Somehow, I gained 2 pounds in 3 days and now the scale isn't budging at all, even though I've been completely on plan. It is getting harder and harder to stay on plan though with that 2 pound surprise My weight on my ticker isn't even right anymore but I'm too depressed about it to change it back to 155.

I plan on mixing things up to help my weight, but this question is about how do you deal when things go badly even though you've been diligent? How do you pick yourself up and keep going? How do you stay committed even when you're motivation isn't where it usually is?

This is my biggest setback since August and I'm having a difficult time.

You are going to have weight fluctuations... Did you take in more sodium than you normally do? Maybe your body is preparing for a "whoosh." Maybe you will lose several pounds in a few days. Good luck, Chickie.

Here's what goes through my head:

"Alright. You're up 2 pounds. Okay. This kinda sucks. Did I do something over the past week that would have caused that? Not that I can think of, my tracker shows me on plan and I've been exercising every day. Alright. I don't have a reason or anything to change specifically. Ugh. What's the point if I'm just going to gain back the weight? *sigh* Oh. Right. IF I STOP HERE I WILL GAIN BACK EACH AND EVERY POUND. Guess there's no where to go but forward. So glad I made goals for myself that included more than just a number on the scale. I walked five minutes further this week, tracked my food, and ate all my veggies this week. Go me! So... the scale sucked, but... am I gonna quit or commit? *adjusts cap with serious face* Commit, of course."

I really do talk to myself in my head like that sometimes. >_>

If you are doing everything on plan, it's just a blip and nothing to get depressed about. It's normal. It could be sodium. It could be hormones. It could be the heat. What it isn't (if you are following your plan) is fat. It's water weight and that will come off plus some, almost definitely soon enough.

Two pounds in three days? You know it's a blip if you didn't consume an add'l 7,000 calories and it doesn't process and show up THAT fast even if you did. If this is your first small increase since you started, you're fortunate and just soldier on. You're doing GREAT!

When I saw the tittle of this thread I thought you were doing a monthly weigh in and were disappointed with your results over the long-haul. A tiny increase like that when you have been on plan is not a bad weigh-in; it's part of the normal weigh-in cycle when you weigh daily.

Check out this sticky thread for more: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...er-weight.html

after letting myself be upset for a little i always just kind of think ok, well if i want to see the scale go down again theres only one thing to do...and i get back on plan (and eventually, it goes down)

Thanks so much everyone, your answers have been really really helpful to me

Okay we REALLY need a "like" button here!!!! This is AWESOME!!!

Water weight can show plus or minus on the scale...
but let's face it! - nobody likes to see any kind of "+" on the scale!

But it DOES help to remember...it's ONLY water weight!

I feel ya, friend. I've never exceeded 1400 calories a day since I started the diet, and yet I've been at 165 for a month now, briefly up to 166 for no apparent reason. I just lowered it back down to 1200 strictly for a week and a half, and now I'm back at 165.6. Ohhh life, lol.

What's really helped me get over seeing a gain is to weigh everyday and to chart it. I've been able to see the fluctuations, but there is a steady downward trend- and that's the most important thing. My body tends to hold onto the same weight for 3-4 days, then I have a whoosh of a few pounds lost. Here's an example of the past several days:

5/17: 228.8
5/18: 227.6
5/19: 226.6
5/20: 227.6
5/21: no weigh in
5/22: 226.4
5/23: 228
5/24: 225
5/26: 225
5/27: 223.6

I was a little upset to see the 228 on 5/23, but I kept in mind that I was basically on plan, that I may not have had enough water that day, enjoyed an alcoholic drink, and other factors that may have contributed to the gain. I also kept in mind that the following days will most likely show loses, and sure enough they have.

Don't live by the number on the scale alone. Stay on track, realize there will be ups and downs, tweak your plan if you hit a plateau, and you'll reach your goal.

Scales are evil. Devil's spawn. Their numbers do not define me, but rather my actions and relationships define me.

We ahve one scale that we keep around just to beat up on. Might want to consider it.