Don't worry, this isn't a boo-hoo, poor me thing. I'm just thinking about getting "weight loss" off of my list of important things right now. Too much added stress in an already busy life- I have a very demanding class load this quarter, and a number of other obligations that I'd do better with if I wasn't stressed about weight loss all the time.
My body has been acting like a spoiled little kid lately. I'm eating what I'm supposed to be, walking for exercise, and giving it everything it needed to lose weight before, but nothing's happening. Frankly, it's making me downright depressed to look at the scale (or even in the mirror). For the first time since I started dieting, I've actually gained weight, a solid two pounds now that won't go away. I know for a fact it is water, and that it will go away eventually, but the disappointment is just too much.
It seems like my body is becoming more ruled by my hormones as I get smaller (odd, huh?), but my weight loss cycle has completely come to a stop the two weeks surrounding TOM, this month and last. So I'm thinking I'll give my body another week, get past TOM, to see if it's still willing to lose weight, and if not, I'm going to just maintain for a while.
I know some of these things are perfectly normal, and that eventually, I'll start losing again, but the last two months have been more stressful and saddening than anything. I'm not too vain to admit that my own ambition might be my downfall.
My question is: has anyone else tried this (maintaining for a couple of months, then going back to dieting)?
Has this improved anyone's diet? Is your body more responsive to weight loss?
Thanks, Kelly
*edit*- PS- I'm not looking for advice, like "exercise more" "eat less/more" etc. Trust me, I've tried it all. I'm just looking for advice from people who have paused dieting and maintained for a month or two.
I had a rough December and have maintained my weight of 245. I started back this past Monday and ended up sick on Wednesday. Back at it today.
I believe it is possible. BUT if you go back to stress eating, over eating, and back to how you ate before losing 58 lbs, you WILL GAIN IT BACK. I still suggest getting into the gym or some sort of exercise to keep the muscle you have acquired. It will also help reduce the stress you are under from classes and such. Remember its a lifestyle change, not a diet. Good luck.
Actually back in August my g-ma went into the hospital and was there for 4 months and that whole time i was maintaining. Then came the holidays so just as of last week i started bnack trying to really lose. Maintaining wasnt that hard. Only because i think my body is comfortable where i am right now. I think i actually dropped 3lbs w/o trying in that time period. I still kinda watched what i ate. No fast food and what not and made healthy decisons but as far as tracking all my calories i didnt. Also i only made it to the gym maybe one time a week. I cant really say that my body is more responsive to weight loss since i just started trying, but i can say that i didnt gain everything back when i got off plan.
i want to say, don't give in! you're doing so well having lost what you have and it would be a shame to give in now don't you think?
sometmes we do hit plateus where nothing seems to work but you will get through it. perhaps look at your calorie intake? maybe your body needs that little bit extra kick from exercise to start to shift some more pounds?
i don't know what it will take but i can say that when you find it it will defiantely be worth it
I see nothing wrong with taking a weight loss break when it means you'll be maintaining for a few months. In fact, there are a number of people who do this successfully.
I was pretty much in maintenance mode the past 3 months and am now working towards actively losing again. Similar to you it was a stressful 3 months and I knew I wouldn't have the focus on losing weight, so I just tried to keep monitoring myself so that I didn't cross a red line.
I just started out losing again, so I can't give you any info but it's been pretty easy for me to get back into my original groove and that feels good.
Do what you need to in order to manage your life appropriately. If it means pausing the loss, then by all means!
ETA: I will only caution that maintenance still takes monitoring, and that it can quickly slip into "not watching anymore". Not saying that it will happen, but just a note that it's easy to happen. As long as you still make monitoring one of your priorities you should be okay.
If you can commit to maintenance, I don't see a problem. Can you be honest with yourself? Are you ready to maintain for a while?
For me, I'd need to stay as committed to maintenance as I am weightloss, which includes journaling, posting here and attending my meetings...THEN i'd trust myself to just coast for awhile.
If I didn't have those pieces of the puzzle in place it would just be me lying myself like a million times before and I'd end up just gaining all the weight back plus more!
I'm discovering that it's EXACTLY like dieting/losing weight/healthy lifestyle with an aim of being healthier - what you choose to call it. It requires the same, if not more commitment than losing weight. It means continuing to count calories/points/carbs (whatever you do) and continuing on with exercise.
Perhaps what's in order is a break from scale watching?
I maintained a 50 pound loss for a while...by doing pretty much the same thing I had been doing to lose weight. I kept it off for over a year...until the holidays when I "decided" I could eat what I want and not exercise because I didn't have alot of free time to plan and fit it in. Now I am 12 pounds heavier!!! That is way more upsetting that the stress of trying to do it right. You can't change too much of what you are already doing and still maintain your current weight.
Seems to me what you need to change is the way you think about it. Like you said, you need to put it lower on your list of important things to do. But only in your mind so that you don't stress about it, if that's possible. Getting and staying healthy NEEDS to be on your important list, because it is important and will help you through all the other things that are also stressing you so much right now. Maybe you need to rethink your goals? Give yourself a healthy to do list of things you CAN do each day, so that you feel a sense of accomplishment for a change. That might spark your motivation to continue.
It is my experience that you can't go back or you will gain it back! So whatever you decide to do, don't "throw in the towel" and give it all up. Just make some changes and give yourself some slack if you can.
Hi! Yes, it can work to take a break, but realize that maintaining your weight still takes some thought and effort. That's what some other posters have been saying, too.
I took a break when I got to my original goal. That was in July of 2007. I'm now up about 6 pounds from my lowest weight, but that all came on in the last 2-3 months. I'm working on getting back down now.
I tried to get going on weight loss again several times in the last year, but I wasn't successful. Still, maintaining for this long is an accomplishment, even if I am now up a bit.
I'm doing well now, but it will take me probably 2 months to get back to 147. No short cuts, alas.
I lost 40 lbs from the end of jan last year to the end of june. I decided to maintain over the summer so I could have some beer, hotdog, etc. I did maintain, and started up again sept. Have lost another 20lbs. I found no differance in my progress before of after summer. I keep a graph chart. I have lost weight and regained in the past, so I was careful not to go crazy with my eating this time.I am glad I tried to maintain over the summer, even if just to prove to myself that I could do it.My attitude about weightloss has changed, I am content to take my time.
I don't see anything wrong with changing or modifying your weight loss or maintenance goals as the needs arise. I think "throwing in the towel," implies not even trying to maintain, but "eating whatever I want to and the consequences be darned." That kind of goal change I think is a bad idea, because in the long run, I think it adds stress rather than relieves it.
However, deciding to put less pressure on yourself to lose, and being "ok" with maintenance, or really, really slow weight loss for a while, doesn't have to be a big deal. If you feel like you've been putting too much pressure on yourself, there's nothing wrong with deciding to modify your goals and expectations to something more modest. "Full-steam ahead," is by far not the only option to this journey.
I just want to give you (((hugs))) and my advice is to take a break from watching the scale... for like a month. Eat well, exercise, do everything the same as you are doing right now but just don't weigh. I think you'll see a difference at the end of that month.
Thinking about throwing in the towel
