Healthy, Lazy, or maybe crazy??

brancakes

Ok a close group of friends of mine are all trying to lose weight. We have all been doing this for going on 5 weeks. Three people have lost 20-30lbs. And a few have lost 12-15. I've lost 10. Now I thought I was doing this the healthy way losing the right amount at a slow and steady pace (building muscle etc etc). I was actually really excited about my ten pounds, now it just seems, well, not good enough. I work out half hour a day almost everyday, if not more. I eat the right amount of calories. Am I just not working as hard as them? and if not, is that a bad thing? I'd hate to feel that I'm doing something right and others see me as lazy...? Or maybe they just work out like crazy? I don't know. Its frustrating to say the least.

KatieM7

10 lbs in 5 weeks is AWESOME!!! I have always been told that slow and steady wins the race. A lot of times when people lose it all fast the gain it all back. What you have described to me is reasonable to me. Also remember that everyone's bodies are different too. Keep up all your hard work it will pay off.

AmeMahoney

I'd say congratulate yourself on what you have lost and don't worry about your friends' paces. Especially if they are heavier than you and have more to lose. Everyone loses at a different rate. As long as you are doing it in a healthy way, then you should be proud!

thedeegan4

Everyone loses at a different rate. I wouldn't base your loss off of the others. 10 pounds in 5 weeks is good. You should be proud of that!

Mindful_Trent

Stop comparing yourself to your friends. There's no way for you to know if they are really going about this in a healthy way, and 30 lbs in 5 weeks is pretty aggressive.

10 lbs in 5 weeks is perfectly healthy and VERY good progress - that's 2 lbs per week, which is the highest recommended weight loss goal per week unless you're being strictly supervised by a doctor.

Weight-loss competitions are supposed to be a fun way of encouraging people to stick with it, but if it's going to drive you to feel bad about yourself or consider unhealthy options to try and lose weight faster, then you'd be better off dropping out and just keep on doing what you've been doing.

JillyBean819

I think a 10 lb loss is a good amount too. You've probably lost more inches than your friends.

sbwood888

Maybe they weigh more than you?? The heavier you are, the quicker you drop weight in the beginning.

Sara1978

10lbs in 5 weeks is a very healthy pace. The "usual" pace on here is 1 or 2 lbs a week, so if you've been getting 2 lbs a week for five weeks, that is excellent.

If your friends were heavier than you to begin with, or had very poor dietary habits before they began, it can explain the fast weight loss up front. If someone who routinely eats a lot of unhealthy food abruptly switches to eating well, they'll lose a lot of water weight up front which can make their numbers a lot bigger.

tiareed

A lot of it probably has to do with different body types. I am doing a "biggest loser" contect with some girls at work, and I seem to have lost more pounds than they have, and some of them are working out way more than me and naturally eat less than I do, but I am more overweight, so mine started coming off quicker. Now, I'm not losing as fast and they are losing at a steady pace, so it is more balanced.... they may plateau soon, and you will still be losing at a steady pace.

garedds

If you have lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks that is great. That is a fantastic speed at which to lose weight. You may find that your friends are not eating enough and when the "challenge" is over they gain weight back b/c they have not lost it the right way. Keep at what your doing! It's healthy

heather0mc

you might suggest going by % of weight loss over pounds lost. you are doing GREAT! 10 pounds is a big number!!!

✿KẙMb529✿

If they have more weight than you, it is likely they will lose at a faster rate. Either way, I agree with others. Don't compare yourself to your friends. You've been working hard and you have a 10 lb. loss to show for it!

heather0mc

I think a 10 lb loss is a good amount too. You've probably lost more inches than your friends.

I LOVE YOUR PROFILE PIC!

amycal

You don't say how much you weight, but I think the heavier you are the more you lose at least at first. So if you are 170 and your friend is 230, she has an advantage in the fast weight loss at the beginning.

But 10 pounds in 5 weeks is actually REALLY good. Most experts recommend loss of 1 - 2 pounds a week. If you are trying to change what you eat to "real, whole, clean" foods vs just some fad diet, you will be much better for it in the long run. Also, healthy changes in your lifestyle vs. a short time "diet" will benefit you so much more in the future. Don't let the competition stop you from achieving YOUR goals. In the end you are the one who has to live in the body you have - not your friends.

Think of it more as support rather than competition - exercise together, swap healthy recipes, even foods. If you are single cook up a big batch of healthy soup and/or casserole and swap with a friend. Or get together to cook.

Good luck!

FitJoani

10 lbs in 5 weeks is AWESOME!!! I have always been told that slow and steady wins the race. A lot of times when people lose it all fast the gain it all back. What you have described to me is reasonable to me. Also remember that everyone's bodies are different too. Keep up all your hard work it will pay off.

absolutely right. you have the right approach

✿KẙMb529✿

Correction, "If they have more weight TO LOSE than you" ;D

majikal6

You're doing great and 10lbs is awesome, you should be so proud of yourself. It is true though, that slow and steady wins the race. This is a lifestyle change that is meant to last a lifetime, not a diet. Your progress is on track and you're doing it the right way, virtually guaranteeing that if you maintain the lifestyle you'll never have to worry about your weight ever again, where as I fear, your friends may, if they've "rushed" their losses.

:flowerforyou:

cmbneeley

i'm doing a bigest loser style competition among my in-law family, going on week 3. and i'm kinda in the same boat as you. most of the other members have lost 5-10 lbs. i haven't lost anything. and i work out 30-45 minutes everyday and am always under my calorie goal though still close to it. one thing that helped me realize my results was to take my waist and hips and neck measurements. those have been going down really well, which is showing me that i really am increasing muscle and losing fat (which a scale can't tell you). a fellow mfp member shared this site with me to check body fat %age:
http://www.livestrong.com/tools/body-fat-calculator/

losing 10 lbs is a great thing; don't discount it by comparing yourself to others! you're doing great. keep it up!

smorrow33

Hello, I'm not sure what your friends are doing, but it doesnt sound healthy to me. From everything I have learned, 1.50 - 2.0 lbs per/wk is healthy. So your 10 lbs for 5 wks sounds good to me. I've lost 7 lbs in 5 weeks. So I'm jealous of your 10, lol. If you lose to much weight to fast its not good for your body.

brancakes

Thanks for all the support. I guess I shouldn't have really made it out to be that I was comparing (well i kind of am) but I really wanted to make sure that I'm not the crazy one here and that what I am doing is ok! and Ps. I am bigger than some of them but I'm also a good foot taller than most of them so I guess that makes a big difference too...

JillyBean819

I think a 10 lb loss is a good amount too. You've probably lost more inches than your friends.

I LOVE YOUR PROFILE PIC!

Thank you!