Slow & Steady or Fast & Furious?

dhubschm

Ok. After a lifetime of dieting, I've probably lost my body weight in pounds only to gain it back (plus some). I am 45 yo and have decided to add something entirely new to my diet regime - it's called weight training. This plus aerobics and a modest cut in calories (not starving, just not all out binging often) has worked. But very SLOWLY. In the past 12 weeks, I've lost 15 lbs. I've also been going to a place with a BodPod which measures body composition every 4-6 weeks. Last month I lost 4 lbs (ugh!) but gained 8 lbs of muscle. After 12 weeks, my clothes aren't falling off and people aren't gushing.

Here's the deal, I'm getting frustrated. It's hard for me to stay on a diet. Period. 12 weeks is close to a record for me. Every day I worry that will lose my will power and I will be done with dieting. Losing roughly a pound a week is excrutiating especially when I've got 40 more pounds to go. A co-worder mentioned the SHRED plan. She lost 18 pounds in the first 6 weeks cycle. This is enticing, but I'm worried if I try to go for the gold (losing quickly) with SHRED that I won't succeed and then I'll fall off the diet wagon completely and be done.

Any words of wisdom out there?

Gramps251

You are doing it correctly. Just keep going. You only fail if you quit.

wcso911mn

I don't understand why everyone is gung-ho to lose the weight so quickly and rapidly when it took YEARS to put it on (for most of us). Over a course of 20 years, I've given birth to 3 children (all 8-9 pounds), worked a sedentary job and raised my family. I've attempted numerous "diets" in the past, but failed them all and barely lost weight. Now that I'm succeeding in losing the weight (18.5 pounds since the beginning of December 2012), I've come to the realization that I wasn't mentally ready to lose the weight before. Now that I am, I also realize that it's going to take awhile for me to lose a lot of the weight I gained. Do I want to lose it faster? Absolutely! When I start incorporating more exercise and some weight training, I probably will. But I'm not ready to do that yet. This process takes a lot of patience, willpower and time. Get a good support group (family, friends, MFP, etc) and embrace the fact that you will lose the weight - but it's not going to happen overnight.

I hope this helps!

DaniH826

Keep lifting would be my suggestion. It's working wonderfully already, so why mess with something that's not broken?

I think you're doing amazing and you should give yourself at least as much time to take the fat off as it took you to put it on. Out of plain old self-respect.

Now if you're bored, then switch things up, but stick with some sort of regular lifting program. Youre 45 and the last thing you want is osteoporosis and whatnot. You're laying a great foundation now for your later years in life. Stick with it and don't let your impatience get the better of you.

Also people who lose 18 pounds in 6 weeks are losing mostly water, and they're experiencing something called the "novice effect," which basically means a completely sedentary/out of shape person will have success with pretty much any exercise program out there, since moving your butt with a modest intensity is always better than not moving it at all. That doesn't mean her program is better than your program. Just FYI. It's normal after 12 weeks to start slowing down a bit in progress as the novice effect is wearing off. She'll begin to level off eventually too. It's this novice effect that these types of programs are banking on, because it works. Every time. That doesn't make these programs amazing; it just makes the novice effect amazing.

Look up Mark Rippetoe on "novice effect" and he goes into further detail about this.

You're doing fabulously. Stick with what you're doing. Your body is obviously liking it a lot. :flowerforyou:

I mean if you're absolutely wanting to try the 30-day shred or whatever, then have at it. Of course it's far better than nothing at all. But it's probably no better than your current program, just different. Make sure you're swapping programs at least across the board and don't downgrade so you don't lose the fitness level you've worked so hard to achieve.

annaclee2003

thank you..it helped me

millyvanilli321

I've lost 23lbs over about 40 weeks....yes it's slow, but that means it'll stay off and I won't get saggy skin etc. 15lbs in 12 weeks would be a DREAM for me, it's a really good rate of loss, it's healthy and much more maintainable than a quick 18lbs loss in a matter of a few weeks.

Just have patience. You said it yourself, you're not starving, and that means it's more maintainable long term, which in the end will bring you more success.

