Hi Linda and welcome to Maintainers -- we hope you stick around!
I moved this down into the main part of the forum so more people will see it and give you their input.
Before I try to answer your question, let me ask you a few - why do you want to lose ten more pounds? What are the reasons that you're not satisfied where you are? And do you know what your body fat percentage is right now, by chance?
Hi Linda and welcome to Maintainers -- we hope you stick around!
I moved this down into the main part of the forum so more people will see it and give you their input.
Before I try to answer your question, let me ask you a few - why do you want to lose ten more pounds? What are the reasons that you're not satisfied where you are? And do you know what your body fat percentage is right now, by chance?
No, I don't know my body fat percentage. I guess the reason I want to lose 10 more is because most of my life (before I got fat) I was about 125-130. Realistically speaking, I don't see 125 happening again and personally I don't want to go that low. But I'd like to be between 130 and 135. And it's not just the numbers I'm focusing on - I just 'feel' I need to lose a few more pounds. You know how that feeling is. I want my jeans to feel comfortable, not snug.
Most people that see me tell me I don't need to lose anymore weight. But this isn't their body, it's mine.
Frankly, 7-8 more pounds may not even make that big of a difference. But I want to be in the 130's, not nearly 140. It's just a personal preference of mine.
Thanks for moving my post where it belongs, I didn't know if I was in the right place or not when I posted it
The other concern I have is if I'm struggling to lose at only 1200 calories a day, that once I'm ready to maintain, I won't be able to up my calories without gaining. My maintenance calories are 1700. I was hoping once I got to goal I could up it to that to maintain without the fear of gaining any of it back. But now I'm not so sure. It looks like I'll be eating 1200 for the rest of my life
Not that I have a problem with eating only 1200 calories, as I'm used to it now. But it sure would have been nice to be able to eat just a little more.
Linda, I feel your pain ... In the last year I have been struggling with the last 10# also... but I just keep plugging along... What I have noticed happening is that I am not losing on the scale at all but my clothing size keeps going down... I've gone from 8 to 6 to some size 4's now ... and the scale hasn't moved...What I have done cut process stuff as much as humanly possible I zigzag my calories by keeping them low during the week and higher on the weekends... I exercise a lot by varying my workouts, going heavier with the weights some weeks, going lighter with them with more reps on other weeks... Running more intensely, incorporating swimming, which I thoroughly enjoy... I think at this point and time we need to detach ourselves from the scale numbers and just have fun by focussing on our health and NSV, getting stronger and faster at our chosen exercises...
Hope this helps, good luck but don't give up, just be persistant and patient...
Linda, I feel your pain ... In the last year I have been struggling with the last 10# also...
~sigh~
That depresses me. A year for 10 pounds? I'll lose my mind.
I'm perfectly prepared to eat this way the rest of my life. This is a lifestyle change for me, not a diet. I love eating healthy, I even love counting calories and accouting for everything I put into my mouth. It's my life now and I'm aware I'll have to do this the rest of my life. But 80 pounds later, I'm tired of struggling. I just want to get down where I wanna be and start learning how to maintain.
I think at the time, it felt like 2 years to get my last pound off. In reality, the closer I got to goal weight, the slower the weight came off - I think that's the Second Law of Weight Loss (I HATE laws like that! ). Anyhoo, I stuck to my eating plan and it DID come off. Finally (took a month longer, I think).
If you truly think 10 more pounds is realistic, I don't recommend dropping your calorie levels any lower, however, I completely agree with Ilene in cutting out the processed foods (box dinners, fast food, pizza, etc.) along with increasing daily lean protein (about 10-12 oz, COOKED weight).
Drink at least 100oz of water per day (it's good for your skin, too .
Laugh a lot and don't STRESS - it causes weight gain doncha know.
I completely agree with Ilene in cutting out the processed foods (box dinners, fast food, pizza, etc.)
I don't eat that stuff anyway
Laugh a lot... doesn't that burn calories?
lol
Thanks, guys, for the suggestions and advice so far. I guess I'm just a little poopy about the whole thing. I know the last few pounds will take some determination, but I WILL get them off. I just wondered how other maintainers did it and although hearing that the last few pounds taking so long is depressing, I'm glad to know I'm not alone.
