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MrsC1st
MrsC1st Posts: 45 Member
in Motivation and Support
How long did it take you to reach your goal weight? How many calories did you consume during this time period? Did you exercise to lose the weight? How many calories did you burn during this time period? Could you please include your starting weight, goal weight and height. Did you lose weight quicker by consuming 1200 calories per day?

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  • True_Blue82
    True_Blue82 Posts: 17 Member
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    I dropped 30 pounds two years ago using Weight Watchers online app and website. Initially I wanted to drop 10 pounds - I'm 5'8" and I was 159, size 10-12. It took awhile to start losing - a few weeks, I think - but I started to see a greater decline on my measurements than on the scale. It took about 2 1/2 months to lose 10 pounds, but when I started to lose, I started to gain momentum and decided to keep going. By 5 months I'd dropped to 129-130 and a size 0-2. Two years later, I'm 133 pounds size 2.

    I can't tell you how many calories I was eating - I ate a TON of fruits and veggies which are for the most part "free" on WW. I loved the point system and can still tell you the points for almost any food. In terms of my maintenance, I eat about 1500 calories a day - 55% carbs, 25% protein, 20% fat. I no longer track by points.

    I eat very few processed carbs and if I do, they're whole grain. I avoid pasta, am careful about bread and potatoes. I rarely eat sugar - I use stevia instead. I splurge on things at least 1-2 times a week - today I had hamburger sliders (no bacon or mayo though) and kale salad for lunch with a mojito, even though that was probably half of my discretionary points for the week. There are very few sweets that I love enough for the calories and I'd rather "spend" my calories on a slice of good pizza or a glass of wine.

    The biggest moment for me was realizing that I wasn't "big boned" and destined to be a larger size. I took a link out of my watch, which blew my mind!

    My advice is slow & steady. I lost about .8-1.2 pounds per week. Diets don't work, only life changes do. Exercise is key, but I actually lost the weight without increasing my exercise (I was already exercising about 2-3 days a week). Also track your measurements. It was incredible to see the change over time in my arms, hips, bust, thighs and that kept me going when the scale didn't budge. I have nothing but huge praise for WW online and highly recommend it to anyone. The app is terrific too.

    GL!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    How long did it take you to reach your goal weight? The first or 2nd time? :laugh: About a year the first time, and 6 months the 2nd.

    I lost weight steadily over a 1 year period. I never ate 1200 calories a day. I set my number for 1 lb a week (at high weight of 169) and ate every single exercise calorie I earned!! There were times I had 1500 calories, wanted a roll with dinner, so went for a 3 mile walk. "Will work for food!"

    How many calories did you consume during this time period? 1400-1600 calories approximately

    Did you exercise to lose the weight? I exercised for my heart. I now exercise for muscle and my heart. I believe that too much cardio is counter productive to losing weight. We get so caught up in a thousand minutes of walking on a tread mill, and totally ignore the weight room or machines.

    Quick side story: I was 132 (my first time goal weight) when I hired a trainer. I worked with that trainer for 8 weeks. At the end, I was 134 and 2 sizes smaller.

    I didn't do more than 10 minutes of cardio in that time,

    How many calories did you burn during this time period? 200-300 on average

    Could you please include your starting weight, goal weight and height: 169 lbs, 5'2", 53 years old and my goal weight was 135. I am now 123.7 and still losing on 1500 calories a day (more if I work out)

    Did you lose weight quicker by consuming 1200 calories per day? I could consume 1200 calories because it was all meat, fish and veggies over the last 6 months. I became ill, and had to change my diet drastically. Not wanting to mess with my health any further, I followed SideSteel, Sarakraut and a few other weight lifters here. I started to be more mindful of eating and then using my body weight to build some muscle.

    Honestly, I wouldn't care of my weight goes up, if I am still in size 2 or 4! I bet I would look 100% better
  • MrsC1st
    MrsC1st Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    I dropped 30 pounds two years ago using Weight Watchers online app and website. Initially I wanted to drop 10 pounds - I'm 5'8" and I was 159, size 10-12. It took awhile to start losing - a few weeks, I think - but I started to see a greater decline on my measurements than on the scale. It took about 2 1/2 months to lose 10 pounds, but when I started to lose, I started to gain momentum and decided to keep going. By 5 months I'd dropped to 129-130 and a size 0-2. Two years later, I'm 133 pounds size 2.

