Over Weight and Dont Know Why.

I am 33 and have experienced the same weight issues in the past 2 years. Are you on any hormones? ARe you getting enough water? All that I can say is we are getting old. Try frequent small balanced meals (protein carb veg) and resistance training if you are not already doing so. Run for 30-45 min a day. Do that for 4 mos and see what happens. Good luck!

Hi, have you tried colon detox, are you on birth control because that will also do it. It seems with us women we are on the go all the time. Have you tried drnking blended veggie shakes. This will fill you up and help you digesting system. My father drinks daily in the morning. He will blend celery, basil, cucumber, with little water or OJ and is in good shape. Good luck and keep a positive outlook on life. Try reading the book The Secret to help you be a better person Good luck.

Sounds like you already have a lot of good advice. The best thing that ever happened to me was being diagnosed with lo level diabetes. The diet and excercise program is: no white flour, no white rice, no sugar, no fruit except hight fiber fruit and keep fuel in your stomach at all times. Several snack meals all day with this diet and you feel better and as a side lose weight.

Apples raw are the best fruit. lots of Fiber. No juice.

Hello, J.,

It is imperative that you eliminate ALL products containing Aspartame or Sucralose and ALL excitotoxins from your diet. Processed foods are LOADED with them.(Read, Excitotoxins, They Taste That Kills, by Dr. Russell Blaylock) They are usually at the heart of a situation like yours.

I would be happy to email you a wonderful recipe book called, "88 Recipes That Heal", by Dr. John Wood. You will learn so much about food from reading this wonderful book. Don't ever give up on yourself. You are so wise to reach out seeking information. When your body is fed properly, the weight will come off.

My very best to you,

T.

maybe you're not eating enough calories during the day and your body thinks you're starving it. If your body goes into starvation mode it will hang on to everything you eat and convert it straight to fat thinking that is going to be the last meal it will have.

Go to www.caloriecount.com (powered by about.com) they have a great way of tracking what you eat and how much you exercise, you can check out your analysis every day or every week. Women's bodies need no less than 1200 calories per day to not go into starvation mode, Men need 1800 per day. Go to that website and start with that, it's completely free and it may be the best way for you to see from a calorie stand point why starving yourself is really sabotaging your own goals. Also, keep in mind that as we get older it gets harder to get rid of the extra pounds. When we were 15 all we had to do was think of being skinny and **poof** it happened.....not so much once you get over that "30" marker... :)

Best of luck, I hope this helps you!

M.

Dear J.,
I surely understand what you are saying. Firstly our bodies change about every 7 years. I am not a doctor, just another mom.
It's encouraging to know that you do work out, what concerns me is that you don't even eat one whole meal a day and that could be part of the problem. When we don't eat on a regular basis our body thinks it's starving and holds the fat. Another thing is (it's a good thing) that muscle weighs more than fat.
I would suggest that you eat nutrious meals that are balanced and not too large with healthy snacks in between, plus water. My friend suggested that one should drink half the amount of ounces of water to pounds of weight. IE 125 pounds 1/2 of that in water and it should be about 4 ounces every 20 minutes so it doesn't go through you, rather goes through your system and detoxifys as it goes along.
I hope this helps.
N.
Walnut CA

I would bet you do have a thyroid problem, but not one that traditional medicine recognizes. I was the same as you after having my first son. Not only was it impossible to lose weight, but no matter what I ate I kept gaining. And the anxiety was over the top. I had heard a news report about a baby who was maimed in a car accident, and suddenly I was terrified to drive my son anywhere, and no way did I want anybody else driving. I remember standing by my car, holding my son and just crying and crying because I was afraid to get into the car.

I finally found out that I had a thyroid condition that involves reverse T3. A doctor named Dr. Wilson discovered it. Fortunately there was a doctor right here in Torrance that believed in it, and I went to him to have my thyroid checked. This was after having my physician check it three times and tell me that it was normal. But when Dr. Holtorf checked using some additional tests, he said my T3 was so low he wasn't sure how I could get out of bed in the morning. He put me on a special custom-compounded thyroid medication, and within a week the anxiety disappeared like it had never been there. In addition, I did a low-carb diet and lost 45 lbs. in 4 months (same diet I'd been trying for the previous 6 months but kept gaining).

You can find out more about this thyroid condition by reading here: http://www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com. You can read about the doctor I go to here: http://www.hormoneandlongevitycenter.com/

And just an FYI, most doctors are going to tell you this is not real medicine. But Dr. Holtorf participates in research studies that are on the cutting edge of research and education. He is not only doing things that 98% of other doctors don't do, but he is getting results that no other doctor can seem to get.

Recently I had a friend who could not lose weight to save his life, and he weighs close to 500 lbs. He was considering gastric bypass. I implored him to go to Dr. Holtorf first. I was so insistent I even gave my friend my appointment time. My friend went, and the first two weeks on new medication he has already lost 10 lbs. And he's not even dieting. He just thought he'd take the meds to see what happened.

I hope you find something that helps. I've struggled to lose weight since puberty, and I am now 42. Since going to Dr. Holtorf, I now lose weight like a normal person.

Take care,
B.

I have patients who come in and all of their labs come out normal for thyroid, but the keep gaining weight. Very frequently, it's acutally the adrenals. They deal with stress and have an impact on all endocrine functions.

When I was in grad school, I worked out each morning at 5:15am, ate really well..and still was gaining weight. I took 3 months off school, stopped going to the gym so frequently, ate fast food and lost 15 pounds. I realized it was stress.

I currently take and advise many of my patients to take adrenal support in the am. This is the one I use.
http://www.worldlifesupplements.com/products_main.html

Also, eating some amounts of food every 2 hours (1/2 apple and a handful of almonds) is the ebst way to go to keep your blood sugar level. Too much insulin has an impact on keeping those fat cells comfy. Don't starve yourself!

Wow. J., you're singing my song. I am 45'ish, and I WORK OUT five days a week, for an hour and 10 minutes approximately, (I have to get ready to go to work) and honestly work up a sweat, over 150 leg lifts, for the stomach, and 60 incline sit up, and NOTHING! THAT'S WITH THE ELIPTICAL AND TREADMILL AND OTHER WEIGHT TRAINING. Shhessshhh. I've almost given up. I can't drop a pound either. I've been doing this for a couple years now. I had my thyroid checked and it came back negative, all the blood work done and the new doctor could tell even by the results of the blood tests that I eat healthy, low fat, etc. I don't have an answer for you, but was wondering if someone does give you an answer, could you forward it on to me? I'm at my wits end. I feel like if I didn't work out, I would mentally have a break down, because LORD ONLY KNOWS, getting up at 4:30 every morning and coming home at 6:00 from the gym SUCKS! GOOD LUCK, AND KEEP ME APPRISED.

It sounds like you aren't eating enough. If you are exercising that much and not eating, your body has reverted to starvation mode. Try www.thedailyplate.com and record what you eat (it's free) as well as how you exercise. You can put in if you want to lose 1.5 lbs/week or 3 lbs/week and it will give you a caloric goal for each day.

I'm not a trainer, but it works for me.

I don't know how many responses you've had but I'd love to talk with you about this issue.

Shoot me an e-mail with your contact # and best time to contact you at ____@____.com can dicuss some options for you.

J.

Maybe your metabolism has slowed down now that you're in your 30s. NOT eating while exercising is BAD. Your body thinks it's starving....your body is a machine, it needs fuel. Try eating 6 small meals and keep exercising... usually only need 30 min a day. I did that for 3 months and lost 30 lbs. I had my 3 meals, watching what and how much I ate and snacks between like an apple, banana or fresh veggies. I didn't eat after dinner either. Maybe this will help??? B.

