I just can't do it!!!

HakunaMatata137
HakunaMatata137 Posts: 63 Member
edited November 28 in Challenges
Ughhh! I am so discouraged!

Since January, I've lost a total of 35 lbs. I have about 30 more to go to reach my goal. At the beginning, it was so much easier for me to eat under/at my calorie goal, and lose weight at a consistent pace. But over the past 4 months or so, I've been at such a plateau. And I think it's because of me.

For some reason, I just cannot keep at my caloric goal of 1,680/day. I'll maybe achieve it 1-2 a week, and the rest of the week I usually wind up at around 2,000, and then weekends I can never keep it together and I usually climb up to like 2,500 calories. (My maintenance is at around 2,400/day).

I'm just finding it to be such a struggle. Every. Single. Day. feels like a huge battle and mountain to climb just to stay under 1,680. I can't describe it any other way. But I'm struggling big time, and getting really really discouraged. Every single Monday I tell myself that I'll keep it at 1,680 all week. And then Monday I'll usually achieve it, but then it goes downhill from there and I just don't know how to keep it together. I guess I'm just seeing if anyone else has/has had a similar experience, and if you could share some tips on how you do it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Replies

  • Barbonica
    Barbonica Posts: 337 Member
    Take a break. Focus on maintaining for a couple of months. I know it is hard and feels like you are giving uo, but you arent. You are practicing. Maintaining your weight loss is hard as well, so if your maintenance is 2400, set a goal of 2200. Gives you a little wiggle room, and remember, this is practice, and practice is good. I did this twice. I lost 25#, then maintained for about 4 months, then lost 20#, then maintained for 7-8 months, then lost 20#.
    Have been maintaining for over 3 years. Maybe will lose the last 10, when I am ready. Congrats on how far you have come! You are a success, don't let this period feel like a failure.
  • HakunaMatata137
    HakunaMatata137 Posts: 63 Member
    Barbonica wrote: »
    Take a break. Focus on maintaining for a couple of months. I know it is hard and feels like you are giving uo, but you arent. You are practicing. Maintaining your weight loss is hard as well, so if your maintenance is 2400, set a goal of 2200. Gives you a little wiggle room, and remember, this is practice, and practice is good. I did this twice. I lost 25#, then maintained for about 4 months, then lost 20#, then maintained for 7-8 months, then lost 20#.
    Have been maintaining for over 3 years. Maybe will lose the last 10, when I am ready. Congrats on how far you have come! You are a success, don't let this period feel like a failure.

    This is a very good idea, I might try that for a couple of months and see where it takes me. Thank you for your input and congrats to you as well :)
  • SimmieBK
    SimmieBK Posts: 5 Member
    Ok Hakuna. YOU CAN DO THIS. say it. I CAN DO THIS.

    I am so far away from my goal, but I remember doing WW for the first time and NOT being able to get past 212 lbs after a 20 lb loss. I still remember running for miles, only eating leaves and still not getting past that weight. I didn't know what a plateau was then-but I can tell you that you are at a plateau. You are at that stage where something needs to change. The blessing here is that you know what it is- you are going over your calorie goal.

    Maybe you should re evaluate what your caloric intake is now that you are at a different starting weight. Did that? OK-lets try something else.

    Maybe you can increase your protein intake-being satiated is the best defense against going over your caloric goal.

    Maybe you need to write down the time of day that you are going over calorie goal and anticipate that mother'effer and do everything to avoid it.

    Maybe you can try to recommit to doing higher intensity workouts to offset your appetite. People who do a-lot of activity need more calories (science lol). You can make a deficit with exercise while still eating healthy. Can you try HIIT exercises? They hurt but they work LOL.

    Maybe you take a break and try to maintain your weight without gaining for about 2 weeks. Try to maintain what you have, hit the books and start again. Teach a man to fish, right?

    GIRL you 'da best. You got this. You rock. You have NOT failed. You are learning. You can do it.

