# I just can't seem to budge the weight no matter what....



## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

I've been at WW now for over a year and I'm only down 10 pounds. Most of which I lost in the first few weeks and ever since I am up a pound, down a pound - basically just staying put. I am 182 and really need to get down to 150 and below.

I turn in my food tracker and my leader says she can't see where I am going wrong. I don't cheat. I worked out the calories and I am on less than 1200 per day. My leader said maybe I wasn't eating enough, upped it a little and gained. I exercise a little, not as much as I should. I have 3 active boys and they keep me busy and I homeschool. We are always out doing things and it is really hard to find time to exercise.

I eat natural organic made from scratch foods - lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein and very limited about of carb heavy foods.

I just don't know what to do. I did have my thyroid checked last Winter at my checkup and it was within normal ranges.

I'm so frustrated. Any ideas?


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## HomesteadBaker (Feb 8, 2006)

Can I ask how often you eat... is it 3 meals a day? I find that in order to lose, I have to eat very small meals 5 times per day. It seems to keep blood sugars stable and "keeps the fire stoked", so to speak.

It works for me... it might be worth a try.

Kitty


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## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

I eat small breakfast
small banana and 1/2 cup milk

I eat small lunch
1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup Indian spinach meal

Snack
cantalope

Dinner
salad, with a little cheese, olives, sunflower seeds, may eat some grilled chicken as well

Snack
Water melon

put milk in my coffee for a total of about 2 cups per day of 1%


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

Water? How much water do you drink per 24 hours?


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## HomesteadBaker (Feb 8, 2006)

Ardie/WI said:


> Water? How much water do you drink per 24 hours?


Good question.

I know I drink 1/2 to 1 gallon per day. But maybe you are doing that, too, I see you already eat small frequent meals.

Kitty


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

It also looks like your intake is pretty high on the carbs. Does Weight Watchers suggest regulating carbs to a certain percentage of total calories?


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## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

I drink any where from 6 to 12 glasses of water per day sometimes more. So plenty!


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## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

As far as carbs - I do eat fruit, occasionally rice, hardly any bread but do eat things like whole wheat pasta, couscous or oatmeal.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Try increasing your fat intake a little. Add a tablespoon of flax seed oil.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

I suspect that you aren't getting enough calorie-burning exercise. Also, increase your veggie intake with steamed and fresh ones, low in carbs.


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## okgoatgal2 (May 28, 2002)

our bodies get used to the "normal, daily exercise" we do, and becomes very efficient at those things. you need to change your exercise from chasing kids to focused exercise of some sort. take them all to the park and walk around the perimeter while they play. or institute pe in your homeschool, and all of you do exercises together. make it part of the daily schedule. you need to increase your exercise and change it up every couple of weeks to keep your body focused on losing weight.


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## trixiwick (Jun 9, 2004)

I agree that you couldn't eat much less - in fact, that looks like very little food indeed to me. You are going to have to up your exercise somehow. I'd suggest regular walks or bike rides with the kids, and/or keeping some free weights in the living room and working out with them while you watch TV or whatever. The more muscle you put on, the faster your metabolism will go, and the easier the weight will come off. I know it's hard to get that momentum going, but it looks like it's what you'll need to do.

When you do start exercising seriously and vigorously, you will need to eat more than you're eating now!


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Which WW program are you following? Ardie mentioned something a bit ago and I think it also pertains to the WW program when she mentioned keeping track of the foods she didn't eat. I went through a stretch on WW where I didn't loose for a while but in sitting down and really thinking about it, I realized that I had found ways to cut corners and still loose weight but just slower and the corner cutting caught up with me. I weighed and measured carefully but would grab a bite here and there as I was serving or throw an extra bit of pasta on my plate after I had weighed it out for no other reason than I wanted it. Another thing to consider, knowing that you have small children and your time is not your own, is there any chance you're suffering from a bit of depression? It can slow your metabolism to a certain degree. You might want to consider handing the kids over to dad for while (1/2 - 1 hr) while you take care of yourself and go for a good walk. Moms are notoriously bad about remembering to look after themselves and tend to think they are selfish but in reality, it's selfish not to take care of yourself because your husband and children rely on you.


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## Songbird (Apr 2, 2006)

Tone up with weights. Added muscle will burn more calories. Walking would be helpful too.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

There is also a point where your body thinks it's starving and will adjust the metabolism to a slower pace. Thats natures way to adjust. I would say cut out the pasta and rice and up the green vegetables. Also starchy veg. like corn and peas will slow weight loss.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I am borderline diabetic and I must say rice is very high in carbs. Rice will make my sugar climb much faster than anything else. It is high in starch and so are potatoes. I would stop eating rice and go more for whole grains or complex carbohydrates. Good Luck. 
A fellow dieter.
Linda


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## crtreedude (Jun 14, 2006)

Exercise - if I exercise, I can eat almost anything. What I do is use a bike to get around or walk as much as I can. I hate to think how much I eat (and I am 48)

If I don't exercise, it starts to come back. 

