How are you all doing it so fast?

chroi
chroi Posts: 20
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Losing the wight, I mean.

I started here with 1300 calories a day on Feb 17th this year. Lost 12/13lbs by March 22nd and then for nearly 2 months was just plateaued (sp?) until I got off my *kitten* and joined the gym on May 17th (funnily enough on dates).

Since then I've lost 12 more pounds, so I'm down 25lbs which I am delighted about, but have plateaued yet again for the last 3 weeks.

So I'm browsing right now for tips and motivation or something I can do to jig things up a bit. My gym consists of 3 x 1 hour visits. 30 mins of carido (treadmill and bike, 15 mins each) then chest weights followed by leg weights (15 mins on each).

My calories are around 13-1400 a day.

But reading here I see people who've, for example, joined in January and are already down 50lbs, and the like.

Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted with my 25lbs and all the compliments I have been getting, even upto last night when my uncle told me I'm wasting away! 5 pounds a month on average is great.

But I am wondering if I'm doing something wrong. How do you do it? I'm not after, yet another, fast diet of "lose a stone a week!" or the like, been there, done that and put it all back on 10 times over! :)

Replies

  • Bloodie
    Bloodie Posts: 53
    Well to be honest, alot of it depends on how big you are to start with, and how much "water weight" you've got. Try mixing your calorie intake a bit (do 2 days of 1300 then 1 day of dunno 1550) and also, try to measure yourself, because if you're doing both cardio and strength you could be losing body fat and replacing that with muscle weight.... You can try mixing up the ratio a bit... try more proteins instead of carbs etc :)

    Just a suggestion ;)

    Cheers
  • tlamhain
    tlamhain Posts: 15
    GREAT JOB!!!!!!

    It took me 2 years 7 months to loose 110 pounds. That averages out to be about a pound a week. I wondered the same thing at first but I finally realized that I needed to be happy with the way I was loosing not how others were....
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
    Are you only exercising 3 times a week when you go to the gym? I've lost 30 pounds in exactly 5 months but I have somewhat less to lose than you. I've done it by working out almost every single day, no excuses. It keeps my metabolism charged up and my energy levels are much better. I start with a base of 1200 calories and I have extra every day from exercise. Even if that exercise is a walk around the mall, I make sure to get it in. That may be one reason your pace is slower than some people you see on here.

    However, slower weight loss is better in the long run. You're more likely to keep it off and your body has time to adjust to the smaller you (think saggy skin and such). 25 pounds in 5 months is normal. 1-2 lbs a week is the recommended rate. Perhaps kicking up your exercise to 5 days a week or something will help. I also started running (using Couch to 5K program) in the beginning of June and that has kicked my weight loss up even more, especially in the last few weeks.
  • RentThisSpace
    RentThisSpace Posts: 96 Member
    To me, it sounds like you are doing everything right. From your post, it sounds like you lost what you could from downing your calorie intake, and then joined a gym to restart weight loss. The two things you might want to consider to helping keep your weight loss going are:

    1.) Change up your routine. Going the same exercises over and over will train your body to get used to it, and it won't be as effective for losing weight. This is what programs like P90X call muscle confusions, which is just doing exercises in a manner to keep the body from getting used to performing the exercise, thus increasing effectiveness of your time working out. You don’t have to do a program as regimented of P90X, though. Simply changing up what you do in your gym can help with this. Instead of biking, do the elliptical or stair climber. Mix up your treadmill runs with intervals, hill climbs, and long, slow runs. Change up your weight lifting as well. If you do bench presses one day, do push ups the next. Just try not to the same thing regularly (except be in the gym!) and keep your body guessing what your will do next.

    2.) You said your calories went down, but what are you eating? You might want to examine what you are eating. More vegetables and fruits, lean meats (chicken, fish), whole wheats, could help to lose some more weight.

    Overall, I think you are loosing weight at a healthy rate, so I wouldn’t push it. Everyone’s body is a little different. Just remember your weight didn’t get put on in a day and it won’t come off in a day either. It will take time, which is why this is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet.
  • SimonLondon
    SimonLondon Posts: 350
    I lost 47lb of mine in 6 months but it was a constant battle to stop the plateau. I had to yo-yo my calories and exercise all the time so my body never got used to a set intake or routine.

