I'm a slow loser...

confuseacat · March 2010

I have recently started this weight loss journey for about a month. My weekly goal is set at 1 lb per week and I seem to be doing that fine. My question is , do you lose your goal almost every week or do you lose more than your goal. Seems like a lot of folks are dropping weight much faster than I am. Maybe their goals are set more aggressively IDK. Just feeling like a very slow loser..

I know that slow is good in the long run but with so many groups here doing "biggest loser type" challenges to lose 10 in a month or whatever, it's kinda makin' me question my goals.

aippolito1 · March 2010

10 lbs in a month, to me, is a little ridiculous. I'm lucky if I lose a lb. per week!!!

I was working toward 5 in 3 weeks...I've lost one so far and have 2 weeks from yesterday left to lose the other 4. I've kicked my workouts into overdrive...I'm burning probably twice my recommended amount (ALMOST burned 3500 last week) and really trying to stay within my calories and not go over so much on my fat. I've managed to go over my fat the last couple days but I'm steadily getting better. So really, I'm just being more strict... I don't think I'm losing at a quicker rate than I was before but I sure feel better!

Don't worry about how fast you're losing compared to others. Everyone is different, everyone's journey is different. If you compare yourself to others, you will constantly be disappointed. There will always be someone doing better than you. I just look at those people & think "AWESOME!" for them and continue on my journey because I know I will get there soon. :happy: Cheers!

nsking83 · March 2010

Hey, slow loser is better than a slow gainer!!! :laugh:

No, but seriously.........this is my fourth week on here.......the first two weeks I lost a little over 3 lbs per week.........I was like....SWEET!

Then.......weigh in this Sunday...0.4 lost. Reality has set in, and my body is onto my tricks. But I've been on this road before, and gave up........but now i know I just have to continue challenging myself that much more.......and so do you. Keep challenging yourself, and as long as the scale keeps going DOWN, you're moving in the right direction.

If you want to see a little more loss each week, remember....2/ week is healthy.....so exercise a little more.....eat a little less....you'll get there. Keep it up!

smae1980 · March 2010

Your ticker shows you have 100 lbs to lose. If this is right you might be able to set your goals at 2 lbs a week, but not without discussing it with your Dr. first, for health and safety reasons. 1 lb a week is great, some people drop weight faster when they first start out because of losing water weight as well as fat. When I first started I was losing 2- 3 or so lbs a week and after a few weeks it leveled off to about a pound a week which is where I set my goals

pmjsmom · March 2010

I average about a pound a week. Sometimes I lose more but sometimes I don't lose anything. I actually averaged it out over the time I've been losing and it comes out to something like 4.3 pounds a month. Maybe its not fast enough for some people but I have learned a whole new way of eating (and living!) and I plan on NEVER gaining that weight back! (I still have about 30 pounds to go.)
Oh, don't forget to take your measurements, too! Lately, that has been MORE motivating to me than seeing the loss on the scale!
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

sassydot · March 2010

I'm a slow loser, too. I don't see myself likely to lose more than 2-3lb a month, so set my goal accordingly. Its great, it means I'm allowed some little treats and have allowance for just eating full-fat foods like the rest of my family and don't have to go hard out on the living on vegetables thing.

I'd rather lose slowly, and be relaxed and happy

My biggest problem and the reason for my weight gain was portion size/control. I've analysed this and so long as I sensibly have treats, I should slowly drop the weight. (so when I want something from the bakery down the road from work, I JUST get a sausage roll, or a meat pie, or a piece of cake, NOT all THREE like I was doing. Every day. Woops.)

Maybe we need to turn this into a "slow losers" support thread!

cmw72 · March 2010

I'm a fast loser, so I don't know what to tell you.

I'm averaging about 4.3lb a week overall, but I've been pretty aggressive. If I discount the first week, in which I lost 10 pounds, probably all water weight, that puts my average at 3.8lb / week, which is probably a more accurate representation.

