Vent about slow start

zeldon919

This is just a vent. I need to give the people around me a break.

I just started back again, it’s going very slow, and it’s incredibly frustrating.

I lost 40lb in 2017, stopped tracking and gained 15lbs back in 2018, now I’m back at it with 65-85lbs to lose (target weight is what can be realistically maintained, won’t know until I’m there).

I’m 3/4 of the way through week 2 and I’ve only lost 1lb. (I was down 3lbs on day 2 but I don’t really count that, since then 1lb). I lost quickly in the beginning last time, at a smaller deficit.

I know this is normal/nothing to worry about but it’s still incredibly frustrating.

I’m so diligent about weighing and tracking everything, I eat at around 1200cal (2/wk deficit), and almost nothing. I’m not struggling, and I’ve also decided 2days/week I can go up to maintenance guilt free, but haven’t gotten up that high yet. (Not working out yet).

It’s just annoying and frustrating. But I know - “losing is losing is good!”, the algo that says don’t freak out in the first 3 weeks, slow is good, I’m not even 2 weeks in it takes at least 4 weeks to see patterns, blah blah blah. It’s good advice and true but not comforting when you’re frustrating.

End of rant.

tcunbeliever

Vent away!!!

I always want instant and spectacular results and it's such a pain when that just never seems to happen!!!

zeldon919

Thanks.

It’s frustrating when you’re losing slowly in comparison to yourself. 2 years ago I was losing like 3-4lbs a week in the start. Like, can we do that again?

Panini911

yep i'm on the lsat 5 pounds (maybe? I keep moving the goal)

day to day it's all over the map due to water retention and other stuff like that. up two pounds. up one pound. randomly low number. I really need to step back and look at the numbers over 2-3 weeks to see that I HAVE really and truly made progress (and I have).

it's a mental struggle even knowing it's all normal and long term and blah blah blah.

RelCanonical

I had a slow start too and it was definitely a mental game waiting for that next drop before I could decide I was on the right track and start weighing monthly. With the amount that I weigh, staying on track practically guarantees me a loss, even if small, so I like the infrequent but consistent weigh-ins much better.

rosiorama

I intentionally ate at maintenance for a few days last week, and then this week I had friends over: i drank some beers, and had dessert. I knew that this would stall my loss and I’m back on track now food-wise... but seeing the scale stall is frustrating anyway. Even though I intentionally ate more!!! I drive myself nuts!!!

My point is, go ahead and rant. We all want to see results for our diligence. Even when we (and I mean me) aren’t always so diligent.

Hang in there. One of these days you might get a woosh.

lorrpb

In the kindest way possible I want to say "get a grip". You're about 10 days in! You say you KNOW how the process works in the long run based on your past experience. Try focusing on the FACTS of how weight loss works and don't give the false beliefs that are fueling your frustrations your attention. It could be as simple as where you are in your monthly cycle. Different women experience water retention and temporary fluctuations at different times during the cycle. Daily weighing and and logging of your weight might help you pinpoint your trends and cycles.

You say you lost 3 lbs on day 2 but aren't counting it. That would equate to 4 lbs in 10 days! Wouldn't that be the initial rapid loss you were looking for?

Great job with all the food weighing and logging, you are set up for success.

I say this having lost 150 lbs which took 2.5 years. I didn't lose every day or every week but I DID lose every month. I stuck with my plan regardless of what was happening on the scale. I also logged my weight daily in Happy Scale trending app and I logged only each new low in MFP. What I learned from that is that I saw a new low only every 1-2 weeks. All the other days were fluctuations bouncing up and down.

zeldon919

I actually weigh daily most of the time. Any decrease, even an ounce, I log. When it stalls or goes up briefly I don’t sweat it if it’s clearly water retention or within normal fluctuation. Personally it helps me stay on track, but daily weigh ins aren’t for everyone.

bluesheeponahill

I totally get it. I started weight loss journey 3 months ago. First 4 weeks I lost nothing. Despite exercising like mad. Then sudden it was like something woke up and finally started working. It’s been three months and I’ve lost 6 kilos. So basically 2 kilos a month. It’s slow. But it’s happening. And I feel the changes. Not just weight wise but health wise, being more conscious of what I eat, I see I feel better and more alert for it. And that is one of the other things to consider, if you feel better, less bloated, less tired and sluggish. I’m also finding easier to move. As annoying as it is about slow weight loss, nothing like my 20s it was so easy to just drop a kilo here and there, not so much now! I know I’m better off for holding myself accountable with food.

Your time will come! Keep persisting

cowleyl

Ranting with you. I struggle to lose more than 500 gm a week. If I'm extremely good and if I exercise a lot, I can push it to about 700 gm a week. I've lost 32 kg so slowly and in Feb put on 3 kg without being overly bad! Frustrating, but what can you do!

IsETHome

zeldon919 wrote: »

This is just a vent. I need to give the people around me a break.

I just started back again, it’s going very slow, and it’s incredibly frustrating.

I lost 40lb in 2017, stopped tracking and gained 15lbs back in 2018, now I’m back at it with 65-85lbs to lose (target weight is what can be realistically maintained, won’t know until I’m there).

I’m 3/4 of the way through week 2 and I’ve only lost 1lb. (I was down 3lbs on day 2 but I don’t really count that, since then 1lb). I lost quickly in the beginning last time, at a smaller deficit.

I know this is normal/nothing to worry about but it’s still incredibly frustrating.

I’m so diligent about weighing and tracking everything, I eat at around 1200cal (2/wk deficit), and almost nothing. I’m not struggling, and I’ve also decided 2days/week I can go up to maintenance guilt free, but haven’t gotten up that high yet. (Not working out yet).

It’s just annoying and frustrating. But I know - “losing is losing is good!”, the algo that says don’t freak out in the first 3 weeks, slow is good, I’m not even 2 weeks in it takes at least 4 weeks to see patterns, blah blah blah. It’s good advice and true but not comforting when you’re frustrating.

End of rant.

I recommend setting a phase 1 goal of 5 lbs below what you achieved in 2017, once you get there set a new goal. Visit your doctor get labs, ensure your bloods are all good. Set your cals to sedentary if you sit at work mostly. I have found my cal goals are 1200 per day to lose 1-1.5 a week, I swim/water jog 3 times a week also. my first goal was 47 lbs, I have about 20 more to go, I started in Nov, then I will have another 40-50 after that. I plan on this entire process to take the bulk of a year. Commit to it, time will pass and the numbers will happen. LOG and measure everything, if you have a weakness don’t eat it. Black licorice is off my list calories are too high and I can’t stop at 3 pieces for 200 cals