How long has it taken you to lose your weight?

Lalasharni

I started losing weight in 2007, and I've gotten nearly 90lbs off, but it hasn't been a steady loss by any means. I've lost 50, stalled for a few months, lost another 30, gained back 20, lost 20, stalled again for a few months, lost 20, gained 20 again, recommitted myself and lost 30. Now I'm stalled again for the past few weeks. I am determined this time to keep it all off, and to lose a further 15-20 pounds as well. My downfall is the food aspect. I've been very good about the exercise, but tend to lax a bit with food, especially during the summer months. However, my periods where I fall off the wagon and indulge are getting shorter, and I'm getting better at making healthier choices. It's been a long progress, but slow progress is better than no progress.

You shouldn't be starving. That's not the way to convince yourself to live a healthier lifestyle. That's a way to quickly shed but then regain when you decide you can't take it anymore. This is not a race. Everyone wants to have it gone as quickly as possible, but there are no miracle cures. 90% of weight loss is what you eat. 90% of your health is how you treat it, including exercise. Do it the right way for long term benefits.

absolutely agree.

lyndausvi

Congrats on the loss so far.

I started 18 days ago and I'm down 8 pounds. I'm realistic to know that (1) it's not all fat and (2) I'm going to continue losing at this rate. What I'm focusing on how great I feel. I have more way more energy, losing inches, clothes are fitting a little better and overall I feel healthier.

Some things can't be rushed and getting healthy is not all about the scale. Focus on feeling better, losing inches, being able to ride farther and/or faster.

Good luck.

Quilled

Two years in July and still going, its a super slow pace but I am okay with it. According to mfp I have lost about 27 lbs but I didnt have a scale for a while when I started, so I have probably lost closer to 35lbs. 40lbs was my initial goal but now i am thinking I would be better off losing 45lbs total, but I will see when I get to 40.

I lost a whole lot at first from water weight then was losing 1-2lbs a week from diet etc and got down 20lbs pretty quick, when I hit a little past 20lbs I was feeling a lot better about my weight and was less worried about losing so much so quick, from there I have hit a pattern of hovering. I will hit a new low weight then go back up about 2 lbs and 'hover' there for a while then back down to a new low. So obviously from there its been really slow going, losing about 1lb a month if any. A lot of it for me at this point is more maintaining rather than being so driven to lose more. I feel better that its happening this way because I am learning to maintain as I go and I have it down pretty well at this point, so even when I do reach my final goal, I will know how to stay there. I will be two years from my first weigh exactly one month from now. I am hoping to lose 4lbs over the next month and reach my first goal weight.

Koldnomore

I have been getting rather discouraged lately as I dont see the weight coming off as quickly as I had hoped. Today will mark the 20th day that I have been on roughly 1200 calories, and trying to get as much exercise as I can. I usually ride my bike for about 30-45 minues a day and the bike doesnt have gears so its quite the workout for me. I also try to walk as much as I can, the problem is that I am a bank teller so I spend most of my days either sitting or standing for eight hours a day. I have only lost about 7 pounds, and i am starving, I dont know that else I can do to make the weight come off. I know that you are only reccomended to lose 2 lbs a week, and that means its going to be a slow process. My starting weight was 186, current weight 179, goal weight it 140, and im roughly 5'7''. Im wondering if those who lost over 20lbs, how long did it take you, and should I be doing something differently?

Age 20, goal to lose 40 lbs, SEDENTARY BMR @ 1600.

You have part of it right.. recommended rate of loss goes DOWN as you get closer to your goal thus losing 2 lbs/week when you have only a few lbs to lose is not sustainable or healthy. With 40 lbs left to lose you should be aiming closer to 1.5 - 1lb / week. It IS a slow process, it sucks, but that's how you KEEP IT OFF.

Asking someone how long it took them to lose 20 lbs is not relevant as we are all different and all have different amounts of weight to lose. At a SW of 220 I lost 20 lbs in my first 2-3 WEEKS - at 190 lbs the same weight took 3 MONTHS to come off. I am roughly the same height as you and have been sitting between 170 - 160 for the last 3 months. Probably it will be July before I crack the 150's. The lighter you are the slower it should be.

Given your age, weight and height you should be eating WAY more (and keep eating back your exercise - which you are doing right!) I would highly suggest changing your MFP goal to 1 lb/week.

