Painfully slow weight loss

clareiow

Is anyone else having problems staying motivated, because their weight loss is so slow? It's taken me three months to lose 3lbs and no matter which way I turn, I'm unable to speed it up. I'm not looking to lose silly amounts as I know it won't stay off but it's so demoralising to be a saint all week and not lose an ounce.

I can't give up with this, I owe it to myself but I'd so love some reward for all the hard work I'm putting in to make myself a fit and healthy person!

Help!!!

SueGremlin

Yeah! I think the closer you get to your goal, the longer it takes. I have been essentially the same weight since September, I think partially because I was on bcp. I am off now, but am about 15 lbs to my goal, and have found that loss pretty much abruptly halted at that point.

Hang in there. I am back on track, off the pill, and eating 1200 calories a day, and it seems to be moving again.

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

I know what you mean! It took me a year to lose 30 lbs! but, I'm still 30 lbs closer to my goal (about half way there now) and that's what keeps me motivated! Also, if you don't already, you should take measurements and pictures! Both of those things will be more telling than the stupid scale! I hate that thing.

MicroHez

That and the less you have to lose, the longer it takes. Someone who has a 100+ lbs to lose, like myself, the weight will practically fall off. I'm sure when I get closer to my 1st GW, it will slow significantly. Then, when I progress to lose the remain 30 lbs, it will be agonizing!

MelsAuntie

1200 calories is almost certainly too low. I'm also losing weight slowly, but it's over a pound a week, and if I lost weight faster my 64-yr-old skin may not shrink back and I'll look like a melting candle. Slow is better for me anyway.

nwg74

I am nearly the end of my weight loss and it has taken 3 months to lose 4.5 pounds but I shot up 6 pounds (still eating at a deficit) but my body has only started losing the weight again after stalling for 3 weeks. It is annoying as I had 5 pounds to go.

april1445

I'm in the same boat, and honestly don't know what to do. I just sent out a request to my friends, cuz I really don't know. I understand the science behind deficits, but I'm not sure my body does.

stratusphr

Have you tried increasing your protein and liquids, but keeping calories down? It seems to always give me a kick start. I'm not trying to lose any more, but at present, I'm "playing" just to see if I can. I upped my protein and liquids, it still works! When I was losing and when the 'hurry up and get there' thoughts crept in, I'd tell myself, I did not wake up fat one morning, it took me YEARS to gain, and luckily it didn't take me that long to lose it!!! Hang in there, track, weigh, measure your food. You're doing GREAT!!!!

Elif84

I hear you, it can be very frustrating. It took me years to lose 40 pounds. It took me a couple of years to lose 20 pounds and the last twenty took me another two years. But luckily, I haven't gained anything back.

jzammetti

I have been on a plateau for neraly 3 months. I gave in and upped my calories to maintence level for two weeks. Dropped back to a small deficit last week and the weight started coming off again (4 pounds!).

Try maintence for a while and then drop back to a reasonable deficit again. Maybe your body just needs a little shake up!

clareiow

Glad I'm not alone! I seem to take an age to lose it and only a short time to gain it back. I can gain 8-10lbs in two weeks (holidays!).

I am set for 1200 on here and am off my pill. I'm exercising every day (run 2x a week and doing 30 day shred six days a week) so inches are going down at the mo. I'm eating my calories back save for 50-100 or so each day. So Im more eating around 1400. I'm drinking lots of fluids and trying not to eat too late in the day.

It's all such a massive effort, I get physically and emotionally tired of it all, and when there's not much to show for it, it all seems so futile. MFP keeps teasing me about how much I'll weigh in 5 weeks. It's been telling me I'll be 8lbs lighter, for the last month. Still nowhere near the 150 mark let alone anything less!!

fitnessmare

Same story here. Started to lose and then was at a standstill for awhile. I find I have to be very precise on my food measurements. If I get lazy, I don't lose and maybe even gain a bit. I find that my cheap digital kitchen scale is a lifesaver! I'm weighing my food now more than ever. Every bit counts! I am also changing up my exercise. I like to try to keep my body guessing as to what I do each day. Getting more protein has really helped me. It's a challenge to get enough though! Good luck to you! You can add me if you want another buddy to help motivate you.

