Hard to be patient...

brittlb07

This is my 34th day of counting calories and logging food... which is about 4 more days than my previous logging streak (I’ve been a member since about 2010 on and off). I think before I lost weight in an unhealthy way so I would see drops of 2-4 pounds a week. Then the pounds would stop and I would get sick of eating so little and working out so much that I’d quit. This time I am doing the system right and eating within a healthy calorie range. I am down 8 pounds during these 5 weeks and know the process is working. It is just so hard to be patient! I am just now to where I was last summer let alone lower than that point. I am currently 137 and want to get to 118-120 for my 5’4 small frame.

I’d love to hear any inspiration or stories of patience. How long did it take you all to lose about 30 pounds? I’ve tried setting mini goals as I meet certain checkpoints which has certainly helped a bit.

Thanks for any inspiration!

InAPairOfChucks

8 pounds in 5 weeks is great progress! Patience is going to be the key to getting to your goal, just enjoy the journey.

witchaywoman81

You’ve made great progress so far. Try not to focus so much on the destination. What are you doing every day to get you closer to your goal? For me, it’s about the small victories. I lost just over 5 lbs in January, which I’m totally thrilled about. If I weren’t committed to this, I guarantee you I would’ve maintained, or even gained weight in January instead. For me, it’s about how I can make this a lifestyle.

ETA: I think it’s also helpful to remind yourself that you didn’t gain this weight overnight, and it’s not going to come off overnight, either.

Psychgrrl

Focus on NSV—Non-Scale Victories.

The scale responds to hormones and water weight and exercise in all sorts of crazy ways. You have to find ways to stay motivated when you’re not seeing the scale results you want.

Most of mine are fitness related goals, and most with the long game in mind.

Another tip to help manage the scale are weight trending apps. It helps you understand the daily fluctuations so those “pounds” that magically appear overnight aren’t so scary. Cause they’re not real weight.

NovusDies

Time is going to pass whether you are losing weight or not. It is also going to pass whether or not you are patient. The trick is how to pass the time as happy as possible and losing weight at the same time. For me this is done by being kind to myself. I don't add any restrictions to my diet that I don't absolutely need and I eat food I enjoy.

You would be surprised how fast time can fly by when it all just becomes a normal day for you. I am exactly 12 days away from celebrating an entire year of weight loss.

jdog022

I’m at 750 days and would be over 1000 if it wasn’t for a trip overseas to a 3rd world country. I’m not even remotely close to that day 1 person physically or mentally. 34 days is great but track 750 and do this correctly and you will crush whatever goal you have now . Trust the process

Running2Fit

I've been logging for 157 days. I'm down 33.2 lbs. and only have about 22 lbs to go. I'm at a weight I haven't been at since college, 10 years ago! I've lost almost 10 inches from my hips and 6.5 from my hips. I went from not being able to run a mile to being able to run 3 under 30 minutes and am signed up to do a half-marathon.

Before this my longest streak was maybe two months. I used to always give up because I wasn't losing fast enough and I thought I would never reach my goal so why keep trying. This time I decided I just need to stick with it no matter how slow it goes, just keep going even when I feel like calling it quits. And it's amazing how much progress you can make if you stick with it!

SmithsonianEmpress

I’m somewhere in the 900s for my day streak. I’ve gained and lost the same lbs over and over and over and overrrrrr. My advice is DONT be me.

MalkinMagic71

I'm think I'm like 1150 days logged. 200lbs+ lost. It's a marathon not a Sprint. The payoff is worth it. Keep at it.

elliej

Great work! As you're near your goal progress won't be quick, at least in my experience.

I previously lost what you're aiming for an it took maybe 4-5 months - I was losing 0.5-1lb a week roughly until I hit about 125 and then it got pretty slow.

I'm 5'3 small frame, similar to you and I suppose I find it easiest to maintain at 120-125, though for my comfort and preference I feel better on the 115-120 side, it just takes a little more work. Also those numbers are more rough guides, I focus on mirror / clothes for self evaluation. After heavy holiday season I crept up to 122 again, so on my 5 "vanity pounds" and also like you on a 34 day streak! I have just gone from 123-120-123-120-121. So basically nothing. But I know I'm paying more attention to what I eat, hitting protein and nutrient goals, exercising more (i.e. being healthier) and I know I'll wake up in a few weeks and be at my goal, but won't put a time pressure on it. I still want to eat pizza and wine without torturing myself with guilt.

Agree to focus on the non-scale victories. I have a t shirt which fits *just right* at one weight, and a dress at another, also I have started lifting weights again and last week did a dead lift of 50kg/110lb - so nearly my body weight. Those are my markers of progress rather than what the scale says.

Silentpadna

brittlb07 wrote: »

This is my 34th day of counting calories and logging food... which is about 4 more days than my previous logging streak (I’ve been a member since about 2010 on and off). I think before I lost weight in an unhealthy way so I would see drops of 2-4 pounds a week. Then the pounds would stop and I would get sick of eating so little and working out so much that I’d quit. This time I am doing the system right and eating within a healthy calorie range. I am down 8 pounds during these 5 weeks and know the process is working. It is just so hard to be patient! I am just now to where I was last summer let alone lower than that point. I am currently 137 and want to get to 118-120 for my 5’4 small frame.

I’d love to hear any inspiration or stories of patience. How long did it take you all to lose about 30 pounds? I’ve tried setting mini goals as I meet certain checkpoints which has certainly helped a bit.

Thanks for any inspiration!

I think you're doing great.

The best recommendation I have is that you are really going to have to train your patience "muscle". Like anything, if it's small, it needs training to grow. And given where you are in the process, you're going to need it.

So....I would make sure to ask yourself this first: am I losing weight for the sake of weight? Or am I trying to make by body into a certain shape that I believe this scale weight represents?

The reason I ask this is that shape comes from keeping your lean body mass while losing fat. Because you can only metabolize a certain amount of fat at a time, as you have less of it, it goes away slower. If your body can't reach the fat stores it needs to in a deficit, it will take energy from other sources - your muscle for example.

What that means is that although 8 pounds in 5 weeks is good, when you get closer to where you want to be, that rate is going to be slower, or at least it should be - if you want to be as healthy as possible.

So...do what you're doing, but don't overdo it because you want to be there yesterday. Be mentally ready for the process to slow down. If you're not doing progressive resistance training, start now. If you do, you may find that your target weight is not really a target. I'm not saying that it's not, but you might be surprised.