Last 10 pounds Club

sexyharleymama

I had 6 pounds to go back at the beginning of June. I have been gainning a lossing the same 5 lbs ever since. I can't seem to get this last 10 off. There has been a lot of crazy things going on that have place very large hurdles in my way.

Is it to late to join this group?

kylakesgal

03bfischer.....hi welcome to our group. Absolutely not too late to join since this is an open discussion for anyone. At this stage, we all need all the help we can get:)

sexyharleymama

Great! Thank you!! I just don't have a lot of support via myfitnesspals. my friends aren't very consistant, they start and stop on here all the time. I have logged in almost everyday since I joined in Jan. My husband was doing it with me, but things got complicated for him. He still supports me at home. But this years has been nuts and the past couple of mounts have just been beyond crazy. So staying motivated has been difficult and I have been very blah lately. Losing my mojo :ohwell: I want this last ten off already! I should have had it off way before now. Maybe this will help :blushing:

kylakesgal

03bfischer.....I have tons of friends on here but few that can relate with losing the last 10 lbs. I'm amazed just how hard it is. I've logged on every day since I end of January so feel free to add me if you like. I'd be glad to support you:) I'm going to step up the strength training this week and less cardio....hoping that gives me better results. I love doing cardio and strength training isn't my strong suit but after reading those links, I know this is what I need to be spending more time doing.

sexyharleymama

Thank you kylakesgal! The last few weeks i have just been so tired. I haven't not been able to get up and do my workouts in the morning, haven't found the motivation to go to the gym during lunch, and for one of those weeks i didn't eat the greatest. Just been in a total funk and very blah. This week I have been trying to get back to my healthier eating and lots of water. And then have done some walking with the family at night. Hopefully i can pull myself out of this funk and kick it back in gear.

kylakesgal

To 03bfischer....you can do it. Just get back in the routine again. Everything we do is habit, good and bad lol. Exercise has become like breathing to me now and I can honestly say I really enjoy doing it.....wasn't like that in the beginning though. I was such a lazy couch potato!!! Just take it one day at a time and try to improve and before you know it, you will be exercising without thinking about it. I invested in a treadmill, an elliptical, total gym and exercise bike a few months back and love being able to exercise whenever I want:) I bought them all used in my local classified ads and everything for under $200. Most were brand new or nearly new. It's pretty motivating to me to see the machines everyday and know I have no excuses.

Hoosiermomma

To 03bfischer....you can do it. Just get back in the routine again. Everything we do is habit, good and bad lol. Exercise has become like breathing to me now and I can honestly say I really enjoy doing it.....wasn't like that in the beginning though. I was such a lazy couch potato!!! Just take it one day at a time and try to improve and before you know it, you will be exercising without thinking about it. I invested in a treadmill, an elliptical, total gym and exercise bike a few months back and love being able to exercise whenever I want:) I bought them all used in my local classified ads and everything for under $200. Most were brand new or nearly new. It's pretty motivating to me to see the machines everyday and know I have no excuses.

Inspiring :flowerforyou: kylakesgal! You are a great cheerleader for us! Tomorrow is the beginning of my week since it has been slipping away from me!

Welcome :flowerforyou: 03bfischer!! You will find a few great consistent people here! Please join!

kath711

Sorry, been MIA getting kiddos back to school and waking up at 5:30 now WAAHH! I am not a morning person Anyway, gained a pound but still down from January when I crept back up over the holidays. Seem to be stuck between 127-129, cannot get past it! I have been bumping up my miles running and it has increased my appetite so it is harder to stay within calories. Probably need to do more resistance but I really like to run outside while the weather is nice and then I dont do the strength training if I am not at the gym.

sexyharleymama

I have had a lot of stuff to get done around the house the past couple of weeks. My husband and I will both be in school in a week, so go to get things ship shape before things get really interesting. Getting to bed when I would like has not happened for a few weeks. So to get up at 345 am to get my work out in has not been possible. I tried a couple days and was beyond tired all day. Then work was so busy, wasn't able to get away to the gym during lunch. And then just lost all motiviation. The first week i was super cranky that I was not getting my workouts in. I was cracing them, then I got so frustrated that it just turned to no more motivation. The stress drove up my hunger and cravings, so really bounced around between 147 and 142 for the last few weeks.

