[MamieGrace]

Well... the last month and a half have been rough for me. I have been struggling to keep myself from falling into serious depression, I lost a week to being sick, I quit keeping track of what I eat and I fell out of my cardio routine. I've quit losing weight at all, and have just hovered around 169/170 for the past five or so weeks

I have been trying hard not to get down on myself. I initially envisioned this summer as my own personal "I Used to Be Fat" experience. (I am a teacher and decided not to teach summer school this year, so I had several months off to get fit.) I didn't have anywhere near as much to lose as the teenagers on that MTV show, but I still wanted to dedicating myself to working out and eating well...

Fast forward and I am halfway through this experiment. I go back to work in six weeks, and well... I will almost definitely still be "overweight" at this rate.

But I saw my doctor and told her what I've been doing and that I've lost ten pounds since October, and to my surprise she said "That's perfect! That's nice steady weight loss!" 10 pounds in 8 months? That's perfect!? And then I started thinking, "Well, Yeah! That is GOOD!"

So I've decided to try to view this more as a marathon than a sprint. I have never wanted to be on a "diet", anyway. I wanted to make lifestyle changes and get fit. I just thought I had to lose all the weight this summer, and build perfect healthy habits because I will be so busy during the school year. But even once I'm working again, I think I can lose 1-2 pounds per month. And it sure will take a lot longer for me to get to my goal, but if I get there and stay there, it won't matter how long it took!

I am stronger, leaner, lighter, faster and happier than I was at the beginning of this experiment. I have learned a lot about my body and how I need to eat. And that's what I'm going to keep going for! As for weight loss, I will still weigh-in once a week, but I'm not going to be looking for a 1 lb drop every week and feeling like a failure when I don't get there. Hopefully over the course of the next six weeks I will lose 1.5 pounds and keep it off. I know that doesn't sound like a lot to most people on these boards, but it feels good to me!

My Goals for August 1st:
Run a 5k without stopping at a 12 min/mile pace (5.0 mph)
Weigh 168.0 or below

Wish me luck! Anyone else have experience ditching the common "1 pound per week" pace? I almost feel like I'm doing something wrong by aiming lower...

[NEMom]

Sounds like your back on track! Not putting so much pressure on yourself is a great decision. This will help you learn healthier habits that you can continue with even when school starts in a month and a half.
Best of luck to you!

[twinieten]

I haven't quite gotten to that point where I'm ready to ditch that 1 pound a week expectation. It is a good way to go, though. Slow and steady wins the race. I love your goals! I would like to run 5 k without stopping, too, but I hadn't thought to set a pace goal.

[rainydays]

Great attitude!

[inglesita64]

The more slowly you lose the better! Of course we all want to be thin, but we put on weight for a reason, and if that reason is still there, as soon as you achieve your goal you will put on weight again. Losing slowly gives you time to learn to eat properly, and time to adjust to a new way of thinking about your life, so that food will stop being your way out. Sart over, build habits --eating and exercise habits-- and let your body lose weight at its own pace.
I am also training to 5k! I am on my third week, and I think I will have to do this week twice because it is killing me!

[Desiderata]

It really is all about perspective! Though I'm devoting a lot of mental attention and energy to weight loss and eating right, my losses keep coming in below what I'd mathematically expect. I've been working hard since January ...and have lost 14 lbs. I am not willing/not able to get a more extreme deficit going, but I also don't feel like I'm "on a diet" with a lot of sacrifice (which greatly diminishes the "hurry up and get it over with" feelings.)

I wish it were more, of course, but progress is progress. I'm totally with you -- if this is your lifestyle anyway and you'll be doing the same things now or at goal, then patience is a virtue.

[takingcontrol]

Sounds like you've come up with a great plan!

I too have been around the same weight since the end of April now, and am just not up for it any more. I certainly don't want to get fat again, **** no, but I'm struggling to be motivated by these last 14lbs I have to lose...... But, I do want to look and feel better than I do now before i'm 'done'.

I start a summer job nect weekend, when I'll be spending 7 weeks living away, and I think I've decided to leave my scales at home, to get over my negative association of the scales and see if I can make good food choices from the buffet three times each day, keep active and then come home and see the effect it has had.....

Good luck on reaching your running target

[MamieGrace]

Thanks so much for all of the support! I was not sure how other people would react. I was pretty worried I might get chastised for not trying hard enough. Thank you all for the kind words and shared experiences!

For everyone who is also shooting for 5k, I would love to hear when you meet your goals! Keep me posted And good luck at your summer job, TakingControl! I hope seven weeks away from the scale is good for you and your progress!

[freelancemomma]

Add me to the list of people training for a 5K. I'll be signing up for a women-only 5K on Aug. 25. It seems like such a modest goal, but it feels right. I'm not one of those people who want fitness to take over my life. In gastronomic terms, it's just a side dish for me. I hope to complete the race in under 30 minutes, but if I exceed that time it's no biggie.

F.

[Amarantha2]

Loved your post and totally related to it. I re-evaluate my goals, time frames and methods all the time in relation to weight and fitness (and everything).

Congratulations on your 5K training and impressive weight loss and taking the pressure off yourself and realizing it is a marathon, not a sprint.

Woot!

[seagirl]

Slow and steady doesn't burn out before the end of the race!

I lose under a pound a week, and this week my weight is up 2 pounds. I ate within my limits, but am training for a triathlon which sometimes messes with my weight.

My goal is to lose 20-40 pounds.

My plan is:
1. track every thing I eat and stay within my calorie limits.
2. Train for my triathlons, and Warrior Dash Races.

As long as I stick to my plan, I will never feel as if I failed. I can't control what the scale does, although I do get annoyed when it goes up. I acknowledge the gain and then move on to other numbers - the tape measure, how much further i can run without walk breaks, how much further I can swim without stopping, etc.