Week into diet - no weight loss. How to keep motivated?

[goteam]

I have 2 stone to lose and started a week ago. I was being really strict. Went from drinking every evening and snacking as well as having a large late dinner to eating only 3 meals, with larger healthy breakfast, healthy lunch and small dinner. Have had a gym session, 2 swims and yoga session. Basically a decent amount of exercise each day and have resisted snacking in the evenings. Ive gone to bed hungry each night and haven't lost weight. Was expecting to have lost around 4 lbs.

How do people stay motivated?

I will add that I did have a later dinner with DH last night and shared a bottle of wine but up until a week ago that was what I did every night! Ate something heavy going at 8 pm with wine every night and I was so motivated to change. Didn't think a weekend cheat day would derail the whole diet.

Ive literally had a bowl of homemade soup and handful of cherry tomatoes for dinner and feel like what's the point?!

[Boulshired]

When trying to lose weight, the scales are my biggest enemy, it took years to realise that my fat loss always seems to be masked by other bodily functions. When the scales register it more often or not seems to be in one large drop. Nothing for days or sometime weeks the one morning down 2lbs plus. If you are in deficit you will be losing fat but you cannot trust the scales to show it.

[goteam]

Thanks Boul. I have resisted weighing myself daily but thought some weight loss might register with a weekly weigh in. I think it's because I was hoping to get to 10 st by the end of the month (from 11 st 4 lbs) with a target weight of 9 st 4) I hadit in my mind that I could do 4-6 lbs a week easily by cutting the bad habits (takeaways, booze, snacking, too much cheese etc etc) and doing a bit more exercise.

It's just so disheartening when you feel like you've been so disciplined! Maybe I was being too optimistic!

[Rainbowflower24]

Hi goteam Its annoying isnt it. Im at a similar stage with i think a similar goal 78kg to 65kg. Are you getting enough sleep? And avoiding sugary drinks? Im going to concentrate on the fact that i feel better when i eat well and exercise.

If you want a buddy to keep motivated Id be up for that. Otherwise keep going, slow and steady wins the race

[Rainbowflower24]

Also. Consider muscle weighs more, water can fluctuate you weight and depends qhen you weight yourself. Maybe do your measurements as well. Some people measure legs and waist etc. I dont bother. My mirror tells me the truth.

[Rainbowflower24]

Wait- 4-6lbs a week? That is quite ambitious.

[Notanightbird]

It always takes me a couple of weeks of really healthy eating and exercise to start losing weight and then I lose it consistently and rapidly. I'm not sure why it is (have had to do it several times after several babies) but it will happen, don't be disheartened. Just keep doing what you're doing and drink lots of water too.

[goteam]

Hi Rainbow, I def don't get enough sleep. I have a badly sleeping toddler who's up at 5.30! Both kids sleep poorly. My toddler is still awake now. Part of the problem re poor eating habits.

I know I shouldn't just go by the scales but I think it's because I know my comfortable weight. I don't have any illusions that ill ever fit in my size 10 clothes again but would like to not be busting out of my size 12 clothes which is how it is at the moment! That would put me at around 10 st max.

Happy to be weight loss buddy!

[goteam]

Thanks bird, that's reassuring. I will keep going as I need to be healthier anyway regardless of weight loss. I do hope I see some results soon though.

[Dailystuck71]

4-6 a week will not happen and is not healthy. Actually I say it won't happen but it can in the first week but then it should be 1-2 a week to sustain.

[MirabelleTree]

4-6lb is possible for some in the first week if they drop a lot of water but as said above not healthy or realistic after that. You'd have to eat less than 14000 to 21000 calories a week than you burn to achieve that. So a 2-3000 calorie deficit a day which is massive.

Things like where you are in your menstrual cycle affect the scales and a new exercise regime came also halt weight loss temporarily. Hang in there, it will start to come off. Measure yourself as well as you often see inches come off when the scales refuse to move.

[Littlepond]

I don't weigh myself. I get obsessed and the numbers never have a good effect. Oh I've had a good week but not lost anything, what's the point! Or, oh I've cheated a bit this week and still lost, guess I can cheat every week.

I follow WW as I need a strict plan which I can quantify whether I am doing it right nor not (just "eating healthy" never worked for me cos I have very screwed up thought patterns regarding food and I have no idea what healthy means) so my goal, my success is simply to stick to the plan. I don't know what my weight is week in week out.

