I'd been a yo yo dieter since I was 12 y/o. When I turned 40 in 2004 I said, "enough is enough." I was not going to diet anymore. I was going to learn to love me for me. I spent 21 months exploring my emotions and getting to know what really makes me tick. I came out the other side of this experiment a much more content person. One who really likes who I am. I also came out 35 pounds heavier. Now I loved me, but couldn't comfortably do the things I enjoy. Like riding bike or playing tennis with my children. In May 2006 I chose small changes. Drink all my water, add more fruits and veggies, exercise every other day. You notice that I did not take anything away. So far I've lost 31#. Abviously very slowly, but yet intentionally. I've lost so slowly that only the people who are closest to me even realise I've lost. This month I've walked or jogged 70 miles and have done 4.5 hours of yoga and or pilates. I can't honestly record any loss for this month.....Has anyone else chosen the slow road and are happy that you have but, still feel frustrated at times??? If so, please share with me. I never want to go back to hugely restrictive dieting. Just a little nudge of encouragement will get me through this.
Thanks

I'm a slow loser, not by choice. My body just doesn't seem to want to give up those extra pounds. Just stick to what you're doing and you'll eventually get to your goal. Think about how far you've come, how healthy you are now, and how great you feel at your lighter weight. That alone should be encouraging.

I am a very slow loser too I lost 12 lbs in a year ... but I lost it instead of gaining it

Slow wins the race and keeps the gold medal!! I wouldnt say i have lost exceedingly slow but i did lose 33 pounds my first year and 35 the next (7 or those 35 i had to relose because i gained when i started dating my boyfriend). I still have 10 or 15 pounds to reach the finish line but i continue to excersize and try to eat healthy and although i have only lost one pound in the past 3 months, i've also lost 1/2 inch all over. So....at least i am still toning up my body some while i may not be losing pounds. Just keep up the great work and before you know it, you'll be down another 31 pounds and feeling great!!!

Besides by losing pounds slowly, it gives your body a chance to keep up the pace with your inches lost.

I agree, slow and steady wins the race.

I lost slowly, but you know what?

I got there.

Hey! You have been doing something very interesting... good to see your experience!

There's a middle ground between overeating and "hugely restrictive dieting." You might find that if you tracked your calories, and consciously ate just a couple hundred less than you're used to every day--by substituting certain foods for others, for example--you could speed up your weight loss without feeling deprived.

You might not even have to track calories to make substitutions like these:

1% milk instead of whole milk.
2% fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat.
Switching to a non-dairy or powdered coffee creamer instead of using full-fat milk or half & half.
Switching to reduced fat salad dressings.
Having more vegetable snacks and fewer carb snacks

These are just some thoughts. I am in a slow place right now, too, but I know why that is. I'm trying to break free of it.

Good luck! You are doing well!

Jay

Lovnmom, I think that you are showing incredible wisdom and self-knowledge! You are on the right path and enjoying a healthy lifestyle, without any of the insanity that those who put their lives on hold until they are "thin" experience.
Slow and steady not only wins the race, but lets you smell the flowers along the way!

I gotta say Kudos to you for the changes you've made. 31# is an achievement, no matter how slow a loss it has been.

I agree with JayEll - if you feel you want a little more "oomph" to your loss, then maybe add a few more steps to what you're doing? Not being restrictive, but try subbing something low-fat or non-fat for something else you're currently eating? Or eliminate a fruit item and sub a veggie item?

Either way, you've done amazingly well ... be proud of yourself!!!

.

lovn
Oh my gosh you know how much I love you . You know I understand. I am on the slow road about 1 lb a week. Yes it is slow BUT what I am doing will last. I don't do without a thing. I have set general limits for myself and I pretty much stick with them. I get frustrated sometimes that I am not losing as fast as other people are BUT I have to keep remembering. I don't do without a thing. I enjoy the required amounts of all the four basic food groups a day and do exercise. You will get to where you want to be. It will just take time. Maybe keep track of what you are eating. Are you getting those required amounts of the four basic food groups in? Maybe you are eating a little to much of one group and not enough of another. You will be amazed how much you have to eat to get them in. Did you know 1/2 a banana ='s a fruit? There are times you do have to take things away. If you have this today you can't have that today also. Have that tomorrow. It becomes a balance of getting the foods in we need but not doing without the foods we love. HEY I still have mountain dew time once or twice a week lol.

