How do you stay patient with the process of weight loss?

lavrn03
lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
in Motivation and Support
How do you stay patient with the process of weight loss?
Im usually pretty good about staying focused and remembering this is all a journey of better health. I'm having a hard time with the scale not moving this past week, actually going up. I ate out this weekend ( hadn't done that in a while), it's my TOM, and I had a few great strength training workouts. I know I'm retaining water, I didn't gain 4lbs of fat BUT i hate seeing the scale up when I finally got it going down again.
I've been good overall...clean eating and exercising (cardio and strength training) 5 times a week.
I've lost 60+lbs overall since I started and have only 15 more to go.
Since January I changed things up and increased my strength training ( heavy sets), decreased cardio a little and increased calories ( protein 1gm per body wgt) but have a mild deficit. I've lost 7 lbs since January and think that's great..I'm definitely on to something. This is week 10 of my 12 week experiment.
Should I change things up again or stick with what I'm doing?
I was thinking of playing around with my carbs on certain days again...

I know I just need to be patient with everything but I hate when you feel like you are on a roll and there is a snag.

Replies

  • lavrn03
    lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
    Thanks for listening
    Linda
  • robinlnicodemus
    robinlnicodemus Posts: 1 Member
    Great job! I try to remember I'm human and that I've proven I can take the weight off. I allow myself to give in to a craving but I don't allow one moment to keep me from my goal. Tomorrow is a new day!
  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
    One thing that keeps me patient is having other goals. I like to have strength goals, or mile goals, or challenge myself in different ways.
    Also, I think carb cycling is a great thing to do when you've hit a plateau, but you want to make sure you've really hit one before making things harder. Ultimately my rule of thumb was 2 weeks of perfection and no progress=change. I look at it as a science problem and just experiment to figure out what works best for my body. I should mention the closer you get to your goal, the slower progress happens. Having other goals can really help you stay committed rather than demotivated.

    Best of luck though and keep on keeping on!
  • lavrn03
    lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
    thank you
  • rldeclercq4
    rldeclercq4 Posts: 269 Member
    Trust in the process
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Learn about normal fluctuations so the dont stress you out. There are tons of threads on MFP about this. Have multiple goals & metrics, progress pics, body measurements, new recipes, strength training, fitness accomplishments. If nothing else they distract you when the scale is slow LOL. Seriously, when one area is slow, others are good, do you always have something to encourage you!
  • lavrn03
    lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
    Honestly I really have been doing that for the most part. I've been at this and going strong for 19 months BUT I would think after all this time these slow moments would get easier.
  • bodymindmusic
    bodymindmusic Posts: 118 Member
    Put your head down and keep pushing forward like a linebacker and don't do the typical woman thing and overthink it all the time. Don't weigh during your TOM, what's the point...you know it's going to be crazy. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Walk everyday!
    Day 244, 700 miles, 31 lbs down, 80 more to go
    Add me.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    lavrn03 wrote: »
    ...I had a few great strength training workouts...I've lost 60+lbs overall since I started and have only 15 more to go...increased my strength training ( heavy sets), decreased cardio a little and increased calories ( protein 1gm per body wgt) but have a mild deficit. I've lost 7 lbs since January and think that's great.

    Keep thinking about how far you've come and make some non-weight loss goals. Since you're strength training, set a goal or two for that. Your goal could be to add weight or reps or to master form on a specific exercise. If you're not doing it already, take your body measurements and keep track of how those are changing. In the long term, having non-weight loss goals to focus on helps a lot.
  • lavrn03
    lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
    I love mini goals!!!

    Yes I think I need to avoid the scale for 2 weeks around my TOM. It's so hard to but I think it messes with my head too much when I see a stand still or increase in weight.

    Thanks for all the suggestions!!!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,145 Member
    rldeclercq4 wrote: »
    Trust in the process

    +1

    I keep a lot of data - diaries, weigh ins, body measurements, photos - and I'm happy I do because when I got to points when it seemed like nothing was happening (or rather I was gaining/yo-yoing), I'd go back over a month of data and find out I was making progress but it was slow as a decaying panda's reflexes. I feel being female with those joyous monthly hormone floods is no help for dealing with the stress of "I'm doing it right! Y U NO LOSE WEIGHT?"
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    lavrn03 wrote: »
    Honestly I really have been doing that for the most part. I've been at this and going strong for 19 months BUT I would think after all this time these slow moments would get easier.

