Last 15 pounds. Weight loss slowing. Losing motivation!

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SweetlyVague
SweetlyVague Posts: 172 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone!

My name is Shayla, I'm a 22 year old female and I've been on my weight loss journey for about a year now! There's been a lot of bumps along the way, but I've managed to lose about 35 pounds!

I started at around 180 pounds and I'm now at 145-147 (it's been bouncing around a lot recently).

I'm 15 pounds away from my first goal weight.

I'm not sure if it's because I know it's the last 15 pounds or what's going on, but I've really felt myself slipping. I'm the kind of person who really enjoyed working out. I was going to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and eating healthy was easy as pie. I was feeling super motivated with three different races coming up this summer (Colour Me Rad, Spartan Race and then Underwear Affair) and in the last couple of weeks, I've just been feeling unmotivated. I was steadily losing weight and now it feels like it's a struggle to keep up with exercising (I've been so busy the last bit and I do shift work) and eating under my daily calories (currently at 1500 without exercise).

I just need to find some motivation again! I went grocery shopping and stocked up on my protein powder and all my healthy foods and snacks, so I think that'll help me stay under control with my food. Trying to keep at the gym will be a different struggle, but I refuse to give up! :)

Replies

  • cindybpitts
    cindybpitts Posts: 213 Member
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    I have read where others have taken a week or 2 off from the gym to reset their body and upped their calories...they say it worked.
  • SweetlyVague
    SweetlyVague Posts: 172 Member
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    I have read where others have taken a week or 2 off from the gym to reset their body and upped their calories...they say it worked.

    Really now? Hm! Might have to read up on that.
  • SweetlyVague
    SweetlyVague Posts: 172 Member
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    Bumping this since I'm pretty much in the same spot!
  • ikearch
    ikearch Posts: 32 Member
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    I'd have to agree that taking a week or two off of training can help. 1500 calories might be too much for how much you weigh now and where you want to go, and you may have plateaued. This is where you start experimenting. What does your diet consist of? Do you have "fat days?" Do you take supplements? Do you strength train or focus on cardio only? Which cardio exercises are you doing now? Do you get sick of certain foods and need to find different ones?
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    If you haven't lost any weight in the last 6 months, and you don't have any medical issues going on, you're 99% likely to simply be eating too much. Whether you're underestimating how much you eat, overestimating your exercise, or whatever, you're likely just eating at maintenance. Last 15 pounds is really slow, drop another 200 calories or so and ride it out, slow and and steady. My last 15lbs I have been averaging .4lbs lost per week. Basically 2lbs a month. It takes a while but now I'm only 3lbs from goal.
  • TheLadyBane
    TheLadyBane Posts: 299 Member
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    About a month or so ago I was going through a motivation low point. I watched a video by Elliott Hulse which talked about how sometimes losing motivation is just part of a natural cycle we go through. It is hard to be on all the time. He says "There are going to be moment and times when you have to rest, digest, chill out, absorb, and cool off so that you can recapture all of the nourishing energy of what is coming next." I helped me to know someone so bad@## and strong goes through something similar. I took a minor break for about two weeks were I increased my calorie target (still a little under maintenance) and focused on doing activities I enjoyed instead of activities I thought I should be doing (i.e. I got outside and hiked a lot, which is soothing to me, rather than focusing on weight lifting, running, and HIIT sessions). In no time my motivation was back up and I felt great about getting more intense exercise and lowering my calorie target.

    Here is the video if you are interested in watching it:
    "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZtxaPNoN18

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