Cheating After Bad Weigh-ins

lovesdaisies · April 2008

Okay, here's a problem I have and I wonder if anyone shares this with me. Whenever I weigh myself, and find that I haven't lost a pound (or God forbid, gained a pound or ounce or two), I just say, "Screw it!". And then I cheat. I get so disappointed after working SO HARD to count every ounce of food that enters my mouth, work out religiously every day - that when I don't see results on the scale I throw my hands up and ask, "why am I doing all this if it doesn't make a difference?"

This happened yesterday. I haven't stopped eating since. I've lost 3.4 pounds since starting my diet on this site. I weighed myself Monday, weighed myself again on Friday (after a CRAZY hour-long workout with my new trainer) and weighed EXACTLY THE SAME WEIGHT AS I DID ON MONDAY. I'm eating all of my calories and am afraid that I might be eating too much. I'm tempted to cut my calories down even further so that I can see a result.

I really hate this. I just wish I could be one of those people who eats whatever they want and goes through life carefree looking beautiful. I imagine this is what Gisele Bundchen does (did you see her butt in those shorts recently? YIKES!).

Anyway, just feeling down and need some support. :-)

Lisa
http://localinsocal.blogspot.com

lovesdaisies · April 2008

Okay, here's a problem I have and I wonder if anyone shares this with me. Whenever I weigh myself, and find that I haven't lost a pound (or God forbid, gained a pound or ounce or two), I just say, "Screw it!". And then I cheat. I get so disappointed after working SO HARD to count every ounce of food that enters my mouth, work out religiously every day - that when I don't see results on the scale I throw my hands up and ask, "why am I doing all this if it doesn't make a difference?"

This happened yesterday. I haven't stopped eating since. I've lost 3.4 pounds since starting my diet on this site. I weighed myself Monday, weighed myself again on Friday (after a CRAZY hour-long workout with my new trainer) and weighed EXACTLY THE SAME WEIGHT AS I DID ON MONDAY. I'm eating all of my calories and am afraid that I might be eating too much. I'm tempted to cut my calories down even further so that I can see a result.

I really hate this. I just wish I could be one of those people who eats whatever they want and goes through life carefree looking beautiful. I imagine this is what Gisele Bundchen does (did you see her butt in those shorts recently? YIKES!).

Anyway, just feeling down and need some support. :-)

Lisa
http://localinsocal.blogspot.com

edyta · April 2008

Hi Lisa!

Forget scales, they are evil :bigsmile:

I weighed myself on Friday, which is my official weighing day, and I was so happy I lost a pound

Than yesterday I gained that pound. And today I'm back to Friday weight

When you want to cheat just remember:
1) Weigh yourself just once a week (if you can't resist and do it more often forget all other weights!)
2) Do it in the morning before eating or drinking
3) Look in the mirror and admit you LOOK slimmer!
4) So many things can make you weigh pound or two more - like a workout a day before, eating more sodium or being close to "those days" of the month

Those last few pounds are VERY difficult to loose, I know sth about it, and your 3.4 pounds loss since March is great! :flowerforyou:

Don't give up! :flowerforyou:

lovesdaisies · April 2008

Thanks Edyta!

I appreciate the support. Logically, I know that some days you're up a pound, some you're down. But its hard to convince yourself when you feel that you have done so well - feel like your body is lighter than it was the weigh-in prior - only to find you're up or even.

Yes, I always weigh -in first thing in the morning (naked, before drinking any water or eating any food!!!). My girlfriend and I joke that shaving your legs might be a good thing, too, just to lose that extra ounce!! :laugh:

I really have to learn to just weigh-in once a week. My weigh-in date is always Monday. I should stick to that day. Since I cheated last night and today, I dread my weigh-in Monday. But if I do a good job tomorrow, hopefully today's indiscretions won't make a difference.

Uggghhhhhhhhh! I hate this.

Helawat · April 2008

Measurements are important as well! Don't "rule" those out!

bonkers5975 · April 2008

Scales are definitely evil... I do just like you, so I'm training myself on that Friday weigh-in, measurements every 2 weeks. When I lost 65 pounds in my early twenties, I weighed just once a month, and that's very rewarding, albeit hard to do! (I don't know what happened to all that discipline I used to have, still trying to unearth it!)

Last week, I weighed myself after a week and saw NO results... turns out I'd been starving myself. I followed the MFP guidelines for cal count, stepped on the scale three days later, and had lost 2 pounds. That was just the little shove I needed, now it's back on the scale on Fri. and that's it!

You'll get there, no worries!:drinker:

sitarami · April 2008

Remember!
If you've just started a weight training program, then you will be gaining awesome muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat. So while you'll weigh more, you will be slimming down, firming up and getting a sculpted physique.. Try to incorporate the tape measure into your weekly check-in routine.

have no fear, we're all in this together.:flowerforyou:

rem1979 · April 2008

Sometimes i feel that way but then I think to myself " I will never be thinner if I quit now." I then imagine myself looking good (or at least better) in a bathing suit and it helps keep me focused.

