minka1's Journal, 14 March 2011

just hang in there a walk is better than nothing. i hate excersise and i have no excuse to do it. but i chose not to do it, and that's bad. i'm in a plateau as well.  

relax! Stop beating yourself up for what you didn't do & give yourself credit for what you did do. Take little steps (LOL - yes walking counts for something) but just keep moving forward & remember you are already doing something so positive for yourselv with Atkins, the rest will work itself out when it will. It always does - eventually. The pounds will come off, just maybe not as fast, but they will come off. Bummer we have to work & that it sucks up so much time. We all have bills to pay I am sure, I have to be happy to have a job I guess. I do feel for you though, it is hard to want to do so much for yourself but are limited by time & energy.  

I do not know your situation at all but I am going to make a suggestion. Schedule time to work out, and stick to it. Saying you do not have the time to work out is just an excuse to not work out. I do an intense swim twice a week for 45 minutes and I walk between 2 and 3 miles the other 3 days I go to school full time, I work 20+ hours a week, I have a 6 year old that lives with me and I have a life outside of that and still am able to manage time to get a work out in. Start slow - and don't expect it to happen over night but one of the things I did was I set a time that people are not allowed to call/text/stop in at my house. My cell phone gets shut off/left in a locker and I don't answer my door for that time. My friends and family have finally figured out that I am not going to give in and work around me, taking even 20 minutes to start and going from there is a great start. The "me time" is also a great way to get yourself re-centered after a long stressful day. 

Don't beat yourself up! Plateaus happen; they're actually part of the weight loss journey. How often do you weigh yourself? Maybe less often would be better for you. Finding time for a walk when you have 12 hour work days is great success! Any exercise you do is great considering the time-consuming society we have. Don't be hard on yourself - and keep doing what you're doing with walks and the diet - and your plateau will end shortly. A healthy lifestyle is what counts. Weight loss will follow. :o) 

Thank you everyone! It helps to know that plateaus are to be expected and that they're a part of a journey! I was like "A plateau?!! That wasn't supposed to happen to ME!" Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot. And yes, I'll try to carve out time to get some exercise in...I know it will make me feel better, even after a long day when I feel I can't move an inch more!! I hope you all had a great day! 

Relax....Pixi's got some great ideas how to make it all work within a tight schedule - really good advice there. The other good news is that you are not on a plateau. A plateau is losing NOTHING, no pounds and no inches, despite doing everything perfectly, for a period of at least 4 weeks. You've lost 5 pounds in just 13 days and have logged almost the same weight for just a couple of days from 3/11 to 3/13. After starting, it's normal for our bodies to lose at an unequal pace, which can be hard to adjust to after that initial, exhilarating, near-daily weight loss that begins the Atkins journey. As long as you're following the plan, just keep moving forward and you'll see those pounds drop at the pace that's perfect for your own body.