I've lost nearly 25lbs and little to no change in my clothes!
This is so frustrating.
I'm edging closer and closer to 25lbs lost, but I still can't fit into smaller clothes. I've tried to order myself new jeans and tops but everytime I order a smaller size thinking I should be able to wear it now, it's still too small! Why is it taking me so long to wear smaller clothes??? I feel like I've been trying to lose weight for ages and while I feel better and I feel like I noticely look better, I've only lost like an inch.
As far as exercise, I do everything via workout DVDs and go as hard or as easy as I feel like. One day I might do a super intense Jillian Michaels DVD, the next I might do a lower-key but still effective Leslie Sansone, and here lately I've come across some barre/ballet workout videos that I've enjoyed, but I try to do it at least 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes a session. I don't know what else to do to make me lose inches. I count my calories and right now I have MyFitnessPal set to a 1.5lb loss with the activity level set to "active" to account for my workouts because I don't trust their actual "calories burned" calculation.
My diet is good for the most part. My goal is 1750 calories, and I usually have a simple breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and some version of a toasty-bread type thing (i.e. regular toast, bagels, english muffins). Lunches are usually heavily veggie based, either a salad, leftovers, a veggie soup or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat w/ light mayo, mustard, a slice of cheese, and usually whatever greens I have in the fridge and I pair those with either yogurt, veggies, or fruit (any combination of those 3). Dinner's usually a balanced mix of meat/veggies/starches, and I usually have either a glass of wine or a small dessert after dinner.
I think weekends are my downfall -- I'm not nearly as strict with myself on the weekends and I don't count calories, but I use weekends as my time to practice having a normal relationship with food where I try to listen to my body, only eat when I'm hungry, and practice portion control. However, the things I eat on the weekends aren't always the best things and I find myself allowing myself treats I wouldn't normally have simply because "it's the weekend". I often wonder if these treats are what's setting me back. I also don't often do traditional workouts on the weekend, but I'm not sedentary either -- at the very least I'll go walk around a store or something, but sometimes we go for a hike or clean the house -- I make it a point to do some other activity that's not just sitting around staring at a screen.
This weight loss has been interesting for me. I want to get to smaller sizes faster while also learning how to have good habits and still be able to enjoy my life without feeling restricted or deprived. But I feel like if I don't have a super strict diet/exercise regime, I won't ever get to where I want to be. I guess this is less about losing inches, but more about finding balance between meeting my goals in a quick yet reasonable way without becoming too obsessed with it.
What kind of advice can you guys give me? I know this probably seems like a long, rambly post, but I'm just lost. This isn't going the same way it went last time and I just need guidance.
Well, if you're losing weight, then it's probably not anything in your diet (which sounds really good to me, honestly, and sustainable too). Are you measuring different parts of your body or just your waist? I'm finding the weight is coming off in chunks on different parts of my body--lately, my butt seems to really have trimmed down, but my waist not so much. The band size on my bra has recently changed too, somewhere that I wouldn't otherwise think to look if it weren't changing the fit of my clothes. FWIW, I've lost about that much and haven't quite dropped into my old clothes yet either. I've lost what I guess is about one actual size, but that was because I put on the majority of my weight right at my waist, so it came off there first.
I know it's probably not the most sexy advice but honestly it sounds like you're doing everything right. If you're continuing to lose weight, you will change sizes eventually. It just seems like forever--and I say that as someone who's going through similar things right now, so I hear you!
It looks like you are eating well overall and exercising, and you are losing weight so that is great! We are similar in height I'm 5'5" and I started a little heavier than you, but I remember it took me about 25-30 to finally drop down to that next size. I think the larger sizes have more room and so it takes longer to get out of them. I'm sure you are going to drop down a size very soon.
As far as your calories overall I think that they are a little high. I know I had to drop mine down to about 1,500 per day at your weight. I also know you said you have your activity level set at active - I would advise against that. I don't trust the calculators for exercise either, but I think you are better off setting your activity level at sedentary as it is calculating you as "active" based on their exercise calculators. So if you don't trust the exercise calculators, I wouldn't trust the "active" setting either.
