Losing The Last 10 Pounds After 2 Years of Maintaining

I want to lose 10 pounds. 10 Pounds! I am literally sitting on the scratchy carpet of my tiny cubicle kicking my feet in the air with a hands clutched in fists of rage over the notion that I've spent the last 2 years trying to lose 10 freaking pounds! Well maybe I'm being dramatic, but I'm still quite concerned at how I have not been able to accomplish this. I've maintained between 168 and 175 for 2 years. That may seem huge to some, but coming from a girl that spent 22 years of her life obese those numbers are pure magic to me. I want to say I know it all when it comes to diet and exercise because I have spent countless hours doing research on the subjects. But obviously I'm missing something.

A little about my routine. I try to eat around 1500 calories a day not going over 1800 on special nights like Date Night. I work out around 5 days a week. 2 of those days consists of weights and boot camps. 2 days are Yoga and step classes and 1 days is just weights. I used Sparkpeople.com to lose the first 130 pounds but have just recently tried MFP to try something different. Get a fresh prospective.

Any and all information, advice, or general knowledge of this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Replies

  • KatiCoufal
    KatiCoufal Posts: 35 Member
    . I would also like to know what people have to say about thsi. :) good luck.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    I'm not sure if it will inspire you, but here's my story...

    Between Oct. 2010 and August 2012, I lost 45 pounds (190-145). From August until about February I was able to maintain this. From Feb. 2013 to the beginning of September I gained a bit less than 10 pounds. I got lazy, I didn't log, and I didn't think about what I crammed into my pie hole. I knew my BF's sister was getting married Oct. 20th and I wanted to look and feel good. On Sept 6th (weighing 154.2), I decided enough was enough and my first goal was today to be 150. Next goal, 147 by January 1st and then STAY THERE.

    Today, the scale said 148. So, I exceded my goal of 150 and I'm only 1lb away from my Jan. 1st goal.

    All I did was log honestly, get out and walked more, ate what I should eat not what I really wanted (quantity too) and planned my days (logging) a day ahead and stuck to my plan. If I didn't stick to it, I couldn't go over my 1620 and if that meant going to bed hungry, I did it.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    It'll happen. My '17lb to lose' hung around for 7 years! I'm taking it slow, just 0.5lb a week and it's coming off, for the first time in a long time. MFP has made the difference THIS time because of a. the community support b. the calorie counting app. Use a digital scale, log all your food and it'll be gone in weeks.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    Thank you for the advice and your stories! People say that I'm crazy because I still want to lost 10 pounds after already losing 130. I would just love to see 160. I know that the numbers on a scale shouldn't mean all that much, but it's been my goal and reaching it would be amazing!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Are those 1500 calories your maintenance calories? That would kinda suck.

    Either way I'd cut your calories by 300 from what you maintained out and try and be patient (either that or try to exercise more).
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    Are those 1500 calories your maintenance calories? That would kinda suck.

    Either way I'd cut your calories by 300 from what you maintained out and try and be patient (either that or try to exercise more).

    The 1500 calories are for weight loss. My maintenance is more like 1800. I think that patience is going to end up being the name of the game in the long run.
  • bonjalandoni
    bonjalandoni Posts: 136 Member
    I want to lose 10 pounds. 10 Pounds! I am literally sitting on the scratchy carpet of my tiny cubicle kicking my feet in the air with a hands clutched in fists of rage over the notion that I've spent the last 2 years trying to lose 10 freaking pounds! Well maybe I'm being dramatic, but I'm still quite concerned at how I have not been able to accomplish this. I've maintained between 168 and 175 for 2 years. That may seem huge to some, but coming from a girl that spent 22 years of her life obese those numbers are pure magic to me. I want to say I know it all when it comes to diet and exercise because I have spent countless hours doing research on the subjects. But obviously I'm missing something.

    A little about my routine. I try to eat around 1500 calories a day not going over 1800 on special nights like Date Night. I work out around 5 days a week. 2 of those days consists of weights and boot camps. 2 days are Yoga and step classes and 1 days is just weights. I used Sparkpeople.com to lose the first 130 pounds but have just recently tried MFP to try something different. Get a fresh prospective.

    Any and all information, advice, or general knowledge of this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    ^^ I am on the same boat! I have been looking for my maintenance level about 6 months ago and wanted to leose my last 10 pounds since 3 months ago! I think I am finally breaking the 175 mark today... I upped my exercise and made my food steady at 1500 a day except on friday where I have to carb up for a big cardio day on sat. I do circuit training MWF with light weights. send me a friend request and maybe we can exchange ideas.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    If you're maintaining then you are eating a maintenance level of calories. Either your maintenance TDEE is less than you think it is or you are underestimating your intake. If your maintenance is indeed 1800 and 1500 is your cut, it's still only a few hundred calories which would be in the 1/2 Lb per week neighborhood...and it would be really easy to overshoot that deficit; a small handful of nuts that went unaccounted for would wipe that deficit out. With really small deficits you have to be really spot on with logging and weighing and measuring everything...there is very little room for error.

