difficulty jumpstarting weight loss *HELP*

[druidgirl]

Hi, I'm a 25 year old female and I've been trying to loose weight the healthy way. I want to do this once and only once so I'm not interested in fad diets. I've done tonnes of research online, started going to the gym on a regular basis, got a trainer, and have cut out soda almost completely. In addition I have been eating more fruits and vegetables, but instead of loosing weight, I've gained 10 pounds. In fact, I just weighted myself this morning, and yesterday I weighted 208.4 pds and today I weighted 210.4 pnds. What is going on? Can anyone recommend a way to jumpstart my weight loss before I gain anymore weight??? Tips?? Thanks.

[Barb135]

Don't know what happened with all the "**************" in my post above - must have hit the wrong button.  That is supposed to be "***********".  But you can also try googling "calorie counters" and see what come up - there will be a huge selection to choose from.  

[Barb135]

Hi there.  Welcome.  Counting calories definitely helps and as Skailark said you need to exercise along with it and you said you joined the gym so sounds like you have that covered.  There are several websites that will give you calorie counts - I think one is "calorieking" and another is "***********".  They list the calories in a lot of common foods that don't have labels on them, such as a serving of fruit and veggies, etc and will tell you how much is a "serving" (one small banana, one cup carrot sticks, etc).  In addition to eating the right kinds of food, fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meat, etc, it's important to keep tabs on portion sizes - counting calories will help with that.  

Also, it is important to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so as you begin exercising and building muscle, it may appear that you aren't making any progress; however, as Skailark so kindly pointed out to me not too long ago, because of the muscle weighing more than fat, it might be helpful to measure your body, such as thighs, upper arms, chest, waist, hips etc as you might find that you are losing inches but not pounds.  I tried this because I was getting very discouraged that the scale seemed to be going the wrong way and actually discovered that I did, in fact, lose an inch off each arm and about 1/2 inch off each thigh.  

Also as Skailark said, if you continue to gain weight, you might want to consult your dr to make sure there isn't some other problem.  I happen to be hypothyroid, with possible insulin resistance and impaired adrenal function (to be tested next week) which make it extra hard for me to lose weight, so some days, I just feel fortunate to hold steady.  

Good luck and stay tuned to this website.  There are some great motivators here, with tons of info.  

[druidgirl]

Hey,
Thanks for the welcome and the tips. You really think counting calories helps? Sometimes its not possible though.. like when you eat a banana... how many calories is that? Do you have a suggestion as to where I could find that out?
Thanks again.

[Skailark]

Hi!

Welocme to the community!

Here are a few steps to start your weight loss plan

- Even if you have been eating healthy have you watched your calories? It is importan to calculate how much calories you are consuming each day. So start counting your calories.1200 -1600 cal a day is recommended,

- Once you start counting calories make sure you burn some of those calories.
Exercise is the best way to burn calories. If you have not been working out lately walking is an excellent place to start!

- Sometimes it is important that you use a good scale when weighing yourself..sometimes if there is a problem with your scale then the reading may be in error.

- If you still thin you are gaining weight abnormally consult your doctor to find if there is any underlying issues.

- For motivation and support pasrticpate in the community! we are more than happy to help you out!