Being Really Hard on Myself

_Khaleesi_

I weigh in "for real" Wednesday mornings. My goal is to lose 1.25 lbs a week (5 lbs a month total). This week I lost 1.4 lbs and felt good about it. I have been blogging with friends who are also on their weight loss journey, and this week I read about another weight gaining week for my friend instead of a loss.

So I weighed myself again this morning, as it has become more of a habit now, and see that those 1.4 lbs are suddenly back on. The only day this week that I didn't exercise was yesterday and I haven't been over my calorie limit in 6 weeks. Now all that I can think about is how next week when I weigh in I will not have lost anything, but I will start gaining, just like my friend. And a poor night sleep has left me exhausted and not wanting to exercise and I am sure this discovery has only made me even more lethargic.

I keep waiting for myself to fail and I keep feeling like this is probably it... I know it's one day... I guess it's just one of those horrible dark days that we all get from time to time. I am having a hard time being okay with me today.

emancipateurself

It's hard sometimes to get rid of the negative voices we have in our heads.......but just know that your weight changes so often during a day or a couple days and that is completely normal, for instance yesterday I lost 2.2 pounds and just because I weighed myself this am and gained 1.8, but I know if I just keep to weighing myself once a week it'll go down, I think the trick is too really just keep to weighing in once a week or it will drive you bonkers!!!!!!!

Dornroschen

If you're honestly, truthfully doing everything right, you should try to take pride in that and not the numbers you get on the scale. Focus on how you feel and the power of making 6 weeks of excellent choices. Just keep doing what you're doing - you're being a healthy person and that's what's good in the long run - not necessarily the numbers on the scale or measuring tape.

Jenscan

Oh, I could have written this post about 100 times. You know logically that the "gain" is NOT a gain, unless you ate 3500 calories + maintenance calories yesterday. But it's still demoralizing and part of your brain wonders. I think the key thing for me is that I don't allow myself to enjoy my successes. I assume I'll fail at something, because I have like no confidence. Whatever the thing is for you, you have to recognize whatever it is that's making you think you're gaining. You're not.

You aren't failing. You recognize you slept poorly and it's a bad day today, and that's ok. Stop worrying about gaining; you aren't. Literally, you need to stop thinking about it and think about something else. Tell yourself that you've lost 14 pounds already (great job!) and IT IS OK!

You are doing great - and you're doing the right thing by venting here. You got this.

AZTrailRunner

The problem with weighing yourself weekly is you tend to lose and gain a little water weight every day, and if you only weigh-in once a week, the scale may reflect a high-point in that process. you could weigh-in every day and just note the overall trend. You may find your lowest weight is already lower than you previously measured.

In the end, the scale is just a tool that measures weight, not water, not fat, not muscle, just weight. Your clothes will tell the real tale.

therobinator

I can't see your diary to know for sure, but I'm guessing it's probably just water retention/temporary sodium weight. This is why we should only weigh in once a week, at the same time, wearing (or not wearing) the same clothes, and after using the toilet.

jmruef

{{{HUGS}}}

Those kinds of days bite HARD. I'm sorry you're having one.

You've probably read other people's posts along the same lines - but the day to day numbers are pretty much meaningless. You know that there are so many things that can make your body weight fluctuate. (I swear, sometimes I think the shampoo I use makes a difference!)

It's not a failure and YOU are not a failure. You haven't failed.

It's a number on an imperfect measuring machine. That's all.

Hang in there. Hopefully it's sunny where you are - can you go for a walk, take some deep breaths in the sunshine and re-center yourself a bit? Hide the scale for a bit. Don't give it any more attention than it really deserves (which isn't much.)

Keep on keeping on, too. This will pass!

daniface

PUT THE SCALE AWAY/ you sound exactly like me. i started weighing every month i find its far less stressful that way

kimmerroze

This is why you shouldn't weigh every single day... if your goal is 5 pounds a month, weigh yourself once a month or once every two weeks.

