Hi, everyone,

I have been doing my best to follow WW points on my own for the last five weeks. I weighed at two weeks and five weeks. The first two weeks, I gained one pound---the next three weeks I lost 3.5 (total). I feel happy I got some results, but worried it isn't really enough---and why did I gain a pound over the first two weeks . I actually almost quit, but I decided this is the most reasonable thing to try right now, so I will try again for the month of August. I work out a lot and am VERY frustrated with the results so far. I wanted to lose at least five pounds a month!! Thank you .

Oh, and I finally adjusted my signature to match the current facts. (I only plan to weigh every two weeks--too discouraging otherwise.)

Try to look at is positively! You have less to lose now! Yes I'm always like this....now lol

I do the flex plan...just keep at it You may want to switch to the Core plan for a little bit to see if that will help jump things. I started on Core to pretty much start over....I cleaned out my entire pantry and fridge and stuck to that food list. When it got to be something I got used to then I switched to Flex. Mainly to focus on portion control.

There is no quick fix sadly. It also could be water retention and building muscle mass if you are working out. I would suggest doing measurements if the scale isn't being a friend!

Hi Kathy .. Welcome to 3FC.

You've already learned the first thing about losing weight - our bodies are not machines and they don't lose weight on demand. There are so many things that can influence your weight, aside from just calories. It's not just how much you eat, but it's WHAT you eat. Did you eat a lot of salty foods that first week? Then you probably retained water. Did you exercise a lot? You might have retained water. Water retention and bloating is a big thing when you're on a diet - changes in diet cause cause it, and it will affect your scale. You might still be losing fat, and yet gain "weight" from water.

Next thing: Conventional wisdom says you should expect to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight per week, to be healthy. For you at 239, that might be 2.3 lbs per week ... *if* ... and here's the big if ... if you're right on plan, if you don't eat salty foods, if you aren't on your period, if the barometric pressure isn't dropping, if you weigh the same time of day every day wearing the same clothes, if ... if ... if.

See what I"m saying?

This is something that you have to commit to for the long haul. I've lost 72 lbs. It's taken me 18 months to do it. Others have lost 2x as much as I have in 1/2 the time. Why? I dunno. Maybe they have been stricter than I have. Maybe they're younger or more athletic than I am. Maybe the fact that I live close to sea level has something to do with it! But you know what - I've still lost SEVENTY TWO POUNDS. Holy crap.

Most people don't see instant weight loss and they give up. They walk away. They want more more more ... now now now. But it doesn't work that way. It's slow and steady and it will come off. A pound here ... a pound there.

So for you ... 5 lbs a month is reasonable. So you need to look at what you're eating and how much exercise you're getting and see why you're not losing.

I suspect the problem here is right in your first sentence: I've been doing my best to follow ... on my own.

Many of the plans that require you to follow their eating schedule (whether it's WW core/flex or South Beach or whatever) require to to FOLLOW THEIR PLAN. Not "do your best". You have to follow the plan as laid out or you'll be eating more calories than you should to lose weight. If you can't get the full details of the plan, then you're probably missing something crucial that is causing you to stall here.

I would suggest that you start with a food journal. Before you try to follow any plan or thing about losing any more ... start writing down everything you eat. And I mean everything. If you taste what you're cooking, write it down. If you eat the crusts off your kids pb&j sandwiches, write it down. If you have a single bite of a cookie, write it down. Do this for a few days - or preferably a week - and see where you're getting your extra calories from.

That will help open your eyes to what you're eating and how often. Then you can start figuring out what plan would work best for you - whether it's continuing with WW or moving to calorie counting, or whatever.

YOu can do this - we all can. It's just learning how our bodies work and making the right adjustments. And we're all different, so it just does'nt work exactly the same for anyone.

>

I'm on a scale hiatus for the moment for the very reason that I do work out a lot and my muscles retain water from working out that much. That may be part of the problem.

Do you feel that you are losing in other areas? Measurements?

For example, I haven't dropped a pound in a while but my belly, hips, and thighs have gone down almost an inch. I must be doing something right!

Good luck!

Weight loss for some of us is excruciatingly slow. I am 4 years into this journey losing little bits at a time.

If I had given up because I thought I should have been further along - I wouldn't be down 100+ pounds now.

It all adds up over time. If you are following your plan the weight will come off, not overnight, but it will. Patience is the key.

Kathy, I understand how frustrating that can be... but if you keep doing what you are doing, exercising and getting adequate nutrition, then the pounds WILL come off Sometimes people lose in dips and waves, and maybe that's what's happening for you right now. Hang in there, keep up the great work, and make sure you're getting enough calories for how much you are exercising

Folks have shared much wisdom already. Hang in there...it will come. Please be patient. I agree with Photochick - try to journal your food so that you'll have a very accurate count of what you are eating.

So glad you posted.

Here's an analogy that may help you feel better. Picture a boat in a harbor. The waves come and go, and the boat rides up and down. If you take a snapshot of the boat at any particular time, it may be up on top of a wave, or it may be down in the bottom between waves. In other words, there is always variation. My weight can go up and down 2-3 pounds just in the course of a day.

Weight loss means lowering the water in the harbor. The variations will still be there, but the average will drop.

Keep going!--count the points of everything you eat--maybe, as one poster suggested, do the Core plan for awhile. Any loss is a good loss! Be glad!

Jay

JayEll, I like your visual, it explains well my theory of having a "weight range" rather than a weight. I've noted that my weight varies up to 5 lbs based on water retention, time of day, time of month, and many other factors I'm sure. I track my weight range rather than weight, so if I am bouncing between 182 and 187, whereas I was bouncing between 184 and 189 a couple of weeks ago, then I have lost two pounds. Even though I may have weighed in at 184 two weeks ago and today I may weigh in at 185. Whatever, it makes me feel better about the scale.

And fiberlover, you are a fantastic example of sticking it out for the long run!

Some really good advice, explanations, suggestions so far. I believe that any loss is still a step in the right direction. It's hard not to want it more quickly or expect that we should lose more but our bodies have their own way of doing things and like others have said, patience is the key.
Try to focus on the positives. You are exercising YAY! You are eating healthier another pat on the back, and you did lose weight. These are all amazing accomplishments. Keep going & try not to get discouraged. You'll get there!

Thank you so much! I am happy that I have finally really started and I am VERY determined. I will do a little tweaking and see if I can do a little better weight-wise next month. But I am going in the right direction. Thank you for the support!

Kathy,

Lots of good advice, I will throw in one more thing.

I'm always sabotaged when I link goals to time. If I achieve the goal in the time, fine, but if I don't, then I am depressed and unmotivated, I concentrate on the goal I didn't meet rather than the loss I did have.

My doctor suggested I try to lose two pounds a month. I've now modified it to I want to lose some weight every month. So far (about four months) I have exceeded her goal nicely...but that very minimal goal has helped me relax. I'm on the right track. I want to get to my goal, and if it takes longer, well, the goal is really the point, but learning the habits and skills that will allow me to stay there is even more significant! (And slower is definitely better for that.)

Thanks, Pandora. I think I will adopt the two pounds a month idea---the same thing is true for me---the less pressure, the better. I just feel like I need some goal to shoot for. Thank you so much.