Slow loss with around 100 lbs to lose.

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AlmightyAce
AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
in Motivation and Support
So, this isn't a Poor Me thread by any means. It's more of a "Can someone better at math than myself please shed some light as to why my loss is slow?" thread. I cannot do the 1200 calories a day; I tried it and almost killed people. SO. That's a no go.

SW: 266 on 2/6/14
CW: 248.6 on 5/10/14
GW: 150
Height: 5'6"

I've calculated my BMR and TDEE from numerous sites. I'm eating around 1700 a day, RARELY go over that number, do not eat all my Fitbit Allowance calories back, but losing less than a pound a week it seems. I'd like to be losing at LEAST one a week, more would be outstanding. I do own a Fitbit Flex and burn between 2400-2700 cals a day according to it. Oh, and I aim for my 8 glasses of water a day. No health problems aside from bad asthma that is limiting any exercise at all right now while I try to get it under control.

I know weight loss isn't linear, but being this large, shouldn't it be going a little faster? =(
Thanks in advance for reading and if you can shed any light. Feel free to add me as a Friend as well if you'd like.
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Replies

  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
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    1. Are you using a digital scale to weigh everything that you eat and are you verifying that your entries are accurate?
  • AlmightyAce
    AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
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    I am indeed, yes. Weigh and measure everything that goes in. Overestimate if I eat food when out and about.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    You've lost almost 20 lbs in 3 months. That's not a slow loss at all!
  • AlmightyAce
    AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
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    It sure feels like it lol. Other people's posts who are my size are losing like crazy. I just don't know if I have my calories counted incorrectly or what.
  • khoshgeleh16
    khoshgeleh16 Posts: 150 Member
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    Your loss seems pretty good, actually! That's about the rate I was losing when I started with similar stats - 5 or 6 pounds a month. (Now I'm only losing about 3 per month.) It just feels slow because goal is so far away still!
  • AlmightyAce
    AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
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    Maybe that's it....the goal seems SO bloody far off that its discouraging. What was your calorie intake at that weight, khoshgeleh16? Do you recall?
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    It sure feels like it lol. Other people's posts who are my size are losing like crazy. I just don't know if I have my calories counted incorrectly or what.

    It took me a year to lose 10 lbs because of my medical conditions. Now that is slow! Lol.

    Everyone loses weight at a different speed. It's not about racing to the finish line. It's not a race. Slower weight loss is ultimately better because most people who lose weight fast, gain it back even faster. Continue to weigh all foods and make sure you are meticulous about calorie counting. Maybe even try playing around with your caloric intake… drop down to 1600 calories… change the settings on your macronutrients… etc. Weight loss is a game of trial and error!
  • AlmightyAce
    AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
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    It sure feels like it lol. Other people's posts who are my size are losing like crazy. I just don't know if I have my calories counted incorrectly or what.

    It took me a year to lose 10 lbs because of my medical conditions. Now that is slow! Lol.

    Everyone loses weight at a different speed. It's not about racing to the finish line. It's not a race. Slower weight loss is ultimately better because most people who lose weight fast, gain it back even faster. Continue to weigh all foods and make sure you are meticulous about calorie counting. Maybe even try playing around with your caloric intake… drop down to 1600 calories… change the settings on your macronutrients… etc. Weight loss is a game of trial and error!

    True, you must have been frustrated at that! I know it's more of a marathon than a sprint, it's just disheartening being this size and not losing weight faster despite doing things right. Thank you all for your replies and motivation. I think I just really needed to hear it.
  • NH_Norma
    NH_Norma Posts: 332 Member
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    It has taken me 10 months to lose almost 38 pounds. Slow indeed. And I have been feeling like it has not made any difference because like you I see the rapid transformation of others and get discouraged. BUT, tonight I had a photo taken with my daughter before her prom, and while I was loading photos on facebook I saw one from last July 4th and I almost gagged at how awful it was (and I remember feeling pretty good about myself that day!!). I put the two of them side by side and made it my profile pic for a bit. So...yes, it may feel slow but I promise you it is good progress. :flowerforyou:
  • JJplus6
    JJplus6 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hi! Congrats on the 20 lb weight loss -- that's awesome!

