Help, I've been up and down for the past 5 weeks

pbm89gt · November 2023

For the past five weeks I feel like a yo-yo, I'll lose then gain, lose then gain. So far I'm currently sitting at 87lbs lost and it's getting hard! My weight now is 255 and my goal weight is 200, my calories are set at 1630.
I consistently stay under or at my calories. I skip breakfast everyday and only drink coffee, no sugary snacks. I do have a few carbs here and there but I'm trying to stay mostly low carb/keto diet. I don't do much exercises other than an occasional walk at a leisurely pace.
This week I had my highest gain of 2lbs am I freaking out over nothing?! I'm scared I've come to far to start sliding
backwards and in the past this is usually how it starts. I get discouraged when I get stuck in the yo-yo effect. Other than adding more physical activity I don't think I can do much more on the diet side. I can try just eating clean and cutting out all process food I still eat fast food but mostly lettuce wrapped hamburgers or no bun and salad with grilled chicken.
Any advice or stories of how you've accomplished your weight loss and maintaining would be appreciated because I'm struggling these past few weeks. If you feel like it throw me a friend request I need all the support I can get, I have none at home unfortunately and honestly I don't have many friends to lean on with this.

frhaberl · November 2023

I may be missing something, but here's what I'm seeing when looking at your recent posts -
September 8th - Down 70lbs and feeling proud of your milestone
September 19th - Down 72lbs and recognizing that some of the "weight" you are carrying is emotional, such as self-esteem and body image issues.
November 17th - Down 87lbs and feeling frustrated and scared that you aren't going to be able to achieve your goals.

What stands out to me is that you have lost 15 lbs in the 8.5 weeks since your September 19th post. I think that might be worth sitting with. Even after a gain of 2lbs today, you are averaging just under a 2lb/week weight loss.

I definitely understand how the past 5 weeks have been hard, with the weight loss seeming to stall. I also know what it's like to carry around all the emotional stuff that multiplies every tick up on the scale by 100. What I'm hoping is that you can learn to look at what you have achieved and where you are now with the eyes of a friend. If your friend was asking for your feedback on what they should do, I'm guessing your response would sound something like this:

Gently - I think you're freaking out over nothing. Look how far you've come! It takes commitment to make the changes you've made, without a strong support network, for the amount of time you've had to.

You're building a new lifestyle and body all at the same time. Sometimes you're going to get tired and need to slow the pace or even take a break. That doesn't mean you can't or won't finish the race. Sometimes your body will make that decision for you and you're going to have to decide if you will respond with grace or with anger.

My advice - give yourself permission to slow the pace. 2% of body weight per week is the MAX loss that is recommended. If you are struggling to maintain that level, it is not a sign of weakness or lack of commitment, or failure. It means you're not able to sustain the highest recommended pace. You will still get to your goal weight if you are losing 1% or 1/2% per week. And you will likely be in a better position to maintain that weight loss for the long term if you slow the pace, because you'll have to learn what you love enough to keep, or learn to love the things you'll have to keep doing for the rest of your life.

I started this journey with a spreadsheet showing my progress if I lost 1 lb a week. It might be worth doing retrospectively in your case. According to that spreadsheet, if I had lost 1 lb a week every week, I'd be 195 lbs today. If a friend told me that they had lost a pound a week for 34 weeks, I'd be so very proud of them. If a friend told me about the column where they recorded their weekly weight loss and that it showed numbers anywhere from -5.2 to +2.6lbs I'd be even more impressed that they had stayed committed even without the constant reinforcement of seeing the number on the scale go down. So on the days when I'm beating myself up about the +2.6 or (let's be honest) the -0.8 when I "need" -1.0 to stay on track, I calculate my average loss over the past 6-8 weeks. If that number is greater than 1 lb/week then I tell myself "you're freaking out over nothing" and I only make changes that I would make regardless of the impact on weight loss. FWIW, I weighed in at 170 today, 25 lbs lighter than I would have been if I was only losing at 1 lb/week. The only adjustments I've made (since I've always had a 6-8 week average loss above 1 lb/week) have been things that have made living this way more sustainable.

One sustainability change I made was to build in a natural slowing of my weight loss as I near my goal. I dropped my weekly loss target from 1.5 lbs/week to 1 lb/week when I hit 180, and will drop it to 0.5 lb/week when I hit 160. I also know that eating more during the holidays is something I want to be a part of my life, so will be changing my loss target to 0 lbs/week between November 20th and January 1st. When I'm in my goal weight range (+/-5lbs) then I'll work my way to the lower end of that range leading up to the holidays and only take corrective action if I top the +5 lb upper level for 2 full weeks during that period.

Sorry for the novel. Your post resonated with me and I wanted to share what has helped me.

onhaltn · November 2023

I am 124 pounds down with another 20 to go and stuck in a plateau now for about 6 weeks, so I truly feel your pain! But I agree completely with frhabert, who said it is important to keep looking at how far you've come and accept that it is fine to be losing more slowly, especially as we approach our goal weight and our bodies don't need as many calories. But FWIW, if you so inclined, you might think about adding back some breakfast (experts always seem to say it is better to eat something in the morning, though I find it hard to do sometimes), and cutting out the meats in favor of fish and poultry, which are just as filling and can be just as delicious but are not as calorie dense. And without knowing your daily exercise regimen, is it possible to add 15 minutes to it, every day? Perhaps every little bit helps?? Don't lose heart!

Ll0ydD0bler · November 2023

I've found that little slip-ups have a much bigger impact now that I've lost a bunch and am more than halfway to my goal. I'm doing 1700 calories a day to lose 2 lb a week, and I find that if I just do two or three days at 2000 or 2100 calories it stalls my weight loss by up to two weeks. I assume that if you've come this far you're adjusting your calories lower every week or two? Also for me, as soon as I hit 290 lb, my time to lose 10 lb went from 5 weeks to 8 weeks because it's just slower as you get lighter.

Truth be told you're doing great, keep at it! I get in a funk when the scale doesn't move, but it's happened to me enough times now that I just roll through it and re-apply my focus. The key is to keep using the same process that you've had success with already, you know it works! Remember also you have the rest of your life to reach the goal, it'll happen.

Lietchi · November 2023

Your body may be 'fighting' you after such a big loss at a fair pace. Losing weight is stressful for the body, it might be time for a few weeks off eating at maintenance to give your body (and mind) a break.

Corina1143 · November 2023

Wow! 87 pounds! You've been doing something right!
Anything you really want is worth fighting for.
If it's been easy so far, lucky you. If it's been hard but it's getting harder, take a deep breath, look around at where you are, how far you've come, and hang in there.

elisa123gal · November 2023

Don't blink. Or let your old self talk you into quiting.. you're doing great. let your body coast.. it may need that and will drop weight soon. You're doing everything right.. stick with it.

nolongergordo · November 2023

Have you determined the calories you need to maintain your current weight?
Can you find a way to increase your NEAT?
Can you do more exercise?

I have found it helpful to establish the current state of my self and adjust the variables that are under my control to produce the needed results over a long enough time frame.

It's not easy but it is simple.

mikecollins3131 · November 2023

I feel all of this. I’ve lost and kept off around 50 pounds over the past 18 months. I lose a little more then gain a little of it back but largely stuck within that range which makes me think my body has found a new set point. I also try to remember that during the holidays I’m going to be eating more and be gentle with myself. The mental part of getting healthier is every bit as tough as the physical. And I agree with everyone else, you’re doing great!

Help, I've been up and down for the past 5 weeks

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