What I did was set My Fitness Pal at sedentary and eat at that calorie level and basically just count exercise calories as a bonus. I do not eat back exercise calories as it is too easy for me to get into the pattern of saying I deserve a treat because of exercise. Which just hurts my progress. Maybe if you are doing really intense lifting or running a long way then eat those back, but I mostly walk, hike, or ride my stationary bike for 45 minutes so I don't think eating the calories back is worth it or necessary. Also, be very careful not counting on weekends. Calories can add up so quick and you can undo your progress from the week on the weekend. I usually have one day on the weekend where I am a little more relaxed with calories and I can go out to eat or have something sweet (this Saturday was a Krispy Kreme donut), but I always count the calories and enter it into My Fitness Pal. It keeps me accountable.
I have lost 67 pounds since July of 2016 so I think what I'm doing is working pretty well. I hope this advice helps you. I know that we all know our own bodies the best, so take it as you will and I wish you the very best with your journey!
Have you really not dropped even one size? Not to sound like I can't believe that isn't happening, but 25 lbs at your size is a lot. If it were me, I'd be visiting the doctor to make sure everything was OK. I hope you get it figured out.
As cliche as it sounds everyone is different. I have lost 20+ pounds several times and rarely did I drop a size. The only time I have dropped a size when I dropped 20 or so pounds was when I went from 195 to 173. When I am in the 200's I don't drop sizes until under the 200's. Just keep going!
I'm about your weight right now, but I started higher. You are losing weight and that's awesome. Is it possible your clothes were tight before? If you were wearing L or XL - they are actually 2 size range. Any chance you were wearing elastic waisted pants instead of zips and buttons?
I'm now down 40 and I think that 16 range is HUGE in terms of weight it fits...like the last stand before plus size for real so it fits a wide range.
It took until I lost about this much to really go down an honest size because I wore so much stretch and loose clothing before. It has seriously been the last 10 that I see myself shrinking. You're doing a great job, you will get there. Do you notice it in your face?
I didn't change clothing sizes when I lost 25 lbs either- but once I lost 30, I did. I've lost 50 lbs in the past year, and have dropped from a 20 to a loose 12. Not quite a 10. So all the clothing size changes have occurred in the last 25 lbs, not the first.
It was the same for me. I had to lose 30 pounds, to go down in a size, and it took 45 pounds for people to notice I've lost weight. In the 68 pounds I've lost, I've gone down 4-5 sizes in pants, and 3-4 sizes in shirts. It does happen, it just takes awhile.
I'm edging closer and closer
I was very heavy when I started losing weight so I'm not sure my experience is relevant to you. But, I honestly could not tell I was losing weight even with my regular clothes until I hit a 40lb weight loss. For me, I think it's because I was falling myself with my old clothes. They were much too small for me at my heaviest and only beginning to fit correctly at 25lb loss. Again I was super heavy at the beginning so 40 lbs later I was still pretty big.
I don't change pant-sizes over a vast range of weight. at 155 Lbs I can get away with size 14. at 190 16 is tight.
My fat is really evenly distributed across my whole body, so I don't have any 1 area that changes quickly. If you're feeling fitter, and the numbers are going down, you are on the right track.
Don't look at the size, look at how good the clothes look on you.
I have the same problem, I am currently a size 14 pant, size 1X/2X top. Most of my weight is in my stomach & boobs.
Last time I wore size 12 pants I weighed 185, I need to lose a good 30 lbs to see a change in size. Hopefully, I will be one size smaller by the end of the year.
My weight comes off everywhere but my tummy at first. So, it takes a while to get into smaller clothes. Don't give up hope- you're doing great! You could be only 5 pounds away from the next size down!
I've lost nearly 25lbs and little to no change in my clothes!
