Finding it hard to continue weight loss

[Guest Jessica80]

Good morning, 

when I first started my hormone replacement for the second time I was weighed in at 98kg and at about 6'3" tall I started my weight loss plan and was extremely happy with how it was going I made it go 76kg ?And that was a awesome day for me but I had a laps and started smoking again after three and a half years now I am 87 kg and finding it hard to start weight loss again I got to 84kg the other day but over ate again ? It feels I am sabotaging my own transition I know smoking is extremely dangerous but I can't seem to stop I am not sure what's happening to me I hate being this weight and feel depressed  

thanks for listening 

jess 

[tracy_j]

It is a problem a lot of us face Jessica. My own weight loss is ging very slowly indeed. I have done roughly as you and put weight back on again.

Many women have the same problem, as you will know. My partner put one fact the other day though. The faster the weight loss, often the faster the weight gain afterward. Progressing slowly and surely sounds good to me.

Currently I am just trying to cut out a small amount each day. My weight seems to have stabilised but it has taken me since before Christmas to get to that position. Very frustrating!

Keep at it Jessica - you can get there!

Tracy

[Guest Jessica80]

Thank you, 

Tracy it's good to hear that I am not the only one that is going through this however I kind of do have a need to be skinny as I am so tall and it does make me look more feminine which makes me feel better inside and well as my attitude towards life. 

 

[Cindy Truheart]

Oh yeah, I'm on a yo-yo for my weight right now! I'm not sure about kg vs lbs but I'm 5'6" and I was up to 190lbs a year ago. I managed to get down to 165lbs just before starting HRT about 7 months ago and now its creeping back up again!

[Jani]

I really can't comment on weight loss as I have trouble keeping it on (sorry).  But I will say you need to stop smoking.  It does not help with your hormones and as I have severe breathing issues (but never smoked) I can attest to the misery of not being able to breathe well.  It will impact every part of your life.  Quit and you will be happier for it. 

Jani

 

[Guest Jessica80]

Thank you Cindy and Jani for your replies 

wow 5'6" I would love to be that tall ! 

I hate being tall finding nice clothes that fit right is definitely a mission for me the arms can be to short on tops and legs to short in pants ?

And to reply to jani I know what I am doing with smoking is very stupid I will have run out today so we start "stopping " again tonight ? I just think of how silly I look with a smoke in my mouth and hopefully that will help me ! 

Thanks again 

jess 

 

[Cindy Truheart]

3 hours ago, Jessica80 said:

And to reply to jani I know what I am doing with smoking is very stupid I will have run out today so we start "stopping " again tonight ? I just think of how silly I look with a smoke in my mouth and hopefully that will help me !

I quit by taking a martial arts class twice a week. I couldn't keep up because I was always short of breath, something had to change, so I let go of the smokes. Eventually I was going to class four days a week or more! Find an activity that you love more than smoking and focus on it instead of the cigarettes.

[Jani]

Jess that's good news.  Keep focused!  I can't tell you how many physical activities I've given up on because I don't have the stamina because I run out of breathe.  I don't wish it on anyone.

Jani

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi Jess,

I totally understand wanting to be thin at your height, you will look like a model.   Truly though, 87 kg is only 192 lbs, so you are definitely not overweight even now.  You could alternate carb depletion, with cheat meals once every three days if you really want to drop the kilos.  If you want to maintain strength, keep high quality protein in your diet, along with natural fats, and do some high intensity exercise two or three days a week.  Of course, in order to participate in that training, you will find it necessary to quit smoking tobacco products.  Good incentive methinks.  

Stephanie

[Briana]

See your physician for help on quitting smoking.  There are many products available today that can really help. 

Same with diet and weight loss.  Many insurance plans have dieticians available to help you with a customized diet and exercise plan.  In healthcare, there's a lot of emphasis on smoking cessation and diet, and weight loss.  It's generally money well spent.  Obesity/being overweight and smoking are two main factors behind many chronic illnesses.  From a cost perspective, it's far less $$$ to focus on it up front and help people with smoking cessation and weight loss vs. seeing me in the end on the backside.

