Anyone that has been successful but lost weight very slowly?

luvcookies2014

"Is there a specifc reason your doctor gave or what just supporting your weight loss you meantioned? "

My doctor told me she thinks people are more likely to keep it off, and it's easier for the body to adjust to a slow loss (metabolism related)

Thanks for all the replies, it is reassuring there are others who have been successful!

ssaraj43

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1193569-cookies-taste-better-than-skinny-feels

This is a great post! Enjoy :drinker:

lisaanne1369

Took me over a year to get where I am at. Slow and steady wins the race!

Eleonora91

I think that the more you have to loss, the more you can allow yourself to lose at first. If you keep eating healthy (and not starving yourself) and maybe exercising more you can surely lose more than 2 lbs a month. I think it's a great advice if someone doesn't have to lose a lot of weight. It took me 1,5 years to lose 15 kgs (33 lbs) but I haven't always been dieting. When I started I could lose 1 kg (2 lbs) a week with no problem. I don't think it would be unhealthy if you did everything right, and at least it gives you a great point to start to.

randomtai

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1193569-cookies-taste-better-than-skinny-feels

This is a great post! Enjoy :drinker:

+1

mspoopoo

It is coming off pretty slow for me. I'm older and thyroid is probably a bit out of whack. I do feel impatient and discouraged but I figure I wil weigh a little less each month and get to my goal eventually.

hanbanx25

It takes a very long time to learn about your body and how it reacts to particular exercises and foods. I have been consistently monitoring my food and exercise since October last year (I did this before over a year ago and it works) and this has shown results. I found a brilliant site here;

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/womens-body-bible.html#comment-form
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/how-much-protein-per-day/

You need to work out where your body currently is as of today. If you are working towards losing weight you should focus on a calorie deficit that's realistic, manageable and allows you to have the odd off day. I currently have a deficit of 600- 700 calories per day which I average out across the week. I also attend gym 3-4 times per week

I've dropped from 76kilos in October to 70.5kilos today. I had my off periods, e.g. Christmas/New Years which set me back slightly but you could be working towards losing 0.3-0.5kgs per week.

proudjmmom

I didn't read all the responses so forgive me if what I say has already been said.

Losing weight is not an over night fix. It took years for you to be where you are and in this 'predicament'. It will take time for you to lose the weight. Weight loss is not a temporary fix, it should be a lifestyle change. Its not a diet, its a lifestyle change.

Its taken me 3 years to lose 90lbs. I have learned a lot in 3 years. Once I reached my goal, I didn't ditch everything I learned and went back to old ways. Its how I live now. Its my life.

Slow gradual changes are more likely to last then quick fixes. I do agree that its hard on the motivation. But don't lose sight of that goal and why you are doing what you are doing. Adding years to your life should be motivation. Being healthy every day is motivation. Every pound you lose, the closer that goal is. You will get there!

katylil

Somebody sent me a beautiful picture with the following statement on it:

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

loztandfound

Lost weight REALLY slowly this time as I used to have Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) - basically ridiculously overexercising and undereating, but not at an anorexic weight level. I then burnt all bridges to that and put on an unreal amount of weight, around 120 lbs, and have now taken 50lbs off again. very slowly, over about 3 years. gentle is good, as you get used to what you can eat, but if you did want to lose more, it is just a case of exercising a bit more and eating a little less. however, slowly is definitely a good way to get used to eating that much as a regular thing, not just a 'while i'm on a diet' thing.

good luck, and enjoy what you do eat

xxx

Vailara

I have deliberately lost slowly. I've dieted in the past and ended up giving up and regaining, for various reasons. This time I've found it easier to stick with it, and I think it's because I'm doing it so slowly. Recently, I got to a weight I was comfortable with and maintained for a while, so that has made the weight loss even slower! I've started trying to lose about a more, and yes, it does get frustrating not seeing any progress, but I know I've made a big difference with the 60lb I've lost.

What helped for me (your mileage may vary) was weighing every morning and watching my progress in the "reports" section. It's normal for weight to fluctuate by a couple of pounds from day to day, so if you're trying to lose 1/2 lb a week, it's difficult to see how successful you are. For instance, you could have "lost" 2lb one month, but your weight happens to fluctuate up by 2 lb on weigh-in day, so it looks like you've had no progress at all. By looking at "reports", I could see if there was a downward trend in my weight, and I could look at progress over a several months.

I do know that the general advice is that you can lose more quickly if you have more to lose, and I think that is true, but I do think it's personal. My TDEE at close to morbidly obese was WELL under 2000 calories, so a 1000 calorie deficit (2 lb a week) would have felt like a starvation diet to me!

And if your doctor has advised you to go slowly, there's probably a reason for that.

Good luck with it! Going slowly takes longer, but I found it much easier!

somefitsomefat

I can't comment as to the speed of your weight loss, I'll leave that for people more knowledgable, but regarding the amount of time my motto is time will pass no matter what so you might as well do something with it. You can spend 3-4 years not working towards a goal you want or 3-4 years getting to where you want to be. Hope this helps with seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!

sun_fish

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1193569-cookies-taste-better-than-skinny-feels

This is a great post! Enjoy :drinker:

+1

I was thinking of this post too! Definitely worth a read.

