BIG plea for HELP

ccbw03

ccbw03

Cathlete
I am SO depressed and unhappy with my body right now. Where do I begin? Three years ago I was at my goal weight thru WW. Exercising 5-6 nights a week, rotating cardio and weights. I am now 30lbs heavier, still exercising 5-6 nights a week, and still following a WW diet. I have had to go up in jean size, and believe me, it is not because of muscle.
I took heed to some of the advice and increased my calorie count. I was doing a little research as to maybe why I have been gaining. I did the RMR and such and mine was around 1500. So, according to WW scale, I was eating around 22 points which equals to about 1300 calories. Adding exercise, I was burning anywhere from 300 to 500 calories so that left 700 calories for my body, right? Please feel free to correct me, not sure that I'm understanding this right. So...I tried for three weeks to increase my calories, up to 35-38 points which is 1800 calorie range. ( I had got some information that 5 points equals 250 calories) Now I at least SIX more pounds heavier than three weeks ago!!!!! (Big tears falling)
Then on top of all that, I've done something in my lower back, so have had to take a week off, and we all know how that is without Cathe for a week.
I just don't know what I'm doing so wrong!
Sorry to be such a downer (and on a holiday), but I needed to vent.

Very frustrated,
Cara
 
Cara:

I have to start off by saying I know nothing about weight watchers at all.

What strikes me about your post is the lack of change and variety. I mean, you have basically been following the same exercise routine and eating plan for three years now. And guess what? Your body is savvy and has gotten used to it, therefore it no longer responds as you wish it to by losing body fat.

To continue to get results, you have to change things up. Either in the eating, or in the exercise, or in both, one at a time.

Let's get some perspective: how tall are you? what's your skeleton like? What do you weigh? How old are you? Is this 30 pound desired loss realistic for you? Are you aspiring to a particular body shape ideal or a healthy weight you can realistically live with for the rest of your life?

Ruling out any particular stress in your life or illness that may make your body start holding onto more fat stores (do let us know if you have any, have you ever been tested for a thyroid condition?), you should be able to start seeing results again if you begin by changing the way you work out.

First, you'll have to tell us what a typical week's workouts would look like for you. Let us know what kinds of changes you make from week to week or month to month. And then we could see how to help you tweak it.

I don't personally believe that weight loss success lies 80% in the eating, though there are some who believe this on these boards. Have you thought of giving up the weight watchers? It's a radical suggestion, I know, but perhaps you are unconsciously resenting limiting your diet in this way. Have you tried ever eating intuitively? By that I mean, eating only when you are hungry, eating slowly until full, then stopping, not assuming a meal means three courses and dessert must follow? It might help if you take the emphasis off calorie counting and put it instead on making sure that every mouthful you eat packs the highest nutritional wallop possible. I mean you could count calories, but all your calories could come from fatty foods, which aint healthy. Focus on grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables and lean meats with small amounts of dairy. The mediterranean diet, in other words. Greek grandmas don't count calories: they don't have to.

Apart from your Cathe workouts, are you generally active or inactive during the day? To lose fat you will have to build a calorie deficit. Activity that counts includes all housework, lugging of heavy shopping bags, walking or running upstairs repeatedly, walking the dog, walking to the shops rather than taking the car, etc. If you can build more minor activity into your day, it will all add up!

That's all for now, but give us some more detail on the sort of diet you favour and your workout routines and maybe others can pitch in and help more.

See ya,

Clare
 
Hi Cara, I was on WW for six months, and I know quite a few people who reach a plateau with the program that seems to last for a long time. I think our bodies get used to any weight loss program and exercise program after a while, and we have to change things up to jump start it again. One point equals roughly 50 calores, so if you're truly eating 30 to 35 a day, you're correct about the calories you're eating. I know it sounds crazy, but you may not be getting enough because of the heavy workouts you do. If our bodies sense we're "starving", they will shut down metabolically, and do anything to conserve fat. Others can explain it better than I can, but the bottom line is you can eat so few calories and exercise like a fiend, and still gain weight! Your body is holding onto fat in an effort to conserve energy. You may have to increase your calories, or if you're simply tired of WW (and I can understand that totally!!), you might want to look around for something new. Also, you don't mention what types of workouts you do. Are you doing a variety of things? Are you doing cardio AND strength training? If you don't build lean muscle, you'll have a tougher time losing weight. Each pound of lean muscle consumes 50 calories a day just to stay alive. You don't need big bulky ones. There are others on here who are experts at how many reps and with what weight you should strive for. There are also varying opinions out there on how much cardio and how much strength training you should do each week. If you have the time to exercise 5 or 6 nights a week, I would strive for at least half cardio and half strength training. Also, I would eat at the top end of my range for WW, plus eat your AP's and Flex Points for a few weeks, and see if that helps. Change up your workout routine and see if that makes a difference. Hang in there!! We'll get you through this!!

