The last 5 pounds.
Suhrah623
Posts: 65 Member
People weren't kidding when they said the last 5 pounds are the hardest! Sheesh! I have been gaining and losing the same 1.8 lbs now for a month. Can't get below my lowest recorded which is 5 lbs above where I wanted to end! I'm ready to just saw screw it and go into maintenance! Haha!
Anybody else have a lot of trouble with the last 5 lbs?
Anybody else have a lot of trouble with the last 5 lbs?
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Replies
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Yes, I have had this problem for years! And then it turned into 10. I'm no expert but when I've been successful I know what's worked for me - zero deviation from the plan. This is no time for guest-imating on amounts or calories, no time for cheat days. Not that you're doing any of that. It's a terribly hard thing when you're small and you want to lose a small amount of wait. Have you played with doing an akins-like no carb thing for a few weeks? That was effective for me once. I would say do something different to shock you body - either cut out carbs or do the intermittent fasting thing or cut you calories a little further than is recommended and/or up your exercise (I find upping exercise really ups my appetite but may be different for you).0
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Try the last year! That's the way it's been for me.0
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ginalove1960 wrote: »Try the last year! That's the way it's been for me.
YES!!!0 -
And a big big big yes from me. I still have a couple of more to my official goal. I am sort of up and down each day and not sure what the heck I weigh... LOL0
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One year? Try two LOL. I'm actually 3 pounds heavier than I was a year ago now... but I've lost a couple inches so it doesn't bug me that much anymore. As long as I don't have to buy bigger clothes, all good... I'm slowly learning to let it go...
I'm just too hungry and clearly I don't want it enough to cut the 200-300 calories from refined carbs, starches, or sweets that I eat daily from my diet (basically the only thing I could cut at this point if I don't want to be hungry all the time). I do it two weeks a month to avoid overeating during PMS, but I'm just not willing to give it up the rest of the time just to lose a few vanity pounds... just not happening for now!0 -
Heck yes, I decided to maintain at 133lbs as I was fed up trying to get 3lbs lower over a period of months...of course once I stopped trying it happened! Go figure!
I just like food too much to eat at high enough deficit...
Interestingly enough, going lower than previous lowest weight coincides with me consistently lifting heavier. ..0 -
I really would prefer to stay just south of 130 (so 128-130 depending on water, etc.) but apparently not enough to do what it takes. When I was stressed out, got down to 122, which isn't enough for my height but I liked it a lot, looks-wise, and getting that skinny helped me to manage the stress because I liked my body skinny. I would not go back to that time for money or weight loss, though, my life is much better now, and my happier body apparently likes to be 135 right now. I am 5'9" so kind of tall.
The only thing I like much better at this weight is my butt. Am happy that the increase seems to be mostly muscle (my bodyfat % didn't budge, so some is fat and some muscle but the bigger legs are definitely more muscle). I am conflicted. What I would really like is to spot-reduce I guess but know from experience that it's impossible, short of surgery. I have about 35-29-37 right now with legs about 21" and would like to take the 29 to 27 and leave the rest alone. But when skinny I was 33-28-35 and legs 18". So proportions are actually slightly better now, I guess. It sure seems like I ought to be able to have at least the 28" waist though, if I could have it when skinny?
Started lifting 2x/week, might gain a little bit of muscle and hopefully burn a little bit of fat, bodyfat is 20% and I really don't want it a lot lower than that, though, either.
So, anyway, long way of saying I do not try hard to lose the 5 pounds that would put me at the weight I consider ideal for my height, both because I am not completely convinced it's healthier, and because I don't want to get obsessive.0 -
I am actually 1.8 lbs from my "goal weight". I read that you should go a few lbs under that because once you go into maintenance you gain a few lbs right away because of water and glycogen. So that's where these last 5 lbs are going...