    This is not scientific fact... but I know that for me, I need to keep my blood sugar balanced to be successful at losing weight. (I'm not diabetic.) If I eat too much at one meal, I feel like I have a crash. My snacks section of my food diary is as big as my meals because I like to spread out my calories over the whole day. I also try to make protein and fiber a priority.

    Have you ever had your thyroid tested? Are you getting enough sleep? Fighting untreated depression? Taking medications that have weight gain as a possible side effect? There could be other factors impeding weight loss other than just the food you're eating.

    Good luck!
  • AlmightyAce
    AlmightyAce Posts: 35 Member
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    Hi! Congrats on the 20 lb weight loss -- that's awesome!

    This is not scientific fact... but I know that for me, I need to keep my blood sugar balanced to be successful at losing weight. (I'm not diabetic.) If I eat too much at one meal, I feel like I have a crash. My snacks section of my food diary is as big as my meals because I like to spread out my calories over the whole day. I also try to make protein and fiber a priority.

    Have you ever had your thyroid tested? Are you getting enough sleep? Fighting untreated depression? Taking medications that have weight gain as a possible side effect? There could be other factors impeding weight loss other than just the food you're eating.

    Good luck!
    Thyroid has been checked, and it is fine. Not diabetic either, no PCOS. I do have a Vitamin D and B12 deficiency. Sleep is another story; my sleep has been beyond screwed for like 10 years. I haven't found a way to combat that yet, sadly. The only medication that could be causing weight gain would be Birth control or possibly Flovent. Not fully sure on either of those.
    And thank you. =)
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
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    SW: 266 on 2/6/14
    CW: 248.6 on 5/10/14
    GW: 150
    Height: 5'6"

    As long as you are being accurate in your measuring and not overestimating your exercise burn, then you're going to keep dropping. My start weight was 229 on 1/19/14. Current just dropped to 199. (Not logging that yet because it was on a different set of scales so not positive it's accurate). While I do keep up with my weight and love watching it drop, I am not stressing even when I go three weeks without losing a pound. I am currently eating at approximately what my maintenance will be when I reach my goal weight so, to me, I figure I've made the changes that I need to make and add in a bit of exercise and some weight lifting along the way. My body will shrink and become what I'm treating it as, a healthy, fit and lighter person.

    As far as your sleep troubles, I had issues sleeping for years. I attributed it to all sorts of things, divorce, other emotional ups and downs, an overactive mind.. and then I stopped drinking caffeine after 3 pm and now it's rare that I have trouble getting to sleep. Not sure what you drink in the evenings but it's the only thing that came to mind.

    You're on the right track and you're making progress. There's no end goal in this.. there's no finish line so there's no reason to race either a sprint or a marathon. It's adjusting for who you want to be and then become that rather than worrying about winning a blue ribbon.
  • CealR
    CealR Posts: 33 Member
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    First, congratulations on your 20 pounds! That an accomplishment and you should be proud of it.

    You mentioned that your sleep is beyond screwed up? Aside from being consistent with your food diary and steps (I've got a Fitbit One and I'm in love with it!), since you're battling asthma, I'd see if you can get your sleep straightened out, since how well you sleep does have an effect on your weight loss. Not to mention, better sleep would probably just be a nice benefit in and of itself!

    The only other thing I can suggest is to start with some strength training, if you're not already doing that. You're already working in cardio with the Fitbit, so I'd recommend getting a resistance band or dumbbells and just starting with some basic strength exercises that won't wind you (so you don't provoke an asthma attack). At worst, this will help keep you from losing muscle tone while you lose weight and the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be in a resting state, which will only help you.

    Again, congratulations on your weight loss so far and good luck.
  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
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    This is actually a great pace for losing weight! 1-2 a week is ideal because its more sustainable. You'll stick with it! I know I had trouble with the whole idea of losing 60 lbs. It felt insurmountable. HOW COULD I DO THIS?? And the journey seemed like it was far too slow. But this poem put everything in perspective. And my weight loss rate has been 1.5-2 lbs a week.

    Melinda Mae by Shel Silverstein

    Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
    Who ate a monstrous whale?
    She thought she could,
    She said she would,
    So she started in right at the tail.
    And everyone said,"You're much too small,"
    But that didn't bother Melinda at all,
    She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
    Just like a little girl should...
    ...and eighty-nine years later she ate that whale
    Because she said she would!!!
  • ajff
    ajff Posts: 986 Member
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    20 pounds! Congratulations!