    My guess is that you're actually eating closer to that 1800 calorie number or more and thus you are maintaining.
  • I am there with you. I have been maintaining for a liitle over 2 years....actually gained about 5 pounds. I have been trying to keep my calories between 1200 - 1500 deprnding on my activity level. I am 5'6 and fluctuate between 145 and 150. We can do this!! Maybe we can exchange ideas too.
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    If you're maintaining then you are eating a maintenance level of calories. Either your maintenance TDEE is less than you think it is or you are underestimating your intake. If your maintenance is indeed 1800 and 1500 is your cut, it's still only a few hundred calories which would be in the 1/2 Lb per week neighborhood...and it would be really easy to overshoot that deficit; a small handful of nuts that went unaccounted for would wipe that deficit out. With really small deficits you have to be really spot on with logging and weighing and measuring everything...there is very little room for error.

    My guess is that you're actually eating closer to that 1800 calorie number or more and thus you are maintaining.


    I think I might be one of those cases where my body doesn't go with what the TDEE calculator says. It's been a lot of guess and check thus far. When I put my info into the calculator it actually says that weight loss is 1750ish while TDEE is 2000ish. I try to be really precise with my food measurements, but you may be right about small things slipping through. I'll have to really look out for that. When I lost my initial weight it was really easy to cut my calories down to 1200 and do tons of cardio. The pounds melted off. But once I started weight training 1200 calories was just not cutting it and I think the key now is just expect to lose weight more slowly rather than starve myself. :) Thanks for the advice!
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    I want to lose 10 pounds. 10 Pounds! I am literally sitting on the scratchy carpet of my tiny cubicle kicking my feet in the air with a hands clutched in fists of rage over the notion that I've spent the last 2 years trying to lose 10 freaking pounds! Well maybe I'm being dramatic, but I'm still quite concerned at how I have not been able to accomplish this. I've maintained between 168 and 175 for 2 years. That may seem huge to some, but coming from a girl that spent 22 years of her life obese those numbers are pure magic to me. I want to say I know it all when it comes to diet and exercise because I have spent countless hours doing research on the subjects. But obviously I'm missing something.

    A little about my routine. I try to eat around 1500 calories a day not going over 1800 on special nights like Date Night. I work out around 5 days a week. 2 of those days consists of weights and boot camps. 2 days are Yoga and step classes and 1 days is just weights. I used Sparkpeople.com to lose the first 130 pounds but have just recently tried MFP to try something different. Get a fresh prospective.

    Any and all information, advice, or general knowledge of this subject would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    ^^ I am on the same boat! I have been looking for my maintenance level about 6 months ago and wanted to leose my last 10 pounds since 3 months ago! I think I am finally breaking the 175 mark today... I upped my exercise and made my food steady at 1500 a day except on friday where I have to carb up for a big cardio day on sat. I do circuit training MWF with light weights. send me a friend request and maybe we can exchange ideas.

    Friend request sent!
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    I am there with you. I have been maintaining for a liitle over 2 years....actually gained about 5 pounds. I have been trying to keep my calories between 1200 - 1500 deprnding on my activity level. I am 5'6 and fluctuate between 145 and 150. We can do this!! Maybe we can exchange ideas too.

    Friend Request Sent. I would love to see a 150 on the scale 1 day!
  • annakow
    annakow Posts: 385 Member
    I lost over 90 lbs in 8 months and on my last 10 is a nightmare....2 months no difference, 2 lbs down- 2 lbs up and over and over again..eating 1460 a day. :) You are not alone with this
    (I don't friends because my diary is a personal thing to me-sorry)
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    I lost over 90 lbs in 8 months and on my last 10 is a nightmare....2 months no difference, 2 lbs down- 2 lbs up and over and over again..eating 1460 a day. :) You are not alone with this
    (I don't friends because my diary is a personal thing to me-sorry)

    It's nice to know I'm not the only one with this issue. Thanks for the support!
  • CMorning99
    CMorning99 Posts: 924 Member
    If your TDEE is a mystery (like mine) I would recommend investing in a BodyMedia or some sort of device. My TDEE was way lower than everyone elses and the calculators (about 1675 a day w/o exercise). It cost some $$ but in the end it solved the mystery of deficits.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    (I don't friends because my diary is a personal thing to me-sorry)

    Just an FYI, you can add friends and still keep your diary setting so that only you can see it.
  • eels4peels
    eels4peels Posts: 229 Member
    If your TDEE is a mystery (like mine) I would recommend investing in a BodyMedia or some sort of device. My TDEE was way lower than everyone elses and the calculators (about 1675 a day w/o exercise). It cost some $$ but in the end it solved the mystery of deficits.

    I'll look into that. I'm guessing it's pretty accurate?
  • CMorning99
    CMorning99 Posts: 924 Member
    They claim it is pretty accurate and it really helped me...I think the Biggest Loser guys where it too.