Help with dropping the last 5 lbs

sukhikaila334

Hi!
I have done great with MFP since Jan 1. I am down 20lbs and have the last 5 to go. The last week I have not lost anything, and I have logged as usual and keep my days under 1200. Any tips on dropping the last few lbs? Any suggestions? I know I have done well, but the lack of scale movement has made it a little frustrating the last week or so. My hubby and I have been doing this together and it's been easier for him to consistently drop on the scale....that adds to the frustration, especially since he take much more food liberties. Thank you

mandip4377

you check u abdominal navel misuration ?if yes and u are dropping it down then its good if u aren't dropping down weight and inches from u abdominal then its time for a diet break

dragon_girl26

The first thing to keep in mind is..weight loss is not linear. The "pounds per week" number is an average over the course of your weight loss, not a guarantee that the scale will drop weekly like clockwork. That's not how human bodies work. Water, hormones, stress...all can be common reasons for a temporary stall on the scale for a week or two, especially for females. Don't get hung up on "I didn't lose anything this week", especially as you get closer to your goal weight. Usually it's only something to be concerned with if you go 4+ weeks without seeing a drop.

For reference, I only see a drop on the scale about once a month in a "woosh" fashion!

Also, why are you eating less than 1200? If your calories are set to that amount, you should be eating that as your minimum, not eating under it. How do you know you are truly eating 1200? That's a very very small amount of food for an average adult.

onyxgirl17

You lost weight fast for having so little to lose. Likely water weight is causing the scale not to show weight loss. You mentioned being frustrated… remember it is fat loss you are looking for, not weight loss. Losing at too fast of a rate you might lose more muscle than intended which is hard to build back.

When you lose the five additional pounds are you still going to count calories? Have you thought about permanent lifestyle changes so you don’t gain the weight back?

I bring this up because I’m also in my last five pounds to lose but I have lost much slower than you (because under 1200 calories is not sustainable for me as a full time teacher and full time graduate student). I’m losing at approx 1-1.5 pounds a month now but my brain and body is happy.

sukhikaila334

Thank you for the feedback. I log daily and put all my recipes Into MFP. I eat a lot of veggies and fruit so that keeps me in range or lower. I weigh my food where I can and keep to serving sizes.

I have definitely thought about maintaining the weight off by using MFP full time but switching to maintenance of weight. I also cannot maintain this type of eating forever. I know it's short term and so I am able to do it, but looking forward to the maintenance stage. I think once I'm a few more lbs lower I will start increasing my daily calories by a 100 each week, until I get to my maintenance so the body doesn't have a huge shock of more calories.

Is this what you all have been doing or would recommend? I appreciate the insight!