feeling discouraged

nursemommy · Post by **nursemommy** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:14 pm

Hi all,
I am "new" to no-sing ( I think it's been about a month or so). I am trying to lose weight that I gained during my pregnancy with my daughter (she is now 5 months old). Prior to conceiving her, I had done WW with great success, but now I feel absolutely no motivation to count points and obsess over everything I eat.
I am really enjoying no-sing, I don't miss snacks at all, and feel as if I have been judicious in trying to balance my plate with lots of fruits & veggies, and I really mostly eat lean forms of protein like turkey and chicken burgers, very lean beef occasionally, turkey bacon, etc.
I have also been working out a lot, and I feel good about that, but it was never necessary to losing weight when I did WW.
So my point is, while I feel great, I don't think I have really lost anything.I am trying not to weigh myself as much as I would like to, which is really hard. But when I have, I find that maybe I am down 1-2 pounds, but there are so many fluctuations, I am not even sure. I thought my pants were a little looser in the legs and butt, but not in the stomach, which is where I am really concerned about a lot of excess fat. So I guess I am toning some muscle, but still have all the fat sitting on top of it, and I am not sure what the point of that is.
So, I am feeling like, should I rejoin WW? Even just to get things rolling? I thought maybe I could do that to make sure I am within my daily points range, but still not snack or eat fake foods, etc. But I really don't want to! Any advice out there? I just want to see some progress. I don't want to be carrying this baby weight when my daughter is 3! Thanks in advance.
Laura

NoelFigart · Post by **NoelFigart** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:24 pm

Honestly? It depends on your goal.

If you honestly think that a diet followed by NoS-ing will work, go for it.

I won't choose to again, myself.

You and I are different people and certainly have different needs. But lemme tellya a little story:

Over the past 25-odd years that I've dieted hard core (I'm only 40, btw), I've lost in excess of fifty pounds plenty of times, only to regain it and more.

I am never, EVER going to go on a "diet" again. (Okay, No-S is a diet, because you are following rules about how to eat). My goal now is to make No S my LIFE. This is how I intend to eat until they light my pyre. It's sane, it contains excess, it's unobtrusive. Whatever my body does with this and exercising regularly is gonna be what my body is SUPPOSED to look like.

Why?

I'm scared the dramatic yo-yoing may kill me. While I've not seen a conclusive study, I don't think it can possibly be good for my body to have these dramatic weight changes.

This isn't about quick results. It's not about getting model-thin. It's about being at a healthy and sane weight FOR YOU. It's not gonna happen fast. In fact, it may happen so slowly you hardly notice except in terms of years.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:10 pm

Well, I think if you rejoin WW you might get things rolling. As soon as you stop....you regain the weight. No-S is the tortoise to WW's (and other program's hare. It's slow and steady. Slow and steady in terms of diet not only wins the race, it keeps you from having to be in that race ever again.

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:58 pm

One to two pounds a month is a good, real loss. Add that up and you're losing 12-25 pounds a year!

You've got a five-month-old, right? Congratulations! You are still pretty much immediately postpartum, and your hormones are still wacky -- especially if you're nursing. It might take a few more months for things to settle down and your body to finish recovering from pregnancy and birth.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:22 pm

Hi Nursemommy

I agree with Thalia..

Re read your own words if you need to remotivate yourself to stick to this.
I only hear positive things in what you wrote, and *no point counting!!!*
I'd say, feeling great is quite important.
A person can lose weight, without exercising, like you described about WW.. But in my opinion, that person isn't necessarily healthy.
Exercise is important to everyone's health, regardless of whether they are skinny or fat.
I can understand you feel frustrated that it's slow.. Maybe decide that one of your meals, every day, has to be super duper healthy and somewhat non fattening. Then you won't have to count points, but you know that you are limiting your caloric intake somewhat, in a less obtrusive and annoying way.
For toning up and losing inches from your waist, I highly recommend the "Ab roller" for doing crunches.. I did that when I had my Son, a few months into my new mother hood, and I lost two inches in one month of regularly using it, and my back no longer was killing me when I had to do all that bending and lifting, that a new mom needs to do.
Good luck!

Debs

harmony · Post by **harmony** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:40 pm

nursemommy, I really can't add much to all the good advice already given, but I wanted to post anyway because I related to what you wrote.

My baby belly fat seems to be pretty stubborn this time around too. But, I'm losing inches everywhere else, so I figure eventually something has to go.

I was frustrated around the first month (I am about 2 months in) because my weight fluctuated so much and my measurements weren't budging. But, my pants fit better and they keep on fitting better and better despite the fact that the scale doesn't show much. My measurements finally decided to change (except the belly

), but it took almost 2 months for that (and seemed to happen overnight).

I seriously considered changing what I ate in the beginning. I never had the heart to do it though simply because I really didn't want to eat that way. I was enjoying the freedom of plain old No-S too much.

I have maybe lost 3 pounds in these first 2 months or so (I've lost track), but from looking at myself in a mirror and how my clothes are fitting, I feel like I have changed so much more.

