My leader said my lack of loss is normal. I say she's crazy.
I ran into my WW leader yesterday at Zumba class at the local gym and I confessed to her that I am concerned about my lack of weight loss. I explained that I have been following this plan since January 5th and I've only lost 3 pounds. She followed that up with a "that's perfectly normal". Really? I don't feel like it is at all. I told her that I was so concerned about how the scale wasn't budging and I'm eating right AND excersizing that I went to get my thyroid tested (which was normal) and she didn't even blink.
Here's my weight record:
1/5 266
1/12 266.8 (well, so much for a big loss my first week. Sigh)
1/19 266.2
2/2 262.8 (my first "big" loss...3.4)
2/9 263.8 (ugh....back up a pound)
Tonight is my weigh in for week 6. I am NOT giving up, but I'm feeling rather sad about this progress. Should I find a different leader at a different location and talk to them? I am not sure what else I can do.
Well, it is moving DOWN. Maybe not as fast as you want. But it is moving. That is not "lack of loss" to me.
What rate were you hoping for? You haven't gotten enough data there to see how YOU lose. Maybe you are a "whoosher" where it happens in big blobs like that one 3lb time and not much til the next whoosh.
I'm a "slow creeper," and it's never more than 1 lb a week.
I know, it is coming down and I'm so thankful for that. I guess I'm just having a pity party today. There is another lady who joined at the same time as me (older...probably mid 50's and I'm 30) who has had 5 pound losses week after week. I know I can't compare myself to other people because every 'body' is different, it's just hard to feel like I'm doing this right when I'm not seeing the results that other's are.
My scale at home weighs me much less in the morning, which is why my tracker says 257. That's my at home weight. That hasnt changed in two weeks.
What are you eating in a typical day? I feel like the "free fruits and vegetables" thing should come with more of a disclaimer than it does. I also find that if I eat the majority of my weeklies I'll either stay the same or gain so I try to use them for only emergencies or special occasions, or just add a few extra a day so I feel satisfied enough.
I have definitely noticed that my loss is a lot slower than the old program or just plain old calorie counting. More sustainable, maybe, but slower.
Don't be discouraged! The scale is moving in the right direction! But I understand why you're frustrated and your leader probably should have had a much better response for you.
honestly i think something needs some tweeking. i would refrain from using weeklies for a while. how much fruit are you eating? veggies typically don't have much calories, but fruits do! i also went back to momentum and i'm losing fabulously.
I know I can't compare myself to other people because every 'body' is different, it's just hard to feel like I'm doing this right when I'm not seeing the results that other's are.
Well, that's head work then. Your body work seems to be chugging along fine. You could try a different location, but what would you expect different there? Write it out. Then ask your current leader if you could get some of that at THIS location.
You could also tweak your points use a bit to see if that helps like others suggested.
But what are you doing for head work? Why this need to base your "success" in some other person's body?
To me you are succeeding. You are dropping as you work your plan.
To you you are not succeeding because your rate doesn't match the rate of the other lady in your group.
Wassup with that? Changing locations won't solve that -- there could be other people there that simple take the place of this lady here. Solving that is something you work on inside.
Can you post a typical daily menu? I agree that fruits could be a problem- try subbing veggies for fruits and more protein for carbs- I find when I eat too many carbs my loss stalls no matter what.
Djs06 and beerab- The link in my signature is my blog. I'm not trying to plug it (honestly) and you don't even have to read it but I take pictures of everything I eat each day and it's all right there. I get 42 points a day.
Jessjp-I don't use nearly half of my weeklies and I don't swap my APs. Should I stop using any of my weeklies?
Astrophe-Yes, I know my thinking is stinkin' and I'm in counseling to try and deal with it. I struggle with anxiety and depression and a lot of the way I feel about things and myself is distorted. I have a tendency to feel bad for myself. I want to lose weight SO bad to improve my self esteem and I am trying SO hard.
Thanks for the feedback girls! I appreciate it (((HUGS)))
A loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is what WW recommends. You are just under that so maybe off a little but not a lot.
