Impatience Killed The Cat .. or Why To Stop Obsessing and Tweaking ...

TaDa! · 04-28-2010, 08:58 AM

Some pictures worth seeing ..

I have been putting together a presentation on my weightloss for a group I joined recently. They often have speakers come in and talk, and asked me to do a talk for the group ... while putting together the segment on how one of the key indicators of whether someone will succeed or fail at weightloss is Patience and Perseverance, I went back to my old fitdays ..

If I had taken my daily, or even my weekly weigh-ins too seriously, I would have missed the forest for the trees. In one year I lost a whopping 91 pounds, and here it is. It looks great from the perspective of an entire year at one time:

1 Year Weight Chart 6/03-6/04

Looks great right? Well the year's graph says nothing about all the daily and weekly disappointments in weight gain and lack of weight loss. Here is an average two month's segment of that year and well, let's just say there were weeks of disappointment in there:

2 Month Weight Chart 5/04-6/04

But in the long run .. a bunch of these spiky weight charts add up to the year's chart above. Dr. Atkins himself tells us not to consider something a stall without a month of ZERO weightloss or inch loss -- not to tweak unless it comes to that ... If I had taken those weeks of (mostly inexplicable) weight gains seriously, I would never have had that one year chart that meant significant weightloss ... even if it was rollercoaster ride.

I was not sure whether to post this or not, but if it helps one person just settle down and settle in for the long haul, it will have been worth posting ..

You know what to do. Just do it!!!

ironic44 · 04-28-2010, 09:02 AM

Very interesting

DebWI · 04-28-2010, 09:14 AM

Thanks, TaDa! This is going to be a BIG help for me, to keep my eyes on the big picture, not the day-to-day number.

martiangurll · 04-28-2010, 09:17 AM

Great post/thread. It helps me to remember that failure to delay gratisfaction is what got me into this mess in the first place. Instant results are not the goal, long term health is the goal with the happy side benefit of weight loss.

TaDa! · 04-28-2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martiangurll

Great post/thread. It helps me to remember that failure to delay gratisfaction is what got me into this mess in the first place. Instant results are not the goal, long term health is the goal with the happy side benefit of weight loss.

That would be a great attitude! I see some people here with that attitude and they are either (lucky to be) not so concerned with getting all the weight off because they feel great and healthy, or they are simply candidates for sainthood ...

I was and am neither! I was HELLBENT on getting the weight off, but I had to teach myself to trust the process and to trust the science and to trust that If you do all the right things, success will follow. You cannot help but achieve your goals ...

I guess the biggest thing I have taken from my journey is that the key to success is:

Blinders!!!!

You just do it and know that it will come off ... and if, you stall as per Dr. Atkins guidelines, you have a comprehensive guide to working through what it is, but until you are at that point, you need do nothing but follow the plan ...

Chances are nothing you do will change your rate of weightloss over the longterm anyhow!!!!!

Speck333 · 04-28-2010, 09:25 AM

Awesome, thank you so much for sharing! It really helps put things in perspective.
I plot my daily-ish weigh-ins in an excel file to see the downward trend. I just love visuals. Your experience is really helpful to see, thanks again.

martiangurll · 04-28-2010, 09:43 AM

TaDa! I think I love you! Not only are you a woman after my own heart, but you added graphs and stuff. Thanks, I know this thread will help a lot of peeps like me, Desparate to get thin...

jezzie · 04-28-2010, 09:47 AM

I imagine you will help more than one with that visual.

People can lose sight of the trees for the forest.

verbqueen · 04-28-2010, 09:48 AM

Your charts are beautiful, and your losses so impressive. But I don't see a 5 month plateau on there like the one I'm in (and I've known others who've had even longer ones.).

Talk about a severe challenge to one's patience...

Knittering · 04-28-2010, 09:51 AM

Thank you for the reminder. I try not to lose more than 1.5 pounds a week -- if I lose more than that I up my carbs. Still, I occasionally read a post by someone who lost 30 pounds in six weeks or whatever and think: I could do that too! Cut this and cut that I could be at goal by July! ...then I calm down and remind myself that what matters is keeping the weight off. How quickly I lose doesn't really matter; what matters is maintaining for the rest of my life.

TaDa! · 04-28-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verbqueen

Your charts are beautiful, and your losses so impressive. But I don't see a 5 month plateau on there like the one I'm in (and I've known others who've had even longer ones.).

Talk about a severe challenge to one's patience...