I have my MFP goals set to 2.5 pounds weight loss per week and I'm usually slightly under my calorie goal for each day. It's because of the fact that I'm so overweight that I've been able to maintain this level of weight loss though. I'm sure my rate of loss will decrease over time as my BMR decreases, though I'm trying to offset that with additional exercise and strength training, which increases your BMR.

For me, it's a matter of listening to my body and eating when I'm hungry, but trying to eat healthy foods. Also regulating my sodium intake and increasing the amount of water I drink in a day. I've also noticed that the more sleep I get, the more weight I seem to lose.

If your meeting your goals now, but you think you can do more, you can always modify it to be more aggressive. It's a matter of finding a balance that your are comfortable with. You can always change your goals and try it for a week or two, and if your struggling, adjust them back again.

krystalpaterson · March 2010

Don't get discouraged. I have lost 8 in a month but I am pretty strict on my diet and I am doing cardio 5-6 times a week for an hour and strength training with weights 3 times per week. So hang in there. I think it depends on the individual. It will take some time to figure out your own body. I think a lot of people get discouraged with diets and stuff, but not every diet is good for every person. The eating plan that I try to follow is "The Clean Eat Diet." There is a cookbook, a workout journal so you can write down exercises and a plan each time you work out, and a workout book to teach you about the different exercises and equipment in a gym. (you can get them at Barnes & Noble) It's fantastic and fail proof if you are truely serious about losing. It doesn't limit what you eat, but teaches you substitutes so you aren't "ripping yourself off." A good little, fun competition with a friend or spouse keeps me motivated. My best friend lives in TN, and I in TX. We see each other once a year and always try to be more fit that one another. My husband and I challenge each other and that keeps me motivated. We also have a reward system if we reach certain goals; so that is a great incentive. When you get frozen yogurt after losing 5 lbs., or a new bathing suit for summer if you lose 10.....it makes you work harder for things that you really want. Also, if you have access to a sauna; what a great way to relax for a little while before or after a workout! Hot bathes have the same, wonderful effect! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! The first 8-12 weeks are the hardest!

confuseacat · March 2010

Thanks for the input everyone. Interesting about the sleep. I don't get enough continuous uninterruped sleep so maybe I should work on that . I know I could drink more water which I have to force myself to do and I 'm not talking extreme amounts just the 6-8 a day. I will probably stay at the 1 lb a week goal until it stops working for me (if it stops) .So far so good just felt a little out of place with all the faster losers. :flowerforyou:

leadman · March 2010

Weight loss fluctuates a lot, even though your calorie intake might be close each week. My MFP goal is 1 lb a week and I average 500-750 calories negative per day but my weight loss for the last few weeks was 0.6, 0.2, 1.0, 0.6, 0.2, 2.4, 2.8 lbs. So some weeks you don't loose the 1 lb and other weeks you make up for the slow loss.

roserex · March 2010

I too am a slow loser. Last week I worked out 5 times after work - cardio everyday and strength training twice - I did not lose any. At first I would normally have been very disappointed - but the flip side - I didn't gain anything either. I did blow in on my food this weekend and no exercise on top - but I didn't gain any weight from it. So I guess all in all it was okay. I am going to jump back on and hope this week to start the downward turn. I am kicking up the cardio to help burn more calories. Good luck - remember as one man said on Biggest Loser " if you did your best and the number didn't go up - it is still a good week"

kwardklinck · March 2010

Everyone is different. The first month I lost 2 1/2 pounds. The second was Christmas and I just maintained. January I lost about 10 pounds. Now it's slowed down. As long as you are losing weight, you're doing great. I believe 5 pounds in a month is really good and you should just keep doing what you're doing.

sassydot · March 2010

And when you think, 5lb a month is 60lb in a year - just think, if someone said to you, you could weigh 60lb less by this time next year, wouldn't that sound like an awesome deal? It seems so slow at the time it's all happening now, but in the big picture, its an awesome loss!

When i stop and think about how many times last year I gave up and went back to my normal habits because it wasn't happening fast enough, I kick myself, cos I'm like, I could have been DONE by now at that rate, not just beginning again!

I'm a slow loser...

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