Losing confidence
TheNewGB
Posts: 1
I just started tracking my calories on this site two weeks ago and already I'm losing confidence that I can do this. I lost a total of 4 pounds only to learn this morning that I gained 2 back since yesterday. This is frustrating since I was on track. I need to see results to keep motivated so I tend to weigh myself each morning. But when the scale shows no progress or I gained weight, it really discourages me. Maybe I should just weigh in once a week - Mondays.
I'm going on vacation tomorrow so I'm really nervous about making good food choices. I usualy stop dieting all together when I'm on vacation, but this time, I hope I can stick to the plan.
I'm going on vacation tomorrow so I'm really nervous about making good food choices. I usualy stop dieting all together when I'm on vacation, but this time, I hope I can stick to the plan.
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Replies
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Weighing yourself every day is not a good idea, your weight fluctuates daily. You should listen to yourself and weigh once a week, at the same time, wearing nearly the same thing. Keep positive, your weight will drop.0
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I am going through the EXACT same thing. I lost 2.5 pounds early on, now on week two I have put on 4 pounds! I don't know why this is happening. Let's stick it out a couple more weeks. Maybe our bodies just need a bit more time to realize we are serious.0
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Agree with give it some time and only weighing once a week. Good luck eating well on vacation. Hopefully you're going on one where you can get some exercise in, even if its just walking and hope you have a great time!0
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I feel the same way
BUT, I tell myself this...even IF I don't lose another pound, I am eating much healthier and exercising, so even IF I never get into that size 8, at least my body is healthy and I am adding years to my life.
That said, I really do think I will continue losing weight at some point, but I think your body does a checks & balances sort of thing. It loses weight, then chills, then loses weight, then chills. I tell myself that my body is just making sure I'm for real with this eating healthy thing! :laugh:0 -
Dont weigh yourself everyday! do it once a month like i do0
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If you rely on the scale to give you motivation/confidence on this journey, you aren't going to get too far. Too many variables factor into scale weight...especially if you are weighing in more than once a week...and even that is unpredictable to an extent. I know this is hard to accept, but scale weight is not the end all, be all of this journey. I can only tell you that if you are persistent and commit to the journey, the scale will ultimately comply and you will achieve whatever goals you want (but not as quickly as you'd like).
I recommend that for motivation/confidence, you rely instead on the deep, dark, pulled from the inner guts of you, brutal truth(s) as to why you are on you are on this journey. Write down all of the things you hate about being overweight. If you dig deep enough and are honest enough with yourself...then either you have enough reason to stay on the journey or you are really okay with your current lifestyle. and, hey, if you are okay with your current lifestyle, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'm here to help encourage folks who hate being overweight enough that they want to make a change.
Now, once you have those things written down...and assuming they are enough motivation to stay on your journey...the next thing I want you to do is to start appreciating the little victories this journey has to offer (victories that are not always reflected on the scale). I recently suggested to my pals that they make a chart and check it off daily to show all of the little victories that pile up. For example, your chart could have the following items:
ate healthy breakfast instead of pop tarts (or unhealthy breakfast of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy snack instead of Ho-Hos (or unhealthy snack of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy lunch instead of Crapdonalds
ate healthy afternoon snack instead of cookies
ate healthy dinner instead of fried chicken wings
avoided nighttime munchies because I wasn't really hungry
exercised according to my plan
drank X cups of water today
logged all of my food and drinks today
ate within 50 calories + or - of my calorie goal
.... I promise you that if you persist, and make achieve these small victories most days, you will achieve bigger victories on your journey. When will you achieve those bigger victories? No one can tell you that. But if you think of this as a journey to good health that lasts your lifetime...who cares how quickly you achieve your goals (you certainly didn't destroy your health in a few short weeks or months)....if its a journey and you are achieving the small victories, then know the big ones will come.0 -
Especially if you tie all your motivation to the scale, I would put it away for at least a month while you develop healthy habits and see how your body FEELS - see how motivating that can be, and then incorporate the scale back into your life in whatever way makes sense for you.0
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keep going - you are so early in the process. try weighing yourself once a week and measure inches the day after your last day of your period each month. If you keep exercising even a little and stay within your calorie count, you WILL lose weight! eat fresh UNprocessed foods and cut sugary drinks. We are all rooting for you!0
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I weigh fortnightly and there's always a result by then. In my humble opinion weighing daily sets you up for failure, been there, done it, gave up. To gain 2lb you'd have to have eaten 10,500 calories yesterday... Sure you didn't! Lol. You may have had too much salt and retaining water, muscles may still be healing from exercise, not been to the loo much... So many explanations. Good luck on vacation and it will keep dropping! Keep going and have faith x0
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If you rely on the scale to give you motivation/confidence on this journey, you aren't going to get too far. Too many variables factor into scale weight...especially if you are weighing in more than once a week...and even that is unpredictable to an extent. I know this is hard to accept, but scale weight is not the end all, be all of this journey. I can only tell you that if you are persistent and commit to the journey, the scale will ultimately comply and you will achieve whatever goals you want (but not as quickly as you'd like).