    I was also going to the gym every single day and was aiming for 700 to1,000 calorie burn each time so it was real hard work (but sooooooo worth it hehe).
  • chroi
    chroi Posts: 20
    It took me a long time to learn that, it is very much so a lifestyle change :)

    I never thought of my body being used to what I do at the time. Yeah 3 times a week, the same routine over and over. I'll talk to my trainer next time I'm there and get it changed up - good idea, thank you :)

    As for food, I'm kinda eating what I want (within reason) within my calories and very rarely go over, even on fats. But I think I eat too many carbs so will try cutting back on those and see if it makes a difference.

    I hate plateauing :) Thank you all :)
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
    Personally I work out around 6 days a week, for about an hour. And, as others have mentioned, I do something different almost every time. Sometimes it's racquetball, sometimes I swim (breaststroke), sometimes I do P90X videos. So that definitely keeps my body guessing. Changing up the workout routine will probably help a lot.

    Make sure you're eating a lot of veggies. I found this helped me out recently when I stall for a bit. I got more involved in "eating the rainbow" of fruits and vegetables as my snacks for the day. And making sure I stayed within the allotment on all the different breakdowns (fat, carbs, etc) instead of just focusing on calories alone helped me too.

    Since your weight loss kicked into gear again when you started working out, but has now stopped, I'm willing to bet that changing up your routine or going an extra day, increasing intensity, that kind of thing, would definitely help you start losing again.

    If you're not eating back your exercise calories experiment with that as well. Try to NET 1200 every day at least.

    Also, watch your sodium intake. That's my biggest offender and it can really impede seeing a change on the scale.

    Keep in mind too - as you lose and get closer (or into) your healthy weight zone, you'll start to lose slower. When I first started my body freaked out and I dropped 3-4 pounds a week. Now that I'm closer to my goal I'm getting to that 1 lb only stage. So some of it is how your body reacts.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    Losing the wight, I mean.

    I started here with 1300 calories a day on Feb 17th this year. Lost 12/13lbs by March 22nd and then for nearly 2 months was just plateaued (sp?) until I got off my *kitten* and joined the gym on May 17th (funnily enough on dates).

    Since then I've lost 12 more pounds, so I'm down 25lbs which I am delighted about, but have plateaued yet again for the last 3 weeks.

    So I'm browsing right now for tips and motivation or something I can do to jig things up a bit. My gym consists of 3 x 1 hour visits. 30 mins of carido (treadmill and bike, 15 mins each) then chest weights followed by leg weights (15 mins on each).

    My calories are around 13-1400 a day.

    But reading here I see people who've, for example, joined in January and are already down 50lbs, and the like.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm delighted with my 25lbs and all the compliments I have been getting, even upto last night when my uncle told me I'm wasting away! 5 pounds a month on average is great.

    But I am wondering if I'm doing something wrong. How do you do it? I'm not after, yet another, fast diet of "lose a stone a week!" or the like, been there, done that and put it all back on 10 times over! :)

    Hi!

    Never compare yourself with anybody else as they are all different and if anybody is losing weight faster than you, you end up beating yourself up over it "why can't I do it" "how come they are moving along quicker" etc etc.

    The fact remains that you have lost a good amount of weight there - 25lbs is not to be sniffed at you know, that is damned good going!

    You are doing nothing wrong at all, NOTHING. You are more of an inspiration than you realise and determined too, people can see that just by your posting.

    Continue as you have been, make sure you exercise, keep going, the weight will come off and before you know it you will be at your maintenance stage and look back and wonder why on earth you thought you weren't doing so good.

    Everybody has it whereby their weight loss slows down or stops for a while, but if you consume less calories than you use up it has to come off in the end. The trick is not giving up - because anybody can give up can't they.

    Take care, you are doing great! xxx
    :flowerforyou:
  • chroi
    chroi Posts: 20
    Thanks Lotus, that's really great to hear :)
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
    I think 5 pounds per month is ideal. From what you say, you are the poster child for smart heathy weight loss. My advise is to give yourself a big pat on the back and enjoy your accomplishment.
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