It hasn't been hard for me to lose until now. I mean, I've had my good and bad weeks like everybody but I always lost over the course of the month pretty consistently. Now, I just keep gaining and losing the same 2 lbs. I know I need to add a more vigorous workout in and that would help. I'm planning on doing that soon. I have been really busy studying for a huge test for work. Between that, work, and my 3 kids that's been taking up all my time and sanity. Haha0 -
Yes, I have had this problem for years! And then it turned into 10. I'm no expert but when I've been successful I know what's worked for me - zero deviation from the plan. This is no time for guest-imating on amounts or calories, no time for cheat days. Not that you're doing any of that. It's a terribly hard thing when you're small and you want to lose a small amount of wait. Have you played with doing an akins-like no carb thing for a few weeks? That was effective for me once. I would say do something different to shock you body - either cut out carbs or do the intermittent fasting thing or cut you calories a little further than is recommended and/or up your exercise (I find upping exercise really ups my appetite but may be different for you).
No, I have not done that. I just eat what I want and stay within my calorie goal. It's worked well for the last 8 months up until now
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The last five to goal have been so slow for me. There is that up and down with the last few pounds that make you nuts. My year anniversary for my fitness pal and losing weight is Sunday. I have managed to lose a lot, just really hoped I could lose the last two by then. But I'm still keeping on! It's just a matter of time!0
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I was aiming for 120, got stuck at 123, and decided it was too stressful and that I was now in maintenance. I've maintained for 2 months. Maybe in the summer I can get motivated to push to 120.0
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Every pound is still 3500 calories deficit....
Only closer to goal weight or leaner and weighing less the weight loss slowed down...a lot.
Its not harder, more difficult than the first pound loss...its slower that's all. Don't let that discourage you.
Another thing is... your body dont know it is the last pound, so it doesn't make any different. What if you decide to lose another 15 lbs? Than suddenly it isn't the last 5 lbs anymore.
I am not saying this to be mean, but to let you see and understand that it isnt harder. It is slower. The concept is still the same.
Create a bigger deficit and it will go faster. Which i wont encourage to do. Just enjoy and even go slowly a bit up towards maintaining level
I did it and lost my last 10 lbs that way over 3 months time. And now i am thinking of going to 139 lbs and find my range there.
What happens when you go to maintaining ( for me personally) is that while upping i got stronger and got more energy. Got more active than i was before and i started to burn more. My exercises got intenser and i had more power to do them. Result i kept on losing weight while i ate more. I eat a part of my calories back, and always did. This to fuel my body because i put it to work. Result of that is a stronger and more energy filled body which wanted to work. ( Don't confuse this with eat more to lose more...it always stays calories in versus calories out and the deficit will determent your weight loss)
This is all a personal choice of course. But will work for a lot of people. Just keep weighing your food that is all there is too it.
Know your intake and because i upped my calories to maintaining more and more i got more fuel. And i run harder/faster etc. Now you would say, no difference you eat it back so it levels out. But in my case not true.
I always ate 50% back or more when i was more hungry. But when i upped my calories toward maintaining level and my exercises calories went up too, i noticed that i ate less back.
Now dont think that i exercised for hundreds more because i was eating more. Just a bit more the total difference over the months is about 100 calories more in general. So i went from 250 NET burned calories on average to about 350 NET.
And i dont seem to need eat 50% of those. I have enough energy.
Now i do TDEE so maintaining for me is around 2200-2300 ( so includes my exercise calories)
But i eat around 2000-2100 So still lose weight very slowly. I just dont feel the need to eat more. And yes some days i do. I have a drink, go out etc. So those weeks/days it levels out.
But overall i have enough by eating around that 2000 calories. So what i try to say with this is. When you up your calories you still can lose weight as long as you are patient. Not in a hurry and accept the fact that you reach your goal a bit later...
Win of this situation is a much more pleasurable weight loss period with lots of calories to play with and lose weight
Getting used to your maintenance level and what you can do with it, and not gain weight back.
This is how it works for me, everybody is different but i am sure that this will work for some other people too.
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BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »Every pound is still 3500 calories deficit....
Only closer to goal weight or leaner and weighing less the weight loss slowed down...a lot.
Its not harder, more difficult than the first pound loss...its slower that's all. Don't let that discourage you.
