[Albatross2008]

First some background.

I am overweight, and have been almost my entire life since infancy. I was a fat baby because my mother, very young and not knowing any better, overfed me. Despite that, somehow I escaped being an obese child. From preschool to second grade, I was about average. Then I hit kind of an early puberty. From third grade to about eighth, when classmates started catching up to me, I was tall for my age. My weight was proportionate to my height and level of development, but because I was bigger than the average child my age, I was treated like I was fat. Diet advice, fat jokes, all that fun stuff.

I developed the habit of binge-eating, which never went to a full-blown eating disorder, but it remains something I have to watch out for. That cycle of starving myself (because I was ashamed to eat) until I built up so much hunger that I binged, put weight on me slowly until I was an overweight teenager. I lost down to normal weight after I graduated from high school (even though I was still told I was fat) but then I got pregnant. After three children, I never lost any of the pregnancy weight. I didn't even gain anything the third time, but after the baby was born, I still left the hospital weighing the same as I weighed when I went in to deliver. To this day, I cannot under any circumstances, no matter what I try, lose below that weight.

Almost 54 now, I am diabetic and menopausal. Complicating matters, about 20 years ago I was permanently injured in a car accident. I walk with a cane, and I will for the rest of my life. This limits my ability to exercise, which I can only do hard-core in a pool.

Today after a rather strenuous workout, I made the mistake of weighing myself. Not only am I not below that number I can never lose below, but I am 15 pounds above it. All of the other numbers are cooperating. Glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, they're all right where they should be. But weight.... I just want to cry when I see it stubbornly refusing to go down.

The thing is, so many people don't believe me that I'm doing the very best I can. They assume I must be eating in secret, not being honest. I have been told by doctors, usually in a condescending voice with the kind of smile you give an idiot:

• The best exercise for weight loss is to puuuuuush yourself away from the table.
• You have to get to where you eat to live, not live to eat.
• Any weight loss plan comes down to the words, 'eat less, exercise more.'

It appears I am the body size and type that I am meant to be, and nothing I do will change it. No matter how well controlled my other numbers are, people are going to assume I'm just a lazy glutton who's too stupid to know I'm a lazy glutton.

I don't know what more I can do.

[UpDownAround]

Are you tracking everything you eat? Do you use a food scale? Sometimes overeating can even be a secret from yourself. What did you use to determine your calorie goal? If you can determine how many calories you burn a day and eat less than that (and are sure of your total consumed), you will lose weight. I used the MyFitnessPal app to track everything while I lost over 60 pounds and I continue to use it to maintain the loss.

I can't stress enough to inform people on how important drinking water is. Your body will adapt to the sudden increase of h20 and release body fluids that can easily"ground" itself to body fat, making one look bloated.

Our bodies from when we "spawnd" had to hold fluids to survive long periods without drinking water...google that..

So, I left the hospital weighing 80kg and on my own, with the help of 3 bottles of water ($8 for 24) have dropped again to 72.

I feel energized during the day. I forgot what I was going to say lol sorry.

Mum drink water and stay away from Salt and sugar. Healthy food is extremely expensive if you're not interested in making your own tuna and mayo sandwich.

Don't be fooled by fruit. It's loaded with sugar.. read up on that imo

I feel for your struggles but you're obviously determined to make a difference.

Keep smiling

[Albatross2008]

I'm working with a nutritionist under doctor supervision, so I'm pretty sure I'm eating right. Mostly vegetables, meat second. Absolutely no bread, because I'm wheat intolerant anyway, and I also can't have dairy. My nutritionist told me not to count calories, because I get obsessed. She wants me to use the plate diagram instead.

Water, I have been pushing more of. That might make a difference. Yesterday I drank two bottles of water from start to finish while I was exercising, instead of just one. Where before I was making myself drink a bottle, as self-discipline, now I'm finding that I'm thirsty if I don't. I take that as a good sign.

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by Arbie

I'm working with a nutritionist under doctor supervision, so I'm pretty sure I'm eating right. Mostly vegetables, meat second. Absolutely no bread, because I'm wheat intolerant anyway, and I also can't have dairy. My nutritionist told me not to count calories, because I get obsessed. She wants me to use the plate diagram instead

When I go out to Myplate to get it to suggest a plate for me:

https://choosemyplate-prod.azureedge.net/MyPlatePlan

I have to pick a calorie goal in my age group at the bottom. So you might not count calories, but you have to pick a goal and Myplate will keep you at or under it. In other words, you don't have to obsess over calories at every meal or even every day, but you do have to know how much you burn in a day and select a goal below that to lose weight. All diets that cause you to lose weight lead you to consume less fuel than you burn.

If you click on the Start button in the graphic higher up, it will take you to a check list where it will help you determine what the number is so it can select the right plan.

[Albatross2008]

I was advised today that by exercising I'm building muscle. While I do need that muscle very badly, it is denser than fat, so building it up is going to cause a delay in the number on the scale going down. What's important is that my clothing size IS going down. When I started out, I was a size 26/28. Now I'm 18/20. Still no big change in the scale, though.

[Tucson]

I hear this can happen. Keep at it and you eventually will start losing weight again. I think UpDownAround has a good suggestion. Have that website give you your MyPlate Plan.

[Albatross2008]

Can MyPlate be adjusted to accommodate for wheat and dairy intolerance? Does diabetes make a difference?

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by Arbie

Can MyPlate be adjusted to accommodate for wheat and dairy intolerance? Does diabetes make a difference?

I don't know. I visited there because you showed a graphic from there ans said that is what the dietician thought your plate should be like. It should not be too hard to try it and see if there is an option or if it gives you alternative.