  • HakunaMatata137
    HakunaMatata137 Posts: 63 Member
    SimmieBK wrote: »
    Ok Hakuna. YOU CAN DO THIS. say it. I CAN DO THIS.

    I am so far away from my goal, but I remember doing WW for the first time and NOT being able to get past 212 lbs after a 20 lb loss. I still remember running for miles, only eating leaves and still not getting past that weight. I didn't know what a plateau was then-but I can tell you that you are at a plateau. You are at that stage where something needs to change. The blessing here is that you know what it is- you are going over your calorie goal.

    Maybe you should re evaluate what your caloric intake is now that you are at a different starting weight. Did that? OK-lets try something else.

    Maybe you can increase your protein intake-being satiated is the best defense against going over your caloric goal.

    Maybe you need to write down the time of day that you are going over calorie goal and anticipate that mother'effer and do everything to avoid it.

    Maybe you can try to recommit to doing higher intensity workouts to offset your appetite. People who do a-lot of activity need more calories (science lol). You can make a deficit with exercise while still eating healthy. Can you try HIIT exercises? They hurt but they work LOL.

    Maybe you take a break and try to maintain your weight without gaining for about 2 weeks. Try to maintain what you have, hit the books and start again. Teach a man to fish, right?

    GIRL you 'da best. You got this. You rock. You have NOT failed. You are learning. You can do it.

    I love your response sooo much lol I literally wrote down "increase protein, record time of day" because my biggest problems are eating cal-dense foods that don't fill me up, and bingeing at night! I will definitely try out your advice thank you! And CONGRATS on your 20 lb weight loss!!! You got this too!!
  • intrigame23
    intrigame23 Posts: 193 Member
    Amen to this. ^

    Make a list of 'cleaner' foods you actually like and make sure you have them on hand. When I found myself overeating it was because I didn't have my eggs and cheese for breakfast. lol Seriously, it keeps me full til noon, I'm not too hungry at lunch, and can stay within calories for dinner.

    Do you eat out a lot? I used to... made a tally chart of how many days I could go without take out. It was a good mental trick to keep calories under control.

    You CAN do this! 😊
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    take a break - diet breaks can help with adherance to a plan; consider re-evaluating your weekly weight loss goal - go for something less agressive - at 30lbs to go, your goal should be about a 1lb a week

    are you eating back exercise calories?
  • Tootsum59
    Tootsum59 Posts: 1 Member
    Yes you can! All good advice in these posts. I'm at a plateau too after losing 30 pounds at a nearly steady pace of 1-1.5 lbs per week. It's so hard to see that scale stick to the same number week in and week out, but try rejiggering a few things as suggested above, and I like the idea of stepping back and maintaining for a bit. IT'S HARD WORK monitoring your calories and making sure you're moving and planning meals and always, always thinking ahead to where you can build in more movement or get more satisfying deliciousness into your meals without a bunch of fat and calories. Take a break if that seems right. But try not to backtrack. Look behind you at all that work to get where you are (I look at different reports on My Fitness Pal). Acknowledge your hard work and reward yourself if you are able with some kind of non-food item. Know that even if your outsides are not the shape you want yet, your insides are thanking you with each day you wake up and treat them right. And 35 pounds is a lot! Have you picked up a 35 pound bag of cat litter or dog food? Your joints were carrying around that extra weight, and your heart was pumping blood to all those extra capillaries. You've done such a good job for yourself. Make sure you acknowledge that!
    I read a weight loss story with a mantra I say to myself all the time. We all know the Nike motto of "Just Do It." It's a take on that. This guy was talking about his negative self-talk (I can't run one more mile, it won't hurt to eat just one donut, I can skip working out today...) you know. The devil that sits on your shoulder and says, "Eat it, it's so delicious," or, "Just stay here in front of the tv. It's raining." He says he says to himself, "Do it anyway." Do it anyway, even though you think you can't. Do it anyway, when it's snowing, when there is ice cream in the freezer, or when you're tired. But when you just can't do it anyway, forgive yourself and reset the next day, or next meal, or next workout. You're doing great!
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