So close yet so far! Anyone lose a lot and still struggling?

tmt2003 · July 2014

I joined MFP in 2011 and have lost 100 pounds. I have been working on the last 20 or so for the past year! I lose 5, gain 5, lose 3 gain 2. I still log daily and exercise 4-5 times a week, but I just can't seem to get this done. I'm not whining or crying "plateau" I know excatly what the problems are (eating too much and be 'comfortable'). Was just looking for people in similar situation as myself, there has to be people out there. I searched the group forums, but I couldn't find anything. A lot of people don't understand my struggles, they think either 1) I don't have to lose anymore weight and have body image problems (um I weigh 165 and would like to get down to 145, I don't think that is in anyway unreasonable) or 2) I have already lost so much, I should just be happy with what I lost.

One part of me is like: get it together girl, you are SO close!!! The other part of me thinks, hell, I'm almost 40 and have been obsese my whole life. there is nothing wrong with being a size 12, keep enjoying your pizza weekends! yeah, this is pretty much a daily conversation I have with myself.

Can anyone out there relate?

BigT555 · July 2014

yep, with 65 lbs down and only 20 to go, its hard for me not to get complacent, especially since they are pretty much just vanity pounds at this point. probably why i havent seen a decent scale decline in a couple months, i do well through the week, end up at the bars on a friday and get the "screw it, ive only got 20 left" mentality and drink my deficit away

FindingAmy77 · July 2014

oh yes. I think my husband makes it worse by always complimenting me and going on about how small I am. I still have more to lose and more muscles to gain. It seems so hard some days if I don't preplan ahead of time. I think I exercise extra just so I can eat over my calories and not feel so guilty. Just tell yourself just for today. Let yourself have the good stuff but eat around it the rest of the day. Like if we are having pizza for dinner then I eat lighter early in the day. I find that every 20lbs lost I have to give myself a break from eating at a deficit and just eat at maintence. It helps me to reassess things for a bit. COngrats on that big loss and yes size 12 looks great and average. I bet you look and feel amazing. At this point I keep telling myself I am making muscles and don't care if I get smaller. That is my motivation.

pinkyslippers · July 2014

Totally! I've lost 70lbs and have been trying to lose the last 15 for over a year. I've just lost my mojo and consistency and I'm constantly losing and gaining the same 5lbs, over and over ad nauseam...

I've been thinking of moving to maintenance for a while, I'm not sure. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:

mlanders22 · July 2014

First, congrats on your success! 100 pounds is a huge accomplishment

Second, I understand! I'm down 80 pounds since October of 2012, but have only lost around 10 pounds since November of last year. The hardest part for me is I just get tired of logging. So I take a few days off from logging and eat way too many calories. I struggle daily, and you're right it is hard to find people who get it. When I say I want to lose another 30-40 pounds people look at me like I'm crazy.

editorgrrl · July 2014

The margin of error gets smaller & smaller the closer you get to goal. So you need to log everything you eat & drink even more accurately & even more honestly than you did before.

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week, and be patient. The smaller deficit will 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

tmt2003 · July 2014

The margin of error gets smaller & smaller the closer you get to goal. So you need to log everything you eat & drink even more accurately & even more honestly than you did before.

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week, and be patient. The smaller deficit will 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

yep. I know what the problems are and HOW to get it done, I just can't seem to get there. no more scarfing down pizza on the weekends and killing it the rest of the week and still getting a 2 pound loss on the scale. totally sucks!!

Iwishyouwell · July 2014

Yep, totally can relate.

Like you I started in 2011, right before summer. I was 320. I got down to the 270s in December. I was strictly low carbing.

From January 2012-June 9, 2013 I basically maintained on my low carb eating plan. I evened out at around 275. I would sometimes dip into the upper 260s or go into the 280s. I was enjoying the level of eating that sustained me and didn't make any major, long term strides to break my "stall".

June 10th I started intermittent fasting at 286. Today I'm almost in Onderland. However my weight loss has not been linear over the last year. I've had periods of losing a lot, losing a little, maintaining, and even gaining.

I've recommitted to being more devoted to weight loss because I just want the leg of this journey done at this point. But I was stuck in a rut for months. At the root of it I realized that while I really, really want to get to my goal there has been some psychological resistance going on. I'm approaching a weight range that I haven't seen in at least 11 years. I'm thrilled, yes, but this weight struggle has helped define me for a long time. I HATE being fat, yet the battle has been integral to me. The fat also served as a great excuse not to move forward in some areas in my life and without it there are no excuses left. Ending this journey takes away "the devil I know" and part of me has been slowing things down the closer I get to my goals. It's illogical, but it's the truth.