Carol
:)
 
Clare has excellent advice. I'd also add that your ratio of protein-carb-fat may also have a great deal to do with how your body is processing the calories. As you get older your body gets more insulin resistant, and those carb calories(espcially sugar, white bread, white rice, and potatos) can cause unhelathy rises in your insulin and drive sugar right into fat cells. So you really do have to change your eating habits over time just to maintain the same weight. You may also have just passed a "metablolism milestone" as I call them. At age 44 my metabolism just slowed down 30% for no reason other than hormones and age. So I really had to change my eating. Another thing that really helps is eating most of your calories earlier in the day. Many people consume most of their food after 3pm. I strive to get ALL my calories in before 5pm, except for a 100 cal snack in the evening.
Beth
 
Hi Cara, Clare had some great advice. As a former WW I was just wondering if you set your goal weight too low. I did and I had a hard time with maintenance.
 
My question is have you read about the Flex Points, and do you vary your amount of points you eat every day??? Eating the same number of points everyday can be a bad thing. Your body gets used to it, and everything stalls. Just like your workouts, you need to always keep your body guessing. Best of luck to you.
Lori
 
Hi, Cara!

If your RMR is 1500 and you are eating 1300 AND working out to an additional calorie deficit 300 to 500 points you may have affected your metabolism. Under those circumstances, your body does two things. It breaks down it's own protein for fuel and it decreases the rate at which calories are burned so it can keep it's fat stores.

You need 1500 calories to function at rest. I doubt you are prone all day so you need additional calories for energy to get to and from wherever you may go and to clean your house and do all you do on a daily basis. On top of that, if you were maintaining your weight, you would eat the calories you burn through exercise.

Since you want to lose weight, you eat 1500 to cover your RMR plus enough to energize you for your daily activities. I don't know how tall you are or your body frame but those things are factors as well. So if you eat at betweem 1800 and 2000 calories and burn 300 to 500 through exercise, you will lose 1 pound for every 3500 calories you burn and you should see your weight go down.

The idea that you need to starve to lose is pure fallacy. The most successful women on these forums who lost large amounts of weight did so while eating well and working out hard!

Don't be discouraged! Listen to your body. Have you felt hungry and stressed out, tired? You have exercise in place. You get to eat and you can still reach any goal you set!
Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/person/smilejap.gif
 
Hi Cara,

That's exactly what happened to me with WW! I had used the program before, with terrific results, but this time, after losing 99 pounds, I hit a plateau. I was at about 1100 calories a day and exercising like crazy. It was so disheartening. I was at a plateau for almost two years, and even gained four pounds.

I did finally break through the plateau, and the cause really was, as others here have mentioned, that my body was in "starvation mode." To be honest, I never really believed that it was possible. I thought "starvation mode" was something somebody made up. But boy was I wrong! I finally started losing weight at about 2,000 - 2,200 calories a day and continued losing all the way up to 2800 calories a day--way more calories than I had ever dared eat before! I don't think I would ever have had the nerve to go that high with my calories, except that I used a program called physiquetransformation.com. I got a lot of support and encouragement, both there and here, and I finally lost 27 pounds. And the best part was, I lost weight at an average of 1.5 pounds a week, as compared to .5 pounds a week with WW. I've been maintaining for the last couple of months, sort of a rest period, and I'm going to start another "rotation" at the end of December. I hope to lose the rest of my excess weight then (fingers and toes crossed).

My suggestions to you are to consider upping your calories significantly and keep careful track of your protein/carb/fat ratios. It's scary, I know, but it worked for me when nothing else did. PT is a great program, and I highly recommend checking into it, although it is a lot of work and not for everyone. If you have any questions about it, I'll be happy to tell you about my experiences if you want to e-mail me. There are other programs, as well, that will allow you to track what you eat. Fitday, for one, has a food tracking program on the Internet for free.

I hope you find the right answer for you, soon. I know exactly how you feel, how frustrating it can be to be doing everything right and seeing no results. Good luck!

Shari
 
Hi Cara,

That's exactly what happened to me with WW! I had used the program before, with terrific results, but this time, after losing 99 pounds, I hit a plateau. I was at about 1100 calories a day and exercising like crazy. It was so disheartening. I was at a plateau for almost two years, and even gained four pounds.

I did finally break through the plateau, and the cause really was, as others here have mentioned, that my body was in "starvation mode." To be honest, I never really believed that it was possible. I thought "starvation mode" was something somebody made up. But boy was I wrong! I finally started losing weight at about 2,000 - 2,200 calories a day and continued losing all the way up to 2800 calories a day--way more calories than I had ever dared eat before! I don't think I would ever have had the nerve to go that high with my calories, except that I used a program called physiquetransformation.com. I got a lot of support and encouragement, both there and here, and I finally lost 27 pounds. And the best part was, I lost weight at an average of 1.5 pounds a week, as compared to .5 pounds a week with WW. I've been maintaining for the last couple of months, sort of a rest period, and I'm going to start another "rotation" at the end of December. I hope to lose the rest of my excess weight then (fingers and toes crossed).

