30 lbs in 10 months?

Ok, so I am to the point of wanting to give up. I have been on this journey for 10 months and I have only lost 30 lbs. TEN MONTHS! That's a long time to work so dang hard and see such minimal results. I stay below my calories, I eat filling, nutritious foods. I try my hardest to stay away from processed/high fat/sugary...etc foods. I work out 5-6 times a week religiously and I am still not losing weight. I am in tears as I write this because I want it sooooo bad but I can't seem to get it. I have not let it get me down until now. Now I am just exhausted from trying so hard.

I know everyone is going to respond with...."oh great job!" "Good job on losing 30 lbs" blah blah blah and I am to the point that I don't even care about the 30 lbs. It's tearing me down. It's NOT a great job. If anything the 30 lbs is defeating me. I have a 3 year old and I really want to have another child but I feel like my weight is holding me back. I just am tired and sick of worrying about every little thing in my mouth and trying to squeeze in working out after working full time and raising a kid and being a wife and taking care of a house. I am mentally and physically exhausted.

What do I do? Where do I go from here? Is it pointless because that is totally how I am feeling right now.
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Replies

  • Polparrot
    Polparrot Posts: 54 Member
    Please don´t give up, whether you believe it or not 30lbs in a year is still good going. Are you sure you´re eating the right amount of calories? Going under your cals is not the right way to try and lose weight and you said you stay below so it really could be as simple as this. Also if you exercise 5 to 6 times a week there´s calories burned that you can eat back. In no way am I trying to tell you what to do as I have no training in nutrition and exercise but I do know from personal experience that upping your cals often leads to weight loss. I try to eat back my cals burned and if i´m under my cals for the day it´s only by 20 max.
    There are lots of people on here who know what they are talking about so hopefully they can advise you but please please don´t quit x
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
    What is your daily calorie goal? Maybe you need to alter things. How much weight do you have to lose?

    The fact that you said you stay way below your calories means to me you need to alter things.

    If a certain calorie limit was provided in order for you to lose weight and you are eating less than that on a daily basis is the first thing you need to change. Second, you definitely need to eat more if you are exercising 5-6 times a week and are still coming in below calories.

    You just need help learning what to do for your body and you will get on track.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    losing 30 pounds in 10 months is better then gaining 30 pounds!
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
    without seeing your diary hard to comment much. you need to open it up to get honest and good feedback.

    Until I took a hard look at my real calorie intake vs. BMR vs exercise I had results like yours.

    Once I realized what was going with an excel spreadsheet then I started to lose more.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    Could be you are not measuring your food properly and thus eating more than you think. That's real easy to do.

    When you exercise, are you breaking a continuous sweat? I found I MUST sweat to see results.
  • sahm23ladies
    sahm23ladies Posts: 91 Member
    When I hit a plateau I upped my cals a bit and the process started again. Do NOT give up!
  • farway
    farway Posts: 1,253 Member
    OK , I am ready for the flames, your diary is not visible and I am not a nutritionist or medically trained, so feel free to ignore

    Just what are you eating? Your diary is locked, maybe your calories are below but how about the actual content in nutrition?

    i have been on since August, follow the calories, and try and avoid junk & processed food mainly

    May not be the answer to your query but it was to mine
  • jessifreehugs
    jessifreehugs Posts: 81 Member
    Can you open up your food diary? Maybe we can help you by taking a look at what you're eating / how you're exercising.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    My guess is that you are still underestimating your caloric intake... Overestimating your exercise... Eating back calories... Not eating the healthiest choices... Eat more greens, if you want to call it 1.5 servings call it 2. If you want to call it 45 minutes of exercise call it 30... If you want to say that you are moderately active call yourself the laziest coach potato in the world... I have done each of these things I still have room for improvement but I'm down 99 pounds since coming on here in July.
  • freddykid
    freddykid Posts: 265 Member
    So many things could be part of this slow down. Exercise is nice but if you aren't keeping your caloric deficit, all it does is add more weight. Not to mention that if you are working out 5-6 time a week you have probably put on a considerable amount of muscle. So your weight stays close to the same but you have less fat.
  • Also, if you haven't done so already, you may want to start adding some toning/strength training exercises to your workout regime rather than strictly cardio. If it's the last few pounds you're trying to gain off, (and I learned this part from the trainer I work with) it'll be easier to burn off that excess by toning & sculpting your body versus doing what you've always done. And don't knock the 30lbs. You also need to take a look at your salt intake...if it's a yo-yo type thing, that will definitely affect your body.

    Lastly (and again, got this bit from the trainer AND the doctor/nutritionist), you DO NOT want to go lower than your calorie intake. You want to stay right at that number, otherwise your body will begin to turn on itself and begin to eat its own muscles to help produce the energy needed to sustain you, especially if you're working out that frequently.

