Losing weight is slowing down, opinions, or motivators?

Lizzypb88

I've been dieting since August, and I've lost 40 pounds so far! But I have 60 more pounds to go, my goal is to be confident enough next fall to take a family photo with my kids, and I was losing 2-3 pounds a week, now I'm only losing 1 pound a week- I got an app called "happy scale" which I love, and it shows me my weight and calculations of how long it will take me, and at this rate I won't get to my goal until March 2017, it's very discouraging! I exercise twice a week, but honestly, it works for me, I have done more aggressive diets and just gained all the weight back, so I'm making this a lifestyle change... There is a gym with a program called 20pounds6weeks and you pay $500 upfront and if u lose 20 pounds or more in that time u get ur money back, I know a few friends who have done it and succeeded, I would love to do it, but it's working out almost every day! Would doing this and then going back to working out less make me gain the weight back? I know it's my fault for gaining all this weight after having my kids, but at the same time the slower weight loss now is frustrating

queenliz99

Save your money!!

queenliz99

and this!!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

voldemortisreal

I'd suggest doing the gym and looking into their classes or the weight room, not some woo-woo lose weight quick thing. I'm cheap, why would I pay someone else to make me go to the gym and then pressure me to lose a specified amount in 6 weeks? Nah. Join the gym if you want, personally I love the structured vibe of a gym, and keep doing what you're doing. Maybe up your activity levels if you're willing to give that a go. 40 pounds since August ain't bad, and you should consider: you didn't put it all on within a limited time frame, why would you expect (hope?) to drop it all off within a small period? Tighten up on measuring your items and logging and see if that will get you back on track. Stumbles happen, but it is what you choose to do directly after stumbling that will determine your overall success or failure (1 pound a week is pretty good).

kmash32

Losing 1 pound a week is normal and good. The smaller you get the less you generally lose in a week. I gave 50-60 pounds to lose and am losing about a pound a week and I work out at least 4 times a week. I am realistically telling myself that will take at least a year to Lise the weight. We don't put the weight on in a hurry it won't properly come off in one either.

Lizzypb88

**i should add: I take one day a week off my diet, I had read that you can do that as it kick starts your metabolism, the first week I did that I lost 3.8 pounds, then 2 pounds, now it's down to 1 pound, but if I quit taking the one day a week off I feel I don't have anything to look forward to and my body slows down with weight loss, I usually eat all my calories and count my macros, but I stay at or under my calories at most less than 50 calories than I'm allowed, maybe I should stop taking that one day a week off and up my calories and go over a few?

kmash32

Another point would be that unless you are eating 1200 calls in a day (which I am not suggesting) gave you adjusted the amount of calories you get in a day since losing 40 pounds.

strong_curves

Get and use a food scale.
Weigh/measure all food and drinks.
Be consistent.
Be patient.
Have realistic expectations.

As you get smaller, so does your deficit. Now is the time to start really paying attention to how much you're really eating hence using the food scale.

And that gym, 20lbsin6weeks sounds scary to me.

Lizzypb88

**also I never eat my exercise points, I work out 30min twice a week, I have a baby and a toddler so it's a bit hard, but I could try doing it after they go to bed to exercise more often in the week

Lizzypb88

I'm given 1,310 calories in a day, I usually eat 1250

ukaryote

It can be frustrating. Look at it this way:

ebaroldy wrote: »

I've been dieting since August, ... at this rate I won't get to my goal until March 2017,

60 lbs in a year and a half? Woo-hoo! You go! I gained 50 lbs in a year so losing that much in a little longer time seems great to me.

There is a gym with a program called 20pounds6weeks

Gym = lose weight? Uh, not for me. I change eating habits to lose weight and exercise to get fit. I confirmed this point of view with my doc and a nutritionist. Exercise and better food habits seem to reinforce each other, a positive spiral.

I know it's my fault for gaining all this weight after having my kids,

Not. Your. Fault.
That was sooo then. You are now at X, it does not matter how you arrived there. Or me. Or anyone. Start from X. Move forward. If a day off once per week works for you, do it.

This is all about developing lifelong habits, not losing weight aggressively as possible.

strong_curves

ebaroldy wrote: »

I'm given 1,310 calories in a day, I usually eat 1250

But are you using a food scale for food & drinks?

kmash32

ebaroldy wrote: »

**i should add: I take one day a week off my diet, I had read that you can do that as it kick starts your metabolism, the first week I did that I lost 3.8 pounds, then 2 pounds, now it's down to 1 pound, but if I quit taking the one day a week off I feel I don't have anything to look forward to and my body slows down with weight loss, I usually eat all my calories and count my macros, but I stay at or under my calories at most less than 50 calories than I'm allowed, maybe I should stop taking that one day a week off and up my calories and go over a few?

How much are you eating on that one day off? You can negate your whole week of good eating with one really high calorie day. You have to remember this is a lifestyle change not just a diet. Are you going to spend your whole life looking forward to that one day? I will sometimes cheat on a meal if I am really craving a burger and fries or am out with friends, but if I do a whole day it is harder to get back to what I need to do the next. That being said you do have you do have to figure out what works for you but I wouldn't go any lower than 1250 if I were you.

Lizzypb88

Honestly- yes I was thinking I would look forward to that one day a week for the rest of my life lol!! But yea you're right I should probably ease up and cut that out

And yes I am very precise with everything, I even measure ounces of water so I get about 60oz a day

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

middlehaitch

If you are enjoying one day a week off, make it so you eat to maintenance. That way you are not undoing all the work you have done during the week, but still have a few hundred calories for a splurge.

You may need to go into your MFP account and physically adjust your weight and goal now that you have lost 40 lbs you will need fewer calories.

Also adjusting to a 1.5 lbs goal now that you only have 60lbs to lose would be good. 2 lbs is a little aggressive and would drop your calories.

With regards to exercise. You may want to eat a portion of those calories back. MFP is set up for you to do that, and it means that if you for some reason you stop exercising your basic calorie goal will still work for you.

Cheers, h.

Lizzypb88

Thank u I never thought of changing it to "maintenance" if I want an off day! Good things to know