Ate low fat/low cal 4 days last week, then bombed on the weekend. All this week I have ate low fat/low cal and weighed myself yesterday. I had gained 3 pounds. So when I got home it just had to come out so I balled and balled. My husband said not to worry about it but when you try, try, try and it does the opposite of what you want, it is quite discouraging.

*hug* Weight loss can be frustrating and discouraging - you need to dry your eyes and THINK about why the weekend made you eat offplan. Did you eat too little during the week and your body was just HUNGRY? Were you tempted by eating out? Is there a lot of junk food in your house and being home and not at work led you to eat? Were you bored and munchy on the weekend and just ate restlessly?

You are just starting and this is part of the learning process - not just what you eat but WHY you eat. When I started my journey, I discovered that I was a boredom afternoon snacker. I had to have yogurt pretzels and M&Ms and a big latte almost everyday. Figuring me out, why I had the munchies in the afternoon and giving myself some tips/tricks to fight really helped me! (I started packing 3 yummy, healthy afternoon snacks and drank a lot of herbal tea to give me the mental satisfaction of bringing my hand to my mouth).

It's doubtful you actually gained 3 lbs this week, there are so many reasons your weight can fluctuate. Evaluate your plan, make changes as necessary and keep going. You CAN do this.

sadnfat, I do know how you feel but you just have to stick with it. Either you just needed more time (usually weight loss is preceded by weight gain) or you had overassessed the value of "lowfat/lowcal" and overeaten that. It is possible. However, I think it's just a matter of being impatient. Weight loss takes time!! Stick with it and there'll be no need to bawl your eyes out. Please! Read the success stories here and try to get a better perspective on things. You can do this!!

HEY YOU! I have been on the same path as you, I struggle each and every day. Don't give up. Just keep thinking the end results, happier, healthier, more energy. I have battled obesity for over 20 years, and every day I struggle, but seeing success stories and results keeps me motivated to try. When I am at my lowest my hubby helps, plus sex burns calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You got some great advice, and I agree you need to figure out what triggered this weekend? When you do see how you can change it, and before you know it those pounds will slip away. I use fitday.com and use it everyday, even weekends, because I know if I go off plan I will gain again. Think of last week you did great, so if you can do it for one week, you can do it another week , and every day you need to push yourself. Giving up is very easy, but will it make you happy? What is your choice do you want to be healthy and happy or just keep on gaining weight?? For me there is no choice, being healthy and happy is it. I don't want to look like a twig, I love curves, I just want certain things , to be able to walk a mountain, to be able to shop in normal stores,to love my body and make myself and family proud. Right now I am not doing this, but I know it is a possibility because it has been done by other people here, and what makes them so different from us?? If they can do it so can we.


cheryl

Weight loss is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life, it's sort of like swimming upstream. There are a lot of currents working against you, and it's difficult, but important, not to get discouraged.

Try to remember that you're in this for the long haul. One day, even one week in the scheme of things does not matter. Also, while it's possible that you gained three "actual" pounds, it's also possible that some of this is water weight.

I hesitate to recommend this, because it's very easy to become discouraged or obsessive, but when you have quite a bit to lose, I think weighing every day can actually be a useful tool IF (and this is a big IF) you can learn not to let fluctuations determine your mood, commitment, and self-worth.

I write down my weight every day, but circle every monday, this is the day that I have chosen to "count." I have learned that I can't assume that any day's number reflects how close to plan I stayed the day or even days before. You can eat almost nothing and gain the next day, or eat like mad, and lose the next. Sometimes it takes more than a week to reflect the changes you are making. Also writing down everything you eat, even on days you go off plan, really helps you determine how much "damage" you really could be doing. It not only helps stop a binge day in it's track (makes you realize that you don't want to be digging so deep a whole) it helps you determine if you've really done the damage you might be expecting. If you've gained 3 lbs, but have not eaten at least 10,500 calories more than you usually do, some portion of that gain isn't "real."

