oh dear oh dear!

Cheeky_0102

I am more than 3 monhts in now. There are weeks that i lose a ton, then weeks that i barely lose at all. I have been stuck at the same weight since mid may... a little discouraging, but not the end of the world.
If i look at the little progress graph, it bounces around but generally works its way down. I love that little chart, whenever i feel discouraged, I look at the 30 day window. It's always higher at the beginning than at the today.

I'm seeing 10 lbs/month come off, not steadily, but on average now. I'm not expecting that to happen anymore since I'm within 10-15 lbs of my goal.

You need to create habits that will work in the long run. I think it takes something like 20 repetitions of an action to create a habit. Socializing is the hardest part. I have no idea how i will ever handle a chinese buffet again. I have no idea how to handle tapas, appies, drinks... now i just try my best not to partake... i will have one french fry, one drink, one cheesy whatever, but i wait until the end... because i will pick and nibble.I drink water until we are all done eating, then i will have one glass of wine before we leave. Impaired eating is not a good plan for me.

In the end, you will have slips and falls, good weeks and bad weeks, gains and losses. just keep plugging along... i

jofjltncb6

I have two points of advice:

1) This is not all or none (or at least it doesn't have to be.* Even small incremental steps that you can incorporate into your daily routine can lead you closer to your goal. The trick is to make it into a habit which allows you to focus your energy on the next change that you need to make. Continue compounding these small steps and you will find the process much easier and yourself much closer to your goal in a few months.

2) Have patience. If you don't have patience, practice it. Learn/try hard to appreciate that where you are right now is essential to achieving your goal...regardless of how far away you think it is (or even how far away it is from an "ideal" that you have in your mind of where you think you *should* be now).



* There are some people for whom an "all or none" approach works better than small incremental changes. That said, if you have found that "all or none" has led you too often to "none", then I suggest trying the "compounding baby steps" approach.


ETA: I just now caught up and read OP and others' response to 1CG. Wow. Seems many are lacking in perspective of what is and is not important here. I've given my advice already, so I'm done here...(and for the record, when I see threads like this attacking someone for the "tone" of their message more than the message itself (and others piling on), I generally exit without responding. I suspect others do too...which means the OP is deprived of some "real" advice...and that void seems to usually be filled with a chorus of "you got this!" which is almost never the missing piece of the puzzle.)

So...I wish you (and others who are distracted more by the "tone" of a message than the message itself) nothing but success in all your fitness and health goals. :flowerforyou:

shadow2soul

I think you defiantly need to take a step back and breath. Relax.

Weight loss doesn't happen overnight. My tips for you:

:flowerforyou: The scale isn't the only way to track progress. Take measurements and photos as well.
:flowerforyou: If weight fluctuations bother you, then weigh only once a week or less. For example, my weight has looked like this:


*Gap in weight line is from the day I didn't weigh myself. I went straight to the doctors that morning*

:flowerforyou: Set a reasonable calorie goal.
:flowerforyou: If you follow MFP's set up, eat at least some of your exercise calories
:flowerforyou: Weigh your food to get the most accurate log of what your eating (I still need to get a scale and do this myself)
:flowerforyou: Don't deprive yourself. Have a day where you eat close to maintenance calories every so often. Alternatively you can also just eat what you want as long as it fits into your calorie allowance. This will help prevent binges.
:flowerforyou: Exercise. Even if it's only a few minutes. You don't need to do it for weight loss, but it will help you look and feel better. I recommend both weight lifting and cardio.
:flowerforyou: Take rest days. Your body needs them. At least 1 day per week to prevent injury.
:flowerforyou: Don't be afraid to go out with friends. Just make healthier choices, eat smaller portions, ect while your out. If it helps, before you go out, check the restaurants website and figure out what is the best nutritional option they have.
:flowerforyou: When you weigh your self make sure to : use the same scale, keep the scale in the same general spot, make sure you do it around the same time of day (you will be lightest first thing in the morning, naked, after using the bathroom)
:flowerforyou: Drink Water. doesn't have to be plain water. I usually have crystal light in mine. It helps with water retention. I usually drink at least 64oz of water a day and some days I'm closer to 128oz.
:flowerforyou: 3500 calories = 1 lb of fat.....so to gain 1 lb of fat you have to eat 3500 calories over maintenance calories.
:flowerforyou: 1-2lbs a week is healthy weight loss
:flowerforyou: I recommend getting a HRM for calorie workouts. The ones with a chest strap will be the most accurate. Polar brand is highly recommended by people on this site.
:flowerforyou: In stead of weight loss goals, try making a fitness goal instead. For example, my current goal is to be able to walk 6 miles when it's above 80*F outside and not be exhausted at the end....I'm halfway there with being able to do 3 miles. When I originally set the goal I could barely make it 1 mile when it was 60*F outside.