I need to stop weighing myself, feeling despondent about it

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Flabberella
Flabberella Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
Have been on MFP for just over a week and have only lost 0.5lb in that time, I had been dieting and exercising for a couple of weeks prior to finding MFP and lost 7lb in those couple of weeks.

I am sticking to my caloric intake, if anything I usually come out under my allowance, due to the exercises I am doing (30 day shred and lots and lots of walking)

I just weighed myself this morning, I know I shouldn't have and I seem to have put on a pound :cry: I weighed myself before I ate or drank anything, could it be water retention? I had a snack of lightly salted popcorn last night and was quite thirsty after it so drank a lot of water before bed.

Does it get easier, I thought I may hit a plateau at some point I just didn't think it would be so soon after starting dieting and exercising.

Replies

  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
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    I have never liked the scale. It just doesn't do anything for me. When I was losing, I weighed myself once a month. I measured myself about once every 2 weeks. I liked the changes that the scale didn't give me so much more. Are you weighing yourself every day? Our body weight fluctuates a lot, especially with water consumption! I wouldn't worry about the number on the scale so much is basically what I am saying. Eat healthy, workout and the fat-weight will come off :)
  • Pinkmaddycat
    Pinkmaddycat Posts: 175 Member
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    Coming in under your daily cals for the day might be your problem. You really do need to eat all the calories recommended and any exercise ones you gain. When i was eating too few cals i was feeling the same, i up my in take, my body responded and i fell much better about the whole thing.

    Keep trying but mix things up a bit, doesnt sound like you have anything to lose by eating a few more cals. Good luck and hope you feel more positive soon.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    Your pic suggests that you don't need to lose a whole lot of weight, and you've already lost 7lbs in the previous couple of weeks. There's no way you could keep up that rate of weight loss, so at the stage you're at 0.5lb is around what I'd expect you to lose in a week.

    Don't forget that the majority of women retain water in the week before their period is due and for the first couple of days of a period. It goes on its own and is nothing to worry about. Most people either don't weigh at that time or don't stress about it if their weight is a bit up at that time. This "water weight" can be anything up to 7lbs - you get to know your body and how it behaves. Some people use it as a notification that a period is coming - very useful for women with irregular cycles.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    Be patient first and foremost. I'm discovering that weight loss is not a straight downward line. I weight in daily, I put it as a food note on my diary. By doing this I am getting very familiar with the trends of my body. I go up and down on a daily basis but when I look at the long term i'm going down. It also keeps me from panicking when the scales shows an increase. For instance, last week I was up by 6 oz's, today i'm down by two pounds. Weight loss is a slow process with all kinds of bumps. Do not give up, keep forging ahead no matter what the scale says, it will come off in time.
  • Flabberella
    Flabberella Posts: 15
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    Thank you everyone. Yes I have been weighing myself everyday :embarassed: I know I shouldn't. I am going to put the scales away now and probably only weigh myself occasionally as I seem to feel more and more bad after I have weighed.

    I want to get to about 150lbs when I started dieting I was 210. 150lbs takes me to the top end of my recommended weight. I will eat more calories, I've always been unclear if I should eat the calories back that I have burned in exercise, I think I will now though, just to see how my body responds.

    I'll have to remember about the water retention before and during my periood, I didn't know that.

    I have always eaten healthy, I love fruit and veg but it was just the sheer amount I was eating and the snacks and stuff I was eating in the evenings (crisp, sweets, chocolate etc) after the kids had gone to bed. I have cut out the evening snacks or occasionally will have some plain popcorn as a snack. I always liked to feel my tummy full and it was hard for me when I didn't have that full feeling all of the time. I have since gotten used to it and much prefer how I feel after eating only what I need as opposed to filling my plate full and clearing it even though I was full. I am sleeping better as well which helps, I just want to loose this damn shelf off my bum lol!!
  • Flabberella
    Flabberella Posts: 15
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    Woooooooooooooo:happy: you were all right, I increased my caloric intake slightly and I have lost 2.5lbs, half an inch off my hips and an inch and a half off my waist.

    I am sooooooo happy with my self right now. It actually takes me to 10lb weight loss altogether, but 3lb since starting on MFP.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
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    Have been on MFP for just over a week and have only lost 0.5lb in that time, I had been dieting and exercising for a couple of weeks prior to finding MFP and lost 7lb in those couple of weeks.

    I am sticking to my caloric intake, if anything I usually come out under my allowance, due to the exercises I am doing (30 day shred and lots and lots of walking)

    I just weighed myself this morning, I know I shouldn't have and I seem to have put on a pound :cry: I weighed myself before I ate or drank anything, could it be water retention? I had a snack of lightly salted popcorn last night and was quite thirsty after it so drank a lot of water before bed.

    Does it get easier, I thought I may hit a plateau at some point I just didn't think it would be so soon after starting dieting and exercising.

    I'm on a wee plateau. What I think happened is that I lost my first hunk of weight so fast (in one week) that a lot of it was water weight. And so these couple of weeks since then have been slowly replacing water loss with actual fat loss. as such I'm happy to stay the same for maybe one more week, and then I might consider getting snotty about it. :D But as it happens I think it will start up again. :)
  • sjmitchner
    sjmitchner Posts: 121 Member
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    You might also want to consider using a tape measure, not just the scale. I find I loose inches easier than actual pounds. You can even track it on MFP. I'm sure people say it all the time but, muscle does weigh more than fat. If you're exercising you may be adding muscle weight, which could off-set what you're loosing in fat, at least somewhat.

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