So I have lost no weight in one week

Years ago when I lost a large amount of weight after my pregnancies I told myself I would only weigh myself once a month so that the daily up and down of the scale wouldn't discourage me. I think it was helpful in that regard especially during the last few months when I was losing the last 10 lbs. There were months when I only lost a pound, but I still continued to make progress and a pound is a pound.

I know it can be tough to see other people lose lots of pounds their first week when it appears you haven't lost any.

I have had times like this, one right after abdominal surgery to correct a hiatal hernia. For me, the best thing was to put away the scale for a month. I concentrated on eating well as I began to get back to normal foods and rebuilding my exercise routine. Other times, I just concentrated on logging accurately and moving. When I went bck to the scale a month later, I showed a loss.

I am going through one right now. The heat of summer has hit and it always means gaining water weight for me (as much as 5 lb). My hands and feet get a bit puffy and I can feel it all over. Some goes away when a cool front comes through, and comes back on when the next heat wave hits, but some will last until fall. I am ignoring the scale right now because seeing a gain when I know I have done everything right is frustrating, even though it happens every summer.

Yup. If the scale is making you crazy, put it away for a while. No sense in torturing yourself.

goatelope wrote: »

Well that’s difficult because for me it’s important to know what I’m doing is working. But agree it’s not helpful to keep on checking. What I do is check every 3 days or so.

I am not saying don't check, I am saying if you risk getting off course because your scale numbers aren't what you hope they will be, taking a break from the scale may be prudent.

Agree with @lorrpb

It can be very eye opening.

goatelope wrote: »

Thanks. I feel so bad about myself, and so desperate to lose some weight, just to feel like it’s possible for me

Why feel bad about yourself? You're doing everything right. Even if you weren't, that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be kind to yourself. Any self-esteem you get based on a lower number on the scale can be taken away just as easily as it's given, because that lower number will never feel like it belongs to you.

I've also done the right things, and this week seem to be just trading 2 lbs up and down each day. Now, today looks bad on paper -- I don't have my steps in, and I'm 300 calories over. Nothing about that last sentence is the least bit concerning to me, what would cause me concern is beating myself up.

I can accept calmly that I might not meet all my goals today without being mad at myself, which allows me to at least meet some of my goals, and that is what will allow me to wake up tomorrow and be in the right mindset to do what I do most days -- crush my goals.

Your mental health and self-esteem are just as important as anything else you're doing. Without liking yourself, your road is going to be so tough. I know, because I've suffered from depression and anxiety, and each day my priority is to not give the mean thoughts in my head a megaphone. Everything else is not only secondary, but falls into place a lot easier when I take care of my emotional well-being.

As long as you're feeling bad about yourself, you are going to believe that the scale will never move, and that you will fail, and that any setback is proof you're not worthy, or capable, or... and the progress will only seem like a fluke, instead of you kicking *kitten*.

I might as well have written the original post because I constantly feel this way. The best thing to keep repeating like a broken record is that with each day of working out, having a calorie deficit, drinking water, etc. - it’s an investment in my long-term self rather than my tomorrow self. In other words, I didn’t gain it all in one week, I ain’t gonna lose it all in one week either. Sometimes I have to switch my focus to non-scale victories (clothing fit, new delicious recipe inventions, personal records in the gym) before the needle starts moving again. Because it does - just not as quickly as I’d like, ha.

4# in 2 weeks is pretty good!