KBSwinger

Have you had a diet break??? Or a training break?

I know when I get stuck eating double or triple my BMR for couple days always gets me unstuck. Also stopping all cardio and just doing lifting only for couple weeks also helps.

mhorn2142

Glad I'm not alone! I seem to take an age to lose it and only a short time to gain it back. I can gain 8-10lbs in two weeks (holidays!).

I am set for 1200 on here and am off my pill. I'm exercising every day (run 2x a week and doing 30 day shred six days a week) so inches are going down at the mo. I'm eating my calories back save for 50-100 or so each day. So Im more eating around 1400. I'm drinking lots of fluids and trying not to eat too late in the day.

It's all such a massive effort, I get physically and emotionally tired of it all, and when there's not much to show for it, it all seems so futile. MFP keeps teasing me about how much I'll weigh in 5 weeks. It's been telling me I'll be 8lbs lighter, for the last month. Still nowhere near the 150 mark let alone anything less!!

Inches??? That is something to show for it. Maybe it is not about a magic number, maybe you it is about a body composition. Yay for you. Keep at it!

frood

I'm in the same boat, and honestly don't know what to do. I just sent out a request to my friends, cuz I really don't know. I understand the science behind deficits, but I'm not sure my body does.

The science your body understands is survival. You have to find the balance where you are eating enough to fuel life and daily activity but under what you'd need to eat to maintain. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ will give you an idea of what amount to eat for your goal. Good luck!

dianeb613

I am in the same boat myself. I think it's because I have very little to lose and of course my age doesn't help. Sometimes I get really discouraged when I lose a pound one week and gain 1.2 the next and then lost .6 the following (only half of my original gain). I have been on a perpetual maintaining plateau. I just try not to get discouraged because if I do the end result will be that I will not watch what I eat and gain so I'll take the plateauing back and forth (2 lbs) and figure at least I didn't gain back what I originally lost.

KenosFeoh

Me too! I recently took a holiday from dieting and ate at maintenance; I was so discouraged. Now I'm back at it, trying to do it better - be more accurate in measuring my portions, less extra "tastes", conservative in my calories burned estimates so I'm not eating back more than I burned, etc.

Best wishes to all of us! We only fail if we give up.

dstevens19

One thing that always kicks me off a plateau is eliminating sugar and processed foods. It's hard, you'll probably have a headache the first several days, but try going off for a month and I bet you'll see results.

queenbea77

Well I don't know if I feel better or more depressed! I've been here for a month, have 50 lbs. to lose and have only lost 2 lbs. so far so I'm at a rate of 1/2 lb. a week so I'm not too happy about that! Help!

alexveksler

Is anyone else having problems staying motivated, because their weight loss is so slow? It's taken me three months to lose 3lbs and no matter which way I turn, I'm unable to speed it up. I'm not looking to lose silly amounts as I know it won't stay off but it's so demoralising to be a saint all week and not lose an ounce.

I can't give up with this, I owe it to myself but I'd so love some reward for all the hard work I'm putting in to make myself a fit and healthy person!

Help!!!

I don't believe losing 3 lbs in 3 month is a weight loss at all. Simple water retention by eating too much salty food the night before can easily alter your weight by 3 lbs.

I don't mean to sound harsh or mean, but I want you to know that what I am about to say (and everyone else who responded) are here to help you, to motivate you, to put you on the right track so you CAN achieve your goals.

Leave "weight loss" goal aside for just a moment and plan WHAT, not HOW you going to approach this. Learn about weight loss, learn about physical activities, cardio vs weight lifting exercises. Each benefit in its own way.

1. Understand TDEE/BMI/BMR. There are plenty blogs. Just search, learn and understand what it would take to have a calorie deficit that trigger your body's metabolism. I bookmarked a neat blog on this site. You can start there: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/848374-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners-2013-edition

2. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves. To keep what is needed to live and to get rid of what is not good for us. Learn and understand nutrition. Example 100 gr of mean will cost you 213 calories. 100 gr of broccoli only 35. You can eat 5 times more veggies and still receive needed protein, vitamins, amino acids without consuming any fat. I am not suggesting vegetarian diet, I am giving you an example that eating "clean food" will give you better results.

