anyone start their journey 150lbs and get down to 120? (specifically women)

Options
Coffee_addict22
Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have struggled keeping with a 1200 calorie a day in order to lose weight. I dropped from 155 to 150. can't seem to keep consistent with it because we eat out and do quick meals a good bit. I know i make excuses to eat badly but I'm still a recovering stress eater and fail occasionally. I think my Body fat% is 30%. I'm 5'4" and like I said I fluctuate between 150 to 152. Anyone willing to share their journey if you have been a similar place?
I'm so discouraged. I feel like no matter what I do I will NEVER get down to my goal weight. I continually fail. They only way I have seen any weight loss is by starving myself and I don't want to go back to that.
«1

Replies

  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    Options
    Another 5'4" woman here. I am also an emotional eater. The only time I have been down to 120 was shortly after college when I was able to work out regularly (cardio only, running and biking) and also switched to a vegetarian/vegan diet. I was working 2 jobs on my feet all day and cooked all my own food. I was able to sustain that for about a year or two.

    Since then, I have started eating meat again and have a kid. I let myself eat whatever I wanted when pregnant and gained 50-65 pounds. After my son was born, I got down to 153 lbs before changing jobs to where I was on my feet all day to a desk job. I got back up to 167 lbs a couple months ago. I have now been on here for a month and a half tracking what I eat. I'm now down to about 162-163. I am like you in that I struggle with eating 1200 calories/day. What do you have your weight loss goal set to? If you go too high, you are much less likely to sustain it. The first month I found that with eating alone and not starving myself, I will lose about .5/week while tracking (I tend to average about 1500 cal/day when watching what I eat without feeling like I am starving myself). To get that extra .5/week I have increased my exercising. I went from crossfit 2x/week to 3x/week plus running at least 3x/week. My new goal is 145 since I have significantly more muscle than I did when I was 120.

    As far as going out to eat, plan ahead with what you will eat there. Make it fit your calorie goal. And quick meals can be healthy, too! As long as you are in a calorie deficit over time, the weight will come off. It takes time, patience, and dedication. You just have to figure out how it works best for you to make it a sustainable change. You didn't put on the weight on overnight and you will not lose it that way either. Good luck!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'4 and I started around 155-160 (was too freaked out to weigh myself at the beginning). I now weigh 115.

    It's possible. I focused on logging accurately (food scale, double-checking database entries, etc) and a reasonable calorie goal. You aren't going to lose a lot each week when you have a lot to lose and it's miserable trying because you get so hungry.

    You're going to "fail" sometimes (I prefer to use a kinder language with myself), but the important thing is how you spend the majority of your days. Hit your calorie goal consistently and you'll make consistent progress even if it is slow (the exception would be if your high calorie days are high enough to wipe out your deficit, but if you're logging accurately you'll be able to see that).
  • mrodgers1995
    mrodgers1995 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    A few months in to logging my food I began to recognize that the way I was thinking about food was not good for my mental health, so I stopped counting calories and focused on eating smaller portions of more nutrient dense foods and avoiding heavily processed fats and sugars. I'm just starting to log my food and weight again, and I haven't gained any since I stopped logging! I would say, don't beat yourself up too much when you slip, but try and find options that fit with your life. If you eat out, eat half of the portion that you're served, or have an appetizer as your meal. Desserts are ok once in a while, just not every day, and go for a smaller serving of something you'll really love as opposed to a larger serving of something mediocre.

    Im a compulsive snacker, and the best thing I've started doing is snacking on raw vegetables like carrots instead of bready things. They're more filling, and take longer to chew so I eat less and feel more satisfied.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'4", currently about 118 lbs, and my heaviest was about 145 lbs. Losing wasn't the problem for me (I did have to cut my calories pretty low, but it was short-term since I was militant about adherence so not too painful), but I had a heck of a time maintaining when my sedentary maintenance calories were only 1500-1600/day. It just wasn't a lot of food (especially after losing on 1200 for a few months and being so tired of it), and so I learned that, in order to get to eat a reasonable amount of food, I had to increase my activity quite a lot.

    I now cycle commute to work year-round (even in the long Canadian winters) and run 30-40 miles per week, because that's the lifestyle I needed to have in order to get to eat as much as I want to eat. Now I get to eat ~2200 calories a day, which is about 800/day higher than my sedentary maintenance and allows for lattes, the occasional dessert, wine, etc.

