i am losing weight but it's coming off one pound at a time. i'm not terrific at counting calories so i've concentrated on eating smaller portions and just doing my very best to eat healthy.

Am i alone in this? Is there anyone else out there who seems to only be able to lose one pound at a time.

Most people would be thrilled with one pound. A safe weight loss is .5 - 2 pounds a week. Since you are only watching portions and not counting calories, you are doing fine.

Well actually, *they* say that a 1 -2% of your body weight is a safe weight loss. For larger people that will/can translate to higher numbers, so of course that .5 - 2 lbs will fall into the safe range.

To the OP - what exactly do you mean by losing one pound at a time? Isn't that how we all lose it???

Or do you mean that you are losing one pound a week?

As far as not so good at counting calories - well there are lots of websites to help you out with that. It's a great way to educate yourself so that you are able to make better and smarter choices. It's very eye-opening. It's also a great way to keep those portions in check, something I personally need!! Fitday.com is one of dozens of sites on the web.

If you want to kick it up a notch, then you can be more careful and mindful with those calories consumed and keep a closer eye on them. It does seem daunting at first like anything that's new, but once you get into it, it really does become easier.

You're off to a great start. Keep up the great work and be open to tweaking your plan as you go along as you discover what works for you - and what doesn't.

I look forward to hearing of your progress.

it sounds like i am similar to you. it's been a slow go - (some weeks just maintaining the same weight i currently am at) but... i'm looking at my so-called "diet" as a different way of exsisting with food, so i fully expect it to take more time than some one more committed to low cal counting and a regular gym schedule. yes, on occassion i do eat things that aren't the best choices nutritionally- but i closely watch portion size. i'm learning a new way to be and this takes time. i've lost 22 since the end of december. not setting any records here at all; though i have much more control and invest a lot of thought into the food i am using to fuel my body. you might care to check out intuitive eating around these parts... good luck.

One pound a week is nothing to sneeze at. One pound a week will be more than 50 pounds gone by this time next year!!

One pound at a time gives you time to be SURE you have those good eating and exercising habits in place. It gives your body time to adjust to the new levels of energy you're giving it.

One pound at a time is just right for many, many people!

I think thats fantastic! Slow and steady wins the race!

I think a one-two pound a week loss a is what is usually recommended for women. If you are losing one pound a week on a steady basis, you are doing great! (There are weeks when I am happy to lose half a pound!)

I'm in the same boat. At times it comes off so sllloooowwww and other times I lose like 3+ pounds in a week. Just take it one day at a time and then you can look back and see how those little pounds add up to a huge weight loss!

I'm having the same issue. I'm doing weight watchers, but it's been hard for me to always stay on plan (whether on purpose or on accident), and recently I've found that some things I've been eating a lot of I've been calculating incorrectly. >

It's frustrating, but I figure, losing a pound a week is better than gaining a pound a week

I totally understand where you're coming from. I have really tried to step up my diet plan, and am only loosing around a pound a week. Sometimes i feel like it's not worth the trade off, but i know that with enough patience it WILL start to accumulate.

it's hard though, lol

It's hard to lose weight and even harder when it feels like the scale is barely moving. I have issues with the scale all the time! One week I'm down 2 pounds, the next it could be gain a pound, stay the same, up, down, up down, Ughhhh so frustrating!!
Like you, I'm not really counting calories. Right now what's working for me is sticking with a whole foods diet that includes a lot of fresh, raw fruit and veggies. If it's processed, I'm not eating it. I won't lie, it was VERY hard at first but I've quickly realized that even if the weight isn't "falling off" I FEEL better. When I "cheat" I quickly realize that I didn't really want that food. Take just last night for example: All day I really wanted brownies. I haven't had them in a while so when I got home from work, I made brownies. They smelled SO GOOD when they were baking. But, when it came time to eat them, I took one bite and realized they just weren't that good anymore. Which kinds freaks me out when I think about it because typically, I LOVE BROWNIES! LOL Also, when the kids (I work as a nanny) want something like McDonald's, just the smell of it makes me feel bad so I don't eat that either. It's amazing what changes on your brain after a while. I used to eat brownies or fast food without ever thinking about it. Now it makes me nausious.

So, hang in there and do what works for you. Just pay attention to what your eating, not just portions. Add in some extra veggies when you can. If you're not a salad lover, try some of those frozen "steam fesh" veggies. You just pop them in the microwave and in a few minutes, they're ready. It's quick, easy and good for you! When I was trying to eliminate "bad" foods, I'd eat some of these veggies before a meal and then my meals became smaller because I had just eaten all the veggies. Also, if you are a salad person, be careful with dressings. They are loaded with calories and the fat free ones are full of chemicals and preservatives. I've started just sprinkling a little blue cheese, goat cheese, or parmesan on my salads. They reduce the calories because I only use a little and it's something that's not over processed. It works for me.
Good Luck!

I'm going to guess you put it on one pound at a time too.

Take a long-term view. This isn't about day-to-day or even week-to-week changes in your weight. If you focus on that time scale, you will end up frustrated. Compare yourself to where you were a month ago, two months ago. Then keep at it, and two months from now you'll be able to look back on today and see progress.

I am not counting calories any more. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and wild salmon, walnuts and other healthy food and trying to control portions.

Lost 1 lb in a month!!! If I would lose 1 lb every week I would be soooo happy, so you are doing amazing, congratulations!!!

I am going back to fitness club tomorrow, because just walking and eating healthy don’t help me to lose those last pounds, but I am very happy that I am not caring calculator with me any more to count every single calories I eat and I eat way more healthy, I am never hungry and with no exercise I am not gaining weight. Intuitive eating works perfectl to maintain weight.

I say this often...but, one pound is four sticks of butter! That's alot. Down is always better than up.