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SparkPoints: (397)
Fitness Minutes: (475)
Posts: 2
12/6/09 3:31 A

Hey everybody. Congrats to all the losers so far! : ) I was also feeling a bit down because I was stuck in a rut Oct-Nov. Since July I've lost 10kgs (Oct) and I have only 8kgs more to go to hit my target weight. But it's getting more and more difficult! In fact I'm yo-yoing and hence I joined this website to hopefully get some inspiration and new techniques and ideas. So far I've been signed up for just under 2weeks and I've already lost 1.8kgs (I'm in the gym alot!). I'm planning on taking up the 6meals a day meal plan and see how that works for me. But there will always be a way to shed those pounds so don't lose hope! Try something new and if its exciting EVEN BETTER. And be accountable! All the best!

current weight: 209.0

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SparkPoints: (9,159)
Fitness Minutes: (5,344)
Posts: 820
12/5/09 5:02 P

I am right there with you honey. I have not lost weight in two months. Fortunately, I measured myself when I got serious again. After a month I measured again and I had lost 4 inches. This is great, but I want those pounds off. I am eating healthy and have added calories as starving did not seem to be working! I am not going to give up! It takes time, that's all.

current weight: 165.0

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SparkPoints: (2,991)
Fitness Minutes: (1,563)
Posts: 19
12/5/09 3:33 P

I have been going through the same thing. I see a little difference in my clothing and the scale seems to be stuck. I actually thought about buying a new scale, thinking surely the one I have is broken. I was really start getting discouraged. But this week I decided to mix up my cardio a bit. Rather than getting on the elliptical I jumped back on the treadmill. I was so excited when I dropped from a 20 min mile to a 17.10 min mile with little effort. To me that was worth more than anything on the scale. I am closer to that 12 min mile goal that I have set for myself. I am now motivated again. Now if I could quit smoking. I keep trying, some days are better than others.

Pounds lost: 1.0

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Posts: 119
12/5/09 3:10 P

You may not see a difference on the scale or on how your clothes fit, but I am sure your blood pressure and blood lipids are much better than they used to be! Remember when you are feeling unmotivated that you are doing this not just to look good, but also to be healthy. That is the most important thing, and you are doing your body a huge favor with your new lifestyle. You are doing a great job, so just keep at it (count calories for a while to see if you are on the right track there) and don't give up. You are doing great!

SparkPoints: (4,152)
Fitness Minutes: (4,076)
Posts: 149
12/5/09 2:48 P

When I first started out I was putting most of my effort in exercise and just trying to make healthy choices with my food. I didn't lose hardly anything the first few months. Then out of curiousity I started tracking my food and I was blown away by how many calories I was actually eating. Since I've started tracking my food I've lost about a pound a week. Exercise is an important part of weight loss, but you'd be surprised how much food can sabotage your efforts.

current weight: 130.0

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Posts: 705
12/4/09 1:30 P

I believe I read somewhere that quitting smoking can cause weight gain, so maybe that has something to do with it? Have you seen a doctor to rule out medical conditions?

You are making progress and being healthier, so kudos to you! That scale can't tell you how healthy you are. I'm obese according to my scale, but I'm in better shape than the two National Guard soldiers I live with!

current weight: 199.0

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SparkPoints: (65,082)
Fitness Minutes: (69,670)
Posts: 5,910
12/4/09 12:51 P

Be patient IZZYGIRL!!!

This takes time - LOTS OF IT!!

current weight: 189.0

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SparkPoints: (508)
Fitness Minutes: (335)
Posts: 9
11/22/09 11:08 P

Hello, I was on your boat for a while..all this exerccise and healthy eating and the scale wasn't moving! And then I discovered my bible! (No not the christian bible!!!) I found Jillian Michael's Master Your Metabolism book and I'm telling you, it really changed my life. I have been on her diet for nearly 2 weeks and I have lost almost 10 pounds. Anyway the whole diet involves cutting out processed food completely. No chips, no white bead, etc. All that you focus on is natural, whole food which does not automatically mean organic. As long as the list of ingredients has nothing that you can't pronounce pretty much. For example, Quaker's Simple Harvest Oatmeal is not certified as organic but it is good for you because it has simple, whole ingredients. These kinds of foods are what your body was meant to deal with, not doritos with all their chemicals! The book helps you view these foods as poison and you actually don't even crave them at all. Anyway you should defientely check it out. It might be a little expensive but it's so worth it.

current weight: 150.0

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SparkPoints: (7,030)
Fitness Minutes: (9,157)
Posts: 239
11/20/09 5:57 P

There are two things that could be a major issue putting a stall in your weight loss. You could not be eating enough food to supply your body, especially considering how much you're working out. Or, if you don't think that's an issue - you could also be eating too much, are you properly measuring your portions? I was stuck, and then bought a food scale, and now my weight is shifting downward again!

current weight: 146.2

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Posts: 446
11/20/09 2:04 P

OMG! Im in the same situation as you! 3 months I lost 10 pounds. I havent weighed myself yet so dont know how much ive lost since then. But I dont really see BIG DRASTIC changes like I want to. Maybe some muscle which is great but I want to loose fat! lol So you are NOT the only one! Keep at it though! figure out EXACTLY what you are eating and what you might be doing wrong..


