In desperate need of success stories / motivation

alexismcgaffin · October 2013

I've only been doing this for about a week and I have lost 2 pounds but I've been at 180.2 for 3 days straight! I try to drink 5-6 bottles of water a day, have been very good at sticking to my diet (after I tweaked it a little) I exercise almost every single day, and my fiber, protein, etc is good. I did rest from exercise yesterday since I was so sore I could barely move, but I'll be back at it today. I'm also going to have my once a week cheat meal tonight (only about 500 extra calories) and I'm hoping that'll kickstart my metabolism back up. I was just wondering if any of you could share some of your stories if success, struggles you've overcome, etc. I don't have any friends on here and it's hard doing this by myself.

Sabochan · October 2013

I know how you feel! I've been at this since 2011. In 2012, I gained back 20 lbs but it was only this May that I started to focus on a healthier lifestyle and lost the 20lbs (and more!) I gained back. I still have a long way to go, about another 40lbs, but all I need is time. Seriously, don't be too hard on yourself, as weight loss is never linear. The only thing that matters is that you don't give up, even when the scale isn't moving. Your body is simply trying to adjust to the changes you're making, and it will take a few weeks for you to see progress. Instead, try focusing on fitness as it will help get your mind off weight loss. 20lbs of muscle is very different from 20lbs of fat ^^ Friend me if you like, I'm active everyday and would be happy to have more friends.

Cindyinpg · October 2013

You're doing just fine. The scale will drive you crazy if you weigh everyday. Fluctuations are natural. It's great that you're getting lots of exercise, but just make sure that you are properly fueling your body. As you know, it's calories in, calories out for weight loss, exercise for fitness and watch your macros/micros/fiber for overall health. I've lost 121lbs (30 before starting on here a year ago) in 15 months by keeping it that simple. I've only recently started weight training and I'm sorry I didn't start it sooner. Have you looked into a strength training program? The results can be amazing and are far more impressive than just numbers on a scale. If you haven't read this thread yet, it's an excellent read. It will walk you through setting your calorie goals and macro/micro targets, just in case you need to tweak those numbers.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

And here's a great motivational thread about the results women can get from heavy lifting. This is the first of three parts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/977538-halp-heavy-lifting-made-me-supah-bulky

alexismcgaffin · October 2013

Thanks for the support guys. I'm not going to give up, it's just a little easier with the support of other people.

tenilleless · October 2013

Gonna do this in jot note form:
-2 lbs in a week is great
-get a measuring tape (or a piece of string and a ruler) and measure yourself. Trust me, you'll see more losses there and thats always great. I like making a big chart in excel, or making a poster so that your success is easy to see. My losses slowed a bit one week on the scale, but I definitely seen inches fall off.
-If you're exercising, do a record of workouts. You could try putting a $1 into a piggy bank everytime you workout, buying stickers and sticking them on your poster, etc
-Fluctations in weight over the course of a week are a constant thing. Its very rare (especially for women) to be able to constantly see a lower number on the scale when weighing once a day. If you have any bloat from your period, if you have some water weight on from high sodium/high carb the night before, or if you did a huge, new workout and you stressed your muscles, you're bound to have some weight "on". Focus on the weekly trends. If you are addicted to seeing big losses, hide your scale away for 2-3 weeks and then hop on. Its great seeing -4 lbs then rather then seeing constant -0.2 -0.4 +0.8 -0.3 everyday
-read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants like Cindy said.

You can definitely add me if you want. I know I'm just a stranger posing as two cat pictures on the internet but I do log in every day and I do try to encourage people. :happy: I also have a ton to lose so I'll be on here forever

Fuzzipeg · October 2013

A good idea is to take measurements. your waist, hip upper arm there is a space for this where you enter your weight. if you find the scales are not moving but you have taken regular measurements you will have another means of assessing your progress.

Me I have been where I am for 6 or so weeks but measurements have reduced.

all the best

alexismcgaffin · October 2013

Gonna do this in jot note form:
-2 lbs in a week is great
-get a measuring tape (or a piece of string and a ruler) and measure yourself. Trust me, you'll see more losses there and thats always great. I like making a big chart in excel, or making a poster so that your success is easy to see. My losses slowed a bit one week on the scale, but I definitely seen inches fall off.
-If you're exercising, do a record of workouts. You could try putting a $1 into a piggy bank everytime you workout, buying stickers and sticking them on your poster, etc
-Fluctations in weight over the course of a week are a constant thing. Its very rare (especially for women) to be able to constantly see a lower number on the scale when weighing once a day. If you have any bloat from your period, if you
have some water weight on from high sodium/high carb the night before, or if you did a huge, new workout and you stressed your muscles, you're bound to have some weight "on". Focus on the weekly trends. If you are addicted to seeing big losses, hide your scale away for 2-3 weeks and then hop on. Its great seeing -4 lbs then rather then seeing constant -0.2 -0.4 +0.8 -0.3 everyday
-read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants like Cindy said.

