So this past week, having found a renewed vigor for my weight loss journey, I stayed on target with my calories, worked out 4 times this week (not the five like I'd hoped, but hey), and was feeling pretty positive when I stepped on the scale.
And...no change. Nothing.
I know this is nothing in the grand scheme of things. And at least I didn't gain anything. But dammit if I'm not just disappointed. This is the first time I've stayed on track since I don't know when, and I feel like I have nothing to show for it, no reward,
But I know I can't give up, because then I really will go back to the way I was. So I just have to keep plugging away and the changes will come.
In the past I've always been one of those people who loses next to nothing the first few weeks. (I drink a lot of water normally, so I don't have a ton of water weight to lose... that's what my doctor said to make me feel better at least.)
The body is a crazy confusing thing... perhaps it's gaining more muscle than it is losing fat, and if that's the case it will even out in a week or two and you'll have a decent loss.
That is the crazy hard part of weight loss, doing everything 'right' and not seeing those results right away. I tend to psych myself out when there isn't a loss and think that I'll never ever lose a single pound again...of course I'll continue to lose but the fear is real. I try to keep in mind that even if I never lose another pound at least I'm getting healthy. Stay strong and remember even if the scale is being stubborn, you're getting fit and healthy. The loss will eventually come but it may take awhile you just have to be patient and keep up the good work!
I was having this very same problem. Last year, I lost a bunch of weight, 55 lbs and I was doing really well. Spring/Summer last year, I got into a new relationship, and I stopped thinking as much about my weight and started on birth control pills and by the end of the year I'd gained 15 lbs back. So now I'm back on track, eating well again, and the first 2-3 weeks, I was really disappointed. I was eating well, working out, and NOTHING. I was discouraged. But I kept at it, and slowly but surely I am definately losing weight again, down 3 lbs. Keep on truckin'
I think every single person has been through that!! I've gone through it. Weight loss doesn't have to be your reward though, you could be happy knowing that you got out and did something about 50% of people probably didn't do this week - exercise! And you ate healthier. But definitely stick with it, maybe double check your calories. For example, I work at a bakery and I get basically anything I want for free (sounds like a trainwreck, right????). I limit myself to some of the whole grain breads and these oatberry or cherry oatbran muffins because these are supposed to have 350 cals or 250 cals, respectively. They're positively huge and loaded with fiber, so I eat a muffin and I'm not hungry at all for several hours. I weighed them one day and found out they were almost 1.5 times heavier than what was on the nutrition facts. I also learned that some of the whole grain bread slices were heavier, too! So, I started halving the muffins and slicing the bread myself to get thinner slices... I was eating almost an extra 300 cals a day and not realizing it! After I fixed that problem, I started to lose a little more weight each week.
That's such a crappy feeling. You work your butt off but then don't see the results on the scale. The saving grace is that your body is experiencing the results anyway. You're reaping the benefits in a bunch of ways. Just the satisfaction of knowing you can have one good week is HUGE! WHAT A VICTORY! If you can have one good week you can have 2, 4, 10, 20! Keep at it. You'll see results soon.
Believe me, the scale still sucks me dry. Literally. It's like a being that drains your energy and motivation and leaves nothing but an empty husk of a person who questions whether it's worth the effort. There are still times that my days and weeks are based on the results I do or do not see.
It's my fault for buying into the numbers, for "weighing" my self worth against a digital display every week. The problem is the double standard in the weight loss world. You're told to focus on the numbers in your diet (your calories), focus on the numbers in your measurements, focus on the numbers in your clothing sizes, focus on the numbers in your cholesterol and BMI and this and that and etc, etc, etc... But not the scale...no.
No, the scale is deceptive...everything else is real.
I have a hard time understanding the logic behind that, and an even harder time convincing myself of it's truth.