Frustrated

[Rena]

I don't know what's going on. I was doing really well, but things seem to have come to a halt. I thought maybe it was because I was eating too much. Portions/calories -- whatever you want to call it, although I never go (knowingly) over 20 carbs. I usually have <20. I also wondered maybe I was eating too much because I was exercising more, which caused an appetite increase. Yesterday I had 6 carbs, plus whatever is in a piece of asparagus chicken. I ate 3 decent meals and a snack. I drank tons of water and had NO sugar alcohols. I also worked out for 70 minutes, just as I do every single day. And yet, nothing.

It's frustrating as hell.

We hear this all the time, so I'm nothing new. It's just irritating when I was doing really well and then suddenly I stop seeing results. I'm not sure what else to do, other than keep going. I'm just feeling really down, which is STUPID in itself. But, I was hoping to reach my goal by May so I could fit into some old clothes when we go to Disney World. I can't afford to buy new stuff.   I know, I know ... "Don't pay attention to the scale." "You've lost a lot of weight and you look great." "Just keep plugging along." Oh, and my personal favorite from my husband, "You're a 46-year-old woman; you don't need to be skinny as a model." Blah, blah, blah -- but it just makes me want to scream sometimes. And it's not like I started this 2 weeks ago and want instant results. I began October 1, 2010 and for awhile averaged 10 pounds lost a month, which is a healthy amount. This is what I ate yesterday ...

Breakfast --
2 scrambled eggs (2)
2 slices bacon (0)
3 cups coffee w/heavy cream and NO sweetner (0)

Lunch --
1/2 can tuna w/mustard & dill pickle relish (0)
2 Romaine lettuce leaves (1)

Snack --
string cheese (0)
2 green olives (I count them as 2, even though this particular jar says 0)

Dinner --
asparagus chicken (not sure of the carb count)
fresh spinach (1)
herbal tea w/cream and NO sweetner (0)

According to yesterday's menu, am I eating too much? I suppose I should have eaten half a piece of chicken instead of the whole one. By the time dinner came around, even with the snack, my blood sugar was so low and I was famished. Not to mention curled up in a ball on the couch and cranky as the devil. I don't know. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Thanks for listening to me rant ...  

[mouseissue]

Hi Rena!

I understand your frustration.
My weight loss has also been stuck now for about 3 weeks.
But I continue to remind myself that losing weight is more than a scale measurement.

When I took measurements a week ago, I lost a quarter inch here a half inch there in the last month.
So my body is still progressing toward "skinny" even though the scale does not show it.
I also know that there are other physiological changes happening that I can't see or feel.

I'm confident that the scale will start moving again in it's own time.
I am just going to stick to the FTS rules knowing that my weight will be a memory in the not too distant future.

Feeling down for a short time is not stupid.
Allowing yourself to stay "down" is.
Too much reliance on a scale measurement can foster feeling "down".

Life is far too short to live in a frustrated mindset.
So count your blessings and enjoy each day the Good Lord gives you as it comes.

[joagain]

Amen Tony ! Rena I have only lost 28 pounds since Sept so out of my eyes you are extremly lucky !! Think about what has happened so far with the FTS life !!!!
 And your husband maybe right you may be at your body's goal weight ,maybe not yours but your Body

[Rena]

Thanks, Tony & Jo! 

I hear what both of you are saying. I see eating low-carb as a way of life, especially since I'm able to replace many favorite high-carb foods with low ones. That's not a big issue for me, unlike how it is for my husband, who worries how he will be able to substain this. I don't mean to be whiny. I realize I've lost a lot of weight. If I posted a before & after picture even where I am now, it would be shocking.

My biggest frustration is my own fault because I put this time limit on where I want to be by the time I go to WDW. I've had a bunch of clothes packed away for years and I was really hoping to get into them by the time we left. So, I've been the weight I'm working towards. I figured if I did it once before, I can do it again. The reason I put the weight on since then was a combination of 2 pregnancies and simply eating enough to maintain being overweight. So anyway, maybe I have this 'unreasonable time frame' set up in my mind because of my trip. My denim shorts with Mickey Mouse on the leg REALLY want to go to Disney World. HA!

Like I said, maybe tomorrow will be better ...  Thanks, again.

[beebs]

Pretty Rena. 

[mouseissue]

Hi Rena!

We don't know what the future holds.
You may still very well reach your goal (i.e. fitting into those clothes) by May.

I think weight loss should come with a disclaimer:
"Past performance is no guarantee of future results".
The timetable our bodies have may not be what we think it is.

Just stay positive and be content with your blessings as your receive them.
That's the secret of being truly happy!

When May comes, have yourself a great time on vacation!

[Rena]

Thanks, Beebs & Tony!

I guess I'll get there when I get there. On another note, I did try my Mickey Mouse shorts on today and got them all the way up. Now to work on being able to button them -- 

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi Rena, first of all take a deep breath and try to relax a bit. There's nothing wrong with yesterdays menu and your progress has been steady. Your body is adjusting that's all. Stay the course and don't be so hard on yourself. As far as Mickey is concerned you'll be wearing the shorts soon enough. 

I'm not sure what kind of exercise your doing but add situps to your daily routine. Get up to 50 a day, tighten your core and you'll see your waistline pull in a few inches.

[Rena]

Hi Rena, first of all take a deep breath and try to relax a bit. There's nothing wrong with yesterdays menu and your progress has been steady. Your body is adjusting that's all. Stay the course and don't be so hard on yourself. As far as Mickey is concerned you'll be wearing the shorts soon enough. 

I'm not sure what kind of exercise your doing but add situps to your daily routine. Get up to 50 a day, tighten your core and you'll see your waistline pull in a few inches.

Thanks, Doug!

Abdominal exercises is what I'm missing. As of now, I use handweights/bands for about 10 minutes and then I walk on a Bowflex TreadClimber for 30 minutes. Rick just bought a recumbant bike, so I've been adding 30 minutes of that after I walk. It's not nearly as hard, so it's a good 'cool down' after the TreadClimber. But, I do need to work on my stomach, so I'll start on that today. I managed to get those silly shorts up but not buttoned, which made me realize that's where I need to work on.

I'm still cutting out sugar alcohols, but haven't noticed any change yet. Not sure how big of a deal it would be if I were to have a little in my coffee or maybe a soda in the afternoon. I miss that.

[Doug Varrieur]

A couple of weeks of building up your sit ups will make a difference in your waistline. Sucking in your core really makes you feel thinner too