[Mimzzy]

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoyed yourselves!
Let me start off by saying this may sound like a silly question, however I am having a very hard time setting realistic goals for myself. I used to lose weight quickly, it wasn't to difficult to lose 8-10lbs a month when I stayed on plan.

Now that I am closer to my goal I am finding it extremely hard to lose weight. As far as I know this is completely normal and my body wants to hold onto that last 20lbs. I have tried setting my goals lower like losing 8lbs a month instead of 10, but I've been having a hard time losing even this. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? Should I be setting my goals around 5lbs?

I just feel like I am selling myself short if I start setting my goals to low. I have also changed my exercise routine, increased my intensity and been counting my calories (Other then Christmas of course I had some extra treats.) I would love any advice

[sontaikle]

When I got closer to my goal weight, I stopped setting time-related goals. I found that I was just getting too stressed out about meeting my arbitrary goals that I was overlooking the fact that I had still lost weight.

A more realistic goal would be to just lose 5 pounds—regardless of how long it takes to get there.

[RazzleBerry]

When i was that close to goal, it took me 8 weeks to lose 5 pounds. Why don't you try focusing on exercise or fitness related goals instead. Sign up for a 5K for example. By the end of your 8 weeks (or so) of training, you'll be lighter, more toned and your cardiovascular health will be improved as well.

[indiblue]

The Featherweights forum is a section on here for people looking to lose just a little weight, or those last few pounds. If you spend any time on it you'll see that many people lose 1-2 lbs a month at most.

As you get closer to your goal weight, there is a danger in losing too quickly. The body has little fat left to burn and burns a greater percentage of lean body mass (LBM). This means bone mass, muscle mass, etc. Losing important bone and muscle mass (what makes you strong, healthy, and looking fit) while maintaining fat is not really what most people want aesthetically or health-wise.

You are already very much within a healthy weight range for your height. If you try to keep losing, make sure you are eating nutrient-dense food, getting adequate protein, and engaging in weight-bearing activities. This will help you preserve muscle as you lose.

It could be though that you've gotten to a point where your body really doesn't want to lose any more weight without going to extreme measures. I'm in that area right now. I was stuck at 124-122 for 5 months before I realized (with the help of 3FC) that it was a signal that going lower just wasn't in the cards for me. It's not a matter of selling myself short, it's a matter of listening to my body and realizing enough was enough.

If that's the case you may be interested in working on body recomposition-- trying to shed fat but not necessarily weight. This would involve upping your protein and working on a structured strength training program.

Like sontaikle said, I wouldn't focus on numerical goals for the month. Focus on your health, your diet, and maintaining your exercise. If the weight loss follows, that's great. If it doesn't, you can switch things up or start being happy with your weight loss where you are. It could be that you're at goal and you don't even realize it yet

[melodymist]

Have you tried incorporating weights into your workouts? Calorie cycling? I've lost 40+ pounds and the past 2 months I hit a looooong plateau. Just keep going, I promise they scale WILL give in

[runningfromfat]

I have to admit, I'd be pretty shocked if you were losing 5lbs/month at this point! It's 100% normal to lose more slowly close to your goal and like others said that's not a bad thing. You don't want to lose muscle in the process and slower weight loss can help prevent that.

At this point, I'd strongly encourage you to work on weight lifting/body recomposition also. I have no clue what your frame size is but I have a large frame and being in the 130's at the same height as you would be probably the absolutely smallest I could go. Granted, someone with a smaller frame might due just fine there. I don't think, though, that it has anything to do with "selling yourself short" instead it's 100% a personal preference at this point. You have to decide where you want to be goalwise. BUT weight lifting will give your body a better structure without necessarily seeing a difference on the scale. So you have to ask yourself the question, what do I want to look like and then go from there.

Realize, though, that you have to accept your body type. If you have a pear shape, losing more weight might come off your top instead of your bottom (or visa versa if you're an apple). Further weight loss can be unpredictable. Weight lifting, though, normally helps to firm up everything. Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with weight lifting (as long as you're doing it correctly and not injuring yourself).

FWIW, I've seen my weight loss slow down a lot recently. A big part of it is the holidays but it's always because I'm getting closer to my goal. It's completely natural to slow down and I agree that it makes more sense at this point to focus on exercise goals rather time goals. Time goals most likely will just get you frustrated when there is no reason for it because slowing down your weight loss at this point is completely normal.