Weight loss has really slowed - should I be scared?

SolidGoaled

My weight loss per month since Feb 1 has gone like this:

Feb: 12.5 lbs
Mar: 10.5 lbs
Apr: 10.5 lbs
May: 8.0 lbs
June: 4.0 lbs
July: so far, 3 lbs

I have been eating 1500 - 1800 cals per day, occasionally I go as low as 1200 or as high as 2000. Should I crank it up and go to 1200 or 1000 a day to create a bigger deficit? I've lost 50 lbs, but have 35 more to go.

Or should I be content with 3 lbs lost per month? Is this typical? There is definitely room for improvement in my diet.

Katie3784

The more in shape you become, the more calories you need in order to continue losing weight. I say up your calories by 200/day and see if that helps.

GypsyRose25

You may also want to shake up your exercise routine a bit. I have no clue if it'll help, but maybe it will...

spacecase76

Remember that the closer you get to goal, the slower it will come off as well. Slowing is natural, to an extent. I would say that yours is natural thus far.

girlwapp

look at it in terms of percentages and see if it changes your perception of your slowing...

amysj303

The more in shape you become, the more calories you need in order to continue losing weight. I say up your calories by 200/day and see if that helps.

I don't think this is true. Of course your body needs fuel for hard workouts but the less you weigh the less calories you need to maintain. You have made incredible progress but it is natural to have the weight loss slow because the difference between losing and maintaining is getting smaller.
It sounds like you are doing the right things-and eating cleaner can't hurt! Maybe give yourself a challenge to eat more veggies or give up something and soon that becomes habit.
Don't give up!

rileysowner

The closer you are to your healthy weight, the smaller your calorie deficit needs to be. Here is a useful post on that by a fellow member here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits?hl=guide+to+calorie+deficits

LauraMarie37

look at it in terms of percentages and see if it changes your perception of your slowing...

This. (Also what other people are saying about upping your calories, as counterintuitive as it may seem). And I agree to set a small challenge for eating cleaner - I don't think there is a single diet out there (maybe Paleo? Not all that familiar) that would say adding one or two more servings of richly colored vegetables a day would be a bad thing!!!

brandiuntz

For July, if you lose one more pound, that averages to a pound a week, which is a reasonable weight loss goal.

Try changing up your exercise. Do you only do cardio? Add some strength training. Only do strength training? Add some cardio.

Perhaps adjust your carb to protein ratio.

I wouldn't worry because you're consistently losing.

You might want to take your measurements, too. There will come a time when the scale won't budge, but you'll lose inches because you're becoming more toned.