Linda – I had a lot of thoughts as I read your posts, so let me ramble and hopefully it will make a bit of sense.
I completely understand about wanting to get to a certain weight for your own personal comfort. I’m the same way – I know where my weight feels good. And you’re also right that it’s no one’s decision but yours!
Goal just kind of ‘happened’ to me. 160 was my original goal, then 150, then lower. 135 was my temporary goal but for quite a while I wanted to get to 128.5 because then I would have lost exactly half of myself – silly, I know! But it just wouldn’t happen. In the six months after I reached 135, I worked out HARD and did a ton of cardio and ate perfectly. My weight only dropped to 132.5 at its lowest BUT my body fat dropped to 12.5% and my size 4 pants were so big that they had to be taken in. I lost inches and body fat but not pounds.
I finally gave up on 128.5 because I could see that it just wasn’t going to happen for me given my lean body mass and bone structure. And I really couldn’t complain about where I was!
My point is that sometimes our bodies simply won’t let go of any more weight, no matter what we do. Goal just ends up being where our bodies stop losing. I don’t know if you’re at that point yet, but it’s something to consider.
But let’s say your body still has another seven or eight pounds that it’s willing to let go. How to make it happen? You’re not going to like this answer, but I think exercise is going to be your new best friend. You’re at 1200 calories now and can’t really go any lower on the ‘eating less’ side of the equation. So exercise – the ‘moving more’ part - is going to be the only way to create that necessary calorie deficit.
I’m not sure what all you’re doing now, but you said that you ‘loathed’ exercise (hey, you’re honest!) so I’m guessing it’s not a whole lot? Is there any exercise that you enjoy? Are you lifting weights as well as doing cardio?
Mel once said something that’s oh so true about exercise – if you love the result, you have to learn to love the process. Perhaps there’s something you can find that isn’t quite so loathsome to you? Or at least a way to make it more tolerable? I’m not a fan of cardio but must do it every day and the only thing that gets me through is music. Plus I love the results!
A bunch of stuff about maintenance – you say your maintenance calories are 1700. I hate to say (but have to) -- don’t count on it. I’m assuming that the number is based on a metabolic calculator? If so, many maintainers find them to be wildly inaccurate, often grossly overestimating the number of calories that we can eat and maintain. I think that’s due to the metabolic changes that happen to us after large weight losses – see this thread for more discussion: Some Answers About Genes, Environment, Obesity, and Maintenance.
But the good news is that you don’t have to learn how to maintain – you already know how to do it! Keep doing exactly what you did to lose the weight and you’ll keep it off. It’s that simple.
Of course you’d like to be able to eat more once you’re at goal and you should be able to, though it’s really not a heck of a lot more for most of us – just a few hundred calories per day. But this is where exercise is going to help you out again. Let’s say that you burn off 400 calories per day by exercising – then you get to eat 400 more calories than you would if you didn’t exercise and you’ll still maintain. Pretty cool!
If you’re not exhausted from reading all this yet, I have one more thought … about just being weary of the whole thing. If I’m remembering right, one of the other maintainers – I think it’s Lucky? – took a much-needed 'maintenance break' and then recently has geared up to lose her last few pounds (if I’ve got the wrong person, please correct me! maybe whoever it is can add some insight?) Would you consider a maintenance break to give yourself a little breather before you gear up for the last seven or eight pounds? Just focus on staying where you are and not stressing about the scale going down? Kind of a little vacation? Your body has been through a LOT of changes and maybe you just mentally and physically need a little break?
Whatever you decide to do, Linda, be sure to stick around and know that you're sure not alone in dealing with the last few pounds.
Thank you, Meg, I appreciate your advice. And it' very good advice, too.
I suppose it's possible my body is done losing, but I guess the only way to find that out is just keep on keeping on and see if anymore drops off.
