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I hate that bitch yet she has me by the damn balls!

how are you with bread? I would recommend reading the labels on every single edible item you come into contact with - sugar is pervasive and the manufacturers find ways to sneak it in there. Names like corn sugar, sucrose, sucralose, HFCS, candy sugar, etc. If you love those veggies, definitely look into the Whole30 program. I have a feeling it may change your life for the better

Ugh jrc, that is frustrating! I would consider talking to a dietician and maybe investing in a trainer. I will tell you that my trainer (the one I pay) and my trainer friend said that women often do too much cardio and not enough resistance. Without knowing your regimen, it would be hard to gauge it. However, if you speak to a trainer and go over your goals I'm sure they can help you find a regime that works for you.

Eat 5 or six small meals and never leave the house in the morning without eating something. It is true that if your body thinks it is being starved it will hold onto all the fat it can. Quinoa is a great carb with lots of protein and fibre and you can put that stuff in everything. It fills you up, is fairly cheap and great for you. I make it every weekend and not even joking add it to every salad, burghers (shhh my SO doesn't know that) and even twice baked potatoes.

Jrc, I feel for you. I am trying to make myself exercise, but hate every minute of it. If I'd done as much as you have and actually put on weight, I think I'd throw in the towel!

Irritating though I find it to have to jump on the diet-cycle's current bandwagon, in view of your health problems, I agree that a low carbohydrate diet might be a good idea.

My husband also has an underactive thyroid, so I know how difficult it must be for you to lose weight. As always, I think that SadinAz's advice was good. (i.e. That you consult a dietitian.) It may be that you are not eating enough for the amount of exercise you're doing. However, from my mostly unsuccessful experience of innumerable weight-loss programs, I know that when people lose less weight that might be expected, the leaders usually ask first about measuring..... :-(

How do you actually work out the number of calories you're consuming? Do you do what is admittedly very boring thing and weigh everything? Or do you feel confident enough now to estimate? Since I've spent years serial dieting, I think I know exactly what a 1 oz piece of cheese looks like. But when I make the effort to weigh it, I know that it is almost always smaller than I think. (Depressingly, it is almost never bigger than I think! For someone like me, self-deception always comes into play. You may well be less delusional....) ) But if you've been doing a lot of estimation, it might be worth trying a month or so of carefully weighing everything, just to see whether it makes any difference. I would highly recommend a digital scale. I find them much quicker, easier and more accurate than those with a dial, and there are plenty of reasonably-priced ones nowadays.

Back to the diet. An acquaintance who has serious thyroid problems recently told me that she has had great success in both health and weight loss with a "ketogenic diet". I had never heard of it, but it looks as though that, too, is basically low-carb.

I can totally relate to your sweet tooth, by the way! So sickening that all the really delicious stuff is fattening, innit?

And if I might do a tiny t/j......

Have you always enjoyed exercise? Or have you found some way of forcing yourself to do it, even though it's scarcely your first love? If so, do please divulge it, for the benefit of the haters like me.

I hope the next six months will bring you more encouraging results, Jrc.

[This message edited by Cally60 at 7:16 PM, July 22nd (Tuesday)]

Perhaps you need to consult with a dietitian about the diet you should be following. With diabetes in the picture you don't want to just randomly screw around with your calories or you will have problems with your sugars. A dietitian/nutritionist can help you design a diet (and by that I mean style of eating not "diet") that works with your lifestyle, food likes/dislikes and provides the calories your body needs to slowly lose weight.

My SO is diabetic and over the last year has dropped 53 lbs by simply cutting out the "junk food" and only eating one normal sized plate of food at meals. He used to pile his plate sky high and go back for a second plate the same. We eat a healthy diet with lots of fresh veggies, lean meats, and healthy carbs. It works for him and keeps his sugars in line, and he has been able to lose the weight he needed to lose.

Hang in there, you have half the battle won because you have a regular gym routine in place...now you need to relook at the food end of it......HUGS

I agree with a lot of what's being said here, and disagree with some of it.

I did a lot of effing around and kept gaining; couldn't lose shit. Got tired of that and got SERIOUS.

Actual weight numbers didn't drop for almost 6 months... but finally I'm where I want to be weight wise - and def working on the body structure now. It took CRAZY dedication and diet was 85% of it, and my biggest struggle.

If you still want some help, I'd be happy to work with you. My job right now is boring as hell, so I can take lots of time and help. I'm leaving here in five minutes though - but I'll be back on tomorrow. Some key things quickly are:

Cut all the white stuff - bread, rice, pasta... all of it. In fact - I don't even really eat whole grain pasta or breads. Very seldom. My "pasta" is now spaghetti squash.