Need to talk? Im here!

Posts: 282
11/20/09 12:28 P

For me the #1 thing is tracking. Tracking tracking tracking!

I maintained a healthy weight for ages so when I started going up I thought just eating healthy and jogging would get me back to where I was. When I started tracking I realized how many calories were in the healthy food. I found tracking really helped me to stay in my calorie range (top of my range is 1840 because I really can't do drastic) and learn which foods aren't really value for their calories (goodbye Kraft Dinner, I miss not having you around as much.)

Good luck and congrats on all your positive changes!

current weight: 153.4

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SparkPoints: (1,607)
Fitness Minutes: (2,581)
Posts: 63
11/20/09 10:46 A

try switching to 6 smaller meals from 3.. I did this 8 weeks ago and have been dropping the pounds alot. I cut an average of 500 calories a day by doing this, its amazing, and I am not even hungry!! .. and I do have cheat daysand the halloween candy still haunts me. good luck!!!

Pounds lost: 20.0

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Posts: 104
11/20/09 9:40 A

I do understand your frustrations.. I've noticed relatively little changes since I've started on this journey. At one point, I stopped worrying about how many calories I burned at the gym. Instead my goal was to try to run a mile in 10:00, then under 10 minutes. I can run 3 miles now. While, I may still weigh exactly the same, I couldn't run 3 miles before and that is progress! So my advice to you is to set another small goal for yourself.

current weight: 155.4

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125

SparkPoints: (87,283)
Fitness Minutes: (51,975)
Posts: 25,147
11/20/09 9:23 A

Izzigirl,

Healthy living involves more than a number on the scale. It involves slowly changing our mind-set even if we do not see changes on the scale. One thing I have discovered in my own 5 year journey is that I can and never will control the speed at which the scale moves, but that doesn't mean I'm not making progress.

For me setting actionable goals and meeting them every day is what keeps me going.

Hang in there and CONGRATS on giving up smoking!

Nancy

current weight: 125.0

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Posts: 11
11/20/09 5:55 A

Hi!

Congratulations on your life changes. The steps you have taken are not easy and will really improve your health. As for the lack of weight loss, I experienced the same thing. I increased my exercise, converted my foods to more healthy ones, and reduced my alcohol intake--but the scale wouldn't budge. I guess my appetite was encouraging me to eat just enough food to maintain my weight, rather than lose it. What really turned things around for me was counting calories. When I put a few things in the calculator that I had thought were the best option, I was surprised to find out that even the "healthy" choices had far more calories than I imagined. Once I started counting the pounds started to come off too.
Also, your body is probably experiencing some changes, but you just can't see them. You are probably building some muscle and reducing fat, but they are balancing each other out and not really creating a noticeable change to you. And anyway, losing a smoker's cough is definitely something to be proud of! So, I guess I would definitely recommend counting the calories as something to try. If you don't see any results after eating a healthy amount of calories for two weeks or so, then maybe consult a doctor? Good luck with your continued efforts and I hope you start seeing the results you want soon!

B

current weight: 365.0

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Posts: 134
11/20/09 3:10 A

Hi guys,

I could really use some motivation. I love sparkpeople, and I'm on here nearly every day. I post to my teams, I blog, I try to record my food every day. Since committing myself to sparkpeople in July, I've changed so much. I've started exercising everyday (and I get in between 30 minutes to two hours). I've cut out all but the occasional soda, and stocked my fridge with home-made iced tea instead. I keep carrot sticks and cauliflower cut up in there at all times. I cook about 90% of our meals at home, completely from scratch, and I'm all over the healthy recipe scene. I even quit smoking, and have been cigarette free since Sept. 7th.

Despite all these changes in my life, I've seen absolutely no change in the scale or in the way my clothes fit in three months. I'm not perfect-- I slip up and eat pizza or ice cream or pie, and I'm still working on my portion sizes. I guess I was resisting totally overhauling my diet amidst all the other things I'm changing right now-- I was trying to do the incremental thing that sparkpeople advocates. But I really thought that there would be more to show for all the positive steps I'm taking. I'm proud of those steps, but I'm really starting to lose my motivation just because I'm seeing no positive outcome from it all. All I can really say is that I've lost my smoker's cough.

Can anyone help me spot what I'm doing wrong? Shouldn't I be seeing at least SOME changes? It's really starting to drag me down.

current weight: 161.4

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