Before - After - NEED HELP!

paulalsingleton

I lost 50 pounds on my own over the last couple of years but have completely stalled. I am working on beginning to exercise, but need to adjust my food too, which is why I have started using myfitness pal. I have practiced just eating less over the last couple of years and it worked until now. I have not lost any weight in about 5 months. I have not changed the types of foods I eat, I just eat less. I literally eat chocolate every day and am not looking forward to cutting that out! I would love suggestions on how to "ease" into changing my food lifestyle. I have rheumatoid arthritis and know that eating better will also help with this. I have attached photos of my before and after 50 pound weight loss!

AnnPT77

Hello, and welcome!

You've done really great, just amazing. It's a pretty common experience to find that the last pounds drop off more slowly. (That's probably a good thing, because the less body fat we have, the less we can metabolize for energy each day without dipping into burning more useful lean tissue.)

I honestly think the steps you're taking now are the right ones. For me, using MyFitnessPal (MFP) was insight-provoking. I could see which foods were bringing me the most calories, and some of them weren't worth it to me in their then-current portion sizes or frequency, once I knew the calorie cost.

An important aspect of calorie counting, IME, is to recognize that the calorie estimates from MFP, some other calorie calculator, or even a good fitness tracker are just starting points. They're basically spitting out the statistical average for people similar to us with respect to the few things they know about us. But we're each unique individuals who can differ from average. By following that starting recommendation for 4-6 weeks (whole menstrual cycles for those who have them), we can collect enough personal experience data to adjust the starting estimate if/as needed, using the assumption that 500 calories per day is about a pound a week. (Obviously, we'd use arithmetic to figure partial pounds.)

Increasing exercise is also good, with the caveat that IMO it's best to aim for a moderate, manageable challenge to current capabilities, then build on that foundation as a person gets fitter (and the original challenge becomes easy). Over-exercise can trigger fatigue that saps calories out of daily life movement (through resting more, perhaps subtly), and that's obviously counter-productive.

It can also be possible to increase daily life movement, without requiring a lot more time or triggering unhelpful fatigue. Many MFP-ers shared their ideas about that here:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

Best wishes for success - I think you're doing the right things!

P.S. Many people here still fit in some daily chocolate, typically by choosing something small and especially yummy. The point is to hit a calorie goal, get reasonable overall nutrition on average, feel reasonably full most of the time, and also find enjoyment in eating: Balance! Some treats for joy can make the weight loss process easier to stick with, therefore more likely to succeed long run.

csplatt

Don’t cut out chocolate. Just be intentional and use a food scale. I like the 60 calorie mini chocolate covered ice creams by Dove. You can also get a bar of chocolate but just eat and log one square of it per day.

springlering62

Weigh accurately. Log -every little bite- honestly.

Those last few are super super slow. We get spoiled by the quick loss at the beginning and no matter how eager we are to continue those “big” numbers, it just can’t happen. You’re smaller, you need fewer calories, burn rates go down for the same exercises.

For example, I started swimming laps about 9 months ago. As a new swimmer, the burn was incredible. Now I swim the same distance- still at the same weight (I’m in maintenance) and it’s easily 100 calories per session less. I’ve gotten better and more efficient at it.

Hang in there. You’ve done incredibly well. Don’t berate yourself for not losing. Thank yourself for what you’ve already lost, and hang on to those gains while you continue to loose, even if it feels glacially slow.

I have joint issues related to arthritis and an earlier illness. I find yoga to be very helpful keeping everything stretched out and limber. Especially hot yoga, though, granted, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

I often get stiff fingers. Doing needlework daily is like stretches for my hands, especially crochet.