Anyone ever feel like they are spinning their wheels with weight loss?

[CATCH17]

I was 240 in January.. Got down to 217 and I have just stalled. I know the reason too.. I just do terrible on the weekends.

It's like I have so much weight to lose that I can never achieve the body I want.


So it seems like every week for months I'm starting my diet on Monday and crashing and burning on the weekend.

Anyone else ever get caught in a cycle like this.?

It's so discouraging to work as hard at this as I do and look as average as I do.

[TheNormalMan]

It's simply a question of how bad you want it.

When you want it bad enough, you get through the weekends.

Simple as that.

[CATCH17]

It's simply a question of how bad you want it.

When you want it bad enough, you get through the weekends.

Simple as that.

I guess that's it.

Im 6'4 and I used to weigh 315.. The lowest I've got is 195 and I still wasn't close to being shredded. Just really skinny looking.

I don't get it.

[Compy386]

^^^this.

Weekends can easily destroy a deficit for the week. Gotta shy away from drinking and garbage food - which is what "normal" people do on the weekend. Well -you might have to accept that being really lean is not normal.

There's a reason why most people are fat. Or at least there's a reason why chiseled abs are so rare.

[Serpentarius]

nope, i was successful from the start. Started off at 240 and never had any issues. You have to learn to live without food, thats the key.

[devilsrule61287]

It's simply a question of how bad you want it.

When you want it bad enough, you get through the weekends.

Simple as that.

At the end of the day, this is all you need to know. Everyone who achieves something great has to make sacrifices to get there. Most are unwilling to make those sacrifices. But if its something you truly want, its there for the taking. And that isn't to say you can't enjoy your weekends at all. Its totally acceptable to do one cheat meal (though you don't want to go totally overboard with it), instead of treating yourself all weekend long. And you can still go out with friends without drinking as heavily as you otherwise would. Again, if you want it bad enough, you will find a way.

[mavajo]

I'm in the opposite boat. I'm so close to my goal that I end up losing restraint on the weekend. I think "Eh, I'm almost there - what's another few days?" It's made my weight loss grind to a halt the last few weeks. I should be at my goal by now, but instead I'm still 4-8 weeks away. Losing about .5 lbs per week lately. Ugh.

[Luclin999]

Desire + Willpower.

Pretty much the key to being successful with anything. Either you want something enough to be willing to do the work or you don't.

Weekends should not be treated any differently than any other day of the week.

[Serpentarius]

Weekends should not be treated any differently than any other day of the week.

its the typical american mindset, work "hard" during the weekdays and party on the weekends.

[Znik]

I was 240 in January.. Got down to 217 and I have just stalled. I know the reason too.. I just do terrible on the weekends.

It's like I have so much weight to lose that I can never achieve the body I want.


So it seems like every week for months I'm starting my diet on Monday and crashing and burning on the weekend.

Anyone else ever get caught in a cycle like this.?

It's so discouraging to work as hard at this as I do and look as average as I do.

The only way to spin your wheels with weight loss is sabotaging yourself, weight loss is easy. All it requires is adequate protein/fat, a calorie deficit and lifting 3x/week. Or if you just want to lose weight and don't care about muscle loss then just a calorie deficit.

With a calorie deficit the only way to stall is self sabotage by eating more calories. There are plenty of people who "diet hard" during the week and then waste all the work during the weekend, if it's lack of willpower or whatever it's still just a form of self sabotage and it's up to you if you if you want to make a change or not. No one are forcing you to eat, nor can anyone force you not to eat, it's your choice.

[Jasonk282]

I guess that's it.

Im 6'4 and I used to weigh 315.. The lowest I've got is 195 and I still wasn't close to being shredded. Just really skinny looking.

I don't get it.

were you lifting? You won;t get shredded just by losing weight alone. You have to have some muscle mass.

[n0useforaname]

Learn to fill yourself up best as possible.. lots of veggies, fruit, lean meats, egg whites mixed with a whole egg or two, turkey bacon, etc.... Basically lower calorie/high volume foods and lots of water.. Coffee also helps too. But either way, you need to decide what YOUR goals are.. do you NEED to be ripped? Or NEED to be skinny? I always chased the holy grail until I hit mid 160's and realized I'd rather be 180's with some fat on me. Abs and veins aren't everything, they don't make you a better person, and being shredded doesn't make you "healthy".