Hi J.,

Do you know that yo-yo dieting can really mess up you BMR. Say you loose 20 by not exercising at all. 10 lbs. is water, 5 lbs. is fat, and 5 lbs, is muscle. When someone regains the 20 pounds not exercising, 10 lbs is water and 10 lbs is fat. A pound of muscle takes up less space then a pound of fat and requires 5 times the calories to support. A pound of fat tends not to be solid and too much fat is why you see cellulite under your skin. That's why people who do this kind of unhealthy weight lose complain that they weigh the same as they did 10 years ago but none of their old clothes fit.

My Doctor recommended:

Small mini meals every few hours that is high in protein and low carb veggies.

Consume lowfat high fiber carbs all before 5 pm and eat them with your proteins. Melons and berries with low fat cottage cheese.

Drink 1 oz of water for every 2 lbs you weight. No caffine or limit Coffee, Tea, to no more then 2 cups. No diet soda = too high in sodium. No juices = too many empty sugary calories and no real fiber. You can flavor your water with lemon or lime. Filtered water is preferred.

Walking is good. Work up to 40 minutes 6 days a week. You can substitute weight training for every other day. (I do "Chair Dancing" and "Sit Down and Tone Up" videos by Stolove." Great for rainy days for you able bodied people too.)

I've lost 140 pounds and have 160 to go. I was eating like I was still running 6 miles a day. Also, I had 5 doctors prescribing all the wrong meds. They either slowed my metabolism, caused me to retain fluids, zapped me of energy. Going in and out of coma over a two year period made it easy to gained over 200 pounds. Most of my muscles atrophied and it took me a very long time to learn to just sit up.

Now besides mini meals, I drink a high fiber protein shake and eat a nutritional bar that helps me burn fat not muscle and sustain my energy so that I can work out longer. Since I am wheelchair bond, I do all my exercising in a wheelchair or dangling me feet at the side of my bed. I still have 160 pounds to go but I know I can do it. The company I work with, also dangling my feet at the side of my bed, just came out with a meal replacement bar that makes you feel full for up to 4 hours naturally. Please contact me if you would like to know more.

Good Luck ~ F. ###-###-####

Hi J.,

I have little to add but I will say - DITTO x 7 !!! Every one of these woman were correct. As an ex anorexic, later bulimic (30 years ago)....you are sabotaging your possible positive results, instead of the negative ones you are getting.

Follow their advice. Our bodies change after having kids that's true. But you are still young and clearly energetic enough that if you make the changes as suggested....I think your results will be more of what you are looking for.

I had my kids in my 40's and only then did my body change. I went back to 'almost' normal each time....but I'm not looking to have the body of a teenager again. And you have to be ok with the changes that take place as you get older.

So most important - change your minds eye. Accept your body as is!! Be happy just to be happy and get away from the physical 'looks' of it all.
Because what will happen is, if you can't be happy 'as things are for now' while you are working to reduce your size? Then when you DO reach your goal weight...you still won't be 'happy'. It will be illusive at best.

Enjoy life. Who cares what others think....I guarantee you they have their own problems and aren't focused on your weight the way you are. The family and friends who TRULY love you for you....will be there for you no matter your shape and size.
Your world will not come crashing in if you aren't perfect.

So as you move forward in doing the 'right' things to gain HEALTH....work on your mental picture of you at the same time. So what you can really do overall - is just enjoy life and your loved ones.

Godspeed!

you have to eat something every 3 hrs to boost your metabolism, I find low carb diets work best for me and fast too. I am 47 and tried stuff that did not work-then I tried low carb and the pounds melted off-you feel full longer too-no pasta, bread, rice, potatos or sugar for a month. Then add back brown rice, whole wheat breads and whole wheat pasa and sweet potatos, oatmeal. White foods have no nutrional value.
I walk when I can and try to do 10 straight min of workout a day, switching from abs to lower body, every other day.(I have a pear shape so I have a small upper body-all my weight is in the lower half) I went from a 12 to a 4 (same exact style and make of jeans) in 4 months following this plan.
Good luck

Ok, ok, take a deep breath!! You may feel overweight, but that is not who you are!!! You have many gifts, so let's start by realizing that. Your kids need you to be a confident, inspiring woman, because they are at a very tender age, just realizing who they are, and you are their strongest example.

Now, a few years ago, I was in the same boat, gaining about 5 pound per year since I got married (getting married makes you gain weight, by the way!!) I was VERY active and did not eat much, mostly healthy, low fat foods. I tried the Atkins Diet and lost 15 pounds in 6 months. I stopped doing it after losing the weight that I wanted because I really thought it was not intrinsically healthy to eat that way, but it worked for me. Give it a shot and don't cheat. AND realize that you are more than just your body (don't you want your girls to believe that, too?!?!?!)

I only read the first two sentences and decided to respond. Your body is storing fat because it is in starvation mode. Think about it this way. You only eat once, so your body saves all it can. If you eat 4-5 times a day and eat 300 calories in each meal, then your body will start getting rid of the extra that it does not need. Your body will know that it is going to be fed in a couple of hours, so it does not store anything extra. I know it sounds weird, but it's true. My husband is a dietitian and told me to do this. I lost 22 lbs in just a couple of months. Also, drink lots of water and try to continue to do cardio. 30 min a day 5 times a week. Good luck. I know this will work. Diet pills do not work either. You just need to jump start your metabolism again by eating more often. Also, make sure you have both protein and carbs with every meal.

First of all, EAT regularly-- starving yourself actually sets your body up to retain weight because it thinks you need the fat .

Second of all you can still be healthy in a size 12. Don't stress about pounds either -- muscle weighs more than fat.
Actually STRESS makes you gain weight/not loose weight too.

Third of all, even though the thyroid test came up negative, it could be wrong. I told the DR I had low thyroid for years and it has just finally gotten bad enough to show up on the blood tests -- apparently the blood tests most labs do only find the worst 3% of thyroid problems. You might want to research low thyroid on line to see if you have other symptoms (not just can't loose weight). Some websites recommend herbal supplements (since you don't have medical insurance) that might be worth a try.

Good luck.

Hi J...Yes you must eat regularly..I'll make this short..If you are not a diabetic you can follow this simple plan and you will lose weight...Basic rule is for the first two weeks stay away from breads, sugars, pasta, soda. Drink lots of water and some juices that are not high in calorie..For Breakfast have instant oatmeal or milk with dry cereal, lunch have salads, such as chicken or whatever kind you wish and for dinner the same, eat potatoes (no mash potatoes) only baked or put in microwave for 5 minutes..use fat free sourcream.. it is ok..Don't eat any BREAD remember..all meals will be without a cover , no tortillas either...you may even have a little cheese...eat lots of yogurt too and fresh fruits such as grapefruit, apples. And of course excercise at least 3 times a week..walking is great and free weights are good...try it for two weeks and I will guarentee you will start to lose weight..then after two weeks treat yourself to a night out with bread and pasta..You will find that you will get full faster...Good luck to you let me know how it goes

Hi J.,
I consider myself some-what of an expert on the struggles of weight loss since I've struggled w/ my weight almost my entire life (since I was 7 and I'm now 39). I've gained and lost over 175 lbs in my life, and after my last pg I'm 14 lbs away from my personal goal.
Having fought this battle for over 32 years, I've tried just about damn near everything and 6 years ago I found my answer: Weight Watchers. I tend to sound a little like a spokes person, but please bear with me because it's such a flexible program (both financially and options for weight loss).
Now you're probably wondering if it's such a great program why am I loosing weight again? Well, WW doesn't have a maternity program and as you know pregnancy affects your body in strange ways. I originally joined WW 6 years ago lost 42 lbs and vowed never to be fat again!! I maintained for a year and got PG for the 1st time and gained 70 lbs. I lost all the weight after the birth of my DS, maintained for 6 months and got pg w/ my DD and gained 60 lbs. I've been doing WW on my own (w/out going to meetings, since money's very tight for us too!) and I've lost 21 lbs on my own. Once you have the information, you can do the program on your own, but the meetings have some great information and support. You can get this information and support online too, or go to the 1st meeting, pay the $12 and get all the info you need. WW has great forums to find info and support, and I'm a member of MomCafe too and there's several WW forums to find info and support there too!

