So this morning was WI, and I'm feeling discouraged. I thought I did good--ate around 1500 cals a day, walked some (which is an improvement considering I was a couch potato the beginning of the year), ate some type of veggie at every meal. No I wasn't perfect, but it was the best I've done so far since I started (about the second week of January). It was definitely good enough to lose at least a pound or two--which was what I've lost on average these past few weeks

This mornings weight-in showed a whopper loss of *drumroll* 0.2 lbs!!!! At this rate, it will take me over 10 years to reach goal. :P

Despite my disappointment, I'm going to put on my plus-sized panties and deal with it. I can think of about 6 different times in the past 9 or 10 years where I was seriously committed to losing my excess weight . . . and obviously it didn't happen. I want to make this time different. I knew that I would have some set-backs when I started, so now is the time where I will put my words into action. Yes I'm discouraged, but unlike the times before when I threw in the towel: I WILL NOT GIVE UP!

There are several possibilities to why I didn't lose weight:
(a) last week's weigh-in was inaccurate and I actually weighed more (or this week's weigh-in was inaccurate and I actually weigh less)
(b) My calorie counting was inaccurate and I ate more than what I recorded
(c) Water-retention (it wasn't my tom though)
(d) My metabolism is slowing down because of my diet

I think it's most likely (c) or (d)--my calorie counting is usually accurate (I know when I'm cheating) and I always weigh in the same clothes, same time of day and weigh several times to get the same weight.

The plan for this week:
-eat around 1400 cals per day, eat more fruits/veggies and less fats/sweets
-drink my 8 cups of water every day
-eat breakfast every day [yes I know it's the most important meal; but I'm a college student and usually sleep through when the caf serves breakfast, so this will include getting up early to go to breakfast ]
-cut back on sodium
-walk 5 times this week (as compared to 2 times last week)

So that's my plan. Here's hoping that next week will show more than a .2 lb loss (at least I didn't gain--I guess I could be thankful for that).

Anyone else discouraged in their weight loss efforts? What are you going to do to make this time different?

Some weeks you just don't lose. It would be nice to see the scale march down cooperatively week after week like clockwork, but for most of us that doesn't happen. Your total body weight on any given day simply depends on more factors than what you ate the past day or the past week - it depends on lots of factors both within and not within your control.

One of the things that I did to make this time different was to adjust that expectation to a more appropriate, longer time scale. Try to focus on month-over-month losses to evaluate how you are progressing, rather than week-over-week. You can still weigh yourself as often as you like - I weigh every day, as I find tracking the patterns and fluctuations is helpful and interesting. But I don't lose weight every single week, never have. You probably won't either. So, try not to get discouraged by a single week's results.

I've been trying to tell myself that--thanks for the encouragement. I just weigh once a week and use that as my 'official' weight. I know it will fluctuate, it's just disappointing when you are expecting it to go down and it doesn't.

I am trying to focus on the shorter term this time as well--usually when I'm trying to lose, I'll fantasize about being 100 lbs. lighter, super fit and super sexy, etc--maybe that will eventually happen, but it will be a lonnng time! This time, I'm trying to direct my thoughts into seeing just a 10 lb. loss on the scale, fitting into some clothes that are now just a bit too tight, etc. I'm realizing that this battle with weight is just as much a battle with your mind as it is your body.

Me, and I hate to say it because I literally *just* started Medifast like two days ago. I was doing really well and feeling good about myself and good about this choice. And I was told to expect hunger for the first three days, so it's not like it took me by surprise. I was also told I wouldn't go into ketosis until after the first three days, so I thought "that's fine, I'll just tough it out." But I went to a birthday party last night and had a beer and on top of that, a cupcake.

The plan is really strict AND expensive. I hadn't even entered into fat burning mode yet and blew it. Not only does that mean I technically have to literally start all over, it also means that I've wasted X amount of dollars for all the Medifast meals consumed prior to the beer and cupcake.

Prior to this, I'd always tried to give myself the "You can do it!" pep talk before starting any endeavor. For some reason that feeling wears off very quickly and I start to lose hope. I decided in order to get myself motivated, I needed to look at it from a slightly different angle, and in terms of what I CANNOT do, not anymore.

This time will be different because I have decided I CANNOT do this anymore. This is no way to live, ruled by food and feeling miserable about how I look every single day.

I cannot continue to consume unhealthy food, because my physical appearance has become a sad reflection of having made that choice for so long.

I cannot continue to beat myself up for being winded after only having climbed one flight of stairs - I need to get to a point where I can scale them without difficulty. I am simply too young for this ****.

I cannot continue to be the "Fat Friend".

I cannot continue using humor to deflect potential negative attention. I'm tired of being the act at the comedy club to spare myself the potential mortification of being the butt of the joke.

I'm tired of acting, period.

I'm tired of being tired. I'm exhausted all the time. When I was smaller I had more energy, I was active, I went outside..

I cannot continue buying ugly clothes because they cover me up and because my attitude really is "what's the point of buying nice clothes until I lose all the weight I want to lose?" ...

I cannot continue to treat my body so poorly. It's the only one I've got, and if I'm going to make a positive change, it will have to be soon.

So I'm starting again today. The reason I CAN do this is because I CANNOT continue doing so many other things.


Good luck to you all!