My leader would I'm sure tell you something like this:
"Next week write down everything in detail in your planner and bring it to me to look at."
She says that when she does this, her members that actually do this almost always have a big loss that week.
Weigh and measure everything.
Count every point.
Write down on the planner every zero point food.
Count any activity points very sparingly (if you eat Activity Points).
For me, I found that I had losses similar to yours if I was eating most of my Weekly Points. I cut way down on eating Weekly Points and my weight loss increased quite a bit.
After a week of that, take your planner in to your leader to look at (even possibly a different leader).
How much activity do you get in? You may not be eating enough.
If you're not using your AP's or your weeklies and are working out a lot...that might be stalling your weight loss. Try using your AP or upping your weeklies and see what happens...if it works great if not, then you know it isn't that.
Last week I worked out a ton...earned around 45 AP's. This past week, I slowed it down a bit and earned 12 AP's. I do a mix of cardio, Zumba, Boot Camp trainings, Circuit Trainings, and Strength Training with a personal trainer.
I think I need to start taking my body measurements. I know I am losing inches, my pants are falling off of me. I think if I monitered those changes I would feel better.
I do think it is normal not to show a loss every single week---because there are so many other factors that affect weight loss--water weight, monthly hormone cycle, digestive issues, etc. Also, you might be eating too little or too much, depending on how much fruit you are eating and/or how many AP's and WP's you are or are not eating. I would suggest making one small change per week (like don't eat any AP's or WP's), if you see a bigger loss, then you know you might have been eating too much. If you see no loss, then you might not be eating enough! This is just an idea.
Just like someone else said on another thread, weight loss is not linear, you will have weeks where you only lose 1 or less than 1 and then maybe a week where you drop 2 or something. Stick with it---its slow for most of us, including me!
I think what is surprising is how your leader just sort of blew you off. I absolutely don't blame you for trying to figure out if there could be some improvements! In the least she should have sat down with you and gone over your food diary and exercise.
I would suggest changing things up. Without knowing much about your exercise routine, I would suggest that you back down on your workouts for just a couple weeks. In that time really concentrate on the food you are eating. Make the best choices. Continue to be active but don't worry about hitting the gym. See if the scale doesn't start to move. Sometimes I think we can focus too much on the gym and I truely believe that what goes in the mouth is the key and the exercise is just a helper.
Also, start reading up on HIIT. It is a form of high intensity workouts. I can tell you from experience IT WORKS! They are short workouts (20 mins or so) that are very intense. Designed to burn fat without spending the hrs in the gym. I would do HIIT 3days an alternate w/weight training the other days.
Good luck! I don't blame you for feeling frustrated :hugs:
Your rate of loss isn't normal - it's better than normal. Most people don't lose 2 lbs a month. Most people lose nothing or gain.
You don't have to be satisfied with normal, but you should know what it is. You're doing better than most. You're doing better than I did when I started. Until the last year and a half or so, my rate of loss was less than 1/2 a pound per week, closer to 1/4 of a pound (when I complained to my doctor about losing slower than "normal" and he told me I was crazy - that normal was giving up. Now my weight loss is averaging a little more than 1/2 a pound a week (disproving the "fact" that you always lose more in the beginning. It doesn't have to be that way).
You don't have to be ok with your current rate, but do realize that you are doing far better than normal.
I wish WW groups did what TOPS groups do (Taking off pounds sensibly, a not-for-profit weight loss group). In each TOPS meeting they announce the total losses for the week and the total gains (and the best loser for the week gets recognized and awarded a prize).
By sharing this information, you see how little the average weight loss actually is. And when the "best loser" rarely loses more than 3 lbs (sure there's a 7 lb here and there) and isn't the same person every week (in fact, it's rarely the same person twice in a row), you start to see what normal really looks like. Normal isn't 2-3 lbs every week. Normal is much less, even when you're only counting people who are trying their best.
My leader said my lack of loss is normal. I say she's crazy.
