I have a question for those who have reached their goals. Especially those who've gotten to the lower end of their healthy BMI range.
I'm on my last 25 pounds for my initial goal of 130 pounds. After that I want to get down to a size 4 in pants. My guess is this will be about 125-120 for me.
Now for my question, when you got to your last xx pounds did you slow down a whole lot? And if so about how much and when?
I may be worry about nothing but I'm getting nervous about slowing down. I've averaged about 2 pounds a week, I've slowed down this month but I've also had 2 colds and a vacation so I haven't been working out as much but I'm afraid I'm going to start slowing down anyways.
I eat no more than 1,200 cals a day and workout for 90+ mins 5 days a week, strength, cardio, yoga. I'm hoping that if I just keep doing what's been working I'll continue to lose the same.
Some people don't slow down, but I think many, if not most, do. It's not a given, but I think it's realistic to expect it.
Personally, I never wanted to overshoot. How depressing would it be to buy new clothes only to realize my happy weight was a bit higher, and they don't fit anymore?
But really, I think you just have to choose not to overthink it. It will work out.
I started at 200 lbs in July 2004. I weighed 150 by Christmas. I reached 140 around March 2005. So, about 60 lbs in 8 months.
Then, I plateaued until June - July 2005.
I finally reached my final weight of 130lbs around February 2006.
So, 8-9 months for the first 60 lbs, 7 months for the last 10 lbs. Sounds awful, but it really wasn't so bad. I count March 2005 as the beginning of my "maintenance" since I started living as a maintainer! I was pretty happy at 140, after weighing 200 lbs. Living my life as a slender person was amazing and it was just gravy I lost more weight.
No, my weight loss really didn't slow down all that much - but I am at the high end of a healthy weight according to the "bmi" chart. If I were to get to the lower end - who knows - I'm thinking it would be painfully slow. The thing is I'm not willing to do what is necessary to get there. Luckily I'm THRILLED with where I am. I am wearing size XS, size 4's and 2's. That's vanity sizing for you.
You have no way of knowing what's going to happen till you get there. You always have time to re-asses and tweak if need be. No point in worrying about something that may never occur. And if it does - you'll deal.
What I'm finding is that I have odd fluctuations. Unwise meal choices have a big effect and a lousy weekend takes longer to get over.
I don't think I've lost 2 lbs per week since September but I am losing at a fairly steady rate. And even if I'm not losing many pounds as per the scale, I keep shrinking.
I'm going to recommend that you do some reading in Featherweights and Maintainers. There's lots of good chatter about getting close to goal and how folks are dealing with that.
My weight loss has slowed down a little... but it's still consistent. I know exactly when I can expect to lose weight (what times of the month), when I'll retain water, and when I need to up/lower my calories.
The difference is, that while the scale weight moves a bit slower... the changes happen faster. I can see a difference in every pound now. Where in the beginning, it took me a good 5 lbs to see a difference.
I will be honest though... I think you might be a little low on your calories. I am 5'2", and I work out 30-60 minutes a day, 5 days a week.... and I eat up to 1600 calories a day (and no lower than 1350). I see that you have had 2 colds recently... and I wonder if you are over-exerting your body, which is compromising your immune system. You say you never eat MORE than 1200 calories a day... so do you often eat under that level?
Also, my doctor told me (and maybe it's different for different people, I don't know) that I shouldn't work out for more than an hour a day. He said that there comes a point where the body just doesn't get any additional benefit, and it ends up doing more harm than good. I guess the question is, how are you feeling on your plan? do you have lots of energy? Do you feel strong? It's important to do what's best for you, but I am just making an observation.
Just take it a day at a time and you will get to goal in no time! Congrats on your success so far!
Last edited by LittleMoonRabbit; 12-03-2009 at 06:24 AM.
My loss has slowed down but I look on myself as being in maintenance now. I lost about 40lbs between the end of February and end of July this year, then aimed to maintain for the summer (I was away in Greece). Once I got back I lost another few pounds and am now steadily edging down by 1 pound a month or so. I am very happy with that, I feel great and fit into small sizes here in the UK - there are just some lumps and bumps I'd like to see get smaller over time.
My original goal was 158 in which I reached on July 3rd of this year. I took about a 3 month "vacation" to decide where I really wanted to be. During that time I lost 5 pounds just trying to maintain. I then decided to lose 10 more and it came off pretty quickly once I set my mind to it. I think maybe one of the reasons the last 10 comes off slowly for some people is because they are comfortable...they feel good. It's no longer a matter of life and death, (in my case) but more of a matter of vanity and confidence. I don't "feel" any different than I did 10 pounds ago, I really don't eat or excercise any different, but the last 10 made a huge difference in the way I look and the way clothes fit. In a way I'm a little nervous that I'm DONE losing. Maintenance is hard. In my personal experience it is much harder than losing 190 pounds.