Over the years when people have asked me about my success and I tell them about the program, they give me every excuse in the book as to why WW wouldn't work for them. After struggling w/ my weight for 26 years, I was skeptical too, but I went in with an open mind, desperation, and some determination. One thing was for certian, I did not want to be fat anymore. I HAD to find something, something HAD to work, I just had to find what it was. WW isn't magic, you DO have to change your thinking, habits and be open to trying new things.

Now here's why I'm telling you all this: I'll always remember one young girl I worked w/ who wanted to take off a few pounds. There were certian foods she did't want to give up (you don't have to give up any of the foods you love, but you do have to limit them). I gave her all the information she needed to follow program. In then end she decided not to do WW, BUT (and here's the key) she DID learn how much she was actually eating!! She became more aware of how many calories and the amounts of things she was eating. She was already slender, and never had a weight problem before, she had never kept track of how much she was actually eating and was shocked at how much a portion really was and how much she was really eating.
Another example: my mother. She too has struggled about as long as I have (she didn't develop a weight issue until her late 20's). She refuses to weigh and/or measure her food and keep a food journal and then she can't understand why she can't loose weight. When I'm w/ her I'm shocked at how much she eats!!

Keeping track of your food and training your eye as to how much your eating is EXTREAMLY important.
Yes WW is work, it does take an effort and some comprmises, but you do eat your regular food, or you find some new favs. You learn about healthy habits too.

Sounds like you already have a great exersize program, it's all about calorie output vs. calorie imput. But note if you've been "starving" yourself you may have messed up your metobolism and your body has gone into starvation-mode and clinging on to all your fat reserves for dear life! You may need to eat some high calorie, high fat foods for a few days to break this cycle (even on WW you need to have a few high "point" days every once and a while to "trick" your metobolism).

Even if you aren't interested in WW, it sounds like you do need to do at least two things: Keep track of your food, in the process you'll become aware of how much your actually eating. Second, stop starving yourself, I've done this for many many years and I can tell you from personal experience, it screws up your metobolism. Other things that will also help that I'm not sure where your at with are: dring ALOT of water, 8 - 8oz glasses a day (at least) and make sure you're getting enough fiber. Something else I've done is to add a B comblex vitimin to my regimine, it helps to metobolize carbs and helps boot energy.

There's so much more, but I wanted to share just a few thoughts and tips. Please feel free to e-mail (____@____.com)me anytime if you want support or even to just vent, this is a topic very close to my heart!! Hugs!

Take the advice given to eat small meals every 2-3 hours (aim for 5-6 minimeals per day), all foods in combination (no carbs alone but always with protein) and exercise 60-90 min most every day for wt loss. Also, apply for Medical or go to a free clinic for health care. If your children do not have insurance, make sure you get them on Medical also. You should not be without insurance and have to understand that doctors cannot work for free just like stores do not give away products for free. Good luck!

Hello J.,
Im sorry you are going through so much. Have you ever tried to eat 6 times a day and working out? If you arent eating enough your body goes into starvation mode and it holds on to what it has because its afraid you wont eat again. Try eating 6 small meals throughout the day consintrate on having enough protein. Try to eat whole grains and healthy snack like raw nuts and yogurt whole grain crackers and cheese etc. I too suffer from panick attacks or I should say I used to, my doctor put me on Lexapro it has been a Godsend. It is the only medication that Ive taken that doesnt have any side effects on me. In fact I dont feel any different except for I dont have the panick attacks anymore and I handle stessful situations much better and it seems like I cope in every area better. I too couldnt drive when I had a panick attack and it always happend when I was driving. I dont know why it happens in the car for us, but believe me I understand how crazy it seems to have to have someone drive us around or walk when we should be able to drive ourselves. Im not sure where you live, but I have a good dr. in Long Beach and they take cash and I believe its 70.00 if you dont have insurance. If you tell her that you dont have insurance and she has the mecication she will give you samples and I know for sure they have samples of Lexapro. Her name is Kristen Dark ###-###-####. I hope this helps. I want you to know you arent alone and if you can get to dr. you can be free from this panick trap.

As an ex weight loss manager, I can tell you, you must EAT in order to lose weight. Your metabolism is what keeps your alive and if you don't eat on a regular basis, your metabolism slows down in order to keep you alive. Eat six small meals a day, and they can be as little as just a piece of fruit, or some veggies, but eat something healthy!, Then watch the weight fall off. Once you start losing again, you may hit a platue. Change your diet a little to fool your metabolism into thinking it's no longer on a diet, then start again. You'll do just fine!

J.,

I hear your frustration loud and clear. I have heard it often as well from toher people too. SO know that you are not alone. As a former personal trainer I can tell just by your story that starving yourself is not helping the situation. You are on the right track to exercising and I commend you for that. But for it all to work you need to eat between 5-6 times a day. I knwo when trying to loose weight the thought if eating more seems a bit crazy but trust me it works. I had the same issues with my clients but by the time I was done, they lost weight and looked great. What happens is that when you starve your body or are not on any kind of nutritional plan your body does not know when it is going to get fed next so what it does is it stores whatever you eat as fat so it can live on that sicne its not sure when its next meal is going to be. When you eat every 2-3 hours, good balanced emals, nothing big but small, your body knows the routine and it knows when its going to get fed and therefor, as long as you are eating ehalthy, everything you put in your body it will then burn it off, giving you a faster metabolism. You will not see ther esults you are looking for when exercising and not eating right. You have to do it together. If you are healthy and you have beenc hecked out then I would suggest to see a nutritionist that can help you on eating properly and maintaining a healthy diet. Good luck and hope things workour for you. Stay positive :-)

Oh hunny eat your matabelism has gone haywire....Breakfeast first and foremost if you dont eat first thin in morning your body goes into servival mode and stores everything have several small meals a day 5 to 6. Alot of excersise without calories to sustain you doesn't help your body hangs on to everything. Just make healthy food choices.

One another note I dont know where you live butt check into local health clinics and Family practyice somewhere they can refer you and lead you into the right direction to get help. Some of the places are at little to no cost or on a sliding scale. There are programs out there it is just a matter of footwork.

Hi J.. My name is Dr D. and I'm a chiropractor in San Diego with a degree in nutrition. The 1st thing you need to do is stop starving yourself! That is unhealthy and dangerous, also your body will slow down its metabolism and start storing fat. At my office we will work with your financial situation. In the mean time eat small portions of pure food throughout the day...preferrably 5-6 times/day. Make sure the foods are not fried, minimize white flour and eliminate the empty calories of sugar (and don't replace sugar with a splenda, equal or sweet and low because of their health hazards). Focus instead on raw fruits and vegetables. Also, stay away from fruit juice.
Give my office a call if you have any further questions...###-###-####

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You've got a lot going on and it's freaking you out. First, take a deep breath and realize that our bodies change over time and the size you wear means nothing. (Sizes are cut and labeled differently by different clothing manufacturers anyway, so do not base your self esteem on the tag in your pants!) Reading your message, it sounds like the biggest problem you have is anxiety-related or involves your mental health. If you are exercising excessively and "starving yourself," you have a self-image problem that you would be wise to tackle now rather than let it snowball. I know your options for professional treatment are limited without insurance, but you really need to find help for this. Look online for organizations that deal with self-image, eating disorders, mental health issues, etc. Surely there are some out there that can offer direct or indirect help and maybe find some free or low-cost counseling for yourself. Second, if you truly are "starving" yourself, that's why you're not losing weight. Your body may be going into self-preservation mode by severely slowing its metabolism. Go online to wwww.nutritiondata.com. It has a "tools" tab to click on. Somewhere under that tab there's a calculator that lets you enter your height, weight and activity levels. It will provide an estimate of how many calories you need to maintain your weight. Once you know that number you can adjust your exercising and/or your diet so you can take off a REASONABLE amount of weight. Please don't attempt radical diets or instant-fat-burning gimmicks. They wreck your health and if you do lose weight you're more likely to gain it back. You need to aim for a REASONABLE amount of exercise and take in a REASONABLE number of calories from healthy, nurturing foods. The process is slow but permanent. You sound like you are getting panicky, desperate and that your workouts and dieting are starting to control you rather than the other way around. BTW, there are other web sites online that provide calorie calculators and similar tools to help you estimate how many calories you're burning and how many you're taking in, so if the nutritiondata.com one seems too limiting, try another. Please aim for a healthy diet, a healthy amount of activity and think of this process as finding ways to ensure that you stay healthy and strong for the rest of your life (another 60 years!) -- NOT as, "omigod I wear size 12." Your size will fluctuate over your life but your strong health should not. Please, please find some professional help, get some counseling to deal with your anxiety/panic attacks and your self image, and use online tools or a low-cost group such as Weight Watchers to deal with the calories and the diet changes. You don't need insurance for that. Stop starving yourself and start nurturing yourself. You can do this. Good luck.

My advice to you is....EAT. Your metabolism has shut down due to your poor eating habits. Go on line and find a healthily high fiber 1200 calorie a day diet and then exercise all you want and you will lose weight. Weight watchers is very good for retraining one to eat properly. Give it a try. $9 a week and well worth it.

PS. I hope you are taking supplements because if not your body is starving for vitamins and minerals.

first i'd have to say don't starve your self. Eat about 5-6 small meals maybe a hand fun of say nuts of a small peice of friut. If you starve your self then your body reacts by storing fat as reserves. If you have myspace i can give you a link to a guy on there from newport who is a personal trainer, and I"m not sure which city you live but maybe ymca, or a local community center can help you out I know ours have personal trainer, and they know nutrtionist who can help you for less then it'd cost at a gym. (our community ceter has a trainer who will even let you group train and cut the cost)

Hi, I struggled with this problem too. You need to EAT three meals plus two snacks a day and not go over 1200-1400 calories a day. Starving yourself or only eating a few times a day is keeping your weight on even if you exercise. You should watch The Biggest Loser or get the books~they will tell you the same thing. I have lost over 20 pounds in three months by exersicing 3X a week with the videos/spin classes and eating enough. You need to eat. That is the misconception. Also get out mayo, white flour, anything sweet, colas, and get non-fat coffees. Splenda, EXTRA gum helps too. Good luck! You can do it!!!! Also stress can keep the weight on. Don't live for the day you will be skinny~life is short, live TODAY.

I have the same problem. For me the key is to starve then eat starve then eat.
I will go two three maybe four days starving then I will eat a few days however I want. I know it sound weird but with my version of starving it is not really starving just living well under 1000 cals a day more like 500-700.
This can be done by lean meat like chx or fish and tons of vegies. Vegies not fruit as they have cals and sugar in them.

Go to fitday.com and get a free account and start loggin your cals. Only by doing this will you see where your real mistakes are. I found I was thinking I was dieting but I could cut major cals by switching form half and half to non fat milk. I thought what is a little but of half and half but when you have three or four cups of coffee it is a lot where a whole cup of non fat milk is a lot less.
You will also discover a lot of foods that you thought were low that are not and a lot of foods that you thought were hight and are actually low.

Good lick but give this a try. but remember ever if you are eating a ton but low cals you body needs cals every few days to not freak out and keep losing weight.
Fats are a good thing just not every day.

T.

J.,
The best way to lose weight is to eat 4-6 small meals a day while you exercise. If you don't eat then your body thinks it's starving when you do eat your body will hold all fat and calories when you do and you want lose weight because your body is holding on to everything you do eat good or bad. HTH

i'm studying nutrition right now, so I'm no expert. What i learned is that about an hour a day exercise is enough unless you're on a sports team or running a marathon or something. and you need evenly spaced meals through out the day so that your body can function normally, (regardless of weight). With weight loss its not really about limiting calories as much as just eating the most nutritious foods and avoiding the least nutritious ones. I would start out with mypyramid.gov and see how that can help you plan grocery lists and menus and ideas for what types of exercise to do.

Hi J. -
There are three things you can right away that should give you better results.

1) Eat - you cannot starve yourself or your body will be confused. You have to eat to lose weight. It's more the quality of the food that makes the difference. Just cut out sugar.

2) Candida - Especially when we are pregnant, the body produces too much candida albicans. We need a certain amount in our intestines, but if we are stressed a lot then we overproduce it and get fat. Sugar is the main food for candida, so you need to eliminate sugar...and get an over-the-counter candida cleanse. They sell these at drug stores and Whole Foods Market for less than $30. I highly recommend doing this immediately.

3) Sleep - You must get enough sleep. Our bodies do a lot of processing when we snooze and for some reason (you can look this up) because of the chemical balance inside, lack of sleep causes weight gain...even if you exercise a lot. You can do regular 10 minute meditations to ease the sleep problem. This will also help with anxiety.

Good luck to you, L.

J., you simply aren't eating enough for the amount of exercise you are getting. You are starving your body and it needs the fat to survive. You have slowed down your metabolism and you are actually not healthy..............
Please eat 6 small meals a day including 150 grams of protein a day to sustain the exercise you are doing.
The pounds will drop off. I know you don't believe this, but try it. What you are doing (starving yourself in your own words) isn't working...........

Hi J.. I just wanted to comment on one item. Your problem might be that you are not eating enough. One thing I learned from my nutritionist a few years ago, is that there is a common misconception that the less you eat the better off you are, as far as losing weight. This is not true, because when you take away from your daily diet, your body goes into a sort of panic mode; it does not know when it's next meal is coming (because they are so few and far between, or not enough substance) that it stores the food (as fat) to feed off of later, as in an emergency (not getting a next meal). If you have been doing this for a while, it may be the reason you are not able to lose the weight. If not, it is contributing towards it. You mentioned that you do not have health insurance, but there are alternatives to that. You can either see a doctor as a cash patient (most will offer a discounted rate when they know you are paying cash - the pediatrician I take my kids to did this when I was between jobs - $40.00 an office visit!), or apply for Medi-Cal. I'm not sure what your financial situation is, or why you don't have any health insurance, but I would go with Medi-Cal for the time being. It is important to see a doctor, not only for this, but also because you need an annual physical. The other thing I wanted to mention is that the older we get, the more our metabolism slows down, making it harder to lose the weight we were able to when we were younger. I'm not saying you are "old", I'm 34 myself, but I find with each passing year it is more and more difficult to lose weight. When I was younger, it was no problem. :( If you are skipping meals, I recommend stopping that trend. There is an old saying, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college student". The most important meal of any day is breakfast; it is the fuel you need to provide stamin throughout the day. :) Best of luck to you :)

Hi J.,

When you starve yourself, your body goes into conservation mode and your metabolism slows down. Thus, you need to eat three meals a day, just choose what you eat wisely -- lots of veggies and the protein the size of the palm of your hand for each meal. You could use a program like Weight Watchers for that. However, your issues seem deeper, due to the panic attacks. Look for a counseling clinic that offers a sliding fee scale and get some help. You need to move forward in your life and right now you are stuck.

V.

Did you know that Marilyn Monroe was a size 12? The problem with our society is that we are size conscious rather than health conscious. Are you physically healthy??? If you are not eating you are not. Get off the scale and eat normally and with health in mind. Did you know that muscle weighs more than fat? You have probably built up muscle with all of your exercise! I'm concerned about your image about yourself and your pervasive anxiety. I would suggest 2 things: yoga and counseling. Excessive stress and anxiety will hold weight on one's body too! You are probably gorgeous inside AND out and don't even know it.

Eat! Eat! Eat! I am a recovering bulimic and although it backfired on me I could never understand why I wasnt losing weight. Now I do... I lost 105 pounds in 16 months by eating! You're also overexercising! Cool it down because after about 45 minutes all you're doing is breaking down muscle. Check out body for life. Great program and is also available online.

You must eat several small meals, 3-4 times a day to get your
metabolism back in order. Stay away from processed foods- prepackaged. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Drink plenty of water. Green tea is also great. Try to incorporate yoga into your exercise routine for some peace of mind. Meditation at the end of your workout is an essential part of a yoga practice and it will help you with the panic attacks. You can take class or get a DVD. There are many good ones out there. A great way to lose weight and get your fruit in, is to have fresh fruit first thing in the morning for breakfast and the last thing at night.

Maybe you are not eating enough to fuel your body. Your body wont burn fat if you dont eat the right foods. You need to eat every 4 or so hours to keep your body going. Your car wont run without gas, either will your body.Make good choiches when you eat.And do more cardio, cardio,cardio. Jumprope is a great exercise.

Aloha J.,

I used to be a size 16 and I've maintained a size 7/8 for over 7 years now. Being at a healthy weight for you can be a challenge. Something that "jumped" at me white reading your comments is that you exercise (which is great) however it sounds like your food intake is low. When the body doesn't receive the proper amounts of nutrients, it will hold on to anything in order to prevent any loss. My husband was shocked at how much food as was eating because I started eating more than before and I lost the weight. Finding the right balance is very important. I followed the weight management plan from Shaklee and I'm happy that I did. My husband never complained about me being overweight but it was a decision I made on my own for my health & well-being. You can read about the plan and decide if it's the right plan for you http://www.cinchplan.com/sarahs

Happy days,
Marie-anne :O)

J.

It's great that you have stepped up your excersise program, but... you need to be eating at least 5 small meals a day. Your body goes into starvation mode when you increase physical activity and you will actually gain weight if you are not eating properly. Eating more often will speed up your metabolism. But when I say eat more often that doesn't mean a full meal. You should always have breakfast, a mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner. Your snack should not be sweets or empty calories. Should be high in Protein... And if you are a soda drinker you should only be drinking sugar free and limit your intake to 1 a day.
I hope that will help.

Dear J.,
As we get older it's harder to loose wt.(sad fact of life)
and a size 12 is not that bad even though you think it's fat your not! If you don't feed your body food at least 3 times a day 5 times is better you will make it think your starving it and you won't loose. It thinks it needs to hold on to what it has. Try eating 3 to 5 small meals with your exercise and I bet you will see the pounds fall off.
I use a patented fat burning bar from the company I work with and they turn fat into energy if you want to know more or want to just talk about what I am doing email me ____@____.com
M.

Hi J.,
Please start by getting on a practical diet. You need to eat in order to lose wieght. When you don't eat your body thinks it needs to hold on to someting and that ends up being the fat.
I am 35 years old and have never really had a problem with my wieght either. But since my third baby 3 years ago i can not lose the wieght. But i have started by puting myself on wieght watchers. You can do this online and never have to go to a meeting. This is what is finally helping me. I have just begun and i have lost 4 pounds.
YOu need to believe in your self. Tell your self every day that you are beautiful, smart, funny, all the things that your are. A good mental attitude is a good start.
I know i must sound like every other person that can talk a talk. But to be honest with you my Dad was a strong believer in possitive thinking, and 10 hugs a day. Both of these things helped us all accomplish anything that we set our minds to.
Sounds like you have a stong foundation with your husband, lean on him for a while and just git'r done.
Good luck to you
B.

Eat a lot of whole grain things because it has fiber. Every gram of fiber makes sure that 7 grams of calories don't enter your body. Also if you eat fiber you need to drink a lot of water. Stay away from sodas. Don't starve yourself because when you do you don't loose fat you loose tissue which is your muscles. Eat a lot of fruits and veggies. Don't eat late at night too. Good luck!

My advice to you is EAT! Working out vigorously and starving yourself is the worst thing you can do for your body. When you don't give your body the energy it needs to get through the day it turns on itself to find that energy. If you eat 4 to 5 small portioned healthy meals a day and continue working out you will notice a change.

Hi,
I had a very similar situation and I really know exactly how extremely, extremely frustrating it can be. Not knowing why and having to deal with a body that is a larger size than you ever can remember. There are so many things it could be, progesterone imbalance, gluten intolerance.... Without more info it is hard to know, but you might want to start with eating three meals a day. If you are not eating much, your body thinks it is starving and will hold onto the weight. Eat small and concentrate on protein and non starchy green veggies, but do eat. Your body will need time to readjust to get out of starvation mode. Of course, do eat other foods as well fruit dairy etc. For the panic attacks you might want to check out a book called What You Can Change by Martin Seligman (or something like that) He talks about what causes them and how you can very easily help yourself through them. Above all, be very kind to yourself. Whenever you can say, "I approve of myself" to yourself whether out loud or in your head.

I agree with trying to eat a little more-- at least 4-5 times a day-- it doesn't have to be a meal-- but a healthy snack like nuts, cheese etc.

BUT--- I also had a problem losing weight and was found I was insulin resistant. I needed medicine--- AND I also found that my body responded much much better to a higher protein, low carb diet-- like South Beach. Try reducing your total carbs to between 30-40 a day and keeping your calories around 1200. It is not guaranteed but it worked for me.

J., my dear, you need to EAT! Your body is going into a starvation mode (the body's way of surviving when it is given so few calories; it slows down its metabolism and then hangs on to the few calories it is given). Your body needs to get enough calories to support all the exercise you're doing, or it won't feel comfortable shedding the pounds. I would recommend eating healthfully: lots of vegetables, some fruit, whole grains, lean protein, a little healthy fat like olive oil, low-fat dairy. For the correct balance of these and for a tailored-to you program, you might want to try a program like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. Whatever you decide to do, please don't endanger your health by continuing to starve yourself and exercise excessively! All the best to you.
Chris

My first reaction is to say that you've sabotaged your metabolism by eatting so little and occasionally starving yourself. Look for any diet book that focuses on supercharging your metabolism, and most importantly DON'T EVER STARVE YOURSELF AGAIN! It sends your body into survival mode and you almost stop burning calories. The Three Hour diet is a good one because it has you eat frequent small meals... anything along that line. And don't beat yourself up so much. The older we get, the harder it gets, but stressing about it won't help because stress makes you gain weight.

As far as excersize goes, change it up, you might be on a plateu. Don't add more, just change what you do. Maybe check out a personal trainer (it's not free, but it's reasonable at places like 24 hour fitness).

By not eating you are actually slowing down your metabolism instead of speeding it up. Your body is going into starvation mode. You should try to have six small meals a day. You also might want to get some of Jillian Michael's books. They are very helpful and she lays everything out for you.

I am sure you will hear this alot. But do not starve yourself.
Weight watchers is an awesome way to get rid of extra weight.
If you don't have the extra funds to go to the meetings then try the book for the South Beach diet.
Its eating more balnced meals with lots of vegetables and fruit.Little or no meat and No fat. ( like butter etc.)
I swear this works.
Good Luck
N.

Hi J.!
I haven't read the other responses because there a lot, but I just had the exact same problem! It's been sooo hard for me to get back my old body since having my son, and I had become obsessed about it. I'm a fitness nut, so I workout every day a ton. I wanted quicker results, so I started eating less and less every day. I thought, "The less I eat, the more weight I'll lose!" since you need to burn more calories than you're taking in. Well...I started noticing that I was GAINING weight, and I was freaking out! I was probably on the verge of an eating disorder, I was so discouraged and upset because I was really trying soooo extremely hard to lose weight. But my husband's best friend (who is a personal trainer) convinced me to eat more. I did NOT believe him because it didn't make sense to eat more to lose weight... Well, the past week I have given it a shot and I've already lost about 3 pounds! I wasn't a believe before, but TRUST ME, it's true what they say. I just try to keep my overall calories between 1200-1300 a day, and eat often throughout the day and it's working SO well for me. I have never felt better, and it's so much easier than starving yourself! Sorry this is becoming so long, but I completely understand how you feel! Give this a try - I promise it'll work! Good luck, and if you need anymore support or advice or anyone to vent to or whatever, contact me! You're not alone!

C.

J.,
You will never lose weight if you don't get proper nutrition. Everything you eat your body will store as fat, because it knows it will not get anything else for a long time. When you starve yourself it causes your metabolism to drop, therefore not allowing you to burn calories. If you eat at least four small, healthy meals a day, your body will start shedding the weight. You may want to start with three and work your way up to five meals.
If you don't stop starving yourself and beating yourself up it is really going to start taking its toll on you and will have a negative effect on your girls. You don't want to send this message to your daughters, there is enough negativity that your girls will see in school, on TV and in magazines, they don't need it driven in at home.
Be kind to yourself and your body. You may want to find a group to join, such as Curves, or even online they have The Biggest Loser, that shows you how diet and exercise work together.
Best of luck to you and remember to love yourself!
S. Gonfiantini

J.-
When you don't eat, your body goes into "starvation mode" & it will hold on to fat it thinks it needs for nourishment. You need to eat 3 meals & maybe 2 small snacks a day. Go online & research what to eat. If you are working out & not eating, you're not doing your body any favors.

You have to eat!!! Your metabolism slows if you're not eating no matter how much you work out. I've been on Weight Watchers and it's great!!!

EAT!!! I know it sounds counterproductive but you're messing up your metabolism by not eating. You're actually making it worse because your body gets needy and holds onto the food longer when you starve it. You should be getting 6 small meals a day.

Check out www.Sparkpeople.com for tons of advice and ideas on healthy weight loss. You can do this, you just need to retrain your mind and your body.

If you don't eat at LEAST 3 meals a day, your body saves everything you give it because it thinks you're starving, never knows when it will get more food... That's a lot of what's going on. Drink a lot of water as well.

Like all of the other ladies responses , you must eat . Try Michael Thurmans plan . I did and lost 73 lbs. Speed up your metabolism by eating 5 small meals a day . Good Luck !!

It sounds clear to me your body is in starvation mode. Do some in depth research and you will find that if you are not giving your body all that it needs it will hang on to every little bit you give it. The more you feed it, the more it will eventually let go of. This is going to sound funny, but start intaking the number of recommended calories and make sure to include a lot of protein and the pounds will start dropping off. Also, include weight training as muscle burns fat faster than just a plain cardio workout.

Hi J., I can totally relate with your problem, since turning 40 3 years ago I had put on about 2 pounds a month until I was 20 lb heavier than normal. I was working out and eating good but nothing worked. I see you have gotten a lot of great responces, just goes to show we all struggle or know someone who struggles with weight.
Here is what worked for me:

1. eat small meals every three hours. Use a salad plate to keep the portion size small. I had to set my alarm on my cell phone to get used to this.

2. Add more protein and fiber to your diet. Protein helps build muscle which burns more calories than fat. Fiber fills you up, keeps you regular and helps eliminate free radicals from your body.

3. Drink lots of water. Avoid high sugar soda's and juices or fancy coffee's from starbucks that have 500 cal in them.

4. Up your cardio in your workout. Also alternating running/walking every 5 min will help burn more cal.

5. Dont worry what the scale says, go by how your clothes fit and your body feels. Muscle weighs more than fat.

I incorporated some weight loss products that my co. sells to boost my metabolism. One is an energy fizz drink that I swear by. Its all herbal, curbes appetite, boosts metabolism (this was the most important part for me) and gives you some energy without jitters and crashing later. if your interested in some samples let me know.
Check out this free wesite for some other ideas.
www.figure8.com

My website is www.dalex.myarbonne.com

Let me know if you have any questions or I can help in any other way..
D.

J.,
Did you just see your MD or an Endocrinologist. I too had problems with weight gain and other thyroid problems. I went to my Md had 3 blood tests and all came up negative for thyroid. I went to see and endocrinologist and they also did test, they do a special test that the MD's do not do, guess what. I have hypsthyroid, but again the regular test came back negative. Lucky I went. If you havenot seen one, I suggest you do, just to rule it out. As for the panic attacks, I don't have a solution for that. Good luck
K. E.

Hi J.!

I have read a lot about weight loss and the biggest thing I have learned is that you HAVE to eat to lose weight. It's just the matter of WHAT you eat that is the main factor. If you don't eat, your body goes into survival mode and stores the fat that you have for back up. Even if you exercise you won't burn anything. You should look at your body like a furnace... you have to constantly be feeding it fuel in order for it to burn. I have read that you need to limit the amount of fat calories to 20-30% in most of the foods that you eat. For example, on a food label, you will see fat calories per serving and fat calories per serving. Say that the label says there are 100 calories per serving. You want to make sure that the amount of fat calories per serving are 20-30 calories. Make sense? You should eat 3 meals (including breakfast!!!! The most important of all!!!) and a snack between each meal, but a small one, like apple slices with a little peanut butter (only 2 tablespoons) or cottage cheese and fruit. You should definitely have some healthy fats in your diet, like olive oil and salmon and nuts. These just have to be added in sparingly. You will also want to count your calories each day- you are 5 foot, so you should probably have 1300-1500 calories a day? (This is just a guess, I am in no way shape or form a dietician). On top of that, just keep exercising every day and make sure that you do some type of weight training. I woudl suggest joining the YMCA- that is where I go, and they have amazing people on staff that are so willing to give you suggestions, and I think you even get one free training session when you sign up. It's really hard to be patient, but this system has worked for me. It's not a quick-fix, but rather a lifestyle change, ya know? Good luck with everything and keep your head up!