I'm over that at the moment and pressing on. I just got so damn tired of this weight loss journey. My commitment to just finishing this has renewed my resolve and energized my journey. I'm back to losing again and I'm really pleased about that.

healthygreek · July 2014

I relate to what you're saying.
I lost 60 pounds and I want to lose just 5 more.
Ain't happening here either.
I lose 3-gain 3
Lose 2-gain 1
Lose 4-gain 3

I've finally told myself I'm fine here for now (125)-at least I'm really good at maintaining.
Maybe eventually I'll get down there.

brookielaw · July 2014

Yep. I can relate. I still have a long way to go but I have been hovering at 170-175 lb lost for a few months now. I'll gain 5, re-lose it, gain, and re-lose. I'm less than 20 lb from a major milestone and maybe 40-50 from my UGW but I've gotten a little slacky. I don't LIKE eating 1300 calories a day (forget 1200 MFP!) and I struggle to stay under, even with exercise. I'm in a relatively new relationship and very happy on that front but some days I just don't have the discipline to weigh, measure, log, and exercise. I know those great habits are what helped me drop all that weight, yet some times I just can't make myself do the right thing. I'll admit, since May I've kind of lost my focus.

Right now my approach is one day at a time. I'm on day 4 of great behavior and just hoping to extend the streak another day. The results should follow.

thegreatcanook · July 2014

I hear you! I'm down 106 and working on the last 25. Add me if you want to do this together!

tmt2003 · July 2014

I knew there was more of us out there! Crazy to feel 20 pounds is as overwhelming as I once thought 100 was. Also crazy after losing so much to feel such an impact over 5 pounds - the difference between my pants fitting comfortably or looking like a stuffed sausage.

I want to enjoy life, so I'm not willing to give up my favorite foods...after 3 years still trying to learn moderation

binglebandit · July 2014

Totally me. I worked hard for a little over a year to lose about 80lbs, then went to maintenance for a bit to see if I was happy at the weight I was already at (was debating on losing more or just focusing on doing weights). Instead I kind of did neither for a year and wobbled back and forth between gaining a couple lbs, losing them, gaining them, etc. Now I've gained back 10lbs, and am trying to regain my focus. Been on MFP for two years and have logged consistently the whole time at least, so I know exactly what I do wrong when I do it. Sometimes it's just hard not to cheat when I can say, well I was okay with weighing more, so what does a little hurt.

Overall I think it was good to take a "break" for a while. It let my head catch up with my body and for my body to recover a bit from losing weight. My skin has gotten a chance to tighten up a bit, and I have a clearer idea of what I really look like. I think what really kept things together was just making myself log no matter what, otherwise I'd probably be completely off track. I think the biggest "mistake" I made was not weighing in every week or month. By not doing that I ended up swinging out of my maintenance range.

This really is a life style, so instead of focusing on dropping a ton of weight like before (which was the easy part) I'm trying to focus on how to make this a real change to my daily life, which is a lot harder. I think the longer we can make this part of what we do, the easier it'll be to become a true habit. Best of luck to everyone with their goals.

gillianjanem · July 2014

Taking smal steps is wht worked for me... ive been using myfitnesspal for over a year now and have been yoyo-ing a lot!!! so far ive lost 6 kilos in a 6 weeks. This is what worked for me! long way to go for me!

http://www.confessionsoftiredmoms.com/fitness/easy-10k-changing-weight

2essie · July 2014

Congratulations on losing 100lbs. That is real dedication.

I am exactly the same. I got to within 8lbs of my 64lbs to lose. So close. But then I went on holiday and put 10lbs on. I got most of that ff but like you I have been playing with 5lbs up and down. I was so close, but I have been like this now for over a year. I thinķ we get complaicent and reasonably happy with our boďies and our motivation deserts us.

I have now talked myself back into losing some more (not for the first time just lately) and I hope this time to make it work agaìn.

Come on, you can do it. You have lost 100 lbs you can lose that last few. You will feel so good about yourself when you do. Get your head in gear and push yourseĺf. In comparison, it is just a few lbs. You are almost there :flowerforyou:

tmt2003 · July 2014

Congratulations on losing 100lbs. That is real dedication.

I am exactly the same. I got to within 8lbs of my 64lbs to lose. So close. But then I went on holiday and put 10lbs on. I got most of that ff but like you I have been playing with 5lbs up and down. I was so close, but I have been like this now for over a year. I thinķ we get complaicent and reasonably happy with our boďies and our motivation deserts us.

I have now talked myself back into losing some more (not for the first time just lately) and I hope this time to make it work agaìn.

Come on, you can do it. You have lost 100 lbs you can lose that last few. You will feel so good about yourself when you do. Get your head in gear and push yourseĺf. In comparison, it is just a few lbs. You are almost there :flowerforyou:

I hear you! 1.5 years ago I was within 15 pounds of my UGW. today, I only have 20 more to go, lol...

I too had gained, actually quite a bit, over the last 3 months of 2013 getting to comfortable, taking too many free days, vacations, etc. most of it is off now (it didn't just fall off when I got serious again, like I was sure it would! LOL). I have a closet full of form fitting clothes that don't look very nice when I lose my focus and my weight fluctuates. I refuse to buy more clothes until I can get the next smaller size ( I was SO close) but I have a ways to go to lose another size and have been strugglng for the past year - I am going to need clothes eventually!

Yes, I am "reasonably" happy, especially considering where i started from. Also, I think with having lost so much, people are not used to seeing me this way - the compliments have stopped from friends, coworkers, etc and with it that extra push knowing people are watching you.

Teresa

So close yet so far! Anyone lose a lot and still struggling?

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