What am I doing wrong?

Cos i MUST be doing something wrong.

4 months ago my eating was terrible. I had fast food more than 7 times a week, frozen custard more than 3 times a week, didn't exercise. Right before thanksgiving I joined WW.
I now work out 4-5 times a week, and really push it...it might not sound like alot, but 30 minutes ont he treadmill at 3.0 mph and the incline varying from 2.5-5% KILLS ME. but I do it. also brining in the weight machines. I don't have fast food anymore, might cave in once every three weeks.
I'm off of two meds that could have inhibited weight loss (antidepressant and estrogen). I've had my thyroid checked here and there in the not too distant past, and it's never been a problem.
I have anywhere from 3-6 servings of fruits/veggies per day, 1-3 of dairy, i'm getting my water, my eating is 200% healthier....my only vice is caffeine, but due to my ADD it doesn't affect me at all...just makes me feel more "normal". I went without it for 72 hours to see if it would lower my resting heart rate (which is 95), but it didn't have any affect.

WHY am I not losing much???
I've been on WW for 12 weeks, and have lost just under 10 pounds.
I understand that a slower weight loss is "healthy", but this is LESS than a pound per week averaging out...and this is too damn slow for all the good changes I've made. Other women at the WW meetings do much less than me and seem to be in the 2+ per week category most of the time.

I'm 28, female, weigh 247 pounds.

Wed. Jan 25, 9:37am

What are you doing wrong? Girl, look at all that you are doing RIGHT!!!

I am so proud of you for the changes you've made and can completely relate. I started WW at 274 many years ago and I'm down to 199 - I still have 50# to go. The changes you're making will last a lifetime and the weight will come off. We didn't get fat overnight and we're not going to get thin overnight either.

Many people on WW who do not exercise seem to lose more weight, but there could be a whole lot of factors. As you are exercising, my dear, you are building muscle for one - losing fat and gaining muscle can even out on the scale, but how are your clothes fitting? Maybe go to www.mybodycomp.com for a guide on how to take your measurements. Do them once a month and watch your progress. Also, as you work your muscles, they retain water as they rebuild. This also can "seem" like added weight, but think of the fabulous benefit to your body.

You're off two meds, off the junky fast food and moving your body. Hooray for you!! Keep at it and if you need additional help, try also checking out the WW community message boards on their site. Lots of experts there.

Also, you may want to check out some books by Dr. Elizabeth Vliet. You said that you were on estrogen - as we get older, estrogen does influence our weight. Might be worth a look-see for you.

About your workouts - is it possible to mix things up a bit? Maybe take one day where go don't go as hard on the treadmill, but go for a long time - or get outside for a long walk 60+ minutes? Really go easy, but there are lots of studies that this longer duration mixed in with the shorter workouts can really help.

Finally, think about 10 pounds of butter sitting on your kitchen counter. That's what you've lost - a great accomplishment!

Melissa

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 9:49 AM

I know that you're right, in that i need to see all the good things I've changed.

However.

Everyone here knows that slow weight loss is FRUSTRATING and makes some people quit.

I suppose that the next time the weather isn't too cold out I'll try walking outside an hour. I can't do that at my gym, unless I were to say, use the treadmill upstairs in the regular gym first for 30 minutes, and then use the treadmill in the womens room for 30 minutes (you can't do more than 30 consecutive minutes, and theres only 2 treadmills in the womens room).

Which scenario is more likely:
1. That I'm not eating enough
2. That I'm not working out enough
3. That I'm eating too much

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 9:56 AM

I made the mistake of not eating everything I was allowed according to my diet - it just seemed too much food. But I didn't lose more than 200g per week, if any! It was because I was eating too little, so in essence starving my body. It just held on to whatever I was eating. Now Ii follow my plan more religiously, I calorie count a lot more (very tedious, but worth it), I weigh my food (very, very tedious, but worth it!!) and have lost 2 pounds a week for 2 weeks now!!! This works for me, hopefully you find what works for you!!!

Don't lose hope!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:02 AM

3rd poster again ... BTW I eat between 1200 - 1500 calories per day.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:04 AM

If you wonder if you're eating too little or too much, I'd suggest meeting with a nutritionist or trainer to have your metabolism checked. KissMeKate mentioned what the best test is for doing this in her blog. Have someone run that test on you to determine how many calories your body burns per day, and from there you probably want to cut about 500 per day (maybe less since you also exercise), and then you'll know if you're eating too much or too little. If I remember correctly, each WW point is generally between 50 and 80 calories, so you can figure out an approximate correct number of points to eat too.

Good luck! Don't give up; you're making such great changes!! I agree with the poster above; think about how much 10 lbs of butter looks like - that's 10 lbs of fat! That's a HUGE chunk of meat that you lost!!

Also, start doing measurements and paying attention to how your clothes fit. If you're truly gaining muscle (you probably are), then you've lost more than 10 lbs of fat. You can go to a butcher or meat counter in a grocery store and ask them to show you a pound of lean meat (muscle) and a pound of fat next to each other; then you'll see what a huge difference it is to replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle!

