Two seconds away from throwing in the towel!

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jennsavage88
jennsavage88 Posts: 24
in Motivation and Support
I need some help/support. Every day for WEEKS my diary entries have been saying in 5 weeks, I'd be between 231 and 234. Meanwhile, in the past 5 weeks, I've gone from 247 to 241, now back up to 244 and I'm stuck there- help! I'm two seconds away from giving up but I want this to be the time I succeed more than anything! I've been eating within 50 calories of my goal 95% of the time. I've only gone to the gym twice (today will be #3 for spin class) but calorie reduction alone should show me a loss of a pound of two, not a gain then plateau! Help!! D:
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Replies

  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    Do you weigh and measure all your food? Portion size can be an issue.

    Using estimates of calories burned during exercise or even an HRM reading can also mess you up by not being accurate. If you eat your exercise calories back you could try leaving a cushion you don't eat back in case you are overestimating workouts.
  • hkmurphy83
    hkmurphy83 Posts: 262 Member
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    I feel your pain and frustration. Please don't give up. Try looking at the foods you're eating and try mixing it up. If your daily calorie goal is above 1200 try playing with your calories. Or try exercising some more and changing up your workouts. I lost terribly SLOWLY when I first started. But I stuck with it and am starting to finally see results 6 months later. You can do it!
  • Erin_goBrahScience
    Erin_goBrahScience Posts: 1,215 Member
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    Sweetheart...i am right there with ya. Today seems especially hard for some reason. I have gained and lost the same three pounds for what feels like forever (more like 5 weeks). I was sure that today I was going to see a change, and insead I am back up 3lbs. I want to cry.

    I know that I am making progress because my workouts are better, my heart rate is better, I have more energy...but the scale just isn't on the same page.

    I keep telling myself it's temporary, but for how long?? I want some kind of proof that is vanity laced and it's just not there.

    So ::hugs:: cause I know that it's hard.
  • himilayaneyes
    himilayaneyes Posts: 204 Member
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    Hi. I notice a lot of days in your diary where you don't log at all. So it's hard to look and tell how consistently you're eating under your calorie limit. You also have to take into account how much sodium you're eating since it can contribute to water retention. I started counting calories and lost only 2lbs in a month. However, I wasn't being consistent enough. I started measuring everything and eating at or under my calorie limit and I'm seeing results now...on the scale and in inches lost. Good luck.
  • kitteakat
    kitteakat Posts: 9
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    I feel ya.....I've been really crack'in down on the eating and exercise for the last 3 weeks. I lost 3 lbs. last week and weighed myself this a.m. and gained 2 back!! WTF??!! I was really pissed, but I KNOW I have to stick to this! My 'fat' 'pants are tight and I refuse to buy a bigger size in jeans then those! I'm going to go to weighing my self only 1x a week. Stick to it, it's frustrating, but it's gotta show results sometime along the road!
  • dovetail22uk
    dovetail22uk Posts: 339 Member
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    You don't seem to log every day and your calorie goal seems very low. Your heart (and actions!) have to be really in it if you want to see results!

    Try looking at:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • wrotruck
    wrotruck Posts: 72 Member
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    OP: You have some pretty big holes in your diary. You may want to start there and then look at other goals.
  • awal2069
    awal2069 Posts: 101 Member
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    Hang in there!! We ALL (Every one of us on here) have days, or weeks like this. I am right now.
    Keep doing what you are doing - remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel...
    There are so many people on here that have done it - every sweat drop, tear and crappy day along with it. AND there are so many on here that are right in your boat with you... paddling along wondering if these 10 lbs will EVER go away.
    HUGS and Keep it up!
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
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    I'd personally suggest trying to be more consistent with logging your foods as accurately as possible... I know when I slack off I go overboard so I try to log as accurately as I can ( I have been slacking on the weekends lately though which I need to get back into the habit of doing it every day...)