As for the exercise thing, I like doing Pilates and when the weather is nice, I walk. That might be part of my problem - the winter blues. Before it got cold, I was walking twice a day. Maybe once the weather warms up and I can start walking again, the weight will start moving. As far as finding the motivation to go in the other room and do my exercises, I just don't have it. During the day I'm very busy (yep, there's that "I'm too busy to exercise" excuse again) and before I know it it's time to pick my son up from school. Once he's home, I spend time with him so he can show me what all he did in school that day (I think it's important to be interested and get involved in your child's schoolwork). Then once we're done with that, it's time to start dinner. In between all this I've got 2 dogs and 4 birds screaming for attention and food and by the time dinner is finished, the kitchen is cleaned, the animals are taken care of, my son has been bathed, etc etc etc, I just don't feel like doing anything else.
As far as the maintenance break suggestion, I think that would be a very good idea. And I know how I'm going to do it. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing now, counting my calories, eating healthy, etc, and put the scale away for a month. I weighed myself this morning, still 139, which is fine. I can't really complain. It's better than 220. I hated myself when I was fat. I don't hate myself anymore.
Marking one month on my calendar right now - March 25th will be my next weigh-in. If the scales haven't moved by then, I'll give it yet another month because by then the weather will hopefully be warm enough to start taking my walks again. If another month later I'm still the same weight, even after the walking, then I guess I'll have to accept the fact that my body is comfy where its at and wants to stay there. At that time is when I think I'll be able to accept it. But not yet. Not until I can at least get outside and move to see if the walking is going to do any good to get a few more pounds off.
I guess the important thing is how I feel about myself, not what a scale says. Heck, my doctor's scale always shows me about 5-6 pounds heavier than my scale at home. But I also have to remember that in most cases, by the time I get to the doctor, I've already eaten meals, have drank lots of water and have about 3 pounds of clothing on. So that has never really bothered me.
Anyway, yes, I feel better about myself. I feel healthier. I have more energy. My blood pressure is normal without having to take medication anymore, I've brought my cholesterol down, and I'm not ashamed of going out in public anymore.
Thinking about it... it doesn't get any better than that
I'm sure I'm not the only one but I did take a break to focus on maintainence for a while and have recently refocused my efforts on losing the last of my weight. At the time I was about 10 pounds from goal, but my goal has since changed so I'm working to lose 20 pounds right now.
For me, the break served its purpose. First of all, like you, I was stuck. I struggled with that for a while and then thought I'd take the opportunity to see what maintaining was like. I knew I wouldn't have the scale validating my efforts once I did reach my goal so I used that time to learn how to eat right and exercise despite not seeing that number on the scale go down. I know that I'll spend a few weeks thrilled to see 120 on the scale but I needed to know that I don't have to have that thrill as reward for eating right and exercising long term.
Second, and probably most important, the mental process of losing weight was wearing me down emotionally. I was doing everything right and actually worrying about and stressing over that number on the scale. It was literally making me tired. I made the decision to stop EXPECTING to lose weight. If I did, great, but I wasn't going to wake up every morning with my fingers crossed that, "today will be the day". It was a very freeing. And, I did lose a few more pounds during that time. I do not believe it was a coincidence. Still, I kept my focus on maintaining for a couple more months.
I'm back to actively trying to lose weight now and I feel 100% better. I've replaced anxiety over the last 20 pounds with enthusiasm over the FIRST 20. I don't think of those months as lost time since the scale was moving so slowly anyway. Plus, relaxing my expectations from week to week gave my brain a chance to catch up with the progress my body had made. I was able to objectively evaluate where I was and where I wanted to be. I had a chance to formulate a new and improved game plan. And best of all I now know, without a doubt, that I have the skills to keep this weight off for good.
I made the decision to stop EXPECTING to lose weight.
I did that for a while, too. When I finally put those scales away. See, I used to be one of those 'obsessed' with the scale. I weighed myself every day in the beginning of my weight loss journey. Then I finally told myself okay, that's enough, no more scale and I picked it up off the kitchen floor and went and stuck it in the closet. I can't tell you how much better I felt after doing that. I felt free. Like a huge weight (no pun intended) had been lifted off my shoulders. I still ate healthy, but I wasn't constantly worrying what my weight would be the next day. I put the scale away and left it there until a week later. I vowed to weigh only once a week. That was a year ago and I'm still only weighing once a week. And sometimes I even forget to.
