I am throwing my scale out the window!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-23-2006
I am throwing my scale out the window!!!
4
Sat, 06-02-2007 - 12:06am

After 3 weeks of watching what I eat and going to the gym at least four times a week, I am still at a plateau. I know I should be grateful for the maintenance, but it is very frustrating. In my head I really believe that if I can do all of this work and not lose weight, then I really must be stuck and a little bit of cookies, candies, or chips won't cause me to gain weigh either. I know none of the above is true, but every time in the past I have hit a plateau I end up getting frustrated and getting COMPLETELY off course for MONTHS!!

I'm just worried that I am going to get distracted from the weight loss plan...again. I'm kind of a hypocrite, I say my health is important to me, but the minute my life gets busy loosing weight and being healthy are the first things I stop working on. The part that upsets me the most is after 6 months of stopping my dirty habit of smoking cigarettes, I have picked it up again. I miss those few blissful and brief moments in time that my life is actually under control. Thanks for letting me vent.

- paige

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-01-2006
Sat, 06-02-2007 - 3:45pm

Hi Paige,

{{{ hugs}}}

BTDT... good habits are so hard to develop, and so easy to let slide, aren't they? It's absolutely not fair!!!! I suppose you've considered the usual things, like you might be gaining muscle, losing inches, retaining water, so forth? Beyond that, a couple of observations:

1) Three weeks feels like an eternity when you're being diligent, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not so much. We are talking about the rest of your life here, right? Can you focus further out? (Yup, coming from the queen of instant gratification, that's really funny, isn't it?)

2) This is my quirky body, and may not apply to you, but sometimes I need to switch things up to confuse my body and keep the weight loss coming. Throw in a higher calorie day, eat all fruits and vegetables, or, if I've been good like you and still am not seeing any movement on the scale, sometimes a big ole dose of <> fatty food followed by a return to plan gets things moving. But make it a planned deviation, and jump back to what's been working for you, or it's just another reason for frustration. And yes, be grateful for the maintaining. It's not at much as you deserve, but it IS something...

3) Best of luck dropping the cigarettes again. You've done it, so you know it's possible, right?

Hang in there! Looking forward to an "I licked it!" post soon...

Misha
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2006
Sun, 06-03-2007 - 11:56am

paige,
I've said it befor and I'll say it again-the scale is not our friend! I weigh every day, but the scale varies based on so many things that it can't be the major judge of your success. If you are eating healthy, working out, drinking your water and you stay with it, the scale will catch up. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to see the drop, and that can be motivating.

But if your only motivation is to see the number drop, and you're ready to give up when it doesn't, you are setting yourself up to fail. Because let's face it, when we aren't on plan, we're off. And when we're off, we aren't losing, we're gaining...

If your goal is to change to have a healthy lifestyle, and you've stayed on plan for three weeks, I'd start thinking about-one more week will be a month and I deserve a reward for being on plan for a month. And then I'd decide what that reward is, and I'd give it to myself no matter what the scale says.

You can do this!

SJ
225-167-135

Avatar for saej72
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2003
Sun, 06-03-2007 - 10:54pm

I know the feeling.. it seems i will lose like 5 lbs in one week and then stay there for like 3-5 weeks.. very frustrating..... and as far as the smoking goes.. i stopped smoking in february when i had my gallbladder removed and just lately i've been very VERY tempted to buy a pack..

just keep doing what you are doing as far as eating and exercising and put the scale away for a while.. you might want to take your measurements and see if you are losing inches.

good luck

Sara
342 – 258.4 -- 200
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Sara  

342-300-200

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-06-2006
Mon, 06-04-2007 - 8:39am

Paige, I know you said you're "watching" what you eat, but are you actually recording everything you eat? If you aren't then try keeping a written journal of everything you eat (including portions). Sometimes when I write things down and look at them at the end of the day, I go "wow did I eat all of this?" things do add up although individually they seam really good. And you may be eating too few calories. You may show us a sample journal if you like and we can make suggestions


Are you drinking enough water? This could be a factor also.


Are you eating the same things over and over again? You may benfit from a change in routine


I hope you get off that plateau soon. Believe me I really know what you're feeling cuz sometimes I plateau for MONTHS!! It's frustrating, but you can get over it. Hang in there.

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