I recommend that for motivation/confidence, you rely instead on the deep, dark, pulled from the inner guts of you, brutal truth(s) as to why you are on you are on this journey. Write down all of the things you hate about being overweight. If you dig deep enough and are honest enough with yourself...then either you have enough reason to stay on the journey or you are really okay with your current lifestyle. and, hey, if you are okay with your current lifestyle, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'm here to help encourage folks who hate being overweight enough that they want to make a change.
Now, once you have those things written down...and assuming they are enough motivation to stay on your journey...the next thing I want you to do is to start appreciating the little victories this journey has to offer (victories that are not always reflected on the scale). I recently suggested to my pals that they make a chart and check it off daily to show all of the little victories that pile up. For example, your chart could have the following items:
ate healthy breakfast instead of pop tarts (or unhealthy breakfast of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy snack instead of Ho-Hos (or unhealthy snack of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy lunch instead of Crapdonalds
ate healthy afternoon snack instead of cookies
ate healthy dinner instead of fried chicken wings
avoided nighttime munchies because I wasn't really hungry
exercised according to my plan
drank X cups of water today
logged all of my food and drinks today
ate within 50 calories + or - of my calorie goal
.... I promise you that if you persist, and make achieve these small victories most days, you will achieve bigger victories on your journey. When will you achieve those bigger victories? No one can tell you that. But if you think of this as a journey to good health that lasts your lifetime...who cares how quickly you achieve your goals (you certainly didn't destroy your health in a few short weeks or months)....if its a journey and you are achieving the small victories, then know the big ones will come.
I think we all need to step back and remember this. I know I do.0 -
The weight fluctuations are very true - it's mostly water. I weighed in Monday before my workout - and then again after my workout and shower and I had gained 3 lbs. So don't worry about it. If you're exercising and eating healthy the weight will come off. You just have to be patient and not obsess about the numbers.0
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You are 2 pounds down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats what I read in your post! Look at the positives. This works if you keep to it and be honest with it and yourself. vacation are super hard so when ya get back , weigh in and that is you new starting point. Do salads when out and very little dressings. Remember portion control, and self control. I was below my goal, then gained + lbs, but going back at it! You a runner? Cardio is awesome!0
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You need to go for long term trend. Results are not going to be instant. I'm not losing weight anywhere near how fast I want. But the trend is downward. And I'm losing inches, so that trend is going downward. You cannot focus on daily fluctuations. Just keep moving in the right direction and it will follow.0
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Thank you! I really felt encouraged from what you wrote. The scale is not my friend and I do my best to not weigh; it just gets so frustrating.0
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You should get used to weight fluctuation its just part of it. don't focus on what you are losing focus, on eating fewer calories, eating healthier foods, and getting exercise. If you do those things the weight-loss will just happen. two weeks is miniscule in the grand scheme of things, you gotta think long term.0
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I agree with all of the above posts! We must remember that this is a lifestyle change when we find ourselves becoming discouraged and that it will take time to reach our ultimate goal. As long as you are doing what you are supposed to, it (the scale) has to eventually give in. If I was you I would follow your own gut feeling that you should only weigh yourself once a week and within that week I would put the scale out of your view, maybe somewhere you do not have to look daily. Good luck on your journey! We are all in this together and if you need more encouragement, please feel free to add me!! :-)0
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I also had that happen to me. I now only weigh myself once a week. I do it every Monday (to keep myself on track durring the weekends) about 30min after I get up before breakfast. It has worked for me so far and have been down 2lbs every Monday. Your weight will change every day and drive you nuts if you let it Hope this helps0
