I need encouragement

"eating healthy and exercise" mean nothing for weight loss...are you eating at a deficit and weighing all your food?

Why just "hope" you're in a deficit? Have you entered your stats in MFP? What calorie goal did it give you? Do you weigh and log all the food/liquids you consume?

Doing this is what got me through a stall, got me to goal weight, and in maintenance for 2 years. :-)

The encouragement must come from within. Pray.

I have gone through the stalls. It does pass. I'm not sure if you are on the first 4 weeks or if it is just 4 weeks you have been stalled. I went through a 6 week+ plateau. I too got the posts that I was eating more than I thought I was or wasn't measuring or keeping track correctly. I was doing what I had always done and had lost. It did eventually pass. What helped me the most was going to maintenance calories for a week. I know it makes absolutely no sense at all and I understand the concept of CICO (calories in/calories out). All I can tell you is what I experienced. I had lost about 70 pounds and just couldn't get past that point. A diet break helped. It reset my resolve and it also seemed to shake up my body to finally let go of what perhaps was water? I have no idea but am now down 88 pounds and counting. Don't give up. Take your measurements and if you have been dieting a long time consider a break at maintenance calories. I'm not talking about a binge I'm talking about a few hundred extra calories for a short time. Good luck.

You are more than welcome! We seem to have alot of folks on here who always react to a question like this with the assumption that you are doing something wrong. That is sometimes the case but not always. I was fortunate enough to have someone reach out and offer a solution to me at the beginning of this year when I was feeling frustrated and helpless for the same reason as you. As a bonus it worked. Don't give up. Weight loss is often up and down and the closer you get to goal the more that happens. Last year I lost 70 pounds this year I have lost 18, lol. I'm only 5 pounds away from goal so it is really slow going. But it's going! Cheers.

cheryldumais wrote: »

What helped me the most was going to maintenance calories for a week. I know it makes absolutely no sense at all and I understand the concept of CICO (calories in/calories out). All I can tell you is what I experienced. I had lost about 70 pounds and just couldn't get past that point. A diet break helped. It reset my resolve and it also seemed to shake up my body to finally let go of what perhaps was water? I have no idea but am now down 88 pounds and counting.

This actually does make some sense. When you are in a deficit for a long period of time, it stresses your body, and your body produces cortisol - which signals you body to hold water. "Refeeds" or eating at maintenance for a short period can help your body "reset" in that sense. I think this is mostly anecdotal, but doing that has worked for many people. I am, by no means an expert on this, but there is some correlation out there that suggests this possibility. Not claiming it as fact, but as we know the body is much more complex than our simple tools suggest. The estimates we use generally work, but they are simplifications of a process with many moving parts and variables.

As to the OP's post, these are your best friends:

1. Time
2. Trust in the process
3. Practice and observation
4. Fact-based decisions (not emotional ones)
5. Time.
6. Did I mention time?


And by "time", I really mean patience.

Here's my story if it helps, I had a baby in January and I was 93kg after delivery. I am 5 feet tall. So, that's a lot of weight. I have had hypothyroidism for years which makes it hard for me to lose weight. I couldn't walk for a km without huffing and puffing. I have a massive appetite. So, I knew I couldn't stick to diet plans. Initially 8th April, I started with small steps i.e.

1.Have 3 balanced meals - small carb, 100g protein and lots of veggies + 2 snacks fruit/veg 5times a week and allowed myself treats on weekends. I WEIGHED carbs and protein on a kitchen scale.(can't stress this enough)
2. I joined the gym and for the first week I only walked for 30 mins on the treadmill.
3. I weighed weekly but didn't expect to lose weight
4. I did not count calories
5. MY AIM was to change my lifestyle and making healthier choices.

After 40days, I had lost 3.5kg and had built some stamina. So,
2. Started squats, lunges, dead slams, chest press
3. Same food as above
4. I started losing a kg every week

After 2 months since start,
1. Started weight training and a HIIT class once a week
2. Still didn't count calories

After 3 months, my weight loss slowed down. So , instead of cheat days over weekends, I moved to 1 cheat meal a week.

After 4 months, I had to reduce my carb portions at night to get over a plateau.

August - ate like a horse due to family coming over from overseas

September - started calorie counting to get over another plateau.

During this journey, I started cooking a lot more. I wanted to make food exciting yet nutritious. I am a foodie and if I don't like what I eat, I'll never stick to it.

In total, I have lost 28kg so far. I have another 7kg to go.

What I have learnt so far,
1. I enjoy strength training. It has made me stronger and energetic
2. Enjoy your workouts and your food. If the relationship with either is bad, it makes the weight loss journey much harder.
3. Experiment with food - strike a balance between nutritional value and enjoyability and make it fun
4. Strive for a change in lifestyle rather than weight loss. You will lose weight on the way regardless.

I am still not perfect and have my high and lows but I don't feel sad about weight anymore.

@Mkneedtogetfit - AMEN! First healthy, then fit. Make this a lifestyle change.....the rest will follow! Just be patient and put yourself in a great position to succeed! And, show up every day.....