A chart helps me be patient

SteveinChicago

Hi

I'm happy with a 1 lb/week rate of loss but like many others get impatient with fluctuations even when the trend is going the right way. This simple excel chart keeps me focused:



I like that I can see that I'm ahead of schedule, so if the "actual" line goes flat for a week or two -- hell, even if it goes up at this point -- I can see I'm way ahead of where I had planned to be when I started at the beginning of the year. Without the "target" line there to remind me I'd be more upset about fluctuations.

Of course I know this without the chart. It just helps me to see it.

toxikon

Nice! I'm too lazy for that so I just use the Libra app to trend my progress. It's nice to see the big picture!

MostlyWater

Some ppl like charts and graphs and numbers. Nothing wrong with that.

lorrpb

Trending is great but, honestly, I don't see any fluctuations. Everything is going down except a couple times you were the same 2 weeks in a row. I see no increases! You can draw a straight line from 232 on the first day to 208 on the last day and that's your overall trend. You're doing great!

Grammabear2

Awesome chart and you have every right to be proud of that downward trend. Keep up the great work.

bikecheryl

I love my excel spread sheet..........I constructed it a little different.


I started it my first day on MFP, structuring it with weekly weigh ins, working on the premise that I would loose 2 lbs per week.

After almost 1 year I'm 2 lbs ahead of schedule.

As you can see.... the first few months I lost much more than the 2lbs per week.... I had a lot to lose and was pretty gung ho!

There were lots of times I would look at it for motivation.... thinking yeah it's tuff right now, but by June I'll weight this much.... and by my birthday this much, by Christmas this much .... etc, etc.

I knew if I just followed the plan and trusted the process eventually I'd reach my goal.

Just 30 more lbs to go..... theoretically it will be around July.

But if it's August... or even September, I'm good..... cause I KNOW I GOT THIS

alicia163425

@bikecheryl wow that is super impressive!!! I don’t see a single gain in there!! Amazing

bikecheryl

alicia163425 wrote: »

@bikecheryl wow that is super impressive!!! I don’t see a single gain in there!! Amazing

Lol .... You missed the 3 lbs I gained at Christmas. I enjoyed the holidays but managed to get right back at it. I don’t think I’ve been this focused before.

alicia163425

bikecheryl wrote: »

alicia163425 wrote: »

@bikecheryl wow that is super impressive!!! I don’t see a single gain in there!! Amazing

Lol .... You missed the 3 lbs I gained at Christmas. I enjoyed the holidays but managed to get right back at it. I don’t think I’ve been this focused before.

Just one gain?? That’s amazing! So were you constantly below your calorie goal or did you go over ever? What do you do for workouts?

bikecheryl

I wasn’t constantly under but most of the time I was pretty close.

The first few months I used my DeskCycle everyday at work as my knees and back couldn’t take walking. Once the weather got nice I rode my bike and finally got back in my kayak.

Lol I pretty much had to capsize to get out of it but it’s a great upper body workout.

I have osteoarthritis in both knees, one really bad and am scheduled for a total knee replacement later this year. It wasn’t till last fall before I could actually go walking. I spent the winter walking outside, indoor rowing and cycling and recently some snowshoeing. I try to get 30-60 minutes of some sort of exercise every day.

As expected, these last few lbs are tough but that’s ok. I’m just going to keep on keeping on. Hopefully spring is just around the corner and my bike cabin move outside again.

solieco1

I'm a chart and spreadsheet person too. Helps me the same way.

Fitnessmom82

I use the Libra app. It really does help to see it laid out! I stress way less when I can look at the overall picture rather than the day to day!