I have lost 50 pounds in just under 2 years. Would I have liked it to be faster? Sure. Would I change how I went about it if I was able to do it over? Never. I like food too much!

abbybean11

If you lose really rapidly, there is a greater chance that you might have a harder time maintaining and then gain the weight back. I've lost 50 pounds slowly over the past two years and it has been great to ease into this new healthy lifestyle - rather than make dramatic changes that I can't maintain.
I think if you want to lose the weight fast - try working out more rather than restricting your diet. If you can get into a diet routine that you can maintain even after you've lost all your weight, then it will be much easier for you in the long run.
Either way, you will be at your goal soon! 3 years flies by.
Good luck!!

LauraCarlson86

I've lost about 50 pounds but it's taken over a year. I'm finding that this slow weight loss has lent itself to easier maintenance. I was somewhat impatient at first with everything but I've come to understand that it's better this way. Slow and steady wins the race

Barbonica

I started my journey in April 2011, have lost 58 pounds, and have about 20 to go. I target 2-3 pound loss per month, sometimes I am less than that, rarely more. It is a real lifestyle issue for me. I don't feel deprived, I have time to tweak things to see what makes me feel better, making sure I don't feel hungry and feel fully fueled for what I want to do. I have lost weight in the past (never more than 30 pounds) and always did it more quickly in a way that I would never sustain, so I always gained it (and more) back. This time, I cannot imagine changing how I eat.

I think that I am eating at maintenance for the weight I want to be, so when I achieve my goal, I wont be making any changes to my eating or exercise other than the normal tweaks that we all go through as we age. Easy peasy!

Hang in there, you are doing this in a healthy, sustainable way.

lthames0810

I'm losing at about the same rate as you and sometimes I have feelings of despair about how long it will take me to get this done. But done with what, exactly? Having healthly habits (eating and otherwise) is causing me to gradually lose weight but it's also just the way to live well. I'm not going back to poor habits, so nothing will really change when I reach goal weight. I think what I'm longing for is not to relax my habits, but I just want to be slim...right now. I think the way I should view it is that I'm not on a diet, I'm just living my life.

A couple of things:

Living in the moment: Life is short, don't waste the next three or four years waiting for the future you to appear. Find something else in the here and now to devote yourself to. You can have a very satisfying life just as you are right now.

Motivation: I don't conciously need motivation to do many of the daily things I do that keep me healthy, like bathing, brushing my teeth. The way I eat should be sort of the same thing.

wildbutterfly777

While losing weight slowly is often healthy and recommended, it certainly can be a real motivation killer. But there are lots of things you can do to keep yourself moving in the right direction, so don't lose hope!

I've had lots of luck staying motivated by taking my body measurements in addition to stepping on the scale. For me, my inches shrink faster than the scale moves. So get the measuring tape out!

Take some pics of yourself. I know, I know... no one really wants to take pics when they aren't looking like they want to look. But I don't know about you, but when I'm trying to lose weight I'm constantly checking myself in the mirror to see if I can see any changes. Over the course of time, I have trouble seeing anything different. But pics really help me zero in where I'm making progress... especially if I put my "over time" pics side by side.

Find someone who can keep you accountable or join a support group. After my first baby I tried losing the weight by myself. I did ok, but my motivation and accountability waivered. So after a year of going it alone, I joined a group and lost more in just 3 months than I did that first year. Plus I stayed excited about what I was doing. So this time around (I'm working on baby #2 weight and looking at needing to 75lbs) I jumped right into a group. They keep me accountable, encouraged, and give me tips when I'm struggling.

Finally. Determine WHY you want to lose weight. Really dig deep and find a meaningful reason you need to get to a different place. Then put that reason in writing and post it in places you will see it often.

I hope this helps! Feel free to message me anytime.

This is perfect! The scale doesn't really move for me either but I'm losing inches. Forget the scale, take measurements, compare before and during photos and get support from others! I like to use positive imagery too, like when I am doing an exercise where I can close my eyes, I picture myself the way I want to look eventually and enjoying life. It's really helping to keep my thoughts moving in the right direction.

minky_r

I’m at .5 a week as well. I sometimes do get discouraged looking at all the other numbers on here as well. Then I look at their age and understand that at our age it is much slower. What helps me is that this time I know for sure I am never ever going to see that weight come back. At .5 a week, I don’t feel like I am on a diet. Completely satisfied at the end of the day. If you are going to go harder on exercising, please measure. I have only lost 10lbs in 110 days...but I feel like I've lost 20. Good luck, and stick with it because you are looking great!

Jmbean84

I started exactly two years ago at 252 with a goal of reaching 180. I lost 30 lbs the first 3 months but as my body has adjusted, I've slowed. I've lost a total of 52 lbs. I also gained some back during those first holidays. 12 lbs to be exact. And I'm just now back down to 200. You need to take measurements. Because even the times I wasn't losing lbs, I was losing inches. I believe it will be much easier to maintain the weightloss if you lose gradually. It will be easier for your body to adjust to shuttle changes instead of drastic ones.