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01-06-2014, 04:26 PM
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#1
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Blessed Person Here
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Under the hot tropiks ;)
Posts: 551
S/C/G: Going/Still going/Gone
Height: 5' 1''
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Opinions on how to pace my journey.
When I diet, the first 15 lbs fly away easily but I always hit a plateau after that. However for my current journey I decided to give myself monthly mini goals: 5.5 lbs every month until December.
I started last week at 185 and I’m now down to 178. I want to strictly stick to the 5.5 lbs BUT I have 23 solid days to go. I do interval workouts for one hour on the treadmill every day and I don’t want to stop doing that either. As for the food I’m trying to eat healthy but I’m allowing myself a few treats here and there.
Should I leave my body to freely shed the lbs now that it’s easier for it to do so or should I relax and maintain the current loss until the end of the month? HELP!
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01-06-2014, 04:49 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 31
S/C/G: 283/275/155
Height: 5.6
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Maybe you should not push yourself hard? Maybe take more time and make goals simpler - yet more permanent?
Losing more in the beginning is expected, so the perceived plateau is just a continuation of your success, so treat it as such.
Good luck!
Last edited by llove; 01-06-2014 at 04:50 PM.
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01-07-2014, 08:01 PM
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#3
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Green Tomatoes
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Kirkwood, Missouri
Posts: 11,861
Height: 5'9"
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I don't find it that useful to have a time period related to my scale goals. So many things effect what shows up on the scale from when the last time I ate soy sauce to the last time I had a bowel movement.
You might have more fun with a game like "How long will it take me to lose the next 5 pounds?"
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01-07-2014, 08:30 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: East Coast US
Posts: 2,440
S/C/G: 195/180.2/165
Height: 5'9"
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The only thing you can control is your behavior, the scale and your body will do as they please. You'd be better off having a goal of "track all food every day and stay between xxxx-XXXX calories per dat" and "workout X times per week."
But making your behavior the goal, you are in complete control over whether you meet it or not. If you make 5.5 pounds per month your goal you may have months where nothing comes off, then another where more does, you could have eaten salty food the day before and see a gain on the scale, you could be sick or injured which can cause water retention.
Yes, the scale is where you want to see the results, but focus on your behavior and make adjustments as needed depending on the scale over time.
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01-07-2014, 09:44 PM
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#5
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Jillian stole my abs!
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Go Huskers!
Posts: 2,652
S/C/G: 195.8/138/140
Height: 5'5"
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I set my goals to lose ten pounds, get into the next lower decade. But I did not put a time on it. Setting a time is to iffy. Too many variables.
But, when I made the next lower decade, I gave myself a small reward.
Having done this over and over, I realized I needed a new approach, that leaned towards long term, healthy, and not racing to the end.
The last time, it took me 10 months to lose 30 pounds, to get to goal, but it was worth it, because the good habits I developed along the way have stuck!
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01-08-2014, 06:17 AM
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#6
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Always FatGirlVSFitGirl
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PA
Posts: 4,077
S/C/G: 206/180/155
Height: 5'3 1/2"
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For the long term if you feel you have to have that monthly goal make it an average, then your higher loss months will balance your lower loss months and none will feel like a fail.
If you're good with your exercise, food plan stay with it you may need to change it up at some point, as long as you feel what you're doing is healthy, try not to get too obsessive over the scale number, as mentioned above it can be very fickle.
Best of luck to you
Last edited by kelijpa; 01-08-2014 at 06:17 AM.
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01-08-2014, 09:18 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 415
S/C/G: 230/192/120
Height: 5'2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seagirl
The only thing you can control is your behavior, the scale and your body will do as they please.
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I really like that line. It helps loads for the days when the scale is just being really uncooperative
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01-09-2014, 04:31 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: California
Posts: 12
S/C/G: 205/197/150
Height: 5'7"
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I do the same thing with monthly goals. For me its helpful to keep me motivated and on track. This time I plan to do the same, but if I lose more or less - I figure it all averages out in the end, right? I would guess that a lot of the first 15 tends to be water weight, so if you are comfortable with the routine you have started I would stick to it. Good luck!
