Losing the last 10lbs

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awoolbright772
awoolbright772 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello. I am currently trying to lose my last 10lbs, and as we all know they're the hardest to lose. I'm wondering as to what you guys think I should do to lose the last of the weight. I've been jogging/walking for about 10 or 15 minutes in the mornings. And then doing about 20 minutes of aerobics in the evenings. I also installed the My Fitness Pal app, and I've been eating 1200 calories a day. I would really like to lose the rest of it in 2 months, if that's possible.

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  • ashcat94
    ashcat94 Posts: 8 Member
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    I'm in exactly the same boat! Any help would be appreciated :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    1200 calories is probably not going to be enough but we can start simple with, do you have a food scale? Can we have your height and weight? Also, have you considered lifting? It's much better for changing the shape of your body than a deficit by itself.

    Really weight loss is all about a calorie deficit.
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
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    Have you tried Intermittent Fasting?
  • awoolbright772
    awoolbright772 Posts: 12
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    I am 5'7'' and I am currently 163lbs. I do use 5lbs dumbells a couple times a week.
  • awoolbright772
    awoolbright772 Posts: 12
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    I don't own a food scale, and I tried fasting for a little while and I don't think that's for me.
  • protein321
    protein321 Posts: 16 Member
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    Make sure to use your food scale, you need to be as accurate as you can when it comes to losing your last 10 LBs because it's harder. You're probably not counting your calories right, use that scale!
  • ladybird89
    ladybird89 Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm on my last 10 pounds too!! It's so hard to budge the scale!

    I've heard that once you reach this plateau, it's important to do resistance training in order to regain some of the muscle you probably lost through weight loss. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. I don't know about you, but personally, I can tell that my legs and butt are less toned than they were even when I was heavier, because I only focused on cardio (also went through periods of no exercise at all).

    My plan is to be very strict with the 1,200 calorie limit (don't go lower than that, it's very dangerous!!), get moderate cardio 6 days a week, and start lifting weights to rebuild muscle.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    Same for me, last 10lbs!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    The closer you get to goal, the more slowly you lose. That's just the way the human body works. Set your goal to .5 lb. per week—which is way more than 1,200 calories—and be patient. The smaller deficit will also help you transition to maintenance.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    I don't own a food scale, and I tried fasting for a little while and I don't think that's for me.

    That would be the first thing to correct. A food scale is the only way to ensure you are accurate and the average person can under estimate their calories in by as much as 400 calories or more a day. Second, you are young and active, there is no reason to eat 1200 calories a day, you will probably need more. At this point, you should be aiming for 1/2 to 1 lb per week max. Also, I would recommend around 120g of protein to help with muscle retention. And I would look to do some real lifting. 5 lbs isn't even more than the average purse. If you dont have access to a gym, you can start with body weight resistance training but I would really look to get into a lifting program that involves compound moves.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
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    I'm on my last 10 pounds too!! It's so hard to budge the scale!

    I've heard that once you reach this plateau, it's important to do resistance training in order to regain some of the muscle you probably lost through weight loss. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest. I don't know about you, but personally, I can tell that my legs and butt are less toned than they were even when I was heavier, because I only focused on cardio (also went through periods of no exercise at all).

    My plan is to be very strict with the 1,200 calorie limit (don't go lower than that, it's very dangerous!!), get moderate cardio 6 days a week, and start lifting weights to rebuild muscle.

    Muscle is not easily built. Muscle building also requires a calorie surplus. Certainly aren't going to build muscle eating a measly 1200 calories.

    You've got it backwards. You lift weights in a deficit to retain your lean body mass. Not aim to "get it back" after the fact. You also pick a non aggressive calorie deficit to ensure you retain.

    Women in the most ideal conditions still gain minimal amount of muscle in a caloric surplus. I'd rather retain what I had at 50 lbs ago, or at least most of it than spend years trying to get it back
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I'm an inch taller and a quite a bit older than you are, and I lost my last 10lbs eating 1800-2000 cals a day. :smile: Honestly, it probably took about a year for those 10 lbs to come off, but it wasn't hard. Exercise included running (3-5 miles) 3 days a week, and some form of strength/resistance training the other 3, usually about 60 minutes or less. I workout at home with dumbbells, using the Nike Training Club app or Fitness Blender videos (free online site), and the occasional round of a Kickboxing DVD.

    I say it wasn't hard because I was eating the proper amount of calories for my stats and activity level, which left me well fueled for workouts, left plenty of room for treats and dinners out/parties/hoildays, etc - basically a sustainable way of eating and exercising that fit's my lifestyle. :drinker: I was more interested in the fact that my clothes were getting looser all the time and buying new, smaller clothing than I was in what the scale said at that point. Inches and FAT were coming off! And then one day the scale showed my goal weight.

    That was over two years ago, and I have maintained my loss and new sizes, and continue to eat well and enjoy life, staying active and still striving for new challenges and accomplishments.

    Make sure you're eating the proper amount of cals for you. Don't try to rush the loss by slashing cals too low - it's a great way to end up crashing and burning, and being frustrated with not being able to stick with it. Agree with those who said get a food scale - one of my favorite tools and I still weigh and measure as much as possible. If you're not already, grab a tape measure and start tracking your measurements - better way to see your progress, especially as you get closer to goal. A few pics for comparison are good to have as well. And consider adding strength or resistance training of some sort to your workouts. I use dumbbells at home, usually 8-30lbs sets, and would go for the big barbells if I had the space and cash for them! Best results at reshaping my body have come from using the weights.

    Good luck!
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    ...I can tell that my legs and butt are less toned than they were even when I was heavier, because I only focused on cardio ...
    What cardio did you do that didn't work your legs and butt?
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
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    Losing the last 10 has been elusive. I have been trying for 2 years. I lost 60 no problem and then bam, it stopped.
  • bfanny
    bfanny Posts: 440 Member
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    Me too! I lost 40 lbs no problem then got stuck around 140 for years!!! (5'4") What's working for me lately is that my activity level is set at sedentary and to lose .5 a week, which is 1350 cals, and I eat my burned cals thru exercise (hrm) I started jogging (no more than 3 miles) 2 times a week, lifting as heavy as I can also twice a week, spinning once + a long walk with yoga at home 1 day, also I started measuring most of my foods (again) it takes a lot of effort now I think because our bodies are not impressed anymore with exercise and healthier food, we have to shake thing up, at least is finally working for me...Good Luck!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I started measuring most of my foods (again) it takes a lot of effort now.
    ^^^This.

    The closer you get to goal, the smaller the margin of error. So you must log everything you eat & drink even more honestly & even more accurately. Weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods. Measure every liquid that has calories.

    Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.

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