20 lbs

Walkywalkerson

Does anyone else have 20 lbs to lose that wont budge?
I'm finding it a struggle after losing 57 lbs over the last 14 months and lost my mojo over Christmas all the way through January.
I'm only just trying to get back into a routine now and am 20 lbs overweight again 😫
I keep losing 7 lbs of this 20 and then the hunger monster gets me and it goes back on again.
It's plain over eating - there is no mystery to it!
My body seems to like being this size.
I don't though!

yirara

How big is your calorie deficit? It might not be an issue of will power but an issue of too big a calorie deficit for you. Why not start slowly with 0.5lbs per week, and then see if you can increase to 1lbs thereafter? With just 20lbs to lose it'll be fairly slow going anyway. Starting slow and sticking to it might get you there quicker than forcefully losing a lot of weight, and then binging it all back.

ReenieHJ

My sister gripes that every time she gets near goal weight, within a few pounds, she self sabotages. Probably not quite the same thing you're going through though.

Once a person gets off track it can be a challenge to get back on. I started with needing to lose 20# again this year. I now have 15 to go. It feels so much easier and definitely more fun on the gaining end of things than it does this losing side. But I'm hanging in there, every # lost is heading back in the right direction. What if you plan some new meals or try a new routine of activity to make it all new and interesting again? Plus in new stats and start over with a clean slate and new mindset?

Twenty pounds isn't that much so it'll take some time and patience to your goals so look at it half a pound at a time. Try to be kind to yourself every day; you can definitely do this.

Walkywalkerson

Thanks for your replies 😊
I have about a 400 cal deficit at the moment- I definitely can't do more - I feel hungry a lot of the time.
I'm playing around with my macros and have reduced carbs to around 100g a day and am trying to up my protien.
Playing around with recipes is a good idea - I'm so bored of the foods I got into a routine eating.
I'm also bored of my walking routine.
I try to do around 6 miles 15,000 steps a day 5 days a week.
I cant wait for the warmer weather to get my bicycle out!
It all feels like a chore at the moment and I just want to be at home under a duvet with the whole bakery 🤣

NYPhotographer2021

I have approx 20 lbs left to lose. It's definitely slower going than the first 40. It's like once I hit 179, my ability to lose went out the window. I am down 8 pounds from that point, but it felt like it took forever. My doctor wanted me to slow down the weight loss, and it seems like my body took his words to heart.

I'm at 171 now but want to get down to at least 150. I am hopeful that I will lose that within 4 months (5 pounds a month) putting me at my goal around May/June. I know from previous weight loss diets, when my loss slowed down, I got frustrated and sabotaged my diet. I am determined not to do that this time.

If I don't make goal by June, I am willing to extend my efforts to September, before my birthday. I started at the end of August 2021. If it takes me a year, I will be happy. I know from reading various posts, that weight loss starts to slow when you don't have as much to lose. As unhappy as that makes me, I will do my best to be patient. Maybe eat at maintenance for a couple of weeks. That gives you more calories to satisfy the urge to overeat. Then start over. During my time here, I've kept track daily of what I've eaten and what the scale put me at. There were a few days where I ate closer to maintenance than a deficit, and when I started eating at a deficit, I lost again. I didn't believe that my metabolism could be tricked, but it seems to be the case. Or my body was ready again.

Good luck to everyone! Do your best to hang in there! A lot of us are in the same boat.

skiextrm

I have been going back and forth with the last 20 for 2 years, after keeping off the first 20 I lost. I know my problem really, I only stay consistent for week then wreak my progress with a day of calorie overage. At my size and age, there's not much wiggle room. Just had a health scare and heart turned out OK, but I am ready to recommit HARD. Anyone want to send me a Friend Request?

cmriverside

When I lost 60ish pounds in eight months I was still just barely inside the healthy BMI for my height.

It was not easy to stick at that weight.

I didn't attempt to lose the last 15 pounds for quite a while. It was over a year until I tried. I was hungry all that time up to and including that loss of 15 pounds.

I think it takes a long time for the body to reach homeostasis after significant weight loss. For me that time was about a year. Hormones were all out of whack and wanted me to put that weight back on. (Yeah, I know hormones don't have emotions or desires. )

While I was trying to lose that last 15 pounds I was hungry ALL the time. It took me nine months to lose that last 15 pounds - and I really was trying but HUNGRY.

I feel your frustration. I remember it well. You'll get there, but it may take you a bit longer than you'd like. The good news is that you'll definitely remember this when/if you start to put back on the weight.

I do NOT want to go through those last 15 pounds again.