Another thing is... your body dont know it is the last pound, so it doesn't make any different. What if you decide to lose another 15 lbs? Than suddenly it isn't the last 5 lbs anymore.
I am not saying this to be mean, but to let you see and understand that it isnt harder. It is slower. The concept is still the same.
Create a bigger deficit and it will go faster. Which i wont encourage to do. Just enjoy and even go slowly a bit up towards maintaining level
I did it and lost my last 10 lbs that way over 3 months time. And now i am thinking of going to 139 lbs and find my range there.
What happens when you go to maintaining ( for me personally) is that while upping i got stronger and got more energy. Got more active than i was before and i started to burn more. My exercises got intenser and i had more power to do them. Result i kept on losing weight while i ate more. I eat a part of my calories back, and always did. This to fuel my body because i put it to work. Result of that is a stronger and more energy filled body which wanted to work. ( Don't confuse this with eat more to lose more...it always stays calories in versus calories out and the deficit will determent your weight loss)
This is all a personal choice of course. But will work for a lot of people. Just keep weighing your food that is all there is too it.
Know your intake and because i upped my calories to maintaining more and more i got more fuel. And i run harder/faster etc. Now you would say, no difference you eat it back so it levels out. But in my case not true.
I always ate 50% back or more when i was more hungry. But when i upped my calories toward maintaining level and my exercises calories went up too, i noticed that i ate less back.
Now dont think that i exercised for hundreds more because i was eating more. Just a bit more the total difference over the months is about 100 calories more in general. So i went from 250 NET burned calories on average to about 350 NET.
And i dont seem to need eat 50% of those. I have enough energy.
Now i do TDEE so maintaining for me is around 2200-2300 ( so includes my exercise calories)
But i eat around 2000-2100 So still lose weight very slowly. I just dont feel the need to eat more. And yes some days i do. I have a drink, go out etc. So those weeks/days it levels out.
But overall i have enough by eating around that 2000 calories. So what i try to say with this is. When you up your calories you still can lose weight as long as you are patient. Not in a hurry and accept the fact that you reach your goal a bit later...
Win of this situation is a much more pleasurable weight loss period with lots of calories to play with and lose weight
Getting used to your maintenance level and what you can do with it, and not gain weight back.
This is how it works for me, everybody is different but i am sure that this will work for some other people too.
Thanks for the info! You have done so well, and I'm hoping to be as successful! It is a patience thing. I like to meet my goals just being a little down about that, but I have met the original goal I had set out to do. I kept on going when I realized that I could finally get back down to where I really would like to be.
The idea of working out a little harder doesn't bother me. I can do a little more. I'm even just trying to get the steps in as well as the treadmill right now. I waited on strength training because I'm clueless about it. I'll also swim a lot this summer. I'd love a few more calories!
Thanks for this new perspective!0 -
BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »Every pound is still 3500 calories deficit....
Only closer to goal weight or leaner and weighing less the weight loss slowed down...a lot.
Its not harder, more difficult than the first pound loss...its slower that's all. Don't let that discourage you.
Another thing is... your body dont know it is the last pound, so it doesn't make any different. What if you decide to lose another 15 lbs? Than suddenly it isn't the last 5 lbs anymore.
I am not saying this to be mean, but to let you see and understand that it isnt harder. It is slower. The concept is still the same.
Create a bigger deficit and it will go faster. Which i wont encourage to do. Just enjoy and even go slowly a bit up towards maintaining level
I did it and lost my last 10 lbs that way over 3 months time. And now i am thinking of going to 139 lbs and find my range there.
What happens when you go to maintaining ( for me personally) is that while upping i got stronger and got more energy. Got more active than i was before and i started to burn more. My exercises got intenser and i had more power to do them. Result i kept on losing weight while i ate more. I eat a part of my calories back, and always did. This to fuel my body because i put it to work. Result of that is a stronger and more energy filled body which wanted to work. ( Don't confuse this with eat more to lose more...it always stays calories in versus calories out and the deficit will determent your weight loss)
This is all a personal choice of course. But will work for a lot of people. Just keep weighing your food that is all there is too it.