Actually even when I was working out and watching what I was eating really close, I was bouncing between 148 and 143 for two months. I could not get back down to the low I hit at the beginning of June of 141.2. But this week I have stopped beating myself up about not getting up and stressing less about my workouts. I have been watching my calories again this week, getting back to my basics. Jumped up my water intake. And then enjoying family after dinner walks. And from Mon morning to this morning I dropped from 145.8 to 141.6! I have not seen 141's since the beginning of June. Not sure what is going on, but all of a sudden it just seems to be falling off :bigsmile:

With both my husband and I working full time, I got to school full time, he is going back to school part time, we have a 3yr old and an 18 mnth old, house, dog, cat...... Excuses I know. It just makes things hard to juggle a lot of the time. And we don't really have any family support. But with it all, I have lost a total of about 53lbs from my heaviest. I will lose this last few lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!:happy:

kylakesgal

Sounds like you are very busy indeed 03bfischer!! Wow 53 lbs is amazing:) Going back to the basics is always a good idea. I had very good success with cardio until recently and I don't expect to lose "big" like I did in the beginning. It's a slow process but I'm enjoying the journey to a more fit me:)

bstamps12

Welcome to o3bfischer! Feel free to add me too if you want. Losing weight isn't as much about working out as many people like to think. I killed myself in the gym but ate crap for an entire year and lost less than 5 lbs over the entire year (2009-2010). When I got serious about MFP in January, I figured out that at least for me, it was more about the calories and types of food I ate than it was the workouts. I LOVE working out, but when it is a crazy week, I know if I can just keep control of my calories, I don't have to feel so guilty about skipping a workout. The nutrition part is so important!

Glad to see kath & hoosiermomma back as well!

sexyharleymama

Some posted this article on the message board this morning, thought it could help someone out :happy:

http://www.extremely-fit.com/fitness-tips/2009/08/wanna-lose-10-pounds/

I have actually been doing Trick 9 and 10 this week and the pounds have been falling off. I stopped stressing so much about missing my workouts, which i miss and hate, just focused on my calories in and enjoying the only excercise I could get in...after dinner walks with my family. I also uped my water from 9 glasses to between 12 and 14. I have gone from 145.8 Monday morning to 140.4 (a new MFP low for me) this morning. I have lost 5.4 lbs in the span of 4 days!!!! I have not lost that much weight in one week since I joined MFP in January.

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Wanna Lose Those Last 10 Pounds?

by Lori Harden

I think it’s pretty common that a person has been working out and following a nutrition plan, only to get to that point that they have trouble losing those last few pounds. The number 10 seems to be the magic number when it comes to the number of pounds people have left. Here’s an article by Whitney Provost at Beachbody that gives some pointers on how to get rid the “last 10.”

10 Tricks for Losing Those Last 10 Pounds
By Whitney Provost

At the start of a new fitness program, you clean up your diet and hit the workouts, and the weight seems to fall off. But when you get down to the last 5, 10, or 15 pounds you want to lose, the scale may suddenly refuse to budge. You might be tempted to drastically reduce calories or increase the amount of time you spend working out. Don’t do it. Instead, here are some simple tricks to help you lose those last 10 pounds.


Cutting calories too low will cause your body to think it’s starving, and it will hold on to the fat you’re trying so hard to lose. Working out longer will cut into your personal time and probably won’t help you drop those last few pounds anyway. Instead, try making these tweaks to your program.

Trick 1
Clean up your diet. Once you find a diet that works for you, stick to it. Researchers at Tufts University followed 160 people on four different weight loss plans and found that the type of diet participants were on didn’t matter as much as the participants’ willingness to stick to their diets. If you’ve been dieting for a while, you might have become a little lax with your food choices and portions, so tighten them up again. To lose those last pesky pounds, stick to unprocessed foods (the kind that don’t come in a box) and choose lean protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Keeping a food journal will help you track everything you eat and get your calories under control.