Walkywalkerson

cmriverside wrote: »

When I lost 60ish pounds in eight months I was still just barely inside the healthy BMI for my height.

It was not easy to stick at that weight.

I didn't attempt to lose the last 15 pounds for quite a while. It was over a year until I tried. I was hungry all that time up to and including that loss of 15 pounds.

I think it takes a long time for the body to reach homeostasis after significant weight loss. For me that time was about a year. Hormones were all out of whack and wanted me to put that weight back on. (Yeah, I know hormones don't have emotions or desires. )

While I was trying to lose that last 15 pounds I was hungry ALL the time. It took me nine months to lose that last 15 pounds - and I really was trying but HUNGRY.

I feel your frustration. I remember it well. You'll get there, but it may take you a bit longer than you'd like. The good news is that you'll definitely remember this when/if you start to put back on the weight.

I do NOT want to go through those last 15 pounds again.

Thanks for that
It's great to know that the hunger will hopefully eventually bugger off for me too though if I can stick to it!
I've just had my dinner at 5pm because I'm STARVING 😳
I'm going to have to go to bed at 8pm lol!

hesn92

I've had 15 lbs that I've wanted to lose for the last couple years lol. It gets really hard when you're already a healthy weight and just want to lose a little bit more. My problem is I keep trying to do it without counting calories because I just don't find it to be a sustainable way to live But I just can't seem to get the weight off without doing it. It's so easy to gain weight and so hard to lose it. I'll think I'm doing really good, eating-wise. Eating sensible meals, not snacking too much. But then I add up the calories and I'm over! So frustrating. I don't want to be hungry!

angela_boinkers

I’m in the same boat. I have about 20 lbs to lose, I’m at the top of a healthy bmi but have a gut…I can’t tell how many calories I should be eating.

sbelletti

angela_boinkers wrote: »

I’m in the same boat. I have about 20 lbs to lose, I’m at the top of a healthy bmi but have a gut…I can’t tell how many calories I should be eating.

Post your stats and we can help you determine your calorie intake if you like. Age, height, weight and activity level.

Plasicage

I'm back to losing those last 20lbs after taking 4 month and 5lb weight gain break too.
This past 2 weeks; I didn't let myself go hungry, logged everything, ended up running 8 to 10km per day to have enough calorie allowance, and the scale is barely moving!! It attempted to move to 1lb loss. But it's so frustrating.
At least, I hoped, those first 5 lbs can come off easier. But no.

I get the whole going to sleep to avoid the hunger misery.
When I'm at work I consume a lot of caffeine/black coffee to get over the hunger. Even at home during the day.

I'm convinced that if I take the slower more balanced approach; tracking everything forever, focusing on muscle gains and some running but not everyday, just a slight calorie deficit, I would be better off in a year than giving up altogether again. But then results are super slow to come. Ugh 😔

Better to try then not.

AnnPT77

Plasicage wrote: »

I'm back to losing those last 20lbs after taking 4 month and 5lb weight gain break too.
This past 2 weeks; I didn't let myself go hungry, logged everything, ended up running 8 to 10km per day to have enough calorie allowance, and the scale is barely moving!! It attempted to move to 1lb loss. But it's so frustrating.
At least, I hoped, those first 5 lbs can come off easier. But no.

I get the whole going to sleep to avoid the hunger misery.
When I'm at work I consume a lot of caffeine/black coffee to get over the hunger. Even at home during the day.

I'm convinced that if I take the slower more balanced approach; tracking everything forever, focusing on muscle gains and some running but not everyday, just a slight calorie deficit, I would be better off in a year than giving up altogether again. But then results are super slow to come. Ugh 😔

Better to try then not.

The bolded would be true. In addition, taking that approach - doing something sustainable long term - is more of a help in understanding how to maintain a healthy weight permanently.

Aggressive loss rates, extreme expectation, punitively intense exercise, overly restrictive eating: That's an on-ramp to yo-yo loss and regain, realistically. Find relatively easy-to-sustain habits that lead you to a healthy weight, keep you there long term, without white-knuckled willpower or motivation. The time is going to pass regardless: Use it to find a sustainable long-term way of being, would be my advice.

Signed,

Year 6+ of maintenance, after losing from class 1 obese to healthy weight, after around 30 years previous of obesity.

happyfamily51million

Hi Everyone! I have about 20lbs to lose as well! I got to my goal weight before the pandemic and put on a little bit every year. Now I’m losing again and am down 2lbs! This app really helped me lose weight and keep it off from 2016 - 2020. I’m excited and seeing progress as I start my new journey. Good luck everyone. We’re in this together!

