weight loss question/motivation

jessib1980

This is my first post ever on MFP and I have been using this site for almost a year and a half. I normally just go into the forums and read other posts to find answers but I thought I would make a post and see if I can get some advice/encouragement/support from you all since I have recently been unofficially diagnosed with PCOS (I have all the symptoms). I have been on this weight loss journey and have successfully lost 40 pounds since October 2012, however it has been incredibly difficult. I watch each week as my MFP friends report 1-2 lb losses, hear success stories about how there is no excuses as long as you eat a deficit you will lose weight, etc.

Today I decided that I wanted to look back at my progress just over the past year (becuase I am 2 days from logging and entire year) and I was hoping to be impressed with my numbers and how far I've come in a year. It has been the exact opposite. I found that I have only lost 11.5 pounds total this past year. I truly do eat healthy (I do have a cheat meal/day/weekend here and there but I'm trying to make this a lifestyle change and not a diet so I don't want to deprive myself all the time, just make healthier choices) but otherwise I follow all the rules and eat lots of protein, fresh fruits and veggies, low carbs, low glycemic index, etc. I exercise at least 4-5 times a week and up until a few weeks ago was doing an extreme circuit training fitness class for 12 weeks, otherwise I rotate between Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper and Tae bo, and I run or go for walks daily.

So I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else experiences this and how you cope with it. I stopped weighing myself because of the constant let down and now I only step on the scale a few times a month. I have went down in clothing sizes and I notice changes, its just to get me in a "healthy" BMI I still have 10 pounds to go and I have been stuck at this weight since January and considering I've only lost 11.5 pounds total last year I don't know if I will ever get to my goal. It's just getting very frustrating and hard to keep myself motivated when I don't feel like I'm getting the results. Any input/information/support/advice is greatly appreciated!

Dragonwolf

1. Don't compare yourself to others. It will drive you insane. That's really the best way to cope with that. Besides that, focus less on the scale in general, and more on measurements and clothing size changes. The scale lies by omission -- it doesn't tell the whole story in your fitness journey. You can lose body fat and inches without changing weight, due to a number of factors. However, the scale, plus the tape measure, can tell a more complete story of your progress.

2. If you only have a few pounds to go, then you will lose weight more slowly. 10-20lbs to go means you should only be shooting for about .5lb/week loss, with 1lb/week being the top end (in that light, 11.5lb is still a little slow, but not nearly as bad as it seems at first). In fact, I generally recommend to ditch the scale almost entirely at this point and focus on measurements (aka body fat percentage, aka body composition).

Get into a good strength training program. If you don't have access to free weights (barbell, etc), then check out body weight stuff (You Are Your Own Gym and Convict Conditioning are good body weight progressive strength training routines). The important part is that it's progressively challenging.

It can also be a good idea to start eating at maintenance when doing this with the strength training. You will very likely not lose more weight this way, though, but you will continue to lose body fat (and, therefore, inches) and that is what really matters in general, and for those of us with PCOS, progressive strength training can also help get our hormones in line (I have no clue why, but it does).

For more info on how that all works, especially for women, check this out:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

3. BMI, for individuals, is crap. It's an epidemiological tool used to determine averages in large populations. For individuals, it should only be treated as a general guide, at best (ie -- get to about this weight range). What really matters is body fat percentage, because it's excess body fat that does damage to the body. You can actually be what's called "skinny fat," which means that you're "skinny" by visual and even BMI standards, but have a high body fat percentage. Skinny fat people can actually suffer from a lot of the same obesity-related health problems and risks, even though their BMI is "normal," because it's the body fat that matters, not the weight or BMI number.