I hate losing OUNCES!

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pamperedpenguin
pamperedpenguin Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Don't get me wrong, a loss is a loss, but when you stick to your plan, exercise your butt off, and then only lose a couple, few ounces it is very frustrating.

Anyone else have this problem? And how do you stay motivated when the weight loss is in these teeny tiny increment?
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Replies

  • hendongirl
    hendongirl Posts: 156 Member
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    hey a loss is a loss, in my books
    at least you're losing.... i'm working my *kitten* off, literally, and I've been stuck on a plateau for the past 2 months.... *sigh*
  • HeidiHoMom
    HeidiHoMom Posts: 1,393 Member
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    I am generally a slow loser, like many weeks I will lose .2 or .3, it does suck knowing how hard I worked all week. BUT if you are exercising you have to remember that you are retaining water and changing body composition. I lift heavy weights so I know I am building muscle too and that is why some of my losses are a lot smaller.
  • Cocochickdeleted
    Cocochickdeleted Posts: 343 Member
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    Ounces become pounds. If you are discouraged, scoop up a pound of Crisco and then measure out a few ounces. That is that much less of that nasty adipose tissue you have hanging out in your body.
  • tuppance
    tuppance Posts: 132 Member
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    Frustrating isn't it? I decided early on in this journey to only log whole pound losses - boy was that a mistake

    last week I lost almost a whole pound but not quite so it looks like no loss - hopefully to be made up this week

    I think that sometimes your body needs to adjust itself - you can't lose lots for extended periods

    Measure with a tape instead of the scale - the last couple of weeks the scales haven't gone down much but I have lost an inch of hips, waist and bust (and dropped down into the next dress size)

    Keep motivated, hang in there, you're worth it :)
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
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    When I've been gaining so much over the last couple of years I'm happy that I've made a change and I have stopped gaining. If I see a loss, I'm happy.

    Have you tried the usual thing of comparing your loss to everyday objects? Or butter... look how much butter your loss equates to...
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    It usually means 1 of two things when you aren't hitting your loss goals: 1) it is water weight fluctuation or 2) intake/expenditure estimation errors. There are other things, but my opinion is that probably 90% of the "plateaus" experienced are due to these two factors.

    However, that said, I'm happy to lose ounces! As long as I'm losing, I know I'll get there!
  • janewhite2627
    janewhite2627 Posts: 7 Member
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    I have that same problem. One thing I discovered was that I was taking my thyroid med (Levothyroxin) incorrectly. I was taking it with a couple of supplements and a multivitamin. Apparently that can negate it's effect. Now that I have changed that for a week, I lost a couple of pounds. Hopefully that is going to help! I try to look at the what I am eating or drinking more carefully to see if there is something there I'm just not noticing.
  • inhousecork
    inhousecork Posts: 12 Member
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    if i can keep from gaining im smiling :)
    i got all proud of my weight loss and put on 1/2 stone in 4 weeks poooop
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I just assume it's water weight since I have to be losing if I'm doing everything right.
  • Francesca3162
    Francesca3162 Posts: 520 Member
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    I can't see your diary so it is hard to say why you are not seeing the results you were expecting.
    A few general things:

    Are you measuring everything you eat? Most people underestimate the portion size of the foold they put in their bodies.
    Are you over estimating calories burned and eating them back?
    Are you not fueling your body properly? (what are your macros?)
    Are you retaining water? (sodium)
    Are you using the same scales in same place at same time? my digital scale will read differently depending on where it is on bathroom floor, so I now have a corner tile I line it up with so it is in the same spot every morning after I pee and before I brush my teeth or wash my face. LOL!!
  • JLHaynes20
    JLHaynes20 Posts: 1
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    The best advice that I can give you (which is easier said than done) is this: don't let the scale define you. There have been weeks where I've seen a clear change in the way clothes fit, or achieved a significant workout milestone, and then gotten on the scale and either lost nothing or even gained weight.

