Angry today.
I’ve had 21 days without moving down the scale.
Here’s the results of the on-line research I did:
To lose weight I should take in 1308.65 calories a day. Sometimes I’m slightly under, but overall I think it is about right. I might consider not subtracting my calories when I exercise and upping my app to 1300 . . . but overall this feels like I’ve been pretty wise and done things correctly—of course there was a hormonal issue listed in this article that I haven’t checked on.
The other thought from this article is timing of calories. I have been eating heavier than I need to at the last meal, not above calorie count, but more food later than I did originally.
This article was a little more convicting. Even though I’ve been good with calorie intake and regular exercise, I haven’t been good with water intake. Maybe I need to track it again. Also, I’ve tried to stay in calorie range, but I’ve had more carbs lately. I think I’ll try to cut back here and up my fiber intake. I also have been craving salty foods . . . this may be causing me to retain water.
Synthesizing this article basically says to put more intensity or more time into working out.
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there, and after messing around trying to research this thing, I still don’t feel I have a clear answer. Ugh.
~ January 21, 2013
Real Time Update:
Looking back on this post I smile. I lost weight so quickly at first that when it started moving more slowly it was upsetting. But it does keep moving, and I am down another 14 pounds or so from the day I wrote the above entry. I looked up my body mass index and for the first time in at least ten year it says I’m in the “normal” and “healthy” range for my height! When I started I was considered obese. My ideal weight is still a few pounds away, but experiencing normal after years of abnormal is beyond amazing.
In my weight loss journey there has been another interesting experience. When the scale stops moving for a while, my body is reshaping. I don’t know if this happens for everyone on weight loss journeys, or if it is related to the BENew products I’m taking. They actually shrink visceral body fat. It is sweet to think that during those icky weeks when the scale didn’t move, I actually had a lot of comments about how much thinner I was, AND I had to buy smaller clothes. Maybe that was simply God’s little gift to me during the rough spots.
As I revisit this experience today I am convicted again that I’ve let my water intake lessen. My lips feel dry and scaly, and I’m sluggish. It’s amazing how something so simple as getting enough water makes such a huge difference.
How About You?
Any tricks to help you get your needed water intake? How about plateaus?
Tagged: conquering plateaus, losing weight, plateaus, weight loss, weight loss journey
Paula's Blog 
Wow. Thanks for this. I’ve been at a plateau for a month now, and I’m guessing that it is because of my water intake… or lack of it. I have to correct myself
Hope the water intake helps! Sometimes I think it’s just a matter of time. Our bodies have to take a breather to allow the changes to become the new normal before they are ready for more changes. For me, the first weight that came off came off quickly, but as I get closer to a normal size the results come more slowly.