Trying to lose these last 10 lbs are killing me!!

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Iloveyogaandchocolate85
Iloveyogaandchocolate85 Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
I have had great sucsess up until now, I've lost 18 lbs and have maintained it for a few months. I am 5'8 and just under 140 lbs and would like to lose 10 more but I can't seem to. My mind keeps telling me not to worry about it and that I should just be happy but I am always wanting to be a bit smaller, or at least toned. Please tell me why the last 10 are killer.

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    What have you been doing so far? Have you tried weight lifting?
  • freemystery
    freemystery Posts: 184 Member
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    Sorry but I'm going to be that guy.

    For your height, you have a perfectly acceptable weight. That said, that doesn't mean that you HAVE to stick at that weight, it's your body after all.

    However you say that you always want to be a bit smaller, that's a little worrying to be completely frank.
    I work with EDs and this is such a frequently repeated phrase it's almost a cliche.

    May I ask you to think hard about why you really want to lose those 10lbs and whether they will satisfy you or whether you'll just keep on just trying to get smaller. Be honest with yourself.
  • raholden88
    raholden88 Posts: 34
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    The last 10 or 5 is always killer. Hang in there. I was losing 2-3lbs a week in the beginning, then started losing only 1-1.5, and now I am down to losing only .5 a week. It's been slow, and aggravating, but you have to just power through it. Focus on new goals for yourself in other areas. For example, now that the weather is warming up, I am taking my dog on 15min walks (still only 50s and can't do much longer before we're both getting snotty) and then once it gets into the 60s I'll take him on 30min walks. I've been using a FitBit to count my steps so I'm also looking to jack up my step counts.

    So instead of weight lost, I am focusing on maintaining calories still, but more so step counts.

    Started averaging 6000, now I am at 7500-8000, soon to be 10k a day. I get about 4500 from work and 1500 travelling to and from work, which helps tremendously. Nightly walks have helped to really kick it up, and also helping to shrug off that winter cabin fever attitude.

    So forget the pounds, just focus on keeping up the calorie count and find a new goal that's beneficial.

    In no time, you'll come back to the scale and maybe find you lost 2 lbs.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Looking at your height, weight, and current profile picture, there's absolutely no reason for you to drop another 10 lbs. You're at the ideal weight (medically speaking) for your height.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Look into "body recomposition" and reducing fat, not losing weight.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I have had great sucsess up until now, I've lost 18 lbs and have maintained it for a few months. I am 5'8 and just under 140 lbs and would like to lose 10 more but I can't seem to. My mind keeps telling me not to worry about it and that I should just be happy but I am always wanting to be a bit smaller, or at least toned. Please tell me why the last 10 are killer.
    What's your daily calorie goal? What are your workouts like?

    I'm your height and it took me about a year to drop the last 10lbs. My goal was 135lbs, and my lowest recorded weight was 133. Since then I've fluctuated between 136-140 throughout the months, but clothes still fit the same. :smile: At this point I don't care about scale weight so much as lowering body fat percentage a bit more while maintaining lean muscle.

    It is a slow process as you get closer to goal weight, but I found a small calorie deficit (and some patience) was the best way. I was eating about a 15-20% cut from my TDEE, which comes out to around 1800-2000 cals a day. Workouts are a mix of strength training (I use dumbbells at home, no access to big barbells or I'd be lifting heavy!) and some cardio, most workouts less than an hour a day. Macros set at 40/30/30 carbs/fat/protein, and I do my best to hit those numbers.

    Great info on fat loss and tools for calculating your own numbers here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

    Good luck!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    Look into "body recomposition" and reducing fat, not losing weight.

    This.
  • aqualeo1
    aqualeo1 Posts: 331 Member
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    Sorry but I'm going to be that guy.

    For your height, you have a perfectly acceptable weight. That said, that doesn't mean that you HAVE to stick at that weight, it's your body after all.

    However you say that you always want to be a bit smaller, that's a little worrying to be completely frank.
    I work with EDs and this is such a frequently repeated phrase it's almost a cliche.

    May I ask you to think hard about why you really want to lose those 10lbs and whether they will satisfy you or whether you'll just keep on just trying to get smaller. Be honest with yourself.

    I see no reason at all to suggest she has an eating disorder.
  • Whiskeytub
    Whiskeytub Posts: 96 Member
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    Sorry but I'm going to be that guy.

    For your height, you have a perfectly acceptable weight. That said, that doesn't mean that you HAVE to stick at that weight, it's your body after all.

