People who have only 20 pounds to lose...

itsHealthy

How did you lose the 20 pounds?
I know if you have a lot of weight to lose, then 20 may not seem like a big number.
But, I have only 20 pounds to lose and did not manage to lose it for the past 5 or 6 years.

Please share your success / ideas!

itsHealthy

bump

kimiel51

You sound like me. I would be thrilled to lose just 20 pounds, to put me within a healthier BMI range. I've lost this much before, but yet again, the food wins! LOL!

majope

I'm halfway there! I've lost 10 pounds since January, out of a total 18-20 I'd like to lose.

How? Taking the slow route. With not a ton to lose, plus having some fitness goals that I need to keep fueled (training for a half-marathon, and trying to keep setting personal records at shorter races along the way), I set my goal to lose half a pound a week. Was losing too fast at first, so I had to bump up my activity level to keep things slow and make sure I had the calories I need. And yes, I eat my exercise calories back.

What's good about it: I get to eat a fair amount, so am rarely hungry, and once my nutrient needs are met I have room for treats. That means I can keep to this deficit for months and months without feeling deprived--plus when I go back to maintenance, it's just a small bump up from what I'm eating now, so won't require a new way of eating.

What's challenging about it: The scale doesn't move often. My normal weight fluctuation is 2-3 pounds (sometimes more) per day, so seeing the losses isn't easy. Also, with a deficit of about 250 per day, I have to be sure that I'm logging my food and exercise as accurately as possible, because being off by a couple of hundred calories could wipe out almost a whole day's deficit. So, I have to pay attention, and I have to be patient. Luckily, the good stuff above? The pizza nights, wine with dinner, and ice cream when I need it? Makes the tougher bits a heck of a lot easier to bear.

itsHealthy

I'm halfway there! I've lost 10 pounds since January, out of a total 18-20 I'd like to lose.

How? Taking the slow route. With not a ton to lose, plus having some fitness goals that I need to keep fueled (training for a half-marathon, and trying to keep setting personal records at shorter races along the way), I set my goal to lose half a pound a week. Was losing too fast at first, so I had to bump up my activity level to keep things slow and make sure I had the calories I need. And yes, I eat my exercise calories back.

What's good about it: I get to eat a fair amount, so am rarely hungry, and once my nutrient needs are met I have room for treats. That means I can keep to this deficit for months and months without feeling deprived--plus when I go back to maintenance, it's just a small bump up from what I'm eating now, so won't require a new way of eating.

What's challenging about it: The scale doesn't move often. My normal weight fluctuation is 2-3 pounds (sometimes more) per day, so seeing the losses isn't easy. Also, with a deficit of about 250 per day, I have to be sure that I'm logging my food and exercise as accurately as possible, because being off by a couple of hundred calories could wipe out almost a whole day's deficit. So, I have to pay attention, and I have to be patient. Luckily, the good stuff above? The pizza nights, wine with dinner, and ice cream when I need it? Makes the tougher bits a heck of a lot easier to bear.

Thank you! I am definitely not looking at the losing it all at once. I did lose and gain these 20 pounds over and over. Tough part is maintaining!

sissie515513eh

I have about 17lbs to go - I have lost 13lbs since the start of the year. My plan is to stick to 1400 calories eating mainly whole foods - I enjoy going to the gym and plan to exercise at least 4 times per week.

Good luck on your journey!!!

leaneernst

Im with ya sista! Age plays such a factor. At about 37 my metabolism went kaputz...... I know that I was way more loyal to exercise before then and that played a huge role, but even now trying the same things I used to dont work quite as fast as they used to. Diet and exercise is the ONLY thing that works. Keeping track of my calories during the day definitly influences what or how much I eat at night. And alcohol calories do count! Best of luck to all of you in the same boat. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet.

NPAdamsPope

I've lost 13 lbs since September and have as much to go. For me, its been slow and steady - an average of about a half a pound a week. I've had a good stretch of days and then a couple of days where the diet didn't go so well, which is normal. But I get back on track. I can't do low calorie. I get weak and headachy. Been doing lower carb, typically between 30 and 40, although occasionally a bit more. That has worked for me. I was working out for a while, but have fallen off the wagon there. That might help speed things up a bit.

20More

I hear your pain!! As MFP name says~ I was doing well and then had to back off of all work outs till after leg surgery. I now have to ok to go ahead with everything. I am starting over and it is hard. I have been pacing myself and just made new guidlines for the next 6 weeks. Thats Memorial Day wekend so I made that my 1st goal date. I don't have a set amount I plan to lose by then. I just wanted to have a check in date to see how I am doing. Then I read a post that someone was looking to lose 20lbs by 4th of July which is 11 weeks away. I am all in. Do you want to join us?

kloser2kona

i feel ya 20 is a killer, soooooooooooo slow and nagging.

deksgrl

Set your goal to lose just a quarter or half a pound a week. Get in a 30 minute walk most days. Don't expect to lose weigh every week, some weeks you won't show any loss. Give it time and stick with it.

Look into heavy weight lifting. No, it won't make you bulky, it will reduce your size. You could reduce by 1 or 2 clothing sizes and still be the same weight on the scale.

cwolfman13

I have about 15-20 left to go. I'm currently taking a bit of a diet break as I've been at it for about 6 months or so and dropped around 32 Lbs. I'm going to be eating right around maintenance here for the next month or two while I continue to lift and do my other exercises. I just started bumping my calories up last week and it's already making a huge difference in my lifts, which is a bonus...but really, I just needed to re-boot everything.