Finally, back to your "weight loss"... Be patient. Your body will be "stubborn". Just like mine, it was used to years of bad eating and your metabolism will halt to a 0 for days, even weeks, leaving you frustrated and your weight the same no matter what you do. But you in control - be persistent with your food and exercise and your body eventually accept macro- and micro- nutrients it needed and will do it's thing... It takes brain 6 weeks to learn something or to forget something. In 6 weeks, your brain will forget bad foods and will make you crave good and healthy ones.

One doctor once said "As long as you follow the clean diet and exercise, you can achieve your ideal weigh".

Good luck to you

AndrewXB9

I feel you, it has taken me nearly 3 years to lose just over 46 lbs and i've still got 20-30 to go..

DollyMiel

Definitely not alone. Last year the first 20 dropped off fairly easy/normally. Can't seem to get them to go away anymore. If it is, it's really, really slow.

Bleh, I'll be watching this thread for ideas.

healthygreek

Well I don't know if I feel better or more depressed! I've been here for a month, have 50 lbs. to lose and have only lost 2 lbs. so far so I'm at a rate of 1/2 lb. a week so I'm not too happy about that! Help!

If you open your diary, perhaps I or someone else cal give you some ideas to try.

dolphins10

I'm in the same boat as the rest of the dieters on this page, really struggling to lose weight despite trying so hard and weighing everything, counting calories and walking 3-5 miles daily.

SanteMulberry

It seems that women have this complaint more often than men. Here is some of what I have learned about why. 1) Women have estrogen and that boosts blood sugar levels. So, that means when we eat sugar and starch, our blood sugar and insulin levels spike higher than men's--leading to more fat deposition and even chronically higher insulin levels than what is healthy. 2) Women have naturally higher leptin levels (2 to 3 times that of men, even at the same body fat percentage). High leptin levels ultimately lead to leptin resistance and then the natural "stop eating" mechanism is disabled--leading to mindless eating. 3) Women, because they have a smaller lean body mass simply cannot use as many calories as their leptin-resistant bodies want. 4) Women are a lot more likely to be "clinically hypothyroid" (even if their blood levels of T-4 are adequate) because estrogen reduces the effectiveness of thyroid hormone. 5) It is interesting that several of you have mentioned the birth control pill as that has caused a large number of women to experience weight gain. It is because they use synthetic progestins in the pill which do not have the thyroid-enhancing effect of a woman's own progesterone supply. Because the pill blocks ovulation (that is the mechanism by which it prevents conception) it also blocks the woman's normal peak of her own progesterone supply (which is at its peak during ovulation).

Heavy lifting can counteract some of these because it builds lean body mass (burning more calories 24-7), makes for more leptin and insulin sensitivity and enables a woman to eat more to nourish her body better. Some of the thyroid problems are caused by poor nutrition (from chronic dieting) leading to deficiencies of one sort or another, particularly mineral deficiencies. And mineral deficiencies lead to a body that is not "firing on all cylinders" for lack of a better metaphor. For example, a woman might have adequate blood levels of T-4 but are inefficiently converting T-4 to T-3 (the active form) because of a mineral deficiency from chronic undernourishment. Two of the most common ones are magnesium and iron deficiency. Because of a woman's monthly cycle and the fact that many women eschew red meat, there are MANY women with low iron stores. Low magnesium is also a problem (and about 85% of us are magnesium deficient) because adequate levels of magnesium ions in the blood are essential for the transfer of ATP to the muscles, and the conversion of T-4 to T-3. That is why cardio is important--so that you can eat more and better nourish your body. And every calorie must count if you are trying to shed body fat. Some male body builders (who are maintaining at 4,000 to 5,000 calories a day) can afford to indulge in a bit of junk food. Not so with many women who are struggling to shed those last few pounds of fat. Hope this helps.

