Thread: feeling so discouraged

let me start out by saying im 23 years old and have always been naturally thin it wasnt untill i was 17 that i even hit 100 pounds i was happy there i ate and i had lots of energy once i got on birth control however i gained 15 pounds which was no big deal i didnt mind then i hit 120 and my family was calling me fat and i started hateing it and began trying to diet and excersize i did great with the dieting switched out unhealthy foods for healthy ones started switching olive oil for butter veggie cheese for cheese, fruit for candy i had no problems with excersizing i danced for hours at night and walked all day.
did this for 3 years and all i did was gain weight not muscle weight fat weight. then i got on a medication that in 2 months made me gain 30 pounds i now weigh 156 im exhuasted i cant hardly walk anymore due to my fatigue i have horrable stretch marks for the past 8 months i have since gotten off the medication (8 months ago) started walking 3-4 hours everyday (EVERYDAY) and cut my calorie intake to 1000 calories per day (i kept a journal-no cheating) and would do toneing excersizes at night 30 minutes of them. i dont drink soda or eat out at resturants. i even tried laxatives for a few weeks with no results only more weight gain in four eyars of trying hard and making major changes i have not lost a single ounce or a single inch on my waist,thighs,hips or butt only gained.

well my breaking point was 2 weeks ago i went to have my thyroid tested seeing as how my mom and sister also have thyroid problems which helped them lose weight i thought that was what was happening with me 4 normal blood tests later and im at a road block!
i invested in a bike 3 weeks ago im so unhealthy and out of shape for some reason i couldnt ride around the block without gasping and litterly vommiting from being out of breath! i dont know what to do ive talked to my doctor who tells me to "jsut keep eating healthy and excersizeing" any and all help would be greatful

I know it may sound weird but I think you are eating too little and exercising too much.....your body has gone into starvation mode and is hanging on to every ounce it can.
If you're walking 3-4 hours a day and only having 1000 calories, I really think that's what's happening.
Try upping your calorie intake, adults need at least 1,500 a day.

I agree withe the previous poster. I also think you need to educate yourself on what exactly a healthy diet consists of. Swapping olive oil for butter, while healthy will not help you lose weight, and nor will having veggie cheese instead of ordinary cheese. Can you post a typical day's menu so we can take a look and perhaps give you some advice on how to improve your diet?

Big hugs

I'm new to dieting but the peeps on this forum are so helpful and I'm sure will help you in your battle

Your post about being overweight and sluggish really resonated Why not have a read of Gary Taubes book "why we get fat and what to do about it". Sometimes the standard dietary advice is actually causing the problem in the first place! Good luck

ive tried a diet where you ONLY eat when your REALLY hungry and ONLY eat what you REALLY crave i still wanted healthy food but it caused me to gain MORE weight when i was getting 1800-2000 calories per day so slowly took my calories intake down to 1000 while keeping my excersize the same.

There may be a few different issues at work here. There are more hormonal problems than thyroid issues that can cause weight gain. For instance, people who suffer polycystic ovarian syndrome can gain weight really easily as well. Did you doctor test for any other hormonal imbalances other than thyroid? You might also find that you have intolerances to certain foods which can also contribute to this, as well as other conditions, so you may want to ask the doctor to run an allergen test.

Other issues that you are having, as others have said, is that your caloric intake may be too low for the amount of exercise you are forcing yourself to do. It is NEVER a good idea to wait until you are REALLY hungry to eat, because by then your body is kicked into starvation mode. The best thing that you can do is eat little and often, because that will kick start your metabolism. Try to set yourself a meal plan, make sure it has plenty of nutrients (don’t just focus on the caloric content of the food). Set aside healthy snacks between two and 4 times a day, something like nuts or carrot sticks or fruit.

You must also be wary of over exercising because too much cardio when not properly fuelled (that means plenty of carbs in your diet) will start eating into your muscle tissue and you will start to damage yourself in the long run. You might find that high intensity weight training is better for you.

And don’t forget the most important factor in weight loss… Your mood! It’s no secret that the happier a person is, the easier it is for them to lose weight. Again, it’s all about hormones. You seem to have mentioned a trigger point when members of your family were teasing you and calling you fat which has obviously caused you a lot of emotional stress. By no means at 120lb were you overweight by any stretch of the imagination. Have you ever addressed how your family made you feel? They need to understand they should be building you up instead of tearing you down. What they feel is harmless teasing can be very hurtful.

If there is anything else that may have caused you an emotional trauma, anxiety or stress, you’ll need to address those things too. You need to start looking at yourself and liking what you see as you are now, because if you don’t learn to love yourself and let go of the stress and anxiety you’re giving yourself, you won’t be happy even when you lose the weight again. Believe me, that overweight mentality sticks around.