    I also wouldn't suggest eating back all of your exercise calories, I see the one day you had an estimate of 574 calories burned that you ate almost all of them back - MFP is a very rough estimate on calories burned, to be accurate it would need a very complex equation specific to every person so its inaccurate at best, therefore if you are going to be in the habit of eating back exercise calories, don't eat them all so you can leave yourself some room for inaccuracies in MFP's estimates...
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
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    Some words of advice...as I have been there, done that! Giving up and throwing in the towel will get you nowhere. It may take weeks, months, or even years to get to where you want to be. But if you stop now, a year from now you will wish you never gave up. I've been at this consistently for 9 months and am only down 30 pounds. I've gone MONTHS at the same weight give or take a pound or two. But I keep plugging along. Experimenting with different calorie goals, different macro percentages, and different forms of exercise. Every body is different and you just have to find what works for your body.

    This slow (and sometimes agonizing) weight loss is actually what helped me transform my thinking from being on a "diet" to making a lifestyle change! So...everything works they way it does for a reason. It may be coming off extremely slow...but I can guarentee you that this time it will STAY off forever!

    Goodluck and keep your head up. You got this!
  • Alraines1
    Alraines1 Posts: 11 Member
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    It is a never ending struggle between the scale and the human mind. I had the same problem and actually gave up. Since getting back on track, I have seen results but slowly. These things have helped me thus far:

    1. Weigh in weekly, same day and time each week- this helps with the mental head game. I weigh in on Sunday morning as soon as I wake up. My body will have had time to metabolize and since I have a cheat meal on Saturday nights, then I know realistically where my actual weight is minus a pound or so taking into account my cheat
    2. Drink lots of water through the day. I have a 16 oz cup that a fill up 3 times a day and drink continuously, sometimes the body just needs that water to sustain the natural digestion process through the day. We tend to only drink when we are thirsty or sweaty from working out versus understanding the complex need our body has for water.
    3. Muscle weighs more than fat so for me I have been gaining muscle (I can tell because I am getting stronger) and as the cardio leans me out the strength training is gaining muscle composition. This means that the scale may not move but my body is just reshuffling the weight from place to place.
    4. Losing weight slowly is healthier than dropping lots of weight quickly. We tend to want to see results fast but need to realize that its easier to put on weight than to take it off. If you lose a ton of weight quickly you will be more likely to put that weight back on even faster than you lost it.
    5. Enjoy the health benefits first and the visual will come later. I enjoy the fact that I can go to the park to play basketball with my husband and two sons without getting winded and having a heart attack! I am more energetic and I even sleep better at night. I also no longer have the cravings for the junk I was eating before. For me, these are major milestones that I wouldn't trade for anything.

    I know this post is long-winded but I know how you feel. It gets better, just stick with it.
  • StacieHof
    StacieHof Posts: 97 Member
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    Your doing a great thing for yourself by losing the extra weight you will be so glad you have stuck with it when you look back on this moment in the future....stick with it! : ) Now, from your diary it looks like you do not log your food that often, it is hard to keep track with out logging and when you hit a momentary stall (I hate the term plato) you need to mix it up a little add more exercise, track food more accurately, watch your intake of excess sugar and get enough protiein and water (its filling and keeps the excess consumption down). You don't have to be perfect....just keep pushing forward and you are still losing even if it is not as much as you would like to. Best Wishes and you CAN do this!
  • mom2handh1975
    mom2handh1975 Posts: 224 Member
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    Don't give up! That's guaranteed failure. You can do this! I was feeling the same was a couple of weeks ago. Looking at my last 90 days, I think you'll see why. First 60 (of 90) I lost 10 pounds. Seriously? 10 pounds in 60 days??? Over the next 3 weeks, I lost 0.6 lbs. Grrrr! Magically, in the past 10 days, my body has decided to get rid of 5.6 pounds. It WILL happen - if you keep trying. :blushing:

    1. First of all, log EVERYTHING you eat EVERY day.
    2. Measure, measure, measure. Yes, it's a pain in the butt, but it's important.
    3. Don't starve yourself. This will lead to binge eating, and that's never pretty.
    4. Drink LOTS of water. I was a diet soda guzzler when I started MFP, and I rarely drank water. Now I have 1 can of soda a day and drink 9-12 cups of water. I feel amazing!!! And it helps make me feel full.
    5. Realize that the weight loss journey isn't a straight road. It's more of a journey through mountains and valleys, with lots of curves thrown in for good measure. If you don't struggle to get to the top of the mountain, you won't enjoy the view as much.

