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Old 01-07-2013, 10:43 AM   #1  
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Default It had taken me a year to lose 38 pounds O.O

Hi all,

I hope you are having a great 2013 so far!

I guess I want to vent here and ask for advice.
As the subject state, it has taken me a year to lose 38 pounds.
And I know it's great to lose slowly but this is REALLY slow here.
I eat well (except for Saturdays because it keeps me from binge eating the rest of the week),
I eat a good amount (I count calories), I do the treadmill 3 times a week, and I walk my dogs daily.
There has got to be a better way!
I'm only 35 years old. I don't think it should be taking this long.
On average I lose 0.5 of a pound a week but there have been so many weeks
when I have lost nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the amount I have lost but I would like
it to me a little more, you know?

Any words of wisdom, guys?

Thanks! And Happy New Year!
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Old 01-07-2013, 10:48 AM   #2  
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I will start by saying 38 pounds is GREAT! I've GAINED nearly twice that in a year before, so you're moving in the right direction!


My words of "wisdom" (if you could really call them that lol) would be to look at how much your Saturdays are calorie-wise. If it's enough that it's undoing a large portion of your deficit, that may be it. If it keeps you from binging you may want to keep it in place but scale it back a little.

The only other place to look would be to your Sunday - Friday calories. What does that intake look like?

Anyway it goes, keep up the good work. You ARE losing. I do understand the desire to lose faster though! Take a look at your calorie intake and go from there.
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Old 01-07-2013, 10:52 AM   #3  
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Biggest piece of advice? Keep going!!! In another year, you'll be down another 40lbs - that's 80lbs! You may have found what works for you. Keep in mind that not only have you lost the weight, but you've kept it off for a year - that's definitely something to proud of over losing it quickly and then regaining because you couldn't stand the diet anymore. I bet if you reflect on the past year, you'll find that you've made a lot of permanent changes that will keep you moving forward - AND keep you thin for life once you've made it all the way there. The reality of weight loss is that in some sense, we never really "get there." It's always a process - you're losing or maintaining but you're really doing just about the same thing. I'd be afraid to change it up too much. If you think you could restrict calories more and not bring on a binge, then do it. Otherwise, just keep on, keepin' on. Some of us work better in different ways than others.
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Old 01-07-2013, 10:54 AM   #4  
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Lets put it in perspective - I've taken four years to lose 93 pounds, and I'm only 26. There is no should'ves or norms with weight loss, except that the general rule is people don't keep it off and get fatter every year they age. If you're bucking that trend, like me, you win.
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Old 01-07-2013, 10:56 AM   #5  
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Take a look at what you are eating,maybe clean up your diet.I would change up the exercise too.Your body gets used to the same routine time to shake things up!
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Old 01-07-2013, 11:35 AM   #6  
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You're doing great and I'll give you the one thing that comforts me (I lose about 10 lbs a year, this past year I didn't lose any, I gained!).

The good thing about losing slowly and steadily is the following:

1) It makes the habits ingrained and part of your daily life. You're not on a "diet" that's temporary and ready to be turned off when you reach your goal weight, you're making lifetime changes

2) It gives your body time to catch up. Your mind will catch up to the changes in your body, making today the new normal. Your body itself will catch up to the lower weight, in terms of making the skin not be too stretch and flabby.

Even if you do want to speed things up, you can, but you have to weigh the risks and benefits of doing more drastic changes to your life. I lose slowly in part because I am unwilling to drastically cut my calories and make myself miserable in the process. I am working on finding a long-term solution to my weight issue.
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Old 01-07-2013, 11:49 AM   #7  
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Welcome to the club. I am also a painfully slow loser, and half of my weigh loss came off in the form of diets that took off large chunks at once, followed by long periods of healthy calorie counting dieting that got me nowhere, or gave me really small losses. It's really frustrating, but also good. I have lost the weight and I did it without severely restricting my food choices or calories, all the time.

Since I started 2.5 years ago, I've lost 60 pounds. It amounts to roughly 2 pounds a month. I think my loss is slower because I'm older (in my 30s, I could lose 2 pounds a week), but also because I've taken a different approach. While I'd like to lose faster, I also don't want to feel hungry. My lifestyle has changed, and I can't diet like I used to be able to diet. What I do is what I have to do.

The only thing I would do if I were you, is curb your Saturday eating. You don't have to give it up, but that's the only thing I can think of that might slow you down.

