I've been on WW since June and have lost 23 lbs. Lately I have reached a plateau and I'm feeling pretty discouraged. My husband & I are going to Mexico in April and I had hoped that I would have lost more weight than this. I was up .4 this week and I told my leader that I was discouraged. She basically said "Don't make a mountain out of mole hill." She gave the analogy of "just b/c you wake up with a headache doesn't mean you have a brain tumor." I don't think it's a matter of making a big deal over a .4 gain, but that I'm SICK of doing the program. I have a treadmill at home and I want to exercise, but when I do my hips and feet kill me for days after. (Don't suggest swimming, I can't) I guess what I need help with, is how do I reclaim the enthusiasm I had when I first started? I still have 40 more lbs. to reach my goal and I don't really want to give up, afterall, I'm a 1/3 of the way there, but I'm really close to just saying the **** with it. HELP ME!

Did you do something differently this week that you were up .4? More sodium laden foods? Did you have a big loss last week? .4 is usually just water weight. And yes a I agree with your leader don't make a mountain out of a mole hill.

You stated, "I don't think it's a matter of making a big deal over a .4 gain, but that I'm SICK of doing the program." -- maybe your attitude is not ready even though you want to lose. Remember you WILL BE DOING the program for LIFE!

You said you have a treadmill does't mean you need to start at 4 mph or more. Start at 1 mph. Walk slowly and build up as you lose weight so your hips, feet, etc don't hurt.

However with the attitute, "but I'm really close to just saying the **** with it." you need to adjust that because you will be doing this forever.

We can't give you the motivation, we can offer support. But to give suggestions we need more information. Post so journal days, tell us your normal days activities, give your weight, height, etc.....

Up- down- all around. Weight lose is not always a smooth ride. I hate Plateaus!!! . My leader also said that we tend to reach the same plateaus losing that we did gaining. I hovered at 143 while gaining and 135 while gaining, but had forgotten about that. What about you? Did you also hover at your present weight as the scale moved upwards???

Don't make the same mistake I did, which was to stop doing the program 3 years ago. I had lost 70lbs and were right where you are, needing to lose about 40 more to get to goal and I just stalled for months. It was a constant up and down for weeks on end and eventually I convinced myself I could do it on my own.

Except I couldn't. I went back to old habits, all the time telling myself I could just back on whenever I wanted to and lose the weight. Somehow, that time never came and 5 years after the time I started WW I'm back on, with everything I lost gained back and then some.

Do you keep your old journals? If so, take a look at what you were doing when you first started, and copy one of those weeks. I've done that to get me back on track, or to show me that even though I thought I was on OP this week, I didn't do it all. Kelly's right about starting exercise as a slower pace just to work up the stamina. I know since I've added in exercise, I've been feeling better and have been more consistent with my losses than before I started exercising.

So take a deep breath, re-evaluate what you're doing and start it again. I don't know if you'll get that "starting" attitude back, but it's better than the alternative, which is gaining it all back and starting from scratch!

You will do it... Everyone reaches their Plateaus and you have to push through it. If you don't it will make all you have already accomplished null and void. You WILL gain the weight back.

Kelli is right, Walk on the treadmill, take it slow and slowly build up the speed. I did that too, I started doing not even 1 mile in 30min. and now (after 5 weeks of serious exercise) I am doing 3 miles in 30min. it will take time, but any movement is bound to help you! And even if you don't see weight loss, you will see tone and ultimately measurements are more telling than weight!

I have been doing this for months and have only seen a 5 lb weight gain since the beginning, but I know it's from muscle mass from all the exercise!! It's frusterating, but you can't give up!!

Don't give up!!!! You can do it!! Maybe you can lift some light weights, or soup cans or do floor exercises. Muscle burns fat also pump up on veggies and water. Keep at the exercise slowly- and work yourself up. Every morning or all day look in the mirror and tell yourself "It's time for me, and I am worth it!!!!"

Thanks everyone for your support. It's just what I needed. I know I can do this. I also know that if I do stop I'll gain it all back (and probably then some) I've known several people who have done this and I'm not going to let that happen. Ive worked too hard to get this far. Thanks again!


203/181/140

Sqweetie,
I bet there is not one WWer who hasn't been exactly where you are right now and was ready to throw away the program. The ones that are successful hang in there,
shake off the bad feelings and keep on keepin' on. I wish you terrific success. Would it help if you looked at some of your bigger clothes that might have been snug on you and now they're loose?
If you're tired of the program, how about thinking of foods that you really like to eat that are safe on program and getting them in the house. I never eat foods I don't like, so I'm not tired of program. If you mean you're tired of being stuck in a plateau,
I hear you loud and clear. One of the responders said to look at what you're doing,
analyze it, and make adjustments. Sounds like perfect advice and support. All I know is that to get the "click" you keep on taking baby steps and one day everything falls right back into place again and it's just not that hard. Good luck to you!
Judy
234/211.8/thinner

Thanks Judy. I weighed in yesterday and I was down 2 lbs for a total of 24.4. I can't wait to finally hit that 25 lb mark! I'd like to be down another 5 before my Mexico trip in April. I just bought a pedometer yesterday. I do alot of walking at work and it will be kind of cool to keep track of it. I hear you should walk 10,000 steps per day for "good health" That's my goal! And thanks again everyone!!