[Timber Wolf]

Quitting smoking and weight loss are two things I've got successful experience with.

First the smoking. I'm a believer in cold turkey. Sessation only prolongs the agony. I used to smoke between 1 1/2 and 2 packs a day. Myself, I got hypnotized, but I didn't just call it good with that. I also learned a breathing exercise for relaxation, and boy, did I ever use that! I also used positive self affirmations along with self hypnosis. It sounds like a lot, but hey, if you wana quit you've got to be willing to do whatever it takes. Addiction is tough, a whimpy effort won't defeat a tough opponent. 

Once you've quit, then comes the critical part, whatever method you may have used to quit. No matter what happens in your life, no matter what, you can never ever justify smoking a cigarette (or use of any other tobaco product), not even one drag, ever! That absolutely has to be your attitude! It can be done. I've gone through horrible days, anxiety attacks, drug addiction, scary things. There is no justification for smoking, period! That's my attitude. It's that, or loose.

I was 24 when I quit. I'm 52 now. It can be done!

 

Now, weight loss. I'm still overweight, there's no denying. But over the last 2 years, I've lost over 60 pounds. But it's not the total weight loss that is important here, it's that it's been steady and consistant. Too many people try to loose weight with some special diet, or trying the latest exercise fad, or using medication. These may or may not work to get weight off, but they never work to keep it off. And keeping it off is the trick. It doesn't work to change your eating habbits. It doesn't work to start an exercise program. While these things are good, if you rely on them, you've already defeated yourself. You've got to change your mind, you've got to change your thinking. It can't be done overnight. It takes time and effort. Finding a support group would probably help, but it can be done on your own as I have done it. I've worked hard on my thinking over time. I don't have to eat a whole bunch at mealtime. I don't have to feel full, just comfortable. It's gotten so that a fairly small meal does me just fine. I don't like to over eat. It doesn't feel good to me. And between meals it's ok to feel a little hungry. At the first twinge of hunger, I don't have to go running for the fridge. As long as I'm not too hungry, hunger isn't an important thing to me. I just do other things with my time than eat. For health reasons, I eat more veggies. 

I don't spend my time making weight loss goals, other than just to keep going in the right direction. If I loose 5 pounds in a month, I'm happy. If I loose 1 pound in a month, I'm happy. Making weight loss goals is setting myself up for discouragement. It took a long time for me to get big, I'm not going to get thin in a month. Patience!

It took time and effort to change my thinking patterns to the patterns I've described here. It wasn't an overnight decision. But now that they've occured, I'm reaping dividends, and they're staying. The old pair of hunting pants I bought before I started loosing weight now look like clown pants they're so baggy. My work uniform I got two years ago reminds me of trying my dad's shirt on as a small child. It's huge! The belt that I had to squeeze to buckle to the 2nd hole 2 years ago, now the tag end fits through 2 belt loops and wraps one third the way around my waist!

It can all be done! But in both cases, it takes work at the thinking level.

 

Lots of love,

Timber Wolf?

[StephanieVikingGirl]

I remember from my years competing in natural bodybuilding, that while there are plenty of different diet routines, workout styles, etc., they all require dedication and a winning mindset.  Don't go to extremes though, long term solutions are best. 

 I personally never had a problem with weight, I was a hard gainer though.  I lifted huge amounts of weight in training, but still only weighed 200 lbs off season, and 180 lbs at contest.  Intense training like I did is not good long term, at least not for everyone methinks, I have a lot of osteo-arthritis nowadays, especially in my knees.

Here follows my two coppers worth of advice.  Find something that you enjoy, and keep at it for exercise, and watch the carbs especially later in the evening (carbs should be burned not stored). Eat foods with fewer ingredients, and keep to less processed stuff if you can.  

Never picked up the smoking habit myself, but others have already given good advice, so I wish you good luck, and good health. 

hugs,

Stephanie