I was doing get since the beginning of the year, lost 22 pounds and then about a month ago, hit a motivation wall. It was like I woke up and was so hungry, I wanted to eat everything. I tried to control it but then the next week I gain some weight, the follow weeks I lost and then gain and then lost some more. I am down in total 25 pounds and this week should be another good weigh in.

You just need to focus and pay attention to everything you are eating and record all of it. For myself, I feel guilty for going over my calories.

kerrilucko · April 2008

I feel the same way you do! I weighed myself today and havn't lost anything since last week. I was really upset but I didn't cheat and I didnt quit.

This is just a tip, I was told not to weigh myself right after a workout because your muscles fill with blood and it makes them denser= heavier. I don't know if this is true or not. It apparently will also affect measurements so you shouldn't do those right after a workout either. Just a thought... I'm sure you will lose a pound next week, keep trying

laurae · April 2008

I found this past week that i was about a pound heavier all through my "time of the month". Once it ended, I dropped back. Also, if you have been working out with weights more, it most likely is muscle gain - which weighs more than fat. I do weigh myself daily, first in the morning, (I know that is discouraged - but it motivates me), and sometimes again after my morning exercise before my shower. It's funny, if I have done a cardio workout (step aerobics) I find I'm about 1/2 to 1 pound lighter - most likely due to sweating it out and not drinking enough to replenish it, but if I do a weight workout, I usually gain 1/2 to 1 pound - most likely due to the water I drank. My scale does not show tenths, only half pound increments, so a 3 ounce gain would round up to a half pound. Overall, from following the program (except I have set my goals manually and net around 1000 - to give myself a cushion for when I go over), I have lost 2 pounds a week. I, like you, only had about 10 pounds to lose. Don't be discouraged and keep with it. I try to choose my calories wisely by picking foods that fill me. Some high calorie foods don't make you feel full. For example, I find two cookies is about the same calories as 1/2 cup ice cream, yet ice cream satisfies and fills me more.

Cowboy · April 2008

Beautiful horses Twobaird!
Cowboy

banks1850 · April 2008

I find that I do better with a range, I give myself about 3 lbs either way (that's actually less then the experts say you can fluctuate in any 1 24 hour period). If I am above or below that, I examine what may have caused it over the last 2 or 3 days, if I don't find anything specific, then I look at my eating habits for the last week, if there is nothing there, I usually chalk it up to a little extra water or waste in my system that day. I never panic over a 1 week period because I have seen myself go from 192.5 to 196.5 in 1 day so many times that I can't count it, then I drop back down to 193.5 the next day, it's an exercise in frustration to have a number. I don't even lend a ton of creedence to the range, I just use it as a guideline.
I do however, know exactly what my waist measurement is (35.1 inches) and I also know that last month I was 35.4 inches, and the month before that I was 35.9 inches and on X-mas I was 36.6 inches. So I KNOW that what I am doing is working (I haven't been a 35 waste since college 11 years ago). And your waste never really fluctuates a lot, not really. Maybe a little but not like weight.

Just remember, 64 oz of water is 4.18 Pounds, so if you drank your daily 64 oz but only happened to pee or sweat out 40 that day, you just gained 1.6 pounds (but it's water weight, which is of little consequence)!

bonkers5975 · April 2008

Beautiful horses Twobaird!
Cowboy

Thank you!

I am so sorry to hear of your trials, and I hope it all goes well for your sisters. You're in our thoughts, certainly!

:brokenheart:

greysweatshirt · April 2008

I was in the same boat as you last week..I weighed in and gained a pound last week, so I decided to go out and get some "Dibs" ice cream bites and finished off an entire tub by myself..ugh! I'm trying to be better about the eating thing, but it can be really hard sometimes!

lovesdaisies · April 2008

WOW! Thank you EVERYONE for your tips, advice and shared stories. I know that the scale doesn't always reflect the real losses or gains that our body is going through. I'm sure that muscle has something to do with it. I haven't measured myself (though my clothes seem to fit exactly the same), but the feel of my thighs is completely different than it was a month ago. I used to be able to actually hold two "saddlebags" in my hands. They have seemed to disappear! So I have that going for me!

I've been working with a trainer who gives me quite a workout once a week. I try to mimic that workout one other day, with cardio every day in between (as well as daily crunches, hand weights when I walk, etc.). Hopefully I'll be in good enough shape soon to really "see" the results.

When I joined Weight Watchers about 3 years ago, I was 144 pounds. At 5'1, that was well over what I should have been. As I slowly went down one size, then another, then another, it was quite rewarding to see the difference in the fit of my clothes from month-to-month. I still have my "fat pants" from the 144 pound days and - boy - it feels good to know that I lost that amount of weight. I eventually got down to 109 - which I was SOOOOO happy with, then remained stagnant at around 112 for quite some time. Then I crept up to 117 where I am right now (was all the way back up to 121). I want to get back down to 112. I know that 5 pounds doesn't seem like much weight, but it really is hard to lose that last 5. When I think how easily the first 25 fell off - I wish it was that easy to get down to my current goal.

Anyway, I'm babbling. My apologies. Thanks, again, for all of the advice and support. I just love this board!!! It is the best weight-loss site on the Internet!

Lisa
http://localinsocal.blogspot.com

Cheating After Bad Weigh-ins

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