Tips for Losing A Small Amount of Weight?

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zilea
zilea Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard and read many times that it can be more difficult to drop weight if you're only 5-20 lbs or so away from your goal weight. I am 15 pounds away from goal weight. Has anyone here successfully lost a relatively small amount and have advice? Or does anyone know of tips that might work for this scenario?
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Replies

  • lovelyMYlovely
    lovelyMYlovely Posts: 1,066 Member
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    im trying to lose just 10 pounds.. mainly lose inches.. I think just drink a ton of water and do alot of cardio and you will lose :) its pretty simple
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Aim to lose no more than a half pound a week.

    Eat most of your exercise calories if you're using MFP's calculations.

    Get more protein than MFP suggests... at very least, consider it a minimum to pass instead of a maximum to stay under.

    Get regular exercise. Strength training works wonders. I love cardio, but weight lifting is what shaped my body.

    Track your progress through measurements, how clothes fit, and progress photos, not just the scale.

    Be patient.
  • milk_bottle
    milk_bottle Posts: 22 Member
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    Bump to read later. I'm not looking to lose more than 10 but I'd love some tips :)
  • chuckles9189
    chuckles9189 Posts: 343 Member
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    bump
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
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    I am stuck in the same boat. I have about 10 to lose. My goal is to just stick with it!
  • LuckyMe000
    LuckyMe000 Posts: 55
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    bump
  • FitMommyLuv4
    FitMommyLuv4 Posts: 5
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    Bump for later...Glad this was posted i was wondering the same :)
  • wmoomoo
    wmoomoo Posts: 159 Member
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    I am in the same boat. I am currently eating closer to my TDEE and doing more weight training. Hopefully it will help.
  • wannatangle
    wannatangle Posts: 80 Member
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    bump. :wink:
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    i can't get this last 5 lbs off me no matter how hard i try.. if i come close to it i bounce around after i did lose more then that but it's the last 5 that i can't get off...
  • Emtabo01
    Emtabo01 Posts: 672
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    I have to carefully watch my calories to stay just below maintence, losing at a 10% cut from TDEE, and weight lifting. Lots of cardio did nothing for me but make me frustrated at the lack of progress when I got to within 5-10 pounds of goal. I do a little cardio, like 2 days a week vs 5-6 days a week before. It's slow going but is is happening.
  • LucyVJC
    LucyVJC Posts: 2
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    a nutritionist helped me with this one - tweak something very small and it can make a big difference. Like instead of a banana with your breakfast, have an orange. Or, forego sugar in your am coffee. It works! It does not make sense calorically I know, but for some reason, when you change one small thing, it can really throw your metabolism for a loop. I am back up and trying to lose those 5 lbs (again)! ugh!
  • wannatangle
    wannatangle Posts: 80 Member
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    Yesterday I ate potatoes, bread, and rice....big mistake. Carbs are not my friend.
  • kdlfit
    kdlfit Posts: 14 Member
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    Calorie cycling works. Eat at a deficit for 3 days, then bring up your calories to maintenance level every 4th day. You'll be telling your body you're not starving so you'll lose that last stubborn bit of fat. Strength train at least 3 times a week. Build those muscles so your metabolism with rev up. Eat lower carbs on your low days and bring up the carbs on your high day. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if it works for you.
  • Doctorpurple
    Doctorpurple Posts: 507 Member
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    I can totally relate to this. Before starting MFP. I had about 5-7 lbs to lose. I've already lost 5 of those lbs and I'm 2 pounds away from my goal weight. For a long time my weight loss was stalled. What finally worked for me is workouts regularly (including resistance training) and not eating out. Its hard to track calories when you eat out because even the info found online for most restaurants are underestimated in my opinion. The only way you can track your calories accurately is to make all your meals at home
  • JossFit
    JossFit Posts: 588 Member
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    I definitely have to pay much closer attention to macronutrient ratios to maintain a leaner physique. The whole concept of 'eating whatever you want in moderation' doesn't work for me at this body fat percentage... I can have things here and there, but you'd never see me replacing other meals with pizza or ice cream and 'making things fit' into my calories for the day. I do, but I see it immediately - I bloat up, I have digestion issues, I instantly crave more foods like that.

    I'm not saying I never eat those 'unhealthy' foods, I certainly do, but if I'm trying to lean out a bit rather than just maintain they have to go.

    I also have to do a moderate amount of cardio at a minimum of 70% of my MHR, I lift weights 4 times a week with INTENSITY (and heavy weights at that), I get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, don't drink any alcohol, and I don't cut a huge amount of calories and try to lose too fast; that just results in muscle losses

    ... it's a lot of attention to detail to get that detail in my body.

    Again, thats not ALL the time; when I'm maintaining I am more loose with it all, but when trying to get off a few pounds before an event it's all got to be 100% dialed in.
  • zilea
    zilea Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks so much for all of the advice and general camaraderie, guys.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    find tdee and go with a small deficit.
  • MissJanet55
    MissJanet55 Posts: 457 Member
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    a nutritionist helped me with this one - tweak something very small and it can make a big difference. Like instead of a banana with your breakfast, have an orange. Or, forego sugar in your am coffee. It works! It does not make sense calorically I know, but for some reason, when you change one small thing, it can really throw your metabolism for a loop. I am back up and trying to lose those 5 lbs (again)! ugh!

    That's interesting. I wonder if it's the same way we have to keep changing our exercise routine. Did she say why this is?
  • janicemitchellcross
    janicemitchellcross Posts: 134 Member
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    Good luck :-) Hoping to get some tips myself

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