Trick 2
Cut out some carbs. A simple, short-term trick to losing weight is to cut back on carbs until you’re at your goal. Eat lean protein and vegetables at every meal and limit carbs to before and after your workouts, and you’ll probably see the scale shift rather quickly. Easy, low-carb meal ideas include egg-white omelettes with vegetables, Whey Protein Powder shakes made with water, salads with lean protein (chicken, tuna, or turkey), and grilled or broiled lean beef, poultry, or fish with vegetables.

Trick 3
Bump up the intensity of your workouts. No matter what workout program you’re doing, you will lose weight faster if you kick up the intensity. Jump higher, squat lower, and increase the weight you’re lifting to burn more calories, rev your metabolism, and stoke the fat-burning fire. Whether you’re working out to Slim in 6®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, P90X®, or any other Beachbody® fitness program, you’ll bust through a plateau by putting out more effort when you exercise.

Trick 4
Change your exercise routine. If you’ve already increased the intensity of your workout program and still find that your weight loss has slowed, it might be time to try something different. When you perform the same exercises over and over, your body becomes more efficient at them. As a result, you use less energy and burn fewer calories. By starting a new fitness routine, you’ll shock your muscles, reignite your metabolism, and get the scale moving again. Check out TeamBeachbody.com to find the workout that’ll take your weight loss to the next level.

Trick 5
Stand up. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that lean people spend 2 more hours per day on their feet than overweight people. Participants in the study who stood, paced, and fidgeted burned as many as 350 extra calories a day and were much leaner than those who didn’t move as much. Get up from your desk at work, talk on the phone while standing, and stay on your feet in waiting rooms—the simplest effort will yield an extra calorie burn that may help you shed those remaining pounds.

Trick 6
Eat a little less. When your body gets smaller, it requires fewer calories to function properly. A 165-pound woman who works out three to five times a week may require 2,300 calories per day to maintain her weight, but the same woman at 125 pounds may only need 2,000 calories for maintenance. Trying to lose additional pounds in your lighter body means cutting back a little more. You do not need to make radical changes, however; if you’re already increasing the intensity of your workouts and eating a clean, whole-foods diet, you could probably see the scale move with a modest 100-calorie reduction per day.

Trick 7
Zigzag your calories. Cycling your calories, also known as zigzagging, is the process of eating more on certain days and less on others. If you always eat 1,800 calories, try eating 1,500 calories one day and 2,000 the next. As long as you create a weekly deficit, you should see the pounds drop. Much like shocking your muscles into working harder by introducing new exercises, it’s possible to shock your metabolism by zigzagging your calories.

Trick 8
Drink more water. You may not realize how important water is for weight loss—it’s not just a tool to help you eat less. Being properly hydrated will balance your energy levels, which allows you to exercise with intensity. (Have you ever been so thirsty during a workout that you couldn’t perform as well as usual?) Drinking enough water may also increase your metabolism and promote muscle building—a well-hydrated body can more efficiently repair and build muscles. On the other hand, being dehydrated encourages muscle breakdown. So drink up, especially since you are exercising regularly.

Trick 9
Relax. Believe it or not, you may be trying too hard to lose weight. If your workouts are very intense and your diet is too strict, you could overtrain and burn out. Your mind and body will just not respond in the same way when they’re tired. Muscles need rest to repair and grow, and sometimes your brain needs a break from constant calorie counting and worrying about the last few pounds. Instead of becoming frustrated and diving into a box of cookies, try to relax and reduce the intensity for a little while. You may be surprised to find the scale moving again when you give your mind and body a rest.

Trick 10
Reevaluate your goal weight. First, congratulate yourself on getting to this point. Losing weight is not easy, and you’ve already accomplished a great deal—so enjoy your success. The next step is to ask yourself if the “magic” number on the scale is really the best weight for you. Perhaps you’ve lost fat and gained a lot of muscle; your new hard body might be healthier and happier with a few more pounds on it. Many people want to weigh the same as they did in high school or college. What if you’re much more fit and muscular now than you were in those days? You may realize that the number on the scale today is perfect for you.

fit4everyoung

I am back from my road trip! Need to log my foood exercise during the trip was fine as I walked an average of 6 miles and lower 300 calories a day. Jumped on the scale proud and only to find out 112.6 again and again. This ten pounds are hectic and a pain! Logging this week and cutting 300 calories again.. Hope everyone has a good week and I hope to have better progress on my Monday weigh-in!

kylakesgal

Welcome back fit4everyyoung!
Some excellent tips bfischer! I am definately going to try some of those:):)

I'm going to wait until tomorrow to weigh in because I'm hoping that TOM will be gone by then and I always weigh more during this time! I'm kicked up my strength training this week and feeling pretty good:) Have a great rest of the weekend!

