[motiv8me]

Well obviusly i am more than 60 lbs away from my goal, but i am so bummed i cannot see the future. If I lost at least 40 lbs i would not feel so bad any more. How long did it take you to lose a significant amount of weight (that have gotten to that point? and what do you do in your beginning stages? how did you keep yourself motivated?

[macomer]

I lost about 75 pounds in almost two years... it takes a while and its a process but it is SOOOOOOOOO SOSOSOSOSSOSOSOOOO WORTH IT!!!

The motivation will come by the truckload when you start to see the results... losing weight actually gets very addictive! Once you start hearing other people's compliments and start to feel better about yourself, you will be motivated to push yourself even further!

YOU CAN DO IT

[luvja]

It depends on the person. losing 2 lbs a week is a healthy rate. Everyone is different.

[CurvaceousCutie]

depends on what ur doing as far as eating n excersizing. and luvja is right ur supp only lose 2lbs a week. is there any special reason 40lbs?

[raw23]

At 2 lbs a week, you're look at about 5 months. Dont fret though! It took a while to gain the weight, and it will take a while to lose it. It's frustating. But worth it. After you realize and accept that it's going to be a journey (and possibly a long one), it becomes easier.

Good luck!

[motiv8me]

CurvaceousCutie
I think my special reason is that i will finally be out of the 200Lb club and closer to being the size i was when i met my husband (170).

[Here we go again]

Everybody is different. It's taken me 4 1/2 months to lose 30 pounds, but I've lost a lot of inches. I'm focused more on inches than weight, although losing weight does help me stay motivated. I have a pair of size 14 gap jeans hanging in my window... every time I step in my room I see them. It helps me exercise and eat right. I'm getting into those babies soon!

You have to find what works for you to keep your motivation.

[CountingDown]

It took me 4 months (7/4/07 - 11/6/07) using calorie counting and exercising about 250-300 minutes each week.

[Want2LiveLife]

I think what everyone has said is correct. A healthy weekly range for weight loss is 2-3 lbs a week. Some weeks it comes off easier (and perhaps a lb or two more) and sometimes it comes off slower. The weight loss process is a journey, as said above. I have to keep telling myself this all the time. Good things are worth the wait, and keep that in mind. Your hard work will pay off. Think of it this way- although you haven't met the 40 lb goal, think of what you HAVE met.

-You've started your weight loss journey. That's the biggest thing! You've decided to make a change!
-You've already lost some, and that is worth noting. See, your work is paying off!

Anything worth doing, is worth doing well. So don't give up and don't let your immediate gratification (or lack of) turn you off. Stay motivated by knowing you are making better choices that inturn will better your quality of life. Think swimsuits and sunshine! Good luck!! Look forward to speaking with you again!

[bethbeth]

I think it is important to set small goals that you can celebrate along the way. I get excited about everything....every 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 5% lost, 10 % lost. Thinking about 50 or 60 pounds is way too much. Small goals that you know you can reach and celebrate are so much better!

[vdaybaby]

It definitely does depend on the person. I heard that doctors recommend a slow rate of about a .4 pound loss a week (1 pound a month). This has been the rate I have been losing at, but I lose REALLY slow compared to a lot of ladies on here.

It has taken me about 6 months to lose 15 pounds...if you are really committed and do everything almost perfectly then it shouldn't take that long

[TJFitnessDiva]

It took me about 4 months to take off 40 pounds....everyone is different though! I agree about setting smaller goals, that way it doesn't seem like an impossible job.

[motiv8me]

Thanks so much for the encouraging words!!!

[Thighs Be Gone]

I started my new ways in June. Initially I was dependent upon packaged foods that gave me exact calories and such. Exercise is good so get moving--but absolutely first and foremost, you must control your calories. Do some research and decide what your caloric intake should be and try it for a week. LOG YOUR FOOD! Drink your water and lots of it. Eat fiber. Good luck. My gosh, it is so worth every bit of effort.

ETA: Began size 18 and now in size 8.

[PhotoChick]

RAther than using a hard number per week - 2 lbs, 1 lb, whatever, I prefer to go by the guideline that bases your rate of loss on your current bodyweight.

In other words, you should expect to lose 1% of your bodyweight per week, on average. I weigh 161, so I expect to lose about 1.6 lbs a week.

But you also have to keep in mind the "on average" part. I know that the week of my period I won't lose weight - whether I lose fat or not, the scale will not move. I know, in fact that it will go up by 3-5 lbs the week of my period. I also know that the week after my period it will go down again. Sometimes it'll drop just the 3-5 lbs of retained water from my period, and sometimes it'll drop even more, if I've lost fat as well.

But on AVERAGE ... over a period of time, I can count on losing around 1.6 lbs a week.

At least until I drop more weight. And then my weight loss will slow again.

I try not to put a timeline on my weight loss ... not to say that I don't keep some mental goals (like, I'd like to lose 10 more lbs by the first of the year), but I don't really set them as hard goals - just something to motivate me as I go along.

.