    I can't tell you how many calories I was eating - I ate a TON of fruits and veggies which are for the most part "free" on WW. I loved the point system and can still tell you the points for almost any food. In terms of my maintenance, I eat about 1500 calories a day - 55% carbs, 25% protein, 20% fat. I no longer track by points.

    I eat very few processed carbs and if I do, they're whole grain. I avoid pasta, am careful about bread and potatoes. I rarely eat sugar - I use stevia instead. I splurge on things at least 1-2 times a week - today I had hamburger sliders (no bacon or mayo though) and kale salad for lunch with a mojito, even though that was probably half of my discretionary points for the week. There are very few sweets that I love enough for the calories and I'd rather "spend" my calories on a slice of good pizza or a glass of wine.

    The biggest moment for me was realizing that I wasn't "big boned" and destined to be a larger size. I took a link out of my watch, which blew my mind!

    My advice is slow & steady. I lost about .8-1.2 pounds per week. Diets don't work, only life changes do. Exercise is key, but I actually lost the weight without increasing my exercise (I was already exercising about 2-3 days a week). Also track your measurements. It was incredible to see the change over time in my arms, hips, bust, thighs and that kept me going when the scale didn't budge. I have nothing but huge praise for WW online and highly recommend it to anyone. The app is terrific too.

    GL!

    I'm always amazed by the posters who so freely give great advice here on mfp. Let me just say thanks for your response and that your post has inspired me. I know slow and steady wins the race and that I should be in no hurry. I would love to lose at least three to four pounds a week, so I just like to get positive feedback from ppl who have conquered their weightloss goal and made positive lifestyle changes. Thanks
  • MrsC1st
    MrsC1st Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    How long did it take you to reach your goal weight? The first or 2nd time? :laugh: About a year the first time, and 6 months the 2nd.

    I lost weight steadily over a 1 year period. I never ate 1200 calories a day. I set my number for 1 lb a week (at high weight of 169) and ate every single exercise calorie I earned!! There were times I had 1500 calories, wanted a roll with dinner, so went for a 3 mile walk. "Will work for food!"

    How many calories did you consume during this time period? 1400-1600 calories approximately

    Did you exercise to lose the weight? I exercised for my heart. I now exercise for muscle and my heart. I believe that too much cardio is counter productive to losing weight. We get so caught up in a thousand minutes of walking on a tread mill, and totally ignore the weight room or machines.

    Quick side story: I was 132 (my first time goal weight) when I hired a trainer. I worked with that trainer for 8 weeks. At the end, I was 134 and 2 sizes smaller.

    I didn't do more than 10 minutes of cardio in that time,

    How many calories did you burn during this time period? 200-300 on average

    Could you please include your starting weight, goal weight and height: 169 lbs, 5'2", 53 years old and my goal weight was 135. I am now 123.7 and still losing on 1500 calories a day (more if I work out)

    Did you lose weight quicker by consuming 1200 calories per day? I could consume 1200 calories because it was all meat, fish and veggies over the last 6 months. I became ill, and had to change my diet drastically. Not wanting to mess with my health any further, I followed SideSteel, Sarakraut and a few other weight lifters here. I started to be more mindful of eating and then using my body weight to build some muscle.

    Honestly, I wouldn't care of my weight goes up, if I am still in size 2 or 4! I bet I would look 100% better

    People say the second time around, is always better than the first time :). Thanks for taking the time to provide inspiration/advice. I'm slowly getting the idea that exercise is for health reasons and food intake is for weightloss lol. Thanks again for the inspiration, because I do tend to become a little anxious about the amount of time it takes to lose the weight. However, I'm learning to embrace this journey as a new lifestyle change; instead of a quick fix.
  • stardisgate
    stardisgate Posts: 16 Member
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    Well, I am just starting again.. So I can't tell you much about now. But a few years ago I lost 50 Ibs . It only took me a few months, but that was because I have medical issues and the doctor put me on a medication to help regulate one of the issues. I was also doing Zumba 2-3x a day and eating 1800 calories a day. This time I am trying it a bit differently, without the medication.

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