I once saw a cartoon of a woman pointing a pistol at the scale she was standing on. She instantly became my new best friend and a true kindred spirit. I understood her so well.Because five pounds in seven weeks is all I have managed to lose.
And every morning when I stand on the scale and see minuscule increments of loss, I think of my pistol-totin’ friend with compassion and fondness. She knows how I feel–especially when the scale stays steady or goes up.
It was much easier to lose weight when I was younger. Once menopause hit, all bets were off. My body has entered some strange state where it becomes inordinately attached to its fat stores and refuses to give them up, despite the fact that I even did the caloric math to ensure my weight loss success.
I found out how many calories I needed to maintain my weight. I subtracted 500 calories from that number. I prepared to magically lose a pound a week.
Oh, if only it were so simple.
(off and on) for more than a decade. For the past seven weeks, I have diligently recorded every single calorie, staying within the recommended caloric range for losing a pound a week.
I realize I have lost just under a pound a week, and that’s not nothing. But I was hoping my scale would be more impressed with my disciplined eating, as well as the addition of going to PT twice a week, and doing PT exercises at home, and walking on my treadmill. I was hoping it might even be magnanimous and surprise me with losing even more than a pound a week.
However. The scale has remained supremely unimpressed. It spits out its number every morning, and I glare at it from my lofty heights.
I know some people say not to weigh every day; just weigh once a week. But that doesn’t work for me. I need to see the number (whatever number it is) every morning when I’m on a concentrated weight loss journey.
And then some people say, “Well, muscle weighs more than fat, so if even if the scale isn’t moving as fast as you want, your body is changing its composition.” Ha. Not so much.
My therapist made the discovery that I am having trouble with the rotator cuff of my left shoulder. I can raise my hand up and to my side, but if I try to put it behind my back, it just won’t go that direction. I can barely get it two inches past its neutral position. And then it just hurts terribly and won’t budge any further.
One of my therapists, a smallish woman, is deceptively strong. She lays me on the table and starts massaging the “angry muscles” (as she calls them) surrounding my rotator cuff. There is no feeling quite like having extremely strong fingers pushing on every screaming nerve.
She has also pulled another little trick out of her pocket called dry needling. In case you are unaware, this is where the therapist sticks needles into the most painful areas of your shoulder and then . . . wait for it . . . runs electricity through the needles.
Yes, I do know how to have a good time. Why do you ask?
about not being able to get up off the floor without great trauma and drama. That hasn’t changed much; in fact, it seems like an impossible dream at the moment. I’m sure if I weighed fewer pounds, it would be a lot easier to heave myself up but–see the beginning of this post for the sad news about weighing fewer pounds. The scale is not on my side.
I spend fifteen minutes in the morning before work, doing some of the PT exercises I have been given, stretching, and using exercise bands. I’ll have to say that it’s a nice, peaceful way to start the morning, with dim light in the guest bedroom and the house all quiet. I have read a hundred times that our bodies need to stretch, but until I started stretching, I hadn’t realized how good it feels.
Some of the exercise bands I use are for strengthening my arms, and they give me a great workout. After seven weeks of using those, you would think that my flab-u-lous upper arms would get the memo that I am doing these exercises, but it appears that they are in cahoots with the scale. They are paying no attention to my efforts and are staunchly maintaining their mushy state. Bless them.
I am eating way less sugar, probably 90% less. I used to sit down with a bowl of Oreo ice cream with crushed up Ritz crackers sprinkled in, topped with some pecans and chocolate syrup.
Now my treat is to eat two frozen thin, dark chocolate York patties. Sort of the same effect as ice cream, just fewer calories. (If you try this, let the patties thaw a minute or two before eating.)
Does my scale care about this change? No, it does not. It is not impressed. It grudgingly gives up a few pounds here and there, but it does not treat me with the same kind of largesse it treated me with two decades ago when it would say, “You only had 3 cookies instead of 4? Good job. Let’s take off 2 pounds.”
Now it’s, “You only had 60 calories for dessert instead of 600? Let’s keep you at a weight plateau for 2 ½ weeks and even bump you up a number just for funsies.”
So my choices are these: get discouraged and quit, or get discouraged and continue on.
I am continuing on.
But I might just need to pick out a pistol before the next time I weigh.
What about you?
Since my post was kind of rambling, I’m opening this area up for rambles of your own. Whatever you want to say, have at it!
