Plateued, discouraged, frustrated, want to quit

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mikeroplay
mikeroplay Posts: 15
in Motivation and Support
Subject says it all, in my first month I lost 21lbs, in the last 3 weeks however, nothing, no weight lost, no inches lost, nothing.
It is very discouraging, however I found these quote that are helpful to me " The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start." and "If quitting is an option, you never intended to succeed. I intend to succeed.
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  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
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    And remember, that is a weight loss that people can take 3 months to acheive. Let your body even out and just keep on going, if you do, there is no way you will stay on a plateau forever!
  • dont_u_mean_carrots
    dont_u_mean_carrots Posts: 58
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    I see you like quotes. Here is one that keeps me going!

    http://i.imgur.com/JkipF.jpg
  • Amyding115
    Amyding115 Posts: 120
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    If you've been keeping your diaries (honestly) review them and see what's going on. Are you consuming over 1200 calories a day? If your keeping your diary accurately do you estimate high or low? If you're not tracking your intake, try it. Try a different kind of workout, sometimes your body comes to expect the norm, change it up a bit. I think you just need to reevaluate what you're doing and tweak it accordingly. Good luck.
  • minnie86
    minnie86 Posts: 187
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    Keep it up. See it this way,people usually plan to lose 6-10 lbs a month. You lost 21 in one month, so you are ahead of the game.
  • amazondan
    amazondan Posts: 35
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    I know the feeling. I've had weeks like that, but you just have to hang in there and know that the weight will "eventually" melt away. And it does...but just never as fast as we want it to. So don't give up...99% commitment will kill you. It's gotta be 100% or nothing.
  • MonolithTMA
    MonolithTMA Posts: 62 Member
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    Do a forum search for plateau there are some great threads and you are not alone!

    I've only lost 15 so far, but due to some medical issues I've put 4 back on. It's frustrating, but we have to stick with it!
  • frlsmith
    frlsmith Posts: 8
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    Don't quit! You can totally do this. I'd say check a few things. 1) Are you being totally honest with your diary? 2) Are you consuming too much sodium? 3) Are you consuming too little water? 4) When was the last time you changed your workout? Even something as simple as switching to intervals instead of straight jogging can help. 5) Is it possible that you've added some muscle? Make sure you're getting adequate protein after your workouts.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Wow. 21lbs in one month is amazing! If I had to guess - your body is going through an adjustment period. Don't give up! Don't give in! Keep going. Keep pushing forward. If you continue to plateau for another 2 weeks or so - consider switching things up a little bit. Are you eating enough? Drinking enough water? Logging your food correctly?


    You can do this! DO NOT GIVE UP! You didn't put the weight on in a week, month or even 6 months - HEALTHY weight loss takes time!
  • Keefypoos
    Keefypoos Posts: 231 Member
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    the OP is a Male so I hope he is eating more than 1200 Kcals
  • rjcogirl13
    rjcogirl13 Posts: 23
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    I first started dieting last summer and in 3 months, I went from 165 pounds to 135 pounds!!! The funniest thing is that I did not even exercise; I lost all the weight from diet alone! WHO DOES THAT?!? I was ecstatic, but then I went back to school and gained it all back plus some.

    I started again this summer and I have only lost 6.5 pounds. Plus I added exercise this summer!!! It is the most depressing thing; last night I cried for several hours just wondering what I could do better.

    The only solution I have come up with is to limit sugar, control portion size, do not short myself on the amount of calories I need which is 1200-1300, and not eat all/any of my exercise calories again. AND PRAY!!!
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    It seems when I get to the round numbers....240, 230 I tend to stop losing for a couple weeks. I am sure I did lose inches this time even without weight loss but it is so frustrating to not see that scale move.

    Don't give up! Try some different eating, different exercise, confuse your body for a bit and see if it works.
  • pkarim
    pkarim Posts: 171
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    Increase protein decrease carbs
  • MonolithTMA
    MonolithTMA Posts: 62 Member
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    http://i.imgur.com/JkipF.jpg

    Great story!
  • webdiva1
    webdiva1 Posts: 326 Member
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    Stay the course, man.
  • TMLPatrick
    TMLPatrick Posts: 558 Member
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    I've done enough "dieting" to finally realize that if you look at it as something you can "quit," you are looking at it wrong. The changes you've made to your eating habits thus far ARE going to make you thinner and healthier, no matter what. It will not occur overnight. It will take many many months before you are where you want to be. When you say you are going to quit.... you realy mean you want to go back to eating the way someone 21 lbs heavier than you are right now would eat. Would that make things better for you? Would it make you happier? I doubt it.

