Discouraged!!!!

Lisa1971
Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I worked out and ate healthy all week and I stepped on my scale this morning (Friday is my weigh in day) to see that I have NOT lost! I know you're supposed to be losing 1-2 lbs a week so why is it that I didn't lose ANYTHING!!!! Why is my body hanging onto excess weight???? I am so upset and discouraged right now. It's not TOM and please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat because I do mainly cardio.

Well, at least I didn't gain but even so. I'm so mad at myself. Someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong!

Thanks.

Replies

  • vicidoesstuff
    vicidoesstuff Posts: 214 Member
    It might just take a week to catch up. That sometimes happens.

    Don't feel down - you're doing really well with your eating and exercising!
  • bstamps12
    bstamps12 Posts: 1,184
    It happens to me to! I won't lose for 2-3 weeks, then all of a sudden, I'll drop 6-7 lbs--without any change in my routine! I don't get it, but keep up your hard work and just know that you are getting healthier, even when the scale doesn't move!

    One thing I would recommend is to measure inches, if you are losing inches but no so many pounds, it will be really encouraging!
  • rtmama
    rtmama Posts: 403 Member
    I agree, there were weeks that I didn't lose anything, but then all of a sudden, bam, 1 or 2 pounds every few days would melt off. It's just your body getting used to your new lifestyle. Don't give up! Just ride it out, and don't put so much pressure on yourself.
  • maximouse
    maximouse Posts: 28 Member
    Awwww, I know exactly how you feel....BAD SCALES!!!!! Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna keep pedalling at this diet and exercise plan and never get there but I always think.....I'm not gonna get any slimmer eating crap, so I may as well try and be good as much as I can....and as these good people on here say, its gotta catch up one day!

    Hope you can keep going and those scales start behaving themselves........maybe threaten to have them melted down into a toaster - that should do it!

    Keep smilin :o)
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Your expectations are flawed. Fat loss is not a linear process simply because metabolism is not static. It has its ups and downs due to many factors.

    And that's sort of moot, b/c you're not assessing fat weight when you step on the scale. Maybe you are if you took a longer term perspective... but from week to week you can't really tell what's happening with your fat weight when relying purely on the scale. Reason being - the scale weighs everything; fat, muscle, bowel matter, water, connective tissue, etc. All of these factors are rising or falling at their own rates and schedules based on your genetics, diet, training, etc.

    The point is, fat loss can VERY EASILY be masked by gains in other factors - especially water.

    My suggestions:

    1. Focus on the process. Not the results. This works, so if you're sure you're doing things correctly simply hang in there and be patient. Things will fall into place.

    2. Take a longer-term perspective. Just because "they say" you're supposed to lose 1-2 lbs per week doesn't mean that's what's going to happen each and every week. Some weeks you might lose none. Others you might lose 4. When weeks and weeks go by (as in a month)and things aren't progressing in the direction you had hoped... then is the time to reassess.

    But here's an important distinction. If that point comes, there's no reason to get frustrated and upset. You didn't fail. You merely learned what doesn't work for you and that you need to reassess and modify what you're doing. That's part of this process... like it or not.

    3. Don't let the scale dictate your emotional well-being because you're concerned about fat loss and the scale takes far too many other things into account.

    4. You say "don't tell me it's muscle b/c I'm only doing cardio." Here's a hint for ya - if you're body's not used to doing cardio, cardio can very well stand as an overload on your muscles and force adaptation (growth). Sure, it won't be anything serious nor will it be long-lived but it's still very possible.

    Hang in there!
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    Are you watching your sodium? I HIGHLY recommend you track your sodium. If you're getting too much sodium and not drinking enough water, your body holds on to the water - essentially making you weigh more than you would otherwise. But other than that, you might just be stuck in a cycle and next week you might drop 3 pounds instead of 1.
  • leg8
    leg8 Posts: 49
    TAKE MEASUREMENTS!!! I have been doing p90x for a month now, only lost 3 pounds so far, but have lost 1.5 inches off of my waist already. It is definitely more rewarding to see inches lost than the scale moving, because, as has been stated, the scale weighs everything in your body and is not always an accurate reading of changes in fat/muscle growth, etc.
  • donna56
    donna56 Posts: 412
    I agree with what everyone said above. I did the same thing. I was so discouraged and upset because I had lost 3 lbs and then for 3 wks, I lost nothing. As a matter of fact, I gained a lb or two, but all in a wks time, I lost what I gained plus and additional 2 lbs. Just hang in there and do watch your sodium intake. I hope this helps.
  • mrsw510
    mrsw510 Posts: 169
    I had this happen recently. I went 2 weeks without lossing a single pound but the 3rd week I dropped 5 lbs. Don't get discouraged, keep at it and you will start lossing again!
  • feeny
    feeny Posts: 110 Member
    Are you eating all your calories? Drinking enough water?