I know -- I hear you!!!!! And I know there are a lot of people who have suffered through plateaus like yours -- and believe me, I count myself so lucky not to have gone through it, especially considering I was obese and morbidly obese my whole life - almost deserve to have destroyed my body's normal functioning -

I won't insult you by suggesting things to do -- because I know you probably have been trying different things. The one thing that would be critical to me though would be to chart it and see exactly what this plateau means -- is it up and down at all, or a solid stall -- And if you've tried all of Dr. Atkins recommendations and medical checking, one other stallbuster guide that I think is excellent (but one has to be willing to go that route) is Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, where he lists exercise tweaks for moving forward -- I know not everyone can do or wishes to go that route, but just a suggestion

I'll also say that I wrote this thread for the folks who experience ups and downs, but are trending downward and refuse to see it, lol! There seem to be tens of them at any one time here at LCF and I always feel so bad for them, because as you know - coming from the viewpoint of someone who would love to have their problem, probably - they are progressing and should not screw it up!!!! lol!!! This post was definitely was not meant as a blanket statement for everyone!!!!

Pauline

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knittering

Thank you for the reminder. I try not to lose more than 1.5 pounds a week -- if I lose more than that I up my carbs. Still, I occasionally read a post by someone who lost 30 pounds in six weeks or whatever and think: I could do that too! Cut this and cut that I could be at goal by July! ...then I calm down and remind myself that what matters is keeping the weight off. How quickly I lose doesn't really matter; what matters is maintaining for the rest of my life.

I know! I hear you! There was a gal on here who once lost some crazy amount - like 100 pounds to goal in like 6 months. I was purple with envy - but she was an anomaly! She was not me!! I did it too - just took a little longer ... and you know what? I plan to live another 30-40 years, so what does a few months or even a years' difference matter at all??!! Good for you!!!!

verbqueen · 04-28-2010, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaDa!

I know -- I hear you!!!!! And I know there are a lot of people who have suffered through plateaus like yours -- and believe me, I count myself so lucky not to have gone through it, especially considering I was obese and morbidly obese my whole life - almost deserve to have destroyed my body's normal functioning -

I won't insult you by suggesting things to do -- because I know you probably have been trying different things. The one thing that would be critical to me though would be to chart it and see exactly what this plateau means -- is it up and down at all, or a solid stall -- And if you've tried all of Dr. Atkins recommendations and medical checking, one other stallbuster guide that I think is excellent (but one has to be willing to go that route) is Tom Venuto's Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, where he lists exercise tweaks for moving forward -- I know not everyone can do or wishes to go that route, but just a suggestion

I will most definitely check it out. I'm always grateful for any ideas (and I appreciate the sympathy, too!

)

IslandAnne · 04-28-2010, 12:23 PM

This is the best thread ever. Must read for anyone who is new to this WOE.

People ask "how did you do it?" and then ask if they can get thin in a month, 6 weeks or something like that. It's not a race, it's for life! Enjoy the ride and trust the process! The longterm trend is down.

Minnas · 04-28-2010, 12:36 PM

Well THERE YOU GO everyone! A very simple idea that seems at times to be beyond words now displayed in a very easy to understand and impossible to argue with graph.

(Gotta love a cute-skinny-veggie-low carb-girl who comes armed with graphs and charts to make what is most likely on of the ultimate points in all of this craziness. Amazing and brilliant you are!!

)

roamer723 · 04-28-2010, 12:36 PM

thanks for this. u rawk.

tulipsandroses · 04-28-2010, 12:47 PM

Great Post Tada! Thanks for sharing. It definitely will help to keep me focused for the long haul.

Beeb · 04-28-2010, 12:52 PM

Oh TaDa!

Tears of joy and a very sincere thank you for this!

You made my week, girlfriend!

Looweewoo · 04-28-2010, 01:16 PM

Exactly!

chiody · 04-28-2010, 01:23 PM

Excellent post...the BIG picture is what tp key in on.

ravenrose · 04-28-2010, 09:08 PM

yes yes yes

Kiley2801 · 04-29-2010, 06:36 AM

Brilliant.

12yrslater · 04-29-2010, 06:49 AM

I sooooo needed this post! Thank you so much TaDa!!!!

shirlc · 04-29-2010, 06:52 AM

This is one of the best threads I've ever seen.

Molly Bloom · 04-29-2010, 08:53 AM

As someone new to this game, that was EXCELLENT.

This is exactly why I refuse to weight myself daily. My hubby and I were talking about whether we were going to weight ourselves AT ALL. It's not a denial thing, it's more a if you see it and feel it and your clothes tell you, then it is reality. But we both agreed that it is good as a basis and tells you when you do go into a stall. But we can't agree on how many times a month to weight? Those weigh ins can work for you or against you.

