The Last Ten Pounds

bananabeannn

Hi everybody!

I would really really like to lose this last dang ten pounds. I feel like I get pretty easily discouraged, and I feel like working out isn't making a difference before.

I'm 5'3 currently 131 and would like to get to 118ish.

Has anybody successfully shed those last few pounds and got them off to stay? if so, can you share how you did it?

My thoughts are 1500 calories a day, HIIT 5x a week. But I'm mighty discouraged. I would love to hear from somebody who a) either has a similar goal and/or b) someone who has accomplished it.

Happy to hear any of your ideas!

BB

sijomial

Calorie deficit to lose.
Those last 10lbs follow the same rules as the previous X number of pounds.
My personal preference isn't the same calorie deficit every day as I find that boring and restrictive. So I mix maintenance days, small deficit days and odd large deficit days. I also prefer a slow rate of loss for muscle retention and exercise performance, no more than 1lb a week on average.

Calorie balance to maintain.
Again I prefer to look at a longer view than trying eat the same daily.

HIIT five times a week would be too much if it's genuine HIIT (tabata for example). It's also a low calorie burner due to the very limited duration you can do it.

But working out is very much the smaller part of where your focus should be. I cycle 100 miles a week so have large calorie burns but that's still dwarfed by my calorie intake.

motivatekait

Hi there! I'm 5'5", 125.6lbs looking to get down to 120-118. I was stuck at 128lbs for like a year and just the past couple months have started to lose once I started following this routine consistently:

I eat 1400 cals a day, drink lots of water, do HIIT for 20min (usually) 5-6 days a week plus a combination of weight lifting and pilates, so I work out for about 45min - 1 hour 5 or 6 days a week.

How long have you been doing this? It took me about a month of being really consistent before my weight started to actually go down. I usually vary my calories a bit between 1200-1400 a day just depending on how hungry I am (I usually have a hard time eating 1400 because the food I eat is pretty low cal and filling, check out my diary). As I'm sure you know, it takes a lonnng time to lose the last 10lbs, so it's important that you're consistent and patient. If you've been at this consistently for a while, try cycling your calorie count a bit.

neldabg

bananabeannn wrote: »

Has anybody successfully shed those last few pounds and got them off to stay? if so, can you share how you did it?

Yep. I did. My goal range is 108-114lbs, but my "ideal" UGW is 110lbs. I was fluctuating for an entire month between 111-112lbs, and I thought maybe I'd stay there forever, but about a month later, I stepped on the scale and saw 110lbs, and I consistently weighed in at that mark thereafter. Just keep doing what you're doing. If you're truly logging accurately and appropriately estimating your calorie output, you'll be at your goal soon enough.

bananabeannn

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

98bikinisuitedlbs

I am still struggle with the last 5 lbs but what has work is the consistency and adding more fruits and vegetables including green smoothies to your diet and drinking lot of water. Your honestly as to what you are eating and becoming aware and make those changes will help you in the long run. Currently I am watching my macros to lean out more. Wish you luck my dear and feel free to add for support. I am not as consistent with logging but I have my macros build on my head. Area I need to improve is logging!

AnnPT77

bananabeannn wrote: »

(snip)

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

(snip)

Any advice is much appreciated.

Sure, something does work to lose the last few pounds: Eating at a slight calorie deficit for a good-ish while.

I pretty much agree with @sijomial above.

You want a small calorie deficit as you get close, to preserve lean body mass. That means your logging has to be pretty accurate, to maintain that margin, but keep it small. So, weigh your food.

Eat the foods you want to keep eating forever, so you're rehearsing for maintenance, just eat a bit less of them.

When you hit the bottom of your goal range, inch the calories back up to maintenance level gradually. Since you will've been logging meticulously for a few weeks, you'll have an excellent way to calculate your maintenance calories based on your own personal data.

I admit, I've only been maintaining for 3-4 months now, so I'm no expert. But it's going fine, so far. If anything, I tend to drop to the bottom of my maintenance range, not bump up against the top. I'm 5'5", 60 y/o, 120 pounds plus or minus 3. (Yes, there are good reasons my goal's a bit on the low side, but we don't need to go into them here.)

LivingtheLeanDream

All it takes is logging accurately. You haven't been doing that but you've maintenence sorted to lose those final pounds you just need to watch more closely how much you eat, you know that to lose you have to eat a bit less than what you currently do. I know for me all it took was cutting out a sugary or savoury snack and that's enough of a deficit per day to have seen me losing 1/2lb a week - take it slow and you'll hardly miss those extra 250 cals a day

Erik8484

I lost my last 5lbs logging accurately, and i lost it quickly. I basically started to weigh snacks like nuts (instead of eyeballing) and only ate at places that had nutritional info online. It took about 1 month.

Basically, before i did this i thought i was eating about 2000kcal per day. Turned out it was closer to 2500kcal per day.

I also fit in about 4 hours of walking (to and from the shops, work etc) and 4 hours of strength training.

sijomial

OK a bit more detail in case something strikes a chord for you OP....

I had to do the last 10lbs thing again this year - relapse of my chronic back injury, a bit depressed due to being inactive and surrounded by Christmas treats meant I piled 10lbs back on quickly.

As I know what my maintenance calories are I just left my calorie goal at maintenance and regarded those extra 35,000 cals as something I would chip away at here and there. To give me a focus I entered a couple of long distance cycle events where being lighter is a great help.

Many days were at maintenance - especially strength training days where I don't have a lot of calories to play with without feeling restricted. On cardio training or especially cycling days with a much more generous calorie goal I find it easy to create a deficit, sometimes a big deficit. Big but short duration deficits don't impact body composition by the way, it's a big deficit and long duration that is the problem. Many days I created a small deficit purely by skipping breakfast - something that I find easy to do.
Some weeks were maintenance weeks: before an event to start fully fuelled or simply because there were social events involving food/drink for example.

It wasn't stressful and worked fine. But I'm a bit of a contrarian and my methods aren't going to suit many, I don't need linear progress. I don't tolerate boredom or feeling restricted well. But I will put in the time to burn a load of exercise calories as I love training. You have to know yourself not blindly follow a formula.

Options are many from a sustained small deficit to zig zagging to a large but short duration cut.

Hope this ramble helps!

vicky1947mfp

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

kirstenb13

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

You are doing absolutely nothing to lose weight apparently, so of course you are not. Why would you be discouraged by that? Use mfp, eat the calories it gives you and wait, you will lose those 10 pounds if you give it enough time. Exercise if you feel like it, and eat back some of the calories but it isn't necessary.

I reached my goal weight of 150-155 lbs (I'm 5'11) doing just that and it really isn't hard or magic, you just have to do it.

bananabeannn

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

Oh yeah, I know I'm doing nothing. It's because I've tried many times with no success. But, I want to try again, and was just hoping for somebody to give me a little motivation from their own success. So thank you for that

yami0385

bananabeannn wrote: »

Hi everybody!

I would really really like to lose this last dang ten pounds. I feel like I get pretty easily discouraged, and I feel like working out isn't making a difference before.

I'm 5'3 currently 131 and would like to get to 118ish.

Has anybody successfully shed those last few pounds and got them off to stay? if so, can you share how you did it?

My thoughts are 1500 calories a day, HIIT 5x a week. But I'm mighty discouraged. I would love to hear from somebody who a) either has a similar goal and/or b) someone who has accomplished it.

Happy to hear any of your ideas!

BB

Are you strength training? We are the same height but my weight is 137. I noticed that heavy lifting has helped me to reduce body fat. It's not always about the scale take measurements and pictures.

vicky1947mfp

bananabeannn wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

Oh yeah, I know I'm doing nothing. It's because I've tried many times with no success. But, I want to try again, and was just hoping for somebody to give me a little motivation from their own success. So thank you for that

You are the only one who can motivate you because you want it badly enough. I know because No one else could motivate me until I had had enough.

It is not always easy but it is so well worth it. It is hard to be fat, it is hard to lose weight- pick your hard. If it was easy we would not have an obesity problem here in the US. Not saying you are obese but 10 lbs here, then 10 lbs there. I know it finally begins to add up.

Trust me, you need to nip it in the bud now while you are young. Get obsessed with being healthy and the weight loss will happen. Eating crap all the time made me lethargic and very unhappy.

Trust MFP and even if it takes a year to lose your 10 lbs, you will be moving in the right direction.

Good luck to you. BTW-one of my best motivators was joining some if the weight in challenges on MFP. Keeps you accountable.

vicky1947mfp

bananabeannn wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

Oh yeah, I know I'm doing nothing. It's because I've tried many times with no success. But, I want to try again, and was just hoping for somebody to give me a little motivation from their own success. So thank you for that

Typo in my original post - I only weigh 115!!! My stats s/b 69 yrs, 5'2" and 115 lbs. I lost my weight very slowly but it was a lifestyle change not a diet.

