How can a week start so well and end up so bad??
I started the week feeling so happy and motivated about my weight loss, and how everyone is starting to notice a difference. Then today I realized that 16 pounds lighter, my clothes still fit me exactly the same, no size drop, not even a looser piece of clothing!!
Then today I go for my weekly meeting with my nutritionist and my weekly weigh in, feeling confident that this week I will definately have lost at least a couple of pounds, because I practically starved myself and worked out at least 10 hours, and to my horror, not only have I gained 1.5 pounds, my measurements have also increased!! How is this even possible?
This is so unfair, I can't work any harder than I already am! As if it's not hard enough to say no to temptations when everyone around me is eating chocolate and junk, as if it's not hard enough to spend 12 hours at school, juggle between classes and study, then still drag myself to the gym every night to squeeze 60-90 of exercise! I can't deal with not losing weight inspite of following every rule! It's so much easier just to quit now! Maybe I'm destined to be fat for the rest of mylife! I'm feeling so terrible, I've been crying since I came back from the stupid weigh-in!

Hugs to you, I know how awful this feels, this is the girl who has been going through a three month plateau, despite sticking pretty much religiously to her calories and working out 6 days a week.

Your body will get there. It took me 30 pounds down before I dropped a clothing size, I have lost just under 60 pounds and am now three and a bit sizes down. So it will happen, your body will tighten up and it will get with the program.

Unfortunately our bodies have their own internal timetable. Just stick with it, and try not to get disheartened.

All sorts of things can cause the scales to go up, muscles retaining water, your monthly cycle, too much salt - a million things can affect it, and these things can affect your measurements as well.

You will get through this difficult patch.

First, there are all kinds of reasons that the scale will register a flat line or a gain that have nothing to do with how much fat you've lost or gained. I don't know what your workout history is, but if what you did this past week is different or more, you could just be registering some water retention due to muscle repair.

Also, the fact that you "practically starved" yourself gives me pause. When it comes to losing weight, less is NOT more. What did your nutritionist say about your calorie intake for the previous week. By eating too little you can throw your body into a panic and it will protect itself by slowing metabolism in order to conserve energy.

Make sure your calorie intake is appropriate and just be patient. Very few people see progress week to week every single week. It's the long-term results that count, and the fact that what you're doing is GOOD for you regardless of what the scale says. Remember this is about having a healthier life -- if you are eating right and moving your body, you're improving your health, period. The weight loss will come.

Maybe part of it is because you "practically starved yourself". Your body probably held on to every single thing it could because it wasn't getting enough food for energy. It also could have been water weight. Just keep doing what you're doing, keep exercising and keep eating healthy and the numbers will change.

I'm almost at 40 pounds lost and I haven't gone down a size yet. You're not "destined to be fat forever" unless you let yourself be that way. It does take a long time to lose weight, it is hard to lose weight, but it's so worth it. Think of how amazing you'll feel when all of this hard work has gotten you to your goal weight and you have more self-confidence and are happier with yourself. Just stick with it, the weight will come off.

Here is a great article on how our bodies change from the inside out! I know it's frustrating to be working so hard and not "seeing" the changes, but they are there! Also I agree with the no starving yourself advice, that's a sure way to sabotage your weight loss, and make you very crabby and unhappy!

http://www.hussmanfitness.org/html/TSInsideOut.html

Hang in there! Did the nutritionist suggest anything for you to change? More calories, different exercise? I would think that she would have some good suggestions...

Congratulations on your weight loss so far.

I don't know what you weigh or what size you are. Sometimes the bigger sizes are cut so that there is more room for weight variance. In smaller sizes, for me, 10 lbs. lost is enough to go down a size. But when I was up at 184, and a size 16, it took me until I was at 165 to go down to a 14.

Just remember that had you not started your new lifestyle, you would be 15 pounds heavier.

Michelle, thanks for the link.

Hang in there! It can be SO tough when you feel like you're doing absolutely everything, yet you see few results. But remember, you've lost 16 pounds!! That is a HUGE amount of weight. Find something that weighs 16 lbs and pick it up (I have a cat about that size). Don't sell yourself short by minimizing what you've already done -- take the time to stop and appreciate how much you've lost and the effort that went into it.

