How long have you been at it?
 

Aaah I'm tired of dieting, it's just taking so looooonnnng! I started thinking about my weight late fall last year, lost 10-12 lbs or so. Started seriously mid January, have lost almost 50 so far. But still I have so much left to go. I was hoping to be thinnish by Christmas but it's obviously going to take longer than that. Please, feel my pain? I want to know how long you've been doing it? If you're at goal, how long did it take? What did you lose??

It's taken me since May of 2008 to get to where I am today....I figure that I didn't get fat over night and no matter how I wished the fat would not melt off that fast ;)

Patience grasshopper :lol: I'm not a very patient person either so I feel ya!

Well, I'm at goal - but I'm still at it!

Weight loss is one thing. That took me about 2 years, in total. But weight MAINTENANCE...well, that's going to take me forever (it's either that, or put the weight back on!). So I'm never going to be "done" because my new healthy habits are permanent.

its taken me since feb 2008 to get this far :) Thats including a 6month plateau though >.<

I feel your pain! It looks like we are on the same sort of time line. I started in Feb and I am officially bored to tears. I'm just going to keep plugging away though and hope I can get excited about weigh loss again sometime in future.


In order to help myself out I have set a few mini goals...I want to be a size 16 by Aug 13th(Keith Urban concert and I want to buy a new outfit)and I want to be a size 14 by Oct 1st (Taylor Swift concert and again I want a new outfit) I'm also hoping to be thin ish by Christmas(I'm thinking a size 12) But to me that will be thin ish, I haven't been a size 12 since the 9th grade. :-)

Let's see...I was born in 1973...

Began August 13, 2008, lost 99 lbs in 6 mo, plateaued for 3 months, started losing again slowly. I've lost about 120 lbs in 11 months. But I started out at close to 400 lbs, you lose faster the heavier you are. (Usually)

I've been at it since the end of January of this year and am down 35.5 lbs. I too had a date in mind to be at goal and don't see that occuring but still, it's all for the greater good. We'll do it even if it takes longer than we would like :)

off and on...all my life. :dizzy: I've been serious and smart about it for the past 11 months...and will be for the rest of my lifetime! :)

Today marks 7 months for me. I've lost 37 pounds, but I haven't budged in about a month now, it goes up and down but not any further down then 214. Blah! I get annoyed, but I'm in it for life, after I'm at my goal it'll be maintinance, which will be just as hard so I'm not in such a hurry, haha.

Don't worry, if you keep working at it, you'll get there. Someday. :)

9 weeks and a few days for me... i'm down 21lbs. I *REALLY* want to be at my goal before Sept.1st.. we shall see.. i'm not losing nearly as fast as I was when I began.. but if I were to hit 135 by beginning of Sept i'd be pretty damn happy too!!! ;) :carrot:

As my sig says, I officially started my "journey" on July 18th, 2008. I don't know my exact weight right now because I haven't been weighing very often since I hit maintenance, but I DID reach a low of ~147 lbs a couple weeks back, which would have put me at a 116 lb loss, total.

Wow, it just occurred to me that I'm getting REALLY close to my one-year mark! How exciting! And now I guess I can look forward to a lifetime of maintenance... :dizzy:

I lost the first 100 pounds in a little over a year, and then another 20 pounds in 4-5 months. But then maintenance. I have to keep at it, as others have said. I gained BACK 30 pounds by getting lax...

It's been almost exactly 5 years since I changed my life and how I ate forever. 70 lbs lost, over 4 years maintenance, still going strong!

15 months to go from 302 to 186
9 months to go from 186 to 239
... And so far about 2 months to go from 239 to 217 (now)
Probably 6-10 more months more before hitting maintenance.

As others have indicated the time is irrelevant as there is no end. Vigilance means a lifetime of taking care with what you eat. Its taken me over two years to lose 115lbs, I have about 4lbs to lose to reach my initial goal. As I've plateaud for a month I now know that there's a fine line between maintenance and weightloss that I'm going to have to tread from now on.