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If you want to weigh in daily that's fine but occasionally you are going to see increases. It's usually water weight, especially if you saw a two pound gain in one day. Try not to be discouraged, this is a journey not a sprint.0
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The worst thing you can do is weigh everyday. I know it's difficult to stay off that scale, especially when you 've been doing well and you really want the motivation....but you see how it can have the complete opposite effect! Try to stick to just once a week. And even then you are not always going to see the results you want because of all kinds of reasons already listed. The biggest motivator that I'm using right now is the sense of satisfaction I get after ONE MORE DAY of making sensible eating choices and fitting in some kind of exercise. Because just like everything else, we can only take this journey one step at a time. Just keep taking those steps....and step OFF the scale...and you will see results. We're all going to get there. We just have to remember that this is not a sprint....it's a marathon. It's a life change, and it's not going to happen overnight.0
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Just to clarify the concept of "its just water weight". When I read this, I suspect some folks think "okay, I'll just cut out the water...problem solved". That would be the wrong solution. Drinking more water actually helps your body get rid of unwanted water weight. Anyway, "its just water weight" can be the function of one or more of these wonderful things: (a) extra sodium...salt holds onto water in your body; (b) recent exercise...muscles need/use water to recover so they don't let go of excess water until the recovery cycle is completed (this is why my weigh-in day follows a rest/recovery day); (c) for women, TOM issues (things that I'm certainly not smart enough to say anything more about...but I've seen this raised enough times on MFP to list it as a cause of your body holding onto extra water; and (d) probably a handful of other causes.0
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I also had that happen to me. I now only weigh myself once a week. I do it every Monday (to keep myself on track durring the weekends) about 30min after I get up before breakfast. It has worked for me so far and have been down 2lbs every Monday. Your weight will change every day and drive you nuts if you let it Hope this helps
I do this too! Well, ok, I weigh everyday, but log in on Monday!
Don't be discouraged, like many have said, we didn't get to where we are in a few weeks time! It's going to take some time to lose what took us some time to gain! I like to weigh myself in the morning when I get up and make sure I'm wearing the same amount of clothing every time. I weighed myself this morning and then again after I peed and WOW, flushed some poundage down the toilet! hahaha, stay on track! 2 lbs gone is better than none!0 -
If you rely on the scale to give you motivation/confidence on this journey, you aren't going to get too far. Too many variables factor into scale weight...especially if you are weighing in more than once a week...and even that is unpredictable to an extent. I know this is hard to accept, but scale weight is not the end all, be all of this journey. I can only tell you that if you are persistent and commit to the journey, the scale will ultimately comply and you will achieve whatever goals you want (but not as quickly as you'd like).
I recommend that for motivation/confidence, you rely instead on the deep, dark, pulled from the inner guts of you, brutal truth(s) as to why you are on you are on this journey. Write down all of the things you hate about being overweight. If you dig deep enough and are honest enough with yourself...then either you have enough reason to stay on the journey or you are really okay with your current lifestyle. and, hey, if you are okay with your current lifestyle, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'm here to help encourage folks who hate being overweight enough that they want to make a change.
........ (shortened for brevity)
BINGO. Concentrating on watching the scale tick down is going to lead to nothing but disappointment and heartache. Widen your acceptable range of signs of progress (i.e. measurements, how your clothes fit, how mucn energy you have, etc).
Also, be PATIENT. You didn't gain all of the weight overnight nor will you lose it overnight. Be FORGIVING. You'll experience minor setbacks, but they don't have to become *major* setbacks if you don't let them. Examine your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, situations when you do and learn from them - set up action plans for next time. COMMIT to the long-term if this is really a LIFESTYLE change that you want to make, not just a phase so you can drop a few pounds. Make changes and choices you can SUNSTAIN for the rest of your life. Anything else is just spinning your wheels.