AScarbrough19

03bfischer thanks for the post with the tips. We seem to have some of the same things going on. I have lost a total of 85 lbs but have been stuck between 145 and 149 for too long. My goal is 135 and I don't think that is unreasonable. I am going to keep these tips handy and hope to have the same great success you had this week!

bstamps12

Great tips from bfischer.

I wanted to ask you guys about Trick 10...re-evaluating your goal weight. How did you guys choose your goal weight? Why that number? Could you be happy if you never reached that number but you looked and felt amazingly fit and healthy?

I weighed in this morning at 137.0 lbs, down from 138.0 last week. I'm so excited! I ate super clean (well, for me) last week because I was trying to get all the bad things I ate on vacation out of my system and I needed to eat healthy and fuel my body right for my open water swim & sprint triathlon. I think eating clean, coupled with rest after 2 intense weeks of working out, messed with my body's routines enough to drop the pound. I'm now 2, TWO!!!, lbs away from my GW I set when I joined MFP. But looking at my body, I don't think I'll be satisfied with just 2 more lbs gone. My stomach still has a lot of fat as do my upper thighs.

With my triathlon season over, I am going to switching up my workouts A LOT. For one, I'm having bad back pains now, which feel like the muscle spasms that sent me into physical therapy when I was 16, and they are awful when I ride my bike now. So I'm staying off the bike for at least 2 weeks, hoping that will help the recover process. I'm also going to start training for my first ever 10K, so lots of running this fall! And strength training...I've done it once a week over the summer but I am stepping it up to at least twice per week. It made such a difference in my running, biking, and swimming with the little I was able to do, so during the off-season, I'd like to build up my muscles more, which will help in triathlons, running, and fat loss.

How about a challenge this week? For the nutrition challenge, let's log every single thing that enters our mouth, every day! For some, this won't be a challenge. For others, it might be. Wouldn't it be great if you discovered that those 2 cookies you ate in the break room and didn't log were what was holding you back? Or that not logging Saturdays and Sundays was the problem? Not in this group, but I've seen many people on MFP say "I log my food and exercise but I don't lose weight," and when you look at their food diary, you know that can't possibly be everything they ate for the day/week. Being honest and seeing in writing what all we are putting into our bodies may help us see something we can easily fix.

For a fitness challenge, think about your planned week. Is it an intense exercise week? If so, try to burn an EXTRA 500 calories this week. If it's a rest/recovery week, stretch an extra 10 minutes EVERY DAY. I know one contributor to my back pains is not enough stretching. You would think I would've learned my lesson when I was 16, and I thought I was stretching enough, but looking back, I know a lot of times when I'm rushed, it's easy to just jump in the shower after workout and skip the extra stretching. The injury resulting from it is NOT worth it!

sexyharleymama

Great tips from bfischer.

I wanted to ask you guys about Trick 10...re-evaluating your goal weight. How did you guys choose your goal weight? Why that number? Could you be happy if you never reached that number but you looked and felt amazingly fit and healthy?

How about a challenge this week? For the nutrition challenge, let's log every single thing that enters our mouth, every day!

For a fitness challenge, think about your planned week. Is it an intense exercise week? If so, try to burn an EXTRA 500 calories this week. If it's a rest/recovery week, stretch an extra 10 minutes EVERY DAY.

I weighed about 125 in high school. I didn't want to be unrealistic with my goal. I figured I could do 135, 10lbs above high school, felt that was reasonable. I will reach this goal and will not be happy unless I do. I have a couple left over trouble spots from my last pregnancy. If I were to tone up and be the weight I am now, then I would maybe be happy not reaching it, but I know to be fit like I want and tone, I need to reach my original goal.

Great Idea for the challanges bstamps. I typically log everything M-F. But weekends get super busy and I don't get near a computer usually. And I know my weekends are not nearly as clean as my weekdays.