I think “flabulous” sounds SO much nice than my term of batwings for my ever increasing flab on my upper arms. It’s so frustrating that exercise doesn’t give us instantaneous results after “a certain age”! Keep up the good work, though, don’t let the scale win!
Sue Ellen,
Yes, indeed. I just tell myself I am flabulous and it sounds so lovely!
The scale and I are still in the middle of a big battle; I’m trying to win!
I sure feel your pain with respect to weight loss. It gets slower as you age. That being said, I’m 65 and have been using Weight Watchers online for the past 8 weeks. I’ve been so lucky and have lost 20.5 pounds so far. It’s a great plan, you can eat whatever foods you like, you count points for each food you want to eat (you have a certain amount of points each day). You can also see
the calories you are consuming as well. I haven’t done any exercises as yet, waiting until the cooler weather so I can walk. Good luck, you can do it.
Nancy,
I’ve heard so many good things about Weight Watchers. If I don’t start making more progress soon, I might try it! Congrats on the progress you have made!
Oh losing weight can be so hard and it seems like the harder you try, the slower it comes off. Ugh. I find that sodium really plays a big role for me on the scale. When I eat a meal that is too heavy on the sodium the night before, I really pay for it the next day on the scale. So drink lots of extra water and don’t fret about it. Move a little more, stress a little less and just live. It will come off. You are doing great! Congrats on your progress so far!! 🙂
LeeAnne,
Yes, sodium definitely accounts for some of those see-saw experiences on the scale! I’ve always drunk a good bit of water, but I’m trying to up that quite a lot. It makes the body happy!
Thanks for your encouraging words and your reminder not to stress and just live!
So frustrating trying to lose weight – something I told myself about 20 years ago that I was not going to do – to not gain weight. Well, I did lose some, but then it keeps finding me. I also am taking a medicine that makes me gain weight. Not funny McGee. (that saying is from an old radio program – Fibber McGee and Molly). When you sit at a desk for several hours too, makes a difference. Keep at it Becky. With a positive attitude and a hubby like Steve to encourage you, you got it made.
Sharyn,
That’s funny. My mom always said, “‘Taint funny, McGee.” I haven’t heard that in forever; thanks for reminding me of her this morning.
So true. We lose weight and it keeps finding us! Very stubborn stuff.
Thanks for your encouragement, Sharyn.
I have had dry needling in several areas of sore muscles. It helped but not enough to keep going to PT week after week.
You are not alone in your battle!! I have tried several of the shots but have really bad side effects for me.
Back in the day when I did WW our leader would tell us to be happy over any loss and remember .2 pounds = a sick of butter.
So in case you need to hear it…….Keep going you are doing great!!!
I have a rambling story…….I told my Dr at my last visit how I have been praying for God to take away my sugar cravings. We were at a church function and after everyone was eating there was an unsupervised kid over the table of cupcakes!! When I was thinking I have to have one I turned and saw him sneezing in the cupcake direction I was over my sugar craving! God worked that out for me! LOL
Eswim,
Thankfully, I don’t get dry needling each time I go to PT; there are a lot of other things to work on.
Love the cupcake and sneeze story! I’ve always said God has a sense of humor.
Thank you for your encouragement. One pound at a time!
Oh wow – this one hit home. My scales are not my friend lately (nor my clothes) — seems once the estrogen left, the fat and wrinkles took its place. While realizing my body will never be what it was, the goal is to keep moving in some form. Keep moving Becky – I bet your body will let you know it appreciates it. Ask your PT if soft yoga is for you. I’m with you – stretching feels so good lately!
Karen,
I’ve never heard of soft yoga; I’ll have to ask about it.
You always look so fit and slender when I see you. You are hiding your problem areas very well!
Yes, with my sedentary job, movement outside of work is all the more important. And I really am enjoying stretching for probably the first time in my life. As you said, we’ll never look like we did a couple of decades ago but there’s a lot we can still do to maintain what we have.
This was so depressing I had to make a hot fudge sundae and eat it with a side of a large package of Oreos to make it to my recliner for a nap.
Jan, Jan,
What am I going to do with you? 🙂
I feel your pain Becky. Maybe you’ll need to mix it up and try something new. I also have recently decided to tackle the weight issue. I have tried different variations of weight loss. Its really hard to know what strategy to use.