[Enthalpy]

Change your focus. Weigh yourself on Friday morning, then weigh yourself again Monday morning. Try and maintain that number through the weekend. This allows you to enjoy your weekend by consuming at a maintenance level rather than always being in a deficit. Then continue with your current diet throughout the week. Still a sacrifice compared to what you're doing now but you will get some reprieve on the weekends. If dieting down were mindless and easy, this forum wouldn't exist. Good luck!

[TheLongRun]

Blowing it on the weekends was a huge one for me. It was frustrating to have a nice deficit racked up M-F, and seeing everyone around you (mostly obese/overweight) graze on tasty treats all day without regard to caloric intake. Then it was like "life's too short, I'll indulge". Then get back on, feel hungry because you're going back into a deficit, then blowing it again from deprivation/hunger. That's wheel spinning right there.

What I found helpful personally was to stay busy on weekends, don't put myself in situations where tons of calorie dense treats were around (read: stay out of the house and get stuff done), and eat the same filling stuff (meat/veggies, etc). Maybe enjoy a drink or two at the end of the day.

Really does all come down to treating weekends just like workdays. If you want it that badly, and you do that, you're golden.

[Compy386]

its the typical american mindset, work "hard" during the weekdays and party on the weekends.

Yep. I was raised in a house that used food as a major reward. We would go on "goodie runs" to the grocery store and I would get a pound of mike and Ike's and eat them all that night. At like 7 years old.

You can still party on the weekends and reward yourself wihout eating or drinking. You've just got to find a way to reward yourself that doesn't involve food.

[mCheech]

If you want to eat looser on the weekends, simply just eat whatever you want ensuring it doesn't go above your targetted calories.

That's what I do and I still lose exactly 1lb a week. My target is 2500 cals through the week which I am strict with certain food 5 days/wk. On weekends, I eat whatever I want that adds up to 2500 calories as a mental break from the diet.

I'll go to chipotle, eat at a diner, etc. I don't worry about macros during these 2 days.

It's nonsense to think that you have to be 100% strict all the time to lose weight. The deciding factor is and always will be a caloric deficit. It's ok to have what people would consider "dirty foods" here and there.

Dieting strict 24/7/365 is miserable, I don't get why people do that...it's so unnecessary. 99.9% of us aren't competing in any, way, shape or form. Don't let dieting run your life, that's just silly. You can still reward yourself with good tasting food.

[BRIAN10197]

What I found helpful personally was to stay busy on weekends, don't put myself in situations where tons of calorie dense treats were around (read: stay out of the house and get stuff done), and eat the same filling stuff (meat/veggies, etc). Maybe enjoy a drink or two at the end of the day.

Really does all come down to treating weekends just like workdays. If you want it that badly, and you do that, you're golden.

THIS

Im on my lunch break from work right now and ive been working and barely feeling hungry because im keeping myself busy. If I stay at home and do nothing then ide eat like a savage.

I do feel if you keep yourself busy you wont go and mess up your diet.

Lots of good advice on this thread from good people.

[Luclin999]

Then it was like "life's too short, I'll indulge".

Unfortunately, life's a whole lot shorter when you just eat whatever you feel like and end up morbidly obese. Add in the additional suffering that most overweight people go through everyday and it becomes easier (for me at least) to decide that out of control indulging, weekends or otherwise just isn't worth it.

[TheNormalMan]

Unfortunately, life's a whole lot shorter when you just eat whatever you feel like and end up morbidly obese. Add in the additional suffering that most overweight people go through everyday and it becomes easier (for me at least) to decide that out of control indulging, weekends or otherwise just isn't worth it.

There's nothing wrong overall with having fun on the weekends or allowing yourself something extra.

It's just a matter of practice of adding it in to your total deficit/surplus for the week and accounting for it.

Personally, when I cut, I just cut everything out and focus 100% on my goal. Seems to work better for me.

[kureransu]

The weekend thing baffles me. Today someone said to me in the gym "you come on weekends?" I'm like, "Am I still in grade school? What makes weekend any different than any other day?" I know a lot of people don't work, but seriously, it's just another day. You get to sleep in a bit more and relax. I actually eat less on the weekends, and if i'm sitting around doing nothing, I'm not hungry. Also, Don't let me get into a long gaming session LOL.

[TheLongRun]

There's nothing wrong overall with having fun on the weekends or allowing yourself something extra.

It's just a matter of practice of adding it in to your total deficit/surplus for the week and accounting for it.

Personally, when I cut, I just cut everything out and focus 100% on my goal. Seems to work better for me.

