advice for slow weight loss

hippopotbelly

i'm only on week 3 (and this week i have been away so while been watchful in what i'm eating have struggled to log accurately what i've eaten). Week one was great 5lb, i know you lose more in the first week, the 2nd week i lost 1lb maybe 1.5 and now this week although i've still got 2 days to go i haven't lost anything yet. i've struggled to do much exercise due to other commitments, but i don't think i've gone over my 1200 calories at all (or hardle on a couple of days this week), i am also breastfeeding which i am not includng in my diary and therefore not eating extra for that) I'd be happy at losing 2lb a week doing this but it's looking like 1200 calories a day will only make me lose a lb a week which is quite demoralising and i can see me not being able to last much longer. hopefully exercise will pick up again next week but i want to lose at least a stone if not a stone and a half \nd at tis rate it will take forever. ANy advice, or anyone else not managing to lose 2lb a week on suggested calorie intake?

Jconner30

Just follow the food journal. Exercise regularly and intense! Your body cant keep the weight! It will come off! Stay the course! Toss the scale and judge your weight by how your clothes fit. For example, I cant get out of the 220s, but I went from 36" jeans to 34" jeans while my weight has not changed. Something HAS changed - my body has been packing on lean muscles and destroying fat. Lean muscle (per volume) weighs more than the same volume of fat. Just take my attitude... I am in this for the long haul. Keep telling yourself that and you wont struggle with the stress you are under with focusing on a stupid number on a scale

Ge0rgiana

Patience and better perspective. Losing 5lbs the first week is not exactly slow loss. Relax. 3 weeks isn't nearly long enough to establish a pattern of weight loss. Not nearly enough to say "I didn't lose a lb this week. My weight loss is slow."

Besides that, there's nothing wrong with going slow. I mean, would you rather drop it all at once just to gain it all back, or would you rather give your body time to adjust and have the weight stay off? Not to mention that losing it slower is a healthier way to go.

And what's more demoralizing... Losing 1lb/wk or staying RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE?

cobsmom

If you're breastfeeding you really need to be eating those extra calories. Your body needs it and your supply could go down. It's tempting to go back to your regular calories after having a baby but for me it was important to nurse for a year (3 weeks to go!) from what I've read you burn 20 calories for every ounce of breasmilk you produce and alot of babies are drinking at least 20 ounces a day so add in those extra calories and feel good about the calories you burned while making it!

hippyjen2000

Hey...I worked hard the first week, and didn't lose anything...but I did build muscle: I know this because my clothes are fitting a bit better. When you excercise, you build muscle, and if you ar minimizing your calories, your body wants to hold onto whatever fat it can, if it thinks you may be heading into starvation mode. Keep it up! Eventually your output will catch up! Jconner is right!