[liz34]

First the good news..I have managed to stick to an eating plan for what will be 12 weeks this saturday!! This is the absolute longest I've managed to stick to a plan in at least a decade.I've had a few bumps in the road along the way but every time I've fallen off(about 3 times),I just pick myself up,dust myself off and immediately get back on plan.I really think this is what is different for me this time as I've totally shifted my way of thinking in regards to slip ups.I now realize that if I do fall off instead of throwing the whole day away or allowing the slip to continue unending for days,I get on plan as soon as possible and try to figure out exactly where I went wrong.


Now for the frustrating part..how slow the weight is coming off.Keep in mind that when I started this journey I weighed 401 pounds.I have lost 25 pounds in the past 11 1/2 weeks.I was down 27 at one point but the scale hopped back up again.I have now been struggling with the same two,three pounds for over a couple of weeks now.While I'm very happy to have lost the weight I have it's a bit disheartening to have to struggle like this, when I weigh 376 pounds.I write down every single thing that goes into my mouth and for the most part I've been keeping within a calorie range between 1600-1800 calories...most days I would say I eat in the 1700s somewhere.Sometimes I go above my range,sometimes below.I did start off
eating around 2,000 to 2,200 calories but my weight loss was even slower so I knocked it down.

I do not want to knock it down any more because I'm looking at such a long journey ahead of me and I need to be able to move down as I move down the scale.Admittedly,I'm not the greatest with physical activity though this is in large part because it's hard for me to really exercise at this high of a weight.For the past week I have been using a leslie sansone video for a few minutes(all I can do) and I also try to pick up only one or two days worth of food at a time so I have a reason to move and walk more every day.

I'm really beginning to realize just how complex weight loss truly is and that for many of us,especially those of us in the 300s and up, that it might not be as simple as calories in and calories out.One of the things that has always made me realize that weight loss might be a bit tough for me, is that I never ate quite as much as a person my size would be according to the experts.Did I eat way too much? absolutely! Did I eat enough to weigh 400 pounds? no. I'm still determined to stick at it though..I do believe I can lose a significant amount..but I know it's going to be a long,slow ride!! Any other slow losers out there?

[EricaBG]

You need to move to get that extra weight off. You plateaued and you are stuck at a point where your body got used to the calorie intake. If you do 10 minutes of walking a day and build more on your time from there, you will notice a difference. Exercise + diet = lose weight.

[kaplods]

This is probably the most frustrating part of weight loss. Sometimes the numbers don't seem to match what you are doing (in not only calories, but also exercise).

I was whining to hubby today that at the rate I'm losing, it'll take me 10 years to get all of the weight off. His response was a little frustrating (in essence, he said "so what.")

I had a doctor's appointment, and the doctor's advice was about the same as my husband's.

Really, both of them reminded me that I've had other measures of success, and that maintenance is as much of a success as weight loss - and that because of my weight still being so high, there's a good chance that as I get healthier and able to do more, weight loss could actually speed up later in this journey (that is, it isn't inevitable that the fastest weight loss always be at the beginning, especially if you've got lots and lots of weight to lose).

I've been determined that the main reason this time will be different, is that giving up isn't an option. That even when I'm not losing, I must still try and pay attention, and keep working on it.

[shannonmb]

Hi Kaplods!

First, I think 25lbs in 12 weeks is a GREAT weight loss!!! Don't sell yourself short, that's how we defeat ourselves! I've heard a lot of people on this site suggest lifting something that weighs what you've lost. That's 2 1/2 bags of potatoes for you -- HEAVY!!!

I have started (again) to try to get this weight off for the past 5 weeks or so, and I've only lost 6lbs so far. It is SOOOO frustrating, but I know I am doing everything right, so I will perservere, and it WILL come off!

I wanted to let you know, I have never been a physically fit person, and I have sold myself so short thinking I can't really do anything at this size. I joined a gym this time, and did a bunch of the testing they offer to find out my resting metabolism rate, what range I should be working out with my heart rate (for ME), how many calories I need to keep muscle/burn fat/lose the lbs. I bought a watch that tells me my heart rate, and I've been seeing their nutritionist as well. I am a nurse and didn't feel I needed the nutrition portion (I know WHAT to eat, I just can't do it!), but it has been extremely helpful!!!

I find that all of this has helped me to see weight loss academically instead of emotionally (always my problem). For the first time in my life I actually see the end of the road -- it's me, healthy and strong (looking pretty good, too ).

I also want to add that when I started at the gym and with a trainer, I WAY underestimated what I was able to accomplish in a workout. She kicks my butt and my shirt actually has those sweat stains you see fit people get when they run! It makes me feel like a

[shannonmb]

oops not done yet!

It makes me feel like a "fitness person", even at this size! I may not have lost much weight yet, but I feel muscles I never knew I had, I have about 100% more energy, and best of all, it keeps my sole focus off my nemesis -- food.

I can't stress enough that when I went in there, I was embarrased being so out of shape, certain I couldn't work out, scored VERY LOW on all the criteria of fitness, and very winded after 1 flight of steps. But I'm doing it and I feel different than I ever have before. I was worried I'd get "looks", but if anything, I feel from people "good for you, you go girl!"

I just wanted to chime in on what has made the difference in my attitude, which is, as we all know, the only thing that can save us! I know everyone is different and we all need to find our own motivation!

PLEASE be proud of yourself for what you have accomplished. We all know, it's no small feat!!!!!

[shrinkingchica]

Liz- First, burhenns is right, you already have lost a great amount of weight!! And are well on your way so don't give up!! My singl greatest peice of advice is always to Stick with It. Because even if you are only able to chip away a bit of weight at a time it still all adds up in the end......but that will never happen if you ever give up. So stay postive and motivated and remember that this is a healthy lifestyle for just that...life; meaning it is forever and for your health and so you just have to approach the whole weight loss situation as a side effect to a healthy lifestyle. It always sounds so so so corny to say that but what can I say? Hackneyed expressions are like that for a reason..... the truth gets repeated often!!!

[kaplods]

For me, a support group really helps. Hubby and I joined TOPS (taking off pounds sensibly), and we've even become officers (he's treasurer, and I'm co-leader). Having to go somewhere every week, and tell a group whether I've gained, lost, or "turtled" (stayed the same), really keeps me focused during the week.

Without the group, I'm more likely to have too many days of "I'll start tomorrow." Knowing that the weigh-in is coming keeps me focused. It's not like I dread it either, even when I have a gain, I try not to look at it as dreadfully embarassing, because everyone in the group has experienced the same ups and downs.

The little contests and such our group holds are really fun too. I brought in seeds and jars and showed my group how to make their own sprouts at home, and gave them a little "kit" to take home and try. Everyone really enjoyed it, and I found that only one other member had ever grown her own salad sprouts. It's not just a weight-loss club, it's a social club too (I've been to a few groups for whom the social aspect was greater than the weight loss, but our club is pretty balanced).

I've quite weight loss groups in the past, when the weight loss stopped or slowed, and I've vowed that I won't this time. Regardless of whether I lose or do not, I am committed to staying in TOPS, because I realize that even maintaining the loss I have, requires nearly the same effort as continuing to lose. Gaining it all back starts with giving up.

I sometimes have to remind myself that watching what I eat is just like brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and washing my face - and it's just as ridiculous to give up on my eating habits as it is to give up personal hygeine.