Plasicage

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Plasicage wrote: »

I'm back to losing those last 20lbs after taking 4 month and 5lb weight gain break too.
This past 2 weeks; I didn't let myself go hungry, logged everything, ended up running 8 to 10km per day to have enough calorie allowance, and the scale is barely moving!! It attempted to move to 1lb loss. But it's so frustrating.
At least, I hoped, those first 5 lbs can come off easier. But no.

I get the whole going to sleep to avoid the hunger misery.
When I'm at work I consume a lot of caffeine/black coffee to get over the hunger. Even at home during the day.

I'm convinced that if I take the slower more balanced approach; tracking everything forever, focusing on muscle gains and some running but not everyday, just a slight calorie deficit, I would be better off in a year than giving up altogether again. But then results are super slow to come. Ugh 😔

Better to try then not.

The bolded would be true. In addition, taking that approach - doing something sustainable long term - is more of a help in understanding how to maintain a healthy weight permanently.

Aggressive loss rates, extreme expectation, punitively intense exercise, overly restrictive eating: That's an on-ramp to yo-yo loss and regain, realistically. Find relatively easy-to-sustain habits that lead you to a healthy weight, keep you there long term, without white-knuckled willpower or motivation. The time is going to pass regardless: Use it to find a sustainable long-term way of being, would be my advice.

Signed,

Year 6+ of maintenance, after losing from class 1 obese to healthy weight, after around 30 years previous of obesity.

Thanks!

I'm working on some 'lifestyle habit' changes now.
I knew on my 'diet break' that I was over eating, stopped at 5lb gain, and now back at it. So I have made some behavioral changes already. I'm fairly happy with my diet overall, not going back to previous foods, I just need to work on those binge periods. Like stress induced work comforting snacking, or eating out after not having properly timed meals and starving, watching tv and bored, etc.

Once a month, or every 2 weeks, is ok to indulge with friends, but snapping right back is an art form.

I noticed all my super skinny friends found the balance trade off between eating out, workouts, general eating, and maintaining slimness. I'm aiming there too.

Walkywalkerson

Plasicage wrote: »

Once a month, or every 2 weeks, is ok to indulge with friends, but snapping right back is an art form.

It really is an art form that I cannot master either 🙄
If I indulge it usually leads me to indulging for a few days.

Skyler103

I've gotten so much better at snapping right back into it the past year. I'm think I just told myself I had to. Especially after vacation.

ash1864

What I tend to do is to try and break it down - I want to lose about 30lbs, so I'm setting myself a target of 10lbs. If you can lose 10lbs, you can then know you can lose then next 10 and so on. It's hard work. I previously lost 3 stone in 2015/16 and felt amazing but gradually put it back on over 2019/2020. So now I'm trying to lose that same weight again (soul destroying btw) but necessary. If you're sick of walking, try swimming or some cardio based exercise classes that will get your heartrate up. I've learnt by experience that faddy diets don't work, calorie deficit, keeping consistent, healthy food and exercise works but it's a whole lifestyle change. I can recommend the Pinch of Nom website for recipes are that low calorie and their cookbooks are also fab

elainedigweed

I don't know how to control the binge eating. Wished I knew how to train my mind not to.

cmriverside

Walkywalkerson wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

When I lost 60ish pounds in eight months I was still just barely inside the healthy BMI for my height.

It was not easy to stick at that weight.

I didn't attempt to lose the last 15 pounds for quite a while. It was over a year until I tried. I was hungry all that time up to and including that loss of 15 pounds.

I think it takes a long time for the body to reach homeostasis after significant weight loss. For me that time was about a year. Hormones were all out of whack and wanted me to put that weight back on. (Yeah, I know hormones don't have emotions or desires. )

While I was trying to lose that last 15 pounds I was hungry ALL the time. It took me nine months to lose that last 15 pounds - and I really was trying but HUNGRY.

I feel your frustration. I remember it well. You'll get there, but it may take you a bit longer than you'd like. The good news is that you'll definitely remember this when/if you start to put back on the weight.

I do NOT want to go through those last 15 pounds again.

Thanks for that
It's great to know that the hunger will hopefully eventually bugger off for me too though if I can stick to it!
I've just had my dinner at 5pm because I'm STARVING 😳
I'm going to have to go to bed at 8pm lol!

