i have done the research; yet, i dont know how to lose weight and fat

Let me start with this: I was never "fat." I always had one of those bodies girls envied. It was narrow, thin and athletic with some toning but not overly muscular (i have trouble building muscle). However, for some reason in this past month I have gained a lot of fat ( and possibly weight, but I do not have a scale, as I am living in a new country for a semester and did not want to buy one that I will only have to throw away in 5 months). I am really upset about this, to the point where I do not even want to go out with my friends, and to the point where i cant even focus on my homework without going on google and searching for some sort of solution.

The thing is, i read all about how to eat healthy, and I started writing meal plans, keeping a journal, and buying healthy foods. I even dished out an entire jumbo box of special k into portions so that I wouldnt eat out of the box and binge. Yet, nothing is working. My face is getting quite noticeably large, my stomach sticks out and has a huge roll of fat.I dont have any toning and my clothes feel very tight.

Now here is the troubling part: I work out everyday - running from 1hr-1hr and 40mins. I have been in this new coutnry for over a month and I missed only 2 days of running. I never did anything different in the past, yet now I am gaining so much fat and weight.

I do not know what to do. Should I throw away all the food in my house? Should I just run out to the store every time i need a meal/snack? I seem to have no self control. I am embarrassed to be naked, embarrassed to be in a bathingsuit and most of all, embarrassed to have a body like my own given that I am an athelte. no other girl on my team looks the way i do. I definetely think I do not have a great metabolism. I need to transform this fat into muscle and to drop 5 lbs. Please, I have researched and read, but maybe personal stories can give me novel insight into this dieting thing. Please help me.

Hey frustrated,

I am sorry that you feel so helpless. Believe me when I say to you that most everyone on this board has been there. It is a hard place to be.

It can be shocking to gain weight when you have been fit your entire life. But it also sounds to me like you are being WAY overly critical of yourself. I dont mean to get all touchy-feely, :) but it sounds like you are really hating on yourself hardcore. That just wont do. You have to work on loving yourself even if you gained 100 pounds. I have been to that point, and I learned to accept myself so it is completely possible to do it if you have to lose 5 pounds.

Not that I am undermining how much this is obviously hurting you. It also seems as if you know exactly why you are gaining weight. You admit that you snack a lot. This is not necessarily a bad thing, just do some homework and find HEALTHY things to snack on. Do you like sweets? Have some honey granola bars or something around. Or Jello snak paks or even those 100 calorie packs (lol just dont eat 5 of them at once!) I like those trail mix fruit and nut bars. And so on. Have fresh cut fruit and veggies ready to go in single serving bags so you dont have to do anything but grab them and enjoy.

The running is good, (I hate running myself, LOVE to walk and ride bikes) and it sounds like your issue is mainly the snacking. It kind of sounds like you may be an emotional/bored eater. (TOTALLY one of those myself.) Maybe you can find a friend who you can ask to be your snack buddy. When you want to snack, give them a call or go see them and talk to them about what is bothering you or just have them tell you its ok and not to snack. Pre-arrange this so they know what you need, and find someone willing to do this. Be sure to thank them as well. Eventually, you will get stronger and need that less and less, but they will always be there in a moment of weakness.

I know it seems like the end of the world, but 5 pounds is most likely not even something anyone else would notice except you. So dont freak out, just take a deep breath and dont let yourself feel helpless. You CAN be in control, and you MUST ease up on yourself and chill out a little. Be happy.

Also, it sounds like you have a lot going on in your life right now, and there are times in everyones life where big changes or stress can make us gain some weight. No matter what we do. But your body will level out again and you'll be allright.

DO NOT get sucked into any kind of pills or crazy diets! It is so important that you respect your body and TRY (*try*) to love yourself. You are worth it, an extra 5 pounds or not.

Good luck and dont worry!

