Frustrated!

girlwithgoldeneyes

I dont know what I am doing wrong! I am getting so frustrated with my "weight loss" or lack there of. My first weigh-in was on a different scale so when we got the new one I was ok with going up a few pounds, but that was over a week ago now and my weight hasnt gone down :-(. I am eating less than my calories on a daily basis, I am doing a work out every day, and I try to get out and walk on most days as well. I am making good healthy sensible food choices, I just dont get it. I am so happy for everyone else who is loosing weight and I just do not get why I am not.... My biggest down fall is getting enough water on a daily basis. Our new scale tells you your hydration level and I hover around 32% so I know I need to hydrate (and I am working on it). I am just feeling so frustrated with not having any pound loss to show for the work I have been doing. And to make matters worse I had to get fitted for a dress and when they did my measurements they did them wrong. How embarrassing to have to go back to the dress shop and say um yeah I think the measurement you took for my waist is like 6 inches off (tell me that doesnt make ya feel fat!). So now I have to email my SIL and tell her the measurements I gave her were wrong. UGH! Thankfully I thought the seamstress was wrong went out and bought a cloth measuring tape and taped myself, and then went and questioned them. The dress is very fitted all the way through the hips, and that wouldve been really bad if the dress didnt fit! Well thank you for reading my vent, and if you have any suggestions on what to do or why I am struggling so much with loosing I would love to hear from you. :-)
Hope you all have a wonderful day and keep up the good work!

BriskisGrl

Christi are you taking your measurements as well??

IokiOcto

I've been gaining & losing the same 2 lbs for a while now. It's frustrating getting on the scale every 2nd or 3rd morning. I think once your body gets used to your new regimen it will start coming off. Be patient it will start working.

girlwithgoldeneyes

I just started taking measurements this week, when I didnt think the seamstress measured right (prior to that I did not have a cloth tape measure). I am going to start taking my measurements. I am hopeful that will be a more accurate representation of my work.

Thank you for the support Ladies. I know I can get past this, I am just feeling really frustrated right now.

girlwithgoldeneyes

Just saw this article someone had posted on the message board! So I am sharing for those that also might be struggling:
Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan

By Chalene Johnson

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

IveLanded

Here is something I've discovered in my journey:

What most people think of as "eating healthy" isn't really healthy or conducive to weight loss. I have A LOT of friends in your boat who say the same thing "I eat right and exercise and I haven't lost". I did that last year myself.........I started running and was running several days a week and over a year I did not lose 1 single pound.

Weight loss is generally calories in versus calories out. You can eat really "healthy" but still be putting in loads more calories than you are working off. I have a friend who was eating oatmeal with walnuts every morning and thought that was healthy until I showed her that her portions and add-ins (milk, a little sugar) were putting her at over 600 calories just for breaktfast!

A lot of people are not really honest/aware of how much extra they eat in a day. A bit of a cookie here, a handful of chips while shopping, a few bites of your kids sandwich.....that can really add up in a day but lots of people don't even think about those extra calories.

It sounds like you are getting some good solid physical movement in. If you're not losing, it might be time to take a hard look at your diet and make a significant change in how your eating.

Bonnieelizabeth

Proper hydration is a must to loose weight. Your body will retain what water that it has if you don't give it enough . I can't stand plain water so I drink crystal light. Up your non calorie fluids like water and see what happens!!

Mommagoose4

I have had to plateaus we will say.
1. I wasn't enough so I upped my calories a little not a lot & I started loosing.
2. I wasn't getting enough protein - I introduced a protein shake for breakfast & I started loosing.
3. I upped my exercise & I started loosing a lot.
4. Water is very important. Try keeping a reusable water bottle at your side & when you feel hungry (and it's not meal time) drink a bottle of water - then decide if you are still hungry. Most ppl misread hunger for thirsty!

Don't get frustrated you can do this!

MzMandi1025

I'm having the same problem. When I first started, I was consistantly losing a pound a week. Then I started paying attention to my exercise calories & stopped eating them back, then everything just stalled. So I started eating enough back to net 1200-1400 calories, I still haven't been able to get back on track. My goal was to lose 10 this month, so far I've lost 2, gained 3 back, then lost the same 3. It's frustrating, but you have to power through it.

girlwithgoldeneyes

Thank you all for your motivation, support, and suggestions. I have been keeping a calorie log for a little while and my hardest part is eating enough calories. I am still not eating enough, and I generally do not eat back what I work off during my work outs. I picked up a canteen and some lemon juice (to flavour my water) so I am hoping to increase my hydration levels. I CAN DO THIS!