If you're losing slower than you would like to....

tutujoli
tutujoli Posts: 104 Member
edited September 20 in Motivation and Support
I see all the time on this site, "I'm ONLY losing XYZ a week."

I just want to put that into perspective a little because I've done the same things and given up over and over because of it.

The truth is, if I had kept going, I would have been at my goal weight 6 years ago. EVEN though I was losing slowly, I would already be there.

NOW, I think of it this way: Where do I want to be in a year? In two years? if I lost 1/2 a lb a week, for a year, I will be 25 lbs smaller at the end of the year. 1lb a week? 52 lbs by the end of the year! That's nothing to sneeze at people.

Or, I can let a small loss discourage me, and be this weight or larger by this time next year. I can look back at the 25 lbs I COULD have lost (albeit slowly) and wish I had stuck with it. OR, I can just go ahead and keep plugging away...and in a year I can be proud of my fitter body.

You have the same choice to make. You can keep plugging away and be happy with any and all progress you make, or you can give up. But just know that if you choose to let it discourage you, and you choose to give up, you will be where I am in a few years. Looking back and saying, "Dang it....if I had just stuck with it I would be at my goal by now. And then some!"

I'm finally plugging away, sticking with it, and finding what works. Yay!

Replies

  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Preach it!

    I always tell this story, but I"m gonna tell it again.

    I had a friend who started her diet at the same time I did. She lost the same amount of weight I did. It took me three years to lose my weight. It took her six months, and she gloated. (incidentally, we're no longer friends)

    Six years after we started, guess who's still kept the weight off?

    (hint: it's me...she's since regained back that loss and then some.)

    Slow and steady, people...slow and steady.:flowerforyou:
  • h_eloise86
    h_eloise86 Posts: 124
    Slow and steady is right.
    I know I have had my days when I beat myself up.
    I think, "If I would have kept at it before...."
    Well all I know is that I am trying to keep at it now.
    So good luck to all of you.
    Let's stick to it this time!
  • MelissaLu
    MelissaLu Posts: 83
    Awww, thanks for this. This is exactly how I was feeling. Only I haven't lost any weight for a while. But I have to really stand back and laugh at myself cause I've only been doing this for what? Four weeks now? xD
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    Amen, tutu! There's a song I really like that keeps everything in perspective for me. It's "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus.

    There's always gonna be another mountain
    I'm always gonna wanna make it move.
    Always gonna be an uphill battle
    Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.
    Ain't about how fast I get there.
    Ain't about what's waiting on the other side.
    It's the climb.

    Relax and enjoy the journey, people. It's an amazing one, and the closer you get to your goal, the better the view!
  • Rishawna
    Rishawna Posts: 9
    I really needed this. I stress about this every day. But thanks for helping me put things in perspective.
  • jdcole67
    jdcole67 Posts: 108 Member
    I think most people forget that they didn't gain the weight in 6 months (unless maybe they were pregnant - certainly not my excuse!), so how can you realistically expect to lose it all and keep it off in that short period of time...I lost 70 pounds over 10 months about 5 years ago doing Atkins...and guess what, as soon as I went back to eating "normally" it all came back and brought 20 "friends" with it...slow and steady wins the race!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    Very good point. A year ago, if you'd told me I'd be down 24 pounds and training for a 5 K I'd think you were nuts lol
  • Meekaah
    Meekaah Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks so much for posting this story! I have struggled with loosing weight for the last 2 years (motivation, commmitment to exercise) but now that I am getting married, I am determined to get these 20 pounds off! I have to go slow and steady and not rush it because eating right along this journey has been a lifestyle change for me. So, thanks again!
  • jzbaby626
    jzbaby626 Posts: 466
    BuMp!!~!!~
  • buttercupke
    buttercupke Posts: 33
    Thanks so much I am one of those people who was upset about not losing enough in a week. It really helped me put things into reality.
  • freakincampers
    freakincampers Posts: 16
    1-2 pounds is a safe amount of weight to lose.
  • ccgisme
    ccgisme Posts: 239 Member
    Thanks for this. I've probably lost over 200 pounds in my 38 years on the planet, but I still need to lose about 65 more because I've always pushed too hard too fast or gotten frustrated when the scale doesn't move for weeks on end.

    Tracking calories on MFP has helped me see that my body goes in fits and spurts and that those fits and spurts sometimes are my body and sometimes they are caused by what I do or do not put in my body. When I drink my 8 cups of water per day and get 30 minutes of exercise, I lose weight. When I don't, well, I don't!