Know your intake and because i upped my calories to maintaining more and more i got more fuel. And i run harder/faster etc. Now you would say, no difference you eat it back so it levels out. But in my case not true.
I always ate 50% back or more when i was more hungry. But when i upped my calories toward maintaining level and my exercises calories went up too, i noticed that i ate less back.
Now dont think that i exercised for hundreds more because i was eating more. Just a bit more the total difference over the months is about 100 calories more in general. So i went from 250 NET burned calories on average to about 350 NET.
And i dont seem to need eat 50% of those. I have enough energy.
Now i do TDEE so maintaining for me is around 2200-2300 ( so includes my exercise calories)
But i eat around 2000-2100 So still lose weight very slowly. I just dont feel the need to eat more. And yes some days i do. I have a drink, go out etc. So those weeks/days it levels out.
But overall i have enough by eating around that 2000 calories. So what i try to say with this is. When you up your calories you still can lose weight as long as you are patient. Not in a hurry and accept the fact that you reach your goal a bit later...
Win of this situation is a much more pleasurable weight loss period with lots of calories to play with and lose weight
Getting used to your maintenance level and what you can do with it, and not gain weight back.
This is how it works for me, everybody is different but i am sure that this will work for some other people too.
Thanks for the info! You have done so well, and I'm hoping to be as successful! It is a patience thing. I like to meet my goals just being a little down about that, but I have met the original goal I had set out to do. I kept on going when I realized that I could finally get back down to where I really would like to be.
The idea of working out a little harder doesn't bother me. I can do a little more. I'm even just trying to get the steps in as well as the treadmill right now. I waited on strength training because I'm clueless about it. I'll also swim a lot this summer. I'd love a few more calories!
Thanks for this new perspective!
Fixed that for you in:.... I will be as successful!
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I am okay with losing slower now. I have been losing a lot slower for quite a few months now and I expected it. I just got concerned because like I said earlier, I always still lost over the course of a month even if it wasn't much. But for the last month I have done nothing but lose and gain the same 1.8 lbs over and over.
I plan to just stick with what I'm doing and keep going and hope to get over this last hurdle.
I was just curious if the very end was hard for anybody else also.0 -
I just saw this and I noticed if I went completely off the diet for a week and ate very bad then went back to the diet strictly 1200 calories and a little under I would drop weight. I think it shocks your body and jump starts the weight loss again0
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I am okay with losing slower now. I have been losing a lot slower for quite a few months now and I expected it. I just got concerned because like I said earlier, I always still lost over the course of a month even if it wasn't much. But for the last month I have done nothing but lose and gain the same 1.8 lbs over and over.
I plan to just stick with what I'm doing and keep going and hope to get over this last hurdle.
I was just curious if the very end was hard for anybody else also.
If you stay at the same weight you found maintaining level ( range)
So in your case than you eat to much if you still want to lose.
When your logging and weighing your food correctly shave a bit off like a hundred. ( dont use cups and spoons but weigh your food in grams also serving sizes).
But look at your logging when this happens. Most of the time people unintentionally eat more than they think.
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chocoholicll wrote: »I just saw this and I noticed if I went completely off the diet for a week and ate very bad then went back to the diet strictly 1200 calories and a little under I would drop weight. I think it shocks your body and jump starts the weight loss again
There is no shocking lol or jump starting
It all comes down to burn more than you eat..plain and simple
However when you start maintaining and up your calories a couple of hundred your body retains glucose for/in the muscles...this is not fat! But you will retain some weight This is normal!
There is an excellent thread about this. Very well explained. Also suggesting you go under your ideal/goal weight because you will retain some weight when you go to maintaining. average was 4 lbs for me.
