I hope the scale starts moving soon because I have been eating on plan and its not moving. I mean, how long can a body hold onto water, my gosh. Im starting to think i am not getting enough calories because I count them at work and then when I get home to the "real world" I dont count them cause its usually fresh vegetables and something else healthy like soy meat or something. I woke up this morning and just balled, and on the way to work. so now that I sit at work my eyes are all puffy and swolen, face blotchy. Its just that you try, try, try and its such am letdown to see no results, even though I believe I can tell a difference in my body, as far as being lose in places and not so tight, like squishy.

Sometimes I just get so sick of trying. I just cant stand life sometimes, the worries and trouble it brings. Its just really sucks at times.

i can't tell you if you're eating enough or not cos i dont know what you're eating but i really do suggest that you write everything down even the vegetables. that way at least you have a basis and you can see how much you're really eating every day.

You need to count every bite.Vegetables have calories! How many calories are you eating at work ? It may be that you are eating many more calories than you think. Do you exercise ? Diet and exercise together will bring weight loss.

yesterday when I left work, I had 1062 calories left to eat on an 1800 calorie plan. For supper this is what I had:

part of gross lentil soup, didnt finish it
grilled cheese on low carb bread and 2% cheese
some soy meat with 2% cheese melted on it
1 50 calorie peach cup

So I dont know????

Yes, if you post a typical day's eating, it will help people on here to give you help.

Also, do celebrate the changes you are feeling in your body, it is a good indicator that something is still happening to you. It isn't just all about the number on the scales (though I do understand that too)...good luck and don't give up what you've already achieved because of this stone in the road, okay?

I am sorry you are feeling down. This weight loss thing can be very frustrating... but just look at how far you have come! 31 pounds is an amazing accomplishment.

Maybe it is time to refocus things. Are you getting enough water? What about exercise? ...Remember to track all of your food so you can monitor not only the calories, but also, what kinds of nutritional changes you could make.

Focus on those small details you mentioned.. like feeling better and healthier. Do you take body measurements? If not, perhaps that would be an added motivation for times when the scale stops moving.

Either way you are doing amazing things for your body and health! Be proud of yourself!

It sounds like you are eating okay. I just read an article on breaking plateaus. Are you exercising? Don't get discouraged. This is an opportunity. Your body is telling you that it either needs to rest and adjust to the changes you've already made, in which case, you should be patient for another week or two. OR your body is ready for something new. Add in some movement. If you've been walking for exercise, try something else. Do some google searches for 'breaking weight loss plateaus' and decide what to try.

Think of your body like a science experiment. You're learning to be aware of it 'talking' to you and learning how to give it what it needs. It's something most of us have never done before. If you think of it in clinical or scientific terms you can get some of the emotion out of the equation which helps you feel better about things. It's a puzzle to be solved, not a personal failure. Plateaus happen to everyone. The difference between succeeding and failing is how you handle it right now when it feels so hopeless. YOU can do this. You've already proven it to yourself. It's just time for a simple adjustment.

how LONG have you been at a plateau? Because unless it's for a month it's not a true plateau. I've gone through periods of a couple weeks where I've only lost a pound but it stepped up just as I was getting really frusterated Hang in there! If you stick to your plan and if that plan is healthy and right for you, you WILL start dropping the pounds again.

I know it sucks when the scale does not move (hugs) been there (more hugs)

This happened to me for 2 weeks and I can understand the frustration. I cried about it as well. It sucks when you bust your *** everyday and see no results on the scale. Numbers are important to me, no matter what everyone else says. I try not to weigh myself more than once a week now (I was doing it everyday for awhile).

One of the hardest parts of losing the weight is learning to be patient when it comes off slowly. I will go three weeks without a loss and then all of a sudden drop three pounds or more. It comes off in chunks for me a lot of the time. I retain water much of the time so it could be water weight that is keeping me from seeing the loss. I've had to talk myself out of the frustration many, many times. Just be determined not to give in to that voice in your head that is telling you it's too hard. Be determined to stick with it when it's hard. Most of the time when I've done that I will see a loss within a short time. I've always been so glad I didn't give up when it got hard or all the weight would have come right back. Hang in there, try to up the activity level some, that might help. Have you tried tracking your food and exercise on the daily plate.com? It really helps me.

I think 285 is just a weird spot.

At other times when I've lost weight 285 was about the time it seemed to get hard and in the past I gave up. These past two weeks I've been distracted by school among other things. I'm not getting enough water or sleep. I havent had time to walk to school and my calorie counting has been very loose.

I'm still eating good foods and I know I'm not hitting my maintenance calorie limit so I shouldn't be gaining but the scale is currently stuck on 285-286.

In the past I would give up but we really don't want to go back to 316/318 do we?

So I'm putting effort into drinking more water and am back to my good habits of using TDP and I'm gonna see 279, dang it!

Life does sort of suck sometimes. You are doing what you are supposed to be doing and it is HARD! dang HARD! and you have walked away from foods that you liked and that is dang HARD too and NOTHING is happening! It does suck --- it totally sucks!

And yeah, we all say the numbers aren't that important and in a way, they aren't, but in another way, those numbers are the way we measure the success of what we are doing. Watching those numbers change is the payoff for all the things that we have given up or are doing differently. I don't blame you one iota for being upset! And I probably would have been right there bawling with you (except I might have thrown the flipping scale out the window as I did it!)

So, here's what I think: I don't know diddly about weight loss because I haven't accomplished very much of it yet. But if people like H8cake and CFMama say stick to it and the weight WILL come off, I believe them; they know what they are talking about. So, step #1 is keep on program.

From my perspective, step #2 should be putting the weight loss down for a while ---not going off program, just not thinking about it so much for a few hours -- and enjoy yourself. Go see a movie or play a video game or get lost in a good book or something that you do for no other reason that it makes you feel good. Your life is about more than just your weight and you have been working hard and deserve a little relaxation. You have been having a bad couple of days, so pamper yourself a little (just not with food).

And hang in there, Mug --- I really do trust folks like H8Cake and CFMama, so the stupid effin' numbers WILL change if you just hang tough. You deserve this, Mug --- don't sell yourself short.

*hugs* feel better!

I totally know the feeling of trying and trying and nothing happens, Its hard to not let it get you down and say forget it(been there way to many times to count lol) but this time Im not going to let it get to me! I think this sight is what is going to help me through it this time. So dont give up and I wont either.

Maybe try keep track of what you eat when you get home will put some perspective on this....you may or may not be hitting your daily calories.

When I get to where I am not losing and only maintaining I will take a closer look at everything I'm doing...am I counting all of my points? are my portions right? am I eating the foods that I should? can they be healthier? am I getting enough water? am I not exercising as much as I was?

Then I make it a point that I *am* doing those things and then usually then I'll start to lose....I have never hit a long plateau yet but I know it can happen at any time.

*hugs*