Beating up on self

Ninebarkaussies
Ninebarkaussies Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I am nearly 2 weeks into my diet. The first week I lost 4 lbs, no doubt just water. This second week has been uninspirational, with the scale showing a loss of 1 lb and then a gain of nearly 1 lb overnight. I blame it on feeling so hungry yesterday, and losing self control by having a bowl of raw carrot and red cabbage salad with dinner when the stew didn't stick to my ribs. I blame the carrots for the 1 lb disaster. Intellectually, I know this is silly; I didn't have a tub of ice cream or a bag of popcorn - I had healthy, good for you carrots. I know weight loss is a long term project and that there will be fluctuations. I know I shouldn't be weighing myself every day and getting into elation/despair over tiny fluctuations over tiny time spans of 24 hours. I know all this, and know I should be kinder to myself. No one said it would be easy, and it sure isn't, especially not when one is one's worst enemy and eroder of faith, patience, and determination. Thanks for listening.

Replies

  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
    I am sorry to hear you are feeling so low. yes, two weeks into your diet with any loss is good! you just need to give it more time. I understand about beating one's self up about these things. I am a daily weigher and it affects me a lot to see the fluctuations. What is more is that I think I may be going off course. I know I can turn things around, but I let my motivation get sapped by a few bad choices. It really is a journey.
  • SummerLovesPhil
    SummerLovesPhil Posts: 242 Member
    As a recovered anorexic, I'm struggling with this myself. My goal is to work on growing some self-respect (and, dare I say, self-love), improving my habits, and letting my body change as it will.

    My immediate suggestion to you would be to put the scale away. When taken in the context of your whole life, two weeks is barely a blip. Weigh yourself once a month, maybe, and don't take the number to be the final word on your efforts, because it's not. I would also recommend two books: Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon. Both will help you take your journey in context.

    Cheers!
  • jak1958
    jak1958 Posts: 82 Member
    I know how you feel... your right eating carrots and cabbage didn't cause you to gain ... when the scale fluctuates like this just remind yourself that it takes 3500 calories above maintenance to gain a pound of fat. So it's just fluid retention and forget about it

    I weigh weekly and having the same issue to the point of not showing a loss for 3 weeks now. I am up a pound...down a pound . The problem is its always on weigh day... so I've decided to weigh myself everyday... this way I can see the fluctuations and maybe de-sensitize myself to it so that it doesn't upset me... or cause me to rethink my program...

    Hang in there !!!! And only positive self dialogue :)
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    The only way to succeed is to not quit. Just hang in there, don't quit, and you'll hit your goals.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    if you are feeling so hungry and that's causing unplanned overeating, then may plan to eat more during your meals, so you don't feel so hungry all the time. Wanting to eat a lot in response to feeling very hungry is normal human behaviour. It's normal behaviour for the entire animal kingdom for that matter, and it's a hard survival response to override.

    If you're constantly battling with this, then maybe adjusting your calorie goals could help. A lot of people find that setting your goals for slower fat loss works better in the long term, because it's more sustainable, they don't feel hungry/deprived all the time, and their eating plan is easier to stick to. The ultimate goal is long term maintenance, not how quickly you can get to goal.
  • mssierra2u
    mssierra2u Posts: 86 Member
    This is a great time to measure yourself, as at different points during your weight loss journey, you may not be able to see a difference in the scale even if progress is being made in the amount of space you take up. I wish I'd done this when I started, because sometimes it's really tough not to obsess over the number on the scale.

    One of the things that has helped me a lot is making sure I get more fiber. I use fiber choice tablets and eat apples with just about every meal. Also try to set other goals, like getting in x workouts or increasing your speed/distance.

    Best of luck!
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
    TRUST THE PROCESS!! Accurately counting calories helps! You did not gain in all in one day and you are not going to lose it in one day! It helped when I quit weighing every day as well.

    Stick to it. You have a good start so far :flowerforyou:
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    Stick with it. You will get to where you want to be.

    Weight fluctuates daily, hourly even. Some times when I start getting out of control I weight myself before bed and then again in the morning before work to remind myself of this fact. Last night I weighed 176.6. This morning? I was at 172.4.

    Pick 1 day a week for your weight to "matter" other than that know it is normal to fluctuate!

    Edited because I evidently CAN'T type and eat at the same time.
  • irishnikonchick
    irishnikonchick Posts: 2
    You are doing great, whatever you do dont give up. I find it is best to just accept the set back and move on. Dont let the gain of a pound get in your head and stay there. It could very well be muscle weight if you are training with weights.:wink:
  • mmmcgee1211
    mmmcgee1211 Posts: 4
    I found that it helps me to snack frequently and just smaller portions. When I was bigger (110 lbs ago) I used to eat bigger potions and refused to let myself snack. That change is what has helped most. If I am hungry, I eat something snall and healthy and I try not to get mad at myself if I eat something not too healthy.
  • abbyoncloud9
    abbyoncloud9 Posts: 48 Member
    One of the things I am doing differently this time is changing my mindset. I have felt like you so many times when my progress isn't apparent or as quick as I'd like. However, I thought about it this way: say I've gone 2-3 weeks eating well (lots of veggies, less junk) and exercising and the scale hasn't budged. Well I used to think "I've wasted 3 weeks of my life for nothing!" But that time wasn't wasted! I felt amazing and that is 3 weeks that I've been healthier than I would have been eating crap and sitting on the couch. Keep at it, you will accomplish your goals :)
  • Regan45
    Regan45 Posts: 191 Member
    Hang in there. When I first started, it took me 3 weeks to see a 1 pound loss! I was very discouraged. Everyone gave me the advice they are giving you -don't give up, keep going. I am happy to say that it does work. Keep plugging away!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You really have to change your mindset. This is a process...and there is no finish line. Nutrition and fitness are life long endeavors, not something you do for a handful of weeks and you're done. You're never done...and the more you can wrap your head around this fact, the more insignificant the day to day minutia becomes.

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