Diet and Exercise and Plateau, oh my! Help!

L2HS

I've been overweight my entire life. For years, I would declare that I was "going on a diet" on a weekly basis. Every once in a while, while on a "diet", I would actually go to the gym. It never stuck. Therefore, I ballooned to 265lbs at my highest. I managed to lose 25 pounds for my wedding but promptly gained 5 pounds after the honeymoon was over. Does that make me a yo-yo dieter? This is my first solid, prolonged attempt at losing weight. What's at stake is even more important to me than looking good in a wedding dress. I'm working towards my ultimate weight loss goal at giving us a chance at a baby. Between my weight and diagnosis of PCOS, the odds are against us. Each pound lost tips the scale, so to speak. I don't want to minimize the work I've put in but I feel like its come fairly easy so far. I started by slashing my calories until I became accustomed determining which foods are worth the calories. Once meal planning started coming easier, I began exercise. First I walked 30-60 minutes a few times a week. Now, I go up the gym 5-6 times a week with walks on my rest days. I feel like if I don't go some kind of physical activity, just looking at foods will make me gain weight. My husband thinks I'm way paranoid about it. I see it as a slippery slope that I can't afford to slide down. I keep thinking about things I've read where people lost so much weight but gained it back. I'm terrified that that's what ahead in my future. I'm afraid though, that I will burn out. I have too long of a journey yet to burn out now. I weigh myself daily because that's what keeps me going. I don't log my weight every day because my brain is telling me that it will fluctuate and that my psyche will take a hot if I have to log in a higher number. But doesn't always work because I know that my weight was higher than it was the last time I stepped on a scale. I've never experienced this dreaded plateau that I've read about but it scares me. Last week, I did pretty good with diet and exercise but only lost 1 pound. Is this the beginning of it? What can I do to get past it?

What should I do?? Should I continue on my current track? Weighing myself daily helps and hurts. Am I exercising too much or too little? Am I over thinking this? Someone help, please!

_Nicklebee

If you do hit a plateau, i've read the best thing you can do is interval training. Walk for 1 minute, Run for 30 seconds, Walk, Run, etc for a good 20 minutes. Then of course, diet. I truly believe it'd be very hard to hit a plateau if you're truly eating the set amount of calories you picked.

And weighing everyday is probably the worse thing you can do, it seems to have already drove you crazy. I've learned weight loss only happens when YOU want it to happen. And i mean, REALLY want it to happen. Motivation shouldn't rely just on the scale in my opinion. Yes, it's great seeing the number going down. But this is a life style change, not some easy fix. You need to learn to be happy- don't cut out the foods you're going to eat after your 'diet'. Thats WHY people gain it back. I for one love ice cream, i have not taken it out of my diet at all and i'm down 12 pounds since i started. I eat chocolate, too. I just put it into my calorie restriction. Now obviously you don't want to eat junk food all day everyday. But DO NOT deny yourself. I also heard, giving yourself a "break day". If you truly don't want to eat junk throughout the week in your diet, at least give yourself a break day. Again, treat yourself to ice cream or whatever you like. This isn't a "diet" you are changing yourself for the better.

Helenca76

You sound exactly like me!!
I gained a lot of weight over a period of a year due to ill health. Long story short, lost a few pounds, gained more back over and over again. & years on and I am nearly at the weight I was on my 30th birthday which is still 36lbs heavier than I want to be.

I have been religiously dieting and exercising since June. I made a half hearted start and lost 10lbs before that over 16 weeks but wasn't seeing the results I desired so I threw myself into watching what I ate. Planning meals, accounting for every ounce of food and calorie burned through exercise. I found myself cycling for an hour just so I could have a slice of pizza that evening so I didn't go over my calorie allowance for that day.

I saw a loss every week and my clothes started to fit, then get too big....result!
Then September came and for 4 damn weeks, I stayed the same. I weighed every single day!! Then I lost 1lb. Then I stayed the same for 3 weeks. This week, I have lost 2lbs through sheer determination but I am now quite prepared to see the scales say the same freaking numbers for the next however many weeks but you know what! I am fine with that, My body is changing shape.
2 weeks ago, my husband bought me a dress to wear out for my birthday in a little over 2 weeks time. It didn't fit too well when I first tried it on. I tried it on this morning, not only does it do up....I have a teeny bit of room in it and I only weigh 2lbs lighter!!!!

What I am trying to say is don't lose hope. It may be the dreaded plateau but it will end. The scales may not change much but your body is changing. I know we prefer to see the numbers on the scale going down but your are working out quite a bit. I have found that I am smaller with no weight loss. Muscle weighs heavy! It will change and you will see a difference soon! Make sure you mix cardio with some weight training.

You can do it!!