MercuryForce Member

Glad you've been reassured. But, I would like to add that being an every day weigher is not a bad thing, how you use it or interpret it is. If you are the kind that is going to get anxious about every little upswing, then it is and you need to make sure you do what works for you. On the other hand, I'm an every day weigher…

I know this feeling so well! My cousin is a yo-yo dieter. And, it can feel so defeating when I talk to her at the start of a new diet and she's lost 15 lbs in a month and feels great, and "sure, I really miss wine/cake/tacos, but I can still do this forever". But, I know in less than 6 months she'll hit her goal, or just…

Also, when are you checking? My understanding is that MFP makes assumptions about your day based on assumed BMR and then adjusts that through the day if you add exercise, do activity over the assumed BMR, etc. On the other hand, Fitbit is getting real time numbers on what you are doing and makes its predictions based on…

I once gained 10 lbs in a day after cross-country skiing. Between all the work for my muscles and the water I drank while doing it and the sodium bomb sandwich I ate after my body really held on to that water. But, after a few days I was back to normal. But, that's why I weigh daily. I know it doesn't work for some people.…

I think it depends on the individual and where they carry their weight. For example with me, I started at 187 and am now at 155 (want to lose ~10 more lbs). But, most of my initial fat loss seemed to come off my butt and thighs, so it didn't really affect how my clothes fit as much. Like, the knees might be a little…

I love the stuff! I bought it once because it was on sale and I figured I would give it a try, even if it felt a little gimmicky. Then, it turns out it is actually delicious. I also kept a box of the pancake mix at work so I could make occasional little afternoon mug cakes when I just wasn't feeling my "healthy" snack. I…

That's definitely a good indicator. For some reason I've been stuck at the same weight for a couple months with very, very slow loss. It's been driving me mad! Then, the other day I was going through some clothes to figure out what to get rid of and on a whim decided to try on my "goal pants". I could barely button them a…

That's what I do too. I've found with a lot of substitutes, they don't hit right and so I end up eating more or doing more snacking to make it "right"

The eating out could have a lot to do with it, they tend to have a lot of sodium. Some people are more sensitive to sodium than others; I'm one where it will really make me hold on to water weight. It's possible you are too. Over Christmas I stayed within my calories, but ate Chinese food and a lot more snacks like salted…

This is good advice, at least for people like me. For some reason the scale has been stuck fluctuating around the same 5 lbs for a few months; it's getting really annoying. But, in November I couldn't even button my "goal pants", last week I could button them and they were almost comfortable. But, in those months were the…

How often do you weigh yourself? I weigh myself daily and enter it into a tracking app. Over the last year, I've gotten to know my weight loss patterns and it really helps keep me from getting frustrated. For instance, I tend to lose for a little while, then plateau for a while (sometimes for 2+ weeks), then I'll suddenly…

My personal best was going cross-country skiing for 7 miles in the mountains and then coming home and eating a giant chicken parm sandwich. Between the water weight from exercise/sore muscles, the large amount of water I drank, and then eating a sodium filled carb bomb, I gained 8 lbs overnight. It disappeared over the…

I use Libra too. I tend to lose weight in spurts (I'll stay about the same weight for a few weeks, the drop 5 lbs in a week), so the forecasting isn't always super accurate for me, but it gives me a ballpark range. It has been helpful to see those trends, so I don't get discouraged if I go a couple weeks with hardly any…

Honestly, one thing that has helped me with plateaus is tracking my weight. I've been doing so for almost a year using Libra and seeing it like that helps remind me it's just what my body does. I'll steadily lose weight for a while, then just suddenly stop for a few weeks, and then for some reason suddenly start again.…

One thing that might help is enlisting some help. 🙂 Here is a great resource, but if you can I'd suggest maybe seeing a dietitian. Mine has been great with helping me figure out my calorie goals and stay on track. I see her about every 4-6 weeks and it is nice to have a professional so I can go "hey, I feel like I'm not…

