Does anyone else ever feel their weight loss is 10x slower than everyone elses?
I'd kill to actually lose 5lbs in a month at this point. Running, water, watching what I eat. I'm not going to quit or anything, but it's soooo slow, and then everyone else is soooo fast. Ugh.
Every once and a while I do, but I track my losses and keep a running average of how much I lose each week. Same for my inches. I've come to learn patterns about my body - when it likes to hold on to the weight and what to expect if I miss 20-oz of water on a high sodium day. The reality is I'm not losing as slow as I sometimes feel like I am. I tend to average about 2-2.5 lbs and 2-2.5 inches a week.
The best I can do without scouring through your food logs and such is suggest changing it up a little. I don't know how you track your food or what you're watching when you're watching what you eat but everyone's body is different. I aim for the golden ratio (40-50% Carbs, 25-35% protein, 20-30% fat. Under 2500 mg of sodium and over 25 grams of fiber) and it seems to work pretty well for me. I like to eat whole foods when I can. It may be that something is lacking nutritionally or it may just be that your body makes the journey slowly. Do you track your inches at all? If not, I'd strongly encourage it. Lastly, if you're really deeply concerned about how slow it's coming off, you might try talking to your doctor about it. They'd be able to run some blood work and determine if you have any vitamin deficiencies, thyroid problems, etc.
Last edited by garnetrising; 09-05-2014 at 04:17 PM.
Does anyone else ever feel their weight loss is 10x slower than everyone elses?
Oh, most definitely, kurisitaru! I've been toggling between 185-188 for MONTHS! Like you I won't quit doing things and I seem to be in a constant state of self-analyzing. Too many carbs? Not enough? Am I accurately tracking all food? And on it goes. Two things that are drastically different from when I first lost weight 4 years ago and now, is my job (increased stress and responsibility) and a consistent lack of sleep. I often wonder what the relationship is between those two things and my stalled weight loss.
Clearly these are my issues, but you certainly gave voice to the question that his been rolling around in my brain!
garnetrising 2.5lbs a week and over an inch huh? You're showing me that I'm not just imagining I'm slower than everyone else, I'm ABSOLUTELY slower. I have been removed from levroxyn (thyroid meds) even though my levels are still a tad high, I complained to my doctor my last visit how slow this is and she said that that was "just weight loss." I get it's slow and to expect 1lb a week, in fact I was HOPING for 1lb a week... it's not been an average of 1lb a week. I was weighing daily and the first month was 1 lb a week... now it's like up 2 lbs, down 2 lbs, up 2 lbs down 2 lbs.... and stop. 90 days in should not be a plateau yet, yeah? Not only that, but when everyone else starts they drop 5lbs in the first or second week, where the **** are my drops? I'll drop.. then slowly gain to almost where I was, then drop and repeat. Basically I lose 2 lbs then take a week to gain 1.8. And 90 days, a whole whopping 8lbs. I'm freaking obese, eating 1200 calories on average, drinking water, and working out, I feel like I should be dropping more.
/rant rant rant
I'm very happy for you that you are dropping like that. And thanks for the advice, I did try switching it up 2 weeks ago and I think it screwed me, as there was only a gain. I think part of that may have been stress. I know if I do create a deficit, weight will come off, and ... 8lbs has come off, it's just freaking slow. I wanted to lose 50lbs for my wedding, I had over a year to do that... I'll be lucky if I lose 20-30 at this rate. I mean... I'll always be the fat girl won't I? I keep telling myself that 20lbs or 30lbs is better than 0 and better than a gain. But sometimes you really consider horrid things like pills and just not eating. I won't.... but I won't lie about how tempting that is.
