so upset

ok well i started cc in february and so far i have gained 8 lbs.. for almost two months i ate the exact amnt of calories tehy recommended n exercised 4 days a week and i only gained and gained. i am now 148lbs.. i have gained 14 lbs in the last 5 months which is insane.. the thing is the more i try the more i gain and then when i see the scale.. it just makes me binge .. and then binging leades to more self-loathing..depression and all this madness. i don't know what to do. i read about the success stories in here and it makes me happy that someone is suceeding, but i wonder why i'm not. i'm 21 yrs old and 5'4. at this point i feel like the numbers i read on the scale everyday are taking over my life. it's all i think about. and the more i think about food, the more i eat : ( i don't know why i'm posting this.. i guess b/c i want to give cc another chance.. b/c it seems like such a good idea and a plan i could stick with forever, if only i could see results. i'm willing to take any advice at this point..

I'm not going to give you a load of crap about willpower. I think all of us at one point become consumed by calorie counting and it plays games with our heads. It's important to strike a balance between caring about and planning what you eat and obsessing over it. They say that you get used to a weight-loss themed lifestyle (not gonna use the word "diet") in as little as 4 days, after which it becomes easier to stick with.

Set goals (i.e., "I will not binge for one week", or "I will exercise 4 times this week"). When setting these goals, don't use the term "try", because (for me anyway) that sets me up for failure.

Everyone here is pulling for you! You can do it! :-D

coral

 one of the key things is to make sure you have regular check ups... my moms thyroid gave out and it was six months before they figured out that was the problem.. also if you are insulin resistant.... it will cause weight gain because your blood can not get rid of all the insulin your body is producing.    if all is o.k. with  your body.. check your exercise routine... i was exercising but not good enough to break a sweat.. once i changed that i started lossin... it take time and tweeking... good luck and go see the doc first...

Hi Coral,

Well, this could be a tough thing to live with when you're working so hard.  Wondering about your stats so some of us can plug your numbers in and take a look.

Also, I'm about 5'4" too.  I went through something similar when I was about 24.  I was working out 5 days/week and steadily gaining weight.  Turned out I had hypothyroidism.  A quick blood test by my doctor gave us the information and after I began taking meds, I lost 1 lb per week until I normalized.  Provided all else is well, this might be something to look in to.

Also, I was stuck pretty good for many months.  I had to change some of my nutritional intake before I started to lose; for example my protein intake, I added probiotics and fish oil regularly.  Something eventually clicked and I started losing.  Things have been much more predictable since. 

Hi, Coral,

I'm new to counting calories, but I shared your problem for a long time. I'd have really good weeks, and then fall off the wagon. Then I'd figure, oh the heck with it, I'm a failure, and eat everything I could get my hands on til the following Monday, when the cycle continued... You may be binging more than you think when you get down on yourself. I didn't realize it at the time, but in retrospect, that's how I started "dieting" with 5 pounds to lose, and gained another 29. And I felt deprived/guilty all the time.

This is what worked for me: If you have periods of time in your day when you are "captive", like at work or school, pack yourself a lunch with a LOT of high-value, low-cal food. I usually take an apple, full baggies full of raw veggies like bell peppers, brocolli, culiflower, cherry tomatoes, etc, and a quarter cup of nuts or a couple of boiled eggs. Then I munch on it all day long. I'm the CFO at a Casino, and we have a to-die-for restaurant, but when the gang heads down for lunch, I'm already full!

When I get home from work, I allow myself a treat the minute I walk through the door. Something delicious, but small, under 200 calories. A really good piece of chocolate, a biscotti and coffee, you get the picture. Then I work out. I feel great, because I've already eaten my veggies for the day, and I have been able to conquer my "If I eat one brownie, might as well eat the whole pan" mentality.

After the workout, I cook a nice dinner. Sorry, vegans, but I love a nice sirloin steak, or chicken breast, with more vegges and a piece of cheese or fruit for dessert.

It's a lot of food, but I'm staying in the limits, and I only have 21 pounds to go!!!

Hope that helps...

i ate the exact amnt of calories tehy recommended n exercised 4 days a week

Were you eating back the calories you burned exercising?

starffy yes i did eat the calories back... which would sometimes take me up to 1800 calories b/c i burn around 500-600 cals at the gym. i find that i tend to binge if i eat that many cals though.. so i try to stay on the low side of 1200-1400cals.. if i go over.. if i go to 1600 it will most surely lead to me eating much more than i'm supposed to. i don't know why but it happens for sure..

Baytraveler, thank you for your advice. it's very helpful.. i actually got up and packed snacks for myself for work tomorrow. thank u.