Motivation to keep going on the track to loosing weight, eventhough the numbers on the scale aren't budging

Someone, anyone, everyone...please..help me out!!! lol..

I really want to know how I can keep being positive and still try to loose weight, even though the numbers on the scale aren't budging much at all.  I recently lost 28 l/bs only to gain it all back. 

I now know that I should've never stopped exercising.  But to be honest I forgot that I am now 28 and my metabolism isn't the same it was 10 yrs ago.  I had my second child  recently and he is now 2. I should have lost the weight by now, right?  I am so discouraged and am ready to give up and just be fat forever. 

My husband tells me that he can tell that I am loosing inches but I  don't want inches I want pounds.  After all I think loosing pounds matter more than loosing inches.I just joined the gym and I do the treadmill at leas 30 to 1 hr every-time I go. 

So what else do I need to do?  I am on a 1400 calorie diet a day. I eat whatever I want, I just try not to go over my calories. I drink diet soda instead of regular.  So I think that i am doing okay.  please my fellow weight loss buddies, give me some advice.  I joined this site as a last resort.

HELP!!!!

If you haven't been exercising in a little while, your body is probably putting on muscle mass to deal with the new activity.  This is probably why the scale isn't moving and you seem to be losing inches (goodbye fat!).  Also,  you might want to stop the diet soda - I'm not sure how accurate/scientificly grounded this article is, but really, water is better for you:  http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/200 5/06/diet_sodas_linked_to_obesity/

 

How long have you been calorie counting? Are you eating enough on days that you work out? 

thanks. i didn't think about the fact that i am probably putting on muscle mass first. And my calorie intake varys daily sometimes.

Would you rather be 200 pounds and look like you weigh 130 or weigh 130 and look like you weigh 200?  The number is just a number.  Keep doing the exercise enjoy the inches lost and ignore the scale.  As you gain muscle and lose fat the scale can go up, but who cares... you are going to look fabulous!

thank you "chattynoel" maybe I should burn my scale because i get on it everyday, sometimes i get on it everytime I go into the bathroom.  yeah, i know yall think I am crazy, right...lol..

I am so glad to know I am not the only person who gets on the scale more than once a day....I know it is horriable.  I have lost 34 lbs, and I have been stuck for 3 weeks.  any suggestions????

well at least you have lost 34 l/bs...lol.. how did you do it? I think we should hide the scale and only bring it out when we weigh.

I have heard this through many posts--people weighing themselves obsessively.  I know it's great when you see the numbers go down, but it's frustrating when you see the opposite which can impact you negatively by either eating even less, which will slow your metabolism, or pigging out because "hey the scale already called me fat, what's a few more snacks?!?!" 

If you weigh yourself weekly (which I too have a hard time resisting to do more often), you will see less yoyo results which will become more motivating. 

Regarding exercising, I started at the gym in October and went faithfully 3-4 times per week as well as swam laps one time per week. Even though my weight loss wasn't significant, my clothes fit better and I felt great. Then December came and I was "too busy" to go, and January my two kids (one is 2, the other 8 months) were sick, then I had surgery.  I just started at the gym again this week.  I went 3 times and had to start all over with some things, especially endurance.  I started where I left off with my weight lifting circuit but had to alter some weights.  I, like you, am kicking myself for ever stopping.  I am vowing to have no more excuses.  I am not going to let anything get in the way.  Once I realize how much work it takes to burn calories, it will hopefully help me resist temptation of sinful foods!

The daily logging of calories really helps.  I wish you the best of luck!!  Don't give up!!

thank you. It's nice to know that there is someone just like me. I will do my best to keep motivated. I wish everyone luck.

just hang in there. my advice to you is to try to incorporate healthier foods into your diet. I think if you eat a few more calories a day but with nutritional foods you will reap greater benifits. you'll have more energy, your insides will be cleaner and your body will have a faster metabolism.  eating less but with junky food keeps the weight maintained but you could loose more will healthy and your body will be healthy.  just a suggestion.  try this experiment.  pee in a cup and let it sit on your window sill for three weeks. after three weeks you should see all the toxins from your urine have sank to the bottom.  if those bits of debris dont motivate you to eat clean foods, i dont know what will. :)

oh and one more thing. diet sodas contain aspertein which basically turns in framaldahyde in your insides. good luck. :)

I think that you have just lost some of your initial motivation mammashay.  It is hard to be motivated all the time due to the constant changes in our daily environment.  I also have occasionally given in to the eating the quick and tasty junk foods as long as I stayed within my calorie limits.  I realize that is just plain unhealthy, but some days its nice to have treats and still feel like you havent lost all control.  I know that I feel better if I eat those calories in healthy foods though.  As for the gym, we all have our ups and downs there like in everything else.  Don't put too much pressure on yourself....if you are generally happy on the inside, things on the outside will come in their own time.  You have small children which puts high demands on your time and energy and of course they will always come first.  If you can, try to see yourself through the eyes of your children....they love you just how you are.  Being healthy should be your goal so that you can be a great example to them too.  I too fall into the scale trap, but have moved it to a different room.  I try to go by how my clothes fit and how I feel in general.  In the end mamashay, it is between you and you.........what I mean is, we aren't all cut fron the same cloth and there is beauty in diversity.  Sounds like your husband loves you very much and he is being supportive of your efforts too.  Try to keep up your faith in yourself and accept that not every day will be a perfect day.  You are you and no one else knows you better than yourself.  Can you be happy with eating well and excercising to feel good instead of to lose weight?  Maybe changing the goal to feeling good will take off some of the pressure?  There are no magic answers (I wish) just the fact that you are asking for help is great.

Remember muscle weighs more than fat so you cant always go by the scale. keep up with your workout and give the scale break

thank you. you are right about eating healthier foods. i figured instead of wasting some of my calories on junk,i can use them for fruits and vegetables. thank you.

thanks for the encouragement. everyone is right. i must first love myself and my body in order to be successful.