I've stopped losing weight - but that's okay
For the last two months I’ve hit a plateau. But that’s okay - for now!
I’m just half a pound off losing four stone in total (56 pounds/25 kilos) but I can’t shift it. I keep bobbing back up a bit and then coming back down. But that half a pound just won’t shift. What’s in a number? It’ll soon be Christmas when even the strictest dieter tends to let go, at least a bit. So I’ve decided not to mind anymore. I won’t stop trying - I would dearly love to get that half a pound off before Christmas. But it’s not worth stressing over. Time enough in the new year.
Sometimes a plateau is your friend. It means you stop losing weight, yes. But you tend not to gain either. Right now I’m between 11.11 and a half - that stubborn half a pound I can’t shift! - and 11.13 and three quarters. It’s a very small variation and it indicates I’ve stabilised which is a good thing. It’s healthy to be around the same weight rather than forever going up and down. So I’ll take that. For now. It means the three stone, 13 pounds and a half I’ve taken off since September 2020 has stayed off. I’ve had the odd binge - that cold weather snap made me feel very hungry and crave sweet things. Perfectly normal reaction to cold weather. But my weight hasn’t gone back up. The one thing I feared was giving up and letting the weight pile back on. It hasn’t happened.
Maybe writing this Substack has helped me stay supremely focused. I’d feel I was letting people down if I just gave up. So perhaps that’s the answer to the age-old diet/binge yoyo merry-go-round? Write about it!
In a way Christmas is a pain because I know I’ll eat more than I usually do. Who diets over Christmas? I did feel I was on a roll with the weight loss but it’s stopped and I’ve stopped feeling as motivated as I once was. I had hoped to get to maintenance when I hit my target but I’ve another stone to go before I reach my goal weight which is 10 stone 11 pounds, so five stone off in total. (I’m five foot six/1.67m) So I’m going maintenance now. See if I can get to, then out, Christmas without my weight going up too much, if at all. If I can do that I reckon I can attack it with renewed vigour in January. Maybe kid my body into thinking I’m no longer on a diet so starting again in January may give me that bonus kick you get at the start of a diet when the weight falls off. Perhaps.
If you’re stuck don’t despair. Hold onto what you’ve lost so far, if you can. Tell yourself you’re having a rest from the dieting but you’re not giving yourself licence to over eat. December is doubly difficult for dieters. All the goodies in the shops - and often in our homes too - and the dull weather and lack of light make us want to eat more and eat sweet, calorie-dense foods because they’re the most satisfying. Don’t over deny yourself is my advice. Accept you’ll probably eat a bit more now but you have next year to claw it back. Guilt at over eating often drives us to over eat even more. Some people turn to alcohol or cigarettes when they need comfort. We turn to food. It’s harder for us as you can’t give up food but you can be kind to yourself, accept you’re human, and cherish the successes you’ve had rather than beat yourself up for not achieving more.