Trying to stay motivated

BrownEyedJerseyGirl

I know slow and steady wins the race but this is hard! I hear about this Body By Vi where people are losing amazing amounts of weight including a friend of mine who is drinking the shakes 2x day and eating one meal. It's discouraging to know I'm working hard to only lose 1.5 pounds a week while others are just drinking a shake and losing alot more than that. Words of encouragement?

ALH1981

yes - you are learning a sustainable approach to healthy living that will carry you through life, not partaking in a fad diet which is a quick win.....

Longer term, this will help you as you will always be able to carry what you learnt, and apply it to all situations - eating out, eating in and everything else. Those drinking shakes cannot do so forever and will end up having to eat again - without having learned what you have..... Guess what that means?!

lisacross1966

When it comes right down to it you are the one who will be more successful at weight loss. Those diet shakes are just a temporary fix. The key to healthy weight loss and to keeping it off is learning how to eat the correct foods that your body needs. When those that start to stop using the shakes and begin eating real food they will eventually put the weight right back on. I am 30 pounds over weight and 45 years old. But with the help of blogging here and on facebook with my friends I KNOW that I will be successful in getting healthy. 1.5 pounds a week is wonderful and you are going about it the way you should. Keep at and don't give up!

Natihilator

Just remember those people will not be living on shakes 2 times a day for the rest of their lives, and once they quit they'll most likely get into trouble.

I too want to lose as much weight as quickly as possible but know that it's better to go slowly for lots of reasons - easier on your body, better for skin elasticity, better chance of keeping the weight off long-term. And I also like to remember that January 13, 2011 feels WAY closer than a full year ago, time moves quickly and it's not as long as you think

TazzytheMotivator

Anything worth having takes time. I lost my weight all of by counting calories, drinking water, exercising 7 days a week. No fad diets, no surgery, no prepackage meals.I ate what i could afford. Purchase a food scale and measuring cups, and preplan your meals the day before.One step at a time and one pound at a time. Stay Strong

driaxx

Basically - your results are long term. Their's aren't.

Qarol

1.5 lbs a week?

And you're looking for sympathy?

sweet_lotus

When I tried Atkins years ago, the weight flew off.

But I looked weird, like my face had too much skin and my cheeks kind of drooped. Never again.

Go slow. I lost weight even slower than you are, maybe 2 pounds a month, and then no pounds for a few months. Then two pounds a month, etc. I've kept it off for five and a half years.

Weight management is about your mind as much as your body. GIve your brain time to accept the healthy habits you are developing. The habit of good nutrition is a gift you can give yourself for a lifetime.

JacksMom12

1.5 lbs a week?

And you're looking for sympathy?

This! Ive averaged about 0.4 a week and it's added up to almost 40 lbs gone. It's been sustainable, healthy ... And guess what? Those weeks passed by either way.

BrownEyedJerseyGirl

Not looking for sympathy. Just others point of view regarding traditional weight loss vs. protein shake type weight loss plans

BrownEyedJerseyGirl

Thanks everyone. I know slow and steady is the way to go. I was wondering about those weight loss shakes and what happens once you stop them!

Art63

Three of my friends at work lost amazing amounts of weight a couple of years ago. They each paid about $1,600 US to join this program where they bought protein shakes and protein bars. One of the guys had his wife join as well. They dished out lots of money and their weight loss was impressive. I remember seeing the first guy lose so much I thought he had AIDS or something. It was scary fast.

So, okay. They all lost a lot of weight in pretty quick order.

But what about now? It's been almost two years and each one has gained a significant amount of it back. It must be so demoralizing for them. What's the moral? You can't live forever on those shakes and protein bars. Sooner or later you have to live life and eat normal. Well, they didn't really learn how to eat normal...hence they gained and continue to gain the weight back.

MFP is teaching you to lose weight slowly, gradually, about a pound a week on average over SEVERAL months. That is a sustainable, liveable, reasonable weight loss that will STAY lost. You will be the one further ahead in the long run. Take it easy. Eat smart and exercise smart. And by the way, walking actually works. You don't have to pound the gym for an hour and sweat like a pig. Just walk around about an hour a day 3-5 times a week.

You're doing it right. Keep up the good work.