I'm working on my thrid week of transformation. I've felt great - I've been working out nearly everyday (1 hour high intensity aerobics class everyday of the week, 30 min. run on Saturday's) and have been eating per assignment #3. Which is a ton less than I have ever eaten, but still satisfying! (I started eating better when I started the program.) I'm drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. I've lost 8 lbs. since I started the program. yay! But, I lost those 8lbs. in my first week and a half, probably because I stopped eating so dang much. Here's the kicker - I've gained weight since the second week. I've been hovering around 190/192 lbs. for two weeks. I can't break 190! Can I gain muscle weight in two weeks to make this happen? Am I doing something wrong???

Any suggestions as to WHY???? I thought I'd be losing weight faster since I was working out. I mean I never worked out at all before and when I stopped eating so much I would lose weight...why isn't that happening even faster with eating right and working out? It's very frustrating. I'm trying to be patient on my results, but my future vision is very strong! I want it yesterday! I can tell a slight difference in the fit of my pants...like my measurements might be changing before the weight comes off? Is this just from my muscles tightening up?

Thanks.
Mel

The process works, but you have to let it. I am sorry to inform you that the scale will be up and down the whole 18 wks. You are not going to enjoy your transformation if your week is determined by the scale. Probably the first week you were losing a lot of water weight, but now you are adding muscle which is going to give you a smaller, fit look. My first 60 lbs I weighed every Sunday morning and that determined how my week went. Down was a good week and up was a bad week, God help my family if it was up 2 or 3 wks in a row. When I found Transformation I saw Dusty's Dump the Scale challenge and I was READY for it. It has saved my sanity. It allowed me to trust the process and myself, my eating and workouts were better because I was doing it for me not the 'Scale'. I am in my 18th week and am not sure if I want to weigh even though I know I have dropped a couple of dress sizes. I have a couple of days to decide. We have all been taught that the scale is everything, it's not, your happiness is. It is better to concentrate on the positive things you are doing for yourself on a daily basis. I am always here. Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by tahoemom It allowed me to trust the process and myself, my eating and workouts were better because I was doing it for me not the 'Scale'.

I have certainly lived by the scale...it affects everything I do if it's up when I think it should be down.

I don't think I've ever trusted myself. But, I do know that I've not felt this good about something before. Can you tell me more about the drop the scale challenge?

Thanks, Cindy!

Hi, Cindy!

I used to live my life by the scale, too. Now I have NO CLUE what I weigh and I am happier and healthier than ever.

When we need to "be a certain number" we are giving our power away to something we CANNOT 100% control. I am no longer giving my power away to something I can't control and to something that hinders my progress. (the scale)

So... Let's say I eat clean (REALLY clean, no foooling myself) for 6 days, and do my exercises all as planned and I feel GREAT. I step on the scale... 2 pound GAIN. ... I step off the scale deflated. What am I going to do? Eat a bag of chips to punish MYSELF that the scale didnt' show what I wanted to see?? Hmmm...... Do I "quit"? By quitting we DEFINITELY do not reach our goals, right?

No.... we plow ahead and do it anyway.

So as I see it, why not just dump that mind game of the scale altogether and just DO THE PLAN?

It's what we have to do anyway.... or we definitely WILL NOT reach our goals.

Not sure if I explained that well. I think others are better with words than I am, but I am trying.

So now my reward is in the effort. I LOVE that I just ate a clean breakfast and have a day of clean eats planned. My mind is clear and focused, I am in a GOOD MOOD, and I know my body is healing from inside out. As I exercise I am focusing on what each movement is doing for me... sculpting, toning.. it energizes me. I am doing it for my BODY not the scale.

All it takes is just a little shift in perspective to make this process enjoyable. We are allowed to have fun and not beat ourselves up over numbers....

Hope this didn't come off as preachy. I am just sharing what I recently realized. It is changing my life like you wouldn't believe and I want everyone to feel this strong and this free.

