Down to the last 5lbs, unable to find will power

503pdx

So I've lost 15-16lbs of the 20 or so I wanted to lose. I fit into my clothes again and other than a few little 'problem areas' I am happy. I'd still like to lose the last 5lbs to help with definition. However, I've gotten too comfortable the last few weeks. I'm rationalizing with myself and eating maintenance almost every day, darn ice cream! I'm not gaining but I'm not eating at enough of a deficit either.

What has kept you motivated to finish the last few lbs? Any tips to jump start my journey again?

Thank you and best of luck to everyone!

albayin

time to change your mindset...start lifting heavy if you haven't...that last 5 pounds is really more about body recompition than weight loss, IMHO...

ahoy_m8

What are your thoughts about eating maintenance for 2 weeks and then going for the last 5? Or eating maintenance-100 and getting there in half a year?

503pdx

I am lifting, I know I want to focus on body composition more however, I've just started using up all those "extra" calories I wasn't using before to keep a deficit. I've been eating bowls of ice cream, eating out and a whole slew of unhealthy choices the last few weeks. I just need to re-focus on my healthy habits that I was happy with but I seem to keep making an excuse every day and putting it off until tomorrow.

"It's ok, eat maintenance today and do a deficit tomorrow...go for the second bowl, you won't gain..."

Just need to get back on that horse. :-)

503pdx

Quote: What are your thoughts about eating maintenance for 2 weeks and then going for the last 5? Or eating maintenance-100 and getting there in half a year?

I'm struggling with getting back to a deficit and not doing maintenance. I guess I'm settling right now and struggling for that last leg.

jenmom2myboys

If you cannot cotrol yourself with certain foods get it out of the house. You have to want it more than you want to eat ice cream.

dsm1991

same here

cwolfman13

stop obsessing about some arbitrary number on the scale. as someone else said, start doing resistance training. continuing to just diet isn't going to give you "definition"...resistance training will...it is the only way to change you body composition.

Frankly, 3-5 Lbs is well within natural body weight fluctuations anyway. Go make nutrition and fitness your life and the results will follow in time. By the by, it's taken me about 4 months to lose 7 Lbs now that I'm at the end...you have to focus on something else and have other goals. The number on the scale is just a number.

Linnaea27

I'm in sort of the same situation, except I'm trying to maintain. I've just been enjoying eating more food too much and being 100-300 calories over maintenance almost every day. But then I'll have super active days and be 300-500 under, about twice a week. So far it is balancing out OK, but I've been struggling with the idea that I still do often have to limit my food intake to less than I really want, to stay the size I am now. It's really annoying. Partially it is because I got really tired of being disciplined about food for so long. . . and when I got down to the last 3 or so lbs to lose, I also lacked motivation. I tried to keep at least a small deficit even as I moved into maintaining and lost 2 more pounds than I meant to, which was probably good as I've gained 1/2 a pound back. So this can happen in maintenance too-- it's a mental shift and it's not easy.

What I think might be helpful for you would be to maintain for a while, maybe 3 weeks, evaluate how you feel about your body for that time, and then decide what to do. If you still want to lose 5 more pounds, then you'll probably have some of the motivation and discipline back by then, and will be able to tackle the losing-weight project with renewed enthusiasm (hopefully).

albayin

I am lifting, I know I want to focus on body composition more however, I've just started using up all those "extra" calories I wasn't using before to keep a deficit. I've been eating bowls of ice cream, eating out and a whole slew of unhealthy choices the last few weeks. I just need to re-focus on my healthy habits that I was happy with but I seem to keep making an excuse every day and putting it off until tomorrow.

"It's ok, eat maintenance today and do a deficit tomorrow...go for the second bowl, you won't gain..."

Just need to get back on that horse. :-)

This sounds like me 2 years ago...then I put all 10 pounds back on and they never left me ever since...:brokenheart:

SKME2013

We are in the same boat. I am one pound shy of my goal weight, but it would not bulge, does not matter what I do. I decided to just keep on doing what I do and eventually it will hopefully go down. Some days I eat my whole calorie allowance, on other days I fast and finally there are days where I earn a lot of calories through exercise some of which I consume or not. The worst days are my rest days as the calorie allowance is low and I am tired of having to eat just 1200 calories.

Anyhow, best of luck
Stef.

503pdx

I am lifting, I know I want to focus on body composition more however, I've just started using up all those "extra" calories I wasn't using before to keep a deficit. I've been eating bowls of ice cream, eating out and a whole slew of unhealthy choices the last few weeks. I just need to re-focus on my healthy habits that I was happy with but I seem to keep making an excuse every day and putting it off until tomorrow.

"It's ok, eat maintenance today and do a deficit tomorrow...go for the second bowl, you won't gain..."

Just need to get back on that horse. :-)

This sounds like me 2 years ago...then I put all 10 pounds back on and they never left me ever since...:brokenheart:

That's my fear. I get too comfortable and undo all my work. It's not the number so much as the few inches here and there that I would like to eliminate but I know the rough number is 5lbs.

503pdx

We are in the same boat. I am one pound shy of my goal weight, but it would not bulge, does not matter what I do. I decided to just keep on doing what I do and eventually it will hopefully go down. Some days I eat my whole calorie allowance, on other days I fast and finally there are days where I earn a lot of calories through exercise some of which I consume or not. The worst days are my rest days as the calorie allowance is low and I am tired of having to eat just 1200 calories.

Anyhow, best of luck
Stef.

Thank you Stef. I think I've enjoyed a little 'time off' where I really haven't watched what I've eaten but it's time to focus again. I too, got tired of eating little to create a deficit. Since I'm close to goal the difference between maintenance and deficit isn't very much.

Best of luck to you too! Keep on keeping on is the best you can do!

tesstcool

Im in the same boat. About 5 lbs away and ice cream every night. Justifying it. I like how i look and feel as well but feel like i need to meet my goal so i can be satisfied with knowing i did it! And every single day i eat at maintenance! Im happy with that amout of calories...1200 is just not enough most days!

writer4him

I know how you feel! If you look at my profile photo, underneath you will see I joined this site in 2009! I come back on and off, always able to lose/keep off the 10 pounds or so that creep back on but NEVER able to lose that last five pounds. I know for me, it's because the ONE TIME when I was able to get only 4 pounds away, it just got so super hard that I gave up. For me to lose those last 5 pounds, I have to eat super-clean, stay within macros, and exercise like a fiend. And then I struggle with, "Is this really worth it?" Part of me says yes because I not only want to be at a healthy weight but I want that "look" that will come with losing those last 5 pounds of fat and gaining some better muscle definition...but then there's another part of me that says, "Forget it! This is my 'happy weight.'" I'm still not sure if I will follow through this time, but my husband and I are going on a cruise in December and I am hoping that will be motivation for me to keep going as I have that goal to shoot for.

Maybe you can think of a goal to shoot for as well? Something special coming up, perhaps?