Need Help Moving Forward

2 lbs fluctuations are normal. Don't give up.

Four weeks isn’t enough to have a steady timeline. You need to give yourself longer.

Don’t tinker with your goals or calories every few days or week,- you’ll never get a handle on what works and what doesn’t if you don’t establish a base to begin with, give it time, and then adjust as needed.

Your weight is going to fluctuate a pound (or three or four) for things like periods, eating salty or high carb foods, even muscle soreness can cause water retention. I find my weight even goes up temporarily following certain types of exercise. And by the same token, can drop drastically after others (runs, hot classes, naturally anything that makes me sweat excessively.)

Try one of the apps that “smooths” your weight loss graph. I haven’t used one but others will be along to recommend one.

Get a food scale and weigh every darn morsel. That is THE most effective weight loss tool you can use.

Learn the art of substituting foods to make the most of your calorie allotment. Learn which foods give you the most oomph to boost your macros. Learn to enjoy what you eat, so this can be a “forever” process and not a “temporary” diet.

In fact, stop thinking of it as “temporary”. You’re doomed to fail if you do.

Read these forums every. single. day and take advantage of the many knowledgeable posters here. I am here to say, these guys, whether they know it or not, have informed my journey. I read these forums every day. There’s a wealth of information here, people sharing your experience, willing to answer any question.

Feeling down in the dumps? Go to the Success Stories thread. Need inspiration? There’s a woman on there in a wheelchair who has lost a buttload of weight simply by logging and counting calories.

Get out in the fresh air. Fresh air and sunshine help with depression. Find a way to start. Walk a hundred feet one day, 200 the next, and you’ll quickly build up to a mile or more. As Rudolph’s little friend the elf dentist said,”Put one foot in front of the other”. (I’m sure you’ll thank me for that when you wake up at midnight with that little gem burning a whole in your brain!)

And I’m going to go out on a friendly limb of friendly friendship here. For heavens sake, change your user name. Just reading it makes me sad for you. It reminds me of someone I loved who would hit themselves on their head and mutter “you’re stupid, you’re dumb, you’re ugly.” They were none of these things but my goodness, you keep saying it and eventually you’re going to believe it. Even if you’re “decrying” shame, get shame out of the equation. Shame is just an ugly word and has no place in the positive change you want to make. You don’t need shame staring you in the face multiple times a day, and if you really REALLY want to do this, you’re going to be on this app constantly.

Hugs, baby.