Being 'perfect' and not losing

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lesleyta
lesleyta Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all

Another of these type of questions I'm afraid.

Before December (for about a 5 months) I was doing my plan and losing around 1.5-2lbs a week. Over Christmas I admit I lost the plot a bit and binged, and put on around 10lbs - I've accepted this (and hopefully dealt with the reasons) and ready to move on. Back to the gym, back to staying with 1200 -1300 net calories (nearer 1200) weighing my food etc - the perfect dieter.

but my Weight has not budged, maybe I'm being naïve but I was expecting a bigger loss the first week (water etc) but if anything it's gone up a fraction.

So disheartened, I'm even thinking of meal replacements, which is something in my right mind I wouldn't even consider.

Is my body just in shock? It's never happened to me before. If I was close to my goal weight I'd relax more, but being 214 lb's at 5'5" is not anywhere close!

Sigh :(

Any advice gratefully accepted.

L
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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Back to the gym = increase in water weight (also possibly hormones and sodium)

    don't sweat it - just weigh yourself next week - it will happen
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I'd wait a couple more weeks and weigh yourself then, and I expect you'll see the number on the scale go down. One week isn't that long really. I usually only weigh myself once a month.
  • lesleyta
    lesleyta Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you .... I'm not good with patience :) But shall try !
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Care to open your diary?

    You really need to learn some patience. Read up on weight loss and it becomes a lot less scary. Its not linear and you will go through phases where it will not move or it slows down.

    In your case you talk about 10lbs over Christmas, but there will be a time lag between where your halt in consumption kicks in. A plateau where people suggest you have become stuck is viewed at being 6-8 weeks? You arent even 2 weeks into the new year.

    As the spoon said keep doing the right things consistently and eventually it will kick in.

    Are you doing the right things? I cant tell. One weakness that should alert yourself is your expectation management and how you deal wiith crisis. At least you had the common sense to post on the forums, but please dont get disheartened about something which is pretty normal for everyone. Breaking your plan or even thinking about breaking your plan for meal replacements is just silly thoughts, unless you understand the why of it. Spending time to make sure the basics are correct and appreciate how weight loss works gives you the knowledge not to be thrown by such things.

    Be prepared for your weight loss to slow down the closer you get to target.

    Exercise is very good, but for direct weight loss, then you will need to do a lot if you want it to make a big weight loss difference. Do a cardio and resistance mix.

    Your weight loss is a long term project.
  • lesleyta
    lesleyta Posts: 5 Member
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    DawnieB1977 wrote: »
    I'd wait a couple more weeks and weigh yourself then, and I expect you'll see the number on the scale go down. One week isn't that long really. I usually only weigh myself once a month.

    I wish I was like that - I'm a daily weigher! But take my official weight weekly.

  • OrangeBabelfish
    OrangeBabelfish Posts: 67 Member
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    We can't see your diary so we can't comment on what perfect looked like for 5 months and then what the binge was that lead to a 10lb gain over Christmas.

    However, the problem may also be in the "being perfect" bit. If you are being perfect, not allowing yourself any treats etc, this could lead to increased bingeing as and when you stop for a moment. I found myself incredibly disheartened when denying myself everything.

    Since I've switched to "flexible dieting" I feel a lot better. Loss is at a slower pace (also because I can't do too much at the gym) but I am not relapsing into binges. No food for me is off limits. I can still have steak, chips, or crisps (my weakness is savoury!) as long as I account for it within my calorie allowance (and ideally macro allowance, although I don't get too beat up about that).

    If I have done a big workout at the weekend, I can have a steak. Guilt free, I've earnt it. It means I can regularly have something I really enjoy, and don't feel like I am on a diet, I am just making choices. It might be something worth looking into if you're prone to relapsing or major binges after being "good" for months on end. There should be no good and bad in an ideal world. Just the same mindset, and everything in moderation!
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited January 2015
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    I'm not sure why everyone discusses this big drop in water weight when beginning a diet. Unless you were taking in bunches of sodium (common in N America, lol) and reduced it, there really isn't much reason to lose a ton of water weight just because you begin a diet.

    Even if you did lose water weight, it's just water and not fat. Don't get happy about water drops and increases. If you flip out over scale fluctuations, you'll go mad.

    Patience, patience, patience. I am not a generally patient person. I can be patient with people, when the situation requires it, but everything else, I'm not really patient. This whole experience is teaching me to be more patient.

    This weight loss thing has been trying. The waiting is frustrating. But there is nothing to be done. I can't encourage it along or tell it that it had better meet my deadline. I can't pay for expedited service. I can't threaten, bribe or pay someone to do it. And I can't just work harder and get it done. I HAVE to wait.

