Standstill

jessilee119
jessilee119 Posts: 444 Member
edited September 25 in Motivation and Support
This has happened to me the past couple of years. So the first year I decided I wasn't going to gain anymore weight, I started counting calories, lost 10 pounds without a problem but then I was at a standstill. After trying some more I gave up, gained it back plus a few extra pounds. The second year, same thing happened (went from 218 to 208...stopped then gained 5 pounds back). This year it's happening again...I'm down 10 pounds from 213 and seemed to have stopped. I don't understand why since this year I'm working harder and am more motivated than any other year. I guess I just have to give it more time, and I will. I refuse to give up this time even if it takes another month before another pound come off (though I'm hoping that won't be the case :ohwell: ). I try to have the attitude that at least I'm not anywhere close to my highest weight, but come on, it's time to get serious.

You know what else I don't get...there's days when I feel I have slipped and say that I must have gained 3 pounds, but when I weigh myself I've actually lost a little weight. Then the days when I know I was good, I gain weight. What's up with that? Too little calories? :huh:

Replies

  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    If looking at the scale is discouraging, don't look at it for a week or two and keep doing what your doing. Measure yourself instead. You might not be losing pounds but if you are exercising and eating right you will see a change, might not be on the scale right off but I bet you'll see it in your measurements.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    the important word I see in your post is "stopped." You need to make a lifestyle change, change your relationship with food so that you don't think of this as a diet. A diet is just that--it beings and it ends, and that is when we fail......instead---you have to work within your head first and change relationships with food and discover what and why you want this so bad and just us that as your driving force
    trust me I know. I always used to "diet" but not now, now I am improving my health----and the weight loss is just a byproduct.
  • suzooz
    suzooz Posts: 720 Member
    Don't give up!

    I totally understand where you're coming from -- you just get to that 10 pound mark and you stop (Usually, it's the 9 pound mark for me, which is really frustrating!)

    I have resolved this time to just stick to the plan -- keep logging my food and exercising -- regardless of my battle with the scale. I mean, how can a single donut (which I had to buy for my staff for a meeting) cause me to gain 4 pounds in a single day? LOL I do continually weigh myself, if only to understand how fickle the scale is. I am realizing that I need to keep doing the right things -- and the weight should come off -- eventually.

    Let's keep in touch!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    Can't tell since your diary is private but one possibility is too much calorie restriction. You even seem to suspect it yourself. I see you mentioned that after an apparent "slip" you seem to lose weight.

    You should not have a big green "number of calories" remaining at the end of the day. It should be as close to 0 as possible. If you're over or under by 50-100 on a given day, then great. If you're routinely ending the day and it says "500" (or more) calories remaining, then you are very likely restricting your calories too severely and slowing down your metabolism.
  • rachellepilcher
    rachellepilcher Posts: 95
    I agree with the others. Our weight changes constantly throughout the day...as much as 7 pounds of difference from morning to night! Try to stay away from the scale for at least a few days or a week or two. Its possible that you started to gain muscle which weighs more than fat so if you loose fat and gain muscle your weight wont change sometimes...thats a good thing though because the more muscle you have the faster you burn calories. Make sure you are keeping track of your measurements because that is how you will know if this is the case. As long as some number is going down then its good. Also your body gets used to you doing the same exercises so change it up...add some weight training...if you do most of your cardio walking then try some dancing or swimming or biking or even running some sprints.
  • jlopez87
    jlopez87 Posts: 22
    The SAME THING happens to me! I sometimes wonder if I become too confidant with my weight loss and I start to slip and cheat a little bit? But I don't feel like I do.

    The main thing that I think is helping me now is keeping track of every single calorie that I consume. I don't "forget" to add something. I want to see how many calories I consumed in a day - even if was a bad day. If I have a bad day, I know that the next day I should maybe do an extra half hour of exercise.

    In past years I've done other diets where tracking food calories/food journal/points were involved. The problem ALWAYS started when I got confidant and stopped logging!

    Maybe when you loose some weight you can use that as motivation to work even harder (rather than to work less like I tend to do). That's one of my goals..once I loose some weight I want to force myself to work even harder rather than to allow myself to slow down.


    Good luck! I hope you get past your 10lbs!!
  • jessilee119
    jessilee119 Posts: 444 Member
    Thank you for the posts. I don't believe in the word "diet" because, as people said, when you stop you gain the weight back. I just need to stick with counting calories since it worked in the past when I did it...lol. I think I will have to start measuring myself. As long as I'm losing inches then I'm doing something right.

    Thank you all for you support! :flowerforyou:
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