    Do you FEEL better? Do your clothes fit better? Are you choosing healthier foods/portions? For me, the way I feel inside and in my clothes has made me happier than any number. And I'm starting to automatically do better in the food department (and I've only lost 17 pounds of 118). It's just a number, you are doing things right. Isn't slower weight loss supposed to be easier on your body? Like reduce the chance of gaining it back? You may be slower than others now, but in the long run, if you keep it off and they don't... who's really won?

    Add me if you'd like to!
  • genkikoneko
    genkikoneko Posts: 1
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    I think 20# is great. I lost 65 pounds (on about 1200 calories/day) in about 6 months after having my son. I did this with a lot of "supplements" thru Herbalife. Meal replacement shakes, lots of vitamin pills, and cutting a lot of carbs. I could do the 1200 calories because the shakes were filling but I think the weight came off faster than other Herbalife users because I nearly stopped eating bread and pasta. If i wanted a sandwich I'd have it on a thinbun or split the filling between corn tortillas (100 cals for 2). I also ate a lot of nuts and jerky as snacks, so it was like Atkins meets Slimfast. Of course, using that method wasn't sustainable because of cost (and I like food!) so I gained someback. and now that I'm not using Herbalife to lose, I'm losing a lot slower, but also learning to be accountable for my food decisions and actually exercising. So fear not! Consistency is the name of the game. And WHAT you eat (not just how many calories it adds up to) makes a difference, so you could do some experiments (like try lower carbs for a week or lower sugar for a week or sodium or fat or whatever) to see what your body responds to.
  • jenanon1
    jenanon1 Posts: 58 Member
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    I feel your pain! I'm also seeing a slow weight loss, and have come to the conclusion that my calorie burn isn't anywhere near as high as the calculators say it is. I weigh everything, log everything, and exercise and don't eat back anywhere near all the cals but still only see slow weight loss. I reckon from my logging that my tdee is about 2200 even with exercising quite a bit for a fat girl. I'm trying hard to acknowledge that this is the way it is if I don't want to have to starve myself. Chin up, at least if it's slow we will keep it off!

    Eta my starting weight was a guess, so I think my actual loss is nearer 20 lbs than 30 since 6th Jan :/
  • pkteen
    pkteen Posts: 121 Member
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    +1 for slow loss. It preserves your muscle mass to an extent too. As long as you're losing, be happy.
    Congrats on the 20lbs! :)
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    It happens that way for some people. I am one of them!!

    In February 2012 I got seriously into the gym. I am 5'2" tall and weighed 228 lbs.that's 90lbs overweight! In the first year I lost less than 30lbs, despite going to the gym 4 days a week AND eating low carb. I did go from a size 18 to a 16.

    The second year, I started lifting weights with a trainer and I lost a few more pounds. At the beginning of the year I dropped from a 16 to a 14.

    Im now 4 months into my 3rd year...in January I dropped from a 14 to a 12. Im still lifting heavy, and I'm in the gym 5 days a week. Ive lost 6lbs since November, 4 of them in the last 6 weeks or so. I'm now 185lbs, and recently managed to button and zip a size 10,but I've got a huge muffin top in them. In another month, they should be ok.

    I'm still clinically obese for 20 more pounds AND it has taken me 28 months to lose 43lbs.
  • ACSL3
    ACSL3 Posts: 623 Member
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    One of my favorite quotes is: "Some quit due to slow progress, never grasping the fact that slow progress...is progress." I was one of those people who quit because it was too slow and I got frustrated and gave up. So, a couple of months ago when I found that quote I wrote it on a sticky note and pasted it up on my bathroom mirror so I'll see it at least twice a day.

    I'm not saying you couldn't lose weight faster if you changed things; every one is different and maybe if you changed one thing you would lose faster. But, as I explore different things and try to figure out what works best for my body, I try my best to remember the above quote. Becaues even if I only lose 0.25lb in a week or 1lb a month, it's still a lower weight than I was and I'm a little bit closer to my goal. It's been working well for me so far.

    Good luck! And congrats on the 20lbs so far!!! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

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