But you don't have to. You can keep going just like you are because you are losing and you're doing it in such a way that you can stick with your plan! That's really not a bad thing!!
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Old 01-07-2013, 12:39 PM   #8  
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Have you talked with a Dr. or Nutritionist about setting up a specific plan? I've found phase 1 of SB causes me to drop between 15 an 30 pounds i the first 2 weeks. Maybe switching off an on would help? (I'm in no way a Dr. just trying to offer a suggestion)
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Old 01-07-2013, 01:40 PM   #9  
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I'm only 24, and I lost thirty pounds this past year. I'm right there with you that it's frustrating. I love BeachBreeze's perspective though, and that's how I just try to look at it. By this time next year, if I lost the same amount of weight, I'd be at the lowest weight in my adult life. That is definitely not something to turn my nose up at! I've spent a year gaining this amount of weight before, so this is a nice change. Plus, I feel at my current lifestyle, I'm able to deal with the stress that is going on in my life right now (which I think is a major factor in just how slowly my weight is coming off). This is really important to me - to have made healthy changes in my lifestyle that I can maintain while under stress.

My goal to boost my weight loss this next year is to refocus on a few "problem areas" I still have in my eating, but also to boost my exercise. Maybe try incorporating some more intense cardio and a little weight training? I feel like I lose at a quicker rate by incorporating some cardio and weight training a few days a week. When I was running (before my relapse and regain), the weight seemed to peel off of me. While in my heart I try to say that I am doing these things for the exercise and health goals themselves (like run a 5k), I know that it's also about wanting to see that number drop faster. I think the secret is to not let the latter part of that motivation drive you insane, though.

I think it's so important to remind ourselves of the healthy changes we've made so far and congratulate ourselves. I actually THINK about the food going into my body now, which is such a huge change in mindset. I am binge-free. I said no to a doughnut last night. I've learned that I LOVE to MOVE and more about my relationship with food than ever before. So, while I understand wanting to boost your weight loss (which we share as a goal), just try to keep in mind all the great changes you have made so far. Those successes to me mean a lot more than a number on the scale.

Last edited by Song of Surly; 01-07-2013 at 01:46 PM.
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Old 01-07-2013, 01:40 PM   #10  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LockItUp View Post

My words of "wisdom" (if you could really call them that lol) would be to look at how much your Saturdays are calorie-wise. If it's enough that it's undoing a large portion of your deficit, that may be it. If it keeps you from binging you may want to keep it in place but scale it back a little.

The only other place to look would be to your Sunday - Friday calories. What does that intake look like?
I agree with this. I used to eat perfectly during the week and then go over on the weekends. During that time I ran on the treadmill 5 days a week for 30 min. I don't think I lost any weight (although lost dress sizes). The weekend was my undoing and I thought my perfect week and lots of exercise would make up for it. It didn't, sadly.

Your 30s also has something to do with it. I always expect to lose weight the same way as I did in my 20s and it's just absolutely not the same.
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Old 01-07-2013, 01:51 PM   #11  
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Personally I think a 38 lb loss in one year is fantastic. It's taken me 3 years to lose 47 lbs.

Congrats on your loss!
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Old 01-07-2013, 03:05 PM   #12  
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I'm unaware of any scientific data that says losing weight slowly is preferred to losing it rapidly other than the correlation type studies.

I don't think 38 lbs is a small amount of fat to lose I think, like others, it is a tremendous amount.

If you want to lose faster, reduce intake and/or increase output.

How many calories do you eat during the week - why not count on a Saturday and see how much you're eating?

When you walk the dogs are you walking briskly or just shuffling along? How long does a walk last?

What does your treadmill activity consist of? Do you do it at a gym? Would you consider weight lifting?

Or - as was pointed out - you can keep doing what you're doing. Obviously it is working.
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Old 01-07-2013, 03:08 PM   #13  
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I don't have any great words of wisdom but I do want to say 'Keep Going'.

We often don't do things because 'it will take too long'. Guess what? The time is going to pass anyway.

Good Luck!
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Old 01-07-2013, 03:35 PM   #14  
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Congratulations on losing 38 pounds. That's how much I've lost too! I feel ecstatic about it and the changes it has wrought. You should, too. Lots of great advice here.

I echo the question of what do your treadmill workouts look like? I walked extremely briskly (4.2 mph) on the treadmill last night and couldn't get my heart rate over 120. But when I do the elliptical it's in the 130s, and when I do the stairmaster it's in the 150s (I'm in my late 40s). Maybe if you are comfortable on it, and have access to one) you could try using the elliptical a couple of times a week, in place of the treadmill. You would likely increase the amount of calories that you burn, in the same number of minutes.
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Old 01-07-2013, 04:16 PM   #15  
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^^That's a great suggestion!!^^ Take advantage of the added cardiovascular ability that you are building to increase your intensity. No more time taken in your schedule and you'll burn more calories. You may even enjoy it more to add a challenge. Even just an extra 100 or 200 per session will add up!
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