FRUSTRATED!!!!

Ok my fellow May family, I need words of wisdom. I dont mean to vent but I figured if anyone can relate it will be you guys. My surgery was 5/25, and for the last 3 weeks, if not longer, i've been stuck at 208. Occasionally it will drop a pound or two but always returns to 208. I'm using fitday.com to track my food and am riding an exercise bike 30 minutes/10 miles daily. According to fitday i'm burning more calories than i'm consuming. I am getting in atleast 60 g of protein daily. I drink as much as I can, but it probably doesnt make 64 oz each day. This is driving me nuts. Im a complete scale slave. Every day, religiously, i'm on the damn thing first thing in the morning. I dont know what else to do. I've only lost 39 lbs. and its getting me down. Sorry to vent. I appreciate you listening/reading lol. God bless! Melanie

Hey everyone hits a plateau. Here's some things to try that I've read about to help beat it... Hey everyone hits a plateau. Here's some things to try that I've read about to help beat it... More water - I know it's hard but sip sip sip all day long. It sounds like you're exercising everyday and that's great. But I was warned both by my nutritionist and doctor that you can get stuck if you are exercising a lot and not getting enough calories. They said it's like the body is in starvation mode and won't let itself be depleted of anymore fat. So what to do? It's pretty simple; either increase your calories - not always easy to do. Or decrease your exercise. Take a couple days off a week so its 3 days of exercise, 1 day off, 2 exercise, 1 day off. Or maybe take off a weekend and just relax. Oh one last thing.... Put away the scale for TWO weeks. No weigh-ins while you getting off this plateau. Good luck!

Thanks for your advice John. Everyone keeps bringing up the starvation mode thing. I'm just trying to stick to what my surgeon wants. I'm restricted to 600 calories a day, 3 meals of 6oz, no snacking, low carb, low cal, low fat. Its getting really tough. Seems like this stall in loss has been since I started counting calories. Before when I wasnt counting cals I was losing. Maybe its just coincidence I know I need to put the scale away but i'm addicted. Melanie

Hi Melanie, I agree with John on the exercise. I usually workout at the gym Mon-thurs and then take the weekend off. Don't get me wrong, I am active on the weekend but not so strict. When I weigh myself Monday morning I usually loose 2-5 lbs because I took the time off. I lost 5 pounds this week. Good Luck, hope this helps a *****ristine -45

Melanie- I'm stuck at 208 too. It's frustrating and annoying and I'm a scale slave too. Flo is visiting, so maybe she'll take some weight with her when she goes, but I'm not counting on it. If you can't stay away from your scale, at least put a sign on it that says, "THIS TOO SHALL PASS" (I'm printing mine out now). In the meantime, try to measure your success in other ways. For example, you are exercising vigorously EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! That's great work! We all do this for our health, and you have already achieved one measure of health. You are following "the rules" with protein, water, calories, and recording it. That's an incredible measure of success! And 39 lbs may seem meaningless without something to compare it to. Go to the store and look in the dog food aisle. Try to lift a 40 lb bag of dog food/cat litter/whatever. You no longer have THAT walking around with you each day. Finally, let me just remind you that every single day there is another story of a plateau just like this. And the day after, there is almost always a subsequent post where the plateau is gone and they've lost 5 lbs overnight. Hang in there. Hugs, Susan PS (the above sermon was as much for me as it was for you-thanks for the opportunity to work through that stuff).

Susan, babe, I love the sign idea and i'm going to do that tonight! And you're right about putting 39 lbs into perspective. It just seems so little compared to others. And yes I know we shouldnt compare ourselves but thats so difficult to do. I also know you're right about the plateau posts. I cant wait till I get to say mine has ended. I want to break 200 so badly. Thank you, sweetheart, for your kind kind words. I needed them. God bless ya! Melanie

Melanie, you're in good company. I've been plateued for a few weeks now. The scale goes up and down around the same 5 pounds. Argh. However, people tell me every day how they see the changes in me. So, maybe that means I'm losing inches. In fact, I've heard that you continue to lose inches during the plateaus. Concentrate on your success and know that soon we will be off our first plateau. (yeah, I'm a scale addict too!) Cheryl

Whats up with us, Cheryl? LOL Damn plateaus!!! I struggle with the losing inches but not pounds thing. How can that happen? You wanna be my sister scale slave? lol Hugs!

Hey Mel, I am your sister scale slave! I liked the pimpin' comment too. That's exactly what we're doing. I didn't do measurements either but I sure see a difference in clothes. I don't understand how the inches can come off while the pounds stay, but, whatever works is good with me. Keep you chin up chick.... this will pass for us!

Melanie sweetie!! YOu are doing really good. First thing, throw that scale out, or have someone hide it on you. I know it is hard. Also try using a tape measure, I bet you are losing inches some times when the scale isn't moving. I know this might sound crazy but it could be all that exercise too. Now you could keep it up, and eventually the muscle will burn away that fat and you will be nice and tone, or you could up your calorie intake some since you are doing a good amount of exercise, or take a day or 2 off of exercising, that doesn't mean don't do anything, but just give your self a little break. I know in no time you will be losing on the scale again. Keep us posted hun, and best wishes on oyur journey.- Melissa