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Yep! I've only got a few kgs left to lose, and I'm on the verge of giving up. I just keep gaining and losing the same amount week in week out.0
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Yes, I have had this problem for years! And then it turned into 10. I'm no expert but when I've been successful I know what's worked for me - zero deviation from the plan. This is no time for guest-imating on amounts or calories, no time for cheat days. Not that you're doing any of that. It's a terribly hard thing when you're small and you want to lose a small amount of wait. Have you played with doing an akins-like no carb thing for a few weeks? That was effective for me once. I would say do something different to shock you body - either cut out carbs or do the intermittent fasting thing or cut you calories a little further than is recommended and/or up your exercise (I find upping exercise really ups my appetite but may be different for you).
I fail to see the wisdom in this. Shock your body? Why? And doing a "no carb thing for a few weeks" seems utterly pointless.
Plus - that "zero deviation from the plan" business - how's that working in real life? It sounds very strict. I know that having that outlook would set me up for failure.
OP - I saw my goal weight for about 10 minutes, lol, then my weight bounced back up 3 lbs. and there it's sat. I don't have enough resolve currently to care all that much. Maybe when I get my swimsuit out if Spring ever arrives, I will be more attuned to logging and getting the last 3 lbs. off. (Then again, maybe not.)
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BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »BurnWithBarn2015 wrote: »Every pound is still 3500 calories deficit....
Only closer to goal weight or leaner and weighing less the weight loss slowed down...a lot.
Its not harder, more difficult than the first pound loss...its slower that's all. Don't let that discourage you.
Another thing is... your body dont know it is the last pound, so it doesn't make any different. What if you decide to lose another 15 lbs? Than suddenly it isn't the last 5 lbs anymore.
I am not saying this to be mean, but to let you see and understand that it isnt harder. It is slower. The concept is still the same.
Create a bigger deficit and it will go faster. Which i wont encourage to do. Just enjoy and even go slowly a bit up towards maintaining level
I did it and lost my last 10 lbs that way over 3 months time. And now i am thinking of going to 139 lbs and find my range there.
What happens when you go to maintaining ( for me personally) is that while upping i got stronger and got more energy. Got more active than i was before and i started to burn more. My exercises got intenser and i had more power to do them. Result i kept on losing weight while i ate more. I eat a part of my calories back, and always did. This to fuel my body because i put it to work. Result of that is a stronger and more energy filled body which wanted to work. ( Don't confuse this with eat more to lose more...it always stays calories in versus calories out and the deficit will determent your weight loss)
This is all a personal choice of course. But will work for a lot of people. Just keep weighing your food that is all there is too it.
Know your intake and because i upped my calories to maintaining more and more i got more fuel. And i run harder/faster etc. Now you would say, no difference you eat it back so it levels out. But in my case not true.
I always ate 50% back or more when i was more hungry. But when i upped my calories toward maintaining level and my exercises calories went up too, i noticed that i ate less back.
Now dont think that i exercised for hundreds more because i was eating more. Just a bit more the total difference over the months is about 100 calories more in general. So i went from 250 NET burned calories on average to about 350 NET.
And i dont seem to need eat 50% of those. I have enough energy.
Now i do TDEE so maintaining for me is around 2200-2300 ( so includes my exercise calories)
But i eat around 2000-2100 So still lose weight very slowly. I just dont feel the need to eat more. And yes some days i do. I have a drink, go out etc. So those weeks/days it levels out.
But overall i have enough by eating around that 2000 calories. So what i try to say with this is. When you up your calories you still can lose weight as long as you are patient. Not in a hurry and accept the fact that you reach your goal a bit later...
Win of this situation is a much more pleasurable weight loss period with lots of calories to play with and lose weight
Getting used to your maintenance level and what you can do with it, and not gain weight back.
This is how it works for me, everybody is different but i am sure that this will work for some other people too.
Thanks for the info! You have done so well, and I'm hoping to be as successful! It is a patience thing. I like to meet my goals just being a little down about that, but I have met the original goal I had set out to do. I kept on going when I realized that I could finally get back down to where I really would like to be.
The idea of working out a little harder doesn't bother me. I can do a little more. I'm even just trying to get the steps in as well as the treadmill right now. I waited on strength training because I'm clueless about it. I'll also swim a lot this summer. I'd love a few more calories!
Thanks for this new perspective!