p.s. One more thing--paying attention to the sodium and potassium levels are important too. If you are magnesium deficient, you will likely be potassium deficient as well (nature packs those two nutrients together---especially in vegetables but also in fruits). Since I have been paying attention to my sodium and potassium, it has helped. Your potassium should be roughly about one and one/half higher than your sodium. People who eat processed food may find that their sodium is two or three times that of their potassium intake. Not good. I went to a restaurant with friends the other day and selected the shrimp and scallop salad. I thought I was making a safe choice. I got home and looked up the sugar and salt content (the restaurant was one of a national chain and they publish nutritional information on their website). Would you believe that they put 13 grams of sugar (in a dish that should have had none) and 1,800 mg. of sodium!!???!! I suppose they put in the salt to cover up the otherwise sweet taste of the added sugar.

clareiow

Wow that's a scientific response!! Very thorough though, and made sense. I had implanon a few years back and it was hell, that's when my weight gained ridiculously and I couldn't shift it. Even after I had it taken out and went back to a conventional pill, my body hasn't been the same.

I realise I need to clean up my act, chuck out the junk once and for all. I don't want it in my life any more. If I can do that, and keep up my circuit training at home and my running a few times a week, I know I'll be doing the best I can for my body. Hopefully somewhere along the line that will also result in the weight I want to be (around 20lbs less than I am now...156lbs)

SanteMulberry

Wow that's a scientific response!! Very thorough though, and made sense. I had implanon a few years back and it was hell, that's when my weight gained ridiculously and I couldn't shift it. Even after I had it taken out and went back to a conventional pill, my body hasn't been the same.

I realise I need to clean up my act, chuck out the junk once and for all. I don't want it in my life any more. If I can do that, and keep up my circuit training at home and my running a few times a week, I know I'll be doing the best I can for my body. Hopefully somewhere along the line that will also result in the weight I want to be (around 20lbs less than I am now...156lbs)

Getting rid of the junk is only hard for the first week or two--after that, you will feel so much better that you won't want to go back. In addition to being bad for body fat accumulation, sugar is addictive (why else would the food processors try to slip it into virtually EVERYTHING?) You can do it.

I have been off sugar and junk food for about three years and the first half of my weight loss was more or less effortless. When that stopped, I added cardio and more vegetables and tracking my calories. And when that stopped, I added weight training. Hopefully, I'll have lost the rest of my weight before I hit another plateau, but I understand that the last 10 pounds are ridiculously slow in coming off. :ohwell: Good luck! You are a lot younger than I am so, if I can do it, you can too!

clareiow

May I ask what your diet is like then, as so much is hidden. Do you eat natural sugars? I've done Atkins before but while I got great results (down to 136!) it never worked long term. I want something sustainable, and I'm not sure if cutting out sugar will be! I love cake too much lol!

bpotts44

Patience is the key to maintain losing and sustain the loss. Also, just looking at your picture you don't look like you have a lot to lose, so 1 lb per month probably isn't awful. If your MFP settings are one lb per week then you would be overating about 150 calories. That could easily be accounted for with mislogging. Make sure you use a scale or measure everything.

SanteMulberry

May I ask what your diet is like then, as so much is hidden. Do you eat natural sugars? I've done Atkins before but while I got great results (down to 136!) it never worked long term. I want something sustainable, and I'm not sure if cutting out sugar will be! I love cake too much lol!

I have sent you a friend request so that you can see my food diary. I do eat one or two servings of low-fructose fruit a day so, of course I get some natural sugars. Vegetables have a low amount of natural sugars as well. I eat a lower-carb diet not a very low carbohydrate diet (which, as you have surmised, is not sustainable). I average around 100 grams of carbohydrate a day.--more on my cardio days, less on my rest days. I haven't eaten any sugary foods for about three years. The first year or so, I would be tempted when I saw cakes or candy or some such. That goes away eventually. The physical craving stops in about a week (especially if you eliminate fruit during that week). The psychological craving, as I said, goes on a bit longer. But I am happy to say that on the few occasions when I have had a tiny piece of cake, I haven't really enjoyed it, as it seemed nauseatingly sweet to me. I do enjoy a nice piece of fruit though. :-) The amount of fructose in an orange is really enough for me. I don't really need or want ten times that amount--which is what you get in a can of "orange" soda.

ChristineS_51

Have you seen this?
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm

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