OK, Hitting the Panic Button.....

Posts: 2,189
5/6/11 1:03 P

I think Archimedes hit the point. You CANNOT gain fat in 1 day, it is impossible. it is normal for one to have +/- 5 pound weight gains during a week. Like Archimedes said, the water weight gain could be due to many reasons - TOM, daily sodium intake (aim for under 2 grams if you don't have hypertension,) new exercises (which can retain water), warm weather, etc. Thus, most find it easier to weigh onself once a week.

I gain 5 pounds in one night too, and it will show everywhere like I gained fat. But I don't let it get to me; I look at the overall picture. We are exercising and eating right (most of the time!) and that is what matters MOST.

And don't let the scale dictate your success. How is your energy level lately? Are you sleeping better? Are your clothes a bit looser lately? Those are much more accurate ways to tell if you are getting fitter, not what the number on the scale says.

Berating yourself day to day will not work. Give a pat on your back for trying to make good lifestyle habits and changes. We all have so so much going on in our lives, that we can easily put exercise and proper nutrition on the back burner. Despite being busy with work, you are STILL making time!

You don't have to work out all at once. You can split your workouts into ten minute increments. Take a 10 min walk before work, then 10 min walk at lunch, and then another 10 min walk after work. There you will have accomplished 30 minutes of exercise in a day!

If it's too hot to work outside, invest in some home DVD's. There are some great, fun DVD's out there like Turbo Jam (kickboxing) and Jillian Michaels.

All in all, stop being so hard on yourself. Buck up and put your chin up proudly and say "I am trying my best! And with time and persistence, I WILL get to my goal!!"

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5/6/11 12:43 P

Hey, ANNE-MARGARET !!

Take a deep breathe. Everything is going to be okay. You can't keep beating yourself up because you aren't perfect. You don't have to be perfect to be healthy. Which may be part of your problem. Don't try to do everything at once or you will end up frustrated. Remember, you're trying to change habits learned over a life time. That's not going to happen overnight, a week, a month or even a year. Change takes time. Thus the need to be patient with yourself and your body.

One thing I've learned is that if I have a "bad" day during the week, that doesn't mean I should chuck the rest of the week. As the cliche goes,"don't throw the baby out with the dirty bathe water". If you were to eat right 5 out of 7 days this week, you'd still be doing better than the average American.

Think progress instead of perfect.

Start with small changes and achievable goals. How much are you trying to lose ? Let's say you want to lose 50 pounds. Don't think of this as having to lose 50 all at once. Start with the first five pounds. Lose that five and then move onto the next. You'll find it easier to break up your weight loss into smaller bite sized morsels. pardon the food pun.

As for gaining weight overnight, I can easily "gain" 3-4 pounds in a day ! Is that a fat gain ? Nope, it's nothing more than a temporary water weight gain that passes in a few days. In order to truly gain one pound of fat, I'd need to eat an extra 3,500 calories on top of my normal daily intake.

Your weight is not a static number. You will see many ups and downs day to day. And that's perfectly normal. So, don't beat on yourself because the scale goes up 3-4 pounds in a day. that doesn't mean you gained fat. I person can gain weight without changing their eating habits. It's all about those water fluctuations. Ever notice your weight goes up during TOM ?? Most women tend to gain weight during their menstrual cycle. Is that a fat gain ? nope, that too is nothing more than a temporary water weight gain that passes in a few days.

Don't tie your emotions to the scale. there really is more to good health than a number that stares at us from between our toes in the morning.

Posts: 205
5/6/11 12:01 P

It is ok. We all have days when we struggle to accept our current weights more than others. It is really good you are eating well most of the time, maybe you should write out your meal the day prior so that you know what and when you will be eating so you can't stray. Also maybe you can start slow with your exercise for five or ten minutes a day. Just accomplishing that will make yo feel good for being consistent. Just remember everyone has days (or longer) like that, where you feel like you are not doing a great job at losing weight but remember it takes time, is a process, and will not always go smoothly. Any healthy decision is a positive choice and consistency will help you feel better, and like you are on the right path. I hope you feel better and try not to let your mind go there when you have a bump in the road, you don't have to be perfect to achieve weight loss, with time and consistency you will achieve it.

Posts: 408
5/6/11 11:35 A

I don't know what to do, except keep on trying to do better. This weight loss thing is kicking my ass. Every time I lose a few pounds, I can put them right back on OVERNIGHT! Then when I get to feeling disappointed in myself, I can hear the little "voice" in my head saying "I hate myself" and I recognize it and consciously tell myself it is NOT OK to do that to myself, but it is all-too-real that I am still doing it. I eat mostly the "right" things, more "right" things than ever before in my life, but sometimes portions are too big, and I am NOT getting my exercise in. I have considered changing my work schedule some days just to get that done, the exercise, then beat myself up for not being disciplined enough to just get it done on my current schedule. I really feel bad about myself today, I am so disappointed in my failure to permanently lose this weight, should have been DONE by now. I am SO self-disciplined in so many other areas of my life, and am such a hard worker, but this is kicking my ass hard.

I am really trying to reach out for some extra help today, I am feeling embarrassed to go out the front door to work this morning -- because of my f'g WEIGHT! It is hot outside, so I cannot "cover up" with a bunch of clothes. I simply cannot live like this any longer, I just can't. Help.