    Hope that helps! :)
  • simonsayzeat
    simonsayzeat Posts: 5 Member
    You are losing about 3/4 of a pound per week

    that means your calories deficit is only 375cal daily

    like everyone said, i think your measurement of calories and servings are off

    i requested an add.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
    If your methods have stopped working, try something else...there are infinite things that can be tweaked within eating and workout regimens, and it takes trial and error to find what works for you. Most people will want to see your diary before giving specific advice though.

    In any case, 30 lbs in 10 months is an average of 3 lbs a month...THAT averages to a loss of one pound a week about 75% of the time. You might not think that's good but it is. I understand the frustration of wanting the loss to happen faster, but I think your expectations might be a little unrealistic.

    Personally, I lost 24 lbs in 5 months...then I hit a plateau for months...than I gained 12 lbs back and now, 10 months after I first started MFP, I'm at a loss of only 16 lbs. Yes, it's frustrating. Yes, I get upset with myself. Yes, sometimes I feel like giving up. But I'd rather be 16 lbs lighter than 16 lbs heavier and I know that at this rate, I will eventually hit my goal. It might take a long time- a helluva lot longer than I expected when I joined- but if I give up, I will NEVER hit it. Giving up is the only sure way to fail...so don't give up.
  • corn63
    corn63 Posts: 1,580 Member
    How about some tough love since you don't want the "Keep it up!" crap....



    Hike up your skirt, nancy. You're better off than you were 10mons ago. This is YOUR journey. It is what you make it. Maybe it's time to stop stepping on the scale and gauge your progress with your clothing. Works for some as a change of pace. But seriously. You've lost 30lbs. Gift horse. Mouth. Stop staring.
  • bugaha1
    bugaha1 Posts: 602 Member
    Try and not put so much pressure on yourself. Stop putting a date on your next baby, your still very young and have plenty of time.
  • KrazyAsianNic
    KrazyAsianNic Posts: 1,227 Member
    Losing weight is not easy. It will come off faster/slower than other people, and it wasn't put on overnight. I think losing 30 pounds in 10 months is an amazing accomplishment! It shows me that slow and steady does work. To keep the loss, I would maybe suggest adding some calories. Depending how much you're eating, you may not be fueling your body enough. And maybe mix up your exercises. I really do hope you find something to push you past this, but remember, 30 pounds is AMAZING!
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    DO NOT QUIT!

    Stress can halt loss
    improper diet even below calorie goals can halt weight loss
    Underlying medical issues can halt weightloss

    for me, the gain was all medical and I ahd to figure out what foods affected me the most. ike many here I do not handle processed carbs well at all. So, I made the choice to cut most of that out of my diet. Bread: GONE, Sugar: GONE...

    Not that I don't eat bread or sugars, I do. BUT I used to live on breads, pastas, and if it were sweet it equaled "MY TREAT"; I don't do that cr@p anymore. weight started melting immediately. Hit a plateau 3 mos in, got REALLY discouraged. Hubs and I went on vacation to help friends move across country, on the road for 41 hours and had to eat those things so I was just extremely careful about portions. Got home totally expecting to see a gain but I weighed in to find that trip knocked me off my plateau.

    You are stronger than this plateau! YOU can beat it!!! But YOU have to believe in yourself!

    and if nothing is working, really nothing is working, then go have some bloodwork done at the doctor. You might have an underlying, non-symptomatic medical thing-a-ma-jigger out of whack...
  • I started my weight loss in November 2011. I was at my highest weight of 205lbs. I am now down to 180lbs. So, it's taken me a year to lose those 25lbs.

    But, what I found is that my hormones--insulin, thyroid, etc.--was the culprit. It took me 3 doctors, countless medical bills and a lot of research to find this out....

    So, maybe you should check out what is going on besides just eating and working....

    Just a thought.
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    "Giving up is the only sure way to fail"...so don't give up.

    ^^THIS^^
    I might have to quote you... only in terms of my daughter and her struggles with her AP Calc class....
  • crystalbluewolf13
    crystalbluewolf13 Posts: 197 Member
    I wish i could lose 30lbs in 10 months! I've been on my diet for almost 2 years now and i've lost 10lbs all together and that's it. I'd be happy to lose that tbh.

    It's probably just a plateau if your really worried go and talk to your GP about it, or try and change something your doing like change up your exercise routine as your body might be used to what you're doing. Sometimes something little can make a huge difference
  • katiedidit1
    katiedidit1 Posts: 39 Member
    How are your measurements? I was just feeling like I wasn't making any progress (literally just now) because the scale hasn't changed in a little while so I grabbed my handy dandy measuring tape and low and behold I have shed another 1/2 in. off my waist.

    Check your measurement and get back to us. However in the walk to the measuring device of your choice grab a stick of celery and a piece of cheese :) Keep it up! Your worth it!
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    When I plateaued, I changed my calorie goals based off the "in place of a roadmap v2". Its helped but Im still not back to losing like I was. Im very close to giving up as well. However, I know that if I do, I will most likely start to gain and then have to start all over again.

    If youd like a new friend (even though Im also struggling), feel free to add me.

    Take care.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    Given you have supplied us with VERY little background information, not much can be said.

    Be happy you are down 30 and not up.