    Thanks for the post and I hope everyone will keep plugging away one step and one bite at a time!
  • llyndon
    llyndon Posts: 73 Member
    I'm with you guys!! can't count the number of times I was losing slowly only to give up and looking back, I could kick myself. My goal now is to lose 1/2 lb a week. I've lost more than that some weeks but I've always lost at LEAST that so I'm content. If I plateau. I'll wait it out. I know I'll start to lose again and I plan to hit 54 a lean mean fighting machine. I'm 51 1/2 now so I've got plenty of time.
  • Elokyn
    Elokyn Posts: 448 Member
    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I needed this...of all days I needed this today!!!
  • Lisa0711
    Lisa0711 Posts: 1,405 Member
    I knew this, but it sure helped to read it. I always set fairly relevent goals for myself but when I see I won't reach them, not only does my weight loss slow, but it stalls completely. It's like I get mad when I don't reach those goals I set for myself. But why do we even make timelines anyway? It doesn't really matter when you reach your goal as long as you're trying and you're getting there! But then again, they work for some! I've noticed that they just intimidate me. Now I just want to lose the weight and take how ever long I need to get there. The sooner the better, but I have to remember every pound lost is a pound I'm not carrying around anymore! And, when considering how many times over I could have reached my goal, I just remind myself that the past is the past and in order to make changes I need to focus on what I do daily and make the best of each day, not stay stuck on what I should have done!!

    Thanks for the post!
  • sparkles321
    sparkles321 Posts: 107
    Awesome post! And how absolutely true it is. Thank you for reminding all of us that progress is still progress and to keep plugging along at it!
  • SraArroz
    SraArroz Posts: 238
    Thanks for such a great post!! You're so right. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction, I need to be happy with it! I haven't really set any "goals" yet, I seem to make daily goals, like water, exercise, food choices, and "hope" I get where I want to be in a timely manner. In the past, I've spent so much time while dieting, counting weeks on the calendar and anticipating losing X pounds by X day.... and inevitably that was so much pressure on me, that if I didn't make a goal for a week or two, I was "off track" and gave up. I'm finally starting to enjoy the process and not just expect my life to start on X day when I've lost X lbs.
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
    True dat! Thanks for reminding us of what we know is true! Slow and steady wins the race pals! :heart:
  • nursee67
    nursee67 Posts: 503
    Slow and steady is my motto! Hey...we would all like to do things quicker than we do, but weight loss can't be one of those. It takes a long time to unlearn a behavior that we have had a long time. Sure, I can eat a cheeseburger after I go to the drive thru...or I can take some time and make something healthy...see it takes longer to prepare the feast...so worth it in the long run!
  • RebelRenny
    RebelRenny Posts: 1,073 Member
    :flowerforyou: Thanks for the post. I need to remember this :flowerforyou:
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
    You know, even when you watch tv shows like the biggest loser. They have weeks where they count calories and they've worked out really hard in the gym and to lose 1 or two pounds. The point is they are still losing or at least maintaining. The weight will come off provided you remain dedicated to your new lifestyle, it's really that simple. Will you be discouraged along the way, absolutely, will it be easy, probably not, will it frustrate you, yup, but I can guarantee you that if you stick with it you WILL see the weight come off, and that will hopefully be your motivation to stay dedicated and true to yourself, the only one who loses is you, you're the only one accountable for your actions or lack there of. You'll need to tweak your workouts and maybe even refine your diet again at some point, but your body and health are worth the fight.
  • tutujoli
    tutujoli Posts: 104 Member
    I always feel so bad when they weigh in and they've worked SOOOOO hard and the only measure they accept is the number on the scale. I also have a very strange out look on weigh ins though. lol

    I weigh every single day, but if I see a gain, I just assume it's water weight and take it as a sign to be more careful to drink my water and watch my salt that day. Any time I see a loss on the scale, I update my stats on MFP. Sometimes I update three times in a week, sometimes I update three weeks at a time. lol The scale doesn't make or break you, or it shouldn't. It's a tool, and only a rough estimate of how you're doing anyway.
  • BADGIRLstl
    BADGIRLstl Posts: 473 Member
    Thanks for this reminder. Never looked at it from that perspective. Although, by no means am I going to stop what I am doing....but, I do need to stop beating myself up over a bummed week. I will workout hard, and eat good and clean and then have a f'ng fit when the scale doesen't reflect....I want to be rewarded IMMEDIATELY for my hard work....LOL...so I do have to get out of that mind frame and know, that if I keep doing what I am doing, nothing but good will come of it. I remember when I first came to this board I was so much in denial and couldn't believe that I COULD LOVE 20LBS....hey, I'm knocking on 30lbs lost now! Thanks again for this post....it put so much stuff in perspective!
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    Ladies need to pay attention to where they are in their menstrual cycle. I keep getting upset with the 2 extra pounds I'm carrying this week but I can tell I'm bloated. I'm due to start any minute and I always carry a few extra pounds. All I can do is keep eating right, keep exercising, watch my sodium, and keep drinking my water. Within a few days this should be gone. It helps to look back at my weigh in from a month ago and realize that I'm still smaller than I was then.
  • maximouse
    maximouse Posts: 28 Member
    hi!

    Ahhh, really glad of this post - thankyou! - I'm fairly new; I've been on MFP for 3 weeks and have only lost 1.5lbs - its been very hard work for what feels like very little reward (I didn't lose anything in first 2 wks) and its been ok til tdy......now I'm desparate to raid the work canteen :oS

    I keep thinking.....though I'm not losing weight (fast or otherwise) junk food isn't going to help this cause so I'd better try keep going ;o) Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one on this slow train.......but would love a few miracles a long the way to keep me motivated!! Think I might start eating volcanic dust - thats gotta be low fat/carb/sugar........surely?!!? Hehee xxxx
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