Exactly, it's not like you have to deny yourself everything on the weekends. You can have a steep deficit M-F, and just eat normally (eg: leaving the weekend not doing anything stupid), and probably still make great weekly progress. There's times like family get togethers, birthday parties, etc where you can be a little more relaxed if you've been on point all other days of the week.

[Jbaker1121]

Having the same problem as you, man. You just need to dig in your heels and get your diet/exercise back on track. Look in the mirror and then look at an example of the body you want. Do you really want it? How badly?

If you know a big get together or bbq is coming up, factor than into your diet and exercise for the week. Since its the summer and lots of bbqs, I would eat a bit less the rest of the week and do a heavy workout the morning of so that I could pig out a bit more at the bbq.

Otherwise just keep it balanced man, you can do it.

[Luclin999]

There's nothing wrong overall with having fun on the weekends or allowing yourself something extra.

It's just a matter of practice of adding it in to your total deficit/surplus for the week and accounting for it.

Personally, when I cut, I just cut everything out and focus 100% on my goal. Seems to work better for me.

Note: I never said that people can't ever indulge, what I said was that out of control indulging, weekends or otherwise isn't worth it.

[shoprat48092]

one of the the things that seems to help me with overindulging on weekends is keeping track of the calories I over eat on the weekend and then try to burn that on cardio like the arc trainer etc. elliptical over and above my regular exercise routine. I have found that this gives me alot better idea just how long it'll take to burn those excess calories and thinking about it makes me usually cut down on what I eat instead of spending about an hr to 1.5 doin cardio. btw i don't think the cardio machines in the gym give real accurate calories burned. Also remember that people who lose weight slower tend to keep it off longer so even if your not losing weight as fast as you want at least your not putting it back on. Just stay the course and you'll get there.

[MuzzieChik786]

Blowing it on the weekends was a huge one for me. It was frustrating to have a nice deficit racked up M-F, and seeing everyone around you (mostly obese/overweight) graze on tasty treats all day without regard to caloric intake. Then it was like "life's too short, I'll indulge". Then get back on, feel hungry because you're going back into a deficit, then blowing it again from deprivation/hunger. That's wheel spinning right there.

What I found helpful personally was to stay busy on weekends, don't put myself in situations where tons of calorie dense treats were around (read: stay out of the house and get stuff done), and eat the same filling stuff (meat/veggies, etc). Maybe enjoy a drink or two at the end of the day.

Really does all come down to treating weekends just like workdays. If you want it that badly, and you do that, you're golden.

Trying to find a job on the weekends for this very reason. Even if it pays basic wages.
Man, it sucks to be home around cookies and candies and cakes.
Diet = blown on the weekend.

[jimsmith9999]

I guess that's it.

Im 6'4 and I used to weigh 315.. The lowest I've got is 195 and I still wasn't close to being shredded. Just really skinny looking.

I don't get it.

Not to discourage you, but if you lose all the weight you are trying to - you will mostly just look really skinny. From there, you are going to have to keep lifting and eating in a moderate surplus to gain muscle while ensuring that you keep fat gains as low as possible. This is a very, very difficult think for a lot of folks that used to overweight to wrap their head around.

Looking like I suspect you want to is not a simple act of just dieting down to low bodyfat

[loseitall90210]

nope, i was successful from the start. Started off at 240 and never had any issues. You have to learn to live without food, thats the key.

^^ this to some extent. easier said than done but that's basically it. I say to some extent because you don't have to live w/out food, just live w/out stuffing your gullet and staying w/in a certain calorie range.

However, OP says

It's so discouraging to work as hard at this as I do and look as average as I do.

Since you're dropping the ball on weekends, you are not working that hard. Hard Work yields results that you are not getting. The hardest work is overcoming the weekends that so many "normal" people take part in for you and that is the dept you're having some challenges with. Maybe you're working hard at a 60/40 split... step it up to 80/20 or 90/10....which is literally a passing grade in all this mess.

[BigDandyCool]

Summer is the hardest to stay the course of a deficit I find. Once its winter again it becomes much easier imo. What I try to do is indulge every other weekend instead of every weekend. I find this much more helpful and if I plan on having a pig out day every few weeks, I make sure I get some cardio done in the morning.

[costahobo]

For me, when I realized that I could eat anything I wanted to, whenever I wanted it, junk food lost its' appeal. There was no longer a reason to binge. I can eat it whenever I want, as long as I fit it into my calories and macros. Weekends aren't a problem for me, because I'm not strict with my diet. I don't eat any different on Saturday as I would on Tuesday.