My suggestions to you are to consider upping your calories significantly and keep careful track of your protein/carb/fat ratios. It's scary, I know, but it worked for me when nothing else did. PT is a great program, and I highly recommend checking into it, although it is a lot of work and not for everyone. If you have any questions about it, I'll be happy to tell you about my experiences if you want to e-mail me. There are other programs, as well, that will allow you to track what you eat. Fitday, for one, has a food tracking program on the Internet for free.

I hope you find the right answer for you, soon. I know exactly how you feel, how frustrating it can be to be doing everything right and seeing no results. Good luck!

Shari
 
Hey a big thanks to everyone!!
I forgot to give some of my info.
I am 5'6", 37yr. old.
My workouts consist of Cathe. I've been doing Cathe workouts for seven years now. I've been doing her rotations that she posts since, I believe, May or June.
I have looked into the Physique Transformation. I read the book you could download. I would be interested in asking some questions, Shari if you wouldn't mind.
I tried increasing my calories, but I gained so far about 5lbs. Is that supposed to happen before I start losing again? I'm so confused.
I do understand everything everyone has said, but now if I'm gonna start gaining, I don't know which way to turn.
What is a typical eating day for some of you?
I've been trying to eat 5 small meals, or to me it's 3 meals, plus 2 snacks.
Thanks again for all the educated advice. I'm usually a lurker.
:) x(
 
Yes, you probably will gain a little weight during the conditioning phase of the program. Most people do, but they lose it during the first week or two of fatburning. A lot of it is usually water weight, from the heavy strength training and the extra carbs, both of which cause you to retain water. It's terrifying, I know. I was grasping at my last hope, or I would never have tried it. I was lucky in being one of the few who actually lost weight on that many calories.

My typical day of eating probably wouldn't interest you, I'm afraid. I'm a vegetarian, so you'll see a lot of of vital wheat gluten, tofu, etc. Maybe someone else will chime in with their menu. Also, here's the address for the PT support group. There are menus posted in the "files" section, and I'm sure others there will e-mail you their menus. Just pop in, introduce yourself, and ask. There are also people there who gained during conditioning. Talking to them should help calm your nerves about that initial gain.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/pfasupport/

Good luck!!!!!
Shari
 
Hello, Cara!

The trick is to eat whole grains, lean proteins and alot of fruits and vegetables. Get plenty of fiber too. I eat three meals a day and a couple of snacks if I feel hungry. I plan each meal to consist of protein, carbs and healthy fats. By eating all three things, blood sugar stays stable and hunger is kept at bay. I used to eat alot more carbs and in spite of the fact that they were high quality whole grains, I was hungry alot. By combining carbs, fats and proteins, I feel satisfied and even skip sweets more often than not. I eat vegetarian at breakfast and lunch most days, keep portions small and try to listen to my hunger.

Breadkfast @ whole grain waffles, peaches with one tablespoon of maple syrup, 2 Boca breakfast links

Lunch Tofu and rice noodles with vegetables and soy sauce, small salad

Dinner Chicken with pasta and marinara, salad with vinegarette, spinach with garlic

I eat pretty much anything that takes my fancy but I try to eat slowly and to stop as soon as I am full. It's better to quit while you are ahead because you can always go back and eat a little more but once it's wolfed down there's no getting it back!


Bobbi http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/nosmile/peacesign.gif
http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/person/smilejap.gif
 
I'm 5 feet 5 inches, and eaily maintain my weight at about 127 pounds with the following: (and I'm 46, in perminopause}(
bkfast: 1 bran muffin with 2 tsp whippped butter, 1 8oz glass 1% milk
snack: 2 tablespoons peanut butter
lunch: 1 8oz glass 1% milk, 1 slice wheat bread, 4-6 ounces of lean meat (turkey, healthy choice ham or chicken), 1 TB sweet mustard for my sandwich; 1 1/2 cups of mixed vegatables, 2 pear or peach halves (canned) topped with 1 tb of Dannon natural vanilla yogurt (Alernate lunch: 1 lean cuisine and 1 breakstone cottage double.)
snack: if needed, a few braided pretzel twists, parmesan flavor with few sips of milk
dinner: 1 glass 1% milk, 1 1/2 cups of chicken/white bean/veggie chili with 1 TB sour cream, 2TB shredded cheese, 1 small flour tortilla.
dessert: Dannon yogurt smoothie (80 cals).
As you can see, I'm a dairy lover. There are studies showing dairy products help you lose weight, and I believe it.
For exercise: 2 cardio, 3 strength (all Cathe), 1 Pilates/Yoga (Kari Anderson), and one day of rest. Also-I walk every day 2 miles. I think the walking has taken off about 5 pounds in addition to if I just did Cathe alone. I started out at 145 pounds about 1 1/2 years ago.
Beth
 
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