Over half of all Americans are overweight, and most of us know it. We can tell when we need to shed a few pounds, or maybe just start watching what we eat again and lose those extra pounds after the holidays. But some of us mean well, but really can’t lose weight. Why? Well, here are things my friends and I have struggled with in the past…
1. They set unrealistic expectations
There are so many drugs or diets on the market that promise you’ll lose inches, pounds, dress sizes, all in just days. That’s just not possible. To succeed in weight loss, you need to have realistic expectations.
2. They’re not ready
If you’re not ready to lose weight, and dedicate a lot of time and effort into it, you won’t lose weight.
3. Their friends and families sabotage them
In order to stick to a diet or exercise plan, you will need the support of your friends and family. They can make it a lot easier (by encouraging you, or dieting with you) or downright impossible (by discouraging, bad-mouthing, or tempting you with pizza!).
Jennifer this is really a helpful post. My father always sabotages me….bringing cookies at home all the time :). Sometimes I can go with number 5 also :)
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Tavia,
Just like me and the worst part is I never resist to say no!! :S
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This was useful Thank You!
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Hey Sierra,
You’re very welcome. Thanks for stopping by! :)
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Nice honest list. Mine usually occurs at the plateau stage. Which is where I am currently at. I need to be diligent about writing down what I eat because usually I get caught in a trap of mentally thinking I blew it and then realizing I’m not eating enough.
Positive, healthy, REALISTIC goals are on the agenda for 2010.
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Hey Julie,
Realistic goals are the best! I hate women who want to magically drop 20 pounds in 5 days etc. Stick to a realistic plan and it will work!
Good luck getting over the plateau phase :)
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I start on a diet but I don’t have the money to always have healthy foods in my kitchen and I get tempted to eat what my family is eating sometimes I try to exercise a lot or drink remedies like flax seed, green tee, or weight loss pills but it is still hard for me to loose because I keep eating what I should not because I can’t control my hunger or urge to eat what I should not eat and then I feel fat again.
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Hi Jennifer, I was wondering if you could help me. My family sabotages my diet with tempting food such as chocolate and pizza everyday. They know I’m on a diet and I’ve told them to stop but they said just not to eat it. I also just can’t resist.
Do you know anyway to resist properly?
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I really am having trouble losing weight! I got married 3 years ago and found out I have endometriosis. So I had surgery, then they put me on Depo Provera or Lupron Depo.. I can’t remember.. But while on that I gained about 60 POUNDS!! All this in my FIRST year of marriage, so not great for the confidence.. My husband has been so supportive and kind, but I’ve always been active and fit and now I hate how I look! Do you have any suggestions on how to lose medical steroid weight??? That’s about the closest description I can come up with. There were a LOT of other side affects that were horrible, including being in a medically induced menopause.. at 22!! But the weight gain is what bothers me the most. If you have ANY advice on how to lose this weight, please tell me!
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Hey Layne,
My younger sister was actually put on steroids after having suffered from distal painful neuritis. But so far, she hasn’t gained a lot of weight. She has developed terrible acne though. We’ve been speaking to her doctors and hopefully once she’s off them, it will get better.
Have you spoken to your doctor about the same. No advice like a doctors. I was looking online for any useful information for you. Just found these.
http://caloriecount.about.com/losing-weight-steroids-ft20677
http://caloriecount.about.com/steroids-lose-weight-them-ft54964
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I really think you are right, because i used to be 100-110lb before i had my daughter and once i stop breastfeeding and got on the depo provera i blew up and gain 60lbs slowly eating the same way i used to eat which wasn’t much i was never a over eater or a sweet tooth but still i gained weight without even noticing until i stop the Depo because it was giving me migraines everyday and once i went to the Dr to find out what was wrong why was I gaining so much weight the Dr couldnt even explain after seeing my daily food diary why was i gaining but i was eating ok and my cholesterol was normal? well The Depo messed up my system I end up with a Hormone imbalance and the Biggest and worse side effect of the Depo Provera it ruins your metabolisms.
i never been the same, i have lost some weight by exercises and being very very restricted with my food by eating only veggies and white meat but i will only loose 5lbs and then stop loosing so i give up everytime, it is sooo stressful.It’s like my system gets used to the way i eat and stops burning.
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If you want to loose weight you first have to decide that you really want it. In my opinion family doesn’t have to support you, in fact they can only make it worse (my mom used to hide food from me, making me feel I’m not up to challenge). The golden rule of dieting is that you need to spend more calories than you eat. Start chewing your food, don’t just swallow. many people don’t even realise that they swallow half chewed food. Chew 30 times, and count…why you ask? First if you don’t chew your food and eat too fast the receptor in brain that tell you that you’re full get information on how full you really are too late, which means that you eat more that you can handle. Second, by counting you get bored with it and you loose your apetite. Also use smaller plates, so that it looks like you will eat a lot.
