Any slow loser success stories?

funkycamper

I've always been a very slow loser so I can relate. While I'm sad others share this situation, it is good to know that I'm not alone. I typically average 1# per week no matter how much I exercise and keep my food intake at the level required to lose 1.5# per week. I am losing inches and getting more fit so I try to focus on that and not the scale. But it is hard sometimes. I'm in a bit of a slump right now and trying to refocus.

ETA: I also will lose and then hit a point where I won't lose for quite awhile, sometimes a plateau of a month or two, before I start losing again. I figure my body just gets to a point where it feels comfortable and needs to stabilize there for awhile before moving slowly down again. It's frustrating.

drift

31 pounds in about 9 months, so another slow loser here. Certainly not as dramatic as previous weight loss but so much more sustainable. I'd recommend taking progress pictures and comprehensive measurements as well as looking at the scales for motivation. I still have a long way to go and find the support of fellow Mfp-ers helps a lot especially when others choose not to celebrate my achievement.

katapple

Take a look at my story! Took me quite a while, but I kept trudging along 2009-2011 (yes two years) I lost 36lbs. I have no idea why it took so long, I did things right, I had a 9 month plateau, the important thing is that no matter how hard or how long it takes, you keep going. This is about changing your life and not going back! Good luck!

PS, even during my plateau, I was losing inches. So keep track of measurements, they may show what the scale does not!

CakeFit21

It took me a long time too. Over a year I think to lose 33 pounds. To get me through it I just tried to remind myself that weight loss is they by-product of a healthy lifestyle, not the goal. If I continued to live healthy it would happen eventually. Once you find the things you really love to do, (for me it was getting outside to run and off of the damn elliptical) everything felt like less of a chore. Also, doing p90x helped, because it gave me a finish line of 90 days. (I also lost the most weight in the fastest time doing P90X.

Stick with it. We all lose differently. Losing at a slow rate generally means you are losing fat and not muscle.

Good luck!

bmmadden

Ive lost 65 lbs since this past January, some months Ive lost close to 10 lbs some 5 or 6, and here lately its been 3 or 4 lbs a month, Im guessing because Im getting closer to goal, but I feel Ive lost in a nice even pace definitely not too fast. Im a little more than halfway to my goal, I still want to lose 45 more lbs and I think that it will come off in just as much time as it took me to lose the first 65 because one Im doing it the healthy way which is slow and two because I am getting closer to my goal, Im hoping by this time next year I will be at goal:happy:

katkins3

An earlier poster suggested zig zagging and I agree.
I didn't see any cardio on your profile. If you are doing some sort of cardio and eating back your calories, do you have a HRM?
I eat back my exercise calories and found out I was way off on how many calories I was burning, (and of course eating back).
After 30 min. on the elliptical MFP said I'd burned over 400 calories, the machine read-out said 230, but my HRM totaled a sorry 98. I knew the 400 couldn't be right, but had been eating back the elliptical's 230. No wonder I was losing slowly!
Now I wear my HRM for any exercise I expect to use in calculating calories.

chuluotababe

I weigh myself on Friday mornings. As of last Friday it's been 20 weeks and I'm down 19.8 lbs. I know a pound/week is really an ideal weight loss but I sure wish it would move faster. My goal is to lose 30 lbs by March 30 (will be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding).

I'm sure you'll hear "slow and steady wins the race" so many times you'll want to scream but it's the truth. Hang in there!

LorinaLynn

Six months to lose the first 25 pounds, which put me at my original goal, and another 4 months for another 10.

Rae6503

Took me about 14 months to lose 30lbs.

Ephena

I've been at this since the end of March, although I didn't join MFP until later. I've lost 60lbs so far and have 20 left to go. I've been struggling very hard the last month to month and a half. I finally had to challenge myself to not step on the scale. Crazy right? But I was getting very discouraged and then I read a post by somebody talking about cheating (those little nibbles you take but don't log) and how she justified it because the scale kept moving down. I got to thinking that if I couldn't see the scale I couldn't justify anything and in my paranoia I might actually make better choices. This is also a test to see how much better I have gotten about my eating habits in general. I'm still logging everyday and that helps keep me on track but I won't know how on track I am until the end of the month.