Good luck with your weight loss, the only advice I have is slow and steady wins the race, which is a marathon, not a sprint (Oh I love mixing my cliches )

montana_girl

Slow and steady worked for me... Okay, maybe I'm not the best example because it took me 6 years to a lose 100 pounds. But I thought of the time I spent trying to lose the weight as a learning experience and it's helped me to keep the weight off for nearly three years.

And from what I've read... if you lose the weight slowly you are more likely to keep the weight off. And isn't that ultimate goal?

Just keep plodding along and you will do fine! :flowerforyou:

blantondwb

Slow & Steady wins the race at our age. Please don't put such an emphasise on the number on the scale! Ask yourself do I feel good, do I see little changes and the BodPod is a great measurement tool. A gain of 8 pounds of lean muscle mass is a great accomplishment, in return you will eventually see the shape of your body become much more streamlined regardless of what the scale reads!

lewcompton

First, dispel the idea that this is a diet! Diets end and thus, you fail to keep weight off or keep losing past a set number of weeks.

Second, accept that you have to establish a healthy lifestyle. Limit the frequency with which you consume things that are bad for you but plan in those things that are calorie dense so that the day or week is still within your goal.

Third, when you have a bad day come back with resolve that the next day you will be working on a healthier you.

I've been at this since the first of July and have had about five days over goal. I have gotten right back after it and continued to do well. I have a firm resolve to log for the next 50 years. I have dropped 144 pounds and have a bit less than 70 pounds to go. Anyone is welcome to add me. I respond to many posts and most questions. My diary is open to friends and it is my sincere desire to help as many people to be successful in becoming healthier as I can.

dhubschm

Thanks guys! That helps to keep things in perspective! I think I'll just keep plugging along!

squindles

I know exactley how you are feeling hun because I'm feeling exactley the same. As hard as it is, this time I'm going for slow & steady even though I want it fast & furious!!!!!!! Keep plodding on luv :bigsmile:

mgore0404

There's a book out there called "The New rules of Weightlifting for Women" by Lou Schuler. It was a great book to read, and also there is an app called JEFIT that i love to use in the gym.
So are you just watching calories?

Timshel_

You are doing it correctly. Just keep going. You only fail if you quit.

Yup. And stop calling it a diet. It really is just eating smart and healthier.

cwolfman13

Ok. After a lifetime of dieting, I've probably lost my body weight in pounds only to gain it back (plus some). I am 45 yo and have decided to add something entirely new to my diet regime - it's called weight training. This plus aerobics and a modest cut in calories (not starving, just not all out binging often) has worked. But very SLOWLY. In the past 12 weeks, I've lost 15 lbs. I've also been going to a place with a BodPod which measures body composition every 4-6 weeks. Last month I lost 4 lbs (ugh!) but gained 8 lbs of muscle. After 12 weeks, my clothes aren't falling off and people aren't gushing.

Here's the deal, I'm getting frustrated. It's hard for me to stay on a diet. Period. 12 weeks is close to a record for me. Every day I worry that will lose my will power and I will be done with dieting. Losing roughly a pound a week is excrutiating especially when I've got 40 more pounds to go. A co-worder mentioned the SHRED plan. She lost 18 pounds in the first 6 weeks cycle. This is enticing, but I'm worried if I try to go for the gold (losing quickly) with SHRED that I won't succeed and then I'll fall off the diet wagon completely and be done.

Any words of wisdom out there?

If you do any amount of research into weight loss whatsoever, you're going to find that 1-2 Lbs per week is the safe and healthy approach...more than that is reckless and potentially dangerous and should really be done under the supervision of a doctor.

Really, I think you need to have a heart to heart with yourself and realize that the reason you yo-yo is because you "diet" (verb) instead of having a sustainable "diet" (noun). You need to be thinking in terms of what the rest of your life is going to be like, not the next few weeks or whatever. 12 weeks is nothing...it's a drop in the hat. Did you put on all of the weight in 12 weeks? I know I didn't...it took me about 15 years to pack on the 40ish pounds I need to lose...I'd say having lost 30 in about 6 months time is pretty darned fast when you put it in that perspective.

