Anbody else struggling to lose weight?

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Okay so thanks to Remeron I gained 25 pounds last year. Normally I'm super cautious about weight gain (used to be 120 pounds and a size four) so I'm quite upset about letting myself gain so much weight. Yes the medications are partly to blame. I started snacking heavily once I started Remeron. I used to eat three meals a day and not snack at all. On the Remeron I was hungry ALL the time. So I ate chips and cookies at night after dinner. So basically I have 25 pounds to lose. During the summer I watched what I ate carefully and lost ten of those pounds.

Then Halloween hit, and I cheated. We had a big party at work with lots of snacks and sweets and I over indulged. Instead of being super strict the next day and going back on my diet, I cheated again by having some of the kids' Halloween candy. After that I continued to cheat every single day. I haven't weighed myself recently because I'm too scared to. I know I gained back all of the ten pounds I lost during the summer. I probably gained even more weight on top of it. I am sooooooo mad at myself! Now I'm right back where I started. Originally, during the summer when I first started dieting, I had planned to lose all my weight before Christmas. There goes THAT plan.

So now I'm back at square one. I just re-started my diet today. My boyfriend is also on a diet to lose about 40 pounds and he hasn't cheated so far and he's lost ten pounds. I'm jealous. So now I'm back to being super strict eating 1200 calories a day and I'm cranky. I already ate 960 calories so far today and I have my healthy choice dinner saved for tonight that will take me to just ten calories over 1200. So I'm being good but I really don't feel like it. I'm starting to get sick, thanks to difficult child and her flu, and all I want right now is comfort food. I want a nice big fat cheeseburger and fries. Can't do it though. I gotta get back on track with my diet. I'm really hoping this time I can stick with it. Anybody else trying to lose weight? If so maybe we can support each other? I am very unhappy with my size right now and I am anxious to finally lose it all this time!
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Every time I lose 5, I gain 10.
So, I've quit dieting.

Instead... I'm, content not to gain.
And in being that way... I'm slowly losing a bit.

Go figure.
Maybe trying to lose weight was just one stress too many?
 

SuZir

Well-Known Member
1200 kcal is really little. It is difficult to stick with so strict diet and even more difficult to be able to keep the weight after so strict diet. Okay, I don't weight 120 pounds, haven't since I was a girl. I'm close to your current weight but I may be taller than you (closer to 5'10") and mostly wear your size 6. I eat something like 2500 to 3000 kcal daily, sometimes more. I would be hungry and cranky and cold all the time with 1200 kcal and wouldn't feel like doing anything.

Of course to use that amount of energy I need to be active and exercise and I also have more muscle mass than many women. But 1200 kcal is so much under even the energy consumption of women who are not active that is it really wise to try with so strict diet? Yes, it may be fun to have weight go down quickly, but with so strict diet you are loosing much of your muscle mass and that will make it even harder to keep weight down later. Muscle uses much more energy than fat even when you are not actually doing anything.

Would it be possible for you to eat little more and exercise a bit? It is rather easy to exercise enough to use more than 2000 kcal a day and you could eat 1600 or 1700 kcal and still loose weight quickly. And exercising also helps with mood and sleep and makes you feel more energetic and is of course very important to your overall health.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Well thanks to the kids' dad I am stressed more than usual and I really really want to over eat. This is probably not the best time for dieting with all the stress and the holidays coming up, but I am determined to start losing now. I can't bear another text from my boyfriend with him bragging about how much weight he's lost during the week. I am jealous and I want to lose too! Plus he keeps asking me how I'm doing on my diet. I feel like I'm being held accountable. It's a lot of pressure but I can't keep procrastinating any longer.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
CB, sorry you're struggling with your weight. It's a challenging thing to manage, especially when you're on medication that causes weight gain.

I wonder though, if sticking to too strict a regimen might derail your progress. If you're eating too little, you might end up sabotaging your efforts a) by slowing your metabolism and b) by limiting yourself so much that you go crazy thinking about food all the time.

When my eating has gone off the rails, I usually start by tracking everything I eat. I don't make any changes until I have about a week's worth of data. I track all meals and all snacks, times of day and rough quantities. That lets me start identifying patterns, and see where I'm going off the rails. A lot of smart-phones have tools that allow you to track diet, so you don't have to keep endless lists.

Then you can figure out where your trouble spots are and make changes that will work for you.

As for your boyfriend, men usually have a much easier time losing weight than women do. It stinks, but it's reality. Don't compare your progress to his. It will just frustrate you.

Also, the Healthful Living forum has some great advice and recipes. It hasn't been terribly active lately, but some of the older posts are still useful. Hmmm...maybe if enough of us are trying to get or stay healthy, we can get that forum active again.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Well I've consulted several dieting websites and every single one of them recommends I eat 1200 calories a day to lose the amount of weight I need to lose, and it's including excercising around 30 minutes a day. So that's why I'm sticking with 1200. I did it during the summer no problems. But I don't work in the summer time so I have much less stress. It was easier to stick with a diet when I wasn't working. Plus the heat cuts down my desire to eat considerably. Now that it's colder out all I want is comfort food. Oh well, I am going to try my best and see what happens.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
You need to find a different stress-buster.
One low-cal option is to chew mint-flavored toothpicks. (works better for a guy but... it IS really low-cal, and still provides some of the same sensations as eating)

What other stress-busters are there that will work for you?
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I've been craving sweets lately. I'm on Paroxatene, a huge weight gainer. Can't seem to get motivated to lose, although I know it's better for my heath. I *do* work out.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Well when I was manic I would go jogging an hour a day after work before going to pick up the kids. Those were the good old days. I haven't excercised in over three years. I suppose I should start again. Now to find the energy and motivation to go out there and do it. Excercise really did used to be a good stress buster for me. Now I think of excersise and I cringe. Maybe I should just force myself. I don't know.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
I'm on Paxil too but for me it helps me lose weight. I was on it years ago and it killed my appetite. I just started taking it again but unfortunately it's not having the same effect on me this time.
 