All I have been able to get in lately is my after dinner family walks. I am going to get in some actual workouts this week. I need to get my stamina back up. I have a 5k in less than three weeks. I was never a runner. Then last year my husband decided he wanted to run a 5K. I walked it pushing the kids in the double stroller. Then when I was laid off earlier this year and had a little more time, I tried this running thing. So this year I plan to run the 5K. Will bump up the cardio this week!

Lets Rock this Week!!!

86rollyb

Hey guys! Can I join too? I'm currently 5 lbs away from my GW but have really switched my focus to body fat %. I'm at 23.5 as of this AM and I want to see 20%! I have a feeling I'll have to lose more than 5 lbs to see that # It was so much easier to lose weight when I was larger as all of you know so well!!!

kylakesgal

Rolanda86....you most certainly can join us. Anyone is welcome here.

My weigh in for the week.....I had a loss of .6, putting my current weight at 143.2. I've had a loss now two weeks in a row:) Yah!! It could be the extra strength training I'm doing but not real sure but hey a loss is a loss:):)

Great challenges this week bstamps. I picked my goal of 138 because that was the weight I was able to get down to a few years ago and was really satisfied with so I know it is a reasonable goal. Of course, I was much smaller in my 20's but I feel at my weight now, I am in better shape physically than I've ever been my whole life. Let's do this!

Hoosiermomma

Happy Monday all!

:flowerforyou: Welcome rolanda and bfischer. Fischer, remember that you body fat is not only weight related. a muscle toning routine will will reduce weight and take down your bf!

Now after those wise words.. Monday weigh-in 140 :sad: WHY? WHY? WHY?
Well, I can tell you why...
A wedding weekend which included:
- 7 hours in the car
- No exercise (besides dancing a little)
- Of course great food all the time!

A week of family Reunion which included:
- Almost all restaurant food
- Wine and mixed drinks. I rarely drink at home
- Only bike riding for exercise (less strenuous)
- SO MUCH FUN!

Recovery week (which always seems to not put me back on track) :frown:
- Only one day of Exercise
- Decent eating but no tracking

This week
- Off to a good start with my weigh-in
- Did my weight training this morning
- Am logging on MFP
- Am making a plan!

Now to follow through!

bstamps12

Hoosiermomma-sounds like you are back on track this week! Keep it up and the scale will go back down!

That said, yesterday was crap for me. I just wanted one more day of eating crap after I trained so hard all summer and watched what I ate so close except on my cruise. It was also a rest day so I was over on my calories but only by 100, so still at a deficit. Maybe that will play with my metabolism too to drop some more this week? lol wishful thinking!

bfischer-I saw on my news feed that you are super busy this week. Remember that nutrition is really close to 80% of losing weight so even if you only get in a few runs to train for your 5K this week, you can still lose this week if your nutrition is good!

sexyharleymama

bfischer-I saw on my news feed that you are super busy this week. Remember that nutrition is really close to 80% of losing weight so even if you only get in a few runs to train for your 5K this week, you can still lose this week if your nutrition is good!

Thank you stamps! Just been so frustrating lately that things haven't been going as I plan. Every day is a brand new rollercoaster, I just miss my somewhat stable routine. It will come back, just need to relax and roll with the flow right now. :happy:

bstamps12

Busy week this week for all of us it looks like!

I'm starting my senior yr of college so free time is down the drain. I'll still be in this group and the miles challenge groups and motivate as much as I can, but I have to be honest and say I could spend hours on MFP reading through the message boards...but I've got to be super careful with time management and not let myself get on MFP 10 times per day like I do over the summer or I'll waste too much time on here. :ohwell:

I'm thinking of changing my goals to lose .5 lb/week instead of 1 lb/week. What are you guys set to? I have thought about it lately and it seems like once I reach my goal, to add 500 calories per day all at once would be a lot and may result in weight gain, but maybe by upping calories slowly it will let my metabolism adjust so I still lose and then can maintain easily? I've just been wondering how that works with MFP once you reach your GW, how to prevent gaining anything when you suddenly start eating more? Any ideas?

Hoosiermomma

Busy week this week for all of us it looks like!

