slow, steady weight loss crawl....

  • I can't say I'm disappointed.... I'm happy that I'm still losing weight, even if it's barely over half a pound!

    I just am beginning to realize that even on days I do great with exercise (or not) that my body just may take longer to lose the pounds.... the important thing is I'm still losing weight!!!

    Is this where frustration & impatience comes in for a lotta 3fatchickie members as they get closer to their weight loss goals? (*Slower weight loss)? Where some people feel like giving up/throwing in the towel?

    ~ tea
  • Yes, I think so. Imagine how it would be if you'd only lost 10 or 15 pounds and the weight loss was slowing to a crawl (if at all)....you can see how it would be tempting for people to say, "Why should I put myself through this when I can eat whatever I want and only be 10-15 pounds heavier?"

    I've gone through spells like that. I'm going through a good spell right now, but I know that's directly tied to the fact that I've had 4 weeks where I've lost each week. Sometimes a lot, sometimes barely at all, but I've lost. Those weeks where I don't lose or (God forbid) I gain, I admit that I have to ignore my head when it starts whispering, "Why bother? It's not working. Eat the cake!"
  • tea, you couldn't have made this post at a better time! I was just coming over to this forum to lament about slow weight loss. Sometimes it feels like this process is taking forever.

    I know people say "well you didn't gain overnight, so you won't lose overnight, either!" but for me it FELT like I gained overnight... felt like I woke up one day and I was 200+ lbs. For me personally, I did put on a lot of weight rather quickly, so I get frustrated that it's taking "long" to get it off. But at least it will stay off. At least that's what I tell myself!
  • Never, EVER give up! I found that I lost superfast in the beginning, but at my current weight, 1/2 lb is a victory! I think my body is in shock and is getting used to this weight and the fact that it needs to let go of even more!

    I think you are at a common time in the process where lots of people get into an "emotional plateau" and wonder why it isn't so linear and when will I be at goal and why should I continue...I've been there, too. So to deal with it, I decided to focus on the positive lifestyle and healthy diet changes rather than the number. Don't get me wrong -- I'd LOVE to be at goal at a rate of 2 lbs per week. But that clearly isn't "success" in terms of healthy eating habits and my exercise habits. I've removed the number from the equation, for now. I've chosen to take up some activities that I never, ever would have considered when I was larger (hot yoga! golf!) because I need to connect the way that I can use my body at this smaller size with the efforts I've made in changing my lifestyle. Once I was able to experience how well I moved at this smaller size, the actual number became somewhat less important. And you know, the less I worry about the number and the more I focus on my new healthy lifestyle, the easier the weight seems to come off!

    You are doing so well!

    Kira
  • I'm right there with you guys. I've been hanging around 170 for a while now. It can be frustrating but I also realize things will slow down and I'm still learning to adjust things in my life.

    Patience is a virtue!
  • My weight loss slowed down to a creeping crawl from around 195 to 175, (though this was around the holidays/Valentines and I got into a little habit of weekly "cheats"). But now that I am closer to goal at 164, it really is melting off rather rapidly again. I think a lot of it is the exercise I've been doing in the yard/garden plus the hours I hiked in the woods mushroom hunting. What ever it is, I'm very pleased to see the 2 pound losses again the last several weeks in a row. I don't know, but I'm thinking of lowering my goal again to 153...but my husband says my face is getting too thin...so I don't know. Maybe I'll just get to goal and maintain for the summer and let my skin catch up a little.

    Anyway, my point is, just because your weight loss is creeping along right now, it doesn't mean it won't pick up again. I hope it does for you because it is amazing what 5 pounds can do when your are a size 10-12 vs 28-30...lol
  • tea, i haven't lost any significant amounts of weight since early february. maybe about 5+ lbs lost since then? though i'm fairly certain it's my fault for not being as rigorous about my calorie counting as i could be. it's frustrating and tempting to quit after wrestling with the same two pounds for more than a month. on the other hand, i'm glad to see that the general trajectory is a downward one. i just tell myself that the changes i am making, while not as strict and disciplined, are more sustainable for me, so hopefully the ultimate weight loss will be more sustainable for my lifestyle. who knows. i could be deluding myself.
    at any rate, i understand your frustrating, but we gotta just keep trucking.