5k programs, they are out there online and they are 100% free. Eating right by itself isn't going to give you the results. Try to exercise for a little bit every day, just to start - even if it is just walking at a moderate speed for 30 minutes, just get your body moving! Are there any sports you enjoy? Perhaps you could join a club, or find some fiteness classes you like which could guide you into a good exercise regime.

But of course, don't be too hard on yourself! Everyone has to start somewhere, and even if you're not making the weight loss progress you want at the speed you want, you MUST see how these changes you're making are improving your health and wellness over all! You will get stronger, faster, and have more energy!