But so far I have dropped a dress size and people keep commenting on the weight loss so it must be working.

Hang in there!

[revolution909]

When I started sky current plan I didn't lose anything for the first two weeks (maybe even three? And I definitely gained at some point!!) But I persevered!! I'm an advocate of weighing yourself every day though. That's the only way I've learned the natural weight fluctuations of my body. 9 months later I've lost 4st and counting :)

[Rainbowflower24]

goteam gah. I also have a toddler who is presently waking at 5.30am i am hoping the new blackout curtains coming end of july will help.

I would be happy to share my plan for the day and report back on how I did - might not make every day but would help me stay on track. Todays plan is

Porridge banana and raisins for breakfast
Peanut butter on bread, an egg and salad for lunch
Roast summer veg and chickpeas for dinner (bbc good food)
Only ever one plate of food at any meal. No snacks.
One fitness blender workout in front of computer screen after toddler bedtime.
Water to drink mostly. One lemon tea with honey in the morning. One builders tea with a bit of sugar to stave off mid afternoon eating.

[AdalindSchade]

A few things
4-6lb a week is insane. Get some realistic expectations. 1-2lb a week is the most you can expect
Are you actually counting what you are eating? Just because it's less than before doesn't mean it's little enough to lose weight
You drank wine last night - you will be retaining water. Up to 6lbs of it
If you give up after a week then your attitude isn't in the right place to lose weight. You have to see it as a change of lifestyle not just a temporary fix
Daily weighing can be really helpful in seeing the fluctuations and the general downward trend

[Leviticus]

You will never lose weight long term 'being really strict' and going to bed hungry. That's just punishing and not sustainable for anybody. Perhaps it would be better to look into a tried and tested plan so that you can adjust your diet but not go hungry. Be kind to yourself.

[goteam]

Sounds like I was being ambitious with my projected 4-6 lbs!

Good advice mirabelle. I was actually on my period last week so more bloated and hungry than usual.

Little pond, that's great. Well done. Maybe I need to look into a proper plan.

Revolution, well done too. Good to know it took a few weeks. I have a friend's wedding then holiday early August so that's why I was hoping to lose weight by then. Guess I should have started earlier!

[goteam]

Thanks Rainbow.

My plan is / was for today

Granola with yoghurt and orange juice for breakfast
Coffee mid morning
Avocado on whole meal toast for lunch
Houmous with pitta and crudités for dinner at around 6 (after a 30 min swim)
Already done an hour in the park with the kids so been active.

[goteam]

Adalind I am counting the calories and not giving up. Losing weight is very new to me as I'm one of those people who could eat what they liked without putting on any weight! Until I had kids. Looks like I need to be more realistic now though.

[goteam]

Thanks user but I don't believe in supplements as a sustainable solution to maintaining a healthy weight. Just diet and exercise for me.

[OwlinaTree]

Gosh, doesn't sound like much food in a whole day! Just houmous for an evening meal!!

[goteam]

That was the plan but I ended up having half a margarita pizza with DD after her swimming lesson! At least it was only half and relatively early on. Was gonna be houmous, pita and crudite but I guess I need to find some healthier more substantial dinner options. No time to cook between work and pre-schoolers. Kind of why takeaways have featured heavily the past few years.

[OwlinaTree]

Omelette is quick?

[Rainbowflower24]

Evening. I stuck to plan today. At the moment I am taking a photo of my food before I put it in my mouth. That pause is good for thinking - am I going to eat this, is it a good choice? And I look at the photo after eating if I think Ive not had enough. And taking a photo reminds me, half veg, small portion carbs, small portion lean protein.
goteam is bulk cooking an option inyoir house?. I cooked a onepot at the weekend that we had over 2 meals. And a soup which I froze some of for another time. Tonight's dinner leftovers will be my lunch tomorrow. Dunno when Ill fit in cooking tomorrows dinner. Maybe prep in the morning and finish off during my lunch break. We also eat a lot of raw vegetables at the moment with a bit of bread and cheese for dinner as Dd gets hot lunches. And have picnics which feature raw veg, fruit, salad and bean wraps, boiled eggs. As owlina says, omlette is quick and if its just me I either boil egg or whisk and microwave it. Ill post tomorrows plan after I think what meal is going to be easiest to cook