What more can I do?!?!

[Nicki12117]

I've been trying to loose the odd stone for probably the last 5 years but 8 months ago I got serious about shifting the spare tyre I had developed. I'm 5ft8 and wear a size 16/18, weighing in at 16 stone at the moment.

I have been exercising 4 times a week and eating a diet of moderation (between 1400-2000 calories a day, more like 1400 during the week and 2000 over the weekend). Between a busy career, running a house, family, friends and some very, very rare me time, I don't feel like I can do any more.

I have lost precisely 0lb/kg/ounces etc since I started. I've just been fobbed off by my GP AGAIN, 'do more' is all I get.

Surviving on 800 calories a day isn't sustainable, I can't fit more gym sessions without cutting out something else (family? Friends?? Having a life?!?) but I'm not sure I can keep going at this rate either - my life revolves around when I'm next going to the gym and what I can and can't eat. This is ruling my life but when I told my GP it was ruining my life, in tears, she just fobbed me off with another blood test, testing the same as she has tested every year since I was about 8.

I spend a lot of my time tired from the gym or upset about the lack of impact all the effort is having. I can't keep going on like this, it's exhausting and the effort I'm putting in is making me desperately unhappy.

What more can I do?

[albionjen]

First, I am sure that doing more exercise has benefited your health. Even those who are slim need to exercise regularly to be healthy! So, try not to be too hard on yourself. You are making a effort and it will be beneficial even without any weight loss.

From what you describe you are eating around 1600kcal on average, which should enable you to lose weight although it would be fairly slow (0.5lb per week perhaps). How are you working out your calories count for the day? To have an accurate measure you need to be sure to count everything including fruit, veggies, drinks, oil used for cooking, sauces, dressing. Make sure to weigh everything, especially high calorie food like cheese, pasta. It is really easy to under estimate portion size and so go over on calories. My other thought is whether you keep track even on the weekends? I also eat more on the weekend and less during the week, but I still keep a diary every day. A couple of high intake days can easily wipe out any calorie deficit built up during the week.

It sounds like your work out schedule is really stressing you out. Do you like going to the gym? If you hate it perhaps try some other forms of exercise - going for a walk with friends/family, taking up a sport. I doesn't make sense to keep on doing something that you feel is ruining your life. It is possible to lose weight without ever stepping foot in the gym. If you like the gym then see if any of your friends fancy being your fitness buddy or want to go to a class with you, that way you can combine social life and fitness

Good luck and I hope you find a less stressful path to weight loss.

[hypo75]

Hi if you don't t mind me asking what are you doing at the gym ? I started 5 weeks ago I do 5 times a week and lost 10lb like you have done changed my diet the only major changes I've done is cutout bread and changed from white potatoes to sweet potatoes and I make sure I have breakfast I'm hoping eventually to lose 3 stone .I totally understand how stressed you are feeling its hard doing family ,work and gym maybe talk to fitness trainer at gym see if they can give some advice at my gym there's also a nutritionist maybe its not how many calories your eating but what and at what times . good luck and don't t give up !

[cazzajane]

Firstly, a 16/18 is not huge. Yes, you are overweight, but you are clearly operating quite a healthy lifestyle. So. stop beating yourself up 800 calories a day is daft so don't even consider it, it would do a short term fix but as soon as you go back to normal food you will put it back on again, but, have you considered incorporating your new regime into the family/friends/life instead? Gym isn't the only way to lose weight, arrange a badminton session, or a long walk, or some other form of exercise with those family and friends, you'll all spend time together like you do now and you will all benefit from it. In my personal opinion only, redirect the money you spend on the gym doing something with them instead. I have never worked very hard at the gym, I'm just not motivated enough, but I can easily spend the £50 I spend on it doing more activities with friends. Stop the gym, start walking, cycling, running or enjoying life, take the pressure off yourself and you will find things more naturally will follow. Your calorie allowance might need adjusting too, you have to save 3500 calories to lose a lb, you are having around 11,000 a week which is 1500 a day, so you either need to increase the amount of exercise or reduce that to around 1100 a day, and you will see an improvement. But, stop being so hard on yourself. If you were 8 stone overweight I would be telling you different things, but if you live a healthy lifestyle with not too much alcohol and fresh fruit veg/not too much red meat and all that stuff .. then its not sooo bad. Redirect some funds to weightlossresources.co.uk, do a trial for a month, put in everything that passes your lips so you can also be sure at how many calories you are actually having as if you were anything like me before I started using it, I thought I was judging how many and I was about 700 a day out!