Best of luck to you.0 -
You have to keep in mind that when you first start working out your body begins to build muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but muscle also burns more calories. Whenever I first start working out, always have a short period of fast weight loss, then I gain slowly for a week or two. After that I start cutting weight decently until I hit a plateau around 10 lbs. So just stick with it. You can always take measurements of your waist as sometimes you will be gaining weight (in muscle) but getting skinnier.0
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I have been doing this steadily now for 3 months and have only lost 7 pounds - very discouraging - however I have gone down two sizes in shirts and one in pants - how can that be if my scale and I are having a serious war - Muscle weighs much more than fat and I am gaining one and losing the other!
I weigh in twice a week - Thursdays to see how my week has been and Mondays to keep me honest over the weekend.
Daily doesn't work cause our bodies don't work that way we gain weight sometimes without eating anything - just breathe - you are doing and that is a step in the right direction.
Good Luck and keep your chin up. It is worth it in the end!0 -
If you rely on the scale to give you motivation/confidence on this journey, you aren't going to get too far. Too many variables factor into scale weight...especially if you are weighing in more than once a week...and even that is unpredictable to an extent. I know this is hard to accept, but scale weight is not the end all, be all of this journey. I can only tell you that if you are persistent and commit to the journey, the scale will ultimately comply and you will achieve whatever goals you want (but not as quickly as you'd like).
I recommend that for motivation/confidence, you rely instead on the deep, dark, pulled from the inner guts of you, brutal truth(s) as to why you are on you are on this journey. Write down all of the things you hate about being overweight. If you dig deep enough and are honest enough with yourself...then either you have enough reason to stay on the journey or you are really okay with your current lifestyle. and, hey, if you are okay with your current lifestyle, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'm here to help encourage folks who hate being overweight enough that they want to make a change.
Now, once you have those things written down...and assuming they are enough motivation to stay on your journey...the next thing I want you to do is to start appreciating the little victories this journey has to offer (victories that are not always reflected on the scale). I recently suggested to my pals that they make a chart and check it off daily to show all of the little victories that pile up. For example, your chart could have the following items:
ate healthy breakfast instead of pop tarts (or unhealthy breakfast of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy snack instead of Ho-Hos (or unhealthy snack of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy lunch instead of Crapdonalds
ate healthy afternoon snack instead of cookies
ate healthy dinner instead of fried chicken wings
avoided nighttime munchies because I wasn't really hungry
exercised according to my plan
drank X cups of water today
logged all of my food and drinks today
ate within 50 calories + or - of my calorie goal
.... I promise you that if you persist, and make achieve these small victories most days, you will achieve bigger victories on your journey. When will you achieve those bigger victories? No one can tell you that. But if you think of this as a journey to good health that lasts your lifetime...who cares how quickly you achieve your goals (you certainly didn't destroy your health in a few short weeks or months)....if its a journey and you are achieving the small victories, then know the big ones will come.
First, thanks to the person who started this message stream. It was *exactly* what I needed to hear today. I'm going through exactly the same thing. I can't stay off the damn scale - sometimes I even weigh myself three times at once and get frustrated because it's not exactly the same each time -- and if it shows a pound or 2 increase, I just want to give up. But so far, I've managed to keep going.
Second, thanks for the post above. It's a big help to me and something I think I'll keep and read over and over again in those discouraged moments. I think the victories list is an excellent idea!!!!!!!!!0 -
+++1 on H_Factor's posts! He pretty much summed up all of what I was going to say.
Just one thing to add - if you're not already tracking it, add sodium to your food diary. If you're eating a lot of fresh/whole foods, you're probably ok but if you're like most people and rely on package foods or take-out, you're probably having some high sodium days and that will definitely slow down your progress. Drink lots of water to help counteract the effects.