I should stop feeling sorry for myself. I'll get a drop........ Or I'll be fat for a few more years as weight slowly simmers off... just sucks.
curvynotlumpy You're stuck in the 180s just like me. I think it's an evil *******. I've been bouncing between 180 - 184 now for a month. I fell off for a few days, and am back on, so I know that a week of that was my own bloody fault, but still. Just a drop is all I ask. Inches barely topple as well. While I am sorry you are stuck, honestly.. it's sort of nice knowing someone feels my pain. That's a selfish statement, but it's still nice to know someone else is fighting a platue, I guess that is what this is, and is suffering through staring at the food diary, fit bit tracking and debating WHAT is going on, why is it happening, and just wishing it would DROP all ready.
I've stepped away from the scale and will not weigh myself for a tad. I re-measured my body, small inch loss... nothing to be to happy about to be honest... I think I'm going to focus on my 1200 calories, working out, and sticking to good meals with low sodium, as well as sticking to my current nutrition goals (I never seem to get enough potassium).
Sorry for the rants, I'm just down about it. I won't give up (AGAIN... never again), and I know it will drop with time... just... like everyone is I'm sure, wish it would be dropping at the level you feel you put in to it, yeah?
I feel I'm losing too slowly sometimes but when i check my monthly losses i realize it's not as slow as I think. Also, there are some months in which i lose more than others. Last month I lost less than i thought i could, but thinking in retrospect i had a few binging episodes and was more laid back. Is it possible you've lost track of portion sizes or calories or whatever it is that you do to lose weight? I know it's happened to me several times, specially when I'm stressed with my work or not getting enough time to sleep and relax. Sleep deprivation often leaves me hungry all day long! I'll serve myself bigger portions and have bigger snacks if i'm not ok or if i'm tired. Also, i tend to eat more sugary stuff.
Last edited by Marina Brasil; 09-05-2014 at 06:22 PM.
kurisitaru - I take thyroid meds and would be tired (exhausted, really) without them. Maybe you have subclinical hypothyroidism and should be reevaluated. I can't even begin to imagine how it would be to eat only 1200 calories, exercise and not lose weight! I would be starving and stressed out! Have you tried calorie cycling? It's supose to help when you are eating few calories and your body is not responding. Is it possible you are not tracking your calories correctly? I know it's unlikely, though..... Just wish i could help you, i've been following you and your efforts tolose and i know it's been hard for you.
I also am in the SSSSSLLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWW weight loss. My first 30 pounds came off easy like 3-4 months. When I hit the 160's, it took months to get out. I'm now down to my last 10-20 pounds and it feels like I will never get there.
The funny thing is I lost my first 30 eating the frozen lean cuisine meals. I now eat healthier less prepared foods. However, i sometimes wonder if I should go back to the lean cuisines if it would help.
Does anyone else ever feel their weight loss is 10x slower than everyone elses?
I'd kill to actually lose 5lbs in a month at this point. Running, water, watching what I eat. I'm not going to quit or anything, but it's soooo slow, and then everyone else is soooo fast. Ugh.
I only had 15-20p to lose to get to goal and it took me an entire year.
I worked out today.. AND then I pigged out.. so, I guess the universe is still balanced. I was hoping to shake things up. I've got Saturday and Sunday to keep in check.... I'm gonna finish this week strong with only this one sugar-rush-laffy-taffy-slip-up-melt-down thing!!!!
and THESE are the moments that make my weight loss go sooo slow!!! yes 10x slower as in it moves in reverse and gain. last year I lost 15lbs... BUT somewhere after November I found them.
Last edited by Cheyenneb4u; 09-05-2014 at 11:52 PM.
I'd recommend playing with you calories - probably upping them, possibly drastically. Depending on how hard you are working out, 1200 + a large exercise deficit may be shorting your body from much needed energy. Just a thought. I have to track to ensure that I'm getting enough. I have a history of eating under 1000 calories not because I'm trying to but because if I don't think about it, I just don't eat. Which has led to eating crap when I finally realize I'm hungry. Tracking fixed that for me.
I've been on this weight loss journey several times over the last ten years so in that way, I've had the ability to slowly learn what does and does not work for maintaining a lifestyle I want to lead - because this is a lifestyle and not a diet. Gaining that sort of understanding about your body does take time. As someone with a history of chronic depression, fatigue, insomnia, vitamin D deficiency (despite my love of all things dairy), and hypothyroidism, I can relate to the frustration.
