So discouraged. Need support.

Up until the last two weeks, I was doing so well.  I was actually amazed at how easy it was to keep within my calorie limits.  I didn't feel hungry.  I was thinking about how I'd go home at Thanksgiving and really wow my family.

Then suddenly I started feeling fatigued.  I was working out more often, so I thought perhaps I needed to up the calories.  I didn't want to screw my metabolism.  I went from around 1400 to around 1800.  Instead of feeling full - now I felt even hungrier!  And still fatigued.  At the end of the week, I had gained weight.  This week I've been just starving.  Still eating the same high fiber diet with lots of water, snacks, etc.  But I feel tired all the time and sooo hungry.  And I haven't lost any weight.  

Two unusual factors:  Halloween and my birthday fell within those 2 weeks and I had a total of 3 pieces of candy over the course of a week.  I also had 2 glasses of champagne - one on my birthday and one on Halloween.  I entered these in my calorie log and didn't go over my calorie limit.. but.. could the unhealthy stuff in them have made me hungry all the time?

I'm so disappointed.  I really thought I was gonna lose the weight this time.

i highly doubt that 3 pieces of candy and 2 glasses of wine made you feel hungry. that's only about 500 cals in a week of "unhealthy" foods...1800 cals a day for a week is 9000 calories, 500/9000 = .05 so 5% of your diet was unhealthy. honestly, i wouldn't attribute the cause of hunger to that especially since it was SPREAD OUT. if it were all in one day then yes it could happen because those cals would take the place of more filling items but over a week nope.

maybe it's mental hunger. are you bored? more active? less active? stressed?

Do you drink enough water?  I've heard that sometimes when you think you are hungry, actually you are just thirsty.  Also, I've heard that feeling tired due to calorie restriction can be lessened by drinking enough water.

I agree with Chrissy re. candies and alcohol.  They cannot be the reason.

Ok, I've just read my post and realized that I'm overreacting (an unfortunate tendency of mine).

Angie1004, I think you may be right about the water.  After reading your reply I realized that since the weather has cooled off, I've been drinking a lot less water.  So I'll be drinking up .. starting... now!  

And Chrissy, there is definitely some sort of mental/emotional factor here.  I put in my 2 week notice at my job because it totally stresses me out (my start date here marks the beginning of my tremendous weight gain) but since then things have gotten much worse because in addition to all my regular work stress, I'm having to push my boss to get on the ball and hire someone, which he isn't doing.  Strangely, before I posted the above I'd never thought about how my eating was related to stress (though boredom I definitely knew about).  You'd think I'd have noticed that.

Anyway, thanks.. and sorry to be such a whiner.

don't apologize. we all have our days and sometimes it helps to just have an outside perspective even if it doesn't fix the problem. i always try to offer objective advice and be the support that someone might need on a hard day. i hope it gets better and the leave from your current job takes you to better things :)

It sounds like you are coming around :-) . But keep in mind that it isn't a clear-cut black and white-succeed-right-now-or-fail-miserably thing. You have the advantage of being in your body forever. And you can slowly get that body in the shape that you want it to be! We all have a bad week now and then, for sure. Hang in there!

I think you should pat yourself on the back for doing so well with Halloween, birthday, job situation all at once and you only ate 3 pieces of candy.

Are you getting enough fruit in your diet?

As for Thanksgiving dinner, a little trick:

Just before dinner a glass of Metamucil (NOT the laxative variety) Then excuse yourself before desert and do it again. You'll feel full so you won't overeat, the fiber  is good for your heart, good for your colon, and it absorbs a little fat and cholesterol and keeps your body from storing it.

"I'm so disappointed.  I really thought I was gonna lose the weight this time."

"This time" isn't over my dear. Just a tiny setback that's all.

Get back on that horse and ride!