[Lilly221]

Week 1: -8.5
Week 2: -2.0
Week 3: 0
almost week 4 bc I'm curious: 0

What the fudge???


I know, with Weight Watchers we only weigh in once a week but I can't help it sometimes and I get curious. My weigh in day is Sunday and so I highly doubt that suddenly 2 pounds will vanish between now and then.

I feel like this is going to be a repeat of my last unsuccessful WW attempt where I didn't quite lose 10 pounds over a 3 month period. I realize that "slow is safe" but seriously...that's TOO slow, I'm sorry I can 't view it any other way.

I have no NSV this week. Nothing has changed, I can't see that loss anywhere on my body. Nothing fits differently.

This really upsets and depresses me perhaps more than it should.

[StephanieM]

Are you working out as well? That really speeds up the weight loss process. Either way, keep at it! At least your eating healthier right? You may have to re evaluate what and how you are eating because it just may not work for you. Curves didn't do it for me and I had to accept that and move on, unfortunately it took me a long time to figure that out and much money was spent.

It's looking like one of those weeks for me too, I seem to be stuck in one spot again. Best of luck!

[gardenerjoy]

Give it time. You haven't been at this long enough to figure out how your monthly cycle affects things. You may discover that you lose lots of weight two weeks of the month and stall out for two weeks of the month. I'd give it at least another week and maybe two before starting to figure out what to change beyond adding exercise if you aren't as StephanieM suggested.

[Lilly221]

I have fibromyalgia and a really bad back (part due to the weight, part due to a bulging disc) so exercise is minimal BUT I am doing it, and it's more than before (which was none). I have to go slow, so I'm doing 10-15 minutes at a time of moderate-exertion walking, usually twice a day. Every AP I've earned is pretty much equal to 1 walking session.

[L144S]

I had tons of zero weeks but ultimately it did not matter. It was not a gaining week AND I learned a lot on the way down, like I only lose in the first 2 weeks of my cycle, and counting in oz is fine, also there is no rush.

[Tarisaande]

I've had so many zero-s that I feel like it's a lost cause sometimes, but I keep plugging away. A zero means you aren't gaining weight! Another zero means you can only enter new territory in the future, no repeats of work already accomplished

[chnkymonkey]

Week one of most diets will see the biggest decrease. Week two is usually a little less, but after 2 weeks is when your body settles into the routine and you've lost the excess water weight.

Something to consider is how close to TOM are you right now? If you've been at it 4 weeks you should have already had it or be about to by now, which very well could be affecting the numbers on the scale.

Don't give up! Give it another week then work with your WW coach about what to do, your points may be too high and you might have to cut back more. And, make sure you are brutally honest with yourself on counting points.

I had a friend who did WW years ago and would eat large pieces of pizza and count them as a small piece points, then justify being able to eat two. So, she would look up the points for a piece of pizza hut pizza, small pizza 8" and say it was worth 5 points, so she could have two. But the pizza she was eating was an extra large 16" and she'd eat two slices of that but count it as the pizza hut small. That was only cheating herself and she couldn't figure out why she couldn't lose weight.

[Lilly221]

I know it sounds weird but I don't actually KNOW when the TOM is. I'm on an IUD and long story short....when I ovulate, I get cramps and bleeding (cysts) and when I have my period, it's the same amount of cramps and bleeding. So....who the heck knows. But thats a good point.

I don't have a WW coach bc I'm doing it online. With 2 jobs I don't have the time to get to a meeting every week.

[gerly1]

Great advice from everyone. I have been on a stall for two weeks and now have TOM. I did my normal Friday weigh in and I am down a pound. So just stick with it. Your loss will show.

[MissKelly]

Stick with it, you're on the right track......I see you mention that you work 2 jobs....what does your average water intake & daily menu look like? How many calories/carbs are you eating a day? Are you sometimes eating fast food? Measuring or being careful about your portions? Watching sodium? So many questions come to mind..I could go on & on.

To be honest...I understand what you mean by the alarm that you feel with stalling out after 2 weeks...especially from your coming from 285#...been at that weight & so have many others. When the so-called diet is fine tuned (& often re-adjusted & adjusted again & again...just the way it happens to find out what your body responds to)...it falls off fairly quickly the heavier you are...as compared to say someone that is 100# less. Let me rephrase that....when you find what works best that your body responds to...it will fall off even more quickly.

My 2 cents...take a closer look at your eating plan & make adjustments. It's not a crisis or the end all be all...I cannot tell you how many times I have had to make adjustments. Weight loss is not exactly always smooth sailing. If I ever lose my hair in this diet it's only because I will end up pulling it out myself from frustration over the Jekyll & Hyde my body pulls on me. My own body plateaus on eating the same ole same ole....so I have to manipulate it when it shows resiliency by switching up calories, foods, carbs, etc. My body plateaus on exercise as well & I have to switch it up every 10 or so days. Some people have to do the same...some don't. There's no one rule for anyone...because no 2 bodies are the same. You do have to test what works.

Maybe WW's is not the plan for you? Perhaps trying alternate "plans" such as old fashioned calorie counting & carb/sodium restriction may be up your alley? Tossing this out there because you mention a prior attempt with WW that left you unhappy.

[Lilly221]

MissKelly:

Fast food is rare, and when I do now it's either soft tacos at Taco Bell or Jr sandiwches from Arby's, no more than 8 points total for 2 of each. But it's rare. The 2nd job is from home so dinners are home-cooked.

Lunches are Lean Cuisine to keep me from straying to "bad food" and I'm happy with them.

I'm trying to add more water. I'm sure there's too much carbs and I'm trying to find a balance between reducing that without being miserable.