Angella · 04-29-2010, 08:54 AM

Thanks for sharing this. I know, for me, it has been a tough journey so far, and seeing this thread is a great reminder not to stress. It's taken me a year to lose 40 pounds now, and while that's great, it has been a year full of starts and stops and spurts. Some months I lose and lose and lose, and other times I stall for months on end. I have to remind myself that even during the months where the scale won't budge, I'm at least not GAINING, and that when it's all said and done, I'm better off now than when I started

You're a great inspiration for all of us!

geaux_kat · 04-29-2010, 09:48 AM

This is such an encouraging post!

I have an app on my phone that lets you plot your weight, the only frustrating thing about it is it only shows 7 days at a time. Periodically I have to check back through the weeks to remind myself that even if my weight loss is stalled or up at the moment I have come so far since the beginning! I'll definitely have to use the data on my phone to make a new graph on my computer where I can easily see the big picture.

Molly Bloom · 04-29-2010, 09:54 AM

Perhaps you should put this in a:

PIE CHART?.....(of course a crustless pie chart...LOL)

bunnyliu · 04-29-2010, 10:45 AM

Thank you for posting that!!! It's such an encouragement

. I definitely fuss too much over my daily fluctuations, so it's great to see that we really need to focus on the long run than the short run.

sistertzu · 04-29-2010, 11:01 AM

Thanks for sharing! I often forget that it's a downward trend that counts.

NWLoser · 04-29-2010, 11:57 AM

Pauline! You hit it again! You are such an amazing person that I wish you would move to the west coast!

Just kidding but it would be cool! I hope you won't mind but I think I will print those out to share with my group. I think it would really help some of the members.

One of the best posts that I have ever read in the main lobby.

04-28-2010, 08:58 AM	#1
TaDa! Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 16,294 Gallery: TaDa! Stats: 236.5 /132.5/ 128-133 @5'3" WOE: Atkins Maintenance (Vegetarian + Fish) Start Date: 6/03 & Goal! 5/06	Impatience Killed The Cat .. or Why To Stop Obsessing and Tweaking ... Some pictures worth seeing .. I have been putting together a presentation on my weightloss for a group I joined recently. They often have speakers come in and talk, and asked me to do a talk for the group ... while putting together the segment on how one of the key indicators of whether someone will succeed or fail at weightloss is Patience and Perseverance, I went back to my old fitdays .. If I had taken my daily, or even my weekly weigh-ins too seriously, I would have missed the forest for the trees. In one year I lost a whopping 91 pounds, and here it is. It looks great from the perspective of an entire year at one time: 1 Year Weight Chart 6/03-6/04 Looks great right? Well the year's graph says nothing about all the daily and weekly disappointments in weight gain and lack of weight loss. Here is an average two month's segment of that year and well, let's just say there were weeks of disappointment in there: 2 Month Weight Chart 5/04-6/04 But in the long run .. a bunch of these spiky weight charts add up to the year's chart above. Dr. Atkins himself tells us not to consider something a stall without a month of ZERO weightloss or inch loss -- not to tweak unless it comes to that ... If I had taken those weeks of (mostly inexplicable) weight gains seriously, I would never have had that one year chart that meant significant weightloss ... even if it was rollercoaster ride. I was not sure whether to post this or not, but if it helps one person just settle down and settle in for the long haul, it will have been worth posting .. You know what to do. Just do it!!! __________________ Goal Reached May 2006! Percentage Weightloss: 46%! Stats: 47 Years Old & 5'3" tall Weight: 236.5 (43 bmi) / 132.5 / 128-133 (size 4/6 .. 23 bmi) *Weekly Weigh-In 7/10/12 My Journal Year One Weightloss and Chart My Weightloss Story

04-28-2010, 12:36 PM	#14
Minnas Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 4,616 Gallery: Minnas Stats: 28/8-10/8-10 WOE: Lost VLC/Now LC/Lower calorie through lower fat	Well THERE YOU GO everyone! A very simple idea that seems at times to be beyond words now displayed in a very easy to understand and impossible to argue with graph. (Gotta love a cute-skinny-veggie-low carb-girl who comes armed with graphs and charts to make what is most likely on of the ultimate points in all of this craziness. Amazing and brilliant you are!!)