Think about getting your body fat percentage checked regularly too. Then you'll have more numbers to watch drop!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:05 AM

Well, 10 pounds off of 257 isn't all that much....off of a smaller woman, it would be. But on me, it's kind of like a drop in the bucket.
I keep meaning to have my hubby take a few digital nekkid pics of me, so i can SEE where its going from ....cos right now I can't. I see absolutely no difference in how my clothes fit. none. bras that i grew out of still don't fit. jeans that i bought right when i started WW are still snug at the button.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:10 AM

CONGRATS!

I think you have acomplished SO MUCH an dshould praise yourself , istead of beating yourself up over it! 10#lbs is GREAT! It may not seem like much, but think of your hips at 10# heavier!
You ARE doing great, keep it up!
Shake up your workouts a bit, go for longer but slower, go for a harder workout but shorter time ect, ect.
CONGRATS ON THE WEIGHT LOSS! :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:13 AM

10 lbs off of 257 is a HUGE accomplishment - you broke the 250 lb mark!!

Set yourself mini goals, and when you reach them reward yourself. Maybe, every time you reach 10 lbs off, you'll treat yourself to a new pair of earrings, or a manicure, etc. And every time you reach 25 lbs, you'll get yourself a massage. And at 50 lbs, maybe you'll go away for a weekend, a mini-vacation. Or a whole week somewhere nice, it really depends on your situation.

That way, you always have something to work towards, and you always have a reward a little ways away. You can change the rewards to whatever suits you and your lifestyle, just be sure to make the rewards things that are not food related.

If you have a husband and kids, a nice reward might be hiring a babysitter and going to see a play or concert with the hubby. If you're a single girl, and strapped for cash, a reward might be having a bunch of girlfriends over for a movie night or spa night. Maybe it's buying yourself an iPod, or something else that you've wanted for awhile but can't really think of a good excuse to buy. Anyway, you get the picture...

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:35 AM

I agree that losing 10 pounds, in and of itself, IS great.

But my concern is why it took 12 weeks, ups and downs, to get to that point. And why, if i've made such HUGE changes, is it so slow? I'd really like to lose 2 pounds per week for the most part, and it appears to me that i've made those necessary changes.
I mean hell, i should be losing more than a pound a week JUST for the fast food I cut out!! but i'm not.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:48 AM

Sometimes it takes your body a while to catch on to what you're doing. I started dieting seriously in June, and didn't lose a single pound until August. I didn't have as much to lose, but, for whatever reason, I couldn't get the scale to budge (actually, I gained 2lbs at first!). I'm so glad I stuck with it, though. I hope that you stick with it too!

The healthy range is 1-2 lbs a week. Interspersed with these losses will be weeks of plateaus, or even slight gains. In 12 weeks, to lose 10lbs, is about right.

Okay, honestly, I'm surprised that, given what you've said, you haven't lost more. So, really, I'd have to bet that you're gaining muscle. That's just really the only answer that makes sense!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:54 AM

You have to get it in your head that you are doing this for YOU. Nobody else. Be selfish. You are only 28 years old and are on the right track to a healthier you. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. You have to do what is right for YOU. It is a long haul, I know, I started at 249 in May and am now at 202. While it is tempting to look at the far distant future, take your smaller victories as victories. It is overwhelming and daunting to think about losing 100 pounds. But when you break it down in 10 pound increments, it will help a lot mentally. Losing one pound a week is an awesome achievement! While 2 pounds is great, it is very hard to maintain that type of loss consistently. Especially when you're talking about losing 100 pounds. Stick with it, don't give up. BE STRONG! I know you can do this. Something you really need to do while you're still close to your heaviest weight is to take measurements. I wish I would have done this at the beginning but didn't do it till November. It helped me to take my focus off of the scale and to look at another way to measure my success. From November to January, I lost 11 inches off my bod! If I would've put all my stock in weight I would have seen MAYBE 8 pounds off in 2 months. If you can move around better, breathe better and feel that you have more energy, then you are already making great achievements for yourself. There is no quick fix or magic advice to give other than stick with it, work hard and it will pay off. And you will be immensely proud of yourself. Read my profile and log and you can also see me in the spotlight. I wish you much luck and strength on your journey.

Loricbme

Link

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:17 AM

#2 Poster here again - to the OP

Are you eating all of your points? Eating your APs and at least some of your FPs? Have you talked to your WW leader?

It is frustrating. I have been stuck on 3-month long plateaus before. I can completely related. But I can also say that now, years later, I have maintained an 80# loss. And looking back, I could care less whether that was 1 or 2 or 1/4 of a pound a week - it's gone for good.

Do take some "before" pictures.

And I disagree about getting your metabolism tested. Weight Watchers works and if you follow the plan, it will work. Since you're just starting out with exercises I think the RMR testing would be a huge waste of money.

