Anyone have that one point in weight loss that you get to, then seem to give up? My number is between 180-175. I seem to get there, then start slacking, start putting the weight back on ect. I just saw my last weight chart from my last attempt at weight loss.
174 - 01/25/2007
190 12/28/2007
188 01/01/2008
my last weigh in LAST ENTRY 180.5 -03/25/2008
By Dec 2nd 2008 i was at 200lbs my highest weight ever.
What I don't remember, is why I gave up. I wish I had journaled or something. I don't know what I was doing to try an lose the weight, was I feeling deprived or bored or set some impossible goal that I couldn't reach so got discouraged??? who knows. I do know that I have never maintained any diet longer than 3 months and with calorie counting I am at almost 4 months and as of today, I don't feel like quitting so may there is hope.
Yup. Been there done that twice. It is so common, that some of us here on 3FC refer to it as the Bermuda Triangle of weight loss---that point in the 170s or 160s where things stall....it's hard to persist through a stall.
Fall 2004 I started counting calories and running. Lost from 204 down to 170s. Stalled. Couldn't get it going. Gave up. Shockingly, I promptly gained the weight back.
Fall 2006 I counted calories and started running again. Lost from 204 down to the 170s. Stalled. Gave up. Shockingly, I promptly regained the weight.
Fall 2007 I counted calories and started running again. Lost from 204 down to 170s. Freaked out. Refused to get sucked into that Bermuda Triangle of weight loss again. Started lifting weights. Moved from straight calorie counting to a super clean (mostly!) plan of lean proteins, fruits, veggies, complex carbs, healthy fats. Did I mention I started lifting weights? I didn't even stall this time. Flew right through the 170s down to 152 or so and I've been maintaining.
There came a point with all three of my weight loss experiences where I simply couldn't eat less and run longer. I chose to drastically alter my approach at that time and it worked well for me.
Every time I ever gave up, it was because of some version of "this is pointless." Regardless of the exact motivation, it ultimately boiled down to all-or-nothing thinking. The weight loss would stall or slow, and I'd think I wasn't able to lose any more. My next thought was "since I'm not at goal, what I've already lost doesn't matter."
Now, when I think I'm not going to be able to lose any more, I tell myself "so what, there's no reason you can't maintain the loss you've already acheived." I also tell myself that every pound counts, whether it's the first pound, or the last pound.
Every time I ever gave up, it was because of some version of "this is pointless." Regardless of the exact motivation, it ultimately boiled down to all-or-nothing thinking. The weight loss would stall or slow, and I'd think I wasn't able to lose any more. My next thought was "since I'm not at goal, what I've already lost doesn't matter."
Now, when I think I'm not going to be able to lose any more, I tell myself "so what, there's no reason you can't maintain the loss you've already acheived." I also tell myself that every pound counts, whether it's the first pound, or the last pound.
I second what daydreamer said (and therefore what Kaplods said). I think we all have to break away from that "all or nothing" mentality. I have dieted... I dunno, maybe 8 times since I was 15? And I am only 23 now... but every single time, I set myself up for failure by setting extremely high goals for myself, and beating myself up whenever I didn't reach them. Not only that, but I would literally THROW myself into these changes... drastically drop my calories and workout like crazy. I wasn't thinking in terms of life-long changes that I could carry with me forever.
I just crossed the 150's/140's line this morning. That was a huge milestone because I have always stalled there... probably because I went so balls to the wall that after the first 10 lbs or so, my body was panicking. This time, i am taking it slow, and making gradual changes, and doing exercises that I enjoy and, look at that, I can actually get into the 140's now.
I honestly believe that the biggest hurtle we have in weight loss isn't the work that goes into the weight loss itself, but the effort it takes to change our mentality about the way we think of ourselves and our daily habits.
Last edited by LittleMoonRabbit; 03-20-2009 at 02:02 PM.
Reason: grammatical error
My problem is that I get so excited about going down a couple of sizes that I buy new clothes and feel sexy. I'm so proud of myself and self-satisfied that I start thinking my job is done, even though I'm not a goal. SO I let myself go, and of course the weight starts coming back. I need to keep pushing myself to stick with it, and not be satisfied with a little bit of success - I want and deserve the finish line! Also, I'm losing now so that I can try to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy, so it's not just about me now.
YES. omg.. yes. For me it is actually in the 190s - where I'm at right now. I work hard to get to this point, and then a few days of eating off plan or not exercising turns into excuses like "this is too much hard work" and "why be unhappy?" and "I may as well forget about everything since I already screwed up." Before I know it, all that hard work is erased and I'm back to the starting line again. Then a few more months will go by, and I’ll be back to where I started, wishing that if only I had stuck with it, I’d be at least 20 lbs down, and now I have to do all that work all over again.
Been there. At least 3 times. This is my fourth attempt. I think it's about making it work for your every day life, and having it be a lifestyle.