I used to weigh myself daily so to go from that to not weighing in for almost a month is far from easy. I am honestly considering having my best friend hold onto my scale for me, I'm addicted and I admit this.

My point is that lack of motivation because you aren't seeing the results you want can be worked around. If you know you're a slow loser don't weigh yourself as often, it will make the loss seem more powerful when you do weigh in. Also try taking your measurements, I really wish I had done this. I just started (on Day 7) Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred. I did take before pictures and measurements so that even if I don't drop a ton of weight I can see results in other places than the scale.

_Khaleesi_

I am definitely a slow loser. I started at 195 lbs (5'9") and it's taken me just over 6 months to lose 25 lbs. When I first started to lose I was a 2 lbs/ week loser, and it was awesome. Then sometime in the early summer it all slowed down. I plateau'd and since then have been losing .5 ish lbs a week. But that's okay! It still gets me going where I need to be

msolo1

I have lost about 120 pounds total, and over the last 6 months the weight loss really started picking up. However, it took me over 3 years to lose the 120 pounds. My advice is don't get discouraged if it is slower. There are serious benefits to losing weight slowly, and i think most experts say 1-2 pounds a week is a good rate anyway.

em1976

2 years odd to lose 15 kilos,now stuck or have been for roughly 3 months swinging between 58 and 59 kilos.My goal is around 57,keep getting close,fall off the wagon,scoff,slack off on exercise then hop back on start over:)The changes in my body last 3 to 4 months have been more noticeable(if that makes sense)than dropping the initial weight I had pre mfp.Didn't actually realize how small I looked till I went back home for a visit and got the 'your too thin' comments.Getting definite muscle definition in arms,legs and abs,still losing cms though which is what keeps me going,so im coming to the conclusion if i want the last few to go I have to really buckle down and stop pissing about:)

poesch77

Reading this thread makes me feel better especially when I see people that have started MFP after me and have lost more!! Almost 8 months of starting MFP and I have lost 30lbs.....since Decemeber after I had my baby...total of 50 lbs! I want to be at goal by summer but at this rate not sure that will happen!! Good to know that others are dealing with this too! Slow and steady I guess!! I also am on BCP's and have elevated cortisol levels...both of these hinder weightloss....so I have to keep tweaking my calories and trying different things! I have zigzagged and changed my calorie levels a gazillion times already! I have done numerous workout DVDs and am on 2nd round of the "Shred" right now. I didn't lose alot with it but lost the most inches and went down a size! So I got to stick with something I know will work!!!

bee_grrl

It's taken me 5 months to loose 31 lbs. I have MFP goals at 2lbs a week and I'm a little off by like 9lbs but I'm ok with that. I workout 5-6 days a week and have 2 strength days in as well. Continue to eat your allowed calories and it will gradually come off! Trust me! I never thought I could loose more than 5lbs and I just recently hit ONEderland! Also, I had to literally try different types of exercise to find the one I loved! Find something you like and stick with it and you will start seeing the difference. Good luck!:flowerforyou:

LisaDunn01

I'm losing very, very slowly. I don't have a lot to lose (11 pounds total, and I've lost 4 in three months), and I'm okay with losing slowly because I am not "dieting", I'm embracing a lifestyle of eating healthy. I also workout VERY hard so I'm building muscle. I'm absolutely a success story because I've never felt healthier and, I'm enjoying food, exercise and living life.

forsophia2009

I'm also losing very slowly. I realized this year that I can't continue to set unrealistic goals like lose 20lbs in one month when I could (at the time) barely lose 1lb a week.

Now one of my goals is just to lose weight (the others are to get fit and get healthy). That way whether I lose .2lbs or 2lbs or 20lbs, I still met my goal.

ninkdole

It took me 3 years to lose 80 lbs. But I've also kept it off for the last year and don't see myself backsliding. So what they say is true, Slow and steady won the race...at least it did for me.

fallenangelloves

I set my goals to lose 1 lb a week.... So far it's pretty close to true. It's been slow but I haven't felt deprived in any way and have no desire to quit... This has been the best way for me! January will be a year since I've started this. If I reach 52 lb loss then great... If it takes a little longer, that's ok too!

ElizabethRoad

What do you consider slow? Apparently many people think 1 pound a week is slow, but I would disagree.