Plateau, My Ass!

In our quest for weight loss, we often reach what weight watchers calls a "Plateau". That means that for weeks on end, you stay the same exact weight. This is, as you can imagine, quite frustrating for anyone who is just saying NO! to all the Krispy Kremes and other tempting chocolates and breads in order to lose weight. Or, in fact, working out an hour a day. You would think that making all of that effort is bound to lead to weight loss, right? So what do you do when it isn't working?

I guess you have to step back and analyze everything you are doing. Apparently, it isn't enough to just do BETTER. If I compared my eating and exercise habits now with those of a year ago, there would be no contest. I have made extreme improvements in both areas. Yes, I have lost some weight. 10 lbs. The sad thing is that I was at this weight six months ago. And even though I am doing better now than I was six months ago, I am still not fucking losing weight.

Okay, so back to the analysis.

#1. I am working out four times a week. Yay for me. I definitely am enjoying it, but I thought that it would result in some weight loss, which, so far, is not the case. In fact, I GAINED weight. The Jazzercise instructors said not to worry, because it's muscle gain, blah blah blah. I still want to lose weight! And if not exercising isn't helping, you would think that doing some exercise would. How long am I seriously going to have to wait to see some damn results here?

#2. I am eating within my allotted weight watchers points. Alright, so this is true and not true. I had this idea that I would pretty much eat out and eat what I want on Friday's, then follow points the rest of the week. We get 35 "Flex" points, which is what I was using on weekends. I have definitely over-abused this idea of eating on Fridays. Instead, I kind of eat what I want all weekend and then start my points on Monday, which isn't working at all. I think what I'm doing to myself is losing weight monday - thursday and then freaking gaining it all back friday - sunday. But here's the crappy thing: I want to lose weight, but I hate having to give up the food. How shallow and ridiculous is that? It makes me feel like shit, but there it is. Honestly.

I completely expected to reach a point where losing weight became a lot harder. That always happens somewhere during the battle to lose. But usually that happens when you're like halfway through or near the end and you have to really push to go the extra final 1 pounds or whatever. So how am I supposed to feel when it is just the beginning and I"m only 10 lbs. into a 50 lb goal and it's already this hard? Sacrifice sucks. In Weight Watcher terms,I am not really on a plateau. I am just in a self-control cul de sac.