I've been faithfully counting calories since Nov 2, keeping under 1500 a day, usually between 1200-1300, working out 6 days a week for the past 3 weeks, the past few days hasn't been a DVD workout, but lugging things to the cellar so up and down the stairs a lot, raking and bagging leaves, lots of physical stuff I normally wouldn't do, as well as a LOT of walking.
First week, I lost 10 lbs, yea I know it was mostly water, 2nd week 5 of them came back! I lost those again the same week as well as a couple of inches (total of a few areas) But for the last week,,,,nothing...it's up a lb, down a lb so hovering at the same number on the scale.
It's like all my work (and aching body..lol), and careful eating and drinking plenty of water are for nothing. I'm so worried that if I don't see some movement on the scale soon I will give up...especially with Thanksgiving a couple of days away and I don't want to do that I had my meal limits already planned for that day but am so afraid I am going to tell myself "why bother"
I knew this wasn't going to be easy or an overnight thing since I have to lose half of myself but I thought I would see a steady loss of at least a lb or 2 a week.
Any advice on how to keep myself on track?
TIA
Cathy
Ugh! Boy do I know the bouncing scales routine. It's enough to make you pull your hair out isn't it?
But. Stick with it. As you continue on this journey you will come to recognize that the bouncing around is just part of the normal weight loss journey and, if you're like me, you'll be able to start to identify the patterns that your body goes through. For example, I know that I'll lose for a few days in a row, then maintain for a day...then up a pound or two...then down those same two pounds...then I'll drop a few more pounds and start the cycle all over again. The important thing is that overall the trend is a downward one.
Also, the scale isn't the be all, end all measure of success. Even if your efforts aren't showing on the scales YOU are healthier because you are making healthier food and activity choices. The delicate system that runs your body is running more efficiently because you are giving it the appropriate food and exercise so you are getting healthier and stronger even if the scales don't show that right away!
If you are the type of person who gets discouraged by the scale bouncing around, might I suggest you only weigh once a month and stick to your plan like glue? Two months of trying that... If you're still not losing a few pounds a month then maybe your plan needs overhaul, but it is more likely either your body gearing up for another weight drop, or you aren't being precise in your calorie logging and eating more (and burning less) than you might be aware of.
But really, give it an honest try with a longer timeframe to verify this isn't just how you lose. Many of us shed three or four pounds at a time and then hold steady and bounce a bit for a few weeks, before dropping much more. It averages out after time to be a good rate of loss.
If you quit now, you certainly won't lose any weight, and will likely gain a few more pounds. So please stick with it and see where you end up! It likely going to be a better place than the alternative.
Last edited by Arctic Mama; 11-24-2010 at 12:22 AM.
It helps me to have my charts and spreadsheets. Some weeks, I have a net-gain and some a huge loss. But averaged out, its 2.2 lbs a week, which is nice, and what I am going to ideally stay at (for a while anyway HAHA)
If you are ready to get frustrated after less than a month, you are going to have a VERY frustrating journey.
Trust me, Been there, Done that. I spend most of my time trying to stay OUT of my head and away from self sabotage!
sounds like you gained muscle to me. like your replacing fat with muscle so your staying in the same place only you would know though so see if u look like your toning up
ergh you're going to be BONKERS in a few months at this rate -- chances are none of us paid such close "under the microscope" attention to each GAIN we made up to 200 or in my case 300 plus pounds... stick to your calories, move your bum, do it every single day and the scale will follow. Don't let it ruin everything for you
ooohhh CAthy, I know EXACTLY how you feel. I am in the same situation and have been so tempted to give up. Alas, I keep telling myself that as long as I keep up this regimen, there is NO WAY that my body would stay the same. SO keep it up honey! It will come off!
In four decades of dieting, I quit every diet, not because I was failing, but because I wasn't succeeding fast enough to suit me. My expectations were unrealistic (and most of the time I even knew that, and it didn't help the feelings of failure, because I still half-hoped for the huge losses I occasionally saw).
Interpretation is everything. If you expect to see huge losses every week, you're going to be very disappointed when that doesn't happen. The only way to prevent the frustration is to change the expectations. You have to know (and remind yourself as many times as it takes) that staggered weight loss is entirely normal. Fluctuations are to be expected and not a sign of failure at all.
For me, I had to learn to celebrate the small losses and even the no-gain weeks. If you average my weight loss, I've lost less than a half pound per week. At my weight I should have found that discouraging, right? Only if I had let it be. Only if I followed "rules" I had no part in creating (who says that one pound or two pounds is the appropriate expectation? It's not the average weight loss by the way. It's a rate of weight loss most people, no matter their starting weight, do not achieve).
The speed of weight loss doesn't matter nearly as much as consistency. You can lose 11 pounds a week and if you give up, it means nothing, because you'll gain it all back. If you lose one pound a month, you'll eventually get to your goal.
This is the slowest weight loss I've ever accomplished. And my "success" this time has been slower than any previous "failure" that inspired me to quit in the past. My current success is slower than all my previous failures (which proves they weren't really failures at all).
