I highly recommend the Happy Scale app - weigh yourself daily and it smooths out the edges for you and assures you you're on the right track, even if your weight is up a pound one day.

Regarding plateaus - I've been reading about these, and I experience them, and while I'm no expert here is my take.

- it's not really a plateau unless it lasts 10-14 days. Weight loss is often 1 pound a week.
- our instinct is to eat even less, which gives us less energy, when we plateau. That may actually be prolonging the plateau as our body is trying to hang on.
- when I've plateaued, I will actually work on eating 3 meals a day (I often just have two when I'm trying to lose weight). I do weight watchers, so I still try to stay within the daily points, but I will have an no-points or low point breakfast, and I make sure I'm well nourished with veggies, fruits, and low point foods. Then I will have enough energy to keep moving -- I'll increase my workout activity a bit.
- after a few days of this, restrict food a little bit more.

That formula has helped me break through plateaus, for what it's worth.

The new thread is locked so I guess we’ll be hijacking OP’s thread…

I weigh myself once a day but after coffee and before lunch. I’m doing 14-8 IF, not counting coffee. I’m up two pounds since last week, sigh. Hopefully it’s PMS bloat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds do-able for me. Various obstacles but I think I can do it.

How often do you plan to weigh yourself?

I always debate this. On one hand, if I weight daily I feel like it keeps me on track either way: if I’m up weight, I adjust immediately; If I’m down, I keep doing what I’m doing. But if I weigh weekly or twice a week and I’m up weight, it’s so discouraging.

9:54 here. I'm going to weigh every second day for a while. First thing, before coffee.

Anonymous wrote:This sounds do-able for me. Various obstacles but I think I can do it.

How often do you plan to weigh yourself?

Back again.

185.0 lbs after two cups of coffee. This is my highest ever! I'm only 5'1.

Anonymous wrote:This sounds do-able for me. Various obstacles but I think I can do it.

How often do you plan to weigh yourself?

I always debate this. On one hand, if I weight daily I feel like it keeps me on track either way: if I’m up weight, I adjust immediately; If I’m down, I keep doing what I’m doing. But if I weigh weekly or twice a week and I’m up weight, it’s so discouraging.

This sounds do-able for me. Various obstacles but I think I can do it.

How often do you plan to weigh yourself?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 5lbs to lose by March 12 dor an event!

Should we start a “5 by March 15” thread?

I mean a support thread, so as not to hijack OP’s thread!

OP here! Let’s do it! I’ll start it!

Anonymous wrote:I have 5lbs to lose by March 12 dor an event!

Should we start a “5 by March 15” thread?

I mean a support thread, so as not to hijack OP’s thread!

I have 5lbs to lose by March 12 dor an event!

Should we start a “5 by March 15” thread?

Nice. Mid March is my goal too.

That is plenty of time. Calorie deficit and keep going. The fat loss might not show up on the scale immediately due to cyclical fluctuations. Just stick to it.

Give it a couple weeks. Likely your body is adjusting to the new routine and you’re storing calories in “survival mode”. Once your body realizes it’s not in danger of starving, you’ll start to see a change, I promise.

Stick with it! I understand how arbitrary goals keep us motivated and on track! You’ve got this!

If you are eating, sleeping, exercising, and hydrating well and are maintaining a steady weight, I would consider recognizing that as a healthy weight for your body and learning to be comfortable rather than making your happiness contingent on an arbitrary goal. If doing what you are doing results in weight loss over the next few weeks, fine, but 5lbs is not going to be very noticeable to anyone else.

In my weight loss journey, I started the NY with a goal of getting down to a specific weight by Friday March 17th. I have 5lb to go and I’ve reached a plateau.

This week I’ve cut back calories a bit, increased protein and water intake, and upped cardio and added weight to my lifts (in addition to my usual cardio/strength routine.) So far not an ounce of change since Sunday. I know it takes time, but I looked and I’m only 49 days away, so I’m getting nervous.

What can I do additionally? I know it’s arbitrary, but I set these “goals” and they’ve helped me in the past, so I really don’t want the discouragement of missing one! Thanks!