Perhaps focusing on you overall health rather than a random number on the scale would help. It's nice that I've lost weight and I look better, etc...but really, I had to change my dietary habits or I was literally going to an early grave. I've completely reversed all of my bad blood in 6 months time...losing 30 Lbs in the process and looking better is just gravy.

mgore0404

Ok. After a lifetime of dieting, I've probably lost my body weight in pounds only to gain it back (plus some). I am 45 yo and have decided to add something entirely new to my diet regime - it's called weight training. This plus aerobics and a modest cut in calories (not starving, just not all out binging often) has worked. But very SLOWLY. In the past 12 weeks, I've lost 15 lbs. I've also been going to a place with a BodPod which measures body composition every 4-6 weeks. Last month I lost 4 lbs (ugh!) but gained 8 lbs of muscle. After 12 weeks, my clothes aren't falling off and people aren't gushing.

Here's the deal, I'm getting frustrated. It's hard for me to stay on a diet. Period. 12 weeks is close to a record for me. Every day I worry that will lose my will power and I will be done with dieting. Losing roughly a pound a week is excrutiating especially when I've got 40 more pounds to go. A co-worder mentioned the SHRED plan. She lost 18 pounds in the first 6 weeks cycle. This is enticing, but I'm worried if I try to go for the gold (losing quickly) with SHRED that I won't succeed and then I'll fall off the diet wagon completely and be done.

Any words of wisdom out there?

If you do any amount of research into weight loss whatsoever, you're going to find that 1-2 Lbs per week is the safe and healthy approach...more than that is reckless and potentially dangerous and should really be done under the supervision of a doctor.

Really, I think you need to have a heart to heart with yourself and realize that the reason you yo-yo is because you "diet" (verb) instead of having a sustainable "diet" (noun). You need to be thinking in terms of what the rest of your life is going to be like, not the next few weeks or whatever. 12 weeks is nothing...it's a drop in the hat. Did you put on all of the weight in 12 weeks? I know I didn't...it took me about 15 years to pack on the 40ish pounds I need to lose...I'd say having lost 30 in about 6 months time is pretty darned fast when you put it in that perspective.

Perhaps focusing on you overall health rather than a random number on the scale would help. It's nice that I've lost weight and I look better, etc...but really, I had to change my dietary habits or I was literally going to an early grave. I've completely reversed all of my bad blood in 6 months time...losing 30 Lbs in the process and looking better is just gravy.

Sometimes I wish myfitnessplan had a like button like facebook !

ksy1969

I've also been going to a place with a BodPod which measures body composition every 4-6 weeks. Last month I lost 4 lbs (ugh!) but gained 8 lbs of muscle. After 12 weeks, my clothes aren't falling off and people aren't gushing.

I think this is actually a phenomenal !!!! Especially since people keep touting on these message boards that it is physically impossible to gain lean muscle mass when you are eating at a calorie deficit. Obviously you must be at a deficit otherwise you wouldn't have lost any weight the 4lbs of fat but the body pod shows you also gained 8lbs of lean muscle. I guess this proves them wrong.

dhubschm

Mgore0404- Ha! I actually bought the book New Rules Of Weightlifting for Women in January! I'm almost done with Phase 2! I have never seriously lifted in my life. My husband always says cardio is the only way to go to lose weight and has really discouraged my weight lifting. I made a commitment to myself to lift 3x/week and follow the book to the letter. Even learned how to do a Bulgarian split squat all by myself in the part of my gym where all the scary grunting body builders are! I'll let you know what my next BodPod measurement is when I go on Saturday. Did you lift & use that book? What were your results?

Katetw

Healthy weight loss is 0.5-1 lb a week, and you've done just a bit above that. It means you are making sustainable lifestyle changes that will stay with you forever.

Lose much more than that a week and you will do what you always have done: yo-yo. Because you will lose and then, when you stop whatever unsustainable behavior you are doing, the weight will come back.

Keep doing what you're doing. It's working!