Good luck, and keep swimming

It takes time for your body to adjust to new eating habits. When I started I was cheating and going off track on the weekends. But now about 4 weeks later I've gotten the cheating just about gone and weekends are still hard. Cookouts,BBQ,beer. On the road and just grabing stuff. Its a lot of work and easy to think I'll reward myself since I did good this week and well yeah blah. Monday comes around and scale speaks and its like sigh depressed.

I find if I'm going to be out the pack my lunch cooler with stuff I can eat. If I go to a cook out. I eat half of what I normally will and limit myself to 2 beers maxed.

If your home a lot on the weekend time to clean the house of the junk and replace with health stuff. If family complains about its real simple. you da woman of the house and if you aren't happy no one else will be.



Keep it up!

3 actual pounds of fat would be 10500 extra calories and that's a huge amount! Likely at least a pound or 2 is "water weight." Keep your head up and keep going!

We all have times where we stray off our diet. The key is to recognize it and not let it stop you from continuing on your journey. It is very hard and discouraging, but only you can correct and and get back on track.

My weight often fluctuates wildly, I blame it on being female. I started out at 228, was down to 225, then yesterday my scales showed 228.5, but then this morning I was down to 224. I have a tendency to retain fluid and I know thats what it is but it can get very discouraging. As for blowing it on the weekend, it's better to eat sensibly 5 days a week and maybe mess up on two days, than to be out of control all 7 days. That is something that I continually fight with myself. The realization that I cannot be perfect, that I am going to mess up, but that I need to get back on track. It's generally an all or nothing prospect with me and I need to get over that.

Oh, hun, we've all been there! You've got some EXCELLENT advice so far. Seriously, go back and reread it. Remember that this is a long process and you have to think in the long term to be successful.

Several people suggested trying to figure out WHY you went off course on the weekend. Use this as a learning experience!

The great thing about this process is that every day is a NEW day. You can start again and make it work. And if it doesn't, take some time to think about why, and see if you can adjust and make changes. It's going to take some time, but in the end, it's really worth it!

(((HUGS))) Today is a new day! Thats what I keep telling myself. I have struggled with my weight for years. Im not gonna let one day of the scale being up throw me off track. You shouldnt either.

Well, I found it very helpful to read this thread. Two more tidbits of advice that have been given to me:
(1) Don't focus on weight since it is not entirely controllable. You might do everything right & still have a blip where you are not losing. Instead, focus on manageable goals that lead to weight loss rather than the number of lbs. eg how many calories or portions, adding more vegetables, etc.
(2) Here's the part I hate: Keep a diet diary & write down EVERYTHING. Even if you are "cheating." It will help you understand your weight fluctuations and you are more likely to eat right if you are accounting for it.
I feel less sad when I feel in control. So focus on what you can control, not your weight.
Good luck, we are all in this together!!!

Isn't it great to have a man's perspective?!

I just wanted to second Colleen's scale advice. When I was first starting out, the scale would trip me up so badly. If it went down significantly, I would think I could eat things that I wouldn't have even wanted before weighing. If it went up, I would get so discouraged that all I would want to do was eat. So, I toyed with throwing the scale away, only weighing once a week or once every other week. But then, I knew that two things might happen. 1 - Without the accountability of daily weighing, I might try and sneak in a day or two of cheating, hoping to make up for it on the other days. or 2 - Weigh the first week at a "lighter" time, then weigh the second week at a "heavier" time, and become totally frustrated. For me, weighing every day right after I wake up and after going to the bathroom, is the best way to keep on track. I'm aware that my weight will fluctuate without reason (though it still makes me crazy), but weighing at the same time every day is more consistent about showing the results of my choices than not weighing or weighing at different times of the day. If it's any comfort, I believe that though you may or may not have gained fat, I don't think it's likely that you gained three pounds worth of fat.

Good for you for coming here for support! Mistakes do not sabotage our weight loss plans. Ignoring the mistakes or using the mistakes as an excuse to continue to eat off plan will sabotage us, though. The most valuable lesson I've learned this time around is that I can screw up, get back on plan, and see that decline over time.

The tears may have taken off some of that extra water weight, and hopefully some of the frustration as well. So, now it's time to get back on plan. It's a great place to be!