Have a BEAUTIFUL, LOVE-FILLED day!

Thanks for the advice ladies.

I'm going to try not to worry about the scale anymore...it's not easy breaking that habit, but I've broken so many other bad habits in the last few days - why not add another one to my list!

YIPPEE!
Mel

I,too,agree with the "No Scale" advice. I used to be a member of Weight Watchers and relied so heavily on that &^%$# scale. Like you,Mel, I allowed the number on it to dictate my mood. Last summer I started working with a trainer who did not allow me to get on a scale. I put total faith in his program...ate clean...never missed my workouts and after less than 8 weeks I was down 30 lbs (granted...I am very heavy.) Work your program and I'd be willing to bet you'll be pretty darn happy with your results (physically and mentally) not too far down the road!
-Karyl

The scale habit is seriously hard to break, but I'm working on it. Make sure and take your measurements regularly, then you'll know that something good is happening even if the scale is saying otherwise. I've only lost about 7 pounds but I've lost tons of inches. Okay, not tons, I'm exaggerating , but a lot - a significant # of inches.

Good luck with it.
Gaye

LOL - any inches are significant Gaye!

Thanks for the encouragement Karyl!

Mel

Mel, the Dusty's Dump the Scale challenge thread is on Transformation Central. And yes, it is not easy to break the habit but well worth it. Transformation is not a easy road to walk, but it is much easier without a ball and chain. I am here anytime. Cindy

Janelle- Beautifully put. Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by taterrito I'm working on my thrid week of transformation. I've felt great - I've been working out nearly everyday (1 hour high intensity aerobics class everyday of the week, 30 min. run on Saturday's) and have been eating per assignment #3. Which is a ton less than I have ever eaten, but still satisfying! (I started eating better when I started the program.) I'm drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. I've lost 8 lbs. since I started the program. yay! But, I lost those 8lbs. in my first week and a half, probably because I stopped eating so dang much. Here's the kicker - I've gained weight since the second week. I've been hovering around 190/192 lbs. for two weeks. I can't break 190! Can I gain muscle weight in two weeks to make this happen? Am I doing something wrong??? Any suggestions as to WHY???? I thought I'd be losing weight faster since I was working out. I mean I never worked out at all before and when I stopped eating so much I would lose weight...why isn't that happening even faster with eating right and working out? It's very frustrating. I'm trying to be patient on my results, but my future vision is very strong! I want it yesterday! I can tell a slight difference in the fit of my pants...like my measurements might be changing before the weight comes off? Is this just from my muscles tightening up? Thanks. Mel

Hey Mel!!
It looks like you are doing everything right!! =) Maybe you can weigh every four weeks to track progress vs. every week. You sound like you are right on track with training and nutrition. How are your assignments coming along?

Swing by anytime if you ever need anything!! =)
My name is Clarissa

Do you want to lose weight or do you want to lose fat??? I have a client at work at a 'weight loss' center. She is very active. She lost about 4 lbs in the first month but has gone from a size 12 to a size 6.
The scale doesn't tell the whole story. Just like Clarissa and Janelle mentioned limit the scale watching and let the tape measure and your clothing be your guide.

Yup - I want to lose fat. So, I've stopped paying attention to the scale and put that focus on my workouts instead. I am finding this week that my clothes do fit better. I can actually wear my favorite button up shirt again. The buttons actually button without straining to do so! YIPPEE!

Results have arrived!
Thanks for the support guys!
Mel

Thank you Mel for bringing this up...My sister Nichole (Fighter) gave up her scale a couple weeks ago and I told her I was still "white knuckling" mine...haha...I am feeling my grip loosen a bit...

Spankydean...I love what you wrote...that's exactly what happens with me!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing (it wasn't preachy:0)

I think I am going to hunt down Dusty Luvs thread...:0)

Thanks guys soooo much~Tammy

Hi Mel,

I don't think I can add anything more enlightening and supportive than what has already been said but what I can tell you is I completely and totally empathize with your attachment to getting the results quickly (yesterday!) and needing to "prove" somehow that you are doing it by measuring weight with a scale!!