Right now I see lots of people taking the GLP-1 injections but I am wary of the side effects. However, I read that they shut down the ‘food noise’ in the brain. So I decided to focus on that issue for myself. I only eat when I am hungry and then mostly protein but also vegs and fruit. No white carbs. I keep the portions small and try to drink more water. I satisfy my chocolate craving with sips of Atkins chocolate protein shake throughout the day. I am learning to ignore the food ‘noise’. If its particularly difficult I chew a piece of sugarless gum. I do have 2 squares of Dove chocolate at night 🙂
Anyway, it seems to be working for now. I have quite a few diagnoses where weight loss would be so helpful. I want to lose 30, 9 down so far in 3 weeks. No special exercise yet, but that will be added in the fall.
Lesley,
Food noise. Such a descriptive phrase. I’d heard it but looked up the meaning to remind myself. “The persistent and often intrusive thoughts about food, eating, and one’s body, which can be experienced even when not hungry.”
I think for those of us (like me) who are emotional eaters, that food noise can be extra noisy! As you said, it’s good to be aware of it and to have some tools in hand to combat it. Sounds like you plan ahead well in that regard.
And congrats on losing 9 pounds in 3 weeks. No need for YOU to shoot your scale!
I’d like to lose at least thirty as well. We’ve got this!
Becky – I feel your frustration, but don’t get discouraged! Picture a 5 pound bag of flour and realize you no longer carry that around! I lost 40 pounds a while back and it was the hardest thing I ever did. I would like to lose 5 more, but yep, as we age it gets harder (I’m 61). I weigh myself each morning too. I need to keep a close track. If the weight ticks up a pound or two, I can usually pinpoint why, and work to get the number down. I picture a canned good (usually about a pound) attached to my thighs or stomach, even though I can also feel and see the excess. Usually the gain comes from an oily/salty meal out, or peanut butter. I don’t bring ice cream into the house anymore. I don’t want to ever get to where I was before. After struggling with weight since my 20s, finally losing was the best gift I ever gave myself. As many in the comments have said, men seem to lose much more easily. Ugh…..My husband has no idea how truly tough it has been for me, I don’t think. He watches his weight and easily bypasses unhealthy foods, so that helps me stay on track. We keep calorie dense snacky items outta the house!
Such little things can also add to weight. Calories from juices, and even those little candies. I was treating myself daily with some dark chocolate a while back. Dark chocolate is healthy, right? My weight started ticking up. That was the culprit. Those 50 extra calories 5-7 times a week added up for me. I still treat myself with chocolates, but not so often. We each must find our way. I’m just sharing what worked for me. Losing was just so hard, but worth it in the long run. We crave what we are used to. After a few weeks of not following up a meal with a sweet, I no longer crave it – with such intensity! And again, I don’t purchase. Outta sight, outta mind, especially if outta the house!
Ahhh! The joys of stretching. I used to do that with regularity, then stopped. I got to be feeling like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. Now I’m back to it, trying to mildly stretch each day, often before getting out of bed, than a little in the evening. I was starting to rust from within! Ain’t growing old fun?!
Instead of grabbing a pistol to help you shoot your scale, I’ve got some pom poms out and am cheering you on from afar!!! It is so not easy, but hang in there!!! Slow and steady!
Ann,
A five pound bag of flour is such a good way to look at it. What’s even more sobering is carrying a watermelon from the car to the house (about 15 pounds) and thinking, “Wow, I’m glad I don’t have to carry this any further.” And then realizing that I carry that (and more) every day!
Losing 40 pounds is a huge accomplishment; I imagine you must feel like a different person.
Your line, “We crave what we are used to” is so wise. And also, a good reminder that those little pieces of chocolate do add up. I guess the whole thing is just not worrying about slow progress–as long as there is progress, it will add up as the months go by.
Thanks for your helpful and encouraging comment.
Cheering your progress (albeit slower than you’d like) and your determination! I also weigh daily (except Sunday) while working toward a goal. At this stage of life, I remind myself I’ve made it to this stage of life, slow metabolism and all. Hugs to you, Kindred Spirit. Better days ahead!
Sheri,
When I’ve seen you in recent pictures, you look like you have lost a lot of weight. You look great!