If you home school your kids - get them exercising too - they will thank you later in life.

Hopefully this helps.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

crtreedude, you have a very valid point, too often we worry about getting exercise and if we started a pattern of exercise for kids when they're young, they would likely carry on through their adult lives.


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## Lawbag (May 10, 2005)

Seems like an awful lot of dairy to me - can you be either allergic to milk or lactose intolerant? If so, milk can make you bloat and keep you from losing weight. Try cutting out the dairy completely for a few weeks and see what happens.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Dh and I decided it was time. So we cut what we eat in half. That is all we did. He lost 20 lbs in 2 months - I have lost 1. ARG!!!!!

I fast a day. Eat supper and don't eat again until the next supper. I do drink water. I do that twice a month and it has helped. You might consider that the WW plan just isn't working for you and try something else. Ask you Dr to send you to a dietitian or try a different weight loss plan. I like WW but that is a lot to pay for 10 lbs. 

Good luck


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Anita in NC, I see some areas of concern in your eating patterns that you may not realize are issues. You note that you're eating olives regularly and I don't know if you realize that olives are high in fat (on the old program they were restricted because of it). If you're eating seeds/nuts and another protein in the same meal, you could be eating more protein than you realize, as well as the fact that seeds/nuts contain fats/oils, salt would be another concern. I don't think you did respond to my question regarding which program you are on but in any case, I would also suggest you consider weighing and measuring everything going in. Drink your water and I would consider the need for exercise. You do need to include more veggies in your diet as well.


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## fransean (Dec 21, 2002)

I can tell you that what you are eating would not work for me. Unless I missed something you are not eating a protein food source until dinner? My main concern would be that you are not keeping your blood sugar stabilized. Fruit is great for you but it contains natural sugar. Rice if it is white rice will convert to sugar very quickly, brown rice will take longer to digest and contains some fiber so is a better choice.
I am "speaking" from the viewpoint of someone who is hypoglycemic and whose brother was diabetic from age 1. What you are eating would put my brother in the hospital and put me in danger of passing out. Your body maybe trying to protect itself from losing because it is not getting enough nourishment. Please be very careful.

Bev 

{small banana and 1/2 cup milk} fruit and dairy
{1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup Indian spinach meal} starch and ?? - not familiar with the spinach meal
{cantalope} fruit
{salad, with a little cheese, olives, sunflower seeds, may eat some grilled chicken as well} veggies, protein &fat, fat, fat, protein
{Water melon} fruit
{put milk in my coffee for a total of about 2 cups per day of 1%} dairy


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

That's not very much food at all. It looks like your body may be in starvation mode and conserving every bit of energy it can by slowing your metabolism. To boost that metabolism, you need to increase the amount of food and exercise, both. Add high fiber foods - maybe have a bowl of bran flakes or similar for breakfast with the milk and banana. Trade out the watermelon, which is a sugary, not real high fiber fruit for an apple - more fiber, which is good for you in so many ways. I don't see anything wrong with the amount of dairy you are getting, but you might want to try a light, fatfree yogurt - about 100 calories for an 8 oz serving - for part of your dairy intake. More salads and not just iceberg lettuce - it doesn't have much fiber and not much else. Darker colored vegies have more vitamins and minerals. Tomatoes, cabbage and other cruciferous vegies are good choices and have very few points if you're on the points plan. 

I aim for 25 grams of fiber, at least 5 fruits and vegies, 3 servings of dairy, 8 glasses of water, 3 snacks and 3 meals each day. In order to do that on 20 points a day, I have to make the most nutrition-packed foods possible. 

Adding exercise burns more calories. Even while you are teaching, you can do isometric exercises, suck in your tummy, or rise up and down on your toes to tone your calves. Several posters have mentioned getting exercise with your kids - just running around the yard playing soccer with them will help you get more exercise. Do pushups together, or put in an exercise video and do aerobics or tae-bo together. Learn to dance together - lots of different ethnic dances, or swing dancing, etc. How old are your kids? What kind of physical activities do they like doing? Join them in it, or add an activity for P.E. for school. Swimming or water aerobics burn lots of calories.

I really don't think you are eating enough if what you listed is a typical day. You may see some initial weight gain when you increase your food intake because your body is still in conservation mode, but as you add more exercise, your metabolic rate will increase and the weight should come back off.

