The "death" spiral of discouragement...

marie_eve_78
marie_eve_78 Posts: 72 Member
edited November 12 in Motivation and Support
Hi! I've been on a plateau for a month now. The fact that I don't lose affects my motivation to eat well, which in turn affects the fact that I do not lose. I'm stuck... and discouraged. Any advice?

Thanks!

Replies

  • painauxraisin
    painauxraisin Posts: 299 Member
    This is a scary time when we're trying to lose. You try so hard and it feels like it's for nothing. However, if you stop now and throw in the towel, a couple of weeks down the line you'll have gained and be wondering how much you might have lost if you'd have just hung on a little bit longer.
    Maybe just change what you're eating if you tend to eat the same things everyday. We do get into a rut sometimes.
    Best of luck.
  • TinaHumphries
    TinaHumphries Posts: 130 Member
    Drink twice as much water as you are at the moment. I know it sounds stupid but I retain less water when I drink more and my weight goes down quicker.

    Don't get discouraged - just think how much worse off you would be if you didn't make any effort :flowerforyou:
  • marie_eve_78
    marie_eve_78 Posts: 72 Member
    Thanks guys!

    I'm trying to motivate myself to go to my last aquajogging session of the season tonight... Arrrg laziness, begone!!
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    I'm not sure how drinking "twice as much water" is supposed to help you lose fat... but ok. It might help with some sodium bloat and hydrate you, but fat loss takes a caloric deficit, bottom line.

    Just hang in there, keep you slight calorie deficit going, keep working out... it takes time.
  • skrakalaka
    skrakalaka Posts: 338 Member
    That's what always used to make me give up. I would try so hard for a month, see no results then give up. This time I decided that no matter what, I was going to stick with it for the long term. Sure enough after about 2 months the weight just started falling off, and I found myself at a place I had never stuck around long enough to see. Stick with it, your hard work will pay off:flowerforyou:
  • AEFidgets
    AEFidgets Posts: 243
    Try changing up your exercise routine. Maybe add some lifting or just change the method of your cardio. Go roller blading with the kids or walk your dog and extra mile. Try a new fruit or vegetable. That helps keep things new.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Continue eating well and exercising but don't weigh for six months. Problem solved.
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    Continue eating well and exercising but don't weigh for six months. Problem solved.

    QFT. It's what my husband has been saying to me all along. Easier said than done!
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Continue eating well and exercising but don't weigh for six months. Problem solved.

    QFT. It's what my husband has been saying to me all along. Easier said than done!

    Why is it hard? Just give your scale to a friend and say "please don't give this back to me until May"
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    Continue eating well and exercising but don't weigh for six months. Problem solved.

    QFT. It's what my husband has been saying to me all along. Easier said than done!

    Why is it hard? Just give your scale to a friend and say "please don't give this back to me until May"

    I'm agreeing with you. Just trying not to make light of the OP's post entitled "death spiral of discouragement"...

    All any of us can do is to have patience, eat in a slight calorie deficit... and keep up the training. No scale is going to do a thing.
  • hazelohoheight
    hazelohoheight Posts: 16 Member
    Try the Peer Trainer Point of No Return Program....they address plateau busting and teach you some really good tools to help you not get discouraged and keep you focused.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    When you're not seeing the progress you want on the scale, look for progress in other areas. Do your pants fit better? Can you see changes in progress photos? Have your measurements changed? Are you able to reach new fitness goals (running faster or longer, lifting heavier, getting less winded on the elliptical, keeping up in Zumba)? Are you eating healthier foods?

    SOMEWHERE, you should be able to find progress, if you're looking for it in the right places,

    If you can't, then you have to reexamine your actions.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Yeah here's some advice! thats not a plateau!

    that's a road sign saying step it up or get stagnant.

    tumblr_m19mb09xFq1qke924o1_500.png
  • Porshiana
    Porshiana Posts: 20 Member
    Zig zagging beats plateaus. Instead of 1400 calories a day, do 1200 one day, 1600 the next. Or go extreme 1000 one day, 1800 the next. Exercising too. If you exercise your legs, stop and exercise your arms instead. If you find exercise boring, go play a couple games of laser tag or volley ball.

    Your body wants to conserve energy. So if you do the same thing over and over, it adjusts to it, trying to not use more calories than you are taking in.

    So even though you don't noticed it, you walk less, move your arms less, move less in your sleep,even talk less, all to conserve energy. Your body also sends out more food cravings, in an effort to get you to eat more.

    Zig sagging throws your body of so it can't adjust your metabolism and make you plateau
  • SLLeask
    SLLeask Posts: 489 Member
    This thread is 5 years old!!
This discussion has been closed.

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