    9 times out of 10 when I see posts like this on here the person posting is eating <1200 cals per day (including exercise cals), so if that's the case you might want to think about eating more.
  • sfischer1979
    sfischer1979 Posts: 5 Member
    It happens, don't get discouraged, instead, get motivated!
  • semperwife
    semperwife Posts: 1
    I'm loving all the encouragment from everyone. Thank you everyone... bc I too will take everything that was said and apply to myself when I feel this way. And to "stroutman81" WOW your post was very informative and helpful... i'm sure to many as well. Keep up the good work the road to healthiness is at work within you!!!
  • SylvieJacques
    SylvieJacques Posts: 113 Member
    I agree with everything said. Be patient and look at the big picture.. You already have lost quite a few pounds, this should be your motivation. Things will change from week to week and that's just the way the body is naturally.

    If you would like to have a more accurate picture of what is happening in your body, use a measuring tape or invest in one of those scales who will measure the fat, water, lean muscle... and will all separate it for you. Not perfect but closer to what is happening. Gyms usually have those as well.

    Don't get discouraged and hang in there! You are doing really well.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    4. You say "don't tell me it's muscle b/c I'm only doing cardio." Here's a hint for ya - if you're body's not used to doing cardio, cardio can very well stand as an overload on your muscles and force adaptation (growth). Sure, it won't be anything serious nor will it be long-lived but it's still very possible.

    Thanks, Stroutman, for the great pep talk/realism talk.

    To the OP, I guess I also wonder why you *aren't* doing more resistance training. You might find that shaking up your workout routine can make a big difference. If you are doing mostly steady-state cardio, maybe it is time to mix in some high-intensity interval training. Maybe start incorporating some bodyweight circuits into your routine. I do mostly very high intensity circuits and believe you me, they are a workout and a half! They also seems to really give my metabolism a good jolt.
  • cardswimmom
    cardswimmom Posts: 71
    great advice from everyone above, I would just add that you should make sure you are eating your exercise calories and drinking PLENTY of water.:flowerforyou:
  • Missspenditall
    Missspenditall Posts: 301 Member
    Everyone's right, and the worst thing you could do is give-up...just keep watching what your eating, keep moving and keep drinking that water. You will make it! =)
  • Alita2011
    Alita2011 Posts: 265 Member
    I think Steve motivated me more than the OP!
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Thanks so much everyone!!!!!!!!
  • kalebsmama07
    kalebsmama07 Posts: 503
    get a measure tape n measure your body about every 2 or 4 weeks to see a diffrence sometimes you see a diff in the scale and sometimes you dont .....if you dont lose weight mabe you lost inches off ur body try weighin and measuring your self this way.... ive seen results where i havent moved on the scale up or down but lost inches when i measured my self! :smile:
  • bememorable
    bememorable Posts: 8
    I ran 5K and 2.5K almost everyday for a week and ate clean. I did not lose but then I measured myself and noticed I had lost inches. Other weeks I have not lost anything (inches or weight), then the next week I do down a few. The body is just adjusting. All things come to those who wait... as much as that sucks. Your efforts will pay off:)
  • cardswimmom
    cardswimmom Posts: 71
    I think Steve motivated me more than the OP!

    I agree....very informative, thanks!
  • Serenifly
    Serenifly Posts: 669 Member
    how r ur clothes fitting?
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    how r ur clothes fitting?

    Maybe a little bit looser. I'll have to take some measurements today.
  • MadHatR5
    MadHatR5 Posts: 33 Member
    A week is such a small and volatile window of time. I have noticed that if I compare last Friday to this Friday, I lost zero pounds. But if I compare last Saturday to this Saturday, I lost 1.5 pounds. And Sunday to Sunday I get completly different numbers. Amazing how by just shifting the window one day makes a hugh difference. So while weekly weigh in's are ok, look at your monhly progress for a better picture.

    I'm a bit obsessive and put my daily weight in a spreadsheet. And every day I total up the previous 7 days. My Friday weekly time period may show zero lost, but my Saturday weekly time period shows 1.5 and so on. This type of tracking might not be ideal for everyone, but it helps me.
  • Lisa1971
    Lisa1971 Posts: 3,069 Member
    A week is such a small and volatile window of time. I have noticed that if I compare last Friday to this Friday, I lost zero pounds. But if I compare last Saturday to this Saturday, I lost 1.5 pounds. And Sunday to Sunday I get completly different numbers. Amazing how by just shifting the window one day makes a hugh difference. So while weekly weigh in's are ok, look at your monhly progress for a better picture.

    I'm a bit obsessive and put my daily weight in a spreadsheet. And every day I total up the previous 7 days. My Friday weekly time period may show zero lost, but my Saturday weekly time period shows 1.5 and so on. This type of tracking might not be ideal for everyone, but it helps me.

    That's actually a very good way to look at things! Thanks!
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