Why shouldn't I quit?

EmilyAquarius
EmilyAquarius Posts: 4 Member
in Motivation and Support
After a couple of months of not caring at all and eating like total crap, I decided I was going to start working on weight loss again. I weighed myself on Tuesday and saw that I've gained a few pounds since my last weigh-in (not a shock, because it was the time in my cycle in which I always gain weight, plus I'd been eating things like giant servings of ice cream and pasta on a daily basis). However, between then and now I've worked out almost every day as well as eaten significantly less calories (and much healthier calories) then I have been. Every day when I complete my food diary, myfitnesspal tells me that, if "every day was like today", I'd be losing weight. However, I weighed myself yesterday and saw that I *gained* a pound within the span of that week!

All day today I want to just give up and go back to eating junk if I'm going to gain weight anyway. Logically, I know there are a lot of reasons why I could have put on weight (water retention due to muscle soreness/exercise or salt intake, maybe)? But I'm feeling very discouraged. How do you all push yourself through disappointments like this and not let it derail you?

Replies

  • susanb573
    susanb573 Posts: 111 Member
    I didn't weigh. I'm going to go on how my clothes fit and how I feel. I know I gain in the beginning so I said the heck with it and didn't do a starting weight. Bold but there you have it...I don't want to be disappointed.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Giving up is easy, so many people give up. Success is difficult. It takes effort. Your call.
  • megemrj
    megemrj Posts: 547 Member
    Give it a few more weeks. Your body has to get used to the changes you are implementing.

    With that being said - Make sure you're not restricting your calories too much or your body will try to hold on to everything for dear life!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    You could give up and stay the same or you can work for this if you really want it. If you really want it,youll put in the work needed and do it. You wont always see a loss on the scale. Weight loss isnt linear. Tightening up logging,weighing every bit of food you consume and being honest helps a lot. So its up to you, either work for it or dont
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    How do you know you gained a pound, really? It might just be water weight. Weight fluctuates up to 8lbs per day. And I have tested that (for *kitten* and giggles). Don't give up this quickly over something that might not be true tomorrow.
  • HellyFaye
    HellyFaye Posts: 202 Member
    I have a lot of negative self talk. Currently, I'm working on deprogramming myself from that negative self talk. (Which is a pain in the behind.) I really understand where you are coming from with this. Some days it is really easy to let that loud, obnoxious, and annoying self doubt voice ring through your head loud and clear. However, you can't let that voice win. That voice feeds off of those negative feelings. You should keep going because you should want to see what happens next. You haven't tried pushing yourself to keep logging those calories (on the good and bad days). You haven't seen what happens when you get up and go to the gym three times a week, at least, for several weeks. You haven't seen what happens when you don't give up. You haven't seen what it feels like, at this age, to go down a jean size instead of up. You haven't seen what more energy feels like. Don't give up. If it was easy everyone would do it. Push yourself to be your best.
  • billutzman
    billutzman Posts: 74 Member
    jkhoffe wrote: »
    "you already know what happens when you give up, aren't you curious to see what happens when you dont"

    Remind my self this VERY often. You are worth the hard work....keep it up

    I love your quote! "You already know what happens when you give up, arn't you curious to see what happens ehen you don't.
  • Kullerva
    Kullerva Posts: 1,114 Member
    My weight fluctuates by an average of 4 pounds a day. Sometimes more, and definitely more during my period. This is totally normal, and could be an indication that your body is holding onto more water from the exercise. (Your muscles need that water to repair themselves and make you stronger!)

    Also, one week of virtuous behavior may not be enough. Most docs recommend at least 3 weeks as a test period for any new way of eating. Patience is tough, but if you have a plan to do better and stick with it (as a permanent change), you will absolutely see the results you want. Doing this should not be a miserable experience. You are doing this to be healthier, feel better, live longer, and live better, yes?

    I have lost 42 lbs over a span of several years. The process is slow. It is frustrating. It does not make logical sense. I never considered "giving up," because how I eat and how much I move are now an automatic part of my life, like breathing. If I do hit a wall--it happens to everyone!--then I take a day or two off to blow off steam, rest, eat, and relax, then reset.

    Usually when I hit a wall it's because something in my life is out of balance. It could be work, or home life, or illness/injury, or an emotional issue that comes to the surface for some reason. Taking the few days to work out what's bothering me without worrying about step or calorie counts helps me to buckle down and focus. When I do take these days, by the way, I almost never overeat or gain weight, because I eat the same food I always eat. Your mileage may vary. I think you are being too hard on yourself. Wait, treat yourself with kindness and consideration, and you will see.

    Also, if you're not weighing your food, you should. Food scales are inexpensive and it's very easy to underestimate how much you're eating without one.

    My two cents.
  • sarahfadell87
    sarahfadell87 Posts: 182 Member
    Because you'll never know what would've happened if you kept going.
  • new4445
    new4445 Posts: 1 Member
    I was eating really, really good for 2 solid weeks (and exercising) before the weight began moving for me. Don't give up!
  • chaney3000
    chaney3000 Posts: 267 Member
    Stay off the scale. Weigh yourself monthly. Not daily or weekly. Cut your calories to the recommended limit. DON'T cheat cause you are hurting you more than anyone. Excersice regularly. Get in some good quality cardio. And keep this up. You will lose weight.
  • thesteeper
    thesteeper Posts: 5 Member
    Sounds like you overestimate your exercise calories and underestimate your food calories. You cannot out exercise a bad diet. It takes a lot of exercise to actually burn off one single serving of icecream. It's better if you don't count exercise calories, whatever you burn via exercise is just bonus.