You shouldn't be starving. That's not the way to convince yourself to live a healthier lifestyle. That's a way to quickly shed but then regain when you decide you can't take it anymore. This is not a race. Everyone wants to have it gone as quickly as possible, but there are no miracle cures. 90% of weight loss is what you eat. 90% of your health is how you treat it, including exercise. Do it the right way for long term benefits.

^^ good advice.

msjames1999

I'm averaging about 10 pounds a month.

rayzerwolf

as more of the weight comes off it will be slower i am at 162 and I find I can loose 1 pound or a half a week some times not at all, the heavier you are the faster it can come off at first then it slows down be patient take you time to giver your skin the time to shrink down as well

Mario_Az

you need to increase your calories get away with as much calories you can get away with so you have room to work with when you hit sticking points and try doing hit cardio better for you

if you can watch video below it will help


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

jenf235

I started out at 299 pounds and have lost just over 106 in almost one year; however, the more you have to lose, the easier and faster it comes off. Now that I am getting closer to my goal, the weight is coming off much more slowly. My body gets used to hard workouts and less calories, so every once in a while I have to "trick" my body and eat a little differently, or change the workouts. But I agree...7 pounds in one month is outstanding! Remember, the weight didn't come on in one day, it's going to take a lot of hard work to take it back off...that's what people tell me all the time. I will not say, don't get discouraged, because I know how hard this is. Just hang in there. Make sure you are getting the right nutrients and eating enough. The scale will show results. Just be patient.

momzeeee

I did alternate day intermittent fasting, and only 'dieted' every other day (the other days I ate around 2,000 calories). I lost 40lbs between October and March (6 months), including taking two weeks off for the Christmas holiday party season and eating freely during this time. In March I started transitioning into maintenance and lost another 6 pounds during that time.

I did not exercise at all during weight loss.

mumtoonegirl

I am 75lbs down but this has taken 18 months to do. Slow weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week has been proven to be the best success for long term loss. Be patient you didn't put the weight on overnight and its not going to come off overnight.

Be patient.

haymancm

I've lost 41 lbs in about 3.5 months. Changing the workouts up really helps. Even though I weigh myself daily, the scale does not always budge & that's when I go to my closet to try on the smaller size clothes to see how close I am to looking great in 'em. I eat only a small portion of my workout calories normally, yet sometimes I eat almost all of them. This is a lifestyle change, something that I can stick with past reaching my goal. As time goes by, it is getting harder to burn the same calories as once before, since my heart is getting stronger.

Stick with it, don't lose hope. You'll get to your goal, if you don't quit.

JerZRob

Look up images on the internet of "5lbs of fat" and you will be plesantly surprised by how much it actually is. And then think of how you lost 2 more pounds that that!

themommie

I started in july 2010, I have lost 114 lbs, but the last 6 months has been pretty much maintenance only losing a few lbs maybe 6, so I guess it took me 2 1/2 yrs, pretty slow, the important thing is that you stick with it, not how long it takes. If you are hungry add 100-200 cals and see if it helps. Congrats on your weight loss so far

beattie1

I have been getting rather discouraged lately as I dont see the weight coming off as quickly as I had hoped. Today will mark the 20th day that I have been on roughly 1200 calories, and trying to get as much exercise as I can. I usually ride my bike for about 30-45 minues a day and the bike doesnt have gears so its quite the workout for me. I also try to walk as much as I can, the problem is that I am a bank teller so I spend most of my days either sitting or standing for eight hours a day. I have only lost about 7 pounds, and i am starving, I dont know that else I can do to make the weight come off. I know that you are only reccomended to lose 2 lbs a week, and that means its going to be a slow process. My starting weight was 186, current weight 179, goal weight it 140, and im roughly 5'7''. Im wondering if those who lost over 20lbs, how long did it take you, and should I be doing something differently?

You're hungry because your body is begging you to feed it! There's all the difference in the world between fancying a snack, wanting the taste of some food you love, and needing more calories. 1200 calories is too low for many people, and you're burning more with your exercise. I suggest you add a couple of hundred more calories of nutritious food and see how you do. As many people have said, this isn't a race and you need to be a winner over the long term. You've made an absolutely fantastic start, but if you try to keep up that rate of loss you'll lose fitness instead of gaining it.