Fresh steamed veggies and meat. This should be 80% of your intake. I use some Mrs. Dash type stuff (NO SALT) - lots of garlic and onion for flavor... and steam. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini and squash, snap peas. I eat baby spinach salads with only veggies and a small amount of unsalted sunflower seeds. I eat chicken and turkey. That's pretty much it. Ground turkey burgers, grilled marinated chicken, etc...

I also eat a LOT of eggs. TONS. Mostly egg whites, but if you are working out, you need need need mega amounts of protein.

Like others said - fresh and grilled/steamed. Period. NEVER eat frozen shit. Even diet frozen shit. It's horrible. Soda - never. Coffee and water for me. Only. With lemon and lime.

I also eat 5-6 small meals a day, starting with breakfast within an hour of waking up. Very important.

That's my norm... That's what helped me lose 15 pounds eventually - but it's so much more than that because I lift a LOT.

Oh and yes... lift lift lift. Cardio is important but not nearly as important as lifting. Lifting burns WAY more calories, plus tones you all up nice.

I gotta go - but I'll check in here later. Can't type a ton on my phone from home, but I'll be back on computer tomorrow. I can help you get a meal/exercise plan together if you want.

SSM!!! Hey!!

Cut all the white stuff - bread, rice, pasta... all of it. In fact - I don't even really eat whole grain pasta or breads. Very seldom. My "pasta" is now spaghetti squash.

Ding-ding-ding we have a winner!! Think outside the bun!

Dr just called... Apparently Thyroid is still out of whack... so she's adjusting the dosage on my thyroid medicine again... second time in 3 months...

SSM... I'd love to talk more to you about food... I have cut almost all "white" stuff out of my diet already... I'm not a big bread/rice/pasta eater anyway... so it's not been too hard.

My biggest problem is sugar and hidden sugars (in my breakfast cereal)... I love cold cereal in milk.

I can do eggs... I like eggs.

The problem at home is the chicken/turkey... that would require cooking two meals because the boys (FWSO and kid) wouldn't eat a turkey burger to save their lives. FWSO won't touch chicken of any kind.

Anyway... I look forward to talking more to you SSM.

Late to the party here you have received great advice so far. Limit your carbs and increase your protein. Meaning you should have 10 grams of it with breakfast lunch and dinner plus 3 snacks that offer an equal amount of it.

There are other tricks that you need to do as well. I will give them and explain why below.

1. Eat within 30 minutes of waking. If you don't your body shuts down and says I'm not being fueled I will shut down my metabolism so I don't starve. This goes back to cave man days.

2. Eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day. Not a tone but fuelings with 8-10 grams of protein. They make you feel full they prevent the swings in blood sugar and they will stay more even.

3. Make sure you are getting 8 8 ounce glasses of water each day. Not other fluids but plain old water. This helps to purge toxins related to exercise and salt.

4. Avoid anything and everything with high fructose corn syrup no matter how "low carb/high protein" it says it is.

5. If your blood sugars are running high tt your Dr if you are not checking them go to Walmart and get their Reli-on brand and use it, fasting blood sugars should be under 120 and 2 hours after a meal should be under 200. If not call your Dr.

6. See and endocrinologist. With more than one glandular problem thyroid and diabetes, your PCP is NOT equipped to treat and manage you. All hormonal issues are related and typically poorly managed.

6. See an endocrinologist. With more than one glandular problem thyroid and diabetes, your PCP is NOT equipped to treat and manage you. All hormonal issues are related and typically poorly managed.

^^^ Great advice ^^^

I truly believe the total number of calories taken in vs. how many are burned is the key far more than what percentages are fat, carbs, proteins or whatever. But I will say that it is absolutely best to have a good variety of food that includes fats, carbs and proteins.

I weighed over 200 lbs at my highest non-pregnant, at age 29.

I am now 55 and I have maintained an 80+ lb weight loss for many years. My exercise plan consists of usually walking 2 miles a day with the last minute of the walk, running. I maintain this weight, and wear a size 3, eating about 1400 calories a day. I also drink all the diet soda that I want, and most would gasp if they knew how much of my diet consists of carbs. I eat lots of bread and sometimes even white (gasp again!) bread/rolls/sandwich buns. I don't have high blood pressure, diabetes or any such thing and I'm not on any medications at all. My medical providers tell me that is actually quite rare for someone my age.