I am in week three of my second Round and this 18 weeks is really focused on "letting go of all my attachments to when I will "get there" and learning to truly appreciate and celebrate the baby steps!" This is the greatest and most difficult task for me! Even more difficult on some level than changing my eating patterns and doing regular exercise!

For me it is a life pattern to get attached to what "I think" things should look like and I have robbed myself of the experience of being with the present moment and really living my life! The future is just that, it is the future........We can not feel joy in the "future" setting because it hasn't arrived. What has arrived is THIS MOMENT. What do you feel in THIS MOMENT? I here the pride and appreciation for the positive changes you have made. Let that truly fill your heart and mind and it will propel you forward without focus on a moment that isn't here yet. I love the concept of organic growth and that movement of self healing truly happens when we show up and do the exercise and feed our bodies well. It is our attachment to how quickly that needs to happen that creates our suffering and is a potential trap that may bring us to a point that we want to quit!

Healing our bodies and our relationship to food IS a life long journey! Learning how to be joyful and appreciative of the small steps gives us a true opportunity to enjoy the journey of our life!

You are doing it and you are healing and I hope your heart can fill up on the truth of your baby steps!
Many blessings,
Roberta

Good for YOU, Mel!! Putting the scale away is one difficult step to take for any of us women - we have been so conditioned to measure ourselves by those numbers, but what happens is that you turn to using REAL measures like everyone has said - how you feel, how you worked out and ate well, inches and clothing sizes... imagine the freedom of saying "I have no idea how much I weigh" as you slip into clothing you've not worn in quite awhile.

I am almost there, what I share is my vision for how it will be to be free... at present, I weigh no more than once every two weeks but here's the condition - I ONLY weigh when I am reasonably expecting a drop because other measures are going down... it's a confirmatory thing only!

And you know what, when it does not confirm, and the other things are good... I don't care! Most of the time it does, and what I realized is how often I have gone to the scale 'hoping against hope' that I had not gained... knowing my habits are way off for a few days and hoping the scale will confirm my denial. But I've had the other too, a great week... and three lbs up.

Who would trust a "friend" who operated that way?????? Feeling good today? Let me smack you down... not me! Proud of you for that move to be scale-free!

Awwww!!! Thanks so much for the kind words guys! I so appreciate everything you've all said.

YOU GUYS ROCK!
T-COM ROCKS!
WE ROCK!

As for weight loss, in the longer run I believe you will need to add in the weight training because while aerobics do burn calories, the body quickly adapts and then burns less calories (actually that is the health benefit, cardiovascular adaptation, it's supposed to work like that).

On the other hand, weight training bulids muscle mass, and muscle is what will continue to burn calories while at rest. To lose quickly, aerobics... to keep going I have found, either requires adding more and more aerobics or speed to aerobics until you reach a point where you just can't go any longer or faster and still have a life and a body left... or you add in resistance training.

The BLF book has a great and simple and classic weight training section to check out! Let me know if you have any questions on this ... I'll be checking back!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleRed Thank you Mel for bringing this up...My sister Nichole (Fighter) gave up her scale a couple weeks ago and I told her I was still "white knuckling" mine...haha...I am feeling my grip loosen a bit... Spankydean...I love what you wrote...that's exactly what happens with me!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing (it wasn't preachy:0) I think I am going to hunt down Dusty Luvs thread...:0) Thanks guys soooo much~Tammy

Hey Tammy - I just put my scale away two days ago. Actually 3 days ago, but the first morning I dug it back out - sigh. However, it is has stayed in the closet for 2 whole mornings. I double-dog dare you to hide the scale from yourself!

Joann

forget the scale.

buy body fat calipers and track your progress. I know for me I could care less how much I weigh as long as my body fat % is dropping.