The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[LeeannNH]

hi everyone

WARNING, this might possibly be the most annoying post in the history of mesage boards!!

ok, i need to ramble....please forgive me for being long-winded. feel free to chime in!

i am in my second week of MF and lost 1 pound, bringing my total to 11 pounds. you might be thinking "yay!" or "ok, so what is her problem?" or "is she cheating?"

my question is, is 1 pound a victory or a curse?

Positives of the number 1:
A) the number 1 usually means success in most instances (i.e.--the patriots are number 1, ok so i am a pats fan!)
B) 10 pounds + 1 pound=11, which reduces my weight loss to 89#
C) the number 1 is skinny
D) 1 is better than 0
E) "one" is a great U2 song

Negatives of the number 1:
A) it is small
B) it is less than 2
C) there are jeans that size and adult people fit in them

ok so in my listing of the positives outweigh (no pun intended!) the negatives. so why is it when i diet and lose 1 pound i am disappointed and when i am bingeing and gain 1 pound i am grateful it is not more? how do i make the number 1 a victory and not a letdown? how do i accept that 1 is a leap forward in my quest? am i alone in this?

i know that weight loss is not easy. i know that i am going to have ups and downs. i know that a loss is a loss. i guess my fear of failure is so great that i am afraid i am doing something wrong.

then i have the inevitable thoughts including: will this work for me? is this going to be a super slow process for me? these are the kinds of questions i have. i feel like i wouldnt feel this way if this hadnt happened in my second week.

so what does the number 1 really add up to, success or something else?

whew! thanks for letting me vent
leeann

[doglover]

It is a victory girl!! Look at all the alternatives! I've heard people say "It sucks to get old" and then I say, "it's better than the alternative". Would you rather have not lost any? Would you rather have gained??

10 lbs the first week is really high. Remember 2-5 is avg. You are above avg at 11 for 2 weeks! So, here's the thing - I get discouraged too. I hate to see only 1 lb after being SO compliant all week. But I would hate the alternative. I have (luckily) never gone a week w/ 0 loss. But some do. Your body dropped a ton of something in one week. Now it is taking stock and saying "wait a minute, what is going on here?" and possibly holding tight to see if you'll cave. Don't cave! It has to work - there is no way it can't if you follow the rules.

Did I help?? I can't change your feelings. I can only say, give it another week or two and see what happens. You can always quit. No one is holding you to this. Only you can decide. But don't be rash and quit now. Give it more time. It will work - I promise!

Have a great day and go to bed knowing even if you "only" lost 1 lb - you made your insides healthier all week by detoxing all that crap we used to eat.

Donna

[fatBgone]

Leeann,
You're so funny

I don't know if I can cheer you up or not, but I do know EXACTLY what you're feeling!! I've had 2 weeks now where I'm actually playing a weight loss/gain game - and I'm being good. (except for not getting all 5 supplements every day, so that is my goal for this week - no exceptions!!) But anyway, for the last couple of weeks, I'll be all excited one day because I think my curse is gone and then the next day I'll be back up .2 or .5 pounds and then back down again the next day. But I try to obsess about it and just keep on shakin and I KNOW that eventually it will have to fall off!!

Instead of looking at yours though as 1 pound this week, and 10 pounds last week, just say to yourself that you've lost 11 pounds in 2 weeks!!! That's 5.5 pounds each week - which is totally awesome!! I had my first stall in week 3, but it only lasted a couple of days, but I've heard these little plateaus are normal....our bodies have to adjust and catch up with the quick weight loss.

I'm sure others will jump on with their opinions and experiences...and I'll be looking forward to reading them to - since I'm right there with ya girl!! We can do it though!!!

[LeeannNH]

hey donna and fatBgone

i shall not give in to the gods of fatness! i refuse to cave in to the dark side of the force!!

thank you my jedi masters of weight loss!!!




ok so i am also excited about star wars
leeann

[kassilou]

Do you feel good before you get on the scale? Are you proud of yourself for sticking to the plan? Those are the things I remind myself of before stepping on the scale (but after two weeks of being on the same number, I was still ready to pitch the scale out the window Sunday!)

A small loss after a big loss is quite usual. I've lost 50# since Feb 1, but my weekly amounts have varied greatly. I lost about 16# the first two weeks, then lost 0.8 the third week. Since then, my weeks have varied from 0.2 (which I consider nothing!) to 5.8 (my 4th week...haven't had that good a week since).

Anyway, you can't let the scale rule you. It is very frustrating when the losses are small, but you have to allow your body time to adjust to the losses you've had. People who have had no success on other diets have success on MF. We can do this!

[24KaratGold]

I'll take a one pound loss!

This is my "second phase" or second hundred days on MF -- I took a week's break at the end of 100 days and started again after that. Some people get their brief stall at week 3, for me it appears that it is week 4 and maybe 5 also. First time around on week 4 I lost 0.5, same for week 5, then it picked right back up. Sunday past was week 4 on phase 2, and I had a ZERO loss. I have been at the same weight, with a bit of fluctuation, for ten days now. If this follows the same pattern as last time it'll be another week before the scale starts to move, but then when it does it'll move quite nicely.

