Frustrated and losing motivation

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eates
eates Posts: 334 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm in the midst of a 7 week plateau. 1 week ago I upped by calories by 200/day in an attempt to bust it. No change. I'm still back & forth between the same 1/2 pound up and down that I was. If I'm not losing inches, I'm not losing pounds, and my clothes aren't fitting different then what's the point of busting my *kitten* 1 1/2 -2 hours a day at the gym and saying "no thanks" when my neighbor asks if I'd like a delicious looking double fudge brownie??? I'm REALLY struggling to stay motivated- how do you stay motivated when you aren't seeing results?

Replies

  • stephaniekendrick
    stephaniekendrick Posts: 87 Member
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    How is your carb intake?

    I saw my doctor last week adn told him I was on a little plateau and he told me an easy way to kick that is to limit carbs.

    It's been hard for me...I love my carbs! :(
  • bkhorton
    bkhorton Posts: 8
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    don't give up!!! you will break through the plateau! think of how frustrated you will feel when you put the weight back on that you just lost! try less carbs and more protein for a couple of days. i hope you stick with it!
  • SusanneWhittington
    SusanneWhittington Posts: 339 Member
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    That unfortunately happens all the time. I was at that point many times. Bad thing is to quit, because you go the other way. A friend told me to change my training routine and some of my foods, not like for forever, just for a while. That helps. Especially when you go to the gym 7 days a week you will have that plateau, because the body gets no time to relax. Not saying to do nothing for a day, just something completely different from what you usually do and give the muscles that you continually work in the same way time to relax and adjust. That helped her, me and some of my friends over that dreadful and frustrating time. Don't give up!!!! Hang in there, and don't look at what is still ahead of you to loose, look at what you already accomplished!!!
  • beverlyl64
    beverlyl64 Posts: 381
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    I took a look at your diary and it looks like your a little high on your sodium intake pretty often, try cutting back on processed foods to lower your sodium intake. You could be retaining fluid from this.
  • Green_Eyed_Girl88
    Green_Eyed_Girl88 Posts: 73 Member
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    I'm going through the same thing right noqw. I keep going up and down with the same 3 lbs for the last several weeks. Increased my work-outs, calories and Still NO CHANGE :( I'm just going to continue to try what I can until I break through and start losing again. I try and stay motivated by looking at old pics of myself...I've lost 50lbs and gone from a size 16 to a size 8!!!! I got rid of all of my old clothes..so I have no choice but to keep losing ;)

    Keep telling yourself that this IS worth it...YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!! Dont lose faith in yourself and you will see a change :)
  • spleece
    spleece Posts: 3 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/user/BodyPerformanceTV#p/u

    This guy has really helped me understand about weight loss. Lots of videos to encourage you and its all free
  • Li_Willi
    Li_Willi Posts: 96 Member
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    Try cutting back on your carbs & your sodium (they're pretty high). Try to keep your sodium somewhere @ 1500 and try to have your protein higher than your carbs (while still cutting back on your carb intake) & see if that doesn't bust your plateau.
  • melusinagr
    melusinagr Posts: 205 Member
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    I was in a nearly 6 week plateau. After 4 weeks I recalculated my calories to be no more than a 20% deficit from maintenance - and started going by that instead of worrying about exercise calories. It took a couple of weeks for that change to matter. During that time I also added more veggies to my diet, as well as whole grain breads and more protein while trying to keep overall carbs in check (not low carb though, around 180 grams a day or so - mostly from fruit and milk). I also added more variety to my exercise. I was absolutely crushed during my plateau but I kept with it, knowing that eventually I *would* break free of it if I kept up the work - and I did. You can too!
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    One look at your food diary and I can see where the problem may be. If you are really wanting to move off this plateau, I would suggest looking at replacements for the pizza, waffles, tater tots, burgers, lasagna, etc. Even though you may be meeting your caloric intake every day, these foods are not offering you the right balance a body needs to increase energy and your metabolism. I think you probably know this. It's hard to move away from foods we love, and we don't have to give them up completely, just have them once in a while instead of every day. The other recommendation would be to increase your breakfast count and decrease your lunch/dinner counts. When you are fueling your body up the first thing in the morning... your body will start letting go of some of the fat it's storing for energy the rest of the day. Good luck! Look to your diet for the answers. Keep up the great work at the gym! You can do it!!!
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
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    Thanks guys! I struggle with my sodium, too often it's easier to grab something quick with 2 little boys hanging off of me rather than choose a lower sodium option.
  • MissRFTC
    MissRFTC Posts: 3
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    I too hit a plateau about 7-8 weeks into my diet. However, it was only temporary. It took about 3 solid months of good habits to get to where I was happy with my progress and 6 months solid months to look awesome. Remember: it took you longer than 7 weeks to put on the weight! Be patient. Of course the weight is going to come off slower the more you progress. Don't be discouraged, just be consistent. Also, make sure you aren't eating white carbs. I follow the slow-carb diet so I'm never hungry and it has been the only "diet" that works for me. Here's some info: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/06/how-to-lose-20-lbs-of-fat-in-30-days-without-doing-any-exercise/

    Good luck and just stick with it. Eventually you will see results!
  • MissRFTC
    MissRFTC Posts: 3
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    "One look at your food diary and I can see where the problem may be. If you are really wanting to move off this plateau, I would suggest looking at replacements for the pizza, waffles, tater tots, burgers, lasagna, etc."

    Wow. I couldn't see your food diary, but looking at this, the answer is obvious.
  • MrsRobertson1005
    MrsRobertson1005 Posts: 552 Member
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    It's not just food, your muscles get used to doing the same workouts over and over again and they become used to them, switch up your workout. Do something new :)
  • Planetsusie
    Planetsusie Posts: 3
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    The food modifications others suggest will go a long way for you, but from a motivational standpoint, try to remember that you're doing all this to be a healthier long-lasting mother, not JUST because of what the scale says.

    Also, it helps me knowing that even world-class athletes wake up some mornings and think about fifty other things they'd RATHER DO than work out or practice.... but they get up and DO IT ANYWAY....
  • lunamare
    lunamare Posts: 569 Member
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    When I get into that situation I try to stop myself before I lose it. I focus on eating healthy and don't step on the scale for a bit. The girls are right, the processed stuff, while fast and very kid friendly, is not very good for your diet. Plus, if you introduce good habits to your kids now like having fruit and vegetables as snacks they'll keep those habits as they grow. Yogurt cups, string cheese, applesauce, kids love those things and they're good for them. Good luck!

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