Have you been eating a lot more than usual? Seeing as you do so much exercise, it seems like you would have to be eating a fair bit extra to be gaining weight...it might be a good idea to see a doctor.

try switching it up. obviously your body is getting used to the same routine. try doing intervals or adding something different (and fun!)

maybe try some yoga to help you relax and focus on ur breathing. maybe some zumba.. or tae bo to let out ur frustrations! a tape is $10 well worth what youd get back in return. good luck!

Hello there! Just wondering, where exactly are you? Could you take walks? Or bike extra? Even if you have to do it under the cover of darkness ;)

Totally have been there before. Actually, I'm kinda there right now. I worked out this summer, but have lead a much more sedentary life compared to my life at my university. I gained about 5-7 pounds. I'm embarrassed by it, however you cant really see it, but boy! do I feel it. It's has slowed my running times, made my running a little harder than normal, and I think some of my shin splints have to do with it.

Make sure you are eating enough, but not too much. I noticed that if I wasn't hungry, I would still reach for that extra apple or whatever. Which is stupid because I wasn't even hungry. The point is that those extra calories no matter how healthy are simply just that...extra calories. The body doesn't really distinguish between an apple and some gummie bears.

What are you eating? Eat healthy, eat enough for your body, and maybe limit snacking. Do you really have to snack? Or is it just conditioned snacking? You get used to always eating food around 3 or 4 even if that day you arent hungry.

Remember the key thing here though: It can be fixed. It will take some time maybe a couple of weeks to rid yourself of that extra 5 pounds, however you caught the problem. And you are doing something about it. Like an above poster said....LOVE YOURSELF! The weight can be managed but a negative self-image is damaging to your goals.

Message when if you would like to talk!! We can do this together!

If you can find a few more calories here and there that wern't in your diet before (include drinks in counting this you can drink a lot of calories) that is a good place to start. Going back to the diet you had before may be enough to lose a few lbs slowly.

To find out your weight find a drug store or supermarket or gym and use the scales there. It's hard to decide what action to take without knowing how much of it is imagioned (new weight can feel like a lot when it's only a few lbs).

If you have put on a lot the tools here can help you fix that.

(P.S. If you really can't see where the weight has come from you might consider going to the Dr. PCOS, thyroid conditions, birth contorl and many other things can cause weight gain.)

Don't take this the wrong way, but if all this started so suddenly in the past month, are you sure you're not pregnant?

hey guys .. thank you for being so responsive. I appreciate it so much. I really feel so trapped in my habits and this new body that I don't recognize.

michelle - thanks for being so thoughtful and taking the time to write that to me. I appreciate it and you are right. I am critical of myself, but I feel as though I failed myself too. so, it is hard for me to reconcile with the fact that I need to accept myself but also dicipline myself. It is a weird paradigm.

applemilk- I may be eating more than usual, yes. I am not sure if there is anything medically wrong. I have to go to the GP tomorrow because I have been under the weather so maybe i can \ask them to weigh me and do some tests? Do they let you get weighed at the health services at universities?

bri= i know, you are right. I have been running long distances with only 1-2 speed work outs a week. Maybe i need to start running distance in the AM and then work hard, short and fast in the afternoon.

caludb- omg, thank you for posting. i feel what you said really describes what i am doing. i do reach for a snack even when i am not hungry.. i am an emotional eater (as michelle pointed out). I know it can be fixed, but i am worried I cant do it. I have been failing in all these areas of my life that i never failed in before, and i am afraid this might be another one. I am trying but at the same time i know in my head i am not trying with all my heart. It is weird, you'd think since i am so upset with my body that iwould be 110 percent committed...this is something i should try and figure out and fast.

vwiggins - thank you - i pinpointed that i eat nuts a bit, and these are high in calorie. I also eat a lot of cream cheese, so after this tub i am not buying anymore. I also spoke to my roommate and she said she'd split a scale with me so that will show the true gains.. and im scared

headybrew-nope, not pregnant. thank you though, lol. it would not be possible at this point.

i am still open to suggestiions if anyone cares to share them. I respond well to tough-love.

Nuts and cream cheese can still be healthy in the right quantities, just really quantify how much of then you eat to get an acurate calorie count for the day.

Did the Dr help at all?