    Now I'm humming that Tom Petty song. "You take it on faith. You take it to the heart. The waiting is the hardest part." :)
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 682 Member
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    I find several factors halt my loss 1) stress 2) hormones 3) sugar lots of sugar not in fruit im talking chocolate bread pasta etc 4) sodium too and also sleep on days after rubbish sleep I gain weight and drink lots of water.
  • Phoenix_Down
    Phoenix_Down Posts: 530 Member
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    galprincess wrote: »
    I find several factors halt my loss 1) stress 2) hormones 3) sugar lots of sugar not in fruit im talking chocolate bread pasta etc 4) sodium too and also sleep on days after rubbish sleep I gain weight and drink lots of water.

    So you're talking about trivial water weight, not fat gain. Everyone gets that, that's why people recommend waiting a few weeks and see for a trend downward and not getting hung up on day to day fluctuations.

    OP, the biggest challenge for everyone is patience. But that is what is required for results. Everything in life worth pursuing requires it.

  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    Weight loss is FAR from perfect.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    lesleyta wrote: »
    DawnieB1977 wrote: »
    I'd wait a couple more weeks and weigh yourself then, and I expect you'll see the number on the scale go down. One week isn't that long really. I usually only weigh myself once a month.

    I wish I was like that - I'm a daily weigher! But take my official weight weekly.

    For what it's worth, people who weigh daily tend to lose weight more quickly. Or people who lose weight more quickly tend to weigh more frequently. It isn't clear which it is.
  • LavenderLeaves
    LavenderLeaves Posts: 195 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    lesleyta wrote: »
    DawnieB1977 wrote: »
    I'd wait a couple more weeks and weigh yourself then, and I expect you'll see the number on the scale go down. One week isn't that long really. I usually only weigh myself once a month.

    I wish I was like that - I'm a daily weigher! But take my official weight weekly.

    For what it's worth, people who weigh daily tend to lose weight more quickly. Or people who lose weight more quickly tend to weigh more frequently. It isn't clear which it is.
    Where did you get that "fact" from?

    Seriously, right? Random statement with no backup. Secondly, it's not about losing weight quickly. It's about losing it and KEEPING it off. Weighing daily is the habit of chronic dieters - people who clearly are not able to KEEP weight off.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Back to the gym = increase in water weight (also possibly hormones and sodium)

    don't sweat it - just weigh yourself next week - it will happen

    ^^ this...just keep on going and doing what you were doing prior to the holidays, you can do this :)
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
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    LavenderLeaves wrote: »
    MrM27 wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    lesleyta wrote: »
    DawnieB1977 wrote: »
    I'd wait a couple more weeks and weigh yourself then, and I expect you'll see the number on the scale go down. One week isn't that long really. I usually only weigh myself once a month.

    I wish I was like that - I'm a daily weigher! But take my official weight weekly.

    For what it's worth, people who weigh daily tend to lose weight more quickly. Or people who lose weight more quickly tend to weigh more frequently. It isn't clear which it is.
    Where did you get that "fact" from?

    Seriously, right? Random statement with no backup. Secondly, it's not about losing weight quickly. It's about losing it and KEEPING it off. Weighing daily is the habit of chronic dieters - people who clearly are not able to KEEP weight off.

    lol @Random statement with no backup about random statement with no backup. Weighing daily could perhaps be the habit of chronic maintainers as well.
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    If you went from losing 1.5 lbs/week to regaining 10 lbs in a month or so, your diet plan isn't sustainable.

    It sounds like you're in a pretty classic yo-yo diet pattern. Set your target to something more reasonable. One way to know it's sustainable is that you don't get impatient, and you're not tempted to binge.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Sometimes it takes a little longer. For me nothing ever happens the first week of being "good." Especially if you restarted working out, your muscles hold water. Give it another week or two and it should start showing on the scale again.
  • sixtyinchesoffury
    sixtyinchesoffury Posts: 321 Member
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    I weigh daily but then on Saturday average the past seven days and that's my official weight. It has worked pretty well for me. I tend to have big swings in water retention so this definitely knocks the shock factor out of those high numbers!!! just watch the general trend and you will see the big picture!

    I personally have the opinion that doing a 1200 cal plan is already putting yourself in a tough spot because where do you go from there....ie plateau? I think you went from a very low cal average to (sounds like) a very high daily cal intake. I think your body is in shock from the extremes. I haven't looked at your stats but if you want more info there are so many knowledgeable people of MFP just start researching! Knowledge is power :-)

    good luck!
    Ang

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