I've lost 70 pounds and I know I should be proud but then I realize I've only lost 35 of it this year. I was doing so well and now I realize I've been stagnate for a long time. I started walking three miles a day and I think I'm now losing inches (my size 12s fall off without unbuttoning) but the scale hasn't budged for a while. Is it normal to stagnate for 3 months? I was so proud with that 70 pound loss for so long, now not so much since I've been holding for so long. Oh, and the added benefit of losing all my weight is I now have high blood pressure. Don't most people correct things like blood pressure when they lose weight? When I started I was a consistent 120/80. Now I'm a consistent 155/95. It sucks.
70 lbs is an amazing accomplishment!!! And from what you said, you're experiencing a plateau, not gaining, which is also great. I would just keep at it and try to focus on how far you've come.
And I'm not sure about the blood pressure. Was this at the doctor or one of those machines they have at pharmacies??? My readings there are completely different than at my drs.
70 lbs. is amazing! I understand your frustration. Being stuck for 3 months does happen. I've seen quite a few people on here have very long plateaus. I think plateaus are a big part of why people give up. It sounds like you're not giving up...you're stepping it up by taking long walks. 3 miles a day is great! I think that might move things along again. Have you lost all that weight without working out? It's hard to know what you can do since you didn't say what you were doing. Do you count calories? As we lose weight, we need less and less calories in order to create a calorie deficit. You can create that deficit by either working out or eating less or both (which is ideal). Losing inches is a better indicator of success than pounds on the scale. If your pants are falling off of you, then you are actually losing weight! I used to know a woman who looked like she weighed 120 but she weighed 150. Really though, who cares about the scale? It really comes down to how you feel and how your clothes fit.
With regards to the blood pressure, it's hard to know....the body is so very complex. Have you increased your sodium intake? A lot of people (me included) will eat more processed foods because the calories are easy to gauge, but they are loaded with sodium. There are things that can be done to decrease blood pressure. Here's one article about that: http://www.prevention.com/lowerblood...ly/index.shtml
Please don't be sad. You have SO much to be proud of! You will lose the weight....just keep plugging along. It may take longer than you had hoped, but it will happen. What's the alternative? Giving up and then gaining back the weight? I've done that. It's not fun and then you're back at square one.
Hang in there! You may just need to tweak things a bit. You may need to cut back on calories just a bit or maybe increase weight training (which helps you burn calories at rest).
i was feeling pretty sorry for myself too when i realized that some months i had only lost 7lbs instead of 10. and then i looked at how much i've lost compared to how much i have to go and felt like what i've done really isn't an accomplishment at all.
last night though, i dug out the old clothes -- i fit into jeans that i haven't been able to wear for two years. and then, encouraged, i got the shirt that i wasn't able to fit over my shoulders last month and tried it on, and it fit.
maybe a shopping trip is in order?? nothing feels better than realizing that you've dropped a size, or even just being able to go into a store and try on clothes that you never would have dreamt of being able to fit into before. so therapeutic.
70 pounds is amazing but I can totally empathize. When I got into the 180s/170s things started to move around but weight comes off very. very. slowly. You have a lot less flub to lose now, so the muscle will be more apparent and your body will try to hold on to the fat stores. Just keep at it and know that you'll eventually settle where you should be.
On the BP, I second what luckymommy had to say. Avoid processed foods - especially processed carbs - as those have all kinds of additives (aside from sodium) that simply mess with your biochemistry.
Thanks everyone. I wasn't sure if moving slower the closer to goal was normal or not. To whoever said it, you are right, I am not gaining. I just didn't think a plateau would last so long. I thought they only lasted a month, not three or four.
Before I totaled my car and had to walk everywhere (the first walk was 13 miles) I was pretty much limited to 1 mile on the treadmill and that was about it. I took a month off from almost all exercise but didn't gain. Then I totaled the car and had to start walking. Then I realized I actually liked walking and started doing more and more. Now I make sure to do "the circle" which is a loop from my house, to the main road, down a short cut, and back to the house ~ three miles total. I usually do it every day if it's not too cold. Some days I carry a heavy backpack, other days I just hoof it with my coat and shoes. I actually never thought I would enjoy strapping on headphones and walking.
Oh, that first 13 mile walk, it took 8 hours. Now I can do "the loop" in less than an hour. Definite progression. I did notice that after my jeans that have never seen a dryer got accidentally dried, they went on very easily. I guess that's progress. Maybe I'll go hang out at Walmart and just try clothes on to see if maybe I'm in a 10 and don't know it yet.
Thanks again for the encouragement. I was just feeling down like I hadn't accomplished anything in so long that what I had accomplished meant very little. I will admit, losing the guy you like to a size 2 24 year old doesn't help the ego either.
Oh, the blood pressure ~ three trips to the doctor and the little machine at the pharmacy. I just can't afford the meds to control it. I've cut back on salt, I don't eat boxed foods or even Raman. That's the problem though, right now, so close to the end of the month, good food is hard to come by.
Funny you are seeing increased blood pressure. I have lost 63 pounds and my blood pressure is increasing with every pound. I am refusing to go on medication because it is so counterintuitive to what should be happening. I am just going to let it play out as I lose more weight. I have never had high blood pressure now it is 135/93. So WEIRD. I don't eat any salt or processed foods. It has something to do with my weight loss and extensive exercising I am convinced.
Have your weight loss efforts been geared towards specifically improving your health? Or simply towards being skinnier? Healthy isnt always the same as skinnier.
Losing 70lbs is indeed an amazing accomplishment, and nothing should take away from that. Own it. Live it. Love it. Applaud yourself.
You seem to have two NEW goals, beyond those 70lbs:
- improve blood pressure
- lose more weight
Set yourself up to achieve those goals by working towards them with appropriate diet (high in fiber, low in sat fat, veggie rich, etc) and workout regime.
You clearly are an achiever, so dont think of this as something you failed to do...think of these are new goals you know you can handle!
We have similar BMI's and I too have been stalled for a good three months or so. I lost 1 pound in October and .6 pounds in November. The jury is still out on December. Plateaus are normal...and frustrating. Power through. I figure it doesn't matter a bit how long this takes because this is how I eat now, period.
Did your doctor have any suggestions about why the BP is going up? I'm really curious about that.
WOw you sound just like me. I have lost 60 pounds. I have lost nothing in the last 4 months. In a size 12. Went to the doctor for a sinus infection about a month ago and my blood pressure was sky high! I have always had blood pressure on the very low side, even when I was very overweight. I too am frustrated that my blood pressure has gone up. I do know that with the holidays I have eaten a lot less healthy. I have not gained but not loss. And if I look back it was just before Halloween that I have my last good weight loss time. Then I hit candy, Thanksgiving, Christmas goodies, eating out more. I am now going back to fresh fruits, veggies, and baked chicken/fish. I would really like to lose another 15 pounds by summer.
No Longer All That Proud
nothing feels better than realizing that you've dropped a size, or even just being able to go into a store and try on clothes that you never would have dreamt of being able to fit into before. so therapeutic.
The jury is still out on December. 
Plateaus are normal...and frustrating. Power through. I figure it doesn't matter a bit how long this takes because this is how I eat now, period. 
