any ideas to shed weight a bit faster?
 

So I've been on my diet for 2 months, and I am consistently losing...problem is...I'm only losing about 1 pound a week. which is great and I'll take it if nothing else works but, I'd really love to see a 2-3 pound weight loss every week at least until I'm out of the 200's..I am counting calories and watching what goes in my mouth. no sugar, fastfood, and little dairy, mostly veggies, lean meats, fruits, etc. I have heard that the bigger you are, the faster you lose...any truth to that??? thanks fellow FC's!!!

The only thing with that, is the bigger you are the more calories you require...which means if you restrict your calories too much, your weight loss may slow. What is a typical menu like for you?

I change up my menu A LOT because I dont want to get bored with my diet, but I never go over 1500 calories a day.

re:
 

You could drop it down a little if you think you'd be able to consistently eat at that level, but if you can't, just keep it where it is.

I've eaten around 1200 since I started and the amount of weight I lose per week fluctuates anywhere between 0 and maybe a 5 once. Sometimes I go 3 weeks with no loss. Weight loss does slow down for most people though regardless if you're eating 1200 calories or 2000.

wow! congrats VEX! you seem to be doing great!! I eat 1500 a day, but i have considered dropping to 1200.

re:
 

Thank you :)

Just keep in mind, if you reduce it to 1200, as you get to lower weights, it will be difficult to drop it any lower if you're not satisfied with your weekly weight loss at that point. It's the total weight loss over the long haul that matters, and not necessarily x amount each week.

Instead of reducing more calories, add in exercise. That will help you burn and get you fit - which, imo, is more important than the losing weight.

AND... for many people, exercise is an appetite suppressant, so you then don't even need or want to eat back those calories you burned.

Anything over 2 pounds a week is unhealthy. You are losing at the right rate now. How many pounds did you gain a week when going up? Taking it off slowly means you actually learn a new way of eating that will keep the weight off.

Yeah I would say stay at 1500, drink lots of water, eat more veggies, and excersise more. I wish my excersise made me not want to eat. It actually does the opposite.. but that's not with everyone. You are doing great. I know it's hard because you want it to come off faster, but faster is not always better. You can do this.. Just enjoy the ride and get to know yourself in the process.. Great Job so far!!

Are you weighing and measuring or eyeballing your portions?

I have to agree that 1 lb a week is on the slower side at your size, so if you are weighing and measuring and are really sure you are only eating 1500 calories, I'd consider lowering a little bit to see what happens, but I'd also think about checking with your doctor and making sure that thyroid, Vitamin D levels, etc. are all ok.

And it's perfectly healthy to lose more than 2 lbs a week, esp. at the start. It may not always be doable, but it's not unhealthy to lose more quickly than that, and recent studies show that losing weight more quickly has no relationship to whether or not you keep it off long term, or it may even be related to losing more overall and keeping it off.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewh...le-white-lies/

http://www.livescience.com/9907-surp...t-quickly.html

thanks so much everyone, it still amazes me how much support this site has!! I think im just gonna amp up my workouts for now and see where that gets me...I am also considering starting a gluten free diet...anyone try this?

i really suggest u take a friend with you to work out with! i noticed that when i go to the gym alone i often dont have he same motivation as i do when i go with a friend or 2. :) its always fun with more people! and once u get more into it the more fun it is to go to the gym. i look forward to it everyday now :) GOOD LUCK and you can do it!

My thoughts:

Go to the doctor - tell them what you are doing and your results. Get thyroid checked etc.
Increase water intake.
Measure/weigh foods to make sure you are actually sticking to 1500 calories.
Increase exercise in some way.

If you follow the links April provided - the 'fast weight loss' group was losing over 1.5 lbs a week and had lost an average of 30lbs at 6 mos. That's not much more than you're currently losing.

But yeah, exercise really helps me!! I'm aiming for a lb a week, but super happy if I do more.

I don't have any advice to offer beyond what everyone else said. Just wanted to say good luck and hope everything works out for you!