I am frustrated.

I have stuck to the points for the first time in a long time, sticking within the daily points and not even dipping into the extras.

I ate extremely healthy, making veggie soup for dinner with a bit of moose meat on the side. NO CHEATING!

So how did I gain weight? I don’t get it. The only thing I can think of is that I had something for lunch that was a bit higher in sodium. I have even been drinking lots of water, much more than usual.

Give me some ideas, please, because a few more days of this will make me reach for the chocolate.

How long was it from when you went back to following the program, to when you weighed yourself?

Your bad habits catch up to you, just like your good ones.

If you'll be reaching for chocolate in a few days - what good will that do? Prove that WW doesn't work? Get the weight off faster? Make you feel better? Really?

The key to this is consistency. Good old boring consistency. Not cheating. Not restricting. Just following the plan as it it written (which includes sometimes using WPs).

I'm down 8 pounds in 5 weeks. You know how? I follow the plan. I track my points. I weigh and measure my food. I don't expect magic results after 1 day or 3 days or 5 days. I just keep following the plan. I do steady exercise. Some days I eat 50 points. But then the other days, I don't.

Just settle into the plan. Follow it every day. Every day. Not just the days you feel like it. Or the days it's easy. Or the days life is stressless.

It works if you work it.

It is frustrating. Last week I had a very good week, recording everything and also counting calories so I know exactly what I ate. I went to my meeting Saturday and didn't lose anything. In the past that is the kind of thing that would really send me in a tailspin.

Anyway by the next day I was down again.

If weighing at home, always weigh at the same time wearing the same clothes (I like doing it in the morning before I eat or drink anything). Extra sodium will have an effect.

I guess I just need to be patient. It is not one of my stengths. I guess since I have always been a cheater, eating snacks here and there and not recording them, that actually staying on plan would be a "holy cow!" moment.

But it wasn't. I will just have to convince myself that eventually, all my good habits will pay off.

Stacie

Are you getting in all your 9 GHGs as well as staying within your points. Just staying within your points is not enough.

What is GHG?

good health guidelines.

Imagine you get hired for a new job, and when you don't get a paycheck after the first day, you start getting frustrated. By day ten with no paycheck, you get so frustrated you quit.

That's silly isn't it, because you would know when your first paycheck was due to arrive, but in weight loss you don't get that information up front. No one can tell you what your paycheck will be, or how much. Only by sticking with your plan for several weeks will you see the pattern your body follows (and besides if you're steadily gaining, eating in frustration doesn't do you any good, does it?)

It's a pattern we're "taught" to follow, because it's how we see other people do it. But that doesn't make it an effective pattern. Eating because we're frustrated that we're not losing, makes no sense at all (and yet we're still tempted to do it).

Hang in there, and learn your body's pattern.

I've learned that during the days before TOM starts, I gain up to 10 lbs even if I eat perfectly on plan. I could eat nothing and still gain weight that week, because it's water weight gain. Last night was my TOPS weigh-in and I was up 6 lbs. The scale ladies thought I was nuts, because I was so happy. Since I usually gain 8 to 10 lbs with my period, being up "only" 6 lbs tells me I've probably lost a pound or two.

When you learn how your body tends to lose weight, you won't experience the frustration, because you'll learn when to expect the paycheck.

If you lose 4 lbs a month, does it really matter if you lose 1 lb a week, or if you gain 4 lbs one week, lose 4 lbs the next, and then lose 2 lbs for the following 2 weeks? Or even lose 4 lbs one week and nothing the next three?

Losing weight linearly is a myth for most people. The weight loss can come
off in "whooshes" and sometimes even gains are part of the pattern.

It's the long haul that matters.

This was so encouraging to read. Thank you SO much! I just started weight watchers meetings last week and last night was my first weigh in and I was up .8!!! I'm overdue for my period and have been feeling a little bloated lately. That could be why, but I also know that I haven't exercised at all, however I did stay perfectly on plan food wise and to me, that was a good start. I'm joining the Y tomorrow night, so that will help me get the exercise piece in. It was hard to admit my gain when everyone else who started last week had big losses. I know every BODY is different so I will not let this stop me. I'm absolutely determined and I want to DO this and I will DO this. I don't care how long it takes. I will get there!!!!

Or imagine you hired a company to build you a house By day 2 - no building. Day 7 - maybe some plans are done, subcontractors are hired, still no building. 2 weeks in, maybe there are some diggers on site but no building. You go and fire everyone because there's no building yet.

Hires next company. Again, weeks go by and there's no building. Fired!

Next company. They put up a shed, hey it looks like a building but the first wind that blows. Crash. No building. Fired!!

Imagine if the you had just trusted the workers, trusted the process and let them do their thing, recognizing that to see noticeable results take time.

A year later, you will still have no building (or weight loss). But your patient neighbor will be moving in to their new house, and their smaller pants.

kaplods - wow. very nice.

This is all fabulous advice and a much different perspective. Thanks for the kick in the pants.

I agree with everything Kaplods said.

You have to be patient. I went 6 months without losing a pound, despite keeping within my calories, exercising, and doing everything I was "supposed to." You can't let the number on the scale be your only measure of success.

Just think of the great things you're doing for your body by eating healthier! The scale will catch up, but for now just focus on the positive

Stellarosa - 6 months. Boy are you patient. I'm not stopping as I've learned to like the measuring and counting regardless.

wow. some bodies are just crazy. but i know how it is. i spent about a year of my life faithfully working out at the gym on both strength training and cardio, mostly 4-5 days a week, and i lost a whopping 17 pounds in 12 months, yeeeeppppp.....and i think i only lost that in the latter half of the year after i had started to count my calories. mmhmm.