Discouraged with slow fat loss
 

Hey everyone....

I've posted more in the weight training forum than anything, so I'll give a little bit of background information first.

I've been overweight my entire life and yo-yoed through every diet imaginable. Five weeks ago I decided that I would never diet again. I started with basic exercise. I met with a personal trainer and have been to the gym every day for the past 33 days with the exception of 4 days. I'm doing cardio and weight training.

I want and expect the weight loss to be slow...actually would prefer mostly fat loss so I know it has to be that way. I'm just getting a little discouraged with how terribly slow it seems like the fat is coming off. I've lost 17 pounds so far. Did my measurements 2 weeks ago and have lost a total of 11 inches. I know I'm doing ok. I just feel like I'm going every day and busting my butt and still seeing my bat wings every time I look in the mirror. :(

I know I didn't put it on overnight (though I'm not positive as I honestly cannot remember a day in my life that I haven't been fat) and I won't lose it over night....I just really wish I could see a difference. I look exactly the same to me.

Sometimes I feel like throwing weight training out the window so the pounds would drop off faster. But that's counter productive and I know it.

Guess I just felt like complaining....even thought I try so hard to be positive.

I started my weight loss on April 2nd. Ive lost 18 lbs since than. Thats about 39 days. So we are very close on dates and weight loss. A few days ago I got frustrated. But since than my focus has been on healthy lifestyle. Yes, want to be thin. But if we do it the fast way we are going to pay with our health. Right now we are working towards a longer healthier more energetic life. Its not only you, I have to keep reminding myself aswell. Dont give up. We arent where we were.... we also arent were we want to be. We are making it through this journey... and we will make it!!!! :hug:
:D

Are you adding in cardio, too? That makes a difference as to how much weight you lose. Just keeping plugging away at it, make sure you are eating enough and eating the right foods, things will come together.

Man, I SO identify with you! I joined a gym almost 2 months ago!

It can be VERY discouraging... you think to yourself, well jeez, I just joined a gym, I should be able to drop a lotta pounds/fat in the beginning!!

~ tea

You're frustrated with 17 pounds in 33 days? Or am I reading it wrong?

Hey guys...thanks for the replies. I'm feeling a lot better now. For whatever reason, I just get to feeling down randomly. I went to the gym and that always makes me feel better.

I am doing cardio 4 days a week. I typically do HIIT training followed by LISS. I usually do about 45 minutes of cardio per session.

The reason I'm feeling frustrated is that in the past I have gone on diets and have lost around 10 pounds the first week alone. I know that it's water weight and I wasn't lifting weights so I was losing muscle too....it's just that I'm used to seeing more rapid weight loss. So, really, I'd much rather have slower fat loss. I just wish I could see the results. I wish when I looked in the mirror that I could see that the blood sweat and tears are paying off.....cause I've had all three..lol

I know I'm doing it right and it will pay off. I just have never worked this hard. I think I kind of expected something like off the biggest loser.....and I know that that's not reality. There's no way I could work out 4 hrs a day. I'm doing good to get 1-2 in.

I'm good though....I know it'll come eventually. Next week is my photo update week. I'm going to start taking pictures every 4 weeks (got a late start on that) and maybe I'll be able to tell something then :)

I'm also confused. So you HAVE lost 17 lbs in 33 days. Ummm, because if you have that's pretty darn incredible.

Putting that answer aside for now, you mention only your exercise. What kind of food plan are you on? Because that is without a doubt perhaps, according to many, 80% of the weight loss equation. Steady, consistent long term, non-yo-yo-ing, weight loss can't occur with just exercise alone.

Photos are a great thing to have along the way. I myself didn't notice a "real" difference until I lost about 50 lbs. But know that if you stick with this, there is no way that you can not lose. And eventually you WILL notice a difference. Hang in there. It's so incredibly worth it. Beyond belief worth it!!!

Hey! :wave:

Your expectations are unrealistic! You're averaging a half a pound a day and it's too slow??? :dunno:

When I lost, I was lucky to lose 4 pounds a month, average! Jeez...

As for your appearance, you'll need to lose more like 25 or 30 before you'll start to see a difference. That's because at first the percentage of loss is low.

Patience... patience...

Jay

I'm going to echo Julie, and Robin, and Jay - your weight loss so far is outstanding. And please, please, please don't consider it slow. Because, I can almost guarantee it will get a lot slower on this journey. Weight loss to lose mostly fat looked more like 5-6 lbs a month for me.

Try to keep your perspective - a year after you reach your goal, it will not matter a bit to you what your loss rate was - only that you reached your goal and are successfully maintaining it. It took me 53 weeks to lose 85 lbs. That is a little over one and a half lbs. per week.

So, celebrate your success so far, and realize that this is a journey, one that is not time-bound!

:congrat: on an excellent beginning!

I have to agree with robin, jay, and counting, keep some perspective, you've done amazing so far!

2fluffy, you are losing at an incredibly fast rate right now. If you're unhappy with it, you'll be even more disappointed when it gets to be even slower (which it will). As the others have suggested, you may just need to adjust your expectations because they're not realistic. The fat is not going to fly off of your body in an instant, and it will take a long time before you reach 150 pounds. I know, I've been there. My heaviest was near your start weight, and my current weight is your goal. Take your time, it's worth it.

By the way, it took about 40 pounds for me to notice an obvious change in my body, and 50 for everyone else. Unfortunately, the heavier you are, the more weight you need to lose to make a significant difference in the way you look. But don't let this discourage you --you're not only losing weight, but also adding years to your life!

Thanks again for the replies, everyone. I know that I am losing quickly right now and I do want it to be as much fat alone as possible, so I know it will slow drastically. It's just that I have never exercised in my life and since I actually started doing something, for some reason I expected it to be faster than when I was "dieting" alone. But instead it's slower.

What I'm trying to say is that it's ok that it's slower because I know that I'm retaining more lean body weight and hopefully losing more fat. I know that it's right, but I just get discouraged sometimes. I think once I can actually look in a mirror and not see my face looking like an overinflated balloon, I'll be more ok with everything. I'm fully expecting it to take me well over a year to reach my goal. I'm really not being unrealistic, honest.

I guess I'm just saying that I [I]wish[I] it worked differently...lol But then again, who doesn't wish to go to bed and wake up instantly thin? ;)

As far as my diet goes, I figured my BMR to be around 3000 calories a day. So, I decreased it by 1000. I typically eat 2000 cals per day, 40% from protein, 40% from carbs and 20% from fat. I eat 5 small meals per day, starting with my largest meal in the morning and decreasing slightly throughout the day. I've tried to do a lot of research on nutrition and I thought I would experiment with this approach for a while.

thanks again, everyone for the support :hug:

I just looked back at my journal and it took me 49 days to go from 285 to 261, and I feel like I flew threw the 200's. Isn't it funny how different people are?

ME!!!!! :yes: Me, yes me!!!!

I actually am thankful that it did take me a long time. I learned so much on this journey. Knowedege that is INVALUABLE in maintenance. I don't think I could successfully maintain, If I hadn't traveled this long and winding road.