New to MFP and slow weightless!!!

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jenreit
jenreit Posts: 3
in Introduce Yourself
I have been battling weight off and on for my whole life. I have lost 100 pounds in my early twenties, but gained almost all of it back when I had my kids. Now I am really working hard! I am sticking to this like crazy. I work out pretty hard 6 days a week. But yet still, no matter what I do, I can only lose about .5 pounds a week if that. It seems to me I should lose more since I have so much to lose. I don't really know how this posting site works, so please be patient with me. Trying to figure it all out. I already love this so much more than weight watchers!! Any suggestions?

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  • bonkers1224
    bonkers1224 Posts: 80 Member
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    Welcome:smile: I'm right where you are..I love this way better than weight watchers! (happy to not pay the money cause I lose very slowly) hang in there. You can add me for support!! I made some really good friends on here:)
  • jenreit
    jenreit Posts: 3
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    Thanks so much. Still trying to figure out how to add friends!
  • amyLhuff
    amyLhuff Posts: 102
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    Welcome! I have previously lost 25 lbs on here and love it went thru a bit of a rough patch when my husband lost his job but I'm back and on full blast! The things that have worked for me is no refined carbs, no microwave meals due to the sodium content, and I make sure to get all my water in before I can have anything else to drink although I do have coffee in the morn. My settings are set so that I want to lose 2lbs a week and I don't eat all the calories I earn when I workout.
  • Marigoldie
    Marigoldie Posts: 15 Member
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    Some of us lose a lot slower than others but as long as we are losing its okay. I lose about a half pound every two weeks because of thyroid issues but that's okay, I'm not gaining! Hang in there, your doing great! I'll add you as a friend!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    I started with MFP and didn't lose any weight for the first 3 months then joined WW online and boom!! Lost 4 lbs the first week then 3 the next then 2 every week after that for about 3 months then down to 1 to 1.5 a week. I still tracked on MFP as well as WW to see what the difference was. I realized that once I joined WW I was eating a lot more fresh fruits and veggies since they promote that with their 5 to 7 servings per day. Plus I was incorporating the 2 healthy oils, vitamins, keeping better track of water in take and exercise etc. A lot of people think zero points means you can eat all you want but they're not following WW properly with that mind set. They do the zero points for most fruits and veggies to get you to eat them not to eat all you want.

    Anyway, once I hit my goal weight I do mostly MFP tracking only. It was a royal pain to track on 2 programs. Took up quite a bit of time. I prefer the forums here over WW thats for sure. If you think there are snarky people here then you haven't checked out WW! WOW!!

    For me since I paid for WW i got serious about what I ate. If i'm paying for something I'm going to make good use of it. Now that I've reached my goal and actually went past it I'm not going to screw it up so I"m sticking with this for the long haul. Its a life style change not just a diet. Most of the people on WW are only there to lose the weight and not make changes in how they eat or exercise. They just want to lose weight for a wedding or cruise or some other event and a few months later they are back complaining that they gained it all back. Here on MFP you have mostly people who are in it for a life style change.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    Be patient. 5 pounds a week is pretty quick weight loss. I imagine it took longer than a week to gain 5 pounds. With weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. Think of it as a permanent lifestyle change, focus on healthy eating and exercise habits and let the weight take care of itself. Logging your food and knowing where you stand every day is very important.

    Try not to focus on the number on the scale as much as the way you feel and the way your clothes fit. Use a variety of measurements to track your progress such as inches, body fat and clothing size. Don't get hung up on any one number, if one or more are improving then you're doing something right and the rest will catch up.

    Also check into the forums on this site that talk about BMR and TDEE and make sure your calorie targets are set correctly for optimum results. As you lose, you'll need to continue to recalculate those numbers to be in line with your current weight.
  • zumbalinda22
    zumbalinda22 Posts: 182 Member
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    Hi! I'm pretty much in the same boat! Exercising, eating really well, but losing really slooooooooowly! I used to do Weight Watchers, too, and lost much more quickly with that, so I'm trying to figure out what I can do differently here that might give me similar results. I just sent you a friend request! :smile:
  • EllytoSkinny
    EllytoSkinny Posts: 21
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    I am a slow loser, and lately have just been trying to maintain the last month due to many events (anniversaries, class reunions, etc.) In the past I would have just gained during months like this, but I now know how to cut back part of the week when I know I will indulge later. That part I initially learned on Weight Watchers and it helped me understand that you can do things like plan ahead, exercise more, etc. to offset days that you know you will eat more. I am back in full weight loss mode and love the support I find on these boards. Everyone is really encouraging and there are so many success stories it is really inspiring.

    For perspective, I usually lose quickly the first two weeks I start a diet, then taper off to 1/2 pound per week. But....the key for me is to not gain it back. So, if I can steadily lose (even if it is really slowly) that is key for me. I can't tell you how many times I have lost the same 10 pounds during the years, just to put on another 5 on top of that.

    I have added some friends too and I love getting posts and sending encouraging posts too.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Your weight loss is fast, in fact, maybe too fast. Consider this from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: "Weight loss should be about 1 to 2 pounds per week ..." For more information go to
    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/recommen.htm
  • MGwasp
    MGwasp Posts: 16
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    I am new too. Today is the first day for me. I feel your pain. It is so hard to move the weight off. I have tried so many different things but finally I want to an endocrinologist and she gave me a diet to follow along with medicine to make my thyroid more effective. I hope that I can lose 2 pounds a week but it hasn't worked in the past. I have hope for this plan though. Good luck. I am rooting for you.
  • marygoodnight007
    marygoodnight007 Posts: 33
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    You might be retaining water because you're working out (this is a good thing) I GAINED 3lbs of water this week but it came off taking 2lbs with it (whoo hoo!) Try to focus less on the scale and more on how your body feels/ how your clothing fits. You are probably losing inches and getting smaller.
  • rhondajoco
    rhondajoco Posts: 16 Member
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    Welcome and thanks for the add! I agree, this site is much easier to use than many of the other sites. I love it here, too.
    I just read on another post that calorie deficits don't necessarily equal pound lost right away, sometimes it takes a week so maybe your body is just revviing up. Once it gains momentum you will probably see a more rapid weight loss.
    You didn't mention food in your post, but I assume you are keeping your calories within your goal range.
    I'm sure you've heard the saying, "slow and steady wins the race". I can honestly say that through the years, when I've lost weight slowly it stayed off much longer.
    Perhaps, if you aren't already doing so, take your measurements. You might see much more progress this way for the time being.
    Positive thoughts,

    Rhonda
  • amyLhuff
    amyLhuff Posts: 102
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    She said .5 not 5 lbs a week :)
  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
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    She said .5 not 5 lbs a week :)

    Sounds like you may have your calorie goals set wrong, half a pound a week is progress but you can better that. I started with nearly 150 lbs to lose and drop about 10 or 11 lbs a month, 2-3 a week.
  • nave002
    nave002 Posts: 211 Member
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    While .5 may not seem like much per week, at least it isn't a gain, right? It's tough, I know, I'm in my 3rd week and trying to stick with it! Lots of encouragement and fun people on here --- I'm enjoying it and I'm sure you will too... :)

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