    Keep in mind that your body (depending on your weight) carries somewhere between 12-18 gallons of water at any time - water that weighs over 8 pounds/gallon. Just the simple fluctuations in water retention can make a 3 pound difference that doesn't truly reflect your progress - if you happen to weigh one week at the bottom end of this fluctuation and the next week at the top, the scale may tell you that you gained weight even if you made excellent progress.

    If you lose a few ounces/week for a period of four or five weeks, you may want to consider a new diet and exercise plan, or at least assessing what you're doing to see if there's something you're not tracking right, miscounting, etc. But don't let one week's disappointing scale reading discourage you - unless you're in the first few weeks and have a lot of weight to lose, they happen to everyone.
  • muamontreal
    muamontreal Posts: 109 Member
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    Ounces become pounds. If you are discouraged, scoop up a pound of Crisco and then measure out a few ounces. That is that much less of that nasty adipose tissue you have hanging out in your body.

    never thought about that but it's brilliant !
    I spent 3 weeks not losing an oz so I decided to log everything on MFP and weight everything on an electronic scale . This is how I realized I was eating bigger portions than I should have...

    At least you're still losing !

    good luck !
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    Don't get me wrong, a loss is a loss, but when you stick to your plan, exercise your butt off, and then only lose a couple, few ounces it is very frustrating.

    Anyone else have this problem? And how do you stay motivated when the weight loss is in these teeny tiny increment?

    You've received a lot of good advice.

    I'd like to add that focusing ONLY on the scale can be maddening. Take some pictures, take measurements, keep track of how your clothes are fitting you, if you can complete any exercise you are doing more easily, etc. Those successes make a "lazy scale" much easier to bear!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    That's the way it goes. Sometimes, you'll put on weight. The toughest thing about weight loss is discipline and belief. Ok, that's two things. The two toughest things about weight loss are discipline, belief and faith. Ok, that's three things. The three toughest things about weight loss are discipline, belief, faith and motivation.

    The Spanish Inquisition Diet right at you.
    Spinquisition.jpg
  • stellaskies
    stellaskies Posts: 161 Member
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    I'm greedy and will take any little bit I can.
  • jothekid
    jothekid Posts: 230 Member
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    Muscles weigh more than fat so a slow weight lost is good :)
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    start focusing on getting stronger, faster, and being able to go further.

    appearance is the result of hard work.
  • LALOCHA34
    LALOCHA34 Posts: 340 Member
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    I can see where you get frustrated and yes, a LOSS is a LOSS!

    I see it like this, "If I lose 2-3 pounds a month, it is better than the average 10-15 pounds a year I had been gaining to get where I was at when I started on here earlier this year.

    2 to 3 pounds a month equals 36-48 pounds a year. That is amazing. I also like to think of this as part of my daily life...forever!

    Not just until I reach a goal weight. This is an everyday thing not a temporary fix.

    So if you are busting your tail day in and day out and losing ounces, you are making progress towards a healthier lifestyle and a better you regardless.

    Hang in there and repeat after me, "I am beautiful AND I am worth it". You must learn to love losing "ounces and pounds". Another way to stay motivated is to say, I have lost 6 ounces this week, if I keep this up I will lose up to 26 pounds this year! It will add up and I highly doubt you will only see an "ounces" loss every week. Stay motivated by knowing you are building a healthier you, ONE DAY at a TIME! The end result will come and then there is maintenance. It is always something. You are worth it, keep going.
  • ashlinmarie
    ashlinmarie Posts: 1,263 Member
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    It took me three weeks to lose .2 lbs. SERIOUSLY?! I busted my butt and ate as well as I could and still that was my loss. Before that it was 2 weeks to lose .6 lbs. I can't cut calories more because I starve and if I eat back my exercise calories, I gain so I'm just trying to watch my sodium more.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Are you expecting more than a couple of ounces in a day or two? Because that's pretty unreasonable. Look at your overall weight trend, not day-to-day scale readings.

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