04-29-2010, 08:53 AM	#24
Molly Bloom Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 367 Gallery: Molly Bloom Stats: 280/231/150 WOE: Counting Carbs Start Date: 03/21/2010	As someone new to this game, that was EXCELLENT. This is exactly why I refuse to weight myself daily. My hubby and I were talking about whether we were going to weight ourselves AT ALL. It's not a denial thing, it's more a if you see it and feel it and your clothes tell you, then it is reality. But we both agreed that it is good as a basis and tells you when you do go into a stall. But we can't agree on how many times a month to weight? Those weigh ins can work for you or against you. __________________ If you can't be a good example, then you must serve as a horrible warning.

04-29-2010, 08:54 AM	#25
Angella Junior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: PMC, California Posts: 2 Gallery: Angella Stats: 196/165/150 WOE: Low Carb (diabetic) Start Date: April 2008	Thanks for sharing this. I know, for me, it has been a tough journey so far, and seeing this thread is a great reminder not to stress. It's taken me a year to lose 40 pounds now, and while that's great, it has been a year full of starts and stops and spurts. Some months I lose and lose and lose, and other times I stall for months on end. I have to remind myself that even during the months where the scale won't budge, I'm at least not GAINING, and that when it's all said and done, I'm better off now than when I started You're a great inspiration for all of us! Last edited by Angella; 04-29-2010 at 08:56 AM.. Reason: typo :(

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04-28-2010, 09:02 AM	#2
ironic44 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New York Posts: 549 Gallery: ironic44 Stats: 260/210/199 WOE: low carb between 20 and 30 + exercise Start Date: Feb 15 2010	Very interesting

04-28-2010, 09:14 AM	#3
DebWI Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 232 Gallery: DebWI	Thanks, TaDa! This is going to be a BIG help for me, to keep my eyes on the big picture, not the day-to-day number.

04-28-2010, 09:17 AM	#4
martiangurll Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Denver Posts: 1,560 Gallery: martiangurll Stats: 250ish/201.5/138??? WOE: HCG at the moment R3P2VLDC33 Start Date: 4/01/10 (Atkins restart)	Great post/thread. It helps me to remember that failure to delay gratisfaction is what got me into this mess in the first place. Instant results are not the goal, long term health is the goal with the happy side benefit of weight loss.

04-28-2010, 09:25 AM	#6
Speck333 Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 5,453 Gallery: Speck333 Stats: 181(16)/163(12)/99(0) ~ 5'2" WOE: Semi-Primal Start Date: Atkins restart: Jan. 3, 2010 (7/99 original start)	Awesome, thank you so much for sharing! It really helps put things in perspective. I plot my daily-ish weigh-ins in an excel file to see the downward trend. I just love visuals. Your experience is really helpful to see, thanks again.

04-28-2010, 09:43 AM	#7
martiangurll Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Denver Posts: 1,560 Gallery: martiangurll Stats: 250ish/201.5/138??? WOE: HCG at the moment R3P2VLDC33 Start Date: 4/01/10 (Atkins restart)	TaDa! I think I love you! Not only are you a woman after my own heart, but you added graphs and stuff. Thanks, I know this thread will help a lot of peeps like me, Desparate to get thin...

04-28-2010, 09:47 AM	#8
jezzie Old Wise One Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Hudson River Valley Posts: 45,377 Gallery: jezzie Stats: choosing to be scale-free; WOE: (48% C; 33% Fat; 19% P; ) Start Date: 11/22/11 - MediterrAsian, Flexitarian, Oz-ish	I imagine you will help more than one with that visual. People can lose sight of the trees for the forest.

04-28-2010, 09:48 AM	#9
verbqueen Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 4,661 Gallery: verbqueen Stats: 224/163 WOE: hhcg, VLCD12	Your charts are beautiful, and your losses so impressive. But I don't see a 5 month plateau on there like the one I'm in (and I've known others who've had even longer ones.). Talk about a severe challenge to one's patience...

04-28-2010, 09:51 AM	#10
Knittering Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,739 Gallery: Knittering Stats: (250) 236/172/150 5'8 WOE: LC Start Date: Restart: 2/18/13	Thank you for the reminder. I try not to lose more than 1.5 pounds a week -- if I lose more than that I up my carbs. Still, I occasionally read a post by someone who lost 30 pounds in six weeks or whatever and think: I could do that too! Cut this and cut that I could be at goal by July! ...then I calm down and remind myself that what matters is keeping the weight off. How quickly I lose doesn't really matter; what matters is maintaining for the rest of my life.

04-28-2010, 12:23 PM	#13
IslandAnne Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 255 Gallery: IslandAnne WOE: Modified LC.	This is the best thread ever. Must read for anyone who is new to this WOE. People ask "how did you do it?" and then ask if they can get thin in a month, 6 weeks or something like that. It's not a race, it's for life! Enjoy the ride and trust the process! The longterm trend is down.