    The only way to succeed is to keep working on it. Tweak your diet. Add water and fruits and veggies. Try to get some exercise. It WILL happen! :bigsmile:
  • Ladiebug710
    Ladiebug710 Posts: 133 Member
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    Dont eat your exercise calories.
  • mom2handh1975
    mom2handh1975 Posts: 224 Member
    Options
    It is a never ending struggle between the scale and the human mind. I had the same problem and actually gave up. Since getting back on track, I have seen results but slowly. These things have helped me thus far:

    1. Weigh in weekly, same day and time each week- this helps with the mental head game. I weigh in on Sunday morning as soon as I wake up. My body will have had time to metabolize and since I have a cheat meal on Saturday nights, then I know realistically where my actual weight is minus a pound or so taking into account my cheat
    2. Drink lots of water through the day. I have a 16 oz cup that a fill up 3 times a day and drink continuously, sometimes the body just needs that water to sustain the natural digestion process through the day. We tend to only drink when we are thirsty or sweaty from working out versus understanding the complex need our body has for water.
    3. Muscle weighs more than fat so for me I have been gaining muscle (I can tell because I am getting stronger) and as the cardio leans me out the strength training is gaining muscle composition. This means that the scale may not move but my body is just reshuffling the weight from place to place.
    4. Losing weight slowly is healthier than dropping lots of weight quickly. We tend to want to see results fast but need to realize that its easier to put on weight than to take it off. If you lose a ton of weight quickly you will be more likely to put that weight back on even faster than you lost it.
    5. Enjoy the health benefits first and the visual will come later. I enjoy the fact that I can go to the park to play basketball with my husband and two sons without getting winded and having a heart attack! I am more energetic and I even sleep better at night. I also no longer have the cravings for the junk I was eating before. For me, these are major milestones that I wouldn't trade for anything.

    I know this post is long-winded but I know how you feel. It gets better, just stick with it.

    Brilliant advice!
  • doin_it
    doin_it Posts: 414 Member
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    Giving up and throwing in the towel is not an option!! You can do this...you have to stick with it...you will begin to see results and the longer you are at it the more determined you will be!! You are worth it!! And you deserve to be a happier, healthier you..giving you and throwing in the towel will get you no where!! We are here for you..we all struggle from time to time but its not worth giving up!! Don't even allow that to be an option!!
  • Momabear4411
    Momabear4411 Posts: 16 Member
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    Don't give up! You can do it! I have tracked and worked out for three months with no budge on the scale! I should have done measurement, because my husband has noticed a difference! LOL i seem to have toned first. I finally have started to loose lbs and see the scale dropping! If only it would come off and easy as it went on! Hang in there! You can do it!
  • rininger85
    rininger85 Posts: 131
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    another thing to keep in mind is you need to reset your calorie goal as you lose weight... I was just playing around with my goals to try and see what someone was complaining about on another thread and saw when I went back to my normal goals it reduced my calorie goal by 40 cals / day (from a 7lb loss since the last time I had updated them) so apparently I need to keep an eye on that too
  • patticarbjunkie
    patticarbjunkie Posts: 133 Member
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    OH NO!!!! You can do it....I know you can. I feel like that everyday so I know how you feel!! I have faith in you!
  • UsaJewels05
    UsaJewels05 Posts: 229 Member
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    You should be logging your food everyday. There are some big gaps and a lot of days when you do not log anything. I would start with logging EVERYTHING you eat, and depending on how you have your settings whether you have it set to lose 2 lbs a week or 1 could play a factor as well. I would also not eat back your Exercise Calories. If you do eat some just don't eat all of them. I know logging can be a pain sometimes but I know when I get lazy with my diary I get Lazy with everything else as well, and I can't blame the number on the scale because I did it!

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