Slow Going

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mkvilmin
mkvilmin Posts: 46
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been here on MFP since late May. Since Late June I have only lost 2 lbs. I walk 55 min. 5 days a week. Each time we walk we cover 2.5 miles. I eat back my exercise calories and rarely but sometimes go over. Some of my MFP friends who started at the same time I did, have far surpassed me and I am feeling frustrated and left behind. I do live my life, if I go to a fair I have a corn dog, if I go to a wedding I have a piece of cake. But I don't have those things daily, my daily food routine is mostly the same everyday with the exception of dinner. Was hoping to be minus at least 20 at this point in my journey, and I am shooting for a complete loss of at least 65 possibly more. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel. I have struggled with very very slow weight loss for over 3 years now. After having every blood test known to man, I finally (about a month ago) had my RMR tested. Turns out average for a woman my age is 1490. I'm 1022. I have a ridiculously slow metabolism.

    Taking this new information, I had three choices. 1) Give up. 2) Eat less. 3) Exercise more. Since I didn't want to go back to the plus section, option 1 was out. I was already eating about 1200-1300 calories a day, and my dietician said that if I eat less than 1000 calories a day (what would be required for me to lose weight), I would start having nutrient deficiencies.

    So, that left option 3. I went back to my childhood and what I really LOVED to do, not just what I had to do for exercise. That was swimming. Now I've started swimming 60 minutes, 3 days a week, in addition to running, bike riding and golfing.

    There have been a few different sources that have confirmed what I found out. At a certain age, all we can do is exercise more. Maybe mix up bike riding, or add a little light jogging into your walk.

    The good news is I have actually lost 3 pounds in the last three weeks. I was losing about 1-2 pounds a month!
  • mkvilmin
    mkvilmin Posts: 46
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    Thank you, I love to ride my bike and I could do that after work and on weekends that will be a good addition to my walking routine.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
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    Your body could be used to your daily walking now. Maybe try shaking up your routine - try walking adifferent route? I agree - a bike would be good, or try some things in the home that you don't normally do.
  • jetabear10
    jetabear10 Posts: 375 Member
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    Don't eat back your exercise calories...
  • leanne5025
    leanne5025 Posts: 26 Member
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    Don't eat back your exercise calories...

    I agree, don't eat them back and see what happens. Adding a bike ride a few times a week will help too, but keep in mind that exercising sometime makes you hungrier so if it does, try to stick to extra veggies and protein.
  • Cyngen
    Cyngen Posts: 557 Member
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    I found that the calorie burn on MFP, for me anyways, is rather high most times vs what I get from my heart rate monitor. If you are using MFP that could well be a source of one potential issue. I have the Polar FT-7 HRM, got it from Amazon and really love it. Fun to watch the calorie burn climb when I'm walking, biking or working the garden.

    Best luck..
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    You could increase the intensity of the walking by going faster - or just add a few places where you are going faster to make it kind of interval...so, walk faster for a block, go back to normal for 2 blocks, walk faster for a block, go back to normal for 2 blocks...or laps if you are on a track...also add strength training a few times a week...www.alternative100pushups...etc.
  • msjamartin
    msjamartin Posts: 148
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    I was going to suggest not eating back all your calories from exercise. Many people over estimate (even with HRM) and so it sounds like you are eating at a maintance level as a result.

    Also, vary your exercise. Change your route to add in a few hills, add in the bike a couple days. Find ways to mix it up.

    I try and remind myself daily that I didn't get to my biggest over night and I can't get healthy and fit over night either.
  • cgarand
    cgarand Posts: 541 Member
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    I have seen a lot of posts where people have started doing weight training and kicked up their weight loss. I'm sporadic with weight training but was thinking about looking into that more. Worth a try.
  • hummingbird71
    hummingbird71 Posts: 298 Member
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    The one thing I did when I was walking that worked for me was I would turn around and walk backward up the hills, skip, do some grapevines going up the hills just different things that would work more muscles then just walking along. Yes if you live in a sub-division you will get looked at and even laughed at...but I just wave, smile and continue on! Good juck!
  • jonisteenhoek
    jonisteenhoek Posts: 92 Member
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    Are you using MFPs estimate for calories burned during exercise? I have heard that those can be somewhat high, so if you are eating all your exercise calories back, you could be eating back more than you are burning. Using a heart rate monitor would give you a better estimate of how many calories you are burning. Good luck on your journey!!!
  • meglet175
    meglet175 Posts: 98
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    I second the weight training suggestion. While walking is safe, gentle cardio, it doesn't do much to build muscle. Some simple squats, lunges, and upper body work using 5# dumbbells would be a great start. Check out some DVDs from the library or buy one at WalMart or on Amazon.com. You might also try intervals. Walk really hard and fast for a few minutes (to the point that you can't quite carry on a conversasion comfortably), then slow down for a few minutes. Repeat over and over until you've walked your miles.

    I also wonder if you might be underestimating the calories you eat. Are you measuring portions? I'll be 47 in a few days, so weight loss is slow for me, too, but it is happening, at about 1#/week, maybe a tad less. I'm at about 1450 cals/day, but I'm pretty active and do weight training 2 or 3 times a week. Good luck!
  • mkvilmin
    mkvilmin Posts: 46
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    Thank you all for the great points. I will start to measure my portions to get a more accurate calorie count and not eat back all of my exercise calories as they may be a higher than actual burn. I will alos change up my exercise and add my bycycle to the mix. Thanks for the help.

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