Also, not possible for me to answer any of these questions for you:

"Which scenario is more likely:
1. That I'm not eating enough
2. That I'm not working out enough
3. That I'm eating too much "

Again, I really think you'd get a lot of help from the WW boards, and the questions above are great to go over with your WW leader.

Good luck and keep at it!

melissa

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 11:49 AM

Melissa:

I have used the WW boards, and well, I'm here so they're not too great. Instead of answers I found more off-topic conversations, and comments than anything truly helpful.

I did ask my WW leader at one point, but to be honest she wasn't helpful at all either. all she could tell me was to try different things. try eating more. Well, that didn't work really.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 1:25 PM

I've been doing WW and when the scale gets stuck I cut out the carbs and the scale moves. I definitely eat the fruit and veggies but I cut out the pasta, pita, wraps and microwave popcorn and I definitely see a loss.

You are doing great! You've LOST 10lbs!!!! Just think if you didn't start WW a month ago you may have gained more weight by now. You have to give yourself credit. The best of luck to you!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 2:00 PM

Congrats on your lifestyle change. If you have structured yourselk to do all that your on your way to a new you. Very exciting. Here are a few comments...

1) I think your calorie intake may be way too low. I am 152 and do moderate exercise and my trainer said to eat 1700 calories 6 days a week and 2000 the 7th.

2) Whenever I get into a slump I work intervals into my routine. Apply this to any cardio. 30 seconds at high intensity and 1 minute at low intensity. Start with 20 minutes.

3) Here is what my trainer told me when I felt a plateau...Here's a little physiology terminology for ya. "Its called the "SAID" principle; (specific adaptations to impossed demand). What this refers to is that basically our bodies are extremely efficient at physiologically adapting to what ever type of stimulus we place upon it. Whether that be our resistance training, cardio training, and yes, even our diet. If we ate healthy with no cheats 7 days a week, our efficient human bodies would become very efficient at that way of eating and our results will hit a plateau (from a body fat reduction standpoint). So throwing in 1/4 donut will actually offset your metabolism and keep things progressing. Its when we do this on a much more repetitive basis that we start to see our results going in the wrong direction. But remember, alcohol is the "devil" when trying to lower body fat." So mix it up a little. Have fun with your workouts and food!

Good Luck!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 3:38 PM

For the OP

Are there other meetings in your area - try a different leader? Also, the WW board that I could not live without is the "fitness challenge" board - those folks know more than anyone, IMHO.

Maybe try mixing it up, too. Change up your normal foods, exercise, like the above poster said. The point about how your body adapts is absolutely true. Are you getting enough healthy fats in your diet? Could you try Core or will you over do it? (I couldn't do Core - I eat too much.)

I know it's tough! You CAN do this.

Melissa

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 4:09 PM

Course correction

I understand your frustration completely. I started with over 200 lbs to lose and I'm down 32 lbs so far. I would be disappointed too if I lost 10 lbs with that much lifestyle change over 3 months. Ten pounds is a FANTASTIC weight loss.....unless you're really hoping and expecting 20 or more. With the utmost of respect - this is a concept that only those who have 100+ pounds to lose can really relate to. We KNOW we're capable of big weight losses in the first couple of months of "dieting" so seeing anything less can be devastating to our morale.

Don't give up!!! Learn from what's happened and adjust your course. Make small changes until you start to see the results you want. Every pound gained on your way down the scale is a lesson to be learned and a valuable part of your journey.

What KINDS of foods are you eating now? I found that just reducing caloric intake was not enough for me. I had to change the "calorie density" of my diet which means that I eat almost no processed foods anymore. Processing food generally reduces the natural water and fiber of the food and condenses the calories. I never eat frozen prepared meals, even the "lean" ones. I rarely eat any breads but enjoy potatoes almost daily (especially sweet potatoes). And most days I have at least 12 servings of veggies and fruit. You can check out my logs in Spotlight Paris.

Let us know what changes you're going to make and what results you get. We're all cheering you on!!!

Hugs!
Trish

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 8:50 PM

Re: What am I doing wrong? .....Nothing...

I know it is frustrating, but I'm thinking that you are converting fat to muscle and so weight may not shift as much as you would like right at first. I am a firm believer in the slower the weight loss the more likely you will keep it off. Remember, at a pound or so per week you will lose over 50 pounds in a year. that's alot of change to go through. Congratulations for sticking with it. You may find as your muscle mass increases that you lose weight more quickly, as all that muscle will use up those calories. Think: I'm converting fat to muscle. Muscle weighs more. Patti

Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 10:21 PM

I had this experience once too, when I started eating better and exercising vigorously at of the sudden (my then fiancee left me and exercising all of the time kept my anxiety under control.) For at least a couple of months I lost nothing, but did notice my clothing getting a little smaller. And then all of the sudden it started comming down. I'm convinced I was gaining muscle mass, and I bet you are. You have made such fantastic progress! The weight will come, but think of the health that you are treating your body to now! Keep on going girl!

Thursday, January 26, 2006, 4:16 AM

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