How hard is to loose 15 pounds??

Argent78

Hey MFPers!
I need some encouragement of those who are struggling with plateaus...
I started here like 7 months ago and haven't lost an inch or a pound!!!! I've been eating very healthy, and working out a lot. The thing is that I travel a lot or have deadlines to meet, so I haven't been doing my always diet perfectly or worked out exaclty 4 times a week always.
But still, I had a life change, for weeks is been perfect, and some other weeks not, but never exceeding on food, and never stopped my workouts for more than a week.
I understand I'm not going to loos a lot... but I lost less than 2 pounds in 7 months.... what!!!???

ugh anyone had this problem? how much did it take to brake a plateaou?

Helloitsdan

I can fix it!

Eat at maintenance for 2 weeks while maintaining your routine.
Check the link on my profile for answers.

jbloomfj

Don't give yet. maybe you need to recalulate your daily calorie intake

IveLanded

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

deniselynn13

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

I coulnd't have said it better!!!! Life is always going to happen. We all need to learn how to do this without the excuse of life got in the way.

I have lost 42 pounds so far and 15 lbs is pretty easy to lose. All it takes it committment, will, drive, motivation and sticking with eating clean and working out! You have to want it to get it! This means giving it 100%

Salasel

Deadlines and " Life getting in the way are poor excuses" I know thats how I gained 40 pounds over 5 years. In the last 91 days I have made Me a priority. I have made sure to work out 3 times a week not the same time each week different days even different work outs. I have lost 25 pounds. When I started this journey at 253 pounds I would have never thought I could make it this far. Every time i get discouraged I look at my progress and get remotivated. By the way if you have time to sit down and read this you have the time to work out.


Good luck and stick with it

psuLemon

Make sure you diary is set to 1/2lb per week and you should aim for 50-75% of your exercise calories. The last 10-20 lbs take a long time. Also, if you have started weight training, you need to.

Argent78

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

Well... this are my LAST 15 pounds. I can easily loose pounds when I have more weight to loose. But this last ones are the worst!! As I said, and I know life happens, thats why said that I HAD a LIFE CHANGE. I just can´t go to the gym 4 times a week always, but I never go over my calories (1700 tops). I just can enter every single macro to perfection, because that is not the life I want or can have either, right? If we are talking about incorporating real life to our diets, we shouldnt have to struggle so so much with every single macro...
So my question is, how much time to break a plateau when you have a real life and can´t commit to perfection on a diet, right?

Argent78

Deadlines and " Life getting in the way are poor excuses" I know thats how I gained 40 pounds over 5 years. In the last 91 days I have made Me a priority. I have made sure to work out 3 times a week not the same time each week different days even different work outs. I have lost 25 pounds. When I started this journey at 253 pounds I would have never thought I could make it this far. Every time i get discouraged I look at my progress and get remotivated. By the way if you have time to sit down and read this you have the time to work out.


Good luck and stick with it

yeah, that is true... I have to be stronger on my workouts... so hard!

Argent78

Make sure you diary is set to 1/2lb per week and you should aim for 50-75% of your exercise calories. The last 10-20 lbs take a long time. Also, if you have started weight training, you need to.

thanks!

Yes, I do cardio 4 times a week, and weight train 3 times a week (I do them the same day). I´s definitely stronger, and definitely feel great about it... I know my beatiful muscles are hidding below my last pounds

Argent78

I can fix it!

Eat at maintenance for 2 weeks while maintaining your routine.
Check the link on my profile for answers.

Thanks!! I will

Alexwinterclap

Hey there - so I've been on a bit of a journey but I found consistency in "inconsistency" and noticing the "small" things matters quite a bit with health. Some thoughts:

1. Mix things up so your body doesn't figure it out right away. I mean don't eat the same amt. of calories every single day. Aim at weeklong goals and mix calories every day. 1100 on day, 2000 the next, 1500 the third, 1000 the forth and so on...

2. Measure your portions out for travel and such. It makes things a lot easier to have snacks prepped and at the ready. Will keep you from jumping at the first options out there. Portion control is huge.

