Hey Everyone,

I'm relatively new to this forum, though I've been exploring it for a while. I've lost about 55lbs and would like to lose another 15 or 20. I'm sure we all know those last few "vanity pounds" can be a totally different animal. I'm curious, for those of you that are maintaining or close to maintaining what was the most important change you made to get those last few pounds off?

Adding cinnamon w/chromium and digestive enzymes to my diet was VERY helpful. Less cheat meals (only once every two weeks as to once per week). Running 4 days/week (20+ miles) consistently. I was very careful not to do what so many people make the mistake doing...and reduce my calories too low. My calories stayed high (1600-1800), BUT I increased my intensity a bit on my runs.

It took me 2 months to lose the last 5 lbs!

Consistency...just stick with it and eventually your body will release those last few vanity pounds!

I have been trying to lose “the last” 20 lbs for almost a year. I keep laboriously losing and easily gaining the same 5 lbs, AND NOW I’m UP 5 lbs, making it 25 that I want to lose. I was injured when I lost the first 25, so I didn’t even exercise, I literally was laying flat on the ground all day most days, and consistently lost a lb a week for 5 months on 1500cals/day. I haven’t really been paying attention to my eating the last few months because I’ve been so frustrated, and now I’m up 5lbs.

It’s been 2 days that i’m back to cal counting consistently. Consistency is what I’m banking on. So frustrating!

Joyfulloser, your arms look fantastic! Thanks for the tips.

Shasha12 I'm exactly where you are now. I've been just under 160 since last May. My lowest was 156.6. We went on vacation three times (a few days here and there) in March and April and right now I'm up to 165. I'm sooo bloated and seeing that number on the scale is really frustrating.

I'm also working on the last 10 pounds that have stuck around since Thanksgiving!

I just started seeing a change in the scale once I mixed up my workout routines the last 2 weeks. Before this, I was only doing pilates 3-4 times a week. I've since started doing a 20 beach body workout on exercise tv and boy has that been kicking my bum! I've worked my way up to 3 times a week and have added pilates back in.

Home stretch for me to...

I agree with Joyfullloser - more intense workouts and make sure the calories are clean and commensurate with your output so you don't mess up your metabolism. I, unfortunately, did NOT get the memo on that and am just now adding calories to lose weight (very strange, indeed!) Apparently, 1500/kcal per day was not enough with running 20 miles a week and lifting weights for 2 hours per week...who knew??

Omg, I'm doing at least 10 hours of classes at the gym per week - 4 BodyPump and the rest cardio/aerobic. And it's not really budging, maybe calorie intake is too low? I don't know! I've been on a diet/maintaining for so long this new "lifestyle" change is unfamiliar and I'm unsure how to change what I'm doing! Dx
but what should I be eating extra? I've been eating more dairy and yoghurt, and wholegrains....? protien?