In a month or two, I'll go into a cut again, but it'll be very small...like 1/2 Lb per week. I want to continue to be able to fuel my lifts in particular and just cut fat...I want to preserve my LBM. I'm currently 5' 10" and 182/183 and 19-20% BF...would like to get that down to around 15% ultimately, but I want the muscle to be there too...not interested in just being skinny.

AmyRhubarb

I lost my first 10-12lbs by cutting cals and exercising, logging it all on another site. Slacked off a few times, gained some back, lost it again, gained it again....found MFP somewhere in there, got back to needing to drop the last 10lbs and found this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

Read it (about 10 times because it's a ton of info and was hard to wrap my head around it at first), ran my numbers through the tools that are linked there, checked & doubled checked, going step by step through the listed process, and found my BMR and my TDEE. Subtracted 20% from the TDEE number and set my daily goal (1800 at the time) and my macros to 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein. Worked like an absolute charm. Dropped the last 10, dropped a full size, lost a lot of fat and inches - and it was pretty easy!

Took me about a year to finally hit goal weight, but as I got closer to the number, I didn't care as much about what the scale said as how I looked, and how my clothes fit, and how the fat was coming off! :drinker: I didn't even gain weight through the holidays, and I enjoyed ALL my favorite treats throughout the season. :bigsmile:

Slow and steady wins for me - I lost it, and I'm not gaining it back - there's no drastic diet or low cal things to switch to or from - I can eat like this and keep the fat off for the rest of my life.

TeaBea

Set your goal to lose just a quarter or half a pound a week. Get in a 30 minute walk most days. Don't expect to lose weigh every week, some weeks you won't show any loss. Give it time and stick with it.

Look into heavy weight lifting. No, it won't make you bulky, it will reduce your size. You could reduce by 1 or 2 clothing sizes and still be the same weight on the scale.

This!^

Weight loss is soooooo slow. Strength training is super important!

itsHealthy

I hear your pain!! As MFP name says~ I was doing well and then had to back off of all work outs till after leg surgery. I now have to ok to go ahead with everything. I am starting over and it is hard. I have been pacing myself and just made new guidlines for the next 6 weeks. Thats Memorial Day wekend so I made that my 1st goal date. I don't have a set amount I plan to lose by then. I just wanted to have a check in date to see how I am doing. Then I read a post that someone was looking to lose 20lbs by 4th of July which is 11 weeks away. I am all in. Do you want to join us?

thank you so much! I would like to join. If not 20, I atleast plan of losing 10 by then. I will look for the post.

helcart01

The scale doesn't move often. My normal weight fluctuation is 2-3 pounds (sometimes more) per day, so seeing the losses isn't easy. Also, with a deficit of about 250 per day, I have to be sure that I'm logging my food and exercise as accurately as possible, because being off by a couple of hundred calories could wipe out almost a whole day's deficit. So, I have to pay attention, and I have to be patient. Luckily, the good stuff above? The pizza nights, wine with dinner, and ice cream when I need it? Makes the tougher bits a heck of a lot easier to bear.

This is me too. Seen no difference in about 4 weeks (except scale going up due to my period). Its easy to get discouraged.

itsHealthy

Set your goal to lose just a quarter or half a pound a week. Get in a 30 minute walk most days. Don't expect to lose weigh every week, some weeks you won't show any loss. Give it time and stick with it.

Look into heavy weight lifting. No, it won't make you bulky, it will reduce your size. You could reduce by 1 or 2 clothing sizes and still be the same weight on the scale.

This!^

Weight loss is soooooo slow. Strength training is super important!

thank you! it's good to hear about the strength training. I do yoga for toning and just got into strength training- not lifting heavy yet...but want to get there to give more definition to my muscle!!

itsHealthy

I lost my first 10-12lbs by cutting cals and exercising, logging it all on another site. Slacked off a few times, gained some back, lost it again, gained it again....found MFP somewhere in there, got back to needing to drop the last 10lbs and found this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

Read it (about 10 times because it's a ton of info and was hard to wrap my head around it at first), ran my numbers through the tools that are linked there, checked & doubled checked, going step by step through the listed process, and found my BMR and my TDEE. Subtracted 20% from the TDEE number and set my daily goal (1800 at the time) and my macros to 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein. Worked like an absolute charm. Dropped the last 10, dropped a full size, lost a lot of fat and inches - and it was pretty easy!

Took me about a year to finally hit goal weight, but as I got closer to the number, I didn't care as much about what the scale said as how I looked, and how my clothes fit, and how the fat was coming off! :drinker: I didn't even gain weight through the holidays, and I enjoyed ALL my favorite treats throughout the season. :bigsmile:

Slow and steady wins for me - I lost it, and I'm not gaining it back - there's no drastic diet or low cal things to switch to or from - I can eat like this and keep the fat off for the rest of my life.

My TDEE is 1600 and i have to focus more on macros i guess. I never did. Thanks for the great link!

deksgrl

Set your goal to lose just a quarter or half a pound a week. Get in a 30 minute walk most days. Don't expect to lose weigh every week, some weeks you won't show any loss. Give it time and stick with it.

Look into heavy weight lifting. No, it won't make you bulky, it will reduce your size. You could reduce by 1 or 2 clothing sizes and still be the same weight on the scale.

This!^

Weight loss is soooooo slow. Strength training is super important!

thank you! it's good to hear about the strength training. I do yoga for toning and just got into strength training- not lifting heavy yet...but want to get there to give more definition to my muscle!!

The heavy lifting works, I began to see differences in just a few weeks. I saw changes in three weeks that I didn't see in a year of cardio/circuit training.

AmyRhubarb

My TDEE is 1600 and i have to focus more on macros i guess. I never did. Thanks for the great link!

Your TDEE is only 1600? Are you sure? That's really low - sure it's not your BMR, or maybe TDEE minus 20%?