So I used to lose 2-3 lbs a week now I'm lucky to lose 6lbs a month. I generally lose 3 lbs 2 weeks of the month and nothing the other 2 weeks. This month I'm at a bit of a stall. I know why. I just started weight training 4-5 weeks ago and I've been slacking off a little too much on the weekends. So I'm going to tighten things up on my cals to really focus on these last 10 and try not to get to upset if the scale doesn't cooperate because I'm also going to step up my intensity on my weight training session too. But I'm just curious how difficult those last 10 lbs were.
VERY. Two years later I am still struggling with 5 of them! I'm sure part of it is that I feel so much better about myself that I will choose to indulge more, because I know I am healthy now and I look much better, but even when I'm really trying and not indulging it's very hard.
I'm working on the last 20 but thinking of calling it the last 10 instead. I have really had a hard time seeing results, but am finally on a downtrend. At this point, 130 looks like a long time down the road. Will see what I think when I get to 140. Good luck, ncuneo. You have done so well!
About 8 weeks including two weeks of my weight staying the same. It actually sped up in the last two weeks. The weird thing was that I'd made a snap decision that I would go on maintenance at the start of June even if I wasn't at the goal I had set, and then I lost 5lb over two weeks. I had relaxed slightly over time and I think setting a time limit helped focus me to be extra careful.
As you can see from my sig, it took me a bit over three months to lose the last 10 lbs. It slows down more and more the closer you get to your goal because each pound is now a larger percentage of your body weight. Consider that 10 lbs, when you're 200lbs, is 5% of your body weight. 10 lbs when you're 140 is 7.15% of your body weight.
Paperclippy, what a great way to think about it! It make the last ten pounds seem like such an accomplishment when you think of it in terms of percent of your body weight!
The final 10 were awful to lose, truthfully. In reality, it wasn't bad, but after a fast rate of loss like you had, it feels like a snail's pace.
I was averaging 10 lbs/month, then I flatlined...for weeks. Eventually what worked for me was:
1. Limiting carbs to <100g/day
2. Limiting sugars (natural only) to <35g/day
3. Mixing up my workouts - I did treadmill (jogging), pilates, Jillian Michael's DVDs, yoga, etc. I tried to do something different 6x/week.
4. Upping the water intake big time (at least 100oz/day)
5. Averaging 1100-1200 calories per day, but mixing up my foods (don't eat the same thing every day)
6. Really watching sodium intake
7. Upping protein
It seems like a lot of change, but over the course of about 2.5 weeks, the last 10 finally came off. I'm now in the process of stabilizing to a more 'normal' diet, which includes healthy carbs & dairy and is lower in protein than previously.
I hope some of this helps. It WILL happen - just focus on your health & let the scale move when it is ready.
Maintainers - How hard were those last 10lbs?