It definitely is so individual. When I started seeing a dietitian, one of the first things she had me do was start eating breakfast, though it could be whatever I felt like. Some days it might be a little yougurt and fruit or a piece toast, other days a full two egg, sausage, and toast "traditional breakfast". Before when…

How long have you been "stuck". Is it really stuck, or just something in the range of normal fluctuation? Like for example I weighed in at 168 at the start of this week, down from 169 the week before. But, then I ordered Chinese food. I stayed pretty close to my calories (all estimated, but within a few percentage points).…

I waited a week before wondering what was going on. I usually hit a new low, got a back up and then take another week before hitting that low again. This time I haven't gone back up, I just keep hitting new lows. Basically my 7 day stats show me losing more than I did the entirety of last month. But, I did look at my stats…

That's why it's so baffling. Like if I was just starting out I'd be like "oh, this is just things leveling out". But I've been consistent for nearly 6 months and now suddenly this is happening. I guess I should be glad, but I'm mostly confused. It's a little funny, I "gain" 8 lbs overnight and I just kind of shrug (it was…

I do like the sodium theory. If it is a calorie thing, it is going to be less a difference in NEAT and more a difference in that I'm now weighing everything. I didn't have a scale or most of my measuring cups at work. So at home I know I put in 2 TBSP of creamer. At work it would be about 2 TBSP. At work it was "I ate 27…

That's why is crazy about this. Over the last few months I've been pretty consistent, and now it seems like it has hit a bit of a freefall, I'm used to fluctuation, not each day weighing less than the day before. I'll try to hold out a month before making changes, but I'm also not entirely comfortable if my weight stays at…

Water weight would make sense, for lunch I was eating a lot of frozen meals. Eating things I make are similar in calorie counts, but the sodium levels are probably a lot different. My exercise has gone from spin and yoga to just walking (maybe in my boredom I'll try running), so I don't think that would change much. I'll…

I feel like that is blanket advice and not great specific advice. Like, doctors will say that because people usually guess their calorie intake rather than measuring. So, "don't eat back your exercise calories" is good for someone that measures out a cup of crackers, because they are likely underestimating their calorie…

I recently took a trip to the south and was eating a lot of foods outside my usual (BBQ, po'boys, fried stuff) and walking a lot. When I weighed myself I had "gained" about 10 lbs. I just got back into my normal routines, drank a lot of water, and was back to my pre-trip weight within 5 days. Salty foods, like most…

I suggest using a weight tracking app (I personally use Libra), it helps me to keep the bigger picture in sight. Yes, I might weigh more today than I did yesterday, but I weigh less today than I did a month ago. Getting used to weight fluctuations is valuable. I've noticed I tend to gain the day after a big workout (which…

A personal trainer might be something good to look into. It doesn't have to be a long-term commitment, a lot of gyms will offer one or two sessions with a trainer. They can usually show you how to use the equipment, especially some of the more complicated weight equipment, better than a general employee can and they can…

I went cross-country skiing yesterday, came home and ate Thai food. I'm expecting my scale to be up at least 3 lbs tomorrow. Fortunately it will all be back to normal in 3-5 days.

It's entirely possible the comments are just some bots or an intern going through and putting some sort of encouraging comment on every post that mentions weight loss. But, it still is concerning that "I lose 5 lbs in seven days!" is treated as "wow, you're doing great! Keep up the good work" rather than the reception here…

I don't have personal experience with it, but it worries me a little. I think the idea behind it is good, like setting goals and getting into the psychology of your eating habits. But, I keep seeing ads that pop up on Facebook and all the comments are like "I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks!" and "I've been using it since…

As was others have pointed out, fluctuations are normal. A couple weeks ago I went cross-country skiing and then had a giant chicken Parmesan sandwich. The next day I was 5 lbs heavier in the scale. I knew I hadn't gained 5 lbs overnight, just water retention from working out and then eating a sodium bomb. Within a week I…