I'm depressed after getting on the scale for my weekly weigh in. I've gained two pounds this week!! I'm only consuming 1300 to 1400 calories a day, drinking tons of water. I've been on the bloomin' diet for three weeks, I'd lost 9 as of last week. Now I've gained 2. I don't understand. I did not cheat this week. It's not time for my period. No, I can not work out like you guys because I have RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis), so I'm limited as to what type of exercise I can do. I can't do weight lifting. I cant get on a treadmill because of the week joints in my knees. I do a lot of walking though. I just want to give up. I can't even figure out how to move the slider up on my little weight thingy down there to show the FEW pounds I've lost. I've always been a roller coster person. My weight can fluctuate 40 to 50 pounds every 4 or 5 years. I gain it, I take it off. My closet contains every size from size 10 to size 16, everything in between. This is the 4th time in the last 18 years that I've been on a diet with the goal of loosing at least 45 pounds. And each time I've been successful, except for the fact that I can't seem to MAINTAIN it after I loose it. I've about reached the point that I don't care any more. Especially after my weigh in this morning. *sigh* thanks for letting me vent.

Mel, even with the 2-pound gain, you've lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks...that's more than 2 pounds a week! That's on the HIGH end of average! And without exercising--that's AWESOME! I know seeing a gain of 2 pounds seems frustrating, but look at the whole picture. Healthy, maintainable weight loss is only .5-2 pounds per week, so you're doing fabulously!

I think in order to learn how to maintain your weight loss, you need to work somewhat on your mentality. This shouldn't be a DIET for you--it should be healthy habits you can continue for the rest of your life. A "diet" is something you start to lose weight and end once you reach your goal. What good is it to diet and then just go right back to what you were soing before when you gained the weight? You'll see it EVERYWHERE on these boards--this needs to be a lifestyle change.

In any case, you shouldn't be frustrated, as you're doing SO WELL! Keep up the great work!!

Hi Melissa... first,

Second, don't give up! It'll be fine, it just takes time... I know, just what you didn't wanna hear...

Third, you will hear this over and over and over again as you cruise the boards more, but a one to even five pound fluctuation during a week or even in one day is not unusual. In fact, it's the norm. Almost anyone here will tell you that two pounds is water weight. You may have had more sodium than usual, or sometimes pasta will help you retain some water too. Or you might need to drink extra water for a while, so that your body isn't hanging on to it's water so hard. You'll go to the bathroom a lot more but you'll find that the extra pounds go with it... Trust me, I have gone through this myself at least once a month (not talking period here, either, just a normal week). You go up a couple of pounds you go down a couple of pounds. Wait it out, this too will pass...

And finally... I wish this was something more dieters were aware of. So many people see this couple of pounds of fluctuation - which is completely natural! - and think that they are "failing".... and they want to give up when they are really doing fine. It's so frustrating! We're so emotionally involved with every single pound and we just can't get past it.

Please don't give up, keep working your plan, and keep us posted! Plus, the more you read here, the more you'll learn about what hurdles to expect and how to handle them. The folks here are the greatest and you'll learn so much!

-Lala

Thanks for the hugs you guys. I guess I get frustrated because before, the weight used to just literally fall off. My best friend says its because I'm older this time and it doesn't come off as easily. I'm tall, and an extra large frame (7 1/2 " wrist) so i can pull off some weight.....just not this much. I'm just ready to be thin again. You guys are wonderful! I've been purusing the boards and KNOW this is where I need to stay and be a part of to maintain once I've reached my goal. NOW! can somebody tell me how to move the slider up on my weight tracker lol??

I had the same thing happen to me this week, and posting here helped tremendously! You cannot give up when you are doing so well! Don't look at the long term, look at every pound that you've lost so far - what an awesome accomplishment! Do you feel better - truly better - when you are watching how much you eat? Do you have more energy and a better mental attitude? I have been a much better person to be around since I made the committment to become healthy, lose weight, and change my lifestyle. Quite honestly, 3FC has been a lifesaver for me - keep using it, we're all here for you!

Barb

To change your slider:

Go up to User CP.
Go into edit signature.
Towards the end you'll see three weights listed.
Change the last one to your current weight.
Preview signature to see if it's correct. If it is then save it. If not the keep changing it till it is.

I hope that helps.

Mel, don't give up. Be proud of what you've accomplished. You are probably just retaining some water and it will come off. We all have weeks when the scale shows up even though we have done everything right. It's just natural. So many times before, I wanted to give up when this happened, but after coming to 3 FC's I learned to never give up on myself. You can do this. Good luck with all your efforts, it will pay off.