I'm starting my senior yr of college so free time is down the drain. I'll still be in this group and the miles challenge groups and motivate as much as I can, but I have to be honest and say I could spend hours on MFP reading through the message boards...but I've got to be super careful with time management and not let myself get on MFP 10 times per day like I do over the summer or I'll waste too much time on here. :ohwell:

I'm thinking of changing my goals to lose .5 lb/week instead of 1 lb/week. What are you guys set to? I have thought about it lately and it seems like once I reach my goal, to add 500 calories per day all at once would be a lot and may result in weight gain, but maybe by upping calories slowly it will let my metabolism adjust so I still lose and then can maintain easily? I've just been wondering how that works with MFP once you reach your GW, how to prevent gaining anything when you suddenly start eating more? Any ideas?

:flowerforyou: stamps I came to the conclusion that I needed to moderate my MFP time awhile ago and have done better, especially since that time can be used to be active in some way, even if it is just cleaning the cook-top!

I have been on a .5 loss for a long time now. It runs me a bit close but if I stick to it it does work! I've heard of many who struggle with maintenaince (looking forward to that struggle myself! ) It seems common to up calories by 100 per week and find their maintenance zone. i have a feeling tracking will become very important!

Busy schedules do make it so hard to keep up the "good routines." I really am trying to focus on starting a new good habit when I'm not so busy and hopefully stick with it through the chaotic times. We will all keep working at it!:flowerforyou:

sexyharleymama

I changed mine a couple months back when I got within 10lbs. Seems to be okay. But I do think finding the happy medium when we reach our goals will take some trial and error. And do agree that tracking is going to still be very big. Those people that have always been thing and healthy, don't have to worry about it. But if you have ever gained weight, I think you have to remain more alert and active about your life choices. But if we made it this far, we can DO IT!!!! :bigsmile:

kath711

Checking in in little late this week. Up 1/2 pound. I have stepped up my running mileage and am starving now! Hopefully will taper off as I get used to it.

I have had my weekly weight loss at 0.5 pounds/per week always. I could not eat any less than that and still managed to lose, just more slowly but it has stayed off. Lately, my problem is just eating too much *sigh*.

Have a great weekend !!

bstamps12

Kath-I've heard of lots of people gaining weight while upping their running. Weird phenomena!

So I changed my goals and set it to lose .5 lb per week now. I have have 1640 calories, up 230 calories per day from 1410. I honestly don't know how I will eat that much plus most of my exercise calories on days I do long workouts! I'm such a picky eater and I'm picky about textures in food...childish, I know, but unfortunately most things like trail mix, granola bars, etc. just don't taste good to me and I just can't get past the textures. I love a lot of healthy foods, but they are low calorie...broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, grapes, etc. So I'll be researching some foods I really like that are heatlhy and not super low calorie (sounds like an oxymoron? lol)

How is everyone doing on the challenges this week? I've done my extra stretching since this isn't a super intense exercise week for me. And it has sucked to log the birthday cake I ate...but I've logged it all!

Cookie22684

Sorry i haven't been checking in lately , i have been splurging to see if i can bust through this plateau , i also have started to run , but the hot weather in AL, is preventing me from doing so , i get heatstroke, i weighed myself today and i am 124.6 i think , the scale keeps giving me different numbers , hope u guys are having a fab sunday :flowerforyou:

kylakesgal

To bstamps, did you have your goal to lose 1 lb before you changed it? If so I think by lowering it to the 1/2 lb a week instead will help you, I know it did for me. With 10 lbs or less to lose, I heard that is the best setting to go with. Congrats for logging the birthday cake too!

Welcome back Cookie and great to see you again to Kathy!

I will be posting my weight in the morning....hoping for a small loss:) Fingers crossed!

sexyharleymama

Happy Monday :bigsmile:

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and that everyone will have a super fantastic week. Last week was a big week for me. I dropped below 140 for the first time in 12 years (only 4.2 to go), I fit into pants I haven't worn in 8 years (size 7/8 wranglers), and I controlled my weekend way better then I usually do (typically scale goes up 4/5 lbs over the weekend. only 1.6 this weekend)!!

Looking forward to another rocking week!!! :flowerforyou: