Looking for Encouragement - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

NEMom · 04-25-2011, 12:03 PM

I am having a pity party today. I have been working on losing weight for about two months and have only lost 11 pounds. I gained one last week and lost one this week. The weight is coming off soo slowly and it is so frustrating. I am counting calories, keeping it between 1300-1400 calories a day and exercising three to four times a week.
I have been able to go from 8 minutes on the elipitical to 25 minutes but the weight is not coming off.
Logically, I know it is a journey and not a race but when I see people posting on facebook about losing 25lbs a month I feel soo defeated.

Txalupa · 04-25-2011, 12:12 PM

Hi!

You are doing a great job! I know it's very difficult to tune out the noise on Facebook in EVERY aspect of life. Friends getting married, friends having kids, friends losing weight, friends getting new cars, buying a new house, etc.

I think in this technological world, we often have so many visual reminders of all of the jealousy-inducing tough stuff that is coming in through the computer that we forget that we are doing well in our own lives.

Maybe to appreciate your own success, remind yourself daily of why your way works for YOU. How you plan on keeping healthy for life, and what makes it worth it. Losing 11 lbs is amazing. Slow and steady truly wins the race, and learning a new life style takes small changes and perseverence before it becomes second nature.

You are awesome, and you will reach your goals!! Focus on you!

zoodoo613 · 04-25-2011, 12:43 PM

11 lbs is great progress! I've been at it about 6 weeks and I've lost 10 lbs. It looks like our other stats are pretty similar too. It is frustrating when the scale moves slowly, or not at all, or worse, in the wrong direction. But you know you're making progress. The fact that you can do the elliptical 3 time longer than you began is amazing! Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll get there.

Did you see the thread on here: Who's the slowest loser? It's really not about how fast you can take it off, it's about keeping at it.

WendeeLou · 04-25-2011, 12:51 PM

Ma'am- dont you feel one single bit bad about that! You are doing this the the right way! A TON of my friends "drop" weight like that too, but its because they do things like HCG, or only eat lettuce and excersice a million hours a week.

You are taking the weight off at a VERY reasonable and healthy way.. 1-2 pounds per week. I know thats not what we want to hear, but its the truth sister, your results will be long lasting becausue you are making a lifestyle change, not just a quick fix. It has taken me 10 months to lose 20 pounds, so dont even sweat it!!

You are doing awesome, and I bet your clothes are fitting better and you feel healthier all the way around. You arent starving and you have more energy AND you are losing.. That should be a great feeling girl!

You are doing awesome! Keep up the good work!

OhMyDogs · 04-25-2011, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEMom

I am having a pity party today. I have been working on losing weight for about two months and have only lost 11 pounds. I gained one last week and lost one this week. The weight is coming off soo slowly and it is so frustrating. I am counting calories, keeping it between 1300-1400 calories a day and exercising three to four times a week.
I have been able to go from 8 minutes on the elipitical to 25 minutes but the weight is not coming off.
Logically, I know it is a journey and not a race but when I see people posting on facebook about losing 25lbs a month I feel soo defeated.

I was having the same problem, and like you found it VERY discouraging. I was losing 1lb a week, and with so much to lose, it seemed pointless. I was eating 1200 calories a day. Someone suggested I up my calories to about 1800 a day, and since doing that, I have been losing about 3lbs a week on average. Which has been making it much more bearable. Maybe upping your calories just a little would help? I don't know. Just a thought, and something that worked for me, granted I do weigh a fair bit more than you do.

konfyoozed · 04-25-2011, 01:13 PM

just remember that 1-2lbs a week is the HEALTHY way to lose weight! you're much more likely to keep it off at that pace than speeding through weight loss with crash diets. plus, your skin will be much more able to keep up with your shrinking body and you'll more easily avoid saggy skin in the end.

11 pounds is wonderful, have you picked up something that weighs 11lbs? it's not exactly a feather.

try varying the sources of your calories to see what works for you. carbs and sodium tend to stick to people in different ways. maybe some of your foods are causing you to retain water in the process and slowing down your loss?