Please, don't quit because you're choosing to see failure where there is actually success. Remember than even maintenance is success. Remember that even just sticking with it, is success.
Redefine success so you stop feeling like you're failing when you're not.
Cathyo Hi welcome to 3FC! Congratulations on your 10 Lb. weight loss- that is great. You and I are the same height I totally agree with Sunshine73 post. I did want to say please hang in there! Losing weight and eating healthy is a life changing decision. Do you weigh daily like I do? If you do weigh daily be prepared to see the scale move all around...this is normal weight loss and how it looks. I personally weigh daily to keep myself on track- I know me and if I get an inch I'll take a mile. But if it is causing you to feel discouraged maybe you should just weigh once a week or so. I think keeping a journal is a great thing in helping with weight loss. I write the date, weight, what I ate, how I feel, etc. During the times I hit a stall or I think it is not going fast enough I can look back in my journal and really see I am doing better than I think I am. That encourages me to keep going. I have learned that your weight is constantly changing going up and down a pound or 2. But the journal will show even though it is moving around it is in a downward spiral. In this weight loss journey you will have lots of ups and downs but it is so worth it! And so are you!! Thanksgiving day I am planning on eating some special things. For that day. But the next day back on plan. And I have decided not to weigh for a few day's so that I will not feel too sad if the Thanksgiving meal made me gain a couple of pounds. Happy thanksgiving!!
Kaplods that was such a good post! So true!! (Sorry Cathyo, I didn't mean to hyjack your thread) That makes me feel so encouraged. Even if I don't lose but a pound a week, or none that week...I am still heading in the right direction. You are a wise woman!
Be patient, don't give up, and remember, some people lose quickly because of the type of exercise they do, others lose slowly.
To explain, I lose VERY slowly. I've been working on weight loss for 2 years. I've lost 40 pounds. on the other hand, I've lost almost 45 inches and dropped from a 22 to a 14. Another lady on here dropped 35 pounds and 1 size in a month. It's all about body composition and what type of exercise you're doing. because the more you strength train, the better you'll look in the end, the heavier you'll end up and the longer it will take to get there and the easier it will take to stay there.
But you'll never know where you might have gotten to if you give up now.
Hang in there CathyO. Lots of great advice on this thread.
It can be frustrating, but just know that it is normal to have fluctuations. Just when I thought I would gain weight, I ended up losing. Just keep at it and you'll see the results. I don't know if you are following a special diet such as Weight watchers, but on the WW program, they say that anything from .5-2 pounds a week is a healthy loss. And you will have weeks that you gain or not lose any. Hang in there and fight harder.
Last edited by Jojo381972; 11-23-2010 at 12:33 AM.
Kaplods -Thank you so much for this posting! I have been doing all the right things these past several weeks and my weight loss has been so slow that giving up kept creeping into my thoughts. Your message was just what I needed to reinforce my continuing efforts. I have decided to try and be grateful for each and every lb. lost. My weight loss journey will take longer than most but I am going to make it happen and that's what counts!!! Thanks again - L.
Thank you all so much for replying, your posts have made me feel so much better
I guess I am just remembering how easy it was to lose weight when I was in my early 40's...but doing the math now I see it averaged out to a little over 2 lbs a week over the course of a year (144 lbs).
As for calories and calories burned I log every bite that goes in my mouth on fitday and also my activities, so pretty sure those are good.
I also plan on eating for Thanksgiving, but am measuring a cup or less of everything and loading up on the salad, will even splurge with tiny slices of the 2 pies and toppings...but that is all I will eat that day! No 2 helpings and huge desserts for me this year! And the next day I will be working out for sure, probably doing both the cardio and the sculpting that day in fact.
"Mrs. Santa" is also buying herself a new scale for Christmas and a weighted hula hoop for some fun exercise time while watching my soap opera . I read 30 mins of hooping burns 300 calories, don't know if I can do 30 mins right off the bat, but easy enough to figure them out for how ever long I can do it.
Oh, I also have hypothyroidism and have not been able to afford medicine for about a year so I think that may have something to do with the weight problem. My oldest son had this too and once they got him on the correct doseage of medicine, he started melting away! He lost 100 lbs in less than a year without doing anything! They had just diagnosed me and given me a prescription to start with (always low) and it was to be adjusted in 6 weeks after they did a 2nd blood test. Unfortunately I lose my medical ins before then and am just now able to afford to see a Dr again. Appt is next month and I can then restart the meds, and once my thyroid is working right, weight loss may be better...but even if it isn't....
I am not giving up! I CAN DO THIS! I WILL do it!
Cathy
getting really discouraged here
I had my meal limits already planned for that day but am so afraid I am going to tell myself "why bother"
only you would know though so see if u look like your toning up 
Happy thanksgiving!!
Thanks I needed that
. I read 30 mins of hooping burns 300 calories, don't know if I can do 30 mins right off the bat, but easy enough to figure them out for how ever long I can do it.