The body flucuates daily up to 5 pounds sometimes... Depending on TONS of factors. Bowl movements, how much food you ate the day before, how much sodium, sugar, if you lifted weights really hard, if you worked out hard. If its that time of month. Etc the list goes on and on...


Simply put, YOu CANNOT GAIN 1.5 POUNDS OVER NIGHT. to do this you would have to eat 3500 calories OVER your maintainence which is about 500-1000 calories more than your daily goal anywas. So ask yourself did you eat 3500 calories or more over your maintainence? No you didnt. So its not FAT gain.

So this could mean two things, Todays weight gain is a flucuation of water weight or the factors listed above. Or yesterday you really didnt' lose 1.5 pounds. Either way you REALLY shouldn't sweat. it. as long as the scale is going down you are good. Take an average of the lost pounds at the end of the month and go off of that. I am pretty sure that you will still have lost weight. and probably close to your five pounds.

_Khaleesi_

Oh, I could have written this post about 100 times. You know logically that the "gain" is NOT a gain, unless you ate 3500 calories + maintenance calories yesterday. But it's still demoralizing and part of your brain wonders. I think the key thing for me is that I don't allow myself to enjoy my successes. I assume I'll fail at something, because I have like no confidence. Whatever the thing is for you, you have to recognize whatever it is that's making you think you're gaining. You're not.

You aren't failing. You recognize you slept poorly and it's a bad day today, and that's ok. Stop worrying about gaining; you aren't. Literally, you need to stop thinking about it and think about something else. Tell yourself that you've lost 14 pounds already (great job!) and IT IS OK!

You are doing great - and you're doing the right thing by venting here. You got this.

Wow... you just threw me the rope I needed to pull myself out of this dark hole I've been in today. Thank you so much. Kind words help... a lot.

I will likely keep weighing every day or every two days just because of what AZ said. If it keeps getting to me like it did today though... I'm keeping it to once or twice a week. No point in torturing myself.

Yesterday was a bad sodium day...

Thanks again guys. I really needed these words.

Worshipgirl247

It's hard sometimes to get rid of the negative voices we have in our heads.......but just know that your weight changes so often during a day or a couple days and that is completely normal, for instance yesterday I lost 2.2 pounds and just because I weighed myself this am and gained 1.8, but I know if I just keep to weighing myself once a week it'll go down, I think the trick is too really just keep to weighing in once a week or it will drive you bonkers!!!!!!!

I have a tendency of weighing myself everyday too and one day I'll be a certain weight and then the next day it'll be different. If you are eating right and exercising, then there's nothing to feel bad about. Sometimes we get so focused on the numbers that we lose sight of what matters and what matters is you're taking care of your body. You're doing great and don't be too hard on yourself

cnewyou

Things will look brighter once you get some rest., but also, don't become a slave to the scale. Think of the other benefits of exercise and eating right like your clothes fitting better, you feeling more energy, etc.

JDRBT

This is a tough one, but here is my advice:

DO NOT LET THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE DICTATE YOUR WORTH! You are WORTH taking care of (by eating healthy and working out). You are WORTH it! Celebrate your victories, but maybe don't focus on your weight victories? For example, I celebrate a really hard day working out by giving myself 15-30 minutes in a bubble bath or jacuzzi w/ a good book. It's a daily thing I can do to take care of me. Lately, it's been about a weekly thing, but ya know what? It's totally worth it to take some time out - hit the pause button, and say, "I've done a good job today. I'm worth this treat." Instead of the "treat" being a "cheat", it can be a wonderfully nurturing thing!

I tend to weigh myself a couple times a week too - and I know there are days when it's HARD not to let that number beat my self esteem into the ground. It's not easy. That's when I call a good friend or get on here for support.

Hang in there!

melindalamb

Do not be hard on yourself! Are you doing weights? You could be gaining muscle.