I have noticed I probably burn about 100 or so fewer calories per day than I did around 8 years ago, even though I have actually stepped up my activity a bit since then. I adjust for this and if I gain a little, I cut back 200-400 calories for a few days, and it comes off.

I hear frequently from people that do strenuous workouts that they do not lose like they think they should. First of all, I think many times the calculations for the calories burned in these workouts are severely OVER estimated, and in any case, it would vary with each person so you can't be sure how many calories you are burning with exercise.

It also takes calories to gain muscle weight, even though tone and general fitness may improve during this type of weight gain. I think that the issue is somehow not counting all calories that are taken in, or counting some foods incorrectly, not actually measuring portion sizes, reading food labels to determine the correct portion size, not counting alcohol or other things, or just forgetting to keep track of some things eaten in a typical day.

Though my own proven method (for me) is moderation in everything, nothing is completely prohibited including rich sweets (though I rarely choose to eat these since I have definitely acquired a taste for healthier, less rich foods). I also count every thing and have been doing this for years so it is a way of life and not something I have to put a lot of time or thought into.

My advice is to start a very strict plan for a while with no eating out, and nothing off the plan, such as Nutrisystem or some other program where you select premade meals and products that are already calorie controlled. No coffee or hot drinks with creamers and sweeteners in them unless it is specifically allowed on your plan. I would be willing to bet the weight will start coming off on such a plan. The next step would be to learn how to cook your own equivalent carefully portioned and controlled meals, and learn how to do this for life after the goal is achieved. Scientifically, you can not "hold on to fat cells forever" to prevent yourself from starving. Eventually, if you are really taking in fewer calories than you burn the fat HAS TO come off.

[This message edited by Bobbi_sue at 10:46 AM, July 24th (Thursday)]

Bobbi_sue, I think it really depends on the individual. For example, my SIL can count calories all day long and not lose weight, but if she eats low-carb, she loses weight. I really believe we're all built differently. Congrats on maintaining that 80-lb loss, that's amazing!

I'm reading a book about French culture, and there is a quick weight loss tip that if you find yourself packing it on, just have a slice of whole grain toast with low fat cheese for breakfast, and as much steamed fish with homemade veggie soup as you want for lunch and dinner, until the weight comes off.

I love homemade veggie soup...

Cutting way back on calories is definitely detrimental. The key is making the most of the calories, using the right foods for fuel, and hitting macros.

I'm no expert, but since January I've read and read and read... and experimented like crazy. I swear, when I was 27 I lost 17 pounds and then I thought it was hard. It was EASY compared to how hard it is now at 41. But it made me step up and really look at my lifestyle, and make serious changes.

I'm not familiar at all with thyroid issues and diabetes, so I would never want to give bad advice. I'll tell you, though... I'll share what I do, and what it's done.

In January, I was 140+ lbs, drinking wine or beer about four nights a week, eating whatever I wanted. I'd try to "eat healthy" by frozen Lean Cuisine and the occasional salad, and then hit the gym three times a week to do 30 to 40 mins of constant, low intensity cardio. I was gaining weight - rapidly. So I began to research.

First, I learned the difference between weight training and cardio. Weight training burns more fat and calories than cardio ever will. It will NOT bulk you up. It builds muscle. Muscle burns fat. So... cardio will make you burn some calories while you are doing it, but weight training causes more calories burned over a way longer period of time. It's just a no brainer. WIN WIN WIN. Now... I love my ARC machine. I still do cardio, but I maximize my time and benefits with it. That low/medium intensity long period of time crap - is a total WASTE. Instead, I now do about 15-20 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training). Two minutes of warm up, then set that sucker up high and go hard and fast for as long as I can. Get that heart rate way up. Then stop, and go low setting and cool off for a minute or two. Then back up... over and over again. 20 minutes should be totally sufficient for cardio if you do it right.

Weights... I lift. I don't fuck around. I use free weights, rarely machines. I learned and researched and I lift correctly. I'm too old to be screwing up my joints and muscles with incorrect form. I work shoulders, back and biceps, chest and triceps, legs, and abs. I change up routines, I incorporate cardio (jumping jacks, jump rope, burpees, mountain climbers) all in between sets too. I'm careful about time in between sets, form, etc... it's important.

Diet... that's so so so huge. I'll just give examples of how I eat. NOTE: I definitely cheat, and I notice immediately when I do. I still do it, and I over-do it sometimes. But, hey... it's life, and I love my wine and beer, pizza, chips, and loaded fries... Cheating is important (ONLY ON YOUR DIET!!!)