Well first of all you need to eat a balance diet and drink alot of water, little carbs, try to drink water before you eat, have
6 small meals through t the day make sure these meals include protein carbs (small portions)These can be protein shakes, or bars,Yogurt and cottage cheese with a piece of fruit.You can look online for low carb hi protein recipes.But you cannot miss to eat your meals and drink your water.and of course exersize.

J., You need to eat! Your body is most likely in starvation mode so it is storing every little thing that you take in. You need to eat 3 meals a day if not more (a healthy snack here and there). The exercise and walking is great but the only way your body will burn is if it knows it is gonig to get more at some point. Good luck!

If you are not eating enough calories, your body can go into starvation mode and prevent you from losing weight. Try eating a set amount of calories per day and changing your exercise routine. hope this helps.

It sounds like you're starving yourself. You've put your body into "stress" mode and that only prevents your body from 'letting go'.
You sound very diligent and dedicated.
I helped my husband lose 30 lbs in a short amount of time by running for 20 minutes every day and counting every single gram of carbs and fat. We followed Calorie King (calorieking.com).
I kept him at 1800 calories because when I had him at 1600 calories, he just didn't lose any weight--it just wasn't enough.
You sound petite, so I might recommend a calorie intake of 1600 calories, but check with the book or website on exactly how many fat and carbohydrate grams you need.

We purchased a digital scale from Bed, Bath, and Beyond to measure EVERY SINGLE THING. It's tedious at first, but it helps learn portion control.

Good luck, you can do it
Given you

J., you can actually not eat and not lose weight. It sounds like your body is in starvation mode and holding onto what fat you have, because of your lack of eating and the amount of exercising you do. You need to eat a balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies, protein and healthy carbs. Make sure you eat at least 1200 a day, you could probably eat a little more than that and still lose weight, based on your size and the amount of activity you say you do. Make sure you eat breakfast every day too to help boost your metabolism. If you really think there is something wrong with you pay to find out. Your health is important. Just stop starving yourself; so many people make this mistake. IT WON'T WORK. Good luck.

I use and sell a weightloss product that helped me alot. I am happy to give you more info if you like.
J.

J.,

You have gotten some great advice on the weight issue so I am going to center my answer on the panic attacks. First off having taken medication can make your weight explode. On one medication I gained 25 lbs. in 6 weeks and once you gain the weight it doesn't just drop off once you stop taking the medication.

The first thing to do is to take the stress out of your life. Some many worries that we have are self induced and I went through a point over 3 years ago where I could not go into a store with choices (ie walmart, target or even Vons and Albertson's) I was only able to go into Costco when they opened and the general members weren't allowed in. What can you do to de-intesify your daily life? Search for joy and contentment in everything you do.

I don't know how long you were a single mom but you started your family early and probably have centered your attention on your children. I was a single mom for over 10 years before I remarried and that opened up a whole bunch of problems with my older children's father. When my life began to come together in a positive way he tried all he could to "rock the boat". Put your weight issue aside and center your life. If your husband is such a great guy he will be understanding and probably doesn't even see a problem. Change your perspective when you are exercising and try for more energy and not less weight.
Practical helps: Make sure you have plenty of water all day. Lower or take out of your life your intake of alcohol. Take a multivitamin (if you have a problem with the larger pills, find a smaller one or take a chewable). Take an Omega 3 supplement every day. Go through your kitchen and throw away any food that has HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is it. This sweetener does something to your brain to not only crave the food that has it (aren't those marketing strategists wonderful) but also that your brain doesn't recognize it as sustenance so you continue eating it. I have some info on this if you are interested. Even a list of fast foods that have it that I got off a web site.

Just relax and enjoy your new life with your husband and girls and the rest will follow.

Evelyn

Hi J., i love animals too. First of all are you healthy? and does your husband love you just the way you are? One meal a day will prevent you from loosing weight, every time you eat your matabalisium kicks in, if you skip meals then your body fat is needed to nurish the body sorda speak. green tea works for some people, but they say eat 4 healthy meals a day, and exercise helps, for us woman if our weight is caused by stress, then we need to get rid of stress or manage it he better. Don't use the green tea pills, go to your nearest health food store to get your green tea, tis may help you, I to am over weight, and I have tried many things, they only thing that really worked for me was Herbalife, but I just can't afford to stay on that, I did do a chicken and green been/chicken and salad, while walking on the tread mil everyday, I lost 33 pounds, ut when i stoped the weight came back. I pray you find what works for you, in the mean time, still love yourself, because I'm sure there are many qualities you have, that out weiht your weight. Hope that makes sense. J.

Couldn't agree more with the folks saying you need to eat more as you are slowing down your metabolism by not eating. Just make it lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains, and lean meats. I feel you because lately I've been trying to lose a few pounds and actually GAINED myself, but I'm just focusing on getting at least some moderate exercise each day and laying off the sweets as much as possible. When you say you exercise all day what exactly do you mean? Because that's not healthy either.

Finally, you need to get your stress (panic attacks) under control. Stress causes us to keep weight on, it's a biological response that we can't control. Try yoga. You don't have to join a class, just find a video or two. It can help get the stress under control and is also a very gentle but effective form of exercise to get your body back on the right track. Figure out what's causing your stress aside from the weight gain (because my guess is there's something more, especially since you mentioned money troubles...which I can also relate to) and try to address the cause. And go see your friends! They don't care if you've gained a little weight, and they're your support. Let them be there for you. I feel like I can understand a bit of what you're going through. If you'd like to chat some more, feel free to drop me a line.

From the outside looking in, it all seems so simple. I'm surprised your Dr. that did they thyroid test didn't advise you better or at least refer you to a nutrionist.

YOU HAVE TO EAT TO LOSE WEIGHT!!!! You aren't taking care of yourself, I know you say you are exercising all day but your body has nothing to burn but muscle. It will not burn fat if you don't eat. It is in starvation mode, so it stores fat. You need to eat 5x a day, 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks. You don't need to workout all day. At the minimum, 3 days of cardio for @ least 30 minutes and 2 days of strength training plus the healthy diet and you WILL get results. The more muscle you have (you can gain muscle w/out bulk) the more you will burn fat.

You don't need a lot of money, there are many resources on line that are free or very cheap. You don't even have to have a gym membership. Bob Green has a good website, so does Jillian Michaels. Both can give food and exercise tips.

By the way, I want to add.. I do know how you feel. Once you start taking better care of yourself (inside and out), the rest will come easily. It really will. Eating right and exercising does wonders for the whole body; heart, mind and soul. You can do it!!

Best wishes,
M.

I agree with the others. You need to eat more and drink more fluids. You can work out all day and still not see any results if you aren't putting the right stuff into your body. By not eating your body is being forced to hold onto all of the nutrients, fats, and sugars that it already has because you aren't replenishing it frequently through out the day.

