Weight loss: Celebrating Small Success
by She FIt on August 11, 2009
You hit the gym every day. Avoid the donuts your boss brought in on Monday. You deny the birthday cake on Saturday. Here comes weight-in day. You step onto the scale… -1lb
The disappointment of it all comes raining down on you. Looking back on the week you know you did so well, but you start to think about how you could have stayed an extra hour at the gym. Denied that one cookie at night. Drank more water throughout the week… etc.
Can anyone relate to this story?
Why is it that this 1lb is never enough?
Instead of looking at it as success for that one week, we see it as failure. We beat ourselves up inside and as if it is all worth it in the end.
Hello! You lost weight. Haven’t you been gaining weight this whole time and now you have finally lost weight and you aren’t happy with it.
Ok, I know… I am being hypocritical because I have beat myself up as well. I guess it comes from our world of instant gratification.
But we need to start looking at weight loss in a different perspective. Did you know that research has proven that those who lose about 1-2 lbs a week are more opt to keep it off permanently? I don’t know about you, but I would hate to go through a year of hard core dieting to only gain everything back and more!
Yes, we can always do more each week to lose weight, but we need to start celebrating the small successes throughout the journey!
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{ 24 comments }
I love this post, because it is something we are all-too familiar with; 1 pound never is enough….but actually, it is. As you said, “hello, you lost weight!”….and that’s one more pound gone than was gone before. I think small successes in life should always be celebrated, be it about weight, something work related, or whatever!
I love this post. So many times I’ve heard people complaining of small losses. People have such need for instant gratification.
When I was reading this post I expected the disappointment to be over 1/2 a pound because I’m personally thrilled when I see a loss of a full pound.
I get so annoyed when my clients complain about ONLY losing 1 pound. I’m always telling them it’s better than nothing, but they want more more more! The key to success is to have patience. I’m convinced.
I know it’s frustrating to lose 1 pound, or in my case a few times .5, but I try to keep in mind the big picture. It all adds up, it’s not a race, and any negative movement is a good thing.
I think I’ll be pretty happy with a pound at this point but it’s scary. As hard as it is to lose a pound it’s so easy to gain it back.
Agreed. We seem to be very “go big or go home” type people these days and hey a loss is a loss!
Hope you have fun with your fam this weekend
Good post! Yes, any loss is something to be proud of. And I also agree that slow losses are easier maintained. I once lost a lot of weight very quickly, and I did not keep it off…
I also think that even if you lose less than one pound, or even nothing, the week was not a “failure.” Maybe you got a bit stronger, or ate new foods that are good for your body. There are so many small things we can celebrate…
During my own journey I always celebrated every pound. My rationale? That pound was one less pound I had to lose. Now, twelve years later, when I teach my weight loss class, I try and reinforce this to them as well.
Great post!
AMEN SISTER!
and thanks for the great kick in the pants!
I am just getting over a plateau and had to finally HIDE my scale…. (of course I know where it is)
but it is a crazy mental game … one I am tired of.
(and I wanted to say HI and thanks for stopping by my blog)
nice to MEET YOU!
Great post! Its much better than GAINING a pound. But Honestly I have been there. Its about being AWARE of what losing a pound means
This is a great post and a great outlook on weight loss that a lot of people forget about! Little changes make a huge difference, and results won’t happen overnight but you can’t let disappointment keep you from achieving your goals
This is so true. I’ve been avoiding the scale because of this reason! I feel like if I don’t lose enough some how it’s not worth it. It is absolutely worth it! I feel great and my clothes are definitely fitting better. I don’t NEED to know the number on the scale. I will definitely keep weighing myself just not as often. Great post!
I can completely identify with this. When I set goals, I automatically shoot for the big ones then I don’t make it, get discouraged and gain back the little I’ve lost. You’d think I would know better managing an office full of dietitians, but I’m only human. I’m trying to focus on the small changes and the small losses, all of which add up to big accomplishments.
This is so true. It’s a crime what we dieters do to ourselves, isn’t it? After years of beating myself up over what I considered to be insignificant losses, I’ve finally reached a point where I celebrate each little increment on the scale and feel good about myself for whatever progress I’ve made. It makes a big difference.
–Susan
What a positive outlook towards weight loss! I think most women can relate to the feeling of frustration when we see small losses. But you’re right, we’re more likely to keep it off if we lose it slowly.
Even if it’s the smallest thing, like taking ONE night off from drinking a Coke, that’s a big step in the right direction!
Love this post! I’m always beating myself up for merely meeting my goals. I have this strange habit of setting a goal, and then trying to surpass it. Going above and beyond (ahh, the annoying stuff they teach us in school…). Every step definitely counts!
There is a lot of food for thought here. I know I am as guilty as everyone else on this, so I am preaching to myself here, but we need to be more thankful for those small losses.
My weight loss is soo slow that not gaining is a big deal for me, losing a pound a week would be a-mazing
I need to show my Mom this post. She gets so discouraged if she only loses one pound and then goes off her diet totally. One pound is still losing something, it’s definitely something to celebrate!
I hear ya!! I think it’s the shows like “Biggest Loser” that ampliphy this. We see them drop double digits week after week.. and most of them seem to keep it off, and we wonder why we can’t do the same, or even HALF of what they do.
it’s unrealistic, and unsustainable. 1 lb a week is hard, and it should be celebrated. I look at what my loss is per month, because i definitely have a weight loss cycle. (up .2, down 3.6, STS, down 2.2) etc… it’s slow but sure. and i AM going to win this race.
GREAT POST!
Right on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As you said, gradual weight loss without the craziness of quick fixes will keep the weight off long term. You learn how to do it, what foods do & don’t work for you & you do it in a healthy manner. Weight loss is always a work in progress too but we must celebrate the fact that we are making progress, even if it is 1 pound or NOT gaining anything except feeling better about ourselves & being healthier. Great post!
Oh, I know exactly what you mean! I HATE when I make the best looking wrap and it tears in mid-roll. Ugh, so frusterating. I’ve now averted to folding them and then pressing them on the foreman. That way, my overstuffing habbit isn’t so much a problem.
My weight often fluctuates a pound or to so if I was trying to loose weight I don’t think I’d let the count. But I do agree with you because I know a bunch of people who once they’ve lost like 5 pounds in a week, anything less isn’t enough. And yes one of those people might have been me.
P.S. love your blog, even added it to my blogroll!
-kaunis.wordpress.com
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