As far as gaining weight, "plateauing," whatever, you've gotten some really good tips here. There could be a billion different reasons why you're seeing a gain right now. For example, if you're not drinking enough water, your body will retain water -- that may sound weird, but it's true. If your body senses a lack of water, it holds on to every single ounce it can. Also, when you first burn body fat, there's a "space" that needs to be filled for a while until your body realizes it's okay to "shrink" those fat cells. My understanding (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) is that it is water that takes the place of the actual fat in these cells -- so again, you may have some extra water hanging around.

But the key really is to keep on chugging along and do what you know is best for your body. Try to focus on the positives, and remember that this whole thing is a marathon not a sprint.

On a personal note, I went about 6 weeks without losing a single inch despite sticking to everything I had been doing all along. I was pretty bummed. But I didn't let it get me down; I just kept on working at it. And then *suddenly* in a 2 week period I lost 3 lbs (a HUGE loss for me) and shed inches just about everywhere possible.

I always look at it like Christmas. Every new day or week MAY hold a surprise for you. If it doesn't, then there's always the NEXT day or week. Think of each change in your body as a surprise gift -- you never know what it will be or when it will be!

Stick to it!! You can do this!

I'm betting that for your next weigh-in, you'll see a larger loss....also, did you consider the "TOM" factor? I always retain more water at that time.

16 lbs. of cat food I carried the last week seemed like a pretty big thing......

Michelle -- Thanks for that article, I really enjoyed reading it and bookmarked. My favorite part is when he says: "If instead, you insist on measuring your success by whether or not the scale or caliper show progress today, you're creating a game you can lose. In Steven Covey's words, you're putting yourself in the position of trying to manage consequences rather than actions."

I like the idea of managing ACTIONS (eating right, exercising) rather than CONSEQUENCES (weight loss). It's how I've started to think about all of this, but he said it better than I could! Thanks!

I can relate! I've lost 21 pounds so far and my clothes don't feel that much looser. But people have told me that I look like I've lost weight. This is confusing, especially since some people say not to trust the scale but just go by how your clothes fit! But I know I'm doing all the right things and it is very encouraging to hear the experiences of you other ladies and the amount of weight lost it took until you dropped a clothes size. Let's just keep it up! Our bodies are thanking us and I do feel so much better now that I'm losing weight!

Ann

..and the thing is, the next lb. you lose might be the one that makes everything you have already accomplished shine. Patience is your friend.

Thank you all for the support and tips!
I know what I'm doing is good for me in the long term, but it's disheartening when the scales don't support the hard work.
I knew that starving myself wasnt the smartest move, it's ironic I was scared of eating because I didn't want to gain weight, and look what happened? I gain weight inspite of not eating, as if it was my body's way of knocking some sense back into me.
So here's what I'm going to do, I wont weigh myself for the next couple of weeks, I'll stick to my workout regimen, but I'll try to eat some more, green salads are just not enough!!
Thank you all again!

You can eat 6 times a day and still lose weight.
Not eating is one of the most worst things you can do.
I know you know that. Really take a good look..
Did you eat enough of the right foods. We start to let go all the things we learned and forget what and how much we should be eating.
We also dont really look at how much we are working out.
I can sit and say ive been at this plateau for months. But I cant because its not a plateau.. I havent worked out in a while. I eat alright. Not like I should. But all im doing at this point is maintaining.
When you start to really be honest and pick apart what your doing it will show you what you need to do.
Next to actually eating properly and exersising more the best thing you can do for yourself is to be honest with yourself.
Hope you see some turn arounds. Dont give in and give up. Give yourself this.

I LOVE that!!

It's really amazing how "nothing" can happen for weeks at a time, and then all of a sudden you wake up one morning and immediately see a difference. I asked my personal trainer about this once, because I (literally) woke up one morning with hip bones . And she said yes, sometimes it just happens that way -- when your body is ready to let go of the fat, it just DOES it, and it can feel VERY sudden.

I think your idea to weigh only every few weeks is a fantastic one! I used to only weigh myself every 8 weeks or so, and it was great because I ALWAYS saw a loss. I also agree with Morticia that eating several times a day (more than just meals) is a great idea. I probably eat 7 - 8 times a day -- small meals plus tons of healthy snacks. And you know what? I am RARELY hungry.

Start thinking of food as fuel. If you begin to see the nutrients in healthy food as something you NEED, then you can focus on "what can I eat?" instead of always worrying about what you CAN'T eat (which is depressing, demotivating, and makes you feel like you're depriving yourself.)