Great perspective! I really identify with your last one. It's a shame how I abuse my body by overeating, underexercising etc. It really is a nice body, works fine for the most part and responds well to how I treat it. I don't have any medical condition that causes me to gain or lose weight, so my actions have a direct correlation to my health (this past week was an exception). It deserves to be treated with more respect than it has been getting.

On a more positive note, I stuck mostly to my plan today. Ate 1389 cals, & drunk prolly 10 cups of water (I drink a lot more water than I thought--I just started measuring it today) & walked for 45 mins. The cafeteria didn't serve breakfast, so I ate an apple. Went a little over on fat and sodium, but that was because the cafeteria's food was crappy today. Hopefully I'll continue to do this and it will show up on the scale next Sunday!

I've been back at it for about a month so far and this is the first week I haven't lost anything. The scale's been bouncing around been 211-212 since last Wednesday, and I'm really trying not to let it bring me down.

The difference for me this time is that I'm focusing on how I *feel* rather than how I look. (Well. I'm trying!) I have 'goal' clothes hanging on every door in my house, sure, and I'm especially frustrated because I lost all this weight two years ago and then gained a bunch back, but I know how slow and weird my body is with weight loss, and I can't let one bad week throw off my commitment or I'll never get back down there again.

It's so hard to stick with it from moment to moment, especially because I'm being really restrictive diet-wise (I'm doing Whole 30) for the month. I guess I should up my workouts, though I already work out twice a day.

We can do this! -.2 is better than nothing!

I try my darndest to keep a positive outlook about everything I've been doing for my health. There are still occasions when the scale makes me furrow my brow, but those times are far apart.

I think it's a good thing to always remind myself that there's no giving up. Quit or commit, and I'm never quitting.

On one hand, it can be useful to make sure there's not an obvious reason for a weight gain (for example, calculating our food incorrectly... or if the scale's batteries are on the fritz), but sometimes there really isn't a reason that we can pinpoint. Human bodies are fun biological machines, but they aren't accurate like calculators. They hold onto weight. They let go of it. They function.

Sometimes it takes them a while to get the hint, but generally they do what they're supposed to do... and the weight will come off. Long as we keep on focusing on the healthy habits that will get us to our goals. Or better yet, when the healthy habits are the goal. The bonus is that goal weight

Love your healthy plans. Keep it up!

For me, when I decided *this time* is different, the difference was I just never let myself give up again. Yes, it is taking awhile, but that's okay! You just keep going and my advice is, if something isn't working (after giving it a month or more to see), then switch it up, tweak your plan, try something different! You will get there

I think one of the biggest things that made this time different for me was that I got rid of the all or nothing mentality. You'll have days where you eat everything in sight, days where you just flat out don't want to exercise, days where you consider giving up completely. We all do. What makes it work is the long term commitment. Have those days, those meals, whatever, but don't let it discourage you from keeping going. Be patient with yourself. Forget the time tables and the x pounds in so many weeks stuff and just focus on each meal - how can I make this one healthy. Find a way of moving your body that makes you happy and do it. Small changes make a difference if you keep doing them. There is no timetable - this is something you'll do for the rest of your life if you want to keep the weight off. Forget, when I lose weight and just start living a healthy life.

One of the best posts I've ever seen written on this topic, though was by DCHound. Much better than I could ever write it. I agree with her - same for me - I had to attack the self esteem monster before I was ever going to see lasting results. I had to accept that I deserved the happiness that weight loss brings. Enjoy - this is a good one! http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/100-...different.html

I am so in the same boat as you. No matter how many times I've failed in the past I can't afford to give up...so I will keep going as long as it takes. I think I get easily discouraged and tend to do really well for a few weeks, don't see the results I was looking for and veer off plan. Inconsistency is my biggest enemy. I also get myself all worked up with a ton of emotional baggage and self-hate and this year I decided it was enough. I am attempting to focus less on actual weight loss (super difficult but sort of freeing) and focus on two things: being active and eating a healthy and balanced diet. I figure if I can do those two things consistently then the weight will come off, even if it's rather stubborn.

Guess what? WI was today and I lost 3.2 lbs! I'm aiming for an average of 1.5 to 2 lbs per week, so this weeks loss, plus last weeks of .5 averages out to 1.9 lbs! I also met one of my mini goals, a total loss of 20 pounds! I'm so glad I didn't give up last week.

I'm guessing that what I didn't lose last week was water weight--I actually went over my weight loss calories a few days this week, but drank more water and exercised more.

I'm glad I didn't give up last week! Hopefully I won't have another near plateau for a long while.

The bad thing about this week is that (1) I have a cold and (2) I'm going home this weekend. As far as the cold, I'm going to try to get plenty of sleep and stick with my normal eating & exercising plan. It's not bad, I just feel generally yucky.
Going home will be challenging because the food is much better than cafeteria and it will be available 24/7 (I don't keep hardly any food in my dorm room to avoid temptation). Also, I have an indoor walking track at school & at home I don't (we don't have any exercise machines either). So I'm planning to be super strict with my actual diet and attempt to walk outside, but if it doesn't happen I won't be too worried about it.

Hopefully the rest of you guys had a SV this week too! If not keep on trucking--I'm sure your hard work will eventually show up. Thanks for the encouragement.