So, I've been OP, losing weight every week since March 15.
But I know that my "luck is going to run out" at some point. There is *no way* I can lose every single week.
The truth is, I am dreading weighing in (I weigh every Thursday) and seeing a gain or staying the same. But I know it's inevitable. Even our 100lb. losers here have probably had gains/maintenance weeks.
Yet, seeing the loss every week is what keeps me going.
Tips or advice on how to get through my first gain/maintain week (and the many to come, I'm sure) and beyond it? I'm absolutely terrified, and really don't want to start sabotaging myself because of it.
My advice is find other ways to monitor your progress -- measurements, clothes, fitness level.
It will happen eventually, and it can be a blow, but it's only as big a deal as we let it be. It's completely natural! Remember if you let the scale have that much power over you, it wins!
Are you charting your weight loss? Even though I had many weeks where the scale didn't go down, I was always reassured by the continous downward movement of the chart when I looked at it in its entirety. I also tried to reward myself for things I could control - like making a commitment to working out that week and keeping it.
Yup it's gonna happen eventually. I had my first no loss week a month or so ago. I will admit that seeing that scale move every single week has been quite motivating for me.
But, like you I knew it would be inevitable. I did keep in mind though that I had done everything "right" and that our bodies just don't always respond. It's just that simple. I also used it to help motivate me by being "extra on plan" for that upcoming week by stepping up my exercise and being extremely vigilent with my calorie intake.
And although I didn't lose anything for the week, I still accomplished a lot. I had stayed on plan for yet another week in my life. I think that's pretty big.
My body is very strange. I won't lose for a few weeks, then it'll decide to let go of 5 pounds in one week. I know this because I weigh in every day, and at first it was discouraging but it kept me on track. I record once a week, and I just have to admit that sometimes I"m going to maintain. 27 pounds in 5 months is NOT a lot, and I certainly haven't been an angel on plan, but it's better than nothing. Being the naturally pessimistic person that I am, I like to beat myself up, so it might sound crazy to say I"m even more motivated when I maintain, because it's hard to get complacent with no loss.
So I guess my advice is, stick to your guns, you've already come this far so don't let it get you down when it happens. Also, chart! Since I weigh in every day for the most part, it's hard to see when I "lose" so I have an excel spreadsheet and record weekly. It's almost always gone down, even if it varies day by day.
Good luck Apryl, and congrats on staying healthy and OP! I know how hard that is in college!
ETA: I would also recommend getting a scale that weighs in .2 increments, if you haven't already. You'd be surprised how much that can help!
This is a great idea for a thread, because it's something we all have to deal with. I've been lucky, because I've only had one "gain" week and a few "maintenance" weeks since I started last July. I will probably have a gain tomorrow, though, so this thread came at the right time for me because I'll be dealing with it too.
I just want to echo what the others said -- you have to focus on other ways of seeing your progress. The way your clothes feel, the measurements, all that good stuff. Today I know that even though I haven't had a good week scale-wise, my pants are falling off my hips. I can't keep them up. So that helps! Also, chart chart chart. I have an Excel spreadsheet with all my weigh-ins and it puts them in a lovely line graph. Seeing how that line just keeps going down and down and down even with a little blip here and there where it stays the same is really a good motivator, showing you how far you've come and how no matter what the general trend is DOWN!
That week will eventually come. It sneaks up on all of us! The first time the scale showed a gain for me I was depressed for the whole week until my next weigh in. Now I've had them a couple times, and also a couple weeks where I did more maintaining than losing when the scale only showed a .2 or .4 loss. It can be so discouraging! By traking I've found that those gain weeks and even most of the maintaining weeks corresponded with hormones and TOM. You absolutely must keep it in your head that if you've done everything right for the week and the scale doesn't reflect it, it's OK! The scale will catch up and show the loss. If you're on plan, you're doing the right things for your body, and knowing that sometimes has to be compensation enough!
An interesting tidbit I've gotten from some of the maintainers (and I can't remember who said it) is what will you do once you reach goal? You won't have that excitement of losing anymore to keep you on track. You have to figure out how you will keep it together once this "ride" is over.
For me, I do have my up and down weeks. The scale is just a number. I can't directly control what it says. I get my satisfaction from doing my exercise and eating healthy. I could have a perfect week and still gain a pound. Does that make my week less than perfect? No. So try to focus on your actions. The losses will follow.
An interesting tidbit I've gotten from some of the maintainers (and I can't remember who said it) is what will you do once you reach goal? You won't have that excitement of losing anymore to keep you on track. You have to figure out how you will keep it together once this "ride" is over.
For me, I do have my up and down weeks. The scale is just a number. I can't directly control what it says. I get my satisfaction from doing my exercise and eating healthy. I could have a perfect week and still gain a pound. Does that make my week less than perfect? No. So try to focus on your actions. The losses will follow.
Excellent point, Tiffany! I think when I reach goal that the day to day satisfaction will come from seeing the scale stay within a certain range....and if it goes above to be on the wagon RIGHT away! I will not let myself get so out of control again!
For the past 3 weeks, I have hovered around the same number, up a half pound, then back down. I know that I am eating right and exercising. The thing that is keeping me from throwing my hands up is the fact that I don't want it to go back up to where it was! I will never be the size I wish to be if I give up! So I refuse to quit!
I agree with what so many others have already said - I track my weight and even though I hate it when I have a maintain or that dreaded .2 gain/loss I can always go back through my records and see that there is a trend to the maintains and small losses/gains which helps me mentally get through it. And if that's still not enough I go shopping in my closet to see what item(s) of clothing I can wear that week that I couldn't wear the previous week.
Take the total amount of lbs you've lost so far. Divide by the number of weeks since you started weighing yourself. This is your average weightloss per week.
97% of the time, you will have a POSITIVE number, even if its just .something. So, guess what? Even if you haven't lost this week, or you are on a plateau, you're still LOSING, and that's what's important!! Sometimes our bodies just freak out and need a week, or a few weeks, to recover! And sometimes, if a plateau gets long, we need to find something to change up to get back on the losing streak!
Oooh thanks everyone. This Thursday, I will not fear the scale!
Come to think of it, I don't *ever* want to fear the scale.
BA and Tiffany, your posts were especially helpful to my mindset! Thank you.
Apryl, I avoided the scale for close to 15 years. I can tell you that didn't work out too well for me. Looking back, I can say that the scale was never, ever the enemy. Or the food for that matter. It was always - ME. And my lack of, I won't even say control, I will say - my lack of discipline.
I now LOVE the scale. All right, perhaps love is a bit too strong . But I like it a lot. It's something I no longer fear. Although it's only a tool, it's a tool I plan to use daily for the rest of my life to help keep me aware and intune to my body. I might not like what it tells me everyday, but it does keep me aware and on my toes.
Preparing for "Non-Loss" Weeks