Elladorine · 04-25-2011, 01:23 PM

Have you seen this thread? http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...loser-3fc.html

ETA: Oops, looks like someone already beat me to introducing you to it!

But glad to see you've checked it out.

NEMom · 04-25-2011, 01:37 PM

Thank you all for the pep talk. I did read through the Slowest Loser thread and it made me feel better.
I do know slow and stead will win the race but sometimes the negitative talk interfers.
You support is what makes this forum so awsome!

beerab · 04-25-2011, 01:45 PM

ONLY 11 lbs? Girl you can NOT put ONLY and 11 pounds together that is amazing!

You should celebrate every pound and also don't just think about the pounds but think about how you look and feel now! 11 lbs can mean a difference of being pre-diabetic or not. 11 lbs is 55 lbs of pressure off your knees!

I am a super slow loser, last month I think I lost TWO lbs, but it's two pounds forever gone! Don't worry about anyone else but yourself. I think you are doing great, 1300-1400 calories a day and working out 3-4 times a week sounds PERFECT to me

ShanIAm · 04-25-2011, 02:12 PM

Yeah, and quite a few of those people who lost 25 pounds in a month will be complaining shortly about how they gained it back and then some. YOU are doing it the right way and the healthy way! And 11 pounds in 2 months is a GREAT accomplishment! You should not feel defeated AT ALL! And I think it’s time for you to start doing measurements instead of focusing on that number on the scale. Especially now that you are exercising. I gained 2 pounds the week I started to work out but I lost inches.

You are doing beautifully. This is about YOU…..not how others are doing. And in my opinion, they will be the ones being defeated by themselves if they are not losing the healthy and sustainable way. You are NOT in that category!

AriRuns · 04-25-2011, 03:56 PM

In the four months since I've been trying to lose weight, 10 of those pounds were lost in the first three months, and the other 9 have been in the last month. It's completely frustrating to know that you're doing everything right and it's just not working. I was eating 1200 calories a day and working out 5-6 days a week (running, martial arts... pretty intense exercise), and losing less than a pound a week.

For the last month I've been doing a South Beach-ish plan. I've cut out most sugar, refined carbs, etc. For me, it turns out that what I'm eating is more important than how much. I'm not keeping track these days, but I'm definitely eating more calories than I was, and I'm losing so much faster!

Play around with it. Like someone else suggested, maybe increase your calories for awhile and see what that does. Calorie-cycling, reducing sugar, etc. These plans work differently for all of us, so there is definitely a process of finding out what works best for you!

Good luck!

AZ Sunrises · 04-25-2011, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NEMom

I am having a pity party today. I have been working on losing weight for about two months and have only lost 11 pounds. I gained one last week and lost one this week. The weight is coming off soo slowly and it is so frustrating. I am counting calories, keeping it between 1300-1400 calories a day and exercising three to four times a week.
I have been able to go from 8 minutes on the elipitical to 25 minutes but the weight is not coming off.
Logically, I know it is a journey and not a race but when I see people posting on facebook about losing 25lbs a month I feel soo defeated.

You do realize that at this rate, you'll be down over 60 lbs at your one year anniversary, right?

stacygee · 04-25-2011, 05:25 PM

You are doing a great job. Just give it time. Don't rush or you'll burn yourself out! When I started I could only do the elliptical 2 minutes.... a year later I do it for an hour. Keep up the work on your calories and your exercise and the pounds will continue to come off!

Twyla1134 · 04-25-2011, 07:56 PM

What's the difference between the South Beach diet and the Atkins diet? Aren't they both low carb?

beerab · 04-25-2011, 08:55 PM

South beach focuses on lean meats and whole grains, etc. Atkins is not as fat conscientious from my experience. Atkins counts carbs a bit more strictly while south beach isn't as restrictive in the number of carbs you eat and doesn't place restrictions like Atkins. Both are good plans but for me I liked South Beach better.