3. What does "eating healthy" mean to you? Are you simply eating more salad? Or have you determined what the right mix of fat, carbs, protein and calories is for you?

4. Exercise is key but the right kind is more key. Whole body movement is better than muscle isolation since...well, muscles aren't designed to be built in isolation. Even things like curls use other parts of your body to help build. Make sure you integrate cardio AND strength training and it will help you. Create a plan and stick to it.

5. Cut out all sugar. Every last bit you can think of. You get enough of it with regular eating. That means drop any beverages with sugar, even the fake stuff. In fact, the fake stuff may be even worse.

6. You may have a hormonal response to something...that can keep the weight on. Check with your doctor for hyperthyrodism or some other response. Weight should not stay on with exercise, eating well and the right state of mind. The other equation is the physical glad side...so that may be your bugaboo.

7. Get healthy friends. Get involved in a group that holds you accountable. it's a great way to share in the pains, successes and more. People who have the same focus tend to understand and help more.

Hope this helps!

PS. As an interesting note. When I dipped under 200 I hit a wall. No movement for a month. I didn't change anything...was still working out hard and eating right. Then I went on a trip when I pulled in about 600-80 calories more per day and upped my physical activity. Boom...in two weeks i've lost 4 lbs. Sometimes it's just a case of breaking the cycle your body gets used to. Make sense.

Good luck!

Martin

IveLanded

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

Well... this are my LAST 15 pounds. I can easily loose pounds when I have more weight to loose. But this last ones are the worst!! As I said, and I know life happens, thats why said that I HAD a LIFE CHANGE. I just can´t go to the gym 4 times a week always, but I never go over my calories (1700 tops). I just can enter every single macro to perfection, because that is not the life I want or can have either, right? If we are talking about incorporating real life to our diets, we shouldnt have to struggle so so much with every single macro...
So my question is, how much time to break a plateau when you have a real life and can´t commit to perfection on a diet, right?

I really really don't mean to sound harsh.........but you are making a LOT of excuses.

I think it's a cop out when people here say "But I can't be perfect!!!". No one is asking anyone to be "perfect".........the point is committing to the work it takes.

When people tell me "But I can't work out X times per week" what they are usually saying is "Working out isn't a high enough priority to me to do it X times per week". Only you know your real life, but is it REALLY that it's so hard to log your food and work out? Or is it that you are prioritizing other things?

If other things are more important to you, THATS OK!!!! But be honest and realistic about it. What everyone is saying is true..........ESPECIALLY if this is your last 15! I am on my last 15 as well and I'm finding that it's the hardest to lose. Lots of folks will tell you the same thing.......those last 10-15 are the hardest.

You know what that means? It means you have to kick it up even more.

Your way obviously isn't working, because you're here complaining that you can't lose that last 15. Is it worth it to you to commit a solid 4-6 weeks of being on top of your work outs and diet in order to get rid of it? If it is.......do it! If not, accept that you aren't going to lose it as fast as you'd like and maybe that's ok.

Again....I don't mean this harshly. Good luck!

chocolateandvodka

Depends on the type of object you're holding.

Morgan103084

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

I coulnd't have said it better!!!! Life is always going to happen. We all need to learn how to do this without the excuse of life got in the way.

I have lost 42 pounds so far and 15 lbs is pretty easy to lose. All it takes it committment, will, drive, motivation and sticking with eating clean and working out! You have to want it to get it! This means giving it 100%

ok, well i've been here going on 4 months. and i too have not lost anything. so the first 15 have not been easy at all. the only thing i can think of is that i got the depo provera shot and i work out religiously 6 times a week. i hear so many people complaining that they gain 40 lbs in 3 months. i thankfully haven't gained but i'm hoping to see some results when this sucker wears off. i got 2 weeks left. hopefully i have good news to report afterwards. stick with it and count those calories, friend me if you like. (i hate counting calories!!)

dorothytd

First of all - you are adorable. (No worries, though; I'm happily married!) I have a crazy busy life, too, and I think the consistency thing is what might be messing you up. A pretty good week isn't the same as a good week... If you can pre-plan your meals and workouts when you do have some down time, it might help. Literally put a schedule or calendar on the fridge. Early morning workouts are best with a crazy schedule because there is so much less of a chance of being derailed. God luck with the 15 - those last ones are tough! dd

Helloitsdan

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

I coulnd't have said it better!!!! Life is always going to happen. We all need to learn how to do this without the excuse of life got in the way.