This is why I love 3FC. You people are all so thoughtful and caring. I lost a grand total of .2 pounds for Feb., but you have helped me realise how that is a good thing. Traditionally Feb is a very hard month for me. Last year I gained 4# in Feb. Due to our snow and ice conditions, this year should have been one of the hardest. I know I hold the power for the difference, but I also know coming here faithfully every day giving and receiving support has made the marked difference in 2008.
Anyone else facing this destructive thought pattern?
I'm here and obviously so are many others to help you see how awesome you're doing!

Dory's Girl, Hang in there. You listen to your own advice and you'll do terrific.

Ilene, great job!

lumifan, You are doing terrific. Thanks so much for popping in to cheer me up.

nineteen, Wow, you really did get there! Great job.

Jay, thanks for stopping by. Feb was a very busy month and I know I went overboard with eating. Mostly, I allowed myself extras when I would eat out that normally I wouldn't. The husband and I actually had 3 date nights in Feb. Usually we go months without one. Truthfully, I have no reason to feel sorry for myself, but one doesn't alwasy need a reason to have a feeling. Thanks for helping set me back on track.

Circebee, Your words ring so true. Thank you. I can remember being insane. Example, when my youngest daughter was much younger she would ride her bike while I walked. She'd want to pick flowers as we went. She always had to waite until mommy's miles were done. I'd try to hide my frustration at her slower pace, but I know I didn't always succeed. For the past 2 summers we've ridden bikes together and come home with beautiful bouquets of wild flowers. So much more rewarding than fitting into the right size shorts for....maybe 6 weeks before I'd start to regain. Thanks for helping me remember what it was really like.

PhotoChick, Thanks for your encouragement,

Rennie, You know I love ya too. You're doing awesome. You're little smileys are really starting to stack up. Keep going!

I love this!!!!! I've lost 26 lbs in the last 10 months, maybe .50 lb per week. Small changes and getting my butt active have gone a long way. If it takes me until the end of the year to lose it all, so be it... sigh of relief... my body, mind and soul needed the break from beating myself up

I do admit when I hear of others losing 5 lbs this week or already being at goal I feel a bit frustrated... but I try to remember that it doesn't work for me. If it did I would have lost and maintained years ago...

this is a thread i can totally relate to and really needed to read this morning.

i'm on the slow steady road too. however i'm thrilled that the scale is not climbing upward. and i know, without a doubt, had i not started on this final journey i would be higher than 231 today. i just know it.

yes i thought my weight would be lower by now. we're going away in 3 weeks and i really wanted to be under 200. well that's not going to happen. and i have to be ok with that. it doesn't make me a failure. it makes me 15 lbs lighter.

so, the difference is this time i'm not going to throw in the towel and say what's the use. there will be more trips coming up, summer is right around the corner and my weight will continue to drop.

thanks for starting this thread and for the slow steady losers sharing their stories. i needed to hear their success.

When I started in January 2007, I lost 10, 10, 7, 5 in the following months. I plateaued in the summer and have basically been bouncing back and forth between 167-169 ever since. I'm not overeating but I have slacked off on exercising. I've gotten a little better with it lately but not at the level I was doing early last year so I know I've got to get it in gear again if I'm ever going to get out of that loop.

I totally hear you. At 42, the weight is coming off much slower than it used to and it is frustrating. But I am approaching this whole thing with a more realistic attitude this time, knowing that slow is really the best way to go for me (as if I had a choice ). If I weren't doing what I'm doing, I'd be gaining or at best, maintaining, so slow is better than nothing.

I'm with ya!