Now I'm going to once a month. I don't wanna see those numbers for another 30 days. I'll keep doing my usual thing and if I'm down a pound or two by next month, great. But now that my weight loss is going much slower, it just doesn't make sense to weigh myself every week because there's not going to be a change anyway.
I'm going month-to-month now. And when the weather warms up, I'll be walking again. Not walking could very well be what's put me into my slump. Although I did move down to 139 from 141 by zig-zagging my calories for a short while. I need to get back to that again because it was nice to have the occasional higher-calorie day. And I think my body needed that.
Hey LLV - I think I told you my experience before. I got to 140 and stayed there for 12 weeks. This was last year in March. I tried everything, more food, less food (although I was around 1600 and was able to drop a little without too much worry), more cardio, less cardio. Nothing! Getting on the scale made me miserable, it was so frustrating, to be stuck at 140! I just wanted to see 1-3-something on the scale so badly.
So, in June I decided that instead of thinking I was plateauing, I should think I was maintaining since frankly, staying at 140 for 12 weeks was my most successful weight loss maintenance of my whole life and I should be happy. I shouldn't be miserable I was stuck, I should be deliriously happy I wasn't gaining weight back! I was maintaining!
I upped my calories to 1800-2000 a day and just kept food journaling, eating healthy foods, concentrating on maintenance, weighing myself once a weekto make sure I was on track. Eating more was a huge, scary thing for me, every day was a struggle to keep calories 1800+. Around July, my weight dipped to 138 which was fabulous, a big mental victory to be under 140.
In September, I went on a big work trip to Asia, worked a ton, didn't really follow any "plan", I was gone 4 weeks. I noticed my pants seemed looser. When I got home and got on the scale, I was 135, which was huge! My goal weight!
My weight appears to have stabilized around 128 now. I'm back to eating 1800+ calories a day and I've been maintaining here for over a month.
For my body, from July 2004 to March 2004 I went from 192 to 140. It took from March 2005 to Jan 2006 for me to lose the last 13 lbs.
I'm so glad to hear someone else say this because I thought it was just me. Even though I zig-zagged for a while, it was terrifying. I almost couldn't do it. I'd stand there looking at a food item and would fight with myself just to eat it. I was like, "Go ahead and eat it, you're trying to get extra calories today," and then I'd say, "Noooo! I can't! I'm afraid of the extra calories, what if I start gaining again!?"
I was a mental mess during this process. Often times I would put the food back, chickening out, I didn't have the guts to eat it. Then I'd get mad at myself for not allowing myself to just EAT.
Thanks for sharing your experience and congrats on losing that weight!
I need to hear from maintainers, please
and welcome to Maintainers -- we hope you stick around! 
- why do you want to lose ten more pounds? What are the reasons that you're not satisfied where you are? And do you know what your body fat percentage is right now, by chance?
... In the last year I have been struggling with the last 10# also... but I just keep plugging along... What I have noticed happening is that I am not losing on the scale at all but my clothing size keeps going down... I've gone from 8 to 6 to some size 4's now ... and the scale hasn't moved...What I have done cut process stuff as much as humanly possible I zigzag my calories by keeping them low during the week and higher on the weekends... I exercise a lot by varying my workouts, going heavier with the weights some weeks, going lighter with them with more reps on other weeks... Running more intensely, incorporating swimming, which I thoroughly enjoy... I think at this point and time we need to detach ourselves from the scale numbers and just have fun by focussing on our health and NSV, getting stronger and faster at our chosen exercises...
In reality, the closer I got to goal weight, the slower the weight came off - I think that's the Second Law of Weight Loss (I HATE laws like that!
). Anyhoo, I stuck to my eating plan and it DID come off. Finally (took a month longer, I think).
But it just wouldn’t happen. In the six months after I reached 135, I worked out HARD and did a ton of cardio and ate perfectly. My weight only dropped to 132.5 at its lowest BUT my body fat dropped to 12.5% and my size 4 pants were so big that they had to be taken in. I lost inches and body fat but not pounds.