    It's the same with losing when you're already pretty light/small - you have to either cut your calories very low and be hypervigilant about your nutrition, or you have to increase your energy expenditure significantly if you want to eat more. Accuracy in counting is also WAY more important when you are lighter because you have a smaller margin of error, so it might be necessary to weigh everything and make the kind of choices that allow you to be more accurate (fewer local restaurant dinners, more meals you can count accurately, weighing/accurately measuring stuff like cooking oil and coffee cream and paying attention to the MFP entries you pick with your meat with cooked/raw weights.)
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'2". Last year I went from 137 to 115. I ate between 1200-1500 a day to lose weight. I've been maintaining for ten months now and I eat about 2000 calories a day. Being more active can help give you a calorie deficit. Honestly, it's just hard work. If you have a bad meal don't let it turn into a bad day and don't let a bad day turn into a bad week and then get totally thrown off course. Having friends here really helped to keep me motivated. Good luck!
  • nhorton5
    nhorton5 Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'3" and started on here March 1st at 165lbs. I'm now at 143 and still have a weekly loss of 1-2lbs. My calorie target is 1800 and most days I am under that, on average I would say I eat 1500 a day. I don't tend to eat anything that's processed, which is a great help. I am very active and currently I swim 3x, run 3x, spin 4x, yoga 2x and will also try and get out on my bike once a week.

    I would suggest adding in some exercise that you enjoy and then revising your calories. I can't survive mentally on 1200 a day. Also, don't let one bad meal or day push you off track. In the grand scheme of things one bad meal won't make you fat, just like one good meal won't make you skinny!

    Good luck!
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,495 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'3" and my starting weight was 149. At my last weigh in I was 117. It just takes patience and adherence. I try to exercise as much as I reasonably can because I can't live on 1200 calories a day. I eat what I want as long as I make my calorie goal and meet my protein requirements.
  • flowerhorsey
    flowerhorsey Posts: 154 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'8" started a year ago at 164 and am now maintaining (recomping) at around 145. What helps me is following progressive lifting schedule, food planning, cooking in big batches to eat leftovers, food tracking. I try to not eat out much at all. 2000-3000+ calories a day and adjust as needed. Hope this helps.. lift as heavy as you can!
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,974 Member
    Options
    I'm a little taller, and not at goal yet, still have a ways to go. I was feeling stuck in the weight loss, I was maintaining well enough, but not losing. Like you though, too much eating out and "quick" meals out.

    Decided to start doing meal prep - no, its not easy for me as I'm currently working 7 days a week. But I'm in my 3rd week of it, and I have steadily lost weight since starting the meal prep. Always having a few prepped meals in the freezer means my excuses hold no water. It's faster to reheat a meal than it is to go through the drive-thru! I'm still refining the process, but seeing the scale finally move is working nicely to keep me motivated. It's helping with my food budget quite a bit too!
  • idabest777
    idabest777 Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'4 and went from 160 to 119. I'm hovering around 125 right now cus I slacked off during the winter, but I'm working on getting down another few pounds. I aimed for around 1200 for most of my loss. I like to eat a lot of food so I found that what helped me was eating A LOT of vegetables for my lunch and dinners, usually with some sort of protein thrown in. (i.e. lunch would be a huge salad with a hard boiled egg, dinner would be sauteed spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, tomato, eggplant, with a small piece of chicken or something) I mostly only had carbs as snacks in the form of banana or granola bar or popcorn or something. All the veggies made it pretty easy to stay within my calorie goal but still eat a lot of food and feel full.

    I've also exercised throughout my loss. I found for most of it the sweet spot was running 5-7km cus I could burn a decent amount of calories to eat a couple extra snacks, but I wouldn't make me so hungry that I would wipe out the deficit. Once I start running like 10+ km it makes me hungrier for a lot more food.

    After a week or two of following everything closely and the progress was matching what it was supposed to be exactly, it motivated me to keep going. I'd say about once a week I would treat myself to some sort of tasty meal at a restaurant or fast food, or whatever I was craving that week, but keeping it to one thing a week made me realize the kinds of foods I really wanted to eat, versus ones I would just grab occasionally cus I was bored and wanted a fat/sugar/salty fix.
  • fstrickl
    fstrickl Posts: 883 Member
    Options
    I kinda am in the same boat. I’m 5’5” and CW is 167. I’m not sure what my goal is but back when I graduated uni in 2013 I was 147. I guess I’m aiming to be 130? I don’t really know. I’m trying to base my fitness on more than my weight, but #thestruggleisreal.

