The zig zag graph

[Recycled 2,182]

I probably read more topics about stalls than any other subject on here. I've even started a thread or two on stalls. Now, the farther out I get and the more tracking of my weight loss, it seems a different pattern is starting to formulate.

We have the surgery and are anxious to see some results. Then we lose all that post-op liquid and we're dancing around the bathroom from the falling numbers on the scale. This is gonna be so easy....right? All freshly motivated, we concentrate on getting in some exercise in to boost the process. If such a minimum amount of exercise works then more should work better.

Now thing start to change. That cheap piece of junk scale must be broken. Ok, calm down, it's not the scale. It's that "stall" thing. OK, I'm a little discouraged but this was expected (see, I read up pre-op). I stick to my regimen and e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y the weight starts coming off again. OK, now I'm past that challenge........ things will be steady from here on. Right? Please be right.

Not so lucky. It seems I lose a few lbs and then no matter what I do.....nothing for days. And this happens over and over and over again.

I'm so aggravated by these repeated stalls......I fail to notice a few things.

First, I stumble on a graph of my loss history that I have been tracking on My Fitness Pal, and I notice that it is following a kind of "zig-zag" stepping pattern of lose a couple pounds and then several days of no losses. And looking at the graph, it looks like a fairly steady pattern.

Kinda like.....lose - recover- lose-recover. Not really stalls at all.

Then I notice the second part. When I add up the weight lost, it is rather dramatic. At this rate I will lose more than I could have imagined by six months and likely be at goal in under a year. Wow. Guess I just had to step back and look at the big picture and not the day to day.

OK, OK.......y'all caught on to where I was going with this......but it's still true. I know It's extremely hard to keep the daily emotions and expectations in perspective. So when you get down or discouraged. Take a step back. Stick to the program and you'll get to your goal soon enough.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Recycled

[skinnygirl2b 79]

All of what you say is so true. I have to catch myself because if I gain even a few ounces I feel heavy all over again. And then I have my fitness pal to look back at the patterns of weight loss and how far I've come. This month will be my one year anniversary and I am less than 5 pounds from my goal weight.

[sdmitchell 7]

Thanks for the encouragement....well said! .We do have to look at the BIG Picture!

[lauri407 29]

I think you're right! It does help to take a step back and see the big picture. During my first stall that lasted four weeks, I didn't feel that way at all, but now that I'm losing again, I know that during the stall I was able to lose some inches and my clothes were much looser on me. While I'm enjoying watching the numbers on the scale go down, I feel like it's a matter of time before I stall again. I'm not trying to be a negative nelly, but I do think that it will be a pattern of my weight loss, and not a forever stop.

Thank you for taking a big picture look at the graph. I enjoy looking at my full graph too. It makes me hopeful when I get to the 3 mo, 6mo, and 1 year mark. :-)