I've hit my first plateau (this time) and I'm really struggling to make it through. This is the point where I've given up every other time before. Luckily this time I didn't hit a plateau until I lost 25lbs, before it was always around 10-15lbs. I'm determined to make it through this, but it's been three weeks now and I've lost only 2lbs as of today! I know that eventually I'll start to lose again but I can't help being frustrated that now, when I've finally gotten a routine down and I'm eating right and exercising my butt off, I can't lose weight. I guess I'm not really looking for help as much as I wanted to get that off my chest, so thank you all for listening. I know enough to know that this will pass, so I'm not giving up, but it makes me so darn mad! and a bit sad, because I don't think I'm going to be able to make my onederland goal by September 6th. Maybe I'll give myself some more time.
DO NOT give up!
I'm sure you've heard that a healthy weightloss goal is 1/2 to 2 pounds a week..so even 2 pounds in three weeks is excellent.
Please don't let it take you over. You know that it will pass, that's obvious in your post.
You'll be in onederland in no time at all...don't let that Sept. 6th date mess with your head, OK?
Yes, don't give up. When I am eating right, I feel better ~ physically and better about myself ~ maybe while you are stalled you could try to think of something like that instead of only on the numbers on the scale. For myself, I don't try to meet a time goal either because it never seems to turn out and that is just one more thing to disappoint me and tempt me to give up.
Hang in there it will pass ~ until then ~ we are here for you.
Keep strong and don't give in. Even if you don't lose a pound eating healthy is going to be so much better for you than giving in. I know it will catch up and your body will start letting go of those pounds soon.
Don't give up. You are doing a great job. Your body will reward you. When I have hit plateau's before, I like reminding myself that my heart is benefiting from the exercise and healthy food choices.
I agree - don't let self imposed deadlines make you feel bad! Plateau's are just your body's way of adjusting to it's new weight - it needs some time to settle before it lets go of even more fat (that's how I like to think of it anyway - I'm sure a scientist would say different!).
I had a big loss last month, but this month I've stayed the same even though my eating is better than ever and I'm exercising 6 days a week. I know that if I just keep at it then my body will eventually 'let go' and I'll be back on a losing streak. I always look at my weight loss in monthly terms now - worrying about the week to week can be so disheartening.
But hey - you've lost 2lb so maybe that is a sign that the weight is moving again!
What Howie said! As a turtle in this weightloss journey, I say be happy about 2 lbs. in 3 weeks. If you hadn't been trying to lose weight, where would you be in those same 3 weeks? I know my answer is that I'd have gained more than 2 lbs.
My first year, I was sure I was going to lose all 100 lbs. in 12 months. It didn't happen. I'm hoping it will happen shortly after I reach my third year anniversary. Frankly, I don't care when it happens, just that it does, and I know it will. For me, once I let go of that those magic dates, the better I felt emotionally.
Vent all you want--you deserve to. But never, ever give up!
Thank you for the encouragement everyone, you guys are all so great. I don't plan on giving up, I've come too far now to let myself gain it all back. I've eliminated the September 6th deadline for my onederland goal, and I've learned my lesson about setting timed goals. I won't do it again! If I slip up and someone catches me doing it, please kick my butt!!
I have to admit that these past few weeks have turned me into an obsessive scale watcher, I'm weighing myself EVERYDAY, sometime twice! I know that's not good. I think I'm slowly going to work my way up to weighing once a month, I'm going to concentrate on doing it just once a week again first though. There I have a new non-scale goal: After weigh day tomorrow, no more weighing myself until next Monday! Boy that's going to be hard, but I know that I'm getting too hung up on the numbers now and it's not healthy at all. When I was younger (and skinny, although I thought I was fat) I was anorexic, and I don't want to fall back into that trap again now that I've recovered. If I don't make it through this next week without weighing myself, I'm sending my scale to my mom's house..... that way I'll have to drive all the way over there to weigh myself.
Agreeing with what everyone else said - just keep at it. You're still losing, just not as quickly as you hoped but you're heading in the right direction - down, not up.
When I hit a plateau (which seems more often than not these days!) I do the usual - mix up my eating and exercise routines, cut back a few more calories and intensify my workouts, and pay closer attention to my measurements. However, during my last weight loss stall I found something that seems to help even more.
Instead of anguishing over the plateau I shifted gears mentally and thought of it as maintaining rather than a stall in my weight loss. It was harder than I thought it would be to let go of any expectations of losing weight. But, when it was all said and done, it was a terrific exercise in preparing myself for what I will go through once I do finally reach my goal.
The way I see it, maintainence is really nothing more than one never ending plateau. I'll still have to count calories, eat healthily, exercise often and I won't have the scale giving me a pat on the back every week. So, I figure now is the best time to prepare myself emotionally for it all. I try and think of a plateau as my body's way of helping me keep the weight off. Plus, if I stop expecting to lose weight it is even more rewarding when the scale does finally budge.
Grrrrrr! I'm so frustrated! (rant warning)
and a bit sad, because I don't think I'm going to be able to make my onederland goal by September 6th. 
Maybe I'll give myself some more time.