    Nope, sorry. It gets worse because the slow moments get slower the lighter you are, and easier because you've seen it before and know you just need to keep going.

    All in all, it's mostly a wash :unamused:
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    Remember that everything worth having is worth working for. Education. A successful marriage. Career goals. Raising children.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    lavrn03 wrote: »
    How do you stay patient with the process of weight loss?
    Im usually pretty good about staying focused and remembering this is all a journey of better health. I'm having a hard time with the scale not moving this past week, actually going up. I ate out this weekend ( hadn't done that in a while), it's my TOM, and I had a few great strength training workouts. I know I'm retaining water, I didn't gain 4lbs of fat BUT i hate seeing the scale up when I finally got it going down again.
    I've been good overall...clean eating and exercising (cardio and strength training) 5 times a week.
    I've lost 60+lbs overall since I started and have only 15 more to go.
    Since January I changed things up and increased my strength training ( heavy sets), decreased cardio a little and increased calories ( protein 1gm per body wgt) but have a mild deficit. I've lost 7 lbs since January and think that's great..I'm definitely on to something. This is week 10 of my 12 week experiment.
    Should I change things up again or stick with what I'm doing?
    I was thinking of playing around with my carbs on certain days again...

    I know I just need to be patient with everything but I hate when you feel like you are on a roll and there is a snag.

    It's not a snag. You're at a deficit, you're exercising. You have a 12-week plan so finish your 12 weeks on your plan and then measure the weight difference from the beginning and end of the plan.

    I thought I was on a plateau last week because I wasn't losing weight, I was gaining. I adjusted the components of my diet, I now get the same calories and continue exercising, and weight has fallen dramatically this week.
  • willnevergiveup
    willnevergiveup Posts: 141 Member
    I keep a daily record of my weight because there are times I don't think I'm losing anything, but I really am. It's a trick of the scales. If I go, say, from 171 to 169 I think I'm doing well. But if I go from 169 to 167 I think I've plateaued. WTH? Of course not! I lost 2 pounds the first time and 2 pounds the second time. My mind just doesn't see those the same way.

    I am also someone who keeps detailed records. I can see the changes in photos taken weeks/months apart. I can see it in numbers weeks/months apart. I don't see it in the mirror; not unless I look at older photos of me first. I can tell from my clothes, but I have the tendency to buy the exact same clothes in different sizes (22, 20,18,16) and that makes it harder for me and for people who see me every day to see it too.

  • aleencarraec
    aleencarraec Posts: 25 Member
    edited March 2016
    lavrn03 wrote: »
    How do you stay patient with the process of weight loss?
    Im usually pretty good about staying focused and remembering this is all a journey of better health. I'm having a hard time with the scale not moving this past week, actually going up. I ate out this weekend ( hadn't done that in a while), it's my TOM, and I had a few great strength training workouts. I know I'm retaining water, I didn't gain 4lbs of fat BUT i hate seeing the scale up when I finally got it going down again.
    I've been good overall...clean eating and exercising (cardio and strength training) 5 times a week.
    I've lost 60+lbs overall since I started and have only 15 more to go.
    Since January I changed things up and increased my strength training ( heavy sets), decreased cardio a little and increased calories ( protein 1gm per body wgt) but have a mild deficit. I've lost 7 lbs since January and think that's great..I'm definitely on to something. This is week 10 of my 12 week experiment.
    Should I change things up again or stick with what I'm doing?
    I was thinking of playing around with my carbs on certain days again...

    I know I just need to be patient with everything but I hate when you feel like you are on a roll and there is a snag.

    Try the Jillian Michael's detox water for a week before/during your TOM. then the scale won't go up due to water!


    It's 60 oz water, a yogi detox tea bag steeped for 10 minutes, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tbsp cranberry juice (no added sugar). Drink it every day for a week!
  • lavrn03
    lavrn03 Posts: 235 Member
    Thanks

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