Help.....I am VERY FRUSTRATED!!!

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mimikatr
mimikatr Posts: 9 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have been doing MFP for about a month now. I am frustrated right now! This week I was very good. I went to the gym EVERY DAY, and I was under my calorie goal every day. I have bypassed my daily glass of wine, and I am having diet drinks instead. I even ordered a cup of oatmeal instead of my beloved biscuits and gravy when I went out to breakfast this week, and I have actually GAINED two pounds. Early in the week, as I have a bad habit of weighing myself daily, I was weighing down two more pounds. All the way until yesterday I was showing a loss, and now today I have a two pound gain. How can that be????? I am sooooo very frustrated!!!! I took out my frustrations at the gym, so I burned another 600+ calories, but I am so very unhappy with my weekly results.....HELP!!!!!!!!!

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  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Are you tracking your sodium? One high day can easily add two pounds, sometimes more, of water weight gain overnight.

    I'm not a big fan of salt, so I was amazed at how much was in things I never would have thought would be high in sodium, like breads or pre-made sauces. I know that I will NEVER weigh myself the day after eating sushi & soy sauce again! :laugh:
  • llm12
    llm12 Posts: 49
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    Did you drink more water than you normally do yesterday? Or did you have foods containing a lot of sodium? An increase in sodium causes your body to hold water.
  • Jrh2os
    Jrh2os Posts: 28
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    i've also noticed that weighing at different times of the day can even make a difference. I'm almost always 2 or 3 pounds heavier in the afternoon than in the morning.
  • AMANDAKENNEDY101
    AMANDAKENNEDY101 Posts: 15
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    remember that muscle weighs more than fat so it could be muscle mass you gained or you could be bloated from possible time of month coul dbe the clothes you are wearing because of weather changes ie shorts to pants kinda like here it was warm last week mid 70's this week low 60's. and dont get dicouraged this is a long journey not a short sprint, just keep up the GREAT work
  • amykivett
    amykivett Posts: 1
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    so i just posted the same thing on my page. stuck to the journaling, went to they gym, up 2 lbs. it's as if you read my mind. i'm following your replies to see what everyone says. i'm not giving up. but i am frustrated too. keep me posted on what works for you. i'm all ears! good luck and stay strong. that's what i'm trying to do...trying to do...
  • supersholl
    supersholl Posts: 1
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    Hello, I am a personal trainer who uses this site and recommends it to my clients. I just want to say HANG IN THERE!!! Losing weight is not magic, it is science. As long as you stick with it, diet and exercise will work! Your body is resistant to change and likes to take it's time trying to figure out how to stay chemically put while you are trying to throw it off it's usual metabolic balance. As long as you can let go of the obsession over the weight, I think weighing every day is actually a good idea.
    Try to think of your weight, not as ONE number but as a range, your "weight window". There can be at least a 5 lb. fluctuation day to day depending on time of month, water intake, exercise, amount of sleep, etc. Record your weight over the course of a week to two weeks. Based on your results, develop a 5 pound window that you are always "safe" in. If you go over your top number you can guarantee that you have actually put on weight and if you go below your low number you have actually lost weight and should lower your top number by 1 pound- and commit to NEVER seeing that number again!
    Also, anytime you dramatically increase your level of exercise, your body retains more water for a short period of time in order to prepare for dehydration should you decide to exercise at that level again. It's a tricky defense mechanism, don't let it fool you, you are doing all the right things, keep going!

    Good luck!!
    Heather
  • sgiacherio
    sgiacherio Posts: 50
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    What time of day are you weighing yourself? Your weight will always flucuate throughout the day because of eating and water weight. My suggestion is that you weigh yourself once a week. In addition only weigh yourself in the morning after you wake up, before you eat anything. This will give you a consistent reading to watch your progress. I can't see your food diary so you should also make sure you are not eating too little calories. If you're working out intensly your body will need fuel. If you don't give it fuel, it will eat away at your muscle mass. That would be counter-productive. Hope some of this helps!
  • aliciadpo
    aliciadpo Posts: 69 Member
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    keep it up....dig deep to find motivation. I went through the same thing this morning (I even posted about it my frustrations just like you). But, I was feeling much better by the afternoon because I really don't want to let negative thoughts get in my way!!! We can do this! You've got control.

    Try doing something you enjoy to take your mind off of it. Although I DID NOT want to go shopping today because I was feeling so disgusted I went anyway and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and thought to myself "I"m getting in more exercise by walking the mall". Then, I came home and worked in the yard. I will go over my calorie limit (by about 20-30) but I'm going to wind down tonight with a glass of wine and just be thankful for the day, thankful for MFP, and all the wonderful people that keep us motivated!

    good luck, keep doing your thing....you can breakthrough your frustration
  • widmanab01
    widmanab01 Posts: 14 Member
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    I can offer some advice that I was given..

    The scale is not your BFF!! It's totally your enemy until your body gets used to all the new things you are doing to it. Not to say your body is not happy with you, it just takes some getting used to :)

    It is also true that one bad day of sodium can easily make it seem as though you have gained a few pounds, when you really have not. Just because the scale says a number, it does not mean that number is telling you the truth. There can be so many factors involved. You may weight two pounds less tomorrow!

    Drink soo much water that you think you may drown! If I remember correctly I was told to drink half my weight in ounces...so, let's say I weight 100 pounds (because I'm not good at math) half of 100 is 50....so I need to drink at least 50 ounces of water a day. At least! Always try more. You pee a lot, but it's OK :)

    Try to stay away from processed foods, that is where all the sodium and chemical stuff is hidden. Anything that is processed is most certainly stored in sodium so it will last. Stick with fresh foods and try to think...if I did not make this myself from scratch, it's processed. Did i just open a can!?! It's processed.

    It's so hard in the beginning, but it gets so much easier and your body just wants healthy foods after a while. I'm sorry your frustrated :( Hang in there!
  • mimikatr
    mimikatr Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the great encouragement and help! I really appreciate all the friends that are in the same boat as me here on MFP! I am sticking with it, but I was very frustrated. Hopefully the scale "gods" will be nicer the next time around! Happy Easter to everyone, may you have a blessed day tomorrow with friends and family!:smile:
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
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    Also make sure you are eating at least 1200 calories and if you do a ton of exercise, eat more calories - while you don't have to eat ALL of your exercise calories - you should eat some. Your body will go into starvation if you eat less.
  • warrenpeace23
    warrenpeace23 Posts: 14
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    Check your body fat at your gym or the local health kiosk. we have one at work and if I'm hitting a plateau, I check that and sometimes my body fat has decreased even though I am the same weight. If you use more than one way to measure your progress, it's more motivating when you hit those plateaus. You also can switch to a weekly weigh-in. If I weigh the same thing for four days in a row, I remind myself that if I only weighed myself weekly, I'd probably see more of a difference. Hang in there!!

    :happy:
  • LindaWarner17
    LindaWarner17 Posts: 33 Member
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    1. When you weigh yourself, do it at the same time, wearing the same clothes each time. ( I am an in the morning naked kinda girl myself...)

    2. Get a tape measure and use that more than you use your scale. This will show your fat loss more accurately. Fat loss is what we all ultimately want, not just "weight loss" (because that includes our lean muscle mass which we DO NOT want to lose.)

    3. Get a scale that measures your body fat composition. Even if your weight is staying the same, your total body fat percentage might be going down, especially because you are spending lots of time working out.

    4. Enjoy your NSVs (Non Scale Victories) Whether its a pair of jeans that fit better, or the boost in mood you are feeling from kicking butt on the elliptical trainer. These things are just as important as the stupid number on the scale!

    Hang in there, you are doing great!!!
  • Dennis65
    Dennis65 Posts: 2
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    Be patient. Above all hang in there. Your program is great and your weight loss will come. Just a little at a time. Back off on weighing every day. Once a week on Sunday AM is a good time and if you only show a couple or three pounds down per week THATS GREAT. In 20 weeks you can loose 40 to 50 #s. And thats no small thing. You gatta KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!!:

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