How long did it take you to lose 30 pounds or more?

So I know that this weight loss is going to take a while. So far I've lost 8 pounds in the 8 or 9 weeks I've been doing this, so I'm on track. I just need a little inspiration or validation sometimes. I see so many people on here who have lost 30+ pounds but never says how long it took them. I guess I kind of need that to put things in perspective. I keep telling myself that if I keep this up, I should really see big changes by my birthday in December. But some times, I really wish I could see some immediate impact though that is completely unrealistic. (Being hormonal right now probably isn't helping the mood either).

Anyway, I know I'll get there. I just want to hear other people's experience with time vs weight loss.
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Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    On 3/11, I was 180. On 7/4, I became 149.5. So, a bit less than four months? I lost almost 12 lbs. the first month, and it trickled down from there. I didn't lose any weight in July, lol.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I had 28 pounds to lose and I lost it in almost exactly 9 months. I 've lost 37 now.

    I lost the first 20 pounds in 20 weeks. Then it just started crawling mid-winter when I was in my goal range and my doctor said I was at a really good weight. I hit my 'ideal' weight (according to medical charts) at one year. I've dropped another few pounds rapidly since then as I've been more active this summer.

    Basically: you lose fast at first then slow down as you near your goal weight. That's what all the NIH models show and that is certainly what happened to me. It's where you are relative to the percent overweight you are. Old fat takes longer to lose. And as you get to your goal, you are putting on muscle as you take off fat so weight loss slows even though you look better and better.


    Funny, it was almost exactly 12 pounds when I thought it was taking FOREVER and just wanted to be DONE WITH IT! Now I don't even think about the weight loss - this is just what I eat.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    So I know that this weight loss is going to take a while. So far I've lost 8 pounds in the 8 or 9 weeks I've been doing this, so I'm on track. I just need a little inspiration or validation sometimes. I see so many people on here who have lost 30+ pounds but never says how long it took them. I guess I kind of need that to put things in perspective. I keep telling myself that if I keep this up, I should really see big changes by my birthday in December. But some times, I really wish I could see some immediate impact though that is completely unrealistic. (Being hormonal right now probably isn't helping the mood either).

    Anyway, I know I'll get there. I just want to hear other people's experience with time vs weight loss.

    It's taken me about 5 months to lose this 27 lbs, to include a few week plateau I just pushed thru!

    Continued success to you!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    It can really depend on how much you have to lose and how much of a change you need to make (not to mention several other factors like medical conditions, etc). For instance, someone who eats pretty well and is lightly active and has 30 pounds to lose may take a year or more to lose that weight because they have less to lose and only slight changes to make to improve diet and increase activity. However someone who has 100 or more pounds to lose and is mostly sedentary and has a horrid diet can lose the weight more quickly when they start making vast improvements in their diet and activity levels.

    I started out needing to lose a little over 100 pounds and it took me about 5 months ot lose the first 30 pounds. I honestly can't remember exactly how long because this was before MFP. I was doing WW and tracking everyting on paper. BUT I do remember I'd lost 25 in 4 months (because I hit 25% loss by my b-day late April) and was losing between 1-2 pounds per week so it must've been about 5 months.

    Also this:
    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • witmer1
    witmer1 Posts: 128 Member
    It took me 4-5 months to lose my first 30 lbs. I wasn't nearly as focused and willing to exercise at that point. I wasn't weighing and portioning correctly and was content to sit on my *kitten*. I've since stepped up my game and lost a bunch more.

    People lose at different rates. Be consistent and it'll happen.
  • NSMustanggirl
    NSMustanggirl Posts: 70 Member
    I started at 190 on Feb 4th - today, I weighed in at 153.4 - the first 30 took about 5 months, with it REALLY slowing down in May and June but reached my goal of 30lbs by July 4th.

    Just remember that we are all different! You could lose faster, you could lose slower depending on your activity level, metabolism and body composition, but what matters is that you are being a better healthier you and because of that, you will reach your goal!
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
    6 months- 35 pound loss-
    out of obesity
    lost ove r 10 percent of body weight
    and 4 inches off wauist
  • liya368
    liya368 Posts: 122 Member
    It took me about 6 months to lose 30 pounds. I have about another 25-30 to go.
  • ambuford21
    ambuford21 Posts: 30 Member

    Just remember that we are all different! You could lose faster, you could lose slower depending on your activity level, metabolism and body composition, but what matters is that you are being a better healthier you and because of that, you will reach your goal!

    I know this and I keep telling myself that. But there are those days when I feel like nothing is happening and my 8 pound loss is all in my head despite me looking at the progress charts.