Typical day for me would be:

MEAL 1: egg white omelette (I use olive oil spray, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder but NO SALT - add broccoli, some low fat or fat free cheese, onion, peppers....whatever... but no junk)

OR three hard boiled eggs - I only eat the yolk on one.

Coffee. I have to have my coffee and I do use French vanilla cream - it's one of the few things I allow myself.

MEAL 2: fresh pineapple and fat free cottage cheese. I try to keep a lot of my dairy and fruit early in the day.

MEAL 3: baby spinach salad with grilled chicken, broccoli and cauliflower, onion, peppers, hard boiled egg and a just a small handful of unsalted sunflower seeds. With balsamic vinegar only.

MEAL 4: marinated grilled chicken breast(boneless/skinless), steamed asparagus

MEAL 5: turkey burger (no bun and made with panko instead of regular bread crumbs), steamed broccoli and cauliflower

GYM

MEAL 6: protein shake

There are so many variations, and I have tons of recipes in a drawer. Sometimes I have to have comfort food. I make a "pasta bake" that is spaghetti squash mixed with some light sauce, artichoke hearts, zucchini, ground turkey, and topped with just a little mozzarella (low fat or fat free) bake in the oven for an hour. YUM.

I buy turkey sausage now and then and grill that up with onions and peppers. YUM

I make a stuffed cabbage casserole, using no salt tomato sauce, ground turkey, cabbage, brown rice, and various seasonings. YUM

Stuffed peppers - healthy

Balsamic glazed butternut squash

veggie and egg baby quiches

cauliflower patties

etc... etc... but there are some key things. I don't drink ANYTHING but coffee (one cup a day), water (I use a lot of lemon and lime). sometimes green tea. I'm off that kick but I want to get more - real green tea too - not the sugared up shit. Gotta be VERY careful to read labels too.

I use unsweetened (30 calorie) almond milk in my protein shakes - sometimes throw a banana in, and/or peanut butter (natural peanut butter).

There are good lists of fats that are acceptable - I try to follow them. Olive oil, natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds.

After six months of doing this - pretty regularly (I cheat more now that I hit my goal weight - at first I was VERY strict - for several months) I went from 140, big belly and totally out of shape to 125, lean and muscular. I haven't weighed 125 since before Bunt was born. Almost 10 years ago - even with the infidelity diet... which - this is SO much healthier BTW.

When I cheat - I try to keep it to a minimum. I LOVE chips and dip and snacks. Now I buy hummus and whole wheat, low fat crackers. When I have my wine, I buy skinny wine, and I mix it with seltzer. Mostly seltzer with a splash of wine. If I drink beer, I keep it low cal and add lots of water in between. Moderation.

Eat out... yes, I might have a burger ON A BUN (gasp), but I will order the turkey burger. I will have fries too... but not many. I might have a grilled chicken sandwich with avocado and BACON (gasp), but on a whole wheat bun and NO MAYO.

If you want to give me some ideas of foods you love to eat - I can help you come up with some variations, or a meal plan.

OH - another thing. supplements. I try not to get too crazy with them - and here's what I take and why. Multivitamin for menopause (I'm only perimenopausal but I think I need this vitamin), I take Omega 3's. Like fish oil, but no fishy taste. I researched for that... because they are important and I hate fish. I don't even choke down albacore tuna anymore (used to in hot sauce).

I take a pre-workout, simply to really maximize my stamina and explode that workout. I like it - some people don't. BCAA's - branch chain amino acids... because they are important - but I forget why and I keep whey protein on hand. I don't always take it, but when I do it's after my workout (within an hour) and normally when I work out late and too late to cook.

You know I have Bunt - who is CF. DS17 too. I batch cook my food a couple days a week, and still cook for them. Most people do it Sunday - I do mine Monday evening after workout... because there is NO WAY you can keep up cooking that much, with different meals for everyone. For instance, when I make my pasta bake - I also make one for the boys. With real pasta, ground beef, etc... if I throw burgers on the grill - I do mine turkey - and I mix up and make a batch of regular cheeseburgers for them too. They also eat a lot of mac and cheese, frozen crap, etc... for Bunt - it's good for him - all that salt and fat. So my situation is somewhat tricky. Chef Boy-R-Dee isn't a bad thing in my house (for him anyway). I won't touch that shit

OK I've talked enough.... see what you think about all that...

Sorry! Couple of things I forgot to add that I think are such a selling point to this lifestyle.

When I was heavier, drinking more, on Prozac and Xanax (totally off everything now), and eating bad I was suffering terribly from this peri menopause. Not sleeping, feeling awful, very depressed, no energy or motivation - when I go off track - comes back with a vengeance. Happened recently.