I have lost 42 pounds so far and 15 lbs is pretty easy to lose. All it takes it committment, will, drive, motivation and sticking with eating clean and working out! You have to want it to get it! This means giving it 100%

ok, well i've been here going on 4 months. and i too have not lost anything. so the first 15 have not been easy at all. the only thing i can think of is that i got the depo provera shot and i work out religiously 6 times a week. i hear so many people complaining that they gain 40 lbs in 3 months. i thankfully haven't gained but i'm hoping to see some results when this sucker wears off. i got 2 weeks left. hopefully i have good news to report afterwards. stick with it and count those calories, friend me if you like. (i hate counting calories!!)

You under eat and work out 6x a week.
No wonder you arent losing.

Drop workouts to 3x a week and eat right.

Check the link on my profile for info.

Argent78

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

Well... this are my LAST 15 pounds. I can easily loose pounds when I have more weight to loose. But this last ones are the worst!! As I said, and I know life happens, thats why said that I HAD a LIFE CHANGE. I just can´t go to the gym 4 times a week always, but I never go over my calories (1700 tops). I just can enter every single macro to perfection, because that is not the life I want or can have either, right? If we are talking about incorporating real life to our diets, we shouldnt have to struggle so so much with every single macro...
So my question is, how much time to break a plateau when you have a real life and can´t commit to perfection on a diet, right?

I really really don't mean to sound harsh.........but you are making a LOT of excuses.

I think it's a cop out when people here say "But I can't be perfect!!!". No one is asking anyone to be "perfect".........the point is committing to the work it takes.

When people tell me "But I can't work out X times per week" what they are usually saying is "Working out isn't a high enough priority to me to do it X times per week". Only you know your real life, but is it REALLY that it's so hard to log your food and work out? Or is it that you are prioritizing other things?

If other things are more important to you, THATS OK!!!! But be honest and realistic about it. What everyone is saying is true..........ESPECIALLY if this is your last 15! I am on my last 15 as well and I'm finding that it's the hardest to lose. Lots of folks will tell you the same thing.......those last 10-15 are the hardest.

You know what that means? It means you have to kick it up even more.

Your way obviously isn't working, because you're here complaining that you can't lose that last 15. Is it worth it to you to commit a solid 4-6 weeks of being on top of your work outs and diet in order to get rid of it? If it is.......do it! If not, accept that you aren't going to lose it as fast as you'd like and maybe that's ok.

Again....I don't mean this harshly. Good luck!

Thanks!! I know, you are a lot right, and I agree that the last 15 are really hard. I just hoped at least to be able to loose 4 pounds with all this life change! Is like doing all what I´m doing (which is still a lot) seems to be the same as eating trash and not working out... I always wonder what difference does it make if my body doesn´t even notice I´m really doing something. It is not always perfect... but still!
I´m determined now to stick to my diet and workouts for at least 2 weeks, and see if anything changes. It is also true, that to be motivated and kick it hard and stick to it, I NEED to see some change!
It is very discouraging....

We are fine sometimes we need a little harshness and listen what we dont want to ...

Argent78

That's not a plateau....that's you not sticking to your diet plan.

You're going to start losing when you commit to keep on track with a meal plan and work outs. There is no magic solution except sticking with it. And IMHO part of that means not letting life be an excuse. Life is ALWAYS going to happen. We're always going to have vacations and parties and divorces and work stress..........that's always going to be there, so part of being successful is learning how to change your life even when those things happen. If it's really important to you, you'll do it.

And to answer your question, I found my first 15 incredibly easy to loose.....once I finally committed to doing it and stuck with my plan. I lost 15 in about a month. And in that first month I 100% stuck to working out every day and sticking to my calorie intake.