Now something many people don’t understand. During winter time, our metabolism slows down, because there are not enough light in our lives because days are shorter. When metabolism is slower your calorie intake needs are smaller. So you should eat less. Don’t give up on cakes during holidays…you are allowed to eat them, but not tons of it. Also ladies when you have perion you can gain up to 3 pounds, that’s normal, so don’t let that bring you down. Drink plenty of water. It rinses off toxins, so that your whole digestion tract will work better. Don’t eat at least 2 hours before sleep. And have 3-4 meals a day, WITHOUT snacks….And take notes what hae you been eating, and sum up calories….
I don’t agree with the fact that you should weight yourself once a week. You should weight yourself every day, because if you see progress on your scale, no matter how small it is, it make you happy…..the other thing is that by weighting yourself every day you have a control over your weight, that means that if you ate too much the day before, it will show on the scale, and it will point out that this day you have to be more careful of what you eat…
And ladies don’t try to loose 3 pounds in a week..it’s not healthy, because every diet representes stress to your organism…a pound a week is enough, and you won’t suffer from jojo effects…also keep in mind that on that journey your wight loss might stop for a while, that is because your body is ajusting to situation…it needs time….when it’s ajusted you will start to loose weight again…many women give up in that period…
So ladies those are my golden rules and I’m glad I shared it with you.
I went from 145 pounds to 120 pounds in a year…
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hey bobs,
i’m sorry that your family was not of much help in your attempt at losing weight. However for a lot of us, it can be quite helpful to have our family support us. You’re right about the importance of chewing. And i’d like to add that once you get used to chewing your food, you don’t have to keep count. It just takes a couple of days to get used to.
But as for weighing yourself everyday, i’d like to state that the motivation you’re talking about in terms of the minute changes in weight can also deter you, as weight loss is not a regulated, single rate process. Some days you might not lose weight at all, and some days you might drop 1/4 of a pound. And that doesn’t necessarily have to do with how much you’ve eaten in that day. There are a lot of factors that DO come into play.
And of course, the hormonal issues you bring to light are something that we often don’t pay much attention to. Thanks for that.
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I have been eating healthier. I have taken out sweets, soda, etc. My problem is, I never really have a lot of time for exercise. I work odd hours and once I get home I am exhausted. I do take the stairs instead of the elevator to work and I do park farther away so I have to walk more. Do you have any other tips to try and fit in exercise at a call center job?
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Hey Taryn,
I have a few friends at call centres too and they too are always complaining about the lack of physical activity due to their jobs. And it seems like you are doing some things right with the extra walking and climbing stairs. Though I think a couple of extra things you could do are:
a- try and take 10 minutes off after every hour or so to atleast walk around the office.. and if not possible, then atleast stand for those 10 minutes.
b- during your coffee/lunch breaks, before you eat/drink, walk up and down a few flights of stairs..
hope this helps!
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Like, most of these fit me… Thank you so much! =]
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Hey Rachel Luv,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post sweetie. Hopefully you’ll be able to benefit from it too.
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I’ve had issues with my body my whole life. I’ve tried dieting & exercise(worked, gained it back), Hydroxicut (worked, gained it back), crazy diets like drinking a small cup of vinegar and eating one saltine cracker for breakfast and drinking water all day(worked, made me SICK!!!). I’ve literally starved myself for weeks at a time.
Now, I’ve become a vegetarian and literally hike up a mountain 3 times a week. I haven’t lost a LOT of weight, but I have lost some.
I’m 5′3″ and in June of 2009, I weighed 265lbs. I now weigh 216lbs. I’ve gained a lot of muscle, but I’m still… jiggly. I always have been. I’d like to be slimmer. More slender and firmer. What foods/exercises would most maximize my chances of toning up?
Thanks for help. I really like this website. :)
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Hey Brandi,
First of all AWESOME job with the weightloss!!! You are such an inspiration sweetheart really! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your story. As for your question, I suggest you read this post and I hope you can find helpful tips in there
http://allwomenstalk.com/how-to-tighten-loose-skin-after-weight-loss/
And here’s wishing you tons of luck with the future. Keep visiting :)
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i m 15years old and i weigh 75kgs .nowadays i m getting curious about my figure as its too huge just seeking for someones help ..!!!!i have got a treadmill at my home and i walk three km every day with proper intake of food …i have just started my dieting from few days ..even before i use to have the same pattern but it didn’t help me at all..!!and now m planning to join gym i feel like this will only bring some change in me ……………….plzz can u advice me what 2 do!!!!waiting for ur replyy…desparate and broken hearted
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Hey Love,
Sorry to hear that the meds really messed up your hormonal balance and metabolism.. all i can say is, don’t lose hope.. every pound that you do lose will help you in the long run!
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