Also, with your thyroid test...How do you feel? Do you feel lethargic, not like your normal self, depressed, etc.? I had all the classic signs of low thyroid and all of my thyroid tests came back in the "normal" range. My free TSH score was at 1.75. Definitely in the normal range of .5 to 5, but WAAAAYYYY too low for me. I need to be around a 3 to feel normal. After months of search for answers for my weird symptoms, and after being told by my former GP that I was "crazy and it's all in my head and you need to see a psychiatrist and get on antidepressants immediately", I found my nutritionist. Linda Wagner is wonderful and really helped me to understand how the body works and how what we put into our bodies affects us. I worked with her for 7 months to cleanse and strengthen each organ and spent 3 months working on my thyroid, adrenal glands, and pituitary gland. Those three organs work simultaneously together so if one is off track the other two will be as well. After 7 months of working with her my thyroid test came back at 2.75. I also changed my diet and started working out on a regular basis. Then I got pg and my level went down to 1.75, but I still felt normal. Now a year later my levels are at a very healthy 2.9. I feel great and am looking forward to getting back to the gym and working out again. If you are interested in learning more about her and checking out some good information on her website, go to www.endometriosissupport.com

Another thought: Are you on BCP's? That can cause weight gain. Also peri menopause can cause weight gain. Are you under a lot of stress? Getting enough sleep?

If you are eating as little as you say, that's most likely a big factor. When you don't eat your body goes into starvation mode (especially if you exercise a lot!) and won't metabolize as fast. I think too much stress also causes the same problem. So your body is probably saying "You're not feeding me and you're totally stressed out, so I need all the extra fat to survive." If you're not careful, you could cause serious medical problems for yourself.

At the very least you should use the food pyramid as a guide. I did that when I wanted to shed some pounds, with exercises, and it worked. Avoid most drinks except for water (Sweet, high calorie liquids can easily make you gain weight; I know from experience.)

Experts also say that eating six small meals a day works best, as long as you balance out your food (again, food pyramid is a good guide). Doing so helps your body metabolize food faster, and you feel satisfied all day rather than hungry between meals. Make sure you get your minimum calorie requirement per day to stay healthy. If you are building muscles as you exercise, you may need extra protein. Pay attention to such cravings. The more you work your body, the more nutrients it needs. Eating is a wonderful thing, our bodies need us to do it!

You may also want to look into support groups in your community, groups that have resources for this sort of thing. It is easy to let our self esteem be determined wholly on our appearance, but there are many other things to be happy about with ourselves.

I hope this helps. Best of luck!

You are not eating enough. I totally messed up my metabolism by not eating enough and the only way I am able to loose weight is by eating three meals a day (sensibly) and some brisk cardio. When you don't eat, your body goes into "starvation" mode and stores up fat to prepare for starvation. I have found that Weight Watchers works really well because it forces you to eat appropriately. I have Quaker natural oatmeal every morning at 9am, then a small lunch and a tasty but small dinner. I use a smaller plate and fill half of it with color (dark green salad, green beans, etc). The size of your meat should be about the size of your fist. I limit the "starch" to about a 1/4 cup. Portion control is key. I don't deny myself anything, but I do watch how much I eat. When you have a family, it is hard to prepare something different for yourself, so that is why this works so well. And don't finish eating anything that your kids don't finish. It took me a long time to feel okay about throwing food away. Mix all this with a brisk 45 minute walk (something that you can do with the kids) and in a few weeks you shoud definitely see a difference. The main thing is that you will be modeling proper eating for them (especially important since you have daughters. You don't want their focus to be on starvation and self critisism, but in healthy eating and healthy body views).

Hope this helps. I am a 49 year old mother of 3; two boys 22 and 19 and a daughter of 15 and have recently lost 15 of the 20 pounds I put on (10 from menopause and 10 from depression when my husband died).

Good luck!
N.

Sometimes it's just the "age" factor; I know when I hit my 30's my body adjusted! You might not be eating enough - starving yourself isn't good & it slows down your metabolism which is what your body uses to eat up stored fat. I'm sure the professionals have a better way of saying it, but that's my understanding. Just like a car, our body needs fuel (food) to keep it running efficiently. Try to eat 5-6 meals a day of 200-300 calories each; make sure you are eating veggies & fruits mostly with a small portion of protein at each meal. Concentrate on 30 minutes of cardio each day - that's not a slow paced talk on the phone kind of walk; get your heart rate up & act like you are running into a store to catch the last sale item! :O) Good Luck - we've all been there! You'll find out how to be the boss of your body & drop some pounds! Just wait for your 40's......AND 50'S! :o) I'm 50.....proud mom of two 21 mos. old twins....and two older children....lost my baby weight....but it wasn't easy at this stage of life; just keep trying...trying & trying some more! It'll happen!

I can tell you right now that starving yourself is not going to help you lose any weight.. I have struggled with my weight for 10 years since gaining 80lbs with my first pregnancy and I did for many years exactly what you are doing. I got blood work etc. It wasn't until I recently found weight watchers that I discovered that I wasn't eating enough.. Yes eating enough. When you don't eat at all your body goes into starvation mode and it will not release any fat at all thus no weight loss. I am now following the WW plan, eating 5 to 6 small meals/snacks a day and the lbs are melting away. You should look into a diet program of some sort, or see a nutritionist.. but most importantly you need to be eating starting with breakfast!

J., my dear, dear. You need to love yourself. Really, really. I have the same problem, only not the weight. I am nervous all the time. I do not have a husband, I havent for 14 yrs. My oldest daughter is 15 and my baby daughter is 3. I am all alone in this parenting thing. I dont feel very worthy much, but lately I've learned to find peace and love in what's around me, mainly my children. I didnt like looking in the mirror. Problems lied deep within. I am full of pain, from many deaths and being left by the father of my children. I decided to focus on the little lives in front of me, to have them not go through this. My father is very ill and last family member I have left. I speak to him every day. I tell him what I need to tell him. I go to the park and push Lillie on the swing, what he did for me. I look at him and see his frail frame left of what was the men of all men, and live my life not to hurt him, and that is not to hurt myself. What would our parents do in the despair of knowing we are terrible to ourselves, and how helpless they are to that? What would you do if your daughters did what you're doing and you could see it from the outside and were unable to help them? It would tear you up. And that's what you're doing. You will tear yourself up and in turn it will tear others up. Dont go down that path. You have a CHOICE. Choose to love and indulge in THAT. We are lucky to live, the short time we have, so live with grace and thankfulness of what is right in front of you at all times.

Bless you, I know how you feel. Change it.

Wendy

Please slow down, you are putting yourself in a cycle of failure.

The 1,2,3, advice is great but I would add that you need a probiotic supplement to balance your intestinal flora. If you would like a nutritional assessment (free) contact me. I teach excercise classes and would be happy to put a plan together for you.

First stop torturing yourself, we change as we age and we have to make adjustments. You will be fine, but stop doing what you are doing now as it is not working. Your body will begin to eat the muscle and leave the fat if you push it too far. Check out a great book called "Smart Excercise". My copy is loaned out right now but the library has them.

Feel free to contact me, I mean that. We could take the dogs to the animal park to meet. Have some faith in yourself.

You will be in my prayers.

J.,
I can tell you that I transformed my body only after I started eating 3 sensible meals everyday and continued a workout routine without fail. Now I can endulge when I want to and I can maintain my figure too! This did not happen overnight so 1.5 years is not a long time. Don't give up if you are doing things the right way the weight will come off.

It is so frustrating having you body change as you get older! My first piece of advice is not to starve yourself! Eat healthy for sure, but you have to eat. When you don't get enough calories your brain and body can't function properly and your body thinks you might starve so it will actually hold on to fat to keep you alive. Also, it screws with your metabolism and in the long run will make it harder to be your normal weight.
Have you checked out the women's health magazine website? I get so many good ideas from that magazine!
I'm also wondering if you are on hormones (birth control), 'cause as soon as I started taking the pill I gained weight that's been really hard to deal with.
Good luck!