I coulnd't have said it better!!!! Life is always going to happen. We all need to learn how to do this without the excuse of life got in the way.

I have lost 42 pounds so far and 15 lbs is pretty easy to lose. All it takes it committment, will, drive, motivation and sticking with eating clean and working out! You have to want it to get it! This means giving it 100%

ok, well i've been here going on 4 months. and i too have not lost anything. so the first 15 have not been easy at all. the only thing i can think of is that i got the depo provera shot and i work out religiously 6 times a week. i hear so many people complaining that they gain 40 lbs in 3 months. i thankfully haven't gained but i'm hoping to see some results when this sucker wears off. i got 2 weeks left. hopefully i have good news to report afterwards. stick with it and count those calories, friend me if you like. (i hate counting calories!!)

You under eat and work out 6x a week.
No wonder you arent losing.

Drop workouts to 3x a week and eat right.

Check the link on my profile for info.

I´m working 4 times a week, because I combine cardio and strength training. I do 35 mins strength, and then 1 hour cardio.
About under eating, I tried everything!! I tried 1800 and didnt work. Now I´m trying 1600... always try to keep low carbs and high prots.

Argent78

First of all - you are adorable. (No worries, though; I'm happily married!) I have a crazy busy life, too, and I think the consistency thing is what might be messing you up. A pretty good week isn't the same as a good week... If you can pre-plan your meals and workouts when you do have some down time, it might help. Literally put a schedule or calendar on the fridge. Early morning workouts are best with a crazy schedule because there is so much less of a chance of being derailed. God luck with the 15 - those last ones are tough! dd

Thanks!
I´ll do my best

Argent78

Hey there - so I've been on a bit of a journey but I found consistency in "inconsistency" and noticing the "small" things matters quite a bit with health. Some thoughts:

1. Mix things up so your body doesn't figure it out right away. I mean don't eat the same amt. of calories every single day. Aim at weeklong goals and mix calories every day. 1100 on day, 2000 the next, 1500 the third, 1000 the forth and so on...

2. Measure your portions out for travel and such. It makes things a lot easier to have snacks prepped and at the ready. Will keep you from jumping at the first options out there. Portion control is huge.

3. What does "eating healthy" mean to you? Are you simply eating more salad? Or have you determined what the right mix of fat, carbs, protein and calories is for you?

4. Exercise is key but the right kind is more key. Whole body movement is better than muscle isolation since...well, muscles aren't designed to be built in isolation. Even things like curls use other parts of your body to help build. Make sure you integrate cardio AND strength training and it will help you. Create a plan and stick to it.

5. Cut out all sugar. Every last bit you can think of. You get enough of it with regular eating. That means drop any beverages with sugar, even the fake stuff. In fact, the fake stuff may be even worse.

6. You may have a hormonal response to something...that can keep the weight on. Check with your doctor for hyperthyrodism or some other response. Weight should not stay on with exercise, eating well and the right state of mind. The other equation is the physical glad side...so that may be your bugaboo.

7. Get healthy friends. Get involved in a group that holds you accountable. it's a great way to share in the pains, successes and more. People who have the same focus tend to understand and help more.

Hope this helps!

PS. As an interesting note. When I dipped under 200 I hit a wall. No movement for a month. I didn't change anything...was still working out hard and eating right. Then I went on a trip when I pulled in about 600-80 calories more per day and upped my physical activity. Boom...in two weeks i've lost 4 lbs. Sometimes it's just a case of breaking the cycle your body gets used to. Make sense.

Good luck!

Martin

BIG HUGE THANKS!!
I love some of the advice...
by eating healthy I say, I always cook and don´t eat processed foods. Eat no sugar, only 1 fruit a day, eat all my proteins of meats and eggs. Little oil when cooking, and low carbs. No sodas. Only wine maybe 1-2 times a week. The only fat I eat is from eggs, olive oil very little, and meats
I went to nutritionist and she told me I eat perfectly healthy and to keep doing it like I do!
My meal plan is this:

Breackfast: prot and carb
Snack: fruit and prot
Lunch: vegies, prot and carb
Snack: prot and vegie
Dinner: prot and vegies