Weight Loss

Alainabaiz

Hi everyone,

I just started premium membership to get a meal plan. I’m excited to stick to it and eat only that. I want to lose 22 pounds to meet my goal. After the first 20 pounds I lost it has been difficult to lose anymore. Has been three years of plateau. I do Pilates 4 times a week and some elliptical and still my weight hasn’t budged mostly I think due to my snacking.

AnnPT77

Hello!

If you've been at the same weight for 3 years, just ups and downs around that weight . . . congratulations, you've found maintenance calories for that current weight. As you get lighter, it's good to lose more slowly (health-wise). As long as you're willing to lose slowly, you shouldn't have to cut calories much further.

No particular exercise routine will get us to a lower weight if we're eating maintenance calories. Don't I know it: I stayed in the obese BMI range for a dozen years while working out pretty hard 6 days most weeks. When I got my calorie intake in better balance with my calorie expenditure, I lost weight fine, with about that same workout schedule.

If you have 22 pounds to go, I'd suggest losing no more than a pound a week, which would be 500 calories daily lower (on average) . . . and slower is fine, too. For myself, when I got down to around 10 pounds above goal, I slowed even further, to half a pound a week, which is a 250 calorie deficit.

Also, sometimes a slower loss rate can get us to goal weight in less calendar time than a more aggressive attempt that is harder to stick with, maybe causes periodic bouts of deprivation-triggered over-eating. Your call, though.

Wishing you success!