The first time around I had the same concerns -- will this work for me? Is it going to be very slow? I got through it with the support of folks on this forum, and the knowledge that it HAS worked for so many people. This time around I'm not panicky at all, because I know it has worked and is working for me, and that this is just a normal pattern. My body seems to want to consolidate its losses or something, and that's fine with me if it will help it to move on after that and then help to keep it off.

So hang in there. It really is frustrating, I know, and it's the best reason I can think of not to weigh every day.

[LeeannNH]

hey 24 and kassilou

thank you for your support.

kassilou: i did feel VERY proud when i stepped on the scale and i still feel good about the way i have been able to stick to this. i actually didnt want to go OINK out after the weigh in, which would have been my first reaction in the past, whether i had a loss or not. you have had great success and i appreciate your being so candid about your fluxuations. i agree that i need to stop with the scale=the ruler of my world. my husband was like, "of course you realize this is the most healthy you have ever been since we met, i think your body may be in shock!" hee hee

24:congrats and good luck on your next 100 days. i love the way you just refer to it as a stall and not a FAILURE. that is an uplifting way to look at it. that way it is still positive and not self-depricating. i agree about the forum. i cannot believe how sweet everyone is. you guys are all so awesome for responding to me on this. it really does may me feel like we are all on the same mission. it also makes me feel invigorated!

thanks to you both! i cant believe how much better i am feeling with this feedback. i hope that other folks will get something from my post

hugs
leeann

[DonicaB]

AAAh LeeAnn~~That was a funny post. You may not have meant it to be funny, but it made me laugh, especially the pun.

As far as I am concerned any loss is better than a gain. I only lost 1# my 3rd week but since then I have been consistently losing 2-3# a week. I am thrilled with that, but also remind myself that there may be weeks that I only lose .2 or heaven forbid 0.

If and when that happens I have to remain strong. Will I be a little.....shall we say......pissy.. .....YES, I probably will. But what I choose to do with that is what matters.

You are doing great, LeeAnn. Keep posting, I love to read what you have to say.

DonicaB

[bk]

I'd just like to say that I lost 10 my first week, 1 my second. You're doing JUST FINE. Your body simply needs to readjust! kassilou is absolutely right - after your body sheds a bunch of poundage, your loss the next week is likely to be small.

You've lost 11 pounds! Let's celebrate!

[LeeannNH]

hey donicab

im glad it made you laugh---i was laughing at myself big time. i always try to be positive but ya know sometimes ya gotta let off some steam and make fun of yourself and your crazy mental moments! im just happy you got a hoot!

bk--that is so crazy that we had the same loss pattern. it makes me feel so much better to hear. i know everyone's body is different but it seems that the one consistent aspect of this is big then little...which is kind of our goal huh? BIG then little

so im coming to believe that 1 is good --- yay us!!

[dlr2424]

Leeann..........I empathize with you..... ........we always want the weight to fly off............. ............and when we have reached goal we then will realize that in fact it really did come off fast.........as well as healthy....... .....you are doing awesome......... ..........even if your weight loss journey is a slow one ........ .........keep in mind the trip is healthy....... .....when people say 1 lb lost is better than 1 lb gained...... ........well intellectually we know that ...however we still get pi--ed and need to vent..... ........at least for a moment...... ....think of it as a test of patience............and let me tell you ........ .......i think my patience is always being tested........ .......as my journey has not been on a 727.... .....even with 100% compliancy.................it's been more of a ................ .......stroll...........I of course was hopeing for 20 lbs a month......... ............but I guess my metabolisim had a different plan...... ......so far I've averaged 10 lbs a month........whatever........it is still a loss........I feel great..........and I will get to goal............so anyway it's okay to vent..........you came to the right place...........the forum instead of the fridge......... ......keep on shakin........
donna...dlr2424

[LeeannNH]

hey donna

the forum instead of the fridge is an awesome mantra!

i actually feel so much better today after my mini meltdown yesterday. it helps that people share with me their experiences. you are doing awesome and 10# a month is terrific. what really does resonate with me is your thoughts on this being healthy. i cant believe i associate that word with me!

thanks for your sharing!
by the way, have you ever eaten ground chicken as part of your lean and green (assuming you are doing 5-1 plan) ? im just curious if that is still considered a lean meat, like chicken breast and i can have 7 oz. of that like the breast?

thanks again!
leeann

[dlr2424]

Leeann.........actually I am on the complete ....not the 5&1.........stricktly for convenience sake....... .......
have a great day
Donna...dlr2424

[LeeannNH]

ok thanks a bunch!

have a nice rest of the day
leeann

[Walks262]

Leeann,

I understand your fustration. Confessions of a daily scale watcher: when I only see one pound (or zero pounds day-to-day) I try to think about how that one pound confirms all those before it.

While I have lost 25 pounds and while I am working on changing my eating habits and my relationship with food, part of me still believes that if I look at food the wrong way it will jump directly onto my hips! Part of me can't believe what I have accomplished so far. When I get on those scales I always want to weigh less than before, but I am also relieved that the weight I lost is still gone!

Keep at it, you'll do great.

Regarding ground chicken: Ground Chicken Breast should be okay. Be careful of just Ground Chicken. Can you get the kind that gives you a fat percent? See the dicussion on ground turkey. http://www.makemethinner.com/forum/view ... und+trukey "And what's the lesson I learned today..."