So...
I hope you have your calories set to, "Lose 1/2 pound per week," at this point, that you're using a digital food scale and logging ALL your food AND that you eat more on Exercise Days.
The hunger will cause you to give up otherwise. Use this time to really dial in your accuracy and your exact amount of food needed to maintain. Then subtract 250 calories from "maintenance" calories. The tendency is for people to keep cutting calories more when they get frustrated but that's the absolute opposite of what you should do.
It may be time to just take some time off and rebalance with accuracy, good nutrition, and exercise being your main Goals for now.
Here's the awesome Refeed thread, I think you may find it enlightening:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

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avatiach

At a weight watchers meeting once (back when I tried those) two people who had slowly lost weight said two different (but similar) things. One said the main thing she had done was cut out her nightly glass of wine. Another cut out cream in their coffee. I don’t know if either of those things would help you.

sbelletti

OP, you said it yourself... "it's just plain overeating."

The closer to you get to goal, the harder it is. Now is not the time to give in and go over your deficit. Stay the course and the weight will come off. It's usually slower, but it will come off if you stick with it.

At 20 lbs, your deficit should be set to lose between 1/2-1 pound a week. If you're hungry all the time, set it to 1/2 pound.

I'm within 5-8lbs of my goal and still losing steadily, but I do NOT go over my deficit. Ever. One day is enough to derail me for a week or two.

Walkywalkerson

Thanks for the replies and advice 😊
The refeeding thread is enlightening and will definitely try that.
And I have set my calories at half a pound a week loss and see if that helps with the hunger.
I think an extra 200/250 calories a day will really help.

AnnPT77

Walkywalkerson wrote: »

Thanks for the replies and advice 😊
The refeeding thread is enlightening and will definitely try that.
And I have set my calories at half a pound a week loss and see if that helps with the hunger.
I think an extra 200/250 calories a day will really help.

Please do keep in mind, though, that a slow fat loss rate can play peek-a-boo on the scale with normal water/waste fluctuations for a surprisingly long time. Speaking as someone who's done a "go slow" thing for some months fairly recently - admittedly maybe slower than 250 deficit, even - there were multiple weeks that the scale hinted I wasn't losing, and even my weight trending app started to agree . . . but eventually, the expected loss emerged from the fog, longer term. Hang in there!

pink_mint

Count me in as one who has roughly 20 lbs to lose. Currently slightly overweight for my height. I hold my weight decently well and I feel so much better than when I was obese, but another 20 lbs loss will make a big difference. Getting further away from the overweight range seems to help so much physically.

I'm early 40s. I have to be very observant and skilled about it. My cycle seems to play a significant part for one thing. I don't know if this is normal but I can eat significantly more on certain days of my cycle without gain, and if I try too hard to restrict calories on those days, it backfires and I way overeat.

It's a balance all month though... of trying to stay ahead of overeating, by eating enough but not too much.

Walkywalkerson

pink_mint wrote: »

Count me in as one who has roughly 20 lbs to lose. Currently slightly overweight for my height. I hold my weight decently well and I feel so much better than when I was obese, but another 20 lbs loss will make a big difference. Getting further away from the overweight range seems to help so much physically.

I'm early 40s. I have to be very observant and skilled about it. My cycle seems to play a significant part for one thing. I don't know if this is normal but I can eat significantly more on certain days of my cycle without gain, and if I try too hard to restrict calories on those days, it backfires and I way overeat.

It's a balance all month though... of trying to stay ahead of overeating, by eating enough but not too much.

My cycle messes with the scale too.
I'm starting to think that I should bin the scales as they are demotivating me by not moving a single ounce 🙄
I have been positively saintly as well with my exercise and calorie goals.
This time of the month is when I start to bloat a little and crave junk food - it's definitely not a good time to restrict - it always backfires for me too.
This last 20lbs is stuck to my body 😩

yirara

pink_mint wrote: »

Count me in as one who has roughly 20 lbs to lose. Currently slightly overweight for my height. I hold my weight decently well and I feel so much better than when I was obese, but another 20 lbs loss will make a big difference. Getting further away from the overweight range seems to help so much physically.

I'm early 40s. I have to be very observant and skilled about it. My cycle seems to play a significant part for one thing. I don't know if this is normal but I can eat significantly more on certain days of my cycle without gain, and if I try too hard to restrict calories on those days, it backfires and I way overeat.

It's a balance all month though... of trying to stay ahead of overeating, by eating enough but not too much.

I hope it helps: you can't magically eat more on some parts of your cycle than on others without weight gain. Weight gain (and loss) happens over time. It's a lot more likely that your body stores more water during parts of your cycle, and times where it drops water - which of course shows up on the scale as water of course also has a weight. Maybe people experience this when they have their menstruation, or at other regular times.