rethinking the meetings. - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

butterflygirljb · 10-19-2013, 09:46 AM

Today I am skipping my meeting for the first time. I haven't lost in three weeks. I thought I was down a pound this week but back up the next day. Last week I weighed in at my meeting and when they said I didn't lose I spoke to my leader. I showed her my tracker and she just said " I donk know ". And I've herd that word from her a few times. I feel like I'm paying for nothing. Thinking of going it alone. Just not sure.

DrivenByAmbition · 10-19-2013, 10:24 AM

Sounds like you had no luck with the wendie plan. I was really hoping that would help. Meetings are for support and it sounds like they are doing the opposite.

Okay, lets dissect a little bit:

Are you measuring everything?

Are you drinking any alcohol?

or soft drinks?

Do you eat out often?

Have you recalculated your daily points allowance?

Maybe you can mix weight watchers with following the fundamentals of my plate from myplate.gov.

lazylioness · 10-19-2013, 10:27 AM

Well, I know it's discouraging but there are times when I am stuck for a few weeks as well. It happens. But your leader should be talking to you and giving you suggestions.

When my husband gets stuck, it usually means he has not tracked as diligently as he should. When I get stuck it sometimes means hormones or I have underestimated my intake and overestimated my output (activity). To counter this I usually spend two weeks not eating out, weighing everything, and count my activity less than my tracker says. Staying "on plan" perfectly always jump starts a few months of steady loss.

Good luck.

butterflygirljb · 10-19-2013, 10:55 AM

Thanks ladies. I'm just really upset and tearful. I have about 100 left to lose and I feel like I'm stuck this way. I don't mesure because latlely I'm eating a lot of prepackaged meals and not cookeing. I know that's a lot of it. Its just life is busy. This week. I'm going to cook and mesute. I don't drink. And eating out is mostly never. I don't touch soft drinks. Just water and hot tea. No sugar added. No milk. Ichecked points and it still put me at 37 dp

butterflygirljb · 10-19-2013, 10:57 AM

But I do track everything

PUPMOM5 · 10-19-2013, 11:06 AM

Butterfly, first - that response from the leader is no good. She should be trying to help you, not dismissing you. I would go above her head to complain and, if need be, I would find another meeting.

If you're eating mostly prepackaged food, it might be all the sodium. Things that are prepackaged or take-out typically have a ton of sodium, and that can make you retain water. Check the sodium content on your food and see how much you're eating a day - you're supposed to have 2500/day.

How much water are you drinking? It sounds silly, but drinking lots of water (I try for 120 oz/day) can really help.

Are you eating a lot of carbs? You could be carb-sensitive.

When you tried the Wendie plan, did you stick to the number of points it suggested each day?

Plateaus happen and they make us upset, but the most important thing is that you never give up. If you give up, you definitely won't lose - but if you keep strong, it's going to come off eventually. And we'll all be here in the mean time.

fitbyforty · 10-19-2013, 11:07 AM

Processed foods have a ton of sodium. You could be retaining water right now.

AnnRue · 10-19-2013, 11:15 AM

I joined weight watchers today and I was very frustrated with the meeting. I up and left in annoyance. My leader didn't seem to know much at all about dieting.

Fortunately I do. When I get stuck at a plateau something that always works for me is calorie cycling. I find eating the exact same thing every day sends your body into a shut down. I suspect that your body releases a water retention hormone (just my speculation).

But if you eat high a few days per week, followed by low a few days to make up for it, I believe your body reduces the hormone and you have a woosh. A lot of people have had success with this. The key is just making sure you don't exceed the amount you would have taken in if you just ate the same every day.

It seriously works for me every time.

DrivenByAmbition · 10-19-2013, 11:27 AM

Are you getting 5 servings veggies/fruits a day? What about the other guidelines?

butterflygirljb · 10-19-2013, 01:01 PM

I drink lots of water but may up it anyway. I am going to buy a food scale today and going to start fresh. I eat fruits and vegetables but no I don't think I'm getting all my servings. The only meetings I could go to were Saturday meetings and now I don't know. Its a close group of older wemen and the leader doesn't seem intrested in anyone else who isn't apart of that click. I will try everything you all have said. Thank you so much.

DrivenByAmbition · 10-19-2013, 01:11 PM

No problem, just keep pushing.

GirlieJayhawk · 10-19-2013, 02:03 PM

Find another meeting! Seriously!

One of my very first posts on 3FC was about not enjoying my meetings and the advice to find another meeting has made a world of difference. I think I went to 4 meetings one week and found someone I just clicked with.

Mad Donnelly · 10-19-2013, 02:35 PM

Butterfly, I hear ya. Here's my WW story:

I did WW several years back. There really wasn't anything special or magical to the plan, I was going for the positive feedback. I'll admit, it was already a struggle to attend the meetings. Wasn't really my thing but if I was going to get support, I'd have to go.

One week our regular leader wasn't there. I happened to log in a 4 pound loss that week. I was elated and got lots of kudos. So the next week wasn't hard to make myself attend even tho I wasn't expecting another 4 lbs.

Well, this week our regular leader was back. I logged in a 1/2 lb. LOSS. Not really having much reaction, I got off the scale. As she's handing me my card back, she says, Oh, were you expecting that?, in a way that meant to convey she thought my lack of reaction was because I knew I had not done well with eating that week. Well, my lack of reaction was due to me not expecting a big loss not because I had "cheated" but because I had had a big loss last week. So knowing she wasn't there (although she had the number in her hand. Wouldn't have expected her to remember anyway), I pointed out the tremendous loss from the previous week. Her response was a lackluster, Oh. I was expecting something along the lines of, Oh, well, good job then. A 1/2 lb loss is still a loss.

So since I was essentially paying for positive feedback and since this was negative feedback and since she had inadvertently made me feel bad but did nothing to try to make up for it, I saw no reason to continue to waste my time at the meetings.

butterflygirljb · 10-19-2013, 04:15 PM

I will see if I can get to another meeting somewhere else. It is sad that when you go to these meetings and your paying and your putting it all out there only to get treated less than. Should I be counting carbs??. If so how much should I have a day??

PUPMOM5 · 10-19-2013, 05:26 PM

Butterfly, some people (Sara, I think, does and if she's around, chime in!) count points and then keep track of their food in another app (like MyFitnessPal). That way, if you stop losing, you can look at the breakdown of what you've been eating (did I have a week heavy with carbs? or sodium? or fat? or sugar?) in case you're sensitive. I don't think I'm sensitive to carbs, but I am very sensitive to sodium so I try my best to stay close to the recommendation, or I hold onto weight.