    A plateau means nothing in the grand scheme of things... think about it. So you didn't lose some weight for a couple weeks. You do want to be thinner at some point in the future, right? You know that if you keep doing what you're doing, you will lose weight. You do plan on being around in a year or whenever you finally meet your goal. Then there is really no hurry... the only important thing is that you stick with the changes you've made as much as possible... you will lose weight.... its as simple as that.

    When you decided you wanted to lose weight, you really decided you are going to make a lifestyle change. No longer will you live like you have been living. You will eat like a much thinner person... you will lose the weight you want to lose. This is a lifestyle change.... not a diet... its not something you can start doing and then stop doing later because you are "done". If you look at it this way, you are setting yourself up for failure. You must be ready to stick with it for the rest of your life, otherwise, you will go back to the way you were.... which, judging by the fact that you're on MFP with the rest of us, is probably not who you want to be.

    Enough preaching....

    Best of luck.... and keep your head up.... if you're anything like me, a large weight drop is just around the corner. :wink:
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
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    I plateau for a couple of months at a time, but I don't give up as this is a journey. I'm not on a diet, because all you do is go off of it again. Just continue to do what you're doing, see if there's anything you need to tweak in your food or exercise, and continue on. Take care.
  • Swimgoddess
    Swimgoddess Posts: 711 Member
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    My first guess/recommendation is to up your calories by at least 200-300 net/day. My no-BS experience:

    1st 6wks on MFP: successfully lost 1lb/wk, set for various net intakes, but the average for all those weeks came out to 1500/day

    Wks 7-12: big fat plateau, set for various net intakes, but the average for all those weeks came out to 1450/day.

    Conclusion: Less is not more, the "eat more to lose" people were right. So right in fact, that even a decrease in just 50 net calories caused my body to hang onto fat anticipating the next decrease.

    Wks 12-15: started losing again at about 1lb/wk: set and averaged 1700 net calories/day.

    Wk 15 (now): after new body composition results and speaking with trainer, I've just upped again to 1950 net/day :)
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    The bulk of initial weight loss comes in the form of a lot of excess water within muscles and interstitial cells that gets expelled and pushed out of the body. After that, your body begins to readjust to such a loss by slowing down or stalling. If you are one of those people that tend to give up from not seeing hurried results, you will fail. Plain and simple. You didn't gain an excessive amount of weight in a short period of time, so don't expect to lose it all at once either.

    Allow the rest your body needs to recover from the drastic change in weight, and it will begin to lose once it's ready. I don't know what you're doing nutritionally or physically, but since the bulk of weight maintenance and loss resides in diet, assess your nutritional intake and calorie amounts. If you've drastically cut your calories down to losing weight so rapidly, your body will rebound. This is just general information I can give you. Other than that, keep at it. Giving up just means that you were never ready or willing to do this as a lifelong process...which is what this is. A lifelong process.

    Good luck on your journey. Be happy with the results you've achieved thus far.
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVfHoTROgQ&feature=related

    Whenever I'm discouraged I watch this video and remember this is not something to quit. It is something I am doing for life. I know some people have a problem with the term Lifestyle change, but thats what it is for my wife and I. We eat very clean now. Very little processed food (protein bars and powder, almond milk, salad dressing and seltzer) but everything else we make ourselves. Take a serious look at your diary. if you are eating low calories made up of sugar, carbs and processed food it is pretty much starving if there is no nutritional value. You've lost 21lbs thats incredible. I don't know how much you are overweight, but I know I can fluctuate by ten lbs in a day and if I don't watch the sodium I blow up and can hold buckets of water weight. Take a deep breath and hang in there. I'm guessing from your name you are male. If so join the Men on a mission forum. It's a great group of guys and we motivate each other and the competition is helpful. We are going to have stalls, just hang in there and I seriously watch the video Nick is amazing and makes our journey so doable. I've lost 46 so far and 35 since finding MFP. You can do this if you need cheerleaders friend me and my wife (hootsmamma) She is an awesome cheerleader and motivator. She has MS, but kicks my butt in gear everyday and never gives up.
  • mikeroplay
    mikeroplay Posts: 15
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    I do record everything I eat honestly, I eat 1200cal day or less, I have recently added strength training to my exercise routine which includes boxing, elliptical trainer and treadmill. I wonder if I should be eating more lots of days I am only around 800cal.

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