One other thing - when they tested your thyroid, did they also do other bloodwork, such as checking your blood sugar? Insulin resistance makes it very hard to lose weight, and is a precursor to Type II diabetes. If your blood glucose is high normal to high (120 or more) on a fasting test, this may be a factor. Talk to your MD, and ask for a referral to a registered dietician for help in improving your diet. You may want to try the ADA diet - American Diabetes Association. It is a well balanced diet for anybody, not just diabetics.

Just a few random thoughts, FWIW. 

~Mary, fellow dieter and RN


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## Judith (Jan 10, 2003)

Hi,
I think everyone is pretty correct. You are not getting enough calories for weight loss. I know that concept is really hard to grasp ( more food !!!!!what you talkin bout willis!) but a 1500 calorie per day is minimum requirement for a body to function. When you walk etc, you require more than that. Your body thinks it is starving. 5 meals per day more protien. No pop, coffee etc. If you must drink coffee it has to be black. No way around that one. Lots and lots of water!!!


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## pixelphotograph (Apr 8, 2007)

are you doing the "Points" or "CORE"
I do core and I eat way more than what you listed. As a matter of fact I have to force myself to eat all that I am allowed on the CORE. trying to get all the fruit and veggies in is a chore sometimes.
Fats been dripping off me maybe switch from one plan to the other and see if that doesnt help.
if you are doing core try points or vice versa.


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## homemom1fl (Nov 28, 2004)

Anita,
Are you on the Points program or Core? If not on Points, maybe you should switch and make sure you are eating ALL of your points. Also, if possible, get yourself a treadmill and use it. I am guilty of lack of exercise too. I just bought a treadmill and making myself get on is just plain hard, but, I HAVE to do it. I understand kids and homeschooling (4 kids here) but even if you have to break your workout into 10 min. intervals, it will help. Another thing that someone mentioned that should help is working out with weights. Dumbells are handy but do help.


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

Anita your hospital has a dietician that you could probably see for as little as $35. That fee may even be covered by your health ins if you have any. She can not only analyze your diet but do a test that will tell you if your metabolism is normal. I fought foryears and years to lose.I was told I lied about I ate etc etc. I was finally told I was one of those lucky folks would survive when the rest of theworld would starve to death, lucky me! But at least now I understand. Good luck trying to find the best and healthiest diet for you,
PQ


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

Have you had your thyroid checked?


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## hefty_body (Dec 7, 2007)

There is a possibility that you are putting on weight due to muscle.
While of course a pound is a pound whether it is muscle or fat. Muscle tends to be more concentrated than fat.. so if you are putting on muscle weight you won't notice a big change in size. This is one reason why weight shouldn't be the determining factor in dieting.. rather.. do your pants fit?


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2008)

Anita in NC said:


> I eat natural organic made from scratch foods - lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein and very limited about of carb heavy foods.


 Are you getting enough fiber and healthy fats?

You need to be having 2 to 3 easy bowel movements daily.

And BAD idea to cut out fat. The trick is to get enough HEALTHY fat. I use olive oil, Earth Balance margarine, and real butter. I also get the fat from eating eggs and drinking *unhomogenized* whole milk. These animal food sources are healthy fats, and the cream in the milk especially is valuable for helping your body absorb calcium, leading to weight loss.

Fat stabilizes your blood sugar and insulin levels, which further enables you to lose weight.


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## Anita in NC (May 10, 2002)

Well since posting this thread back in Sept. I can say that I am still the same.

I do Weight Watchers core. I still track to see how I would be doing and average out about the 24 points I would be allowed daily.

I do eat plenty of fiber, usually get at least 30 grams per day. I do need to make more of a point to get in those 2 tsp of healthy oils each day. I use Smart Balance for toast but mostly I use olive oil.

I try to exercise but manage it about twice per week. Need to try and do better.

If I was trying to maintain I'd be doing really well. Because I've been about the same weight give or take a couple of pounds for over 4 years now.

I am currently 182 but would love to be no more than 150 and more like 125.

I'll keep trying.


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## MarleneS (Aug 21, 2003)

Anita, if you can get your doctors permission, you might want to try simply counting your calories with a food journal for a couple of weeks to see if you can't jump start your loss.

1200 - 1500 calories a day works best for steady long term weight loss. Under that will have you feeling hungry much of the time and nothing is more discouraging the feeling hungry.

What you do (not recommended for longer then a couple of weeks) is set your daily calorie amount...then eat whatever you want but you MUST stop at your set amount. If you do it all for breakfast - you fast until breakfast time the rest of the day. You MUST count every single calorie -- and until you are certain you can accurately guessimate portion size you'll have to weight etc.

