Losing all motivation

myiceisonfire

Been the same weight for 5 weeks! Stupid plateau. I thought I broke through the plateau last week because I lost 2.4lbs, but then gained it all back 2 days later.... So pretty much for the last 5 weeks I've been stuck.
September 1st i decided to step it up with exercise. I've been walking til I burn 500 calories every day, doing 30 Day Shred Mon-Fri, and 6 Week Six-Pack every day!
.... Yet, nothing! I even took measurements & haven't lost anything, but I've gained .5 in my waist, .5 in my hips, and .5 in my thigh....

Also, I week ago I lowered my goal sodium weight down to 1,500 instead of 2,500 (or whatever mfp sets it at)

Nothing seems to working.

I've been told to eat more to try to lose weight, that hasn't helped either, that actually made me gain the weight back! Wont listen to that advice again!

I wont give up because i know that wont help & it's the wrong answer... But I feel like when i'm doing is just pointless & not helping at all. even though i feel like i'm doing the right things. *sigh*

Edit: Sorry about the venting, I know that reading something negative doesn't really help others to feel good. I just had to put how i feel somewhere. Hopefully for a little motivation.

ASPhantom

Hang in there.
Stick with it, it will drop again.

wannabesexymama

Go and change your Goals under your home tab change it to active lifestyle or the next one up from where you are. this may help some and if your not using weights yet this might also help but look for loss of fat not weight if you are using weights because you actually gain weight when you gain muscle. Muscle weighs more then fat! Good luck on getting back on track hun!

XFitMojoMom

takes a while for your hormones to adjust to your new weight... so, yeah give it time.

mynika

Yes just hang in there, I understand how you feel, but it will be slow. Just keep on, don't quit, and it will pay off hopefully this next week. :flowerforyou:

Marieanto

Sry you're going through that, im over here losing motivation & being angry at myself for letting it get to this point. Just take it one day at a time and fix it as much as you can. Are you drinking enough water, exercising, eating right? <<< you know.....the usual stuff ppl always suggest. IMO....... Don't give up, keep going and you'll see great results soon!!!!

SailingMike

Some things I have learned...
1. In the first weeks of starting exercise program most folks gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat. SO don't just weigh yourself... MEASURE to see what your body is really doing.
2. NEVER eat less than about 125O calories... OR try to loose too much too fast. Your body goes into starvation mode and retains fat.
3. It took YEARS to put on the weight... eat HEALTHY (food pyramid) exercise regularly... and slowly it will come off.
4. Also, SLOW weight loss is most likely to stay off long term.
5. DON"T "diet"... just learn to eat properly and exercise regularly. Make your goal "good health."
6. Eat back at least SOME of your exercise calories. This motivates me to exercise more!
7. Don't deprive yourself. Learn to have just ONE bite of that cake. Total deprivation may lead to fast weight gain later.
8. As you gained weight you probably had plateaus going up. Your body remembers these plateaus and will automatically plateau there again on the way down. Some refer to these as "set points." It may take some time and sometimes some adjustments to get past them.
9. Mix it up. Vary your exercise from day to day and vary your menu. If you get bored you are less likely to be successful.
10. Fill out your MyFitnessPal.com profile, particpate on the boards and add some friends who will encourage you (and maybe inspire you too) .... and HAVE FUN with it!!
11. Move More + Eat Less = Lower Weight

"It matters not if we try and fail, and try and fail again. But it matters much if we try and fail and fail to try again."

babygurl48

I was at a plateau since July 29th. The scale refused to budge!!! Was going up and down a few lbs like a yo-yo,,but never below the number that I plateaud at. I started zig-zagging my calories.. maintain one day, and 2 days under and then maintain again. .. and it moved the scale again .
Hope that helped.

ramblingirl

Don't give up, hang in there! I know how frustrating it is to be stuck. But look at what you were able to accomplish so far!! You should be so proud of that!

Maybe take a look a switching up the types of food you eat. I struggled and struggled at losing weight in previous attempts. This time I am strickly sticking to lean protein, vegetables and whole grains-but no bread or pasta (well maybe once every other week and I am dropping weight like I have never been able to before with minimal exercise. For me, its all about the food.
Not saying my plan will work for you, but if you alter some things in the calorie intake part, it could help.

Good luck and congrats on your 35 lbs!! My friend would tell you "thats 35 sticks of butter" lol

smileyk003

Hi, How frustrating - I completely sympathise with how annoying it is when it feels like we are doing everything right and getting nowhere

I know you mentioned that eating more put the weight back on, but that is a normal reaction from your body when you first try it.

I am not qualified in any way in this field but my basic understanding from all the information I have read is:

If you need to "eat more to lose" It is because your body has already put itself into "Starvation mode" So when you do initially give it some food it is going to hang on to it pretty tightly. You have to fuel your body fully for long enough for it to reset itself out of "Starvationg mode" - It might be worth reading up on some of this and you may be able to find a way to kickstart your loss again?

And maybe your working your poor body a little hard and need to give yourself a week off: eat healthy on enough calories to maintain and just doing some light exercise like walking? I find when I am overly rundown that I just need a really good rest to get me back into the swing of things.

Best of luck!

SmileyK

Lisa_222

I have heard that plateaus are perfectly normal. Your body is resetting itself. Just keep doing what you're doing and stop looking at the scale for awhile.

Change your workout, too. Challenge your body in a different way. I have a very physical job. You'd think I'd be a twig with the work I do. But it doesn't seem to matter because I do it every day. You have to change it up.

Plateaus are not permanent. Don't lose motivation. Go get a facial or something else to pamper yourself and reward yourself for your success.

puddin1965

DONT GIVE UP HUN ,I WAS ON A STANDSTILL ONCE FOR TWO MONTHS THEN BING BANG BOOM 16 LBS! HANG ON A TAD LONGER ITS COMING

Annie5859

What I've learned over the last few months is that the scale should not be your sole indicator of success. Are you taking body measurements? I've also learned that weight fluctuates very easily. So, with that being said, don't stress out. Ensure you are taking measurements because even if the scale doesn't move you will see a change in your body. An increase in calories might increase your weight one week but it might plummet the following week. So many factors need to be taken into consideration. TOM, water retention, stiff and sore muscles from exercising. Hang in there and don't be take the number on the scale as gosiple.

evelynr14

Don't give up! The body naturally doesn't like to be losing weight or gaining weight therefore it tries to reach a balance. I know this because I also have been at the same weight for about three weeks. I totally understand how frustrating it is and how hard you can be on yourself. Just hang in there and remember YOU CAN DO IT! Good luck girl