You can definitely add me if you want. I know I'm just a stranger posing as two cat pictures on the internet but I do log in every day and I do try to encourage people. :happy: I also have a ton to lose so I'll be on here forever

The fact that you have cats on your picture is wonderful! I have 3 so I'm technically a crazy cat lady. Lol. I actually did make a little chart since I love doing that stuff! And I knew I was going to retain some water yesterday when my muscles were so sore because I had tried this insane exercise routine from a fitness magazine in addition to my normal work out. I also took my measueements when I first started but one week in doesn't show much difference of course. I'll definitely be adding you as a friend!

haymancm · October 2013

Depending on what you've eaten, it could be too much sodium, not enough veggies, aka bunny food? I give myself about 10 days for the scale to get it's act together, if you know what I mean! Just create a bigger deficit, by either eating less food and/or working out more. You can do this. Just play with the numbers & plan your meals ahead of time.

Add me if you'd like!

karolinacorrea · October 2013

Hi

When I started counting calories, I aimed to lose 21kg, which is pretty much 47 lb. I started counting calories and making sure sure I'd not consume more than 1500 a day. I was utterly surprised when my scale showed I was down 2kg (~4.5 lb). Next week, another kilo gone!. Then, I joined MFP and I realized I was eating too little (around a 1000 cal) and boosted to just over 1200. During the next two weeks, I gained a kilo back...
I felt super frustrated, as I was doing everything by the book. Many people here said it was normal and I would resume dropping weight a week or two later... and guess what? they were right.... I have now lost 3 more kg on top of what I lost before. 5 kg en 5 weeks.
So, my advice to you? don't weight yourself every day. That is torture. Do it just once a week, just after you wake up. I do this every Tuesday morning. I also measure my waist (I've lost 3cm) and my hips. Oh I and also take a picture. If the scale is not moving, the pic will give you a better Idea how things are progressing.

All the best to you and feel free to add me

Fivepts · October 2013

Depending on what you've eaten, it could be too much sodium, not enough veggies, aka bunny food? I give myself about 10 days for the scale to get it's act together, if you know what I mean! Just create a bigger deficit, by either eating less food and/or working out more. You can do this. Just play with the numbers & plan your meals ahead of time.

Add me if you'd like!

Totally agree. Apparently, we all ask this question at the begging. It's extremely comforting to me to look at the reports tab which shows a line chart of my weight lose. I weigh every day because I want to chart the fluctuations. Anyway, so far I've gone a week at a time with the exact no. on the scale, then suddenly my weight drops For me it looks like long flat stairs instead of a descending line. Everyone is different. Give it time and don't give up!

albertine58 · October 2013

3 days at the same weight is nothing! There's no need to "kick-start" your metabolism by eating more- just keep doing what you're doing and it'll show up on the scale soon enough! Weirdly, I only "lose" on the scale one or two days out of the whole week, but it's a big loss- like I wake up Thursday morning and I'm a whole pound (or more) lighter. I didn't lose all that fat overnight, I worked on it all week but our bodies are weird and retain water on different days for all sorts of reasons (muscle repair after workouts, carb intake, sleep quality, a MILLION things).

I weigh every day because I like to see all the fluctuations, but I would never stress about "not losing" in 3 days. Hell, once I didn't lose for 2 weeks during my TOM but then "overnight" dropped 3 lbs! It's just water balance, don't let it discourage you. Make sure you're doing everything right, weighing your food, not overestimating your exercise burns, and then be confident you're losing weight, whether the scale has noticed yet or not

_Zardoz_ · October 2013

3 days!! Give it time at your weight 2 pounds a week is really fast. Don't get too obsessed with the numbers and keep doing what you're doing. I'd suggest maybe weigh yourself once a week of your going to have this sort of reaction over daily fluctuations

alexismcgaffin · October 2013

I like to weigh myself everyday because I like to figure out what makes it fluctuate. I actually did go ahead and have my taco bell cheat meal last night, then I step on the scale this morning and BAM! -0.6 pounds! And I didn't even have a BM yet (sorry if that's TMI). I really believe that my body was getting used to my diet and exercise plan and that cheat meal kick started my metabolism back up. I write everything down so I'm gonna see what happens this next week. That loss on the scale made my day though!

In desperate need of success stories / motivation

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