JKF

Well-Known Member
I tend to struggle with weight gain and the inability to lose weight when I'm stressed. And lately I've been VERY stressed so I'm definitely struggling. I don't do well on restricted, count every calorie, kind of diets. My body responds so much better if I relax and make myself conscious of what I'm putting in my mouth. Lots of fruit and veggies, lean protein, healthy fats, whole grains, etc. I always lose weight and look and feel so healthy when I eat this way. I find it easier to stick with it if I don't label it a "diet". I even allow myself to have a bit of ice cream or a piece of chocolate for a "treat" every night. I'm not saying its easy. I definitely have to work at it daily. I've been slacking lately due to stress and I can feel it and see it as a result. I try not to beat myself up over gaining some weight here or there though because that's one more thing that stresses me out and I don't need any more stress in my life! lol
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Also look at where those calories come from.
If most of that 1200 calories is carbs - especially "simple" carbs like bread - then the blood-sugar highs and lows will be driving part of the hunger.

Always have protein, carbs, and fat together. Meal or snack, all day, every day.
And yes - DO include fat in your diet. It really helps regulate blood sugar, especially if the fats come with fiber (nuts, avocado).

For the quickest snack in the world... grab a glass of 2% milk. It has all three elements, in a good healthy balance.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Im gonna give you a hint. Ask your psychiatrist for a very low dose of topamax to help you out. It will allow you to drop that weight in no time. Other than that just let me give you some advice from someone who is way more overweight than you are.'

You are obsessing about this far too much. Tell your boyfriend to shut up. Men do lose weight faster and its not a competition. All he is doing is causing you more stress. I dont care what the other websites are telling you is the perfect calorie number for you, if you are still hungry, you will fail. You need to find a way to change your eating habits to healthier living for life and not just a diet. Dieting deprives you. That makes you just want to eat what you cant eat. If you want a cheeseburger, have a small cheeseburger you make yourself so you can control it. Make sure you use lean meat, maybe a whole grain bun, lots of lettuce and tomato on it, a nice side salad. If you want ice cream, make it the best kind you want but eat a cone not the entire carton. I have found these wonderful ice cream bars that have only 80 calories and they are to die for! I am also in love with these bags of sugar free jello that are only 45 calories for an entire bag. but if I absolutely want something...Im having it because I know if I deny myself I will walk around obsessing about it until I go and eat an entire cake. Much better to have one slice.

I have learned to eat my meals on what used to be dinner sized plates but now are lunch plates. If I absolutely want more I have to get up and get more but before I do that I sit and smoke a cigarette or two and normally I dont want anymore after that. I am also one who has always had to have snacks in bed while watching tv at night. I do think it is medication related. Now I keep either a bag of popcorn with me or a bag of soft cheeto's in my bed. The cheeto's will last me over a week. I have eat about a handful or two a night. I tend to fall asleep before I eat much now.

But first of all...go ask the doctor for a script for topamax. It will help. Just ask to start at 12.5 mgs for about 2 weeks, go then to 25 mgs for another two weeks then up to 50 mgs...and stay there for awhile and see how you do. You should see yourself actually be better with the anxiety and you will start losing weight because food will taste just wrong.
 
H

HaoZi

Guest
Remember not to compare your loss to his - it's generally easier for a man to lose than a woman because men are naturally more muscle percentage than we are and that burns at a higher resting rate to begin with.
 

JKF

Well-Known Member
CB - another thing that really helps is when I break my meals up. I'll have oatmeal at 9. Then a piece of fruit at 10. Then some veggies and dip or a handful of nuts at 11:30 then lunch at 1, etc, and so on. It helps keep my blood sugar stable if I graze all day long. I'm still eating a healthy balanced diet but breaking it up helps a lot. That way I don't feel deprived like I would if I had to strictly eat "breakfast/lunch/dinner" at appointed times only.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Janet I tried a rather high dose of Topomax and it did absolutely nothing to help me lose weight. I still craved all the wrong foods and I snacked a lot. It also didn't work for difficult child 1 when she was on it. I guess we are a rare breed. Anyway, I totally cheated last night. I had several hands full of cool ranch Doritos after dinner. I just felt the need to snack on something. Now the chips are all gone and I have nothing left to snack on. I am back on my diet and it should be a little easier this week because I am not going back to the store and I have no temptation in my house. I'm still super p***ed off at myself for cheating. I did good all day then gave in at the end of the night. Today I'll be better.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
CB? PLAN to cheat... in which case it isn't cheating any more.
Allow for some small thing that you LOVE, in your calorie count.
For me, it is one small square of high-quality chocolate.
Because it's planned for - there is no guilt. But really cuts down on the other cravings.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
Well I allowed myself to have a donut this morning. A cake donut with vanilla frosting is 270 calories so I just fit it in with my daily calories. I am also going to treat myself to Subway today. A six inch sub is enough to fill me up for hours. So yes I do allow myself little indulgences here and there. Right now my problems is snacking on chips or cookies at the end of the night when I've already eaten all my calories for the day. I have no more chips or cookies in the house so snacking at this point is no longer an option.
 
Top