I saw a brief glimpse of 199 on the scale once . . . when I was 16, but that was thanksgiving day where I totally blew it and continued to blow it all the way up to 300lbs over the next 4 1/2 years.
When I got to 199 I was at 250lbs . . . .I've just gotten back into the 250's and am looking foward to seeing 199 and then continuing on from there.
YES! Before I got pregnant my "bermuda triangle" was 150. I couldn't get below for anything! Now, my little one is 6 months old and I'm stuck around 170. I'm trying reallllly hard not to freak out and/or give up, and just keep doing what I'm supposed to, but it's so tempting to throw in the towel and eat some chocolate. I'm so glad to hear others have gone through this and it can be beat.
My point has always been a week or so after starting to workout. I just get to where I don't see any changes and give up thinking I am happy with myself But I really am not.
I feel different this time I have something to look forward to I also want to get fit to try for baby #2 I do not want to try to have a baby with me being as unhealthy as I am.
Ironically, I get to goal or within reach of it before I self-destruct.
For me I think it's because I just get complacent.
"Have a piece of cake? Sure! Look at me! I can afford it! I'm not fat anymore! I'll work it off tomorrow!"
But then I don't. I'll just tell myself "I'll work-out tomorrow for sure."
But then I don't.
Then I'll have some junk food at work because it's easier than taking the time to pack my lunch. And I'll think, "Okay. I'll start over again on Monday. No more junk food, and I'll start exercising again!"
But I don't.
And the truth is that in the back of my mind I think that I don't really need to, because I'm thin! I can "get away" with it! One meal from Carl's Jr won't hurt! Having a donut or three won't hurt! Missing a day, or two, or three, of working out won't hurt!
But I know that's not true. I know how much hard work it took to get to that point, but I get get lazy because I think I can afford to slip up. I delude myself into thinking that somehow eating all that crud and being lazy won't catch up to me, because I always promise myself that "I'll fix it tomorrow" by getting myself back on track. But "tomorrow" never happens, and the cycle continues.
Anyway, at least this time I caught myself before I gained everything back! So, on this yo-yo trip I've learned to do that much.
Yep. Been stuck on 116lbs-119lbs for months on end. I think I need to start properly exercising. I have an illness which means I have gigantic fluctuations in energy; sometimes I can barely move, which makes it hard to exercise. But I need to stop making excuses!
It is usually around 30+ pounds lost. Even though I started at a much higher weight this time (pregnancy weight, plus some), here I am, still stalling at the 30+ pound mark (my ticker currently says 40 but I have gained a bit these past two weeks).
Ahh, this thread is so reassuring. Being new-ish to these forums (and internet weight loss resources in general), I didn't realise that people typically experienced a stall around the weight I am currently at. It's making me feel better about my plateau, as I was starting to get discouraged that my efforts weren't producing the results I'd hoped for.
My stall is around 170lbs (approx. 12 stone). Since I started with weight loss back in 2007, this is the lightest weight I've ever reached. I got to this stage once previously (before Christmas), but then ignored my health for a few months and put on some weight. It took me a couple of weeks to get back to this point, and it was really easy. But now I'm stuck again, and I desperately want to break through and get into the 160s! I experience the same feelings as Genki when I have got to this weight - I feel much happier with my body, and it's easy to just give up and forget about eating healthily when you feel more content and aren't fixated on trying to change things.
Presently, I've been stuck for a week at 172lbs. I know a week isn't a long time at all in the grand scheme of things, it's just really frustrating as I've remained on-plan in terms of my calorie intake. I know my body will be responding, but I wish it would show me on the scale. I've been eating at a calorie deficit every day but one for the last week, consuming 1199-1770, with my average day being between 1300-1400. On Saturday I ate a big evening meal and exceeded my calories, but even so, it wasn't ridiculously bad (2291). Also, admittedly, I haven't been exercising, apart from an hour's strenuous/uphill walking yesterday. I know I need to start to kick things going, but still... frustrating that I'm (at least) doing something but the stupid scale is doing nothing.
I guess it's good that I am maintaining my (lowest) weight, and learning to live with this lifestyle by creating new, healthy habits. I feel that every day that I am continuing with this despite not seeing the results change on the scale, my willpower is getting stronger.
I have a question for everyone who has experience a stall which they have got past. After you've broken through a plateau, do you find that your weight loss from that point onwards is always slow and full of stalls, or does it pick back up to the regular rate it was before you hit the plateau? I know that it gets harder to lose the nearer you get to your goal, but I really hate the idea that from this point, I will literally be fighting every single pound for weeks on end, like I am now. That will be so discouraging, and I really want to know that I can still regularly lose like I have done in the past.
I think you should not take it as a regime...or a strict code to follow.Treat it like a regularity of life to be healthy and happy,and you will be able to follow the new way.Have a balanced diet and exercise and a good lifestyle to back it up.
Getting to THAT point?