Thanks for the encouragement and the hugs.💕
Oh, I feel you. I’ve never been heavy in my life until I had my son in 2004, and my body never recovered from pregnancy! I’ve been overweight/obese since he was born, and never weighed much over 100 lbs before then. Maybe it was because I was close to 40 when he was born, nothing ‘snapped back into place’ like it might’ve if I were younger! I had come to accept that I was going to live life as a fat woman, never had any health issues, never gave my health a second thought. Then earlier this year, after turning 60, I get put on high blood pressure meds- my first medication. Shortly after that, I find out my blood sugar is a little high. So now I’m fighting the weight loss battle as well, hoping to avoid diabetes in the future and maybe get off BP meds. I’m also having a WHOLE lotta health anxiety for the first time ever. I’ve lost 27 lbs since the beginning of the year, which sounds great until you consider that I have another 60 or so to go. It’s frustratingly slow, especially compared to my husband, who can skip a meal and lose 10 lbs it seems. Men lose it so much faster! Anyway, you aren’t alone in this but slow and steady wins the race (I hope). Right now the scale is my enemy but hopefully one day it’ll give me news so good that I’ll fall to my knees and kiss it, maybe buy it flowers! 🤣
Melissa,
I agree; I do think men lose weight a lot more quickly than women do.
Yes, it is definitely an eye-opener to go to the doctor and get reports that certain things are out of whack, especially blood sugar and blood pressure. But I’m proud of you for working hard at making changes, although it can feel like slow going sometimes. (Trust me, I know.)
I am looking forward to the day when both you and I can present our scales with flowers. 🙂 Keep up with your diligence; you’ve got this!
I had a brain tumor removed in May. This caused me to permanently lose my sense of taste and smell. I find the lack of taste helpful in weight loss, but I certainly don’t recommend you going this route. 😀 On the bright side, I realize that things could have been MUCH worse, so I accept the loss….not that I have much choice! On a positive note, since my Doctor had to cut through the olfactory nerves, my seasonal allergies have disappeared! Up until the day before surgery I took an allergy pill every morning; I haven’t taken one since!
Patricia,
What a scary experience to have a brain tumor removed. You’ve obviously emerged from the experience with all your faculties and your sense of humor intact advising us not to take that route for weight loss. 🙂
I love that you see the bright side of things as far as your seasonal allergies disappearing. A small blessing in the midst of a traumatic season. Many blessings as you adjust to this new normal.
I’m right there with you, Beck! Menopause makes weight loss feel like the impossible dream. I’m very proud of you for all the good changes you’ve made and for working so hard on the PT exercises.
That scale is obviously a no good, rotten traitor. The lady and her pistol made me laugh–I could relate to that a little too well!
There’s so many opinions, methods and disagreements out there on weight loss, that it’s hard to know which way to take. So I just keep slogging along on the low carb path that I had success with in my younger years and hope that over time, it will work again. It’s a jungle out here in menopause land!
It’s so nice to know we’re not alone in our struggles. Thanks so much for sharing some of your journey. ❤️
Love, Deb
Deb,
Yes, it really is wonderful to be reminded we are not alone on this challenge. We’ve got a whole tribe who struggles with the same things and therefore, we are able to encourage and empathize with each other.
Proud of you for sticking with your eating plan over these past few months; you are doing great!
And I think I’m going to buy a scale with only lower numbers on it. 🙂
Don’t give up. As many people have told me we don’t gain the weight in a day do we won’t lose it all either. Life style change is the best and the results will come. I am proud of you for sharing what so many of us struggle with everyday. You got this. Hugs from Iowa. Also the ice cream sounds delicious 🤣
Marjie,
That is a good reminder that we gain weight very slowly over many months and years. It only makes sense that it’s not going to just drop off, as much as we would like it to!
Always glad to get a hug from Iowa. 💕💕
I agree this menopause stage is no joke. I feel heavy. Like it settles around my middle and won’t budge. I am also in PT for neck trouble. Where the heck did this come from?? And I’ve had two rounds of dry needling. I think it helps. It’s so frustrating because my neck and head just feel so fragile. I’ll have a good day or two and then sleep wrong or sit too long and voila, back to pain. I hate this. I walked my 2.5 miles this morning because I think that helps but I’m also working full time and ugh. Anyway, just want you to know you’re not alone. It’s a hard phase and things have changed so much! I feel like my body is betraying me.
Paige,
Good for you for walking 2.5 miles before a full time job. That is quite an accomplishment!
Yes, I think dry needling helped me as well but, as you said, it seems like things can go wrong again so quickly.
Thanks for the reminder that I’m not alone–and neither are you! I think we’ve all been to the place where we feel like our bodies are betraying us. So many changes as the years pass. But so many gifts in growing older, too.
What about bribing the scale some Oreo ocean ice cream instead? Maybe it will listen to you 😇 Oh well I guess not
Katrina,
Great idea! Feed the scale instead of myself! 🙂
Sorry, Becky. I’ll put myself into time out (my recliner) for the next 36 hours.