Frustratingly Slow Weight Loss

janalo55

I figured maintenance calories and it said 2600. Seriously? I would be terrified to eat that much. Is that what I need to do to take a diet break and reset? Should the increase be mostly protein or something?

janalo55

Something else just occurred to me, in regards to the clothes I wore at 200 before not fitting me now... when I first started this journey, I lost 53 pounds. That took me to Christmas of my first year. My brother took pictures of us all at Christmas. I compared those pictures to my starting photo and was really upset... you could not tell I'd lost a single pound. Well, OK, maybe about 5 or 10! I started at a 26 and was still wearing the 26. I had some 24s that had gotten too tight and they were more comfortable, but definitely not enough to go down a size. 53 pounds and not a single size!!!!! Well, 13 pounds later, I was down 3 sizes. So maybe I will go down to where those clothes fit in a rush... sometime soon, I hope! I am now wearing a 16, mostly. These are pant sizes I'm talking about. Shirt and dress sizes seem to be so varied I can't even keep track. Still some 2X and some L. The 3X are gone though!!! The Size 16 dress I wore to my niece's wedding in 2006, when I know I weighed about 10 pounds more than I do now, does not fit yet. A size 18 that was my favorite for a long time is way too tight to wear. My measurements do not change substantially. I figure that's because I'm lousy at measuring myself and too embarrassed to let someone else do it. PS That Christmas turned out to be the last with my Mother, so the pictures are priceless even if I don't look so hot in them.

LivingtheLeanDream

janalo55 wrote: »

I figured maintenance calories and it said 2600. Seriously? I would be terrified to eat that much. Is that what I need to do to take a diet break and reset? Should the increase be mostly protein or something?

if you're active, which it sounds like you are then 2600 could well be your maintenance - diet breaks are a good idea, eat at maintenance for a few weeks, just for the break as such and then go back to calorie deficit. It can't hurt.

Fivepts

I don't have any advice. I just want to echo that plateaus when you are putting lots of effort in really stink.

cheryldumais

When I did my diet break I ate up to maintenance which for me was 1600. Some days I didn't quite make it but I was definately eating more than I had been at 1200. Do the best you can. Just realize you may gain a pound or two but it will come back off when you start restricting again. It takes a couple weeks to get it back off.

janalo55

Thank you everyone for your congratulations. I'm excited and encouraged to have reached this point and still feel dedicated. And I am terrified of gaining it back. Every time I gain back, I add a few. I could easily go to 350 if I gain back. Not a choice I plan to make!

janalo55

RunnerGrl1982 wrote: »

janalo55 wrote: »

LivingtheLeanDream wrote: »

firecat1987 wrote: »

No one has asked this yet, are you weighing your food? I know you said logging, but that doesn't necessarily mean weighing it.

+1

When I can, yes. I use my scale a lot. When we eat out, I estimate. When something is portioned in the package, I don't weigh. But otherwise, I weigh.

You'd be surprised how much those portioned packages can still be off. I don't know the percentages per-say, but there's always a margin for error obviously. Not that you have to, but it might be worthwhile to do an experiment and weigh those foods and see what they over/under is on them to give you an idea. You could be on the money, or it could be an eye opening experience where little calories here and there start adding up slowly.

Just throwing my two cents in.

Edited: Spelling, typo.

So you mean my 4 oz Activia Yogurt might actually be more than 4 oz? Hmmm... I'm going to weigh one! Wow. They were ALL 4.05 to 4.1. Not that that's a big amount, but it is kind of surprising. And I'm betting things like frozen hamburger patties might be even more off. Thanks!