    Fortunately, I was already active than most by walking to work and (attempting to get back to) running. I'm most fortunate in that I drink water all the time and rarely have a soft drink. We're talking like one every few months and even then couldn't finish it. So I was already better off than some, but portion control was/is my biggest fight.
  • I'm also wanting to lose 30lbs I currently weigh 183lbs and am 5"6 I lost a stone prior to joining here in around a few months good luck
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I wasn't big to begin with, really just needed to lose the excess baby weight I put on with my son, so it took 5 months of true diligence, very little cheating or going off plan, to go from 127-ish to 105 pounds, around 25-30 pounds.
  • healthytanya1
    healthytanya1 Posts: 198 Member
    I was 200 lbs in the fall of 2012 and lost 10 lbs in about a month. Then in April I started up again and lost 10 more lbs. May 10 lbs. Then in June and July another 10 lbs. Now starting August I am 160. 40 lbs lost. I'm 5 7. So you can see the closer I am getting to my goal weight it has slowed down. But I'm not giving up because ANY LOSS at ANY RATE is still freaking amazing.
  • disasterman
    disasterman Posts: 746 Member
    It took me about a 16 months to lose 40+ pounds. The first 10 pounds were very slow because I wasn't very focused and I wasn't really tracking calories or working out - just trying to manage my portion sizes. After that I probably averaged about a half pound to .75 pounds per week.
  • aprilslusher
    aprilslusher Posts: 127 Member
    I've lost 38lbs since January 6th of this year. I still have about 4lbs to go.
  • RipperSB
    RipperSB Posts: 315 Member
    Started 18 Feb 12 @ 205 lbs reached goal weight of 145 on 18 Oct 12 after 243 days. I've been maintaining since then, fluctuating mostly between 140 - 143 lbs.
  • iamkass
    iamkass Posts: 122 Member
    It depends how much weight you have to lose. I only had 37 pounds to lose, I got to 25 lbs lost in about 5-6 months, but I've been working on the last 10 - 15 pounds for a couple months now.

    So if you only have 30 lbs to lose, expect a longer journey than those who you lost their first 30 out of 50 (or more) total.
  • Ftw37
    Ftw37 Posts: 386 Member
    Started June 23, 2013 at 419 pounds. Hit 384.5 lbs on July 27th. (34.5lb loss in 35 days)

    I have a bazillion more pounds to go, of course, but my first 30 was relatively quick. Probably since I am so insanely overweight.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    It took me 52 weeks to lose the first 50 lbs. It started to slow down a bit after that.
  • eddie8131
    eddie8131 Posts: 600 Member
    I've lost 12.95% of my weight since June 3rd or 45.8 pounds. This is in 59 days or about 8 1/2 weeks. Avg. of 5.4 pounds per week or about 1.5% per week.
  • HideyoshiKinoshita
    HideyoshiKinoshita Posts: 46 Member
    50lbs 227 days of doing nothing but enjoying myself.
  • Around 5 months :]
  • Beckyloo80
    Beckyloo80 Posts: 1,088 Member
    I started Aug 1 2011 and as of today (2 years in) I have lost 47 Lbs.....
  • majica8
    majica8 Posts: 210 Member
    It took me about 3 and a half months to lose my first 30 pounds. My starting weight was 240lbs.
    It's taken 6 months and 6 days to lose this next 24 pounds. It slowed down for a while about 2 months ago but seems to have picked up again now, I've lost 6 pounds in the last 30 days.

    It really just depends on you. There is no set time that it should or will take.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    I lost 450 pounds in 3 hours...it was GLORIOUS.
  • Isakizza
    Isakizza Posts: 754 Member
    Maybe 5-6 months.
    At the time I was averaging a 5-7 lb. weight loss per month.

    Weight loss isn't consistent either. There were weeks I lost nothing at all.
    You just gotta keep going.

    :smile:
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
    1/17/2013 345
    8/1/2013 261
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    It can really depend on how much you have to lose and how much of a change you need to make (not to mention several other factors like medical conditions, etc). For instance, someone who eats pretty well and is lightly active and has 30 pounds to lose may take a year or more to lose that weight because they have less to lose and only slight changes to make to improve diet and increase activity. However someone who has 100 or more pounds to lose and is mostly sedentary and has a horrid diet can lose the weight more quickly when they start making vast improvements in their diet and activity levels.

    I started out needing to lose a little over 100 pounds and it took me about 5 months ot lose the first 30 pounds. I honestly can't remember exactly how long because this was before MFP. I was doing WW and tracking everyting on paper. BUT I do remember I'd lost 25 in 4 months (because I hit 25% loss by my b-day late April) and was losing between 1-2 pounds per week so it must've been about 5 months.

    Also this:
    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    Those guidelines make a lot of sense! I think MFP autochanged my goals to meet those as I lost weight... I know I said I wanted to lose 2lbs/wk when I set up my profile but my goals say 1lb/wk now
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    It took me a little under a year to lose my first 30. Attempts at rapid loss had always failed me in the past, so this time I did it the "right way". The last 10 pounds took another year. I'm still looking to drop a couple more pounds of body fat, but I am in absolutely no hurry.
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    I've lost 21lbs in 3.5 months but didn't get really serious until 5/2/13 so more like 3 months. Have 20lbs of fat to go
  • Johanne1957
    Johanne1957 Posts: 167 Member
    Took me 5 months to lose 30lbs...I thought I'd never get there...lol...I like the pace though...slowly but surely...now on for the next 30!