Help! I'm getting discouraged

[BUMBAGIRL]

I have lost 6lbs in 10 days but sometime I get on the scale and I' have gained 2 pounds. Its like if I go to the Gym then the next morning I will have gained 2 pounds and If I don't I will go back down 2. I guess my question is, is 20 mins of the eliptical bad 3 or 4 times a week an the 30 min curve workout maybe twice a week. Started weight was 178 and now I'm 172.... I eat eggs, bacon, salads, sausage, turkey, tuna, mayo, cubed pickles, pickles, bologna, cheese, 1 dt sundrop a day, the rest water, cream cheese and splenda for a treat pork chops, steak, chicken, hamburger meat. PLEASE HELP! Is there anything I'm doing wrong? IF NOT WHY IS THE SCALE NOT GOING DOWN?

[ValidRouge]

Re: Help! I'm getting discouraged

Girl...you are gonna get some ValidRouge's tough love!! You are supposed to have 3 cups of vegetables a day...2 cups are salad vegetables but that doesn't necessarily mean lettuce. You are also supposed to have 1 cup per day of some other type of vegetable.

The other thing you are doing wrong is hopping on that scale all the time and freaking out about it. If you are going to get frustrated because you don't see a loss EVERY DAY and you just started, you are going to have problems. I weigh myself every day but I don't freak out. My weight fluctuates all over the place...but I only count the loss/gain ONCE a week (on Tuesdays).

You also need to measure yourself and take some pictures to compare in a few weeks.

Exercise will cause your weight to go up and down, don't freak out about it. That elliptical machine (I have one) will create some mega muscles in your legs, butt and hips that are going to look HOT HOT HOT some day. Muscle is more dense than fat, and some say it weighs more. I'd happily GAIN weight as long as I was getting more lean and trim!! As you are exercising and stressing those muscles, they will hold onto water while they are repairing themselves. This is a GOOD thing. When the muscles are ready, they'll let go of the water and you'll have a big loss on the scale, and a big loss in inches with your tapemeasure.

You absolutely MUST drink water, LOTS of water, PLAIN water, not soda, not tea...WATER. If you see the scale moving up instead of down, its time to drink more water. Initially, your body will hold onto the water because it doesn't think you are going to give it more for a while. It hoards it. Pretty soon when it realizes that its getting water on a regular basis, it'll let go of all its stores and you'll get another big loss on the scale and on the tape measure. Plus, you say that you are eating bacon, bologna, pickles, diet sundrop, turkey (i'm assuming processed unless you are cooking REAL turkey) that all are processed and have TONS of sodium which will make you retain water.

Be PROUD of yourself that you are exercising and doing your body good!!! It will all work itself out. Dr. Atkins recommends that you don't weigh yourself until the 14 days are up, and that you measure. Please take his advice.

Also, be PROUD that you've lost 6 lbs in 10 days, that's awesome!!! You've already lost 12% of the weight you need to lose....most people only lose 5-10% You are way ahead of the game and you've still got 4 days to go!!!

[2big4mysize]

Re: Help! I'm getting discouraged

whoa slow down you didn't gsin it over night and you will not lose it all that way either.
you have lost over 12% of the needed to lose weight for you in just 10 days! that is fantastic metabolism going there.

Dr Atkins says to do 30 min minimum daily of cardio or resistan ce training so your 20 min low for an Atkineer. your 30 min curves is fine. When you start an exercise program your muscle are genetically programmed to protect you from whatever is making you increase thier work load so much so they will superhydrate to bew ready to "save" you when it happens again. As they learn this is the normal load for them they will release the fluids stores and you will not add 2 pounds after a workout.

Now since you are a scaleaphobic and allow the numbers on your scale to dictate how you feel about your hard work put them away and make friends with your tape measure so you can see the fat mass being shed as you morph your body to become the healthier snmaller person you want to be working your Atkins.

Happy low carbing.

[Brook]

Re: Help! I'm getting discouraged

::nods::

Listen to them both. They know what they're talking about.

It's easy to be and get really reactionary where that damn scale is concerned, but the truth is that you're in this for FAT loss.

In order to put on 2lbs of FAT, you'd have to eat about 7,000 EXCESS calories.

Your weight will fluctuate, sometimes wildly. It's transient. Don't let it send you to fits!

~Brook

[omnimomma]

Re: Help! I'm getting discouraged

Wow, Brook! Thanks for the info! The 7000 calories to 2lb fat is a great relief! My weight does fluctuate, too, but I didn't know it took that many calories to make your actual fat weight go up.

By the way, I'm still praying for you and your family. Take care.