    Suggestions for assistance through forum posts:
    1 Open your diary
    2. Give us your stats - Height, weight, age, sex to verify your BMR
    3. Weekly weight loss goal.
    4. Workout regimen if you have one.
  • You need to take a step back and relax , because its incredibly difficult to lose weight when anyone's under tons of stress. Your thyroid is over taxed due to the high levels of stress that you have , reasons is that the thyroid controls your metabolism and it handles stress too. It happens to me alot with work and my fat loss goals so what i do is just take a week off and that re chargers my batteries. Then get back right on that horse. Oh and i eat tons of fruit during that time such as melons , oranges , grapes, apples ect.. they uplift my mood but then again i am mostly a fruitarian/vegetarian. So yea hope that helps.
  • msshiraz
    msshiraz Posts: 327 Member
    If you are looking for real help- not just venting, open your diary. If I needed someones honest feedback, I would do that, and be prepared for the direct things you will hear.
    Weight loss starts and finishes with diet. Exercise is key, you need it, and it will help tremendously- but if you are not realistically tracking your food correctly, or your exercise is over estimated, you can set yourself up for failure. But no way to know if you don't let those you are asking see the diary

    As said somewhere here below- quitting is the best way to ensure you will not lose the weight
  • msshiraz
    msshiraz Posts: 327 Member
    Given you have supplied us with VERY little background information, not much can be said.

    Be happy you are down 30 and not up.


    Suggestions for assistance through forum posts:
    1 Open your diary
    2. Give us your stats - Height, weight, age, sex to verify your BMR
    3. Weekly weight loss goal.
    4. Workout regimen if you have one.

    LIKE!
  • mccbabe1
    mccbabe1 Posts: 737 Member
    Ok, so I am to the point of wanting to give up. I have been on this journey for 10 months and I have only lost 30 lbs. TEN MONTHS! That's a long time to work so dang hard and see such minimal results. I stay below my calories, I eat filling, nutritious foods. I try my hardest to stay away from processed/high fat/sugary...etc foods. I work out 5-6 times a week religiously and I am still not losing weight. I am in tears as I write this because I want it sooooo bad but I can't seem to get it. I have not let it get me down until now. Now I am just exhausted from trying so hard.

    I know everyone is going to respond with...."oh great job!" "Good job on losing 30 lbs" blah blah blah and I am to the point that I don't even care about the 30 lbs. It's tearing me down. It's NOT a great job. If anything the 30 lbs is defeating me. I have a 3 year old and I really want to have another child but I feel like my weight is holding me back. I just am tired and sick of worrying about every little thing in my mouth and trying to squeeze in working out after working full time and raising a kid and being a wife and taking care of a house. I am mentally and physically exhausted.

    What do I do? Where do I go from here? Is it pointless because that is totally how I am feeling right now.

    OH WOW... im sorry your so frustrated! and I can totally understand.. I lost 30#'s at about 3-31/2mo in on mfp.. and now at 33 (half my ticker goal).. it depends on how much you have to loose also.. like if yuor only need another 10 or so to go it will be harder vs a higher amount of wt to loose... and I agree with other peeps on here... I started mfp on the dumb 1200 calories and at 231 pounds that was just ridiculous.. did it for 3wks then upped to 1380 then again to 1480 (and now at 1580) and am 4mo in on mfp.. and am loosing wt.. and faster since upping cals.. and I too work out a lot.. daily walks/jog.. gym (zumba, body pump, bike).and I eat most my exercise calories back also.. and drink a TON of water and no diet soda.. you need to chang up your routine.. like upping your calories.. or upping them a few days then low one day and higher again.. "trigger' your body/metabolism... but 30#'s lost is a LOT of wt.. and is awesome.. but yes I too would be upset after 10 mo.. so something has to give for u/change :flowerforyou:
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    A few tips:

    1. don't give up!
    2. change up your exercise and buy a HRM. If you can't afford a snazzy one, get ANY one and it'll give you at least an idea of what your heart rate is. Get it up to 80%+ - whether by swimming, biking, or running (starting to run got me out of a several month plateau).
    3. what are you eating? are you sensitive to any particular food group? play with what you eat... it may be that you're sensitive to dairy or gluten or a myriad of other things. cut out certain things and see if you feel better/lose weight.
    4. have you gotten your thyroid checked? see if you have hypothyroidism.
    5. Get your BMR tested with a nutritionist - this is one of the certain ways to know exactly what you need.

    You aren't alone... I have been pudgy for the last 24ish years (and I'm 28!) and in the last 15 months, I've (FINALLY) lost 100+lbs after being at a high weight of 383lbs several years ago. YOU CAN DO THIS, don't give up!
  • NostalgicMuse
    NostalgicMuse Posts: 340 Member
    What you need to "give up" is the internal dialogue. Do the work. Do what it takes to get to where you want to be. Stop listening to you. Just move. Measure. Eat. MOVE!
  • ampage25
    ampage25 Posts: 9 Member
    I think this is a good idea!