I restarted on 3/12/07, and here's the progress so far (I have a fancy WW scale):

3/12/07
245.8 lbs
41.9 BMI
42.5% Body Fat
104.4 Body Fat Weight

4/25/07
235.2 lbs
37.8 BMI
40.3% Body Fat
94.8 Body Fat Weight

So it's been like 6 weeks... and I've lost 10.6 lbs. I should be happy! But I'm frustrated because I've been flucuating between 235-237 all this week. I can't get past that 235 mark! Of course, I'm really just being impatient.

AND, my calories last week averaged about 380 more than goal. AND I haven't been exercising. Maybe I'm just mad at MYSELF for not doing what I need to do (staying off the sweets and exercising). *grumble* *moan* *complain*

Kind words, please? A (gentle) kick in the arse, please?

10.6 lbs is awesome for 6 weeks!!

As for the weight fluctuation--- it could be tom, or something that you have been eating or any number of things that could just have you retaining water right now. Don't worry, I doubt very much you've gained!!!

10.6! Wahoo! That's really good!

I think you know what you need to do--you already said it! Tighten up on your plan... you'll be fine! Don't let the stalls get to you... your weight will drop again! Really!

Jay

10.6 pounds is a great start. You should feel good about those.

(And here comes the gentle kick But you will lose more and more quickly if you exercise and stay within your calorie limit! You can't really complain about losing slowly if you're eating more than you should and not exercising as much as you should. It's a law of the universe

So, in sum, take pride in the pounds you've already lost and learn from the fact that you've eased up on your disipline and your scale has responded accordingly.

(p.s. 10 pounds is 1/7 of the amount you need to lose to reach your goal. You are 1/7th of the way there!!!)

10.6 lbs!!!! AWESOME!!! What an incredible, incredible start. Those fluctuations are gonna always be there. It's just part of the journey. We've got to try our best to not let them get to us. Hard as that might be. You are sooo going to get past that 235 mark, stay on plan and it's yours for the taking! Good luck. You CAN do this. You WILL do this.

Good point. I need to get back on track!

Yep, and I should think that a 10 pound loss (nearly 11!) should be a great motivator to keep at it!

I read in a blog by someone who has been maintaining a significant weight loss for years that when she goes off-plan, she wants to see the scale go up. Seeing the scale goes up when she is eating off-plan tells her that if she stays on plan, the scale will go back down. It means that she controls what the scale does. Sometimes the scale can be frustrating and it seems like we have no control over it; seeing in increase in our weight (or in your case, no movement when you've been eating at a maintenance level), reminds us that we do have control over the scale.

The other bright side is the reassurance that when you do get to goal, you'll be able to increase your calories and not gain weight (since you increased them last week and didn't gain). Add exercise into that equation, and you'll be able to increase them even higher.

This is very wise, Barbara! Very nice observation. Psychologically healthy (minor) weight-gain for a formerly fat person! Who knew!

(The last time I lost weight, I pretty much stopped weighing myself after I was done, and just went by the way my clothing looked and felt--as it turns out, clothes can be more generous and forgiving than the scale. I was rather under the impression that I was "cured" of being fat (as if something magical had happened and my body no longer responded to the calories-in, calories-out rule) and so I wasn't in a position to adjust my calorie intake to what I saw on the scales. Thank god I only put on 12 pounds! This time, I intend to stick with the weekly (or bi-weekly--I'm not a giant fan of weighing) weigh-ins, and to heed the wisdom of Barbara's insight.)