After a day or two of being self-motivated to spread the calories out over the entire day it gets easier. And hopefully, at the end of the first week, and even more hopefully the second week the weight loss will be enough encouragement keep going.

Third week, you can begin to forcus on taking out things that have poor or no nutriential value..such as sugar loaded drinks, chips, and cookies. Replace them with no calorie drinks, fresh fruits and and raw vegetables.

Four week, start getting on a daily schedule, no eating between meals, and eating at the same time each meal...

Hope these ideas help Anita 

Marlene


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## BJ (Aug 8, 2004)

Hi Anita!! I've been a yo-yo dieter for years and have used the WW programs at various times to loose some weight. The problem I have with their program is you can eat absolutely anything as long as you count the points or the calories. I found that program just never allowed me to reach my goal weight...I would go down 1/4 pound and then next week up 1/2 pound....never really seeing the high pound losses I expected.

Last October I decided enough is enough and did some research on other weight loss programs...made a few visits and ruled out most. Did not want prepackaged food or loading my body with "natural" pill supplements. 

I did finally join the Metabolic Research Weight Loss Program. I LOVE the program and I especially LOVE the one on one counseling. I eat real food...but it is the combination of foods that contribute to the weight loss. Since October I have lost 25lbs and 32 inches!! I've gone from a size 26 to a size 20 and those slacks are starting to bag...so I'm excited that I am almost down in size to where I can shop in the misses department and not "women's world"! 

You are spending $11 a week for WW and I think you would be money ahead to join your local Metabolic Research Center. Their plan is balanced meals but it's all about eating the right combinations of food. They insist that you must eat breakfast within the hour of getting up from bed, no more than 4-5 hours between meals, and most importantly to weigh and measure the food you eat. 

They do have vitamins and supplements you can purchase to speed up your weight loss....but they are not required to loose weight. I've been loosing an average of 2.4 pounds a week and even though I didn't loose during the week of Christmas and New Years....I did not gain!!:bouncy:

Also...there is another great forum you can go to for lots of information and help with any weight loss program...I highly recommend: http://www.3fatchicks.com 

You should visit the MRC in your area, I'm sure they are having sign up specials in January.

Good Luck!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Hi! google info on working out with weights and the "myth" of losing fat with cardio and what you need to really be doing with cardio to lose fat. First off, hide your scale, get a measuring tape and take your measurements(bust, waist, hip, thigh), write them down. Next eat healthy natural unprocessed food (veggies, fruit, brown rice, beans, clean meat, spices, nuts). Make your portions smaller, use a smaller plate, eat more often--smaller portions will shrink your stomach and sharpen your "full" sense, and it sounds like you need to eat more, at least 1500. Drink water. 

Exercise--weights are the secret to burning fat, because you are building muscle which burns more calories, even just sitting on the couch. Get a basic set of dumbells(two 5 pounds and two 8 pounds and an exercise ball can be had for under 40$), maybe take a class at a gym to learn proper form(very important!!). You can do a full body workout in 45min, or a basic one in 30 min. Start slow and build up, you dont' want to strain your tendons and ligaments. Stretch thoroughly AFTER the workout, this will ease soreness and stretch the muscle so it can contract better, and increase your flexibility. Weights also ups your metabolism for hours after you work out, so you're burning more. Do the weights 3x a week with 48 hrs inbetween.

THis fall I lost 10 pounds just doing the weights, because I strained my foot somehow and quit doing the cardio(walking). I used to do just walking for cardio to lose weight, it worked well for getting my legs into shape and for my heart, but weight loss took sooooo long. I decided to hit the weights for my bones and because I wanted to do a sport well, and the results from the weights is really cool, ha I'm a total convert.

SO take your measurements every two weeks, keep a log. Base your progress by your clothing size, not the scales. You'll be able to tell you're losing fat, your skin will feel firmer, and not so "cheesy". Muscle and bone weigh more than fat so the scales are a screwy way to determine progress. Like now, I haven't lost any more weight for the last few months, but I've definately lost fat and gained muscle, so I'm happy.

I've also added cardio back in, for my heart, lungs and endurance. I found that the heart rate they tell you in aerobics class is way to low, you need to be working harder(again you can google articles on cardio target heart rate). FOr instance, my target heart rate is around 150(way higher then the 120 they tell you in class). On the other hand you need to work up to that level of work, don't hammer it cold turkey.

But start with the weights. You can do a lot of good in 45 min 3x a week. or even 30 min. You will get some cardio heart benefit with the weights. You can do some bicep curls when you're homeschooling, in fact you really should have PE as part of your homeschooling--there you go! There are a lot of great exercises and calisthenics you and the kids can do together. 

good luck!


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