    Why shouldn't you quit? No one benefits from losing weight other than yourself. You get to have better health, more successful career, and potentially live a longer, happier, fuller life. If you think it's better to give all of that up for giant servings of icecream and pizza, then you should quit.
  • karenmorgan946517
    karenmorgan946517 Posts: 17 Member
    I gain two pounds of water weight 1 week after I ovulate. A clear mucaus discharge from ones ladies parts means I have ovulated and need to stop weighing myself soon or at least expect the temporary gain.
  • Unknown
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    edited April 2016
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  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    EmilyAquarius wrote: »
    After a couple of months of not caring at all and eating like total crap, I decided I was going to start working on weight loss again. I weighed myself on Tuesday and saw that I've gained a few pounds since my last weigh-in (not a shock, because it was the time in my cycle in which I always gain weight, plus I'd been eating things like giant servings of ice cream and pasta on a daily basis). However, between then and now I've worked out almost every day as well as eaten significantly less calories (and much healthier calories) then I have been. Every day when I complete my food diary, myfitnesspal tells me that, if "every day was like today", I'd be losing weight. However, I weighed myself yesterday and saw that I *gained* a pound within the span of that week!

    All day today I want to just give up and go back to eating junk if I'm going to gain weight anyway. Logically, I know there are a lot of reasons why I could have put on weight (water retention due to muscle soreness/exercise or salt intake, maybe)? But I'm feeling very discouraged. How do you all push yourself through disappointments like this and not let it derail you?

    So you have gone one week hopefully eating at a deficit, and you have started working out every day. Did you know that when you start a new workout program or increase workout intensity that your body retains water and will often gain water weight from 1-5 pounds to help your muscles recover? It is highly likely that is what has happened to you. One week is simply not a sufficient time to measure progress as even at 2 pounds a week, a number that is too aggressive a goal for many people, that 1-5 pounds of water weight could easily mask a 2 pound fat loss. If you are confident your logging is accurate, then give things at least 3 weeks, and drink a good amount of water as that will help your body process out the water weight. Basically you are being too impatient.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    EmilyAquarius wrote: »
    How do you all push yourself through disappointments like this and not let it derail you?

    I get annoyed for a little bit then get up the next day and keep going.

    Same thing with work. I have a bad day on occasion but still turn up the next day. If I had quit work every time I experienced a set back or things didn't go my way I would have got nowhere.

    Most of success is just showing up everyday.
  • catsdogsh
    catsdogsh Posts: 130 Member
    EmilyAquarius wrote: »
    After a couple of months of not caring at all and eating like total crap, I decided I was going to start working on weight loss again. I weighed myself on Tuesday and saw that I've gained a few pounds since my last weigh-in (not a shock, because it was the time in my cycle in which I always gain weight, plus I'd been eating things like giant servings of ice cream and pasta on a daily basis). However, between then and now I've worked out almost every day as well as eaten significantly less calories (and much healthier calories) then I have been. Every day when I complete my food diary, myfitnesspal tells me that, if "every day was like today", I'd be losing weight. However, I weighed myself yesterday and saw that I *gained* a pound within the span of that week!

    All day today I want to just give up and go back to eating junk if I'm going to gain weight anyway. Logically, I know there are a lot of reasons why I could have put on weight (water retention due to muscle soreness/exercise or salt intake, maybe)? But I'm feeling very discouraged. How do you all push yourself through disappointments like this and not let it derail you?

  • catsdogsh
    catsdogsh Posts: 130 Member
    That is annoying as heck and happens to me all the time!! We retain water is the reason. So I was gaining a pound and holding the same weight plus one pound for a week. I was so mad because I was only eating 12,000 calories and exercising with a personal trainer and on my own. I was livid and ready to give up. My husband said it was water retention. Drink a whole bunch of water and no salt all day. That night I had to keep getting up to pee. Next day I was down 6 pounds!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    You could educate yourself about weight fluctuations, water retention and how weight loss isn't linear.

    Giving up is the best way to reach your goals. Said no one, ever.
    Giving up is the best way to feel better about yourself. Said no one, ever.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    I think about where I want to be in a year from now. If I stay on track I might lose 24 more lbs and not be obese anymore. If I do a half-*kitten* job I might lose 0 lbs and be the same. If I give up I'm just as likely to PUT ON 20 lbs.
  • Altagracia220
    Altagracia220 Posts: 876 Member
    The days and weeks are going to pass no matter what you decide to do. Make the best of it so that instead of looking back with regret you can look back and be happy that you put in the work and did your best.
  • MermaidAmanda10
    MermaidAmanda10 Posts: 63 Member
    jkhoffe wrote: »
    "you already know what happens when you give up, aren't you curious to see what happens when you dont"

    Remind my self this VERY often. You are worth the hard work....keep it up

    I love this quote

  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    How do you know you gained a pound, really? It might just be water weight. Weight fluctuates up to 8lbs per day. And I have tested that (for *kitten* and giggles). Don't give up this quickly over something that might not be true tomorrow.

    This. My weight can fluctuate up to 5lbs, from all sorts of things that aren't actually fat gains. Assuming you're accurately tracking, accurately doing portion sizes (with a food scale ), and are following your correct calorie deficit, you will lose weight. Period. That doesn't mean the scale will always be linear though. Compare your first weigh-in of the month with your last weigh-in of the month to get a more accurate idea of your loss trends.
  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
    A) The scale does not tell the entire story, B) while our bodies are machines, they often do not follow our every desire: salt, medicine, time of , water retention, portions, etc.. C) if it was easy everybody would do it. At the end of the day, my success or failure is between me and the man in the mirror. I did not wake up and realize that over night I gained 10 or 20 pounds, and I am not going to lose them like that either.

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