04-28-2010, 12:36 PM	#15
roamer723 Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Floriduh Posts: 1,355 Gallery: roamer723 Stats: 6' 6" 354.4/292.4/250(or until "Scoop" is gone) WOE: low carb'ish Start Date: March 18 2008	thanks for this. u rawk.

04-28-2010, 01:16 PM	#18
Looweewoo Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,355 Gallery: Looweewoo Stats: 420/275/220 - 6'2" WOE: Carnivore/T2 Diabetic Start Date: Restart@350 09/17/09 The best is yet to come!	Exactly!

04-28-2010, 12:47 PM	#16
tulipsandroses Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,932 Gallery: tulipsandroses Stats: 206/164/140 WOE: Atkins Start Date: March 2010	Great Post Tada! Thanks for sharing. It definitely will help to keep me focused for the long haul.

04-28-2010, 12:52 PM	#17
Beeb Why wait, just do it NOW! Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Where Super Storm Sandy Wiped Out All My Childhood Memories!! Posts: 11,759 Gallery: Beeb Stats: 152 WOE: Thintuition - Intuitive Eating	Oh TaDa! Tears of joy and a very sincere thank you for this! You made my week, girlfriend!

04-28-2010, 01:23 PM	#19
chiody Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 2,662 Gallery: chiody Stats: 245/153/165 6'0" Diabetic T2, No Meds 22 yrs. WOE: LC/Paleo/IF (Maintenance) HbA1C 4.5 2011	Excellent post...the BIG picture is what tp key in on.

04-28-2010, 09:08 PM	#20
ravenrose . Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: California Posts: 9,080 Gallery: ravenrose Stats: lost 130 lb so far, and miles to go before I sleep WOE: low carb controlled calorie Start Date: June, 2009	yes yes yes

04-29-2010, 06:36 AM	#21
Kiley2801 Big Yapper!!!! Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 7,737 Gallery: Kiley2801	Brilliant.

04-29-2010, 06:49 AM	#22
12yrslater Blabbermouth!!! Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7,371 Gallery: 12yrslater Stats: UGH WOE: Atkins Start Date: Induction: 10/20/08	I sooooo needed this post! Thank you so much TaDa!!!!

04-29-2010, 06:52 AM	#23
shirlc Very Gabby LCF Member!!! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,541 Gallery: shirlc Stats: 144/131/130-5'5" WOE: Low/Mod Carb, JUDDD (JUDDD, 10/25/11 at 141.5) Start Date: March, 2006	This is one of the best threads I've ever seen.

04-29-2010, 09:48 AM	#26
geaux_kat Senior LCF Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Southeast TX Posts: 95 Gallery: geaux_kat Stats: 222.5/161/150 WOE: Atkins Start Date: 1-22-2010	This is such an encouraging post! I have an app on my phone that lets you plot your weight, the only frustrating thing about it is it only shows 7 days at a time. Periodically I have to check back through the weeks to remind myself that even if my weight loss is stalled or up at the moment I have come so far since the beginning! I'll definitely have to use the data on my phone to make a new graph on my computer where I can easily see the big picture.

04-29-2010, 09:54 AM	#27
Molly Bloom Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 367 Gallery: Molly Bloom Stats: 280/231/150 WOE: Counting Carbs Start Date: 03/21/2010	Perhaps you should put this in a: PIE CHART?.....(of course a crustless pie chart...LOL)

04-29-2010, 10:45 AM	#28
bunnyliu Junior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: IL Posts: 26 Gallery: bunnyliu Stats: 160/156.6/110 WOE: South Beach Start Date: April 5, 2012	Thank you for posting that!!! It's such an encouragement . I definitely fuss too much over my daily fluctuations, so it's great to see that we really need to focus on the long run than the short run.

04-29-2010, 11:01 AM	#29
sistertzu Resident crazy dog lady Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ca Posts: 5,121 Gallery: sistertzu Stats: 244/goal -90 Atkins/IF WOE: VLC/no grain/ minimal dairy Start Date: originally march 08 but every day is a fresh start	Thanks for sharing! I often forget that it's a downward trend that counts.

04-29-2010, 11:57 AM	#30
NWLoser Major LCF Poster! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: LaLa Land Posts: 2,734 Gallery: NWLoser Stats: 235/115 WOE: LC/Atkins Start Date: 12/06 Final Time!	Pauline! You hit it again! You are such an amazing person that I wish you would move to the west coast! Just kidding but it would be cool! I hope you won't mind but I think I will print those out to share with my group. I think it would really help some of the members. One of the best posts that I have ever read in the main lobby.