Hey everybody -- I'm currently refocusing my efforts -- analyzing my progress so far and regrouping for the second leg of my journey. I decided to break down my loss into 4 week segments (got inspired by my hero, Meg -- thanks, Meg!!) and this is what I came up with:

Start: 284
4 weeks: 16 pounds lost
8 weeks: 10 pounds lost
12 weeks: 7 pounds lost
16 weeks: 7 pounds lost
20 weeks: 7 pounds lost
24 weeks: 7 pounds lost
Currently: 54 pounds lost total, in 24 weeks (an overall average of 2.25 pounds/week)

Now while I'm happy to have lost 54 pounds so far, I'm not especially thrilled with the more recent ongoing average of 7 pounds per 4 weeks. I'm going to step up my exercise to see if I can speed that up some, because I know I can do better. Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy with my progress, and I'm by no means discouraged.....but given a choice, I wouldn't opt for an average loss of 1.75 pounds/week on a regular basis going forward. Now, as I see it, I DO have a choice. I hadn't yet done this sort of "analysis" -- just looked at the overall picture YTD -- so this was a bit of an eye-opener.

Anyone else feel like sharing? I have to say, I really had to muster my courage to post it all here for all of you to see, but we're all in this same boat together, pulling for one another, right? I was thinking that posting it here would help keep me accountable to you in continuing to be proactive in making progress and continuing to learn along the way. I'm also really interested in hearing how it breaks down for others, and learning from you how you're making it happen! Some of you more experienced vet's would give such a gift by sharing your info here for those of us with long roads before us. And non-vet's: it doesn't matter where you are in your journey -- I just think it's so motivating to see the loss down there, in black and white!

I hope someone answers this post! Don't leave me hangin' out here alone, ok??

Sarah, I am glad that you shared that with us! And you know what? 7 pounds a month is not something to poopoo. That *is* almost 2 pounds a week, and although it would be nice for it to come off quicker, some say that a slower rate of loss helps with the elasticity of your skin through the loss. Plus... once it's off, you're going to maintain it, I know it! I'm sorry youre frusturated, but hang in there. You're quite the inspiration!

I would share, but I *just* started my official weight loss book (with body fat, measurements, and weekly weight). I shoiuld have started when i really *started* but I kept false-starting, so I guess it's better late than never.

Sarah, I keep track of this all on my calendar at home. If I had it with me I would break it down. You should be so pleased at your progress thus far. I could only wish I was doing that well right now. It might be coming off a little more slowly but you have to account and adjust for the weight you are at now. Which probably means you are going to have to tweak what you are eating and your exercise. I am so proud of you. Please don't be to dissapointed at the slow down. You could not ask for better results than what you have achieved so far. You are doing brilliantly!!

Sept 1996- 211 lbs
Sept 1997- 135 lbs
Sept 1998- 180 lbs
Sept 1999- 265 lbs
Sept 2000- 200 lbs
Sept 2001- 230 lbs
Sept 2002- 204 lbs
Sept 2003- 220 lbs
August 2004- 177 lbs

See it's a journey, not a destination Your doing great girl! Keep it up!
Chris

March:19 lbs
April: 13 lbs
May: 14 lbs
June: 10 lbs
July: 8 lb
Aug (to date) 2 I didn't weigh in this week! (missed it)

Average 2.75 lbs per week.. I had a real plateau in July and August so far.. well we'll see I missed my weigh in.. I have been out of town until today!

I have restricted calories a little more starting yesterday.. I have got to get this last 19 lbs outta here!!

Geesh, I wish I was still losing 19 lbs a month!! Now that would be great!!

I have an excel spreadsheet that I use. I keep it on my web site and update it weekly. Here is a link. http://thehman.com/WeightChart.xls You are doing great Sarah keep up the good work.

I'm new so I'll just write it down like this.
7/9 – 239
7/14 – 234
7/21 -234
7/28 -230
8/4 – 229
8/11 -229

10 lbs total

I just wanted to thank ALL of you guys for your responses, and for your oh-so-nice support. I really, really appreciate it! I'm glad I looked at the numbers in this way, so I can respond now! Knowledge is indeed power! Now if it turns out that I don't actually have power over it, then I'll live with it peacefully -- but I don't believe that. I know I can do a little better and not compromise my health or ability to keep it off.

I really appreciated hearing about your losses and also getting your perspectives (meaningful nod to rochemist here) -- Howie, I have to go to bed now (gotta get up early to work out before work ) but I'm going to check out your spreadsheet tomorrow at work. Thank you SO much for posting it.

Dana, you are such a good friend, and I have love in my heart for you, sweet pal-o-mine!

Everybody, as always, thank you -- you guys are just the best.

