Maybe my 100 pound weight loss goal was too ambitious

bwogilvie

Like others have said, 30 pounds in 4 months is fantastic! It took me 6 months to lose that much.

If your loss has gradually slowed down and then stopped, it might be that your calorie goal is what you now need for maintenance. As you lose weight, you need less energy to maintain your body and to move your weight around. There's also the phenomenon of "adaptive thermogenesis": as you lose weight, you use even less energy per pound of body weight than you used to. In that case, you'll need a lower goal. When I started last year, my daily goal was 1570 calories; now it's 1320 for the same weight loss.

If you've suddenly reached a plateau, a few things might be going on. It could be water retention, especially if you've changed exercise routines or added something. If you've added new foods to your routine, they might not be properly labeled; it's helpful to compare labels with the actual weight of food (one brand of bread I used to buy gave calories per 44 g slice, even though a typical slice was more like 50 g). Another thing that can affect body weight is antibiotics. I had to take a 10-day course of antibiotics in December, and it messed with my weight. Lots of us have plateaus that seem to have no reason; for whatever reason, the body holds onto water, waste, or whatever for a while, then eliminates it. Try waiting another week or two; it may just vanish.

Don't give up! You're nearly a third of your way to your goal.

SandraD1424

I would say that it is time to re-focus and perhaps reflection can help. Think about how good it felt the first 30, how your clothes started to get baggy, when you created a new recipe to fit your new lifestyle, how it felt when someone noticed your progress.....Also think about why you are doing this, what got you started? And lastly think to yourself that you want to be better, healthier, more fit tomorrow that you were yesterday.

Goal179

Ok, MFP, I need a pep talk. I am feeling a little frustrated with my weight loss. I have been doing this for over 4 months and I still feel just as lost and unsure of myself as when I started. I am thinking that maybe my goal of 100 pounds is too ambitious and I don't have the strength, knowledge, skills to get there. Maybe 30 pounds is all that I have the ability to achieve and i need to just focus on maintaining what I have. I am still obese and for my health to be optimized, I need to get off another 70 pounds. I have read everything there is to find about caloric intake, exercise, cardio versus strength training and the more I read, the more confused I get. I see many people reach their 100 pound goal, but for some reason, I am starting to think that I am different and not capable of achieving it. The method that I used to lose the 30 pounds no longer seems to be working. I just need a pep talk. Especially from you guys who have managed to meet aggressive goals. I am not giving up, I am not stopping. I just don't know if I am doing this right. I am doubting myself because my results are not forth coming. I would like to print out your positive responses and hang them on my mirror to help keep me motivated. I love my MFP community and I am hoping you guys can talk me through this. UGH!!!

Patience, persistence, and consistency is what it takes. It can be done. here's my story:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/my-thanks-to-the-man-of-steel-407835

Given the dieting history described in your profile, it seems like it would particularly help to focus on building sustainable habits that will stick with you in the long run.

What are you doing now for diet and exercise, and what have your results looked like over time? Your results so far look good. Have you been losing consistently? Have you recently stalled? What is the issue? What makes you think you're different and not capable?

The advice trogalicious provided above is a good place to start. This link is also a good read to help focus your thinking: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

I loved your story. Thanks for sharing. My favorite..."Hang on with everything in you and keep moving forward. " I just love that. It almost made me cry. thanks for the motivation. I will check out the sexy pants article as well. Just to give some background, I started at 1700 calories and got all the way down tto 1400 calories. I did not want to keep going down in calories, so I did a metabolism reset and set my calories back up to 1500. I do zumba once per week, 3-mile cardio walk once per week, and NROLFW weight lifting program twice per week. My problem is that I don't seem to have a solid eating plan. I am all over the place. One week, I don't eat glutens, the next week I am high protein low carb, one week I am a clean eater, then I decide to go paleo. Currently I am following IIFYM, but that doesn't seem quite right either. I need a solid plan that I can stick to that doesn't deprive me or cause me to eat low on calories. Eating is the most important part of this journey and I just don't feel like I have a grasp on what I need to do. More calories? Less calories? Just confused.

carrotsaregood

As each pound goes away...that is one more excuse that I no longer have not to succeed.

I agree with Annie completely. However, this way of viewing weight loss is very empowering. It is my new motto. Thank you for sharing your opinion and advice.

Goal179

Thanks so much for the motivational words.

Annie_01

As each pound goes away...that is one more excuse that I no longer have not to succeed.

I agree with Annie completely. However, this way of viewing weight loss is very empowering. It is my new motto. Thank you for sharing your opinion and advice.

You are welcome and congratulations on you having 43 less excuses not to succeed!