So, I guess what I'm saying is don't let that scale get you down. It sounds like progress is happening and you are content with No-S as it is. The extra weight will come off when it's ready too, and like I said above, even the belly fat has to go eventually. I would prefer to lose my belly for good this time (with the exception of having another child of course

), and for me No-S seems to be the way to do that.

oliviamanda · Post by **oliviamanda** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:18 pm

I think it's true what the say about when the baby starts walking, then you will be able to burn off the baby weight better. I breastfed and I didn't lose any weight doing it. It has been a complete struggle. I have 30 more lbs to go, but I am definitely feeling better being on No S diet. I am chasing my baby every 5 minutes and working up a sweat, and fitting into pants I never thought I ever would again!

I don't think I could ever do anything else. Counting points or calories... it sets you up for failure because you know you cannot do that for the rest of your life.

Is there a way to combine WW and No S... From what I know, WW doesn't discourage you from having sweets every day or eatting processed packaged foods, as long as you have the right number of points. You will see results from No S, it just takes a little longer. Good luck.

nursemommy · Post by **nursemommy** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:05 pm

thanks everyone! I guess I've been feeling sorry for myself b/c I saw a friend yesterday who I haven't seen since I started no-sing and exercising, and I was excited to see if she would notice any changes and make a comment (b/c she would comment if she saw any changes), and she DIDN"T! The only one who has said anything encouraging to me is my husband, who said that he thinks I look more toned. But you know, he can't be trusted. He's got ulterior motives

, like wanting to sleep in the bed, wanting a homecooked meal here and there, etc.
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I think I will go exercise now, while my husband & son are out and my daughter is asleep.

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:12 pm

Join WW? Been there done that every blessed Wednesday for at least 3 years and I did loose a ton, but in the long run, all it taught me was to fill up frequently on tastless stuff... so that when I was at goal and relaxed a bit and eventually started to allow myself to eat the things I craved for , I gained it all plus. I was in the habit of eating frequently. I gained around 70 while depriving myself and feeling guilty. Now that I'm no Sing, I'm learning how to eat "normally" again and though it does seem slow at times (usually when I'm not following it) I am loosing. I'd honestly stick to no S. It took 9 months to get there... be patient.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:01 am

I don't have too much to add, except that I do empathize with you. I gained 52 pounds during my pregnancy, and my son will be 2 in October. I have about 5 pounds left to lose. I lost half of my weight right after my son was born, and the rest of my weight loss came from calorie counting and changing up my exercise program every couple of months or so. However, I'm really sick of calorie counting, so I'm trying No S, since it seems like a plan I can stick with for the rest of my life. I'm hoping these last few pounds will come off, even if it takes awhile. I'm still exercising regularly, too.

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:20 pm

wosnes wrote: No-S is the tortoise to WW's (and other program's hare. It's slow and steady. Slow and steady in terms of diet not only wins the race, it keeps you from having to be in that race ever again.

Wow, wosnes! This needs to go in the NoS sticky glossary of catch phrases!
I have a green turtle pinned to the sun visor of my SUV. Each morning while backing out of the garage I look at it and remind myself that slow and steady wins this race! And you're right...I don't want to have to continue being in this race over and over - been there and done that! I'm a *sold* NoEsser - for life!

Mimi

DaveMc · Post by **DaveMc** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:54 pm

mimi wrote:
wosnes wrote: No-S is the tortoise to WW's (and other program's hare. It's slow and steady. Slow and steady in terms of diet not only wins the race, it keeps you from having to be in that race ever again.
Wow, wosnes! This needs to go in the NoS sticky glossary of catch phrases!

Seconded! Very nicely put.

WouldYouEva · Post by **WouldYouEva** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:30 pm

I've been where you are. I'm there now. I am now into 9 months of No S. I've lost about 25 lbs. When I did WW (30 years ago! Yikes!) I lost 62.5 lbs. in 9 months, which stayed off about 5 minutes or so. (I hit a plateau and I was so tired of denying myself.)

I like that 25 lbs. are gone, and today I bought some clothes that were smaller by at least one size (3X to 2X, 30W down to 26W), but the biggest reward is knowing that day in and day out, at least 90% of the time, I stay in No S.

Faith is hard for me, and I have a hard time having faith that my body will naturally develop into a smaller one. For that matter, I have a hard time believing that my needs will be met when I have a need, which is why trying to rid myself of things is such a struggle for me. But the thing about faith is just surrendering control over to it.

I sat down once, added up the number of hours in a week, calculated how many hours went by from the time I woke up Saturday to the time I went to bed on Sunday. It turns out to be approximately 25%. So I tell myself that I shouldn't be comparing 9 months of No S to 9 months on WW, because not that the comparison is I should have lost 45 lbs. by now (60*.75) but I would have lost NONE of this weight on WW, because I would have quit it after a week like the several other times since I went 30 years ago.

Even if you haven't lost a pound, you've gained a more mindful way of eating, and a new path you can take. No scale can measure that.