I lost the weight pretty slowly all along, it took me a year to lose 40 lbs. But that was because I wasn't always all that strict. It took me months to lose that last 10 pounds, but I wasn't in a big hurry. In fact, my initial goal was 10-15 pounds higher, and I kept bumping it down another 5, then another 5.
I'm at the lower end of my BMI range now (around 20-21) and it does take some real diligent effort to stay here. If I relax too much, the scale will drift upward. Over the summer I had slipped and regained about 7-10 pounds and by being VERY VERY strict and working out every day (and sometimes twice), I was able to lose about a pound a week. For me to lose at that rate, I can't have any day "off plan". That's OK short term, but I can't keep that up forever. Now I'm back in maintenance mode and can have the occasional splurge meal and treats and it's OK. I just can't do it all the time!!
For me, the littler I get, the harder it is to lose more weight. Partly it's because I just don't need as many calories to live, and partly because I get more efficient at exercise and have to increase intensity or duration to get the same calorie bang.
If I were you, I'd just keep going and see what happens. It's hard to know how your body will react. And what's the worst thing that can happen? You still lose the weight, it just takes a little longer. That's not so bad, really. This is a lifetime proposition anyway.
Also, my doctor told me (and maybe it's different for different people, I don't know) that I shouldn't work out for more than an hour a day. He said that there comes a point where the body just doesn't get any additional benefit, and it ends up doing more harm than good. I guess the question is, how are you feeling on your plan? do you have lots of energy? Do you feel strong? It's important to do what's best for you, but I am just making an observation.
I've heard this said before and have a different opinion, I guess. I think you have to consider your current physical conditioning level. If you aren't very fit, and try to go out and just physically pound yourself into the ground every day, then yes, I think you may do more harm than good. Ramping up exercise too fast and too soon is a recipe for injury. The less fit you are, the easier it would be to overtrain - not allowing your system enough time for recovery.
But, I think more activity the better, as long as you work up to it. I know LOTS of people who work out more than an hour a day, heck, more days than not I work out more than an hour (and my long runs usually are 2-3 hours). It depends on what you are doing and the intensity level. If "more than an hour isn't good for you" then there would be no all day hikes or bike rides. And I live for that stuff!
If you are just beginning exercise, then you have to start mellow and build gradually over time. But people that are fit -- go, go go!!
Thank you all so much! I really enjoyed reading all of your different experiences.
I'm a worrier, a planer and I often live in the future so I know that's why I'm thinking so much about it. I want to plan plan plan and I have to tell myself many many times a day to stop worrying so much about things, it doesn't help anything!
I still really enjoy hearing about others experiences so thank you. I feel good about what I'm doing and it's been working so I'm just going to keep doing it and see what happens. I know I'll still want to plan out my future as a 'thin' person but I'll try no to worry so much over it.
@LittleMoonRabbit I feel good with how I'm currently doing things. I'm the type of person who really enjoys working out so to me going over 1 hour a day is nothing and it gives me more energy. So I guess even if it's not benefiting me exercise wise it's awesome for my mood and energy. As far as my calorie limit, I think I'm at a good level for my body. I'm not often hungry and I never feel starving or drained or anything. Thank you so much for your post, I enjoy hearing how others are doing things and it gives me ideas on how to possibly change things in the future (that planing bug again :P).
I plateaued a few pounds above my original goal for several months. Then I decided to get more fit by doing more exercise (I joined a soccer team) and by eating more cleanly (no soda and much less booze) and lost 15-20 more pounds.
I had a goal of 120# when I started a year ago. I totally changed my way of eating this time around and now eat South Beach, which basically for me is eating a lot more veggies, incorporating more fats (healthy ones like nuts and olive oil), not eating anything with added sugars or refined carbohydrates and not really counting points or calories anymore. Without really trying to lose the last few pounds I dropped to 112# last winter before finally settling in around 115-118#. My weight loss did slow down the last 10# or so. Some weeks no loss, some weeks 1-2#. When I got down to about 115# I added back in more grains and fruit servings than I had been eating, but I continued to lose very slowly.
Since February my weight has been pretty stable. I usually wear a size 4, but can wear a 2 in some clothing. I have always had clothing in a lot of sizes in my closet, so I didn't mind the extra loss too much, but the last 5# did make a difference as some of my pants got too loose to wear with the extra loss. I weigh about 5# less than my original goal, but I feel like that gives me a little leeway. If my weight creeps up a little, I don't panic. I just watch what I eat really closely and as long as I stick with my plan, it comes right back off.
Last edited by murphmitch; 12-04-2009 at 12:38 AM.
? for those who've reached thier goals
