I have over 100 pounds to lose...and am feeling discouraged

onebusychic

Hello All!

This is my first week on MFP and I really like it! The food and exercise trackers are amazing, so I thought I would try to take advantage of the forums as well. Can't hurt, right?

I recently joined a gym a couple months ago. I have been doing really well with my calories and exercise (working out more than I have ever before...ever...in my life!). The problem? Well, today was my weigh in day and, despite all my hard work, I was only down 2.5 pounds. That's in two weeks. Now, I know it's better than nothing, but it's SO hard not to feel discouraged or, worse, defeated. Additionally, I took my measurements and, while some dropped (barely), others actually went up! How can that be?!

If ever there were a time that I needed some support and uplifting, it's now!

krystonite

What's your diet like?

redefiningmyself

2.5 pounds in 2 weeks is a very good healthy number. And now its 2.5 pounds that you don't have to lose. You are that much closer to your goal.

You are going in the right direction. Things take time so be patient with yourself.

elainecroft

Slow and steady may be discouraging, but it is the best for long term weight loss and you are doing the RIGHT thing by taking steps to be healthy! If you are going to the gym, you are putting on muscle, which means that the weight you lose is not the entirety of the fat that you lose - you are just replacing some of your fat with muscle, which is a GOOD thing!

Stick with it - this is a process with its ups and downs but you just need to take it one day at a time - in a few weeks/months/years you will look back at this time and feel so proud of yourself for making the commitment to change!!

Rachaely

You could be gaining muscle! When you first start working out you can gain muscle quickly, but see no change in your weight. It's hard, because you WANT to see that scale change. How about tracking your body fat percentage? That is more important than weight anyways!

Losing weight is a tough battle, but make sure you reward yourself for small goals, and set small milestones for yourself. Don't think of it as 100 pounds. Think of it like repeats or intervals: ten pounds, ten different times, or 25 pounds four times.

You can do it

sexygenius

where to you live? hopefully in altamonte springs,fl
that would be so awesome

ReadyMom

That is over a pound a week that is great!!! You didn't gain all that weigh over night so just think of it in 5 lb increments. After you lose your first 5 then think about the next 5 and so on. If you think about how much you need to lose total it is overwhelming and discouraging. Slow and steady wins the race, you can do it!!!

GorillaNJ

Keep at it! Exercising and eating right are the key. Some times it will feel like it is going sooo slooooowwww, but 2.5lbs in 2 weeks is good progress!

shrews

I can so totally relate. I think the only thing I can tell you is that every body is different, but that if you continue plugging away and keep the consistency, the weight will come off. You'll hit a plateau, then another, then another. Keep fighting.

netter43

I know it is so easy to be discouraged, but you need to keep reminding yourself of the big picture. I could not believe that I have only been losing 1 pound per week, but I know in my heart that will be the only way I'm going to keep it off forever. I definitely get discouraged, but I have pumped up my exercising and now I actually feel bad physically when I miss a day. I too have quite a bit of weight to lose and have struggled all my life. this is the first time I don't feel like I'm on a "diet". I track everything and do my exercise and in 6 weeks my size 22 jeans are actually getting baggy where before I couldn't even breath in them and had so much muffin top it was disgusting. Each step you do for you to be healthier and happier is a success in and amongst itself. Be proud that you are making the steps to reach your goals and relish in each and every accomplishment. If you need a friend I am here to listen. Good luck with your process!!

onebusychic

Wow! I'm blown away be the responses...already! Thanks, everyone!

I know it's best to take it slow and steady, but boy is it hard when I'm bustin' my tail and that scale is barely moving. I've been walking around sore all week!

My diet is balanced, just focusing on cutting calories. I aim for about 1,200-1,500 a day-depending on how much I've worked out. According to my tracker, I have been a little low on my caloric goals this week. Maybe that's it? Definitely going to try to hit that number and have a better weigh in result in two weeks!

