How do you combat DIScouragement?

Hello! My name is Lynn. How many of you have ever started a "diet", or just tried to change your habits to be a healthier person? Only to find yourself getting discouraged. You feel like no matter how many things you do right, you still endi up with failing or stagnate results?

I'm struggling. I have been following this Noom app. And I bought the books. They have been great in helping me mentally and emotionally be aware of how food effects me, and why I eat what I eat. Once I figured that out, I now have a different perspective of food. I am definitely very cautious of what food I put in my body. But I am losing the will to continue.
The physical part has me almost falling into a depression. According to my food chart, I am doing pretty much everything right. My exercise chart tells me I am also putting in the right effort. Now, I have been at this for 4 weeks. In the first 3 weeks, I lost 15 lbs. I have gained back 6lbs. and I have haven't faltered on my regiment at all. How is this happening?
Has this ever happened to anyone else?
How did you handle it?
Does it get better?

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GeniUs · 56-60, M

First you need to understand what is really happening regarding your weight (whenever I share this with anybody they say I know that already which they clearly do not, it is not in any book about dieting or any of the experts say it but when you read it it makes sense).

Now, I have been at this for 4 weeks. In the first 3 weeks, I lost 15 lbs. I have gained back 6lbs. and I have haven't faltered on my regiment at all. How is this happening?

You did not lose 15 lbs in 3 weeks that would take some very serious life style changes; each pound of body fat equates to about 3,500 calories, that's a shortfall of 500 per day for a week. Achievable yes maybe 1,000 a day for a week 1,500 you are really pushing it and that would give you a weight loss of 6-9 pounds in 3 weeks.
So why did it look like a loss of 15 pounds? There are 3 things that make a significant impact on what your scales indicate when you step on them:

1. Actual body weight. (Fat, muscle, bones, etc)
2. The contents of your gut.
3. Level of hydration.

So back to the 15 pounds you probably lost 6 pounds, maybe dehydrated a couple of pounds, and the rest would be you evacuating some of the contents of your gut (taking a crap and not replacing what is in there because you are dieting). At any point in time you can rehydrate +2 pounds (in this example) and start replacing the contents of your gut but you are not putting fat back on. There may also be a very slight increase in muscle mass if you have started exercising but this should not be significant.

You are achieving what you want to it is just being disguised by the factors I have shared.
How do I know? All my life goddamit I have been trying to lose weight and looking at every possible thing that would affect it. In my avatar I probably weighed about 11.8 which puts me bang in the middle of 'overweight' for my height.

Klt3sHottie · 46-50, F

@GeniUs Basically what you are saying is that weighing myself daily isn't a true accurate way to determine weight loss?

GeniUs · 56-60, M

@Klt3sHottie It doesn't give you a true indication of whether you have lost weight that day that week whatever. Your weight is trending down which is great, sometimes you'll get a bad week when you put on a pound maybe two but as long as the trend continues downwards; the best way to do this is compare yourself to 3 weeks ago you are losing weight.
I like to weigh daily too but it is more for piece of mind that I haven't suddenly jumped back up to my pre diet weight.

Ferric67 · M

@GeniUs the actual caloric number is closer to 3800, which makes it even a little harder
You're right though, in order to lose real weight it's life changing work
Big day to day fluctuating numbers is indicative of changes in water levels within the body

GeniUs · 56-60, M

@Ferric67 Apparently as fat breaks down it liberates about 10% water to fat. (Posted on the internet by a doctor after somebody asked the question - I have no proof for this but it makes sense to me so I accepted it).