Fixed that for you in:.... I will be as successful!) Thanks! 0 -
This January I increased my resistance training to 4 days, decreased my cardio, made sure I ate 1gram of protein per lb of body weight, cycled my calorie deficit during the week and ate at my TDEE on weekends.
It's been 8 weeks doing this and I've lost 9 lbs!! Previously I was playing with the same 5lbs +\- for 6 months. During that time I did lose BF and gain muscle but the scale didn't move much. I did monthly measurements and had lost inches.
What type of activity do you do? How is your protein intake? What's your TDEE?0 -
Yes. I basically figure those last few pounds are vanity pounds. My BMI is around 20-21 so that's good. I'm also quite muscular for 51 yrs old. I consider myself in strict maintenance but I do believe that these few lbs will trickle off over the next year or so. However, I'm pretty happy where I'm at, perhaps because I never thought I could do this well with the loss and because I'm pretty pleased with the way I look and feel. Anyway - that's my point of view for me.0
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I'm not really clear on this TDEE things and cycling one's calorie deficit during the week. I did a TDEE calcular. It gave me a BMR and TDEE calorie counts but I guess I don't quite get how to use this. Can someone explain?0
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It took my as long to lose the last 5 pounds as it did to lose the first 25. But I just kept plugging away and it happened. Make sure you have adjusted your weight on MFP and recalculate your goal to get the proper calories. Make sure you have the right goal. I found it helpful to keep my carbs under 40% (that's not very low) because it meant I was getting more protein and fat and my body had to work harder to get access to fast energy so metabolized my stored fat.0
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Do you actually have 5 Lbs to lose or are you just trying to hit some arbitrary number that you set for yourself? That's one of the big issues I have with some number being the goal.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Do you actually have 5 Lbs to lose or are you just trying to hit some arbitrary number that you set for yourself? That's one of the big issues I have with some number being the goal.
So true. I see people complain about their last 5 pounds, when they already have a BMI lower than what it would be if I reached mine, lol.
It doesn't really mean anything. Although in my case if my goal was lower I'd be complaining about the last 10 pounds (or, well, 11/12 pounds currently).0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Do you actually have 5 Lbs to lose or are you just trying to hit some arbitrary number that you set for yourself? That's one of the big issues I have with some number being the goal.
That's a very good question.
I don't know the answer though.
I guess the answer would be that it's a little of both? I have changed my goal weight 3 times now. These last 5 lbs are more of an arbitrary number but also at the same time i did have a little fat left i was hoping to lose. Mostly my belly area.0 -
This January I increased my resistance training to 4 days, decreased my cardio, made sure I ate 1gram of protein per lb of body weight, cycled my calorie deficit during the week and ate at my TDEE on weekends.
It's been 8 weeks doing this and I've lost 9 lbs!! Previously I was playing with the same 5lbs +\- for 6 months. During that time I did lose BF and gain muscle but the scale didn't move much. I did monthly measurements and had lost inches.
What type of activity do you do? How is your protein intake? What's your TDEE?
Yeah see, all this time I've been losing I haven't really concentrated on macros or certain types of workouts. I was doing a lot of circuit training for a while and I kind of fell off the bandwagon a while back. I try to stay active though. I work part time where I'm on my feet a lot, and I have 3 kids im chasing around all day.
I'm studying for a huge test for work that I have to pass. After that I would like to incorporate some more vigorous workouts back into my day on a routine basis.
My protein intake is usually pretty good. I think mfp has me set to 20% for the day and I usually hit around 28%?
I have no idea what my TDEE is. I guess I should calculate that....0 -
It took my as long to lose the last 5 pounds as it did to lose the first 25. But I just kept plugging away and it happened. Make sure you have adjusted your weight on MFP and recalculate your goal to get the proper calories. Make sure you have the right goal. I found it helpful to keep my carbs under 40% (that's not very low) because it meant I was getting more protein and fat and my body had to work harder to get access to fast energy so metabolized my stored fat.
Thanks! I have my cals set to lose 3/4 of a pound a week. I'll just keep plugging away and I'll get there eventually0
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