How do you avoid discouraged eating?

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LaurieMB1976
LaurieMB1976 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, when you have been doing everything right. Stay in your calorie range. Hit your exercise and water goals daily. Avoid sugars and processed food. Then you step on the scale and it either doesn’t move or worse goes up. I get so discouraged and think why bother? Why am I going through all of this for no results? Yes I know healthwise it’s good for me, but I am healthy my bloodwork is excellent, so why? Because my goal is weight loss and lose the roll around my belly, but that’s not happening. So how to you change that mind frame?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,523 Member
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    Because the scale doesn't always reflect achievement. That's why I look more at, how does my body look compared to previously, are my clothes fitting different and am I fitter.
    A healthy body retains more muscle (which by volume weighs more than fat) and water (because you need more for glycogen storage and keeping hydrated).
    The scale is nothing more than a tool that determines your current weight. DON'T weigh everyday if it changes your mood or how you feel about progress.
    Understand that weight loss is NOT linear and somedays you'll weigh more EVEN IF you did everything exactly the same as the day before.
    What's your exercise program? How often? How many calories are you burning? What's your rest like? Do you have a lot of stress day to day? These all affect your overall progress.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 987 Member
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    Slow and steady wins the race. When I lost my 34lbs I was up and down like a yoyo. But over the 4 months the end result was I hit goal and now I am actually down 3lbs from goal weight. :)
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,013 Member
    edited April 3
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    The number on the scale going up doesn’t just reflect fat gain. It reflects food leftover in your intestines, hydration, menstrual cycle changes inside the body, all sorts of things. So if you’re telling yourself that an occasional rise in your weight (woke up 2 lbs heavier for example) means you put on 2 lb of fat, you are incorrect and going to convince yourself to quit. Your scale will show two steps forward, one step back, as your average weight slowly goes down. That means that your weight should have a downward TREND (example, upper 150s to lower 150s) over time. But some days the scale will read higher because bodies are made up of much more than fat.

    Now if over the course of SEVERAL MONTHS you don’t have a general downward trend… then your total weekly calories are hitting at maintenance so you would adjust.
  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 739 Member
    edited April 3
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    I’m with you, why are you doing all of that?! I wouldn’t.

    All you need to do is check these boxes

    1. Weigh and log anything with calories (after you reach goal you can reconsider this, up to you).
    2. Eat your calorie goal (deficit of 250-500 calories)
    3. Weigh and log yourself consistently to watch the weight trend (Happy Scale or Libra app), which isn’t linear due to hormones and natural fluctuations.
    4. Eat normal everyday food you find satiating and tasty.

    That’s it. You’re done.

    If your average weight loss is around 1 lb a week after 4-6 weeks you are KILLING IT!

    Don’t make this Mount Everest. Make this a walk in a park.

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