In the past, there have been journeys where I have also been up and down. In my experience, prescription meds have had very little impact on my body and how I feel. The anti-depressants I took worked for a while improving my mood, but eventually, sheer exhaustion overrules any good mood you might have. I can't speak to your personal situation but if you're not having good results with your meds, you might want to try a different brand. Or my might consider looking into all-natural alternatives. I'll be honest that I do take supplements from a company called Plexus. As I've stated elsewhere on the forums, I do not take them for weight loss, I take them because they have improved or eliminated the symptoms of my aforementioned conditions. Something my prescription meds were never able to do. I fall asleep faster (within minutes where it used to take nearly an hour), I stay asleep longer, I wake less often to noises (pretty light sleeper) and when I do, I'm able to fall right back asleep, I wake feeling well rested. I have more energy and a more stable core mood. In spite of my life circumstances, I don't feel hopeless or out-of-control. When it comes to chemical imbalances, they can wreak havoc on us psychically and emotionally and that are not a friend to our weight loss efforts. I promise you there is something out there, either a dietary and exercise combination, prescription meds, or all-natural alternatives that will work. It is all a matter of finding the right combination of things that can bring your body and mind into balance. When the body and mind are balanced, that is when the magic happens. Stick with it and don't be afraid to break out of your routine and experiment with your way of eating, your exercises, or supplements/meds.
And when the going gets tough, know that you can always come to us for moral support.
Marina Brasil I use to be a lot more exhausted and... er... backed up... when I was first put on the meds for my thyroid. The meds were a God Send, on so many levels. My doctor wanted to ween me off slowly, and we did. And now she wants to check me in a few months to see if I'm regulating. I feel more tired lately, but not as bad as a few years ago. So... I'm hoping I am just adjusting, but I've been adjusting to no meds for 6 months now?
I am losing at 1200, just super slow. I'm also very short, 5' and work in an office, so I'm not as active as some people are. I do walk, try to run, and work out, but 1200 isn't "that low" when I consider the rest. I just wish it was 1lb a week enough. I won't go lower, because I have had eating disorders and I really don't want to go back, so I "force" myself to hit the 1200.
I'm going to ride it out for now, not weigh myself, and now that the emotional vent is out, I feel better. Especially from the positive reinforcements.
hiddenstar That's good to hear about the Lean Cuisines. They are my "secret weapon" for tax season. I currently cook and prepare all my lunches, but during tax season I work and work and never have time. So... this year, I'm using Subway, Lean Cuisines, and trying to do mostly crock pot low calories. But the days I can't, I'd much rather grab a Lean Cuisine with high sodium then have Chinese delivered. If you lost a lot of weight while on them, that's good to hear, maybe using them frequently for 2 months may help.
novangel SO... you win on the slow loss. But congrats for making it!
garnetrising Thank you. For all the wonderful advice. My excercise isn't too intense currently, I only burn about 200 calories. 1200 is also not as small as is "should be" to lose what I need, so I need the extra burns. I'm short, and work seated all day. I think I'm putting away the scale, measuring strictly, drinking my water, and trying to reach the nutritional goals for a while. If I don't drop at my next week weigh in, then I'll see about changing some things in my diet.
I appreciate the advice, I am losing, I guess everyone wishes it would go faster.
kurisitaru--Not a selfish statement at all! It is a weird sort of comfort that others know exactly what you're going through. And like you, I've had fleeting thoughts of doing something drastic but since I already know how to lose weight successfully in a healthy way those thoughts quickly dissipate into thin air. It is a test of patience and perseverance that's for sure!
This week.. I'm going to double my water intake.. AND add a cucumber a day with lemon juice!!!! What will happen... we will see!!!!! and something I struggle with... WRITING DOWN WHAT I EAT.. when I eat it.. and my emotional state at the time I'm eating!!! I'm a massive angry eater.