Kitty

Started Weightwatchers in December 08 and lost the same five to ten pounds a few times, found something that worked better for me in April 09 and despite being a little lax on the exercise part I am still down 25 pounds from December, with a lifetime to go! I want to be down 30 more by Christmas, my ideal is under 200 by then, but honestly any weight permanently gone is a celebration for me :).

Though I have been heavy in varying degrees for seven years I wasn't in the right place in my mind to fix it until now.

I just had my 51 week weigh in and I have lost 84.4 lbs. I started on July 22, 2008 with just under 100 lbs to lose. I now have less than 10 lbs to reach my goal. I hope to get there by the end of September, since I have seen a real slow down in the last 10 lbs and expect the next 10 to be even slower. Still, I am ecstatic as I sit here in my size small shirt and size 9 pants. Even if the last 10 lbs takes 6 months, who cares? I am in this for life!

Peace, Heather

I lost 80 lbs in 10 months and have been maintaining for a little over a year. It will last as long as I do because, as others have said, if it doesn't that weight will find me again and I'm not yo yoing anymore.

I've been at it for 10.5 months (so 8.5 pounds per month, when averaged out).

I'm 28 years old so ... only 40-70 years to go!

And yes, I feel your pain! I accepted right away, this time, that it was just going to take awhile. Still, it is not fun being so strict with oneself and yet, still fat. It is easier for me to be patient lately, now that I am feeling 'normal.' (Although of course now I am feeling like I can't wait to be downright thin, not just a-okay -- guess that is how it goes).

The best thing I can think of to tell you is that as long as you plug away it is downright surprising how time passes. My husband even said that to me, that it didn't feel like it had been so long. I instantly said, "I know!" but then remembered how loooong it did feel at times, and how it was such ... dark days feeling circa last fall.

It took me 16 months exactly to go from 333 to 158. I count calories and was/am totally faithful and dedicated 99% of the time. (Meaning I have only "cheated" a handful of times). My way isn't for many, but I have found I can't eat certain foods, or it makes me crazy with cravings. There is no "moderation" in my vocabulary when it comes to sugar. I am an addict plain and simple.

I am on day 11 of maintaince ;), and I have found it to be very emotional for me. Finding the perfect amount of food vs. calories vs. exercise has been a real challenge. I have a feeling this is going to be more difficult than losing it ever was. BUT, it is SO worth it, as my body feels GREAT! (Even though my mind is a little overwhelmed right now)

I started July 20, 2008 at 330 pounds. Before I stopped utilizing the scale (for personal reasons), I was at 200. I have went from a pant size of 28 and can now wear 16 and sometimes even a 14. So, to answer your question, it will be 1 year in 6 days that I have been getting my life and my health back on track and I'm still chugging along.

Kind of a loaded question. We all celebrate and, well, ENVY the huge weight loss in short timeframe stories and want nothing best for those fortunates amongst us. Others spend a lifetime trying many, many things and lose and regain and lose and regain forEVER. And we want nothing but the best for those turtles amongst us. And we all want to be hares but are frustrated if it turns out that we are turtles. And we get tired. And frustrated....

So perhaps the questions you are REALLY asking are:

1. Will I EVER lose the weight? I've been at it FOREVER and it is just, well, TIRING.
To this I'd have to say YES the weight WILL come off if you are dedicated and on plan and regimented. And in the timeline that your BODY chooses, provided that you stick to an eating and exercise plan.
and
2. IS there an end in sight?
NO the journey NEVER ends, because weight loss like weight GAIN is always, always possible. Sucks, but it's true.

Give that there is NEVER an end in sight, stop worrying about the time it is taking! If you are doing what needs to be done (and not what you THINK needs to be done), it'll happen.

But sometimes it is about the JOURNEY, NOT the DESTINATION...

:hug:

Kira

2. HA

Good post, Kira! :cp:

I changed my life in April of 2008. There are times when things go smoothly and times when things are rough (like now), but I just keep trying to move the ball forward.

I know I'll eventually hit goal and then it'll be on to maintaining. I will always have to be conscious of what I'm eating and how much I'm exercising. Not being conscious of it is how I got to 250 in the first place. ;)

:lol: I'll give myself about 10 years from date of birth! ha!

loved your post, Kira.

not to discourage anyone (including myself!), but my experience has been different.

am yo-yo'er here, and have lost many, many lbs over the years since I was a teen. I got serious again in 2002, and slowly dropped my weight, was not a years time for me, and I have not gotten to goal (ah duh, heh heh).