Breakfast & morning Break - fiber one cereal, lowfat milk. coffee, measuring my creamer & keeping it low. vitamuffin.

Lunches: lean cuisine meal + yoplait light yogurts. 1 w lunch, maybe 1 for afternoon snack in addition to a WW string cheese depending on how peckish I am at 3pm.

Dinners: No more than 10-13 points for dinners. Lean meats, side of carbs, side of vegs. Really good w measuring, mking things healthier etc.

Snacks at night can include: WW ice cream bar; 100-cal pack of cheeze-its; stirng cheese (WW); cereal; occasionally a "brownie sundae" = 1 vitatop, 1/4 cup regular ice cream + 1 tbsp hot fudge.

I'm starting to also add in more fruits that I snack on thru-out the workday like watermelon, cherries, orange, strawberries. I'm trying to choose lower sodium things. Things I've removed from my diet: snack bags of cheetos & lays. Using half the creamer as I used to, and keeping it to usually 1 cup coffee (2 a day only occaisonally) as compared to a norm of 3-4 cups a day. No more 20-point fast food sandwiches on weekends. No more weekly dinners from Domino's of 10 wings PLUS some pizza or a sandwich. No more cafeteria large bagels schmeared with a lil full fat cream cheese AND butter. For that matter, no more full fat cream cheese ever now. consciously using less butter overall, and checking sodium on labels.

I like WW for the choices I have. I'm a miserable cow when I have to cut out most carbs, I'll be frank.

I think next week I'll try to eat more of my Weekly Points. Right now I leave most behind. I'll keep trying to tweak one thing every 2 weeks and see what it nets me, I guess. The losses of the first two weeks gave me a false high and the 0's a false low.

Thanks for the advice

[chnkymonkey]

It does look like you are getting too much carbs and not enough protein. You could cut back on the carbs and increase the protein and probably not feel any hunger. Also, the frozen meals are very high in sodium and they can cause you to retain water. if you aren't drinking enough water to help compensate, then that will reflect on the scale. Not to mention that those frozen meals could be off by up to 20% on their calorie count which would make a difference in point values with WW too.

I've been re-reading Body For Life and recall that in that plan, they consider Yogurt as a carb, not a protein. The reaility is, most of those have alot of sugar in them (and salt) so instead of considering that a protein, it should be viewed as a carb. (that's their view, and I agree with it). I can't eat yogurt on its own as it does not leave me feeling satiated, so I have to combine it with some other form of protein or consider it a snack.

The lean cuisine meals tend to be carb heavy, protein poor. They are nice low cal meals but not necessarily the best thing for you day in, day out.

I'm not a WW person, but my guestimate on your above diet would be (depending on portions) closer to 2000 calories a day. I can understand the struggles and not losing as much as you'd like.

Breakfast = 300 for cereal/milk (if measured), plus muffin ~ 500 total
Lunch = 300 lean cuisine, 100 per yogurt + cheese = 600 total
Dinner = 200 for meat, 100 for veggie and 200+ for carb = 500+
Dessert = 150 - 300 depending on what you eat

It adds up quickly. And if you are adding butters, sauces, oils to the foods even more so. If you are not measuring portions of your cereal, meats and carbs then those will also increase the calories.

And if you are snacking on fruits inbetween all of the above - even more calories.

[Lilly221]

chnkymonkey> Again....when you compare what I USED to eat....the leancuisine is pretty darn healthy and lower in sodium. Is it perfect? Nope. But I have no time in the mornings to prepare a perfect lunch. so I do what I can. My yogurt is only 90 sodium.
What I take away from your assessment is that my snacking on fruits is bad, as is using any butters/oils. We're encouraged to use them in moderation.

And yes, I am measuring. Carefully. Not just a measuring cup but to the *gram* on a good digital scale. I can fully admit that my last attempt at WW I slacked on measuring. This time? Not ever.

I think it's difficult to assess the WW plan from a calorie-counting habit. I don't know what my calorie count is or should be in a day, nor do I need to know at this point IMO. Thats not the method I'm using. I appreciate the various opinions but I know that I am most definitely staying within my points...some days I'm not eve hungry enough to eat all my daily's.

[duckyyellowfeet]

I've had weeks where I don't lose anything until the day I'm planning on recording my weight. Or the day after. Sometimes, its just 0, 0, 0, 0, 2lbs down....just like that. Its random, but I figure my body knows what its doing.

You could make some tweaks if you wanted to, but if you're keeping to your Points, the weight should come off. Two weeks isn't that long to go without a loss (as much as it sucks)...so just keep going

[Natalia]

I think what chnkymonky was saying is not that fruit is bad, fruit has it's place like everything else but that the calories do add up. I know not much about WW (I never understood why someone would go with WW @ points instead of calorie counting, why bother converting it.. but anyway) but perhaps you are one of the people like me who are sensitive to carbs and need to cut back, even if you are within your "points".

I don't mean low carb, maybe 2 servings grain, 1 serving fruit or whatever works for you that also facilitates weight loss. Protein is awesome because not only is it harder for you to store as fat, but it keeps you satisfied longer so you need fewer snacks.

The only other thing I can think of is that they based your pts on the "average" at your weight, but for you personally, perhaps its too high. KWIM?

I hear ya, I've been pretty much at a standstill and I used to eat wayyyyyy more, way nastier foods so you'd think the weight would fall right off. Nope. My reality is that I seem to have a huge "maintain" zone, so to lose weight I either have to cut calories too low for me to be satisfied, or I have to eat very few grains/fruit. That's my reality. Perhaps it's yours, too?

Don't lose hope. Tweak things and you will find your zone soon.