First Discouraging Day

"I just wanted to post something about what to expect during the phases of weight loss.

Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from. "

1 lb is not much and can come from anywhere, drinking water before weighing in especially. Also if you are working out it is common to gain a pound or two before you lose. Just stick with it and you will see results.

Your body has to get used to the change. Your weight will change up and down until it starts to get the message that you are doing this for real.

You may want to work with measurements more than the scale. You may decide to only weigh in once a month. You may decide that your weight loss goal is too big (you don't state what you've set your diet profile at)... There are many factors.

Don't give up after 2 weeks of trying to make a change in your life. If you give up, what do you get? To gain a few more pounds and get frustrated at yourself when you next have the guts to step on the scale (probably because your jeans won't button) and then you'll be looking for another chance to lose the weight. WHY YO-YO? Just keep on now and you'll see the results you need. Just have the patience and hear the words of your friends here. Open your diary if asked so that people can make suggestions based on what you have been eating (and how much).

Stick to it!

Are you working out and/or lifting weights? If so, muscle can put on more "weight"... Also, water levels in your body will fluctuate like crazy, depending on the amount of sodium you're intaking and also due to hormonal changes. So it's not a good idea to weight yourself more than once a week. You did not, though, put on a pound of fat since the last time you weighed, so don't get discouraged! You can do this!

Most importantly DO NOT GIVE UP! Just keep at it. If you are working out and eating within your calorie budget, then the 1lb is probably just water weight or even some muscle. Also, are you tracking inches? It's more reliable when you track your inches, because the scale doesn't always tell the truth.
Anyhoo, don't give up and don't beat yourself up. You are doing great!

Is your goal the right goal for you? With as little as you have to lose you should not set your goal, or expect, to lose more than 1 lb/week.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose a goal of 2 lb loss per week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose a goal of 1.5 lb loss per week is ideal,
If you have 25- 40 lbs to lose a goal of 1 lb loss per week is ideal,
If you have 15- 25 lbs to lose a goal of 0.5 to 1.0 lb loss per week is ideal,
If you have < 15 lbs to lose a goal of 0.5 lb loss per week is ideal,

Advice: DON'T FREAK. Your weight is going to go up and down and up and down. If that's all you're in it for, you won't get anywhere. BUT! If you can stick to good habits, eventually the "high" number on the "high" end of your fluctuation will go down, and the "low" number will be super amazing!

I never freak if I'm up or down 2 lbs.- that can be water, anything! So just keep plugging away and realize that fitness is not something to check off your to-do list. It's going to take time, and you'll start seeing sustained results as you stick with it. 2 weeks is a great start! But you need more time for this to work changes in your life.

This is a tough (maybe stupid?) way to visualize it, but this is the way I think about it.

I have this "goal weight" that is at the center of my universe. I'm orbiting out around it, and every 5 lbs. I lose brings me in closer. If I don't lose any or worse, gain some, it's ok if I'm eating right and working out- because I recognize that there are tons of factors than can make me gain weight. (When I started running I gained 8 lbs. in two weeks, but have lost that plus more in the 5 months after that). The key is, I'M STILL IN ORBIT! I'm not stopping, I won't be still. Scale up, scale down, I'm headed towards that goal weight. It's just a bit of a journey to get there.

CORNY! I know, but it keeps me running.

You're very new and have a lot to learn. Lesson 1: Unless you ate 3500 calories extra, you didn't 'gain' a pound. That gain could be from water retention (from excess sodium), normal daily fluctuation, TOM, you might be losing only inches and not scale weight, etc.

Slow and steady wins the race. Eat healthy foods, stay within your caloric guidelines, exercise to become healthier and stronger, and the weight WILL come off.

Congrats to having your first discouraging day...it won't be the first and certainly won't be the last! What separates the successful people here from the not so successful is how you respond to discouragement. Will you quit, or will you dig your heels in and keep at it?

Don't be discouraged hon. It could be water weight or perhaps even that u may be eating too few calories. If ur body is starving (anything under 1,200 calories for the day) then this can result in weight gain as ur metabolic rate begins to slow down. Go figure, right? The trick is to try and never go hungry. Eat as many as 5-6 small meals each day consisting of mainly fruits and a lot of vegetables. I'm no expert but I have read where this works well. U can even try Jillian Michaels 4-3-2-1 pyramid eating scheme...4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of protein, 2 servings of whole grains and 1 serving of sweets/fats/oils/nuts etc. which should not be more than 200 calories. It's been working pretty well for me so far (though I've had off days) so u can try this for urself.

And never give up. U r stronger than u even know Hope this info. helped somewhat.

Have a great day. Cheers