Megarachnid

Hi there! I'm also plateaued with the last 10-ish lbs after a 45 lb loss. I injured my knee last March which threw me into a depression and a panic because I couldn't work out the way I wanted to ( at least where cardio and leg work were concerned--I could still do upper body weight work )This lead to overheating, binging and just not being honest about what I was taking in calorie wise. 2 or 3 bad days a week were totally wiping out any progress I was making on my good eating days. I know that's not really an answer for you, just commiserating. I'm back on track now and hope to finally lose the last few. And my knee is slooooowly getting better with PT) Best of luck!

bananabeannn

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

Oh yeah, I know I'm doing nothing. It's because I've tried many times with no success. But, I want to try again, and was just hoping for somebody to give me a little motivation from their own success. So thank you for that

You are the only one who can motivate you because you want it badly enough. I know because No one else could motivate me until I had had enough.

It is not always easy but it is so well worth it. It is hard to be fat, it is hard to lose weight- pick your hard. If it was easy we would not have an obesity problem here in the US. Not saying you are obese but 10 lbs here, then 10 lbs there. I know it finally begins to add up.

Trust me, you need to nip it in the bud now while you are young. Get obsessed with being healthy and the weight loss will happen. Eating crap all the time made me lethargic and very unhappy.

Trust MFP and even if it takes a year to lose your 10 lbs, you will be moving in the right direction.

Good luck to you. BTW-one of my best motivators was joining some if the weight in challenges on MFP. Keeps you accountable.

Thank you! Where can I find the weigh in challenges??

Christine_72

bananabeannn wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

vicky1947mfp wrote: »

bananabeannn wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I should be clear - when I said my 'thoughts are'..I literally mean those are my thoughts lol. NOT what I have been doing. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years ago and have maintained, but eat pretty inconsistently. Meaning i still eat a lot of sugar, and have not been logging for a while. I became a little over-restrictive when I was prescribed a new medication that eliminated my appetite, lost about 7 pounds, and promptly gained it right back. Now, I don't eat a ton - but I can eat 800 calories of trail mix and then a snickers bar, and a kids meal from mickey d's. Like, that's not healthy but it's 1500 calories or so. So where I stand right now - is that I am 'discouraged'. I am not exercising, I am not eating right, because I feel like NOTHING WORKS.

So what I was hoping to hear is that YES, SOMETHING DOES WORK. You know what I mean? I feel like maybe this is just the weight I'm going to be stuck at. It's impossible to change and keep at it, unless I do something very severe/restrictive. I want to do this the right way, and I want to hear how you guys did it.

Thanks to those of you who replied, I appreciate it a lot. I'll go shopping today for some easy good foods and plan to get to the gym.

Any advice is much appreciated.

You apparently aren't too serious if you are eating snickers, mickeyds and tons of trail mix. If you really want it, you are going to have to be a "big girl" about it.

I am 69 , 5'2" , 125 lbs. and have lost 47 lbs. i thought my goal weight was going to be 129 but the last year I just cut my cals and have lost that last 10 lbs ( actually 14). It can be done but you have to want to do it.

Oh yeah, I know I'm doing nothing. It's because I've tried many times with no success. But, I want to try again, and was just hoping for somebody to give me a little motivation from their own success. So thank you for that

You are the only one who can motivate you because you want it badly enough. I know because No one else could motivate me until I had had enough.

It is not always easy but it is so well worth it. It is hard to be fat, it is hard to lose weight- pick your hard. If it was easy we would not have an obesity problem here in the US. Not saying you are obese but 10 lbs here, then 10 lbs there. I know it finally begins to add up.

Trust me, you need to nip it in the bud now while you are young. Get obsessed with being healthy and the weight loss will happen. Eating crap all the time made me lethargic and very unhappy.

Trust MFP and even if it takes a year to lose your 10 lbs, you will be moving in the right direction.

Good luck to you. BTW-one of my best motivators was joining some if the weight in challenges on MFP. Keeps you accountable.

Thank you! Where can I find the weigh in challenges??

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/categories/challenges

vicky1947mfp

@bananabeannn - you are here now and that is what matters. Lots of good advice for you to pick from.


Wishing you success.

girl_inflames

I'm fluctuating between 156-154 right now...my original goal was 155 but I've decided I'm not happy with my size yet so I've decided on 140 (or around there). I was doing fine until this point, but now I'm just fluctuating like a mofo. It's *so* irritating! I'm definitely there with you! I'm only on a 1200 calorie a day diet (many times even less just due to being too tired to eat dinner when I get home from work) so I don't understand why it's gotten so slow...oh well. Gotta keep going!