I hung out in the 250s for several years (gulp). I kept with the exercise, and worked on improving it. Started working with a trainer for a few months the beginning of this year. I've recently started tackling the eating more seriously, beginning of June.

I have trouble with consistency with the diet. I'm really happy to be in the lower half of the 240s, will be ecstatic to be in the 230s, 4 lbs to go.

A little over 5 years. I've been losing and maintaining my weight loss since May 2004.

I am not at goal. It took me 12 months to go from 215 to 132.

I started in May 2004 and lost around 30-35 lbs by that October. Pretty much kept it off until this last winter and I'm back to trying to drop back down into my clothes (I haven't weighed myself for fear that I'll throw in the towel for good). Would like to be feeling really good by a trip I have scheduled the end of August. I'm already feeling a lot better and I got back on track just after Memorial Day.

That all said, I'd definitely encourage you to start taking a look at those things you are doing that are chafing and see if you can find another way. Maintenance doesn't look much different as I can attest. I wasn't exactly eating entire chocolate cakes last winter and the weight came back on a whole lot easier than it seemed to come off. You have to find those compromises that work. If you feel comfortable, share a bit about what is 'bugging' you enough for you to wish it was over and maybe there are some alternatives we can suggest.

Peg

Three plus years on the journey
 

I've been on my new journey for 3 years and 10 months; 2 years and 4 months at maintenance weight.

My next big goal is FIVE years on the journey - will then seem to feel like it's here to stay.

LOL at your siggy Bill! Wallow away...maybe write a glowing account so that we might all live vicariously! hehe

I've been at this for a little over a year. I didn't have on official start date, just slowly started improving my diet one thing at time when I realized how far I had let myself go. I've lost 51 pounds in the past year or so, so not quite 1 pound per week. I've had several plateaus, but I haven't given up!

i started exercising every day since June 17 of this year.. i would lose three pounds then gain it back. still exercising my butt off!

Pft I'm terrible, started in December then have lost and gained but overall have lost over 20 lbs :( It's okay though- overall habits have changed for the better and I know I'll get down to the weight I want to be eventually :D

It's been two-ish years for me, which averages out to about one pound a week. (Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't get anywhere losing one pound a week!) Sure, it's been slow going, but compared to my other options (doing nothing or getting bigger), it's the far better way to spend two years.

Lisa

I've been going at this for about a year and have lost 60 lbs. I will continue this for, well the rest of my life. :) Hopefully in another year I will be close to goal. I'm working on my patience for this, I've been heavy my whole life, so it won't leave quickly. Like LisaF above, slow and steady for me is much better than nothing.

I officially started on Aug 28th 2008. I have lost 44 pounds to date. And I stopped worrying so much i guess. When a pound finally comes I will be estactic in the meantime I just keep on going.....

I am not at goal yet.

I started this journey on September 27, 2008 and I've lost 132 and a bit pounds in just under 10 months. I've got 94 pounds left to lose and I hope to be at goal by THIS TIME next year. So I'm looking at another year (hopefully) of losing and then maintenance for the rest of my life.

Started June 2008, and lost 32 pounds by November. Went to Colorado for Thanksgiving, my husband and my parents were in town for Christmas - gained 6 pounds over the holiday. Come January, turns out my husband was having problems getting back to work, etc. etc - (lots of excuses - we all have them) - didn't get back to it and started gaining back - at my standard 1 pound per month. I NEVER gain fast - 1 pound a month adds up though! So by June 2009 - net loss was 20 pounds. And I have started again. Now I'm back down 6 pounds.

What I'm working on hardest though is trying to get in good shape - that is very important to me and I'm enjoying the results of that even more than the weight loss. And trying to develop tools that will keep me from putting on that 1 lb per month after I lose the weight.

I started about 6 months ago and loss 10 pounds. I stopped about a month ago but now I'm trying to get back into it.