Help!

First of all I want to say that I am very happy for and PROUD of everyone here. Sharing this journey with you guys has been amazing and I feel as if I have known some of you my entire life. I have been ahead of the curve in weight loss for almost my entire journey, HOWEVER the past few months have been horribly slow. Where I was once ahead, I am now behind. I have been trying very hard to get back on track and exercise more...but I have seen almost NO results! It gets very depressing. My doctor wants me to lose 10 more pounds by my 1 year anniversary and was pretty STERN about it. He said I should have no problem because 1 pound a week was easy. Well, I have lost NOTHING since that appointment and it has been 2 weeks exactly. I did briefly lose a pound only to gain it back. I'm sure having 3 periods in the last 5 weeks has not helped me, but I am feeling like giving up! I want to eat, sleep or shop to make myself feel better. NONE of which is a good idea. Does anyone else have any other coping mechanisms I can use? I know to keep on keeping on and things will move, but I am SICK of feeling like I am failing a diet again. Kathy

Kathy, How close are you to goal?? It is very very normal to slow down a LOT when you get close to goal... thats why there are books specific to "losing the last 30lbs". How many calories are you eating daily? What are you eating? Are there any confessions you need to get out-- or are you sticking well to a very healthy plan? Ive always been a faster loser, and I think Ive been ahead of the curve too.... I went back and reviewed my weights (Which I record on my calorie counter website) and over the last 2 months (Since 11/20) Ive lost 12lbs... so an average of about 6 lbs a month,... but it seems very very slow. I am 16lbs from my goal now, and I know it's gonna drop off slow. If your eating healthy, exercising and eating 800-1200 calories a day.... then I would so not even stress over the numbers.... your healthy, and you can't always make your body co-operate... you want to lose 10lbs, maybe your body doesn't want you to yet... Im a firm believer that no matter what our "goal" is, our body will determine where it is happy to stay! Maybe we can give more help if you give us some specifics, calories a day, exercise, how far from goal etc... Youve done so amazing, I wouldn't let this stress you out! Darlene

you are proably bloated and carrying water eight. DO NOT GIVE up. Just look ho far you have come. Heck not losing in two weeks is noting I can go like 3 or 4 and then bam lose like 10 lbs. Just eat right and use your tool and you ill be fine. What about taking up a hobby? I quilt and a few of the ladies in my support group are going to teach me how to make jewlery. Nice hobby and if I get good at it I could sell some.

Oh Kathy....I feel your pain! My Doc said the same thing to me at my visit two weeks ago. I joined the YMCA and started a new exercise program. My exercise has been very sporadic the past few months. I am trying to get to the YMCA at least 3 times a week. The good thing about that is that I can change up what exercise I do. I have found the tread-climber, which is alot like a treadmill--it burns up 300 calories in 30 minutes at 2.5 mph. A treadmill burns up 200 calories in 50 minutes at 3.4 mph. I don't do the Epiliptical because for some reason it kicks my butt after a few minutes!! Sometimes I do the walking track above the gym (6 times around makes a mile). I'm planning on doing water aerobics class, but haven't figured a way to fit it into my schedule yet! I had lost 6 pounds during November, December and the 1st week of January. As of this morning, the scales have moved down 5 more pounds! I'm not doing excessive exercise....I've just mixed it up a little and striving for consistency. I hope that when I master getting to the YMCA three times per week, that I'll find time to put in a 4th....maybe 5th.... Hang in there, friend....it will get better!!! Tamara

Thanks Ladies- I have been keeping my intake under 1200 calories a day - but sometimes I go as high as 1500. I was eating some no no things for a while. I could even eat a real candy bar. HOWEVER, where I thought I didn't dump, I am dumping again now. Mostly on simple carbs, bread, rice, pasta. Its weird because it is just now happening. I never dumped on those things before, just sugar. Then I dumped on NOTHING. (Just in time for Christmas.) Now I am dumping again. I guess I should be grateful. I am working out 5 times a week for 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer at 5mph. Which means I do about 2.5 miles on the elliptical in 30 minutes. Pretty strenuous. But I am only able to get to the gym during my lunchtime, so my time is limited. I am going to try to add some less strenuous toning exercises at night. I got a New York Ballet Workout DVD set. I'll let you guys know how that goes. The way those women can bend themselves is just WRONG! My nutritionist has suggested that I am maybe not getting enough calories becasue of how I exercise. I asked her if that meant I didn't have to exercise anymore. She didn't think that was funny. I personally feel I am getting in plenty of calories. SO who knows? I do have a hobby. Jewelry making. I have been doing it for a little while and it can even make me forget to eat (I've never had that problem- even after surgery!) I am thinking these frequent periods are doing me in. I am starting to feel tired all the time again and really yucky. My hair has started to fall again. I just get discouraged. I guess I need to start rearranging things, add a protien shake, change up my exercise, etc. Thanks for letting me whine. Kathy

Hi Kathy, I can imagine how frustrating losing slowly must be now, esp after losing so quickly for so long (lucky girl!) that is so weird about your dumping! Good for you for being so consistent with your workouts! That's awesome. The only thing I can think of is to change your exercise up. A trainer once told me the best way to lose consistently is to change your workout routine every two weeks (ugh). (I never do! I LOVE my elliptical ) But maybe that would help. Also maybe you should figure out your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) and see how many cals you should be eating at this point to make sure you're under it. You have a nut, so you've probably covered that already, but who knows. You can Google RMR calculator and get several. I NEVER lose consistently and this month I lowered my cals from 1200 to 1000/1100 just to see, and have dropped 5#'s in 2 weeks! That's never happened before. I really don't think you have too much to worry about. I think you're just so close to (or at?) goal that the last few pounds will drop at a snail's pace! Hang in there, Rebeka