Help please........

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I have been doing what I am supposed to, and when I weighed today I only lost half a lb. With all my years with my nutritionist I have discovered that I am not a big loser when it comes to my weight. In an average month I lose about 3-5 lbs. This is very disappointing for me and in three years I have only lost 30 lbs. Now I am constantly feeling like giving up because nothing I do seems to work. I have chronic pain but I do work out and I do as much as my body allows me to. I almost just feel like this is where my weight is supposed to be at :( A few years ago I was 140 lbs and I feel like I will never see that again :( Any ways this is sort of a rant. Please only leave positive suggestions, or kindly don't write anything at all. Thanks!

Replies

  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    You don't say how much you have to lose, but the issue may be with your expectations. 3-5 lbs a month is actually a very good, healthy rate of loss for most people.
  • _KitKat_
    _KitKat_ Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Depending on how much you have to lose 3-5 lbs. a month is just about right. If what you are trying is good enough, change things up a bit, reignite a passion. If you enjoy something you will do it more. The other thing you will see here often is weigh and measure your food, the more accurate you are the better your results.

    As for the pain, find an activity you enjoy so the pain is less your point of focus. Swimming is a great activity that is low impact. Even breaking your activity up into small potions can help at first. instead of fitting a 30 minute workout in that you worry will cause you pain, instead do 4-6 little activities for 10 minutes, it is then done before the pain takes your focus and you will have actually worked out for 40-60 minutes instead.
  • bekim123
    bekim123 Posts: 391 Member
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    Think longer term. Three to five pounds a month is 36 to 60 pounds a year. That's not insignificant.
  • PinkPanther318
    PinkPanther318 Posts: 81 Member
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    I have 93 lbs I need to lose. I absolutely measure out my food with measuring cups and those things. Sometimes I just feel like a failure because in the 3 years I have been battling my weight I feel like I should already be at my goal!
  • amberrenee813
    amberrenee813 Posts: 395 Member
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    Your diary is private so I can't see what you're eating
  • Psychedelicately
    Psychedelicately Posts: 81 Member
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    5 lbs a month is very good, I rarely lose more than that in a month. You're doing great and I'm not going to let you give up!
  • Sailatsorf
    Sailatsorf Posts: 161 Member
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    It has taken me 3 years to lose 67 pounds, and even though it's taken me a lot longer to get to my goal than it's taken a lot of other people, at least I'm doing it. I'm getting there. I am very, very close to a healthy weight. Going slow has made me develop lasting habits and keep my weight from yoyoing. Because I lost slow and steady, I know I'll always be able to keep it off.

    Be proud of how far you've come, not how long it's taken you. Progress is progress!
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
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    You don't say how much you have to lose, but the issue may be with your expectations. 3-5 lbs a month is actually a very good, healthy rate of loss for most people.

    More info as to calorie deficit level and how much you have to lose would help, but the above is pretty spot on. Yes, it may take you longer than someone else, but it doesn't mean you have to give up on your goals because someone else has it easier. I don't think I ever had more than a 5 lb loss for a month and I have no issues with pain so I was in the gym 6 days a week. I dropped 28 lbs in 9 months which averages out to 3.1 lbs a month. You are not alone in the slow loss club. I know it is frustrating to put in the work logging food and working out when you can, but if you stop doing it you will lose a lot less than you can if you just keep at it.

    Hang in there. You just have to continue on this path some more to get to where you want. It will happen if you do the work.
  • lcroslin
    lcroslin Posts: 22 Member
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    I agree with most of the MFP posts. Your current weight loss is good. Think of it this way, it's a weight LOSS! Yippee! Weight loss is such a mind game, it's incredible. We give up when in fact we are doing good because our expectations are too grand. Slow and steady wins the race over time. I would bet it took you a while to gain the weight you have now, so figure it could take the same amount of time to lose it. So congratulate yourself on doing a good job and keep it up. Feel free to add me if you'd like a weight loss buddy.
  • kathyk519
    kathyk519 Posts: 197 Member
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    It took me 1 1/2 years to lose 40 lbs - so 5 lbs a month - is awesome! My weight loss has slowed down a lot - and I would love 5 lbs right about now, and I have about 25 to still to lose. So keep doing what you are doing.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    You might not be new...but there's some valuable info in this thread.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

    Plus, do you own a food scale? Aside from measuring cups?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I have 93 lbs I need to lose. I absolutely measure out my food with measuring cups and those things. Sometimes I just feel like a failure because in the 3 years I have been battling my weight I feel like I should already be at my goal!

    Seriously me too. But I still weigh less than 3 years ago and eventually I'll be at my goal so I just keep going.
  • mom2my4boys
    mom2my4boys Posts: 148 Member
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    Hi,
    When I stared I had 125lbs to loose to put me at the top end of my healthy weight range. It was completely overwhelming. Try breaking your goals into smaller hunks. Try first for 10lbs. Then celebrate the *kitten* out of that, when you reach it. (A new outfit, haircut, ect) One pound at a time, you can do this :) Chin up, chest out.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    "I have only lost 30 lbs."

    "nothing I do seems to work"


    I am confused. 30 pounds is a significant amount, what you are doing seems to me to be working. 3-5 pounds a month is actually very fast, I have to push myself pretty hard to be able to lose 2 pounds a month personally.

    I think perhaps you have an unrealistic notion about weight loss, that it is something you do in a 6 month period and then you are done. It can take a long time, that doesn't mean you are doing it wrong.
  • yellowlemoned
    yellowlemoned Posts: 335 Member
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    I'll give you some advice that someone gave me regarding college that I think works well for weight loss too.

    Time will continue to pass regardless of what you are doing. You might as well be making some progress, even if it's slow, than none at all.

    3 pounds may not seem like much on a day to day basis, but it's better than 0 pounds. As long as you can keep that progress up, even if it takes a few years, in a few years you can either be where you want to be, or be where you are now.

    :) I know it's hard to keep going when you aren't seeing the results you want, that's part of what set me back 10 pounds around January and February, but I have to keep reminding myself; I have a choice, I can either do something about it and eventually get to where I want to be, or not do anything about it and stay where I am now. When I think about it that way it's easier for me to keep going.