And hey, if anyone else feels like posting their results, I would truly LOVE to see them -- and I KNOW I can't be alone in that!! I just think it's so interesting to hear!

Congrats to all who are doing so well!!

I feel like I will bum everyone out with this, but here goes. The first year I lost an average of a little over a pound a week. This year, I'm losing less per week. I started into this thinking I could lose 100 lbs. in a year, but I didn't, and that's okay with me. I'm probably not even going to lose 100 lbs. in two years, and that's okay with me, too. Hopefully I can be an example to other slow losers (and the over 50 crowd!) out there that if you just keep on plugging along, you will eventually get there.

Sheila

Thanks so much for posting your numbers - it didnt bum me out at all, quite the opposite, its reassuring to know that there are others out there!. I am a 'slow loser' (and I'm still under 40!), not sure why, but I am quite reconciled to the fact, and know that I will get there in the end. My average is also just over a pound a week; Ive been tracking my weight loss since November 2003, and I've lost 40lbs. I think, for me, the good thing is that I feel this lifestyle is totally sustainable - and most of the time it doesn't take much effort, really. Thanks for sharing - I am really motivated and encouraged to hear that someone else has determinedly stuck at it for so long!

Sheila, your numbers didn't bum me out either.. my mom is 50 and trying to lose weight and I've told her that she should expect to lose weight twice as slow as me. (partly a joke because I'm 25, she's twice my age). Anyways, the reason I told her this is because her metabolism is slower, and if she loses weight too quickly she'll end up with loose skin. If you are losing, and are happy with whats happening, keep going!

Mez, Howie, Sheila, Claire, and Amy Jo -- thanks for responding!

Howie, your spreadsheet is AWESOME! And it looks like your goals are completely reasonable and well-thought out...AND you're beating them! You've come back so beautifully from your little baby gain time -- that is SO great! I love that you use that spreadsheet......I started to do that, but I also log my food, water, exercise, and weight in my DietPower software (I get graphs comparing my goals to my actual weight and a bunch of other stuff) so I stopped using the Excel spreadsheet because it was sort of duplicating the work. But if I were still using it, I'd have noticed the 7 pounds/4 week thing sooner. Thank you for sharing it.

Sheila, I completely agree with Claire -- your post did not bum me out in the slightest. I had exactly the same response as she, in that I find your focus and progress inspiring!! You don't waver from your goal, and you're seeing it through to completion with an attitude that is both positive and pragmatic. I find that impressive and extremely motivating! We're all different, but our goals are still pretty much the same --- so the road to Rome will be different for each of us. If it turns out that I need to adjust my expectations as you did, then I will call on all my stores of flexibility and wisdom to do so with the same grace you displayed. You'e made enormous progress -- you're healthier, you look simply beautiful, and the positive changes you've made in your life are lasting. Sheila, I think you're doing just beautifully, and I respect the heck out of you.

Amy Jo, you sweetheart, I don't think you should be embarassed at all -- you've lost 40 freaking pounds!! In posting my loss stat's, the very LAST thing I wanted to do was to send any kind of message that anything less than lightening speed is unacceptable.....this is hard for all of us, and we're not doing this work in a vacuum. Far from it; all of us here have complicated lives, with responsibilities and other commitments swirling around each of us, so if there's a time when our loss slows or even stalls, the key is that we're not slipping back into the destructive or unhealthy behaviors that got us to our highest weights. We're all learning as we go!! In posting my stuff and voicing my concern over my rate of loss, I was just sort of reaching out in a moment of mild dismay because I had disappointed myself.....I realize now that I wasn't doing everything I could to succeed -- if I had, I think I could have done better. But that's life, right? I'm just glad I recognized it during this little evaluation I was doing to gear up for the second leg of my journey. I'm a third of the way there, and what worked in the first third might not in the second, and so forth.....so I just wanted to check in with myself and others to gauge where I am compared to other people who are losing or who have lost. But really, this numbers thing was about me, and how I'm doing compared to how I could be doing. I truly never wanted to put pressure on anyone else, or make anyone else feel embarassed or badly! ((((((((Amy Jo)))))))) I think you're doing really, really well!!!!!!!

Ok, this is a link to Dave Draper's article on HIIT. In short, it's a method of performing cardio that has been proven to increase your metabolic rate after you've stopped doing the cardio; it also has been proven to increase fat loss. In a nutshell, you're periodically spiking your energy output during cardio exercise during a 20 minute (or less) cardio session. You really shouldn't even be able to go longer than 20 minutes. It's currently advised for folks who are really focusing on fat loss and don't have hours and hours to spend on cardio. It's also been proven to really positively impact your cardiovascular health significantly.

I really recommend you read what Dave Draper has to say about it on his site; you'll find there also a link to some more REALLY good information!

I'll be interested to hear what you think. Hope this helps!