And, I'm in Missouri, lol, just a little bit of a drive from Florida!

triomomplus2

2.5 pounds is great... I know it doesnt sound or look encouraging but it is a wonderful number ~ and healthy. You dont wanna lose to quick. Keep your head up and stay focused ~ before you know it that 2.5 will be 25 pounds gone (((HUGS)))

murf19

Keep it going. One pound at a time. Don't worry about the final number. Consistancy is the name of the game. I say this over and over to folks - Stick to fresh fruits, veggies good protien and try cutting out your man made carbs. At least try to cut out the carb at dinner. It works wonders.

lilRicki

RELAX! stress can cause you to gain weight lol...you just started this fun lifestyle right? which means you aren't going to get results instantly...this isn't a pill or a surgery that's going to magically make everything disappear...you've worked hard to be 100lbs over weight, now you're going to have to work hard to get rid of those lbs...i've been working out for the past 4 months and my body has just decided to give me a break. Your body is traumatized! It wants to hold on to all your fat..but once you get in the swing of things you'll start losing. Don't stress out so early in your lifestyle change...just keep doing what you're doing, and be aware of your breathing...is it easier to walk up the stairs? how about getting up off the chair? and don't worry about your measurements yet either...trust me, i went through the exact same thing...i started to cry while i was on MFP because NOTHING was working...but all of a sudden i started dropping exactly what i was suppose to...took me a few months, but i'm on a roll now lol...and if i can give you any piece of advice, it's this DON'T WEIGH OR MEASURE DURING YOUR PERIOD!!! My god that will damage some serious self esteem. just give yourself a week off of measuring and weighing because it's not going to be pretty...

MadamaOpera

Don't be discouraged! A little more than a pound a week is great! As far as measurements go- you really can't expect to lose inches in a couple weeks. Try measuring yourself only once a month or even once every two months. I'm sure you'll see change! Also, because you're being awesome and working out so often, parts of you will probably get bigger: working those muscles makes them build up! They're doing what they're supposed to! On the upside, having more muscle not only creates more tone when your body starts tucking into those fat reserves and it starts going bye bye, but muscles burn that fat faster. Yeah! Keep at it! The drastic changes you're looking for aren't so far away and one day you'll look at yourself in the mirror and wonder what happened!

blumuse

I know it's discouraging to see the scale move so little after a lot of hard work but don't give up. I too have over 100 lbs to lose and I struggled for the first month to make that scale budge at all. You hear all these stories of very overweight people shedding tons of pounds at first....and well, that just didn't happen for me. If you're like me, you've been doing very LITTLE exercise prior to this. After joining a gym, keep in mind that you're going to be gaining a lot of muscle which will offset your weight loss. Try not to concentrate on the scale so much but pay attention to your body. You WILL start to feel stronger and more toned and more fit. That's all signs that you're on the right track. My personal trainer said your body will typically freak out for three weeks when you start. Give yourself some time. The fact that your'e losing something is better than nothing and you're surely not gaining so be proud! Be patient, keep at it and sooner or later you will start to see the pounds drop off more and more. I've lost 31 lbs since starting a gym in July and it's an amazing feeling. You'll get there!

shreddin_mama

i think you are doing great! you should set mini goals for yourself so 100lbs won't be so far away.

tkroeker

I echo what everyone else is saying. I did the Jillian Micahels 30 day shred before I started counting calories and my scale didn't budge 1 pound!!! But, I could tell I was thinner. Goes to show what muscle mass can do to your scale!!! Keep hanging in there. You'll have your ups and downs with weight loss. Remember to drink TONS of water. The more bathroom trips the better! It keeps flushing your body out!

grogers421

Don't let the overall number of pounds you want to lose get you down. I want to lose approx 200 lbs. I just take it one day at a time. I have realized that I didn't put on all the weight overnight, and I will NOT take it off overnight. There are good days and bad days, but if you use this sight and are committed to changing your lifestyle, eat less, exercise more, you will be victorious. Keep smiling. Every journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.

chelekaz

You are doing great. There are some weeks that you can lose 2-3 pounds and some where you might lose 0 - 1. Any week that is a loss or maintaining the prior week's weight is a GREAT week. You should never feel discouraged for forward progress. I too have 100 pounds that I am trying to lose. Also, if you do cardio exercises along w/ strength and toning it will take longer to lose the weight as you will be toning that excess skin. I am going to send you a friend request .... we can cheer eachother on!