    Lots of people have already given some good advice. I’ve been logging for 55 days and have seen my weight drop 7lbs. So consistency is key I guess and accountability. And isn’t that why we’re all here? I also find 1200 cal SO SO hard. I allow myself more. So I guess to sum up: health is not just a number on a scale, and keep at it. You’re amazing!
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
    Options
    I went from 150 to 110, which was too low. I'm hovering 113-114 now and working to gain. To lose, I ate salad for most lunches, focus on veggies and protein for dinner. I also worked out a lot. I cut back on bread and after dinner snacks/dessert and drinking to lose. I think my calorie goal was around 1350-1600.
  • alyssa_rest
    alyssa_rest Posts: 276 Member
    edited May 2018
    Options
    I'm 5'4 and started at 147 lbs. Currently down to 127.5 lbs and my goal weight is 125 lbs. It's a slow process. Averaging about .75 lbs down a week currently, and it'll probably drop to .5 lbs here shortly. I'm currently averaging around 1400 calories a day plus some when I workout and still losing.

    Log using a food scale - the good, bad and ugly too. If 1200 calories isn't enough, your best bet is to up your activity a little and eat more. That could include just parking farther away from the entrance of a store, taking the stairs, etc. to increase your NEAT. I try to get up and move more so I don't have to eat at 1200cals a day.
    I find that I end up starving.

    There's a good thread posted below on little things to increase activity:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options

    @eleanorhawkins You're in inspiration! Not necessarily but when i put that I wanted to lose 2 lbs a week that is what the MFP said I need to cut back too. I know myself enough to know that I will fail if I don't see any progress.
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options

    @Cassandraw3 emotional eating is such a hard thing to break. Its set to 2lbs a week because i need to see progress otherwise I'll quit. Logging is the hardest for me. I forget to log something and then a bad meal turns into a bad week:(( I workout at a gym 2-4 times a week so I may need to up my calories to compensate. Its hard making anything sustainable when the mountain top seems so out of reach lol I get frustrated and quit to often I know.
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    @janejellyroll wow thats awesome! I so wish I could get there. I just keep failing. My biggest problem is I make excuses for myself to allow myself to eat whatever I want. Its a continual cycle unfortunately. I'll do great start losing weight and then crash and burn lol.
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    @peleroja Time is my worst enemy I think. I dont make time to do the things I need to succeed! I just need to be more diligent to log and exercise. Its so easy to just quit when you slip a little and then have to start all over again.
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »
    I'm 5'2". Last year I went from 137 to 115. I ate between 1200-1500 a day to lose weight. I've been maintaining for ten months now and I eat about 2000 calories a day. Being more active can help give you a calorie deficit. Honestly, it's just hard work. If you have a bad meal don't let it turn into a bad day and don't let a bad day turn into a bad week and then get totally thrown off course. Having friends here really helped to keep me motivated. Good luck!

    @BeccaLoves2lift WOW girl! Thats such an inspiration! Would you be willing to share what you ate on a typical day? I think thats where I am failing the most. I don't have a good routine. I'll skip breakfast, snacker lunch, and then realize I'm starving at supper and overeat. I don't know what to eat at that calorie bracket. I feel like I can't eat anything.
  • Coffee_addict22
    Coffee_addict22 Posts: 86 Member
    Options
    nhorton5 wrote: »
    I'm 5'3" and started on here March 1st at 165lbs. I'm now at 143 and still have a weekly loss of 1-2lbs. My calorie target is 1800 and most days I am under that, on average I would say I eat 1500 a day. I don't tend to eat anything that's processed, which is a great help. I am very active and currently I swim 3x, run 3x, spin 4x, yoga 2x and will also try and get out on my bike once a week.

    I would suggest adding in some exercise that you enjoy and then revising your calories. I can't survive mentally on 1200 a day. Also, don't let one bad meal or day push you off track. In the grand scheme of things one bad meal won't make you fat, just like one good meal won't make you skinny!

    Good luck!

    @nhorton5 Thanks girl! This is super helpful!

Categories