Heartstrings tied to the scale :(

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veeve1
veeve1 Posts: 13
in Motivation and Support
12 days after I started counting calories & adding in a little excercise, I saw NO movement on the scale. I felt so angry. Sad. Depressed. Discouraged. Motivated ... to go eat cookies, bc it didnt matter anyways :(
I didnt quit my calorie restriction, but I ate a couple hundred more than I wouldve for a few days. Nothing over my TDEE.

Two days later the scale moved and over the next 3.5 weeks I lost 9-10lbs. I was very happy and relieved that it wasnt pointless.

Now its been 14 days of the scale not budging and I am feeling exactly the same. How do you unattach from the number when its weeks of work and not eating as much as you want, that end up seeming pointless? What have you found helpful?

I know I know its being healthy that matters. The number doesnt show muscle and fat loss/gain. Etc etc. But none of those facts make me feel better about this.

Replies

  • shai74
    shai74 Posts: 512 Member
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    I still can't answer that question. Saturday I was so happy I was under 100kg for the first time in 10 years. It took about 3 weeks to get from 101kg to 99.5kg. Since then the scales have crept back up a little each day. Today sitting at 100.9kg. I've been under calories, not bloated, not that time of the month, no other reason, and yet it makes me want to just give up, go in a corner and cry.

    BUT ... I remind myself this has happened before. I've lost 53lbs in total. It was not all straight down. I might lose 3lbs, and gain back 2. It happens.
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    Take bodyfat measurements with calipers. Scale hasn't budged for me in two weeks, but the calipers show me I am steadily losing.
  • veeve1
    veeve1 Posts: 13
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    "Its happened before" is a little hepful reminder isnt it. I dont have calipers & the budget has zero room to move right now though, is there a way to do that without?
    Thanks :)
  • Kellyfitness128
    Kellyfitness128 Posts: 194 Member
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    I know that feeling..... it's the worst. When it happens I like to change up my routine. If i've been doing mostly cardio, I'll start doing some strength training. I'll change around my macros. Lower or up my calories. Switch it up, confuse your body, and maybe you'll see some change. Sometimes works for me :) Just keep your head up, the weight will come off eventually!
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    veeve1 wrote: »
    "Its happened before" is a little hepful reminder isnt it. I dont have calipers & the budget has zero room to move right now though, is there a way to do that without?
    Thanks :)

    A tailors tape measure is cheap and can be used to measure various parts of your body such as waist, neck, chest, hips, thighs etc and give you a better idea of what's really happening. You can put in various measurements to online calculators such as fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy to get an estimate of your body fat percentage.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
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    Is it related to your TOM? I usually see a significant drop (water weight) after my TOM, like 3-5lbs, and then the normal projected rate of loss for 1-2 weeks after. Then it levels out for about two weeks and the whole cycle repeats. If I look at it long term, I am losing at the rate I intend to, so I've learned to ignore the little ups and downs.
  • yolohunter
    yolohunter Posts: 79 Member
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    That's happening to me right now. 14 days of excellent weighing and logging of EVERYTHING, an awesome deficit, and consistently good workouts and.....nothing! Not a budge on the scale. And I'm at almost the highest weight I've ever been right now. What's up with that? Just have to have patience and persevere! I like the advice about switching it up- I'm going to try that! I have been eating mostly the same thing every day.
  • Soccermavrick
    Soccermavrick Posts: 405 Member
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    Try a tape measure, or true unposed pictures. It is not always easy to ignore the scale, but there are a number of reasons why the scale might not be moving, and the fact is, most of us are too critical of ourselve to ever give us credit for most changes without pictures. (And NO you do not have to post your picture on this site, they are for you.)
  • MeganDominique
    MeganDominique Posts: 229 Member
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    I just came off a 3 week plateau, it gets very frustrating I feel you! I would weight and keep seeing down down down, 133.2 for sure thought id hit 132 but than BAM back to 135...for no real reason ;/ than today it drastically went down for me to 132.4. the body is a complicated thing, its just something ive come to slowly and I mean slowly accept. I stalled for 5 months at 155 before I realized my calories were slightly to high. try changing up your workouts, look at your sodium intake, drink more water, if you lift heavy expect that gain but take measurements because ill guarantee your inches are dropping/ and your bf%. Im almost at my goal weight and some days I still get upset over the scale... like really? its so weird how the mind is. you just need to realize your doing the best. I find as soon as I stop focusing on the scale ( go from weighting every other day to maybe 1-2 a week) , the weight falls off. its mental as well as physical!
  • rosiereally2
    rosiereally2 Posts: 539 Member
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    Take regular photos. I don't do anything fancy or time consuming, just in a sports bra and shorts or sweats, just before my workout, with arm outstretched selfie-style to snap a few frames of my midriff from the front and each side. Comparing them over time really helps to keep things in perspective.
  • sengalissa
    sengalissa Posts: 253 Member
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    Whenever I have been desperate enough, I would eat a huge meal for lunch, like pizza. But then skip dinner. Basically eating 80% of my TDEE in one sitting. I feel like that's a way of tricking the body and jump starting your metabolism.
    Fat is key for me at plateaus - nothing moves if I don't eat enough fat.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
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    It often takes more than a couple of weeks to see any changes. Sometimes even over a month.

    It didn't happen overnight, it won't change overnight.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Seriously? If it only took a month or two to get to where we needed to go, we would all be fit and thin! This is a lifestyle change and therefore its "in for the long haul" here.
  • cstevenson86
    cstevenson86 Posts: 158 Member
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    I feel your pain! As you can see, we all go through it. I was so excited when I got on the scale and saw I had lost 3.4 pounds. Excited may not be the word, THRILLED is more like it! Then about a week later I weighed myself and was up 5 pounds - what the heck?! I later found out at your TMO you can retain a lot of water, making the scale go up. I weigh-in for tomorrow for the first time in over a week...I'm praying for better results. I'd love to see the scale go down again.

    I agree with everyone else, just keep tunnel vision on your goals. You will get there. We will all get there, it's just going to take some time. We didn't get where we are over night...it's not going to come off over night...
  • cstevenson86
    cstevenson86 Posts: 158 Member
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    *TOM
  • veeve1
    veeve1 Posts: 13
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    The 10days before TOM, and 4 days of it, no drop ... and then overnight *Bam* 2.5lbs gone. :) Hmm, Im going to keep an eye on that pattern!

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