Weight loss is a funny thing. Weight can fluctuate from day to day. I remember when I first started and I had some good losses I gained on a weigh in day. The trainer at my gym told me to come back to morrow, and whoosh, it had gone. At any given moment you could be retaining water, you might have had a salty meal, all sorts of things could have happened to make you weigh more, so don't sweat it. Your not doing anything wrong, it's just that scales are completely evil and sometimes not the best indicator of what we are doing.

1. Weigh once a week.
2. Be completely honest about your intake. I know I tend to "downplay" my poorer choices quite often.
3. Weight loss IS NOT LINEAR - your body will lose in spurts and stops. Accept this and move on.
4. Get rid of ALL those clothes that are too big for you in your closet. If you keep them "just in case", you are PREPARING to regain the weight. It is easier to slip into those larger clothes if they are just hanging there.
5. Get rid of anything with an elastic waistband. They stretch and still fit.
6. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE. Keep a trend log, and once a week, update it to see if you are going UP overall or DOWN. I think you will see the trend going downwards. IF you are stagnant, you might need MORE energy to keep up with your activity levels. View any adjustments as an experiment vs. done for results. You WILL find the right fit. Just as those who have lost HUGE amounts of weight and kept it off. They are all here on this website!
Keep us updated!

Also remember, Muscle weighs more than fat. So you could have gained some muscle as well!

Good Job and Keep Going!

*Flady*

Give it time and watch your "trends". I lose for three weeks, then I gain. But the next week I dump a whole bunch. It's my body readjusting to the decreased calorie intake.

I look at it as my body having a temper tantrum about the healthy food I am fueling it with. It's trying to get you to give in and give it the types of comfort foods that it is used to. Don't give in to those temptations! Stick with your plan and you will be successful. That is a guarantee.

Dont give up. It just takes some time. Celebrate every pound lost.

Mel, I did the same thing this week!! 2 pounds up. I blamed it on not exercising the week I was in FL, but I did so much walking!! I was miserable though b/c I couldn't do my Walk Away the Pounds videos. You are probably just as tired as I am of hearing about water weight, but now I am beginning to believe it's true. I weighed in at WW Thurs. nite and I weighed myself this morning and I was down over a pound. But I did get TOM yesterday(unexpectedly early this time). Only 3 wks since my last. I think maybe I'm beginning menopause. Like you, I am doing this for the 4th time in 20+ years. The first time I was all the "weigh" down to 117 pounds!! But I was in my late 20's. Now I'm almost 49 and it comes of sooo much slower each time. I rejoined WW in Jan. and have had pretty good success with it. But this is the first time my weight went up--what a blow to my mental state. I really almost lost it and gave up yesterday. But I woke up this morning and made up my mind that I will NOT weigh myself everyday anymore and I will only work on 5 pounds at a time until I'm at goal. I think I was getting too impatient and looking WAY too far ahead. Like someone said, this is a lifestyle change-for the better. I will not ever go back to being such a careless eater. It is just not worth feeling like crap again. I cannot believe how much better I feel. I'm sure you do too. Think of every 5 pounds as a bag of sugar you got rid of!! You're doing great! Have you measured yourself yet? You must have lost inches someplace. Please don't give up on yourself. I made that mistake too many times and here I am again. Hopefully, this is a changing point in my life for the better. Just know we are all here for you and each other. This is a great message board. I think I like it better than WW. They are great on that board too though. Your starting weight and goal are almost the same as mine. We should try to keep in touch to help each other on this journey. Just remember how good you felt the other times you reached goal and it will help you to get there again. Keep that chin up. More than likely next week you'll be down again. Wish you lots of luck. Sending hugs your way {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}

Mel,
dont give up! Your weight loss to date is great. Weight can fluctuate from time to time for so many reasons. & waist measurement is usually a more accurate measure of your progress.
I can understand your frustration though as I often get impatient and want to have lost it all already, like today I had a slight gain and started to feel down and hopeless about my weight. I had to put it into perspective. I am grateful for the weight I have lost so far, and if I stick at it I'll be rewarded. This is a journey and it will take time, but we will all be stronger for it
Stay strong
Jay

Yeah youve lost way more than I over ANY 3 weeks, EVER. Just keep up what youre doing, and the loss will come again. And 2 lbs is ABSOLUTELY a daily fluctuation amount. You cant expect that not to happen, its gonna (its one of the reasons I cant weigh myself - I cant deal with the panic daily fluctuations induce!!!).
Keep in there, youre doing unbelievably, Im jealous!!!