Need some encouragement

staclo

Ok so the scale says I've gained a few pounds within the last few days, even though I'm staying in my calorie range, eating healthy, and getting tons of exercise. I know a few things: 1) my scale is whacky and it fluctuates more than a normal scale (although I usually can get it w/n a pound or so...not usually off by that much), 2) I'm starting my period any day, and 3) I am definitely losing inches. However, I can't shake the feeling of discouragement when the scale says I've gained back half the weight I've lost (3-4 pounds out of 8). I'm not going to quit or anything, but I'm definitely not feeling enthusiastic right now. If anyone wants to offer advice or encouragement, I would appreciate it a lot. :ohwell:

staclo

Ok so the scale says I've gained a few pounds within the last few days, even though I'm staying in my calorie range, eating healthy, and getting tons of exercise. I know a few things: 1) my scale is whacky and it fluctuates more than a normal scale (although I usually can get it w/n a pound or so...not usually off by that much), 2) I'm starting my period any day, and 3) I am definitely losing inches. However, I can't shake the feeling of discouragement when the scale says I've gained back half the weight I've lost (3-4 pounds out of 8). I'm not going to quit or anything, but I'm definitely not feeling enthusiastic right now. If anyone wants to offer advice or encouragement, I would appreciate it a lot. :ohwell:

godsgrl

I've about quit weighing. I only do it here and there, and on days I am feeling good. :laugh: Forget what the scale says. You say you are eating healthy, getting tons of exercise and staying in your calorie range -- AWESOME!!! If nothing else, you are taking care of yourself which is more than 90% of the population does, and you WILL be rewarded for it. Maybe not always in pounds lost, but in other ways. Good going, girl! Keep up the hard work! :drinker:

heygirl1954

only weigh yourself once a week, my weigh goes up and down from day to day but I only count it once a week and on the same day and same time in the morning.. I also can gain 5 pounds in one day if I keep watching it but it always goes back down by morning...

KatWood

Have you been eating healthy and staying within your calories?
Have you been exercising?
If so, you are on track and what the scale says right this moment simply doesn't matter.:flowerforyou:

MFR1974

Remember to drink your water...this has really evened out my dramatic weight fluctuations from day to day. Definitely weight once a week at the same time of day each time. Great job..keep it up!

sapphire092170

It can be really discouraging to see the numbers go back up when you've worked so hard to lose the weight! You sound like you've got the right idea though. Scales do fluctuate...your period will affect your weight...weight can fluctuate naturally with water retention! This is all true. You've lost inches!!! You know you are being good to yourself...so why then are you feeling discouraged? Sometimes it takes a lot of "positive thinking" and excuse the term "blowing sunshine up your own butt" to keep you focused on forward motion. It's far too easy to fall back into old self destructive habits...it's easy to fail...it's easy to get caught up in the negative self talk that will spin us out of control...that's why so many of us have become so far out of shape in the first place. Nothing in life is easy...nothing comes cheap...it's going to take hard work and dedication to reach your goals and YOU CAN AND WILL DO IT! BELIEVING it is the KEY!!! If you just put faith in yourself and let go of all that negative "I'm not going to quit or anything, but I'm definitely not feeling enthusiastic right now." and try to think differently...you'll succeed! Setting yourself up for failure by thinking this way...isn't going to get you to your goals. You gave valid reason for why the scale might be reading a little high...focus on their validity!!! You are eating well...You are exercising...THE WEIGHT WILL COME OFF...end it there...so what if you don't feel motivated...the only way to change that is to "THINK DIFFERENTLY" Ever consider that your thinking might be twisted? Does any of this sound familiar to you?

All-or-nothing thinking... You look at everything in all-or-nothing terms.
Over generalization... You view a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.
Mental filter... You dwell on the negatives and ignore the positives.
Discounting the positives... You insist that your accomplishments or positive qualities 'don't count'.
Jumping to conclusions...
Mind reading: You assume that people are reacting negatively to you when there is no evidence for this.
Fortune-telling: You arbitrarily predict that things will turn out badly.
Magnification or minimization... You blow up things out of proportion or you shrink their importance inappropriately.
Emotional reasoning... You reason from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I really must be one." or "I don't feel like doing this so I'll put it off."
Should statements... You criticize yourself to other people with 'shoulds' or 'shouldn'ts'. 'Musts', 'oughts' and 'have-tos' are similar offenders.
Labeling... You identify with your shortcomings. Instead of saying "I made a mistake" you tell yourself "I'm a nerd" or "a loser".
Personalization and blame... You blame yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or you blame other people and overlook ways that your own attributes and behaviour might contribute to a problem.

Getting a handle on HOW YOU THINK will have long term positive effects on everything in your life!
You can do this...just believe in yourself and keep working hard!
Cheers...

staclo

That's true. I feel SO much better and I have SO much energy! I was only weighing once a week, but this week, I ended up weighing twice. I'm just not going to try not to think about the number again until next week, I guess.

Nessc

My advice..Don't weigh yourself when it's that TOM. All women know that when it is that TOM we have water weight that we carry around. If at all possible, refrain from weighing during this time because it will discourage you to see the added "weight gain." Good luck to you!! :drinker:

staclo

Thanks for the swift kick, Sapphire! I needed to "hear" that more than anything. I know that it's all about my perception. I'm naturally a perfectionist, so I tend to have the all or nothing mentality for sure. I'm going to work on focusing on the positives and push through this.

staclo

Good suggestion, Nessc. I even thought about that right before I weighed myself. I should have refrained!

1harleygal

:flowerforyou: Do NOT let the scale ruin you progress or mood, it flucates and doesn't always read correct. I got on mine this morning & it read that I gained 3 lbs over night which I know I didn't. Thanks to my very overweight husband standing on it my scale never reads correct any longer. I can stand on it and it will read one number, get off of it and get right back on and it will read higher. So as you can see the scale is just a tool to help us in our journey, plus with you going to start soon your weight will be off! Don't fret, and enjoy your success and know that the scale is wrong!:flowerforyou:

JDHINAZ

Hey, I'm with ya sister! I'm three weeks in, consistantly leaving a 500 calorie deficient everyday that I exercise, which is 5-6 days a week, I'm working hard at cardio and lifting weights, and I got on the scale this morning for my weekly weigh in and it barely budged. But I'm eating right, I'm exercising, my clothes fit better.....so SCREW THE SCALE!!!!

I feel good, I'm looking better, I'm feeling muscles in places I forgot I had them, my skin looks better, I'm not as cranky (eh....) and I know I'm doing good for myself so YEA ME!!!! (that's sunshine being blown up my own butt) I like it!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

fiddlechic

girl! this morning I'm right with you. my scale on wednesday said 197.5. today it says 199.5. I did overeat a little bit last night but for the other 6 days this week ive done an hour of cardio and stayed with cal range but I to am close to starting TOM and shouldnt have got on the scale today anyway...just know that it isnt a day to day thing but week to week. just a few weeks ago my scale said 209 so I know i'm doing something right.