Anyone who started out with 50 - 60 lbs to lose?

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SlinkyNewMe
SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I had a total of 56lbs to lose. I still have 34 lbs to go. But I am stuck and have been for what seems like a long time. it is moving so slowly despite me doing all the right things. I was just wondering how your journey has been. I have got rid of my bad eating habits (wine and cake mostly) - apart from that I am a healthy eater on a vegan diet averaging around 1350 - 1500 calories a day. I don't eat back exercise calories as a rule.

I have tried 1200 calories and plateau'ed, Eating More to Lose Weight - nothing happened. Fat to Fit radio - still nothing. I tried not logging, and logging, and spike days - still nothing! Ate slightly less and exercised more - it started moving for 2llbs and kind of ground to a halt again. I have been more consistent with my exercise and every so often change what I do, particularly by adding a bit more cardio.

I exercise 3 - 4 times a week doing Body Pump, heavy weights to legs, and a bit of cardio - i have recently added Spinning to my workouts.

I lost around 17 lbs on Weight Watchers in between Oct and December 2011 (with no exercise!!!) And yet since I started MFP in January, I have lost less than 10lbs - in eight months!

Although I feel fitter, and have lost some inches - there is still a lot of fat on my body which does not seem to be moving.

I read the Success Stories on here, where people lose large amounts of weight in a relatively short space of time, but a lot of these people started out with a lot more weight to lose than I have. I was just wondering whether it is harder to lose weight when you have less to lose? Also my diet was not unhealthy to begin with, so apart from dramatically reducing sweet treats and wine - I find I have nowhere else to go with it.

I am 5'2, age 47 and weigh 166 now. Starting weight was 189.

Replies

  • Cathy7794
    Cathy7794 Posts: 223 Member
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    Eat more. With all that exercise you're doing, if you're only getting between 1300 and 1500 calories a day, you're not eating enough. Start eating back your exercise calories...even if it's only half of them. :)
  • kitkat4141
    kitkat4141 Posts: 379 Member
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    Your story sounds like mine. It took me 10 months to lose 46 pounds. I lifted weights throughout (still do) to preserve muscle but the weight loss seemed so slow. Whenever I plateaued I still lost inches. That was the only thing that kept me going. The last ten pounds were the hardest and I increased my protein levels and ate along the lines of a Paleo-Atkins type of diet for two weeks. It worked.

    Just keep the faith. It will happen.

    Just wanted to add that hormones play a big part and probably is part of the reason for your slow weight loss. I was 53 when I started my health journey and it was so much harder to lose than when I was younger.
  • pjeddy741
    pjeddy741 Posts: 14
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    Keep it up- it is frustrating. I started at 202 and am currently 188. I stay between 1200-1400 calories/day, also do not eat back my exercise calories. I do home Fitness DVD's at home 6 days/week (specificlly the Turbofire program) for as large as I am- with just the calorie reduction alone- I feel the pounds should be melting off, but- I guess the reality is I need to fight to get them off.
    I really have no gret advise- I'm sure someone with more experience will chime in. I just wanted to say- great job on your progress so far- hang in there!!! It is hard, but so worth it in the end.
  • cxa27
    cxa27 Posts: 2 Member
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    We have very similar stats, even down to the vegan diet! I plateaud for a few weeks and then had a fewer higher-calorie days, and now I'm back on track. I've also been switching up my exercise (I started with just running 4-5 times a week, but now I'll do the elliptical on occasion and try to do 2-3 days of strength training/circuit training). I also eat back ALL of my exercise calories. You could try that? Good luck! Let me know if you find anything that works. :)
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
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    Same boat here... I'm starting the 1st phase of Atkins tomorrow. 20g carbs or less per day, and staying there for a week or two. Don't know if its the right answer, but I've tried everything else lol... I've always loved low carb diets anyway... and I'm hoping it will shock my body and get the scale moving again.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    I started with 60 pounds to lose, and I'm 2/3 of the way there.

    Check this out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Using that is how I got to where I am. My weight loss really slowed down, but after reading the Road Map, I was able to get it started again and I'm doing great!!

    Good luck!
  • Sasha2211
    Sasha2211 Posts: 18 Member
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    I have been on here actively for a couple months and lost nothing - I went back to ww last week and lost 7 pounds my first week......I am diung the online program and logging mfp calories - my calories have jumped about 400 per day on average. Confusing but true. I'm going to go with what works for me :)
  • SlinkyNewMe
    SlinkyNewMe Posts: 213 Member
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    Yes I had thought of going back to WW - because it did work in the beginning. I too used to do it online. I think 1500 calories is a lot for a day for me. Fat2fitradio had me on 1800 cals which was seemed to me to be too much for weight loss.

    I won't give up until I reach my goal weight. At the moment I am the lightest weight I have been for 10 years. Just have one more decade to peel back and I'll be happy!
  • LesaDave
    LesaDave Posts: 1,480 Member
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    I am in the same boat. I am a bit taller, but I have stayed in the 180s since about the end of April. I got as low at 183 at one weigh in, but I keep gaining/losing the same pounds over and over since then.

    First I started with getting down to 180 for my final weight. But now that I am close to that, I have decided that maybe I should go down to 150. But, yes, the weight is trying to hang on.

    But keep on working at it. WE WILL get there!!

    Oh, and let me say that I am PROUD of you for what you have loss so far.

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