Dori
205/200/150 (new start)
Last edited by doriluke; 01-09-2014 at 04:32 PM.
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01-09-2014, 05:00 PM
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#9
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*Shakes fist at regain*
Join Date: May 2013
Location: U.S.
Posts: 375
S/C/G: 150ish/ 114 / 109
Height: 5'
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seagirl
But making your behavior the goal, you are in complete control over whether you meet it or not.
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I agree with this 100%. Live the way you want to live as a healthy person--exercise as often as you want the healthy you to exercise, etc.--and let the weight do its thing.
Last edited by crispin; 01-09-2014 at 05:02 PM.
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01-09-2014, 05:18 PM
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#10
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Embracing the suck
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: California - East Bay
Posts: 3,185
S/C/G: 300/234/abs
Height: 6'9"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seagirl
The only thing you can control is your behavior, the scale and your body will do as they please. You'd be better off having a goal of "track all food every day and stay between xxxx-XXXX calories per dat" and "workout X times per week."
But making your behavior the goal, you are in complete control over whether you meet it or not. If you make 5.5 pounds per month your goal you may have months where nothing comes off, then another where more does, you could have eaten salty food the day before and see a gain on the scale, you could be sick or injured which can cause water retention.
Yes, the scale is where you want to see the results, but focus on your behavior and make adjustments as needed depending on the scale over time.
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OP should read this post repeatedly until it sinks in.
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01-09-2014, 05:28 PM
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#11
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Michelle the Vegan
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Bliss-a-go-go!
Posts: 5,410
S/C/G: >207/under goal/150
Height: ~5'9" of Snark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seagirl
The only thing you can control is your behavior, the scale and your body will do as they please. You'd be better off having a goal of "track all food every day and stay between xxxx-XXXX calories per dat" and "workout X times per week."
But making your behavior the goal, you are in complete control over whether you meet it or not. If you make 5.5 pounds per month your goal you may have months where nothing comes off, then another where more does, you could have eaten salty food the day before and see a gain on the scale, you could be sick or injured which can cause water retention.
Yes, the scale is where you want to see the results, but focus on your behavior and make adjustments as needed depending on the scale over time.
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Such a Great Post! True true true true!
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01-09-2014, 07:25 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 227
S/C/G: 173/133/140
Height: 5'2"
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I love that line! I am one who needs to internalize it as I always got very upset, off track, blew the diet, threw the scales out, if I controlled my behavior and do not see a loss.
I am now doing the "two and a half pounds a month would mean a 30 pound loss in one year." I am actually charting it. I would love to be 30 pounds less next December for my next annual physical.
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01-11-2014, 12:21 PM
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#13
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Less of a Better Me
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,412
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I don't really like to track my weight loss goals as so many pounds in X amount of time. I do have a modest goal for the year, but otherwise I find it real demotivating to set a goal to lose so many pounds in a month (or whatever), then do everything I need to do to make it and not get there. It can cause me to go totally off track.
This past week on Thursday morning I had lost .5 a pound for the week. Thursday I had a great day with eating and activity. I was up .3 of a pound on Friday morning! I am sure it is a temporary thing and will go away. But, I handle it much better when my goals are related to what I do and control directly.
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02-11-2014, 11:33 AM
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#14
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Blessed Person Here
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Under the hot tropiks ;)
Posts: 551
S/C/G: Going/Still going/Gone
Height: 5' 1''
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I've heard you all and I understand your viewpoint. I believe in my method though (knowing myself, my personality, my problems and my reasoning). Time will tell.
Thanks for the great advice though.
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02-11-2014, 11:55 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 175
S/C/G: 280/see ticker/155
Height: 5' 7"
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I too set weekly monthly weight loss goals. If I beat it bonus. I also have an app that graphs my losses over time. As long as I see it going down, the little (or big) spikes up I can deal with.
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