Clean eating and exercise: No need for medication. I sleep like a baby, I feel amazing, off the chain natural energy, natural euphoria, motivated, productive. The difference is crazy amazing.

and oh yeah... water and sleep. You NEED NEED NEED enough of both. By "enough" I mean way more than you even think you need. VERY VERY KEY

7yearsflushed is ON POINT. I could have written that exactly.

[This message edited by stupidstupidme at 11:47 AM, July 24th (Thursday)]

Have you always enjoyed exercise? Or have you found some way of forcing yourself to do it, even though it's scarcely your first love? If so, do please divulge it, for the benefit of the haters like me.

I spent the first 7 months of 2013 in the gym 3-5 times a week. And hating every single minute of it. I mean, really. I would be so pissed off when I went because I hated it all.

Last July I decided I was walking. Everywhere. All the time.

A month later I started taking a group class, and I loved it. I've added a couple more group classes, and actually look forward to working out now. You have to find the exercise YOU like. I kept hearing that if i just ran, I would love it. I didn't. I don't. I hate every second. But, I can do 3 hours of zumba a day, and love it all.

Clean eating and exercise: No need for medication. I sleep like a baby, I feel amazing, off the chain natural energy, natural euphoria, motivated, productive. The difference is crazy amazing.

I can second this. I used to have trouble sleeping. Now, I fall asleep, tired, every day at 1130p and wake up happy and perky, without an alarm clock, at 630a. I get so much done. I remember sitting on the sofa, watching tv with the kids and being so lethargic all the time. now, we are always going, and I can keep going! I know SSM and I are going about it differently, and I outweigh her by a decent amount (but I'm down 40+ pounds in the last year!), but the point is, eating good for you foods and working out make an amazing difference.

I hope adjusting the medication helps you jrc. I just *fingers crossed* ended a 4 month plateau. I definitely understand how frustrating it is.

Weatherly - yep I've def seen your progress and it's wonderful! I agree that you have to love it, and enjoy it. I love lifting, and I do the cardio that I also love. There are a ton of exercises that I refuse to do because I hate them. Same with food. I'm not suffering, mostly. Yes I wish I could eat Chinese and pizza and loaded fries... and cheesesteaks... and... hahahaha but - I do eat food I like. I've found marinades for my chicken that are out of this world. I've searched and searched for recipes I can make for food I love.

I could never ever stick to a changed lifestyle if I hated every minute of it. You might lose the weight - but you'll gain it all back, and then some. It's really important to love it and love how you feel, so you stick with it.

I have made the confusing decision that I am eating way too few calories. It makes no sense! I get the whole starvation thing, but I really don't believe it, lol. So, I've reset my MFP levels for 1400 a day, for a .5 pound a week loss and am going to start eating back my exercise again - which I generally do not do. On days I work out (4-5 a week) I burn about 300-400 cals which means I'm netting 900 a day. I really should lose on that but my body hangs on to weight like crazy. So I'm trying a different approach and hopefully the extra food will help keep me on track as well as I won't be so deprived. We shall see!

I truly believe the total number of calories taken in vs. how many are burned is the key far more than what percentages are fat, carbs, proteins or whatever.

This isn't universal. Calories in vs. calories out doesn't work for everybody and it certainly didn't work for me, at all. I did Insanity, cut my calories to 1200 and I lost maybe 3 pounds. When I stopped counting calories and started paying attention to nutrients and ingredients, I lost 13 lbs in one month. That's WITHOUT any exercise other than moderate walking. Whole30 is the only thing that has worked for me and I have tried damn near everything.

Cut ALL carbs and sugar. Don't worry so much about fat. Transfer more calories to protein

Another vote for low-carb. I never count calories, I count carbs :) And I never worry about fat - it's really not the enemy; sugar/starch/carbs are, IMO.

That said, I have a dear friend who swears by counting calories.

So it's yet another example of how everyone is different and each body reacts differently. That means trying different things until you find the WOE (don't say Diet, say Way of Eating) that works for you, and that you can stick to without being miserable.

I would nix cereal and milk in the morning. Eggs with cheese!

Whole wheat may be somewhat healthier than white, but just toss the bread and the pasta no matter what part of the grain it's made from.

Try Stage 1 Atkins or South Beach for just a couple weeks and see if it makes a difference. Like my sister told me when she was trying to convince me to try low-carb (I lost 60 lbs in 6 months on it): If it doesn't work, you don't have to keep doing it.