Today’s weigh-in was not pretty. I gained 1.4 lbs. And for no understandable reason.
There were tears. There was frustration. There was the feeling of failure. I was beside myself because there is no reason I should have gained weight this week. None at all!
So I stayed for the entire meeting. Heard the tips that people were mentioning for staying on track during vacations, but the whole time I was going over in my mind what the hell could have possibly happened to cause the weight gain. I even stayed for the “getting started” portion of the meeting because I really wanted to talk to the leader about this.
As she was talking to me, the tears came. She gave me a hug and said that she could tell how frustrated I was. I told her that I’ve been tracking everything, getting TONS of exercise, and even started with a personal trainer. She said that maybe I should make sure to eat all of my WPAs. She told me not to give up because the weight would eventually come off. It had to. Then she asked if I had started taking any medication.
And the light bulb went off. I started taking Wellbutrin about 3 weeks ago, in order to get ready for my quitting smoking date (this Saturday!). From everything I’ve heard, Wellbutrin is supposed to aid in weight loss, because it curbs cravings – the craving to smoke, but also the craving to eat. But now I’m wondering if maybe my body is having an adverse reaction to it?
So I left the meeting. I called my mom and cried a little bit more. Then I emailed my doctor to ask about the Wellbutrin. And now I’m writing this.
I am not going to be deterred by this weight gain. I know that I haven’t done anything crazy like eat fast food or go over my points. There are a few things I can try to do to help shake this weight off, so these are my goals for the coming week:
- Drink ALL of my water. I usually get at least 6-7 glasses a day, but this week I’m going to try to drink more. At least 8, but maybe even more like 10. It can’t hurt, and since it’s been so hot, I shouldn’t have any problem doing this. I even found these Diet Snapple water “mixins” (similar to Crystal Light) at Walgreens today.
- Measure everything. I weigh some of my snacks, but I have been lax on measuring my morning peanut butter (I have been eyeballing a TBSP) and other things like that. This week, I’m dusting off all the measuring spoons and cups, and will be using my food scale for everything.
- Try to eat more filling foods. I only eat brown rice, couscous, or whole wheat pasta. All of my grains are whole grains, even the Oroweat Sandwich Thins and my Thomas’ Light Multigrain English Muffins. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, too. But this week I am really going to make a concerted effort to eat more lean protein.
- Continue tracking EVERYTHING using eTools online.
- Continue working out for at least 30 minutes every day. Rest days will be 30 minutes of Wii Fit. Total APs for the week will be at least 25.
As I said in my title, failure is simply not an option. I do not feel hopeless, in fact I’m incredibly hopeful. I believe in myself and my ability to overcome adversity. I’ve done it before in other areas of my life, and now it’s time to do it with regards to weight loss. I’m in the right mindset, I’m motivated, and I know I can do this. I will do this. I just have to be patient and know the weight will come off, eventually.
You don’t realize how strong a person really is until you see them at their weakest moment. – Unknown
Great attitude, Bella! I think your WW leader might be right – why don’t you try eating at least 1/2 of your WPA points for the next few weeks? Have you been doing that?
Also, eating 5-6 smaller meals a day is really useful in revving up metabolism. Try getting lean protein with EVERY meal, too. For losing weight and building muscle (not bulky builder muscles, just normal muscles), many recommend you eat your body weight in protein grams per day. I aim for 100-120 grams of protein/day.
Finally, don’t forget that all the exercise you’ve been getting can cause a temporary plateau or even small gain as your body adjusts and you build muscle. Even retaining water can account for 1.4. (Heck, a good poo can weight that much, right? lol)
Hang in there, be strong, and know that you WILL lose the weight as you continue to do all the right stuff.
Thanks for the encouragement, SRgirl.
I have been eating at least half of my WPAs. The past two weeks I ate all of them and dipped into my APs, and I lost (a little bit, but I still lost). This week I still had about 10 WPAs and hadn’t used any APs, and I gained. Maybe there is something to it.
I do eat a decent amount of lean protein, but it’s lacking a bit in the morning. I think I’m going to start making egg beaters scrambles (with mushroom and bell peppers) and see what happens.
Aw, that sucks! I know how frustrated you must be! One thing I learned when I started bootcamp, is that when your muscles are doing their major repair work (which yours probably are since you JUST had your super intense training session) they retain a TON of water while they heal themselves.
This post helped me TREMENDOUSLY when I was not seeing the losses I wanted, after starting bootcamp:
http://chalenejohnson.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-do-you-sometimes-gain-weight-when.html
She is the woman who does the “Turbo Jam” workout videos. The post is long but totally worth a read!
I had a friend who was in the same boat as you. She exercises like mad and wasn’t seeing it on the scale at all. In Canada we call them Flex Points and Activity Points, so she ended up making sure she ate 1/2-all of her activity points and trying to leave the flex points alone and it did get her past the plateau.
Don’t get too discouraged; I read you every day and you’re one of my biggest inspirations for when I’m having down weeks. I’m rooting for you!
I so feel for you right now! I cant even begin to tell you how many times I’ve gained or only lost 0.2 lbs on this adventure (and these were times I was working out at my hardest and pushing myself the most!) What I did learn during those times, is that taking my measurements is what helped to keep me motivated. Sure the scale wasnt moving, but damn it, the inches were falling off.
You have the right attitude though (even though that sucks ot hear!)
Hang in there… the weight will come off. Don’t give up. I love your goals for the week… I’m sure it will pay off. I can’t wait to see your loss for next week.
http://she-fit.com
You can do this! I’m glad you haven’t lost your determination- it’s so easy to give up, but the rewards are so much greater when you stick it out.
i went and read your post from yesterday first.. because I wanted to know what happened the day before your WI… which is that you worked out with a trainer for the first time, likely using muscles you didn’t know you had.
do you know what happens after that?? you’re poor muscles are most likely holding water, a bit swollen… that’s normal! I’m betting next week, you see a bigger loss!
and yah.. you have an awesome attitude.. i’m glad you stayed and talked with your leader.
hugs Bella.
I felt the same way last week when I gained–I pouted through the whole meeting. The more I think about it, the more I worry that it’s because I need to eat more. It sounds like a dream diagnosis–how many people get to eat more to LOSE weight? But quite honestly, it’s frightening because eating more is what helped us gain the weight to begin with.
You have been earning a heck of a lot more activity points than ever. You really do probably need to eat them. Talk to your trainer about this as well. Even though you’re doing WW, you may still want to count calories (earned and eaten) to get a sense of your net intake. Just as an example, my intake (once you subtract the calories I burned during my workout from the ones I ate throughout the day) was under 900 calories. That’s apparently not so good.
You’re going to be fine and do well. You’re too committed to this to fail! I like your stubborn–uh, determination!
Oh–and I love egg-based breakfasts. I buy the carton of egg whites and toss some in my oats (it makes it taste custardy/creamy) or make breakfast sandwiches with an Arnold’s Thin, slice of cheddar and some veggies and eggwhites. Easy, quick and it carries me through the morning. You can easily do a satisfying breakfast for under 6 points that way. I often microwave it in a little bowl that I’ve sprayed with Pam–it lets me get ready for work instead of watching the stove.