I've been eating healthily and deliberately exercising more for 16 months and have lost 69lbs. Just can't seem to get to that 70lbs marker, BUT I WILL! :-) I keep on keeping on and don't stress about small things, concentrate on the positive.

Elise_healthy4life

You might not be eating enough I have the same stats and I'm on 1550cals I'm coming up to two years but I've lost 170lbs

Geekyfatgirl

I think you're doing excellent!!! I lost 60 lbs in 6 months which is roughly 2 lbs a week. All together ive lost about 65 lbs and its been a year now. I still have more to lose, but it starts to really slow down. So dont worry I am positive youre doing fine. Just try eating more.

StarChanger

I've only lost twelve pounds over about three months. Most of it came off in one big chunk, and I've been floating around the same couple pounds for a couple weeks, though my inches are shrinking.

Honestly, I think it's different for everyone and depends on how you are approaching it. Don't get discouraged. Anything you are doing is helping, you just need to stick with it.

In the same boat.....guess we need to just keep rowing.

Rockmyskinnyjeans

It took me 9 mos on MFP to lose 55 lbs & I'm 6 mos into maintenance phase now and still here logging

elleloch

I am 5'3, and it took me about six months go to from 140 to 120.

SafiyaBWG

I began my journey to lose weight last december, and even though I stopped for a while (say 1months 1/2 ), I'll say, that losing 26 pounds took me 5 months or something, so approximately 21 weeks, 26 lbs in 21 weeks, that's an average loss of 1.2 lbs a week, so that's a good loss.
Don't worry, you're impatient at first, but you will learn to know your body, to indulge when you should, and exercise extra hard when you need to ! It will come naturally !

baotzu

I dropped 65 lbs in 2 months eating normal (no more pizza for every meal) and lifting 7 days a week. Cardio (running 1 mile) was done every other day, with 20 mins of HIIT on Friday mornings (30 sec sprint 1 min walk).

saxmaniac

Hmm...

You are losing at a fairly fast rate (more appropriate for a very obese person) and undereating. This is why you are starving... because you are.

I would suggest either eating a more to fuel your workout, or work out less... plus adjust your expectations.

JewelsinBigD

43 pounds lost since Jan 2012- it is a turtles pace sometimes but is happening so I should not complain. I get frustrated but I persevere. Be patient with yourself- you want it be for real this time. And whatever you do the day before you are done you will have to do the day after- so it really should not matter how long it takes.

Roll_Tide_Meg

You might not be eating enough I have the same stats and I'm on 1550cals I'm coming up to two years but I've lost 170lbs

This! Please figure out your TDEE-20%-35% and stick to it...that will be a healthy weight loss!

CandiQueen

I've lost 15lbs in the last 3 and a half months... I've messed up a few times or it would have been more.

JustME1611

I have lost 38 lbs in 4 1/2 months. It's slow going and that was something I had to come to terms with when I started. It took years for me to put the weight on and it's not going to come off overnight.

JewelsinBigD

I dropped 65 lbs in 2 months eating normal (no more pizza for every meal) and lifting 7 days a week. Cardio (running 1 mile) was done every other day, with 20 mins of HIIT on Friday mornings (30 sec sprint 1 min walk).

That is pretty crazy - did you have a lot to lose??

Amyy1982

I've lost 33lbs in 150 days and I'm totally happy with that :happy:

Ashshell

I've lost 38 pounds in just one week shy of four months. I eat no more than 1400 calories per day and I do not eat my exercise calories back. The reason I do not eat my exercise calories back is because it is impossible to know for sure how many calories I've burned and also because nutrition labels are not always entirely correct. I go to the gym 5-6 days per week. While I am there, I do 30 minutes of cardio that focuses on toning my legs, thighs and butt. So, I walk on the treadmill at an incline or use the arc trainer at an incline. I spend 40-50 minutes on weights and ab work (including resting between sets). I use machines and dumbbells. I am 5'4". Starting weight was 222 pounds and I currently weigh 184 pounds.

donna710

7 lbs in 20 days is great! It has taken me 5 months to lose just 7 lbs! I keep to around 1300 calories, eating alot healthier and workout 2-3 times a week (which probably isn't enough). I blame it on my age but every 'body' will be different. You're doing great!! Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged.