Feeling a bit down after 5 weeks.

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kylegerischer
kylegerischer Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,
5 weeks ago I was on my way home from work (3rd shift) and I had a particularly rough night and was a bit more tired than I thought I should be. I stopped at a park near my home and just sat there. I had been talking about starting a diet and exercise plan for... well years.
That morning I decided to just stop the delay the excuses and just do it. So I took a video and posted it to Facebook recording my disgust with my weight (258) and that I was going to fix it. it was well received and there was a lot of support, so that morning I went to the store bought better food, and went to the fitness center at my apartment complex and worked out.

I weigh myself a lot because I can't help but look at the numbers but I only record the number every Tuesday at the same time same routine so I have a "real" baseline to go by for how much I'm really losing. It is going good and was losing every week and had lost 15.5 lbs as of the end of my 4th week.
Then last week happened. I got out of the gym and went for a run. I jogged around 4 miles and felt tremendous. The next couple of days however my legs were killing me so I didn't do much of working out. The weekend was hectic, my dad turned 60, I have a bowling league on Saturdays, and Sunday I had to go back to work. So I was out of the gym for too long. Along with eating pretty bad over the weekend. I didn't think I ate too much (way less that I used to) but it wasn't the "good stuff."
Today at my usual time and schedule I checked in on my weight, (I got back into the gym the last 2 days and crushed it, feeling great) but I was about what I was last week. Somewhere around 243-242. After seeing the pounds melt off for a month this has gotten me pretty down. I went back to the gym before work, and only ate some chicken breasts and egg whites for dinner, but I feel like I might be losing. I know I have been doing great but this week has me in a bad place mentally.

So I'm here to get into the gym more, and more often. I just need to figure a way to deal with these weekends. Especially when I'm with my family.

If you read all this thank you -Kyle

Replies

  • flissy5
    flissy5 Posts: 62 Member
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    Hi Kyle.

    It sounds like you're just having a little panic. I actually do something very similar - about every 4 - 5 weeks. Don't let it get you down, stick with the healthy eating, think about the great things that you're doing for your body and for the future, and don't be so hard on yourself. This is what I try to say to myself.

    Letting yourself have a few days off the gym doesn't mean you've failed. I like to try to eat less at these events than I would have 1 year ago (as an example), that way you can at least feel like you're still trying.

    So go back to your diet - which is actually a new lifestyle - and see great results over the next few months. Just try to enjoy all the sessions at the gym, and the runs!

    Flissy
  • carryncoulson
    carryncoulson Posts: 29 Member
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    Hi Kyle,

    I have stuck to the program pretty well, since I started. I don`t lose weight every week and I do have those family weekends where I go over the limit. I weigh and record every week - I also take my measurements because when you do strength workouts you gain muscle which is heavier than fat. I am losing centimetres consistently every week - perhaps thats something you should consider recording in conjunction with stepping on the scale. Measure your waist, hip and neck and keep a record. Even if your weight drops its nice to know you`re still getting smaller or more muscular here and there.

    I had my down day at the end of last week, but I told myself that tomorrow is a new day and spoke to the friends I made here and that made all the difference in the world. I`m sure you`ve helped some people feeling the same way just by sharing your story now.

    Keep up the good work,
    regards,
    Carryn
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    The latest weight is impacted from high sodium over the weekend/water weight. You are going to have some weeks with better results than others: the key is to keep going. Also try to find a good balance. Don't feel like you have to avoid XYZ foods, but perhaps have smaller amounts of them.

    You're off to a great start. Though if running is new to you, I'd suggest try a Couch 2 5K program to avoid hurting yourself. You may not need to start at the beginning - perhaps week 4-5. Then build up from there.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You just have to decide to do it every day.

    You've clearly done well so far but that quick loss isn't going to continue, this is a long term change you're making and you just have to can the panic and the self-condemnation and just go for it every day...even if you had a "bad" weekend, so what? That's life!

    You got this

    Just keep on doing it
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Our bodies just don't reset as quickly as we think they should. Just because you have had a couple good days of eating, it's not going to completely make up for last week. Even if you didn't eat too many calories, the sodium in restaurant food tends to cause increases or stalls on the scale. Also, changes in workout make bring on weight fluctuatiosn as your muscle retain water as part of the natural healing process. Once you learn to accept these fluctuations, you'll feel much more at peace with them.

    Give it another week or two, drink plenty of water, stay in your caloires, keep up with the workouts and I bet you'll be right back on track. Also, think big picture - you've lost 15 pounds in 5 weeks man - that's pretty friggin incredible! Keep your expectations realistic.


  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You have to be in this for the long haul. 5 weeks is nothing. You are going to have good days and bad days (or weeks). But you can't quit. You need to learn that this is just life and there are going to be birthdays and special occasions or times where you just do not want to be so strict. It's not the end of the world. Keep going!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    deksgrl wrote: »
    You have to be in this for the long haul. 5 weeks is nothing. You are going to have good days and bad days (or weeks). But you can't quit. You need to learn that this is just life and there are going to be birthdays and special occasions or times where you just do not want to be so strict. It's not the end of the world. Keep going!

    This. There are some bad days. Just get back into it the next day. It's fine if week ends are tougher, just try to be stricter during the week to make up for it.
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
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    You need to change your outlook man. This is a long term goal that is going to have short term setbacks. No one is perfect. Keep working on it and learn from your mistakes.
  • SWEETMAY84
    SWEETMAY84 Posts: 66 Member
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    Keep going keep going keep going... I am a bouncer! 3 to 4 pounds every week and then boom two solid down, then again... I retain water like crazy if I don't watch my sodium too... Keep your chin up, its a long process and you are not alone!
  • newhealthykim
    newhealthykim Posts: 192 Member
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    The only way you can fail is to quit.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    deksgrl wrote: »
    You have to be in this for the long haul. 5 weeks is nothing. You are going to have good days and bad days (or weeks). But you can't quit. You need to learn that this is just life and there are going to be birthdays and special occasions or times where you just do not want to be so strict. It's not the end of the world. Keep going!

    Agreed. Weight fluctuates. Sometimes, you'll have weeks where you don't lose. And it gets trickier around holidays and celebrations. But that's life.....it's messy and not always simple.
    What do you do in other areas of your life when things get hard? Do you give up? I doubt it. You probably work through it, make the best of a situation and try harder next time. That same attitude needs to be applied here.
    And what happens if you do give up? Will you get any satisfaction out of still being fat and out of shape? Will your life improve from your quitting? Will you feel better eating to excess and not exercising? I don't think so.

    Suck it up buttercup. Keep putting in the work and you'll get where you want to be.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    First, you're probably retaining water. Second, you need to realize that this is a lifestyle change, you're going to have bumps in the road. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

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