    However you say that you always want to be a bit smaller, that's a little worrying to be completely frank.
    I work with EDs and this is such a frequently repeated phrase it's almost a cliche.

    May I ask you to think hard about why you really want to lose those 10lbs and whether they will satisfy you or whether you'll just keep on just trying to get smaller. Be honest with yourself.

    I see no reason at all to suggest she has an eating disorder.
    Doesn't seem to me like she's being accused of having an eating disorder, just that her feeling of always wanting to be a little bit smaller is common among people who do have them. It's a fair question - losing weight is great and all, but at a certain point it becomes an issue of learning how to be happy with your body. Finding that point is difficult for a lot of people.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Sorry but I'm going to be that guy.

    For your height, you have a perfectly acceptable weight. That said, that doesn't mean that you HAVE to stick at that weight, it's your body after all.

    However you say that you always want to be a bit smaller, that's a little worrying to be completely frank.
    I work with EDs and this is such a frequently repeated phrase it's almost a cliche.

    May I ask you to think hard about why you really want to lose those 10lbs and whether they will satisfy you or whether you'll just keep on just trying to get smaller. Be honest with yourself.

    I see no reason at all to suggest she has an eating disorder.
    Doesn't seem to me like she's being accused of having an eating disorder, just that her feeling of always wanting to be a little bit smaller is common among people who do have them. It's a fair question - losing weight is great and all, but at a certain point it becomes an issue of learning how to be happy with your body. Finding that point is difficult for a lot of people.

    Which is why I suggested body recomp. Many people get to goal weight and find they are still unhappy because they have a relatively high body fat percent. The weight would be perfectly fine if their body was more firm and less squishy.
  • Edensienna
    Edensienna Posts: 180 Member
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    I know your frustration!

    It has taken me three full months to lose 2lbs as I neared my goal weight...I stayed consistent with my deficit and worked out hard. You have to persist. Heavy lifting gives you a new strength focus and trying new ways to exercise also helped with the frustration.

    My goal weight was chosen because it was my pre pregnancy size and after two babies I longed to feel light and energetic again... But wIth two babies I have to dig deep to find that energy lol :)
  • Iloveyogaandchocolate85
    Iloveyogaandchocolate85 Posts: 18
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    Thanks for the support and understanding of where I come from. The concern is not neede, I should have been more carful with my wording. The comments about recomposition is excactly what I interested in. How is that attained? I all ready practice yoga a few times a week and walk for work and leisure. The gym is not for me though. What to do?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Thanks for the support and understanding of where I come from. The concern is not neede, I should have been more carful with my wording. The comments about recomposition is excactly what I interested in. How is that attained? I all ready practice yoga a few times a week and walk for work and leisure. The gym is not for me though. What to do?
    I don't use a gym at all. Do you have any equipment at home? I use dumbbells in my living room, and use free apps and videos for workouts - my favorites are the Nike Training Club app, and FitnessBlender.com - both are free and full of a variety of workouts using weights, body weight, etc.
  • PJPrimrose
    PJPrimrose Posts: 916 Member
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    Five foot eight and under 140 and planning to lose more sounds very thin. I'm not saying you have an eating disorder but that sure is thin. I'm 5'9" and want to weigh 145 which is fairly light even with my medium-light (think greyhound) build. The standard for weight is 100lbs for 5 ft and 5lbs for every inch after. Five foot eight is 140.
  • lavender_fairie
    lavender_fairie Posts: 76 Member
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    I'm right there with you. I think it's going to take upping patience level. The stickied note called "expectations" says the last 10 pounds can take on average 3-6 months, and Im told for many it takes longer.

    I'm 5'8" and 148 on a good day. I want to be 135, like I used to be (without even trying, 8 years ago). It's going to take patience to the point of stubbornness to get there. You are not alone lol.
  • jwooley13
    jwooley13 Posts: 243
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    Sorry but I'm going to be that guy.

    For your height, you have a perfectly acceptable weight. That said, that doesn't mean that you HAVE to stick at that weight, it's your body after all.

    However you say that you always want to be a bit smaller, that's a little worrying to be completely frank.
    I work with EDs and this is such a frequently repeated phrase it's almost a cliche.

    May I ask you to think hard about why you really want to lose those 10lbs and whether they will satisfy you or whether you'll just keep on just trying to get smaller. Be honest with yourself.

    I think it's really unfair to throw around what I call the "ED bomb" when someone is clearly expressing a goal that is within healthy BMI range. I'm a 5'8" female with a similar goal to OP. Healthy BMI is a *range* for a reason! On top of that, it's a range that we like to think of as a flexible guideline rather than a hard rule around here.

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