Good luck!0 -
Agreed with many here - you guys who are facing disappointment need to "stick with it" PERIOD, because every moment that you are making good food choices and moving your bod, you are healthier, and you are almost guaranteed to be adding years to your life and quality of life to your days (fewer overall health complaints, higher energy, better self-image). You should definitely be exercising and definitely be taking your measurements, which will change even when your weight doesn't, if you're doing some challenging exercise a few days a week and watching your food intake. You should use the opportunity to learn how to change dietary habits to healthier ones that you ENJOY and can sustain, and get accustomed to planning for, so that life isn't diet/splurge. From my perspective, I've been a super-slow loser, and about 8 months on from REALLY getting it together to follow a plan, I am truly grateful that that's my pace - it has contributed to me cementing these habits for good and getting addicted to working out. Furthermore, my body composition monitor has shown me that it's often the case, for instance, that I will lose 8 pounds of fat but only 5 pounds of weight in 8 weeks, maybe. It has also shown me that my "other" (non-skeletal muscle, non-fat) weight can vary by more than 3 pounds - between about 61 and 64+ pounds - often in a single day. So there is NO point sweating 2 or even 3-pound gains or losses - you MUST stick with it to understand significant change over time... So get out your measuring tape, get some easy and delicious recipes or other meal planning that'll stock up your produce, lean protein and good complex carbs intake, find at least two go-to workouts that you can do for cardio and resistance, and that you can definitely fit in, make some strategies for vacation time, and stay with it! You will feel SO GOOD and be so happy you did!0
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If you rely on the scale to give you motivation/confidence on this journey, you aren't going to get too far. Too many variables factor into scale weight...especially if you are weighing in more than once a week...and even that is unpredictable to an extent. I know this is hard to accept, but scale weight is not the end all, be all of this journey. I can only tell you that if you are persistent and commit to the journey, the scale will ultimately comply and you will achieve whatever goals you want (but not as quickly as you'd like).
I recommend that for motivation/confidence, you rely instead on the deep, dark, pulled from the inner guts of you, brutal truth(s) as to why you are on you are on this journey. Write down all of the things you hate about being overweight. If you dig deep enough and are honest enough with yourself...then either you have enough reason to stay on the journey or you are really okay with your current lifestyle. and, hey, if you are okay with your current lifestyle, I'm not going to tell you otherwise. I'm here to help encourage folks who hate being overweight enough that they want to make a change.
Now, once you have those things written down...and assuming they are enough motivation to stay on your journey...the next thing I want you to do is to start appreciating the little victories this journey has to offer (victories that are not always reflected on the scale). I recently suggested to my pals that they make a chart and check it off daily to show all of the little victories that pile up. For example, your chart could have the following items:
ate healthy breakfast instead of pop tarts (or unhealthy breakfast of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy snack instead of Ho-Hos (or unhealthy snack of your unhealthy lifestyle)
ate healthy lunch instead of Crapdonalds
ate healthy afternoon snack instead of cookies
ate healthy dinner instead of fried chicken wings
avoided nighttime munchies because I wasn't really hungry
exercised according to my plan
drank X cups of water today
logged all of my food and drinks today
ate within 50 calories + or - of my calorie goal
.... I promise you that if you persist, and make achieve these small victories most days, you will achieve bigger victories on your journey. When will you achieve those bigger victories? No one can tell you that. But if you think of this as a journey to good health that lasts your lifetime...who cares how quickly you achieve your goals (you certainly didn't destroy your health in a few short weeks or months)....if its a journey and you are achieving the small victories, then know the big ones will come.
Thank you for this amazing post! I know it is something I am going to live by!
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Weigh yourself less often. Weigh yourself at the same time. Weigh yourself in the same clothes. Weigh yourself on the same scale (make sure its correct). Your body is going through some incredible changes. It did not get where it is overnight, it won't get where its going overnight, either.
Stay positive and don't dwell on negatives. Think of positives instead, i.e., I fell better, I have more energy, my clothes fit better, I look better, I can exercise easier, etc. Concentrate on those, stay on your goals, and then check again. You will be surprised how much the scale has moved.0 -
I'm finding more motivation from the friends I've met on here, than from the scale. I see their progress, their workouts, their healthy habits, and I'm encouraged and motivated to do my best every day.
Lose the scale.. be the best you can be... and it will happen!0
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