That's how I feel about my weightloss. I haven't even hit 20 pounds yet. I keep telling myself its not a race blah blah blah. Trying to look at the nsv's I've had as in I ran my first 5K But I am dreaming, yearning to be under 200 pounds. How do you get over these times when everything is just going so slow? I've got 50 more to lose, I can't peter out now.

I know how you feel. It took me months and months to lose 20 pounds. I've been going at this since the beginning of the year and have reached a grand total of 28.something pounds lost.

But you know what? I wouldn't trade it for the world. Slow loss irks some people, and it certainly frustrated me. But I came to accept that it was just something I was going to have to deal with. Going back is not an option for me at this point, and the slow losses really helped me come to terms with that. I think it actually helped strengthen my commitment. I didn't have the weekly thrill of large weight losses to help propel me forward - I had to decide for myself that this was worth sticking to.

And it is. And here I am, in the 180's for the first time in I don't know how long, fitting into 12's for the first time since middle school. It's totally worth it. Stick with it and you won't ever regret it

crazy4weightloss--my sympathies completely. It's so deeply frustrating when you feel like you're putting it so much effort and it's simply not showing up on the scales! But congratulations to you for sticking to it--and for running your first 5K!! I'm totally in awe of that! :-D

suitejudyblueeyes--you're so right. I'm in the same position as crazy4weightloss--feeling frustrated at lack of changes. But it's about changing how I think. It's something I'm trying to work on and shift.

In truth, your attitude is one that is setting you up for long-term SUCCESS, because it means that you'll be able to maintain! Right now my whole brain is so tied in with the results that I see on the scale that I feel all annoyed it's not reflecting all this effort I'm going to. But that's how it's going to be in maintenance, too, once I finally do achieve a weight I'll be happy with. So, working on how I think about that--and changing it--will hopefully help me start consistently good choices for the sake of it, knowing that the weight loss will follow!

here's my sad tale of woe....

i'm losing .6 pounds per week on average. not a pound. about half a pound a week. ON AVERAGE.

of course losing .6 pounds per week on average is not a lot. THIS week.

but over 122 weeks it's 75 pounds.... and it adds up.

that means that while this week I lost nearly 5 pounds I have not had a successful loss for maybe 6 weeks before that. or longer.

weight loss is like that. it's dreadfully slow if you do it right....

but the truth is the changes need to be permanent... so what's the rush?

I've been doing WW since March and have lost a total of 28 pounds at this point. I will admit/confess -- I haven't done my best which is part of the reason for my slow loss (being SO overweight, if I would stick to it, I would definitely loss at least 2 pounds a week, at least for a while -- I usually do). However, if I wasn't losing/trying --- I know for me I would just continue to gain, last summer a whopping 40 lbs. So, this year instead of adding another 40 lbs to my already overweight/taxed body -- I've taken 28 lbs off.

Keep it up -- any loss shows your commitment to yourself and your health

I was one of those people that lost 19 pounds in one month. But now I've lost 4 pounds in a month & 1/2. I was frustrated at first and still do get frustrated, but I've still lost 23 pounds in a little under 2 1/2 months. I'm working out, eating healthier, and I FEEL better. I still have a lot to lose, but the point is that I'm losing whether it's pounds, ounces, or inches. *totally talking to myself* lol

I am happy with what I've done, the changes I have made. It's just weird, I went from eating crap, and I mean fast food a couple times a day, snacking on chips all day, soda all that so when I changed my eating habits you'd like your body would accept it and it would show on the scale.

I'm going to keep on trucking on. Like Jamie said, I have no other option. I can't let myself go up again.

Thanks for the support. I got off my sorry a$$ and ran 3 miles this morning. Just keep on going.......

I'm with yah! When I think of how much my diet has changed - the high fat convenience foods that I used to eat - and the healthier whole foods I'm eating now - I sometimes get discouraged & think "hey, the pounds should be melting off!" So what I've been in the habit of doing is going to the grocery store. Yes, you heard me right - the grocery store. And I stack # lbs of butter in my carrying basket that I've lost to-date. It's a very surprising visual & physical aid! Try it! & Keep on keeping on girl

What great suggestions!

Cher37, I'll have to give that a try next time I'm feeling down! Heck, in lbs of butter, even a pound or two would look impressive. Great idea!

It's also great reading everyone else's stories about just pushing on through stalled weight loss.

ladybugness--that's so inspiring to hear--nothing in weeks, then 5 pounds in a week.

:-)

I think I'm in the same boat re the idea of better to hold steady than to gain! Maybe if I tell myself that even maintaining is good and if I have to eat this way to maintain, then so be it. Hopefully that kind of thought process will help me push through!!

I, too, am stalled at this weight. I have even been teetering back and forth and I am sticking to my points and running two miles a day. I am wondering if anyone has tried any tricks in order to get their bodies losing again. I would be thrilled with 1 pound a week. Are there certain foods that boost the metabolism or tricks on the treadmill?

thanks but i think you are focusing on the wrong thing here. it's not the 5 pounds lost.... it's the weeks and weeks and weeks and months (yes i once went THREE MONTHS losing and gaining the same 3 pounds) that I keep going. it's the weeks and weeks and weeks of seeing that .2 movement. that .4 gain. then the .6 drop.... over and over and over.

my point is that losing weight is NOT about LOSING weight... Losing weight is about getting healthy and we get healthy so we can live long lives and that's forever, not for a wedding (I was 300 pounds at my last wedding), not for a reunion, not for a party... but for myself. for life.

I'm 48 years old and i've dieted on and off since high school even though in high school I was taller and I weighed Less than my goal is now, I thought i was FAT.

If I had learned then what I learned later in life, I'd not be here... i'd be maintaining a healthy body... I am just playing catch up now.

ya gotta just keep doing it no matter what the scale says... because... what other choice do we have?

Very very true. I always am trying to tell myself its not about the number on the scale. I started off this journey not just to lose weight but my biggest motivator was that I didn't want to die of heart disease, or have high blood pressure, get diabetes etc. So the first time in my life, I started to change my eating habits not for weight loss but for the health aspect. The weight loss is just a bonus. I'm glad I posted this, because it has made me remember why I started this journey, and the weightloss wasn't the top reason. Thanks you for helping me realize that

up .8 UGH UGH!!!!! Here is the last 4 weeks

9/8/08 204.6
9/1/08 203.8
8/25/08 205.2
8/18/08 205.2

Would you be amenable to posting a couple sample menus for us, perhaps having fresh eyes look at your eating plan can help you fine-tune it?

Great idea. I will do post what I eat today Problem is my journals are usually chicken scratch on a little piece of paper. Sometimes I just write the numbers not even what I eat. I will post my journal on this thread.