pkd1

I totally understand how you feel ive been with MFP for over a month and ive only lost 2 lbs but ive lost more inches then anything , i want the numbers on the scale to move but they are on the tape measure , so dont worry about it, i also was getting very mad and was about to just say bye to MFP but it all fell together and im very happy with my progress, so be posotive and things will happen

crissi66

hey keep your head up!! I worked out for a month before i started to see a change. Make sure you are logging everything. I have more than 70lbs to lose and if there is one thing i know it is very easy to tell yourself you can cheat on your diet because your working out. Be completely honest with what your eating. Diet is huge for us when we have so much weight to lose. Here are a few things i did when i first started:

1.I dont have any kids so when i shop i shop just for me. I use a basket not a cart . the bigger the cart the more stuff you put in it.

2. I trully hate salad. but love mixed raw veggies, carrots, cuccumbers, celery are delicious raw. i eat them in place of salad.

3. WATER. soda and juice are empty calories . a bottle of juice from any store is almost 240 for 16oz. they count i tried to tell myself they didnt but they do.

4. Really avoid eating out at first, everything is so tempting. the right choices really do take time to get used to so avoid crap. Things you think arent so bad can sometimes be the worst.

Most importantly have patience with yourself. I tell myself it took 27 years to get this big it is sure not gonna come off in a week, month or 2 months.

pinky1988

I gained 70 pounds in 2 years, so thats 35 pounds a year, and a little over 2 pounds a month.

So if you do the math, at 1 pound per week, thats approximately 52 pounds a year you can lose or more!!!!!

So that means everything I did to gain the weight, i must reverse in order to lose it all.

PUT THE SCALE AWAY! I had my boyfriend hide ours and he hid it good!!!

Grab a tape measure and watch the inches go, the inches lost are more noticeable then the pounds.

Fliegenschwein

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, as someone once said.

A pound a week is just fine. Good luck and welcome

msemejuru

Don't be discouraged since it seems you've done the hardest part! You've started working out more and are watching what you eat, be proud of yourself! Make sure you are logging everything you eat, even small bites while cooking or off other people's plates and the program will work. Break your major goal of lose 100 pounds down to a few mini goals i.e. lose "x "pounds by a certain date or per month (based on system recommendation). Also have some mini goals that are non weight-related like work out 5 times a week or have a glass of water before each meal. This will give you something else to track so you don't get discouraged.

JosephTucker

yeah, 2.5 pounds in two weeks is good, remember the salt could effect things too. Retaining some of that water. If you stick with it, trust me, it will come off.

petey49

Hi: I just started this week. On day 2 I was so discouraged that I had blown my caloriesI was crying. The support I got from this board was amazing. I encouraged me and made me realize this is a journey not a sprint. It took me 3 decades to go from the body I had (and want back) to the body I have now. Okay I know I may not get back to the exact same body, but closer works. ;-)

I realize that it will take me more than a few weeks, or a few months to get back, but I will get there eventually one or two pounds at a time. Keep up the exercise, keep up the calorie tracking. Don't beat yourself up. Eventually we will see the changes we want.

On that note, time to burn some calories and earn a few extra for TGIF!

lupuslady

Try hard not to get depressed, my scale did not move for 3 weeks, then overnight I lost 2 lbs, the a week later 3 lbs. Just keep at it and it will come off.

treehugginpam

I agree with everyone else, 2.5 pounds is not bad (even though I know it's frustrating). You mentioned being under your calories though -- sometimes that can do it. If you go under your calories AND you're working out, that can work against you. You need to make sure that you're giving yourself the energy you need to work out as hard as you are by making sure you eat enough nutritious stuff.

That having been said, personally some of my biggest weight loss weeks were weeks I allowed myself an "off day" to eat whatever I want. I don't know what it is, but it seems like for me one "free day" actually helps to kick start my metabolism!

edorice

Take it 10 pounds at a time.
I also recommend a great book called Half As.sed, the author writes of her journey to lose over 100 pounds.

JuicyJBaby3

Its very easy to become discouraged in the beginning. Because you are looking at how much you have to lose. Concentrate more on just being healthy and exercising. Watch your sodium, drink plenty of water.

You are doing great!! This is a long process. We learn as we lose!!

Good luck!!