Doing Weight Watchers and feeling totally discouraged.

[Green_Tea]

(There's probably a better place for this post, but the Lounge gets so much traffic and I really need the support.)

This is not my first go-around with WW. I lost 25 lbs eleven years ago before I got married, and lost all my baby weight (and then some) 4 years ago after baby #3. I have always lost at least 2 lbs per week. Every time I have started again in the past 2 years, though, I have had a really hard time losing at all. I figured that I just wasn't being strict enough with myself, and that if I started paying for WW online I'd do better at really measuring food and counting every single point and that I'd lose.

Apparently not. I spent an entire week counting and measuring and turning down drinks and chocolate cake to celebrate the end of the school year, and lost .4 lb. I am discouraged and ANGRY. I feel like I deprived myself for nothing - my weight fluctuates +/- .4 lbs even when I'm not on WW.

I am wondering if this is possibly thyroid related. I have Hashimoto's, but I am on complete replacement at 100 mg of Synthroid. I felt so much better when my #s were absurdly low right after DS was born, but my endo won't up my dose any more because my numbers are already on the lower side of normal.

Tell me it will get better.

[lowrioh]

That really sucks but a 0.4 loss is still a loss....and not a gain right?
I've done WW several times and I found that unless I go to meetings it doesn't work for me. The online community over there is great too so if you don't go to their boards you should join one.
I don't know much about thyroid issues but a good friend of mine who has a thyroid condition was really struggling with weight loss even though she worked out daily and was watching her diet. She went gluten free and she lost over 10 pounds in 3 weeks. She isn't sure if it is due to the gluten free or if it just because she was eating a lot less processed foods.
I know that weight loss is really hard (especially with kids) but you can do it!

[cvanbrunt]

I know nothing about the thyroid issue. Here is what I have discovered with trying to lose weight. It gets harder as you get older. That is the suckiest part of aging to me. That, and the bifocals.

[Myira]

Sorry I have no experience with WW. I know you didn't ask for this, but me and DH trying to follow Eat to Live by Dr.Joel Fuhrman and I cannot recommend it enough. My DH lost 10 lbs on it in 2 months.

[bubbaray]

I would highly recommend meetings over online if you can swing it.

Of course, I've completely fallen off the WW wagon and REALLY need to get back on. I lost 18lbs last year and have gained back 10 due to my unhealthy relationship with chips and icecream. LOL. Its embarassing, they asked me to be a leader. Um, yeah. maybe not.

My leader ROCKED. She was all about not eating salt or drinking alcohol for the 48hrs before weighin. Salt intake makes a HUGE difference to my weight. I can't eat restaurant food at all for at least 2 days prior to weighing in. My meetings were on Saturdays and we switched our family nights out from Friday to Saturday for that reason (which is a reason I stopped going to meetings, b/c DH d/n like that).

My weight went up when I started a new steroid asthma drug. Which sucked -- but breathing is a good thing. I would talk to your endocrinologist about the weight gain and see if it could be your Rx dose.

GL!

[gatorsmom]

I don't know anyhing about thyroid disorders but I've lost weight once before having kids and again after each of my first 2 babies. I did it exactly the same way but this time is MUCH harder. I think it's a combination of age and the interuptions of 4 kids. I have noticed that I lose more on the weeks I have reduced my calories even more but PARTICULARLY on the weeks I exercise even more. Of course then other thing don't get done in my house like laundry, etc.

If you can, try to exercise more, even if it's just jumping rope or playing hopscotch with your kids outside. And be thankful you are losing some weight- slowly is better than none at all.

[wellyes]

I would not even look at the scale after one week, that is too early! If there's no progress in 3-4 weeks then I'd think about making a change. Before then salt / water weight can mask any changes.

I'll also share an observation "duh" moment I had at work last year. Several co-workers of mine were chatting about how many points for this or that and I grumbled to myself ------ "WW is dumb, it's something only thin people do anyway." Then I realized how moronic that thought was. They look good because they do WW. It really does work, apparently.

Keep it up!

[egoldber]

Here is what I have discovered with trying to lose weight. It gets harder as you get older.

Getting older combined with the hormonal changes of pregnancy has done a number on me. To get the same weight loss I have to work a LOT harder now vs in my mid 30s.

[Green_Tea]

Thank you all so much for the input and support. It really, really helps.

I completely and totally cheated on points today - a big old omelet and muffin for Father's Day breakfast and then lots of chips and beer and BBQ food at a block party. I feel a little bad about cheating, but I am trying to remind myself that being bad one day is not the end of the world, and I'll feel less deprived during the week.

I am going to try to cut down on the salt and alcohol as the week wears on, and I am calling the endocrinologist tomorrow.

Hopefully next week will be better.

[KrisM]

I just started, too. I've never done it before and I signed up online. I like being able to enter it all in online. I'll weigh-in tomorrow and see how it is, but I don't feel like I've lost anything so far.

I hope this next week is great for you!