Has anyone given up on reaching their goal weight?

Tanie98
Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Has anyone given up on reaching their goal weight and decide to start maintaining instead when they reached a certain weight as it gets harder as you get lighter?
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Replies

  • tar0809
    tar0809 Posts: 122 Member
    I haven't really given up, but I don't worry about it was much. I know eventually I will get there but sometimes I just don't give a rats *kitten* about getting to my GW. Sometimes you just have to not be so anal or strict for awhile and then get back to it. I know that's what I do now. I've been at my current weight for about 5 months now without much weight loss and some days I'm ok with that then others I'm like nope I need to start losing again.
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
    I am tempted to quit trying because it's been 2 months and I haven't lost a thing at all. The only thing I changed was adding in exercise 5 days a week. I am beyond annoyed.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I think this would largely depend on if your goal weight was actually realistic...a lot of people just arbitrarily pick a weight without understanding their frame, body composition, etc. For example, while there are many 5'10" guys out there who weigh 150 Lbs or so and that would be right in the middle of healthy BMI for me...but it would be completely unrealistic for me to get down to that weight...to do so would require me to burn up a lot of muscle, not just fat.

    So I guess it just depends on whether or not you set a goal that was actually realistic or not. Personally, I never went by scale weight for a goal..it's very arbitrary and made of of numerous things, only one of which is fat. BF% and composition is much better.
  • Ldbg289
    Ldbg289 Posts: 236 Member
    I have days I feel like I wanna give up because I'm so close to that number I originally set(btw I wanna lose between 75&85 pounds before I kind of re evaluate) on those days I talk to either my mom or my friends and tell them how I'm feeling. I know it sounds stupid but just talking it through reminds me of why I started this process in the first place and reminds me that I would only be hurting myself if I walked away from this(and proving my dad right which would kill me haha). By the way, my dad predicted that I'd quit and gain it all back....and then some. Oh and yes I agree....it's a lot harder now that I'm lighter but I don't let that stop me.
  • japaneseboy
    japaneseboy Posts: 26 Member
    Why should it get (noticably) harder to lose weight as you get lighter? I've seen that statement multiple times now and i don't understand the rationale and personally, i can't confirm it at all.
  • teresamwhite
    teresamwhite Posts: 947 Member
    I gave up trying to attain a goal WEIGHT and have instead focused more on goal SIZE...i don't care if i am 200lbs if I am healthy and fit comfortably into a size 8. Since i started lifting, I haven't lost much in terms of pounds, but have lost quite a bit in terms of inches.
  • Cjmi427
    Cjmi427 Posts: 26 Member
    My goal weight was kind of randomly chosen. I had been 115 at my lowest weight while breastfeeding and felt pretty good about it, so that's what I picked.
    Then I started seeing pics of MFP ladies who were lifting weights and looked fab! I also looked at that site where they show pictures of people who all weigh the same but their bodies look totally different. I decided that it was time to rethink my goal weight.
    I was pretty close to my goal weight when I switched my calorie goal to maintenance, started lifting and eating back most of my exercise calories.
    I've lost a couple more pounds since then and I notice changes in my body from lifting. I still weigh myself, but I rely more on measurements and pictures now.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    I am tempted to quit trying because it's been 2 months and I haven't lost a thing at all. The only thing I changed was adding in exercise 5 days a week. I am beyond annoyed.

    You might want to reevaluate the amount of calories you're taking in. I know since I do the TDEE method, that they recommend adjusting your calories after about 10 pounds lost. You might be taking in too many calories for your current weight.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Why should it get (noticably) harder to lose weight as you get lighter? I've seen that statement multiple times now and i don't understand the rationale and personally, i can't confirm it at all.

    Because when you're fatter, you use more calories, so you can eat more food and still maintain a substantial deficit.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I am tempted to quit trying because it's been 2 months and I haven't lost a thing at all. The only thing I changed was adding in exercise 5 days a week. I am beyond annoyed.

    Maybe you are burning less than you think and thus eating a bit too much?
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  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
    I actually set my goal weight about 15 pounds higher than what I'd really like to weigh, just being realistic. I'm within about 12-13 pounds of my goal and still losing several pounds a month. When I reach my goal (when, not if) I will re-evaluate whether I want to maintain or keep going.:ohwell:
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Sort of. A trainer told me years ago that I should definitely stay under 120 lbs and my dr would also like me to be between 113-118. I stay around 122-127, not higher than 132.

    As long as I'm active and eating right, I don't make myself crazy.
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    Why should it get (noticably) harder to lose weight as you get lighter? I've seen that statement multiple times now and i don't understand the rationale and personally, i can't confirm it at all.

    Because when you're fatter, you use more calories, so you can eat more food and still maintain a substantial deficit.

    Ecxactly ,you also burn less calories when you are lighter than someone who is heavy. Your calorie deficient also get reduced so when I don't work since I have an active job or exercise ,I struggle and fee weak all the time since my body is yearning for more calories
  • LotusAsh
    LotusAsh Posts: 294 Member
    given up here
  • PeauxPeaux
    PeauxPeaux Posts: 71 Member
    I got within 5 pounds of goal weight and STAYED THERE for more than a year.... SO. Then I upped my GOAL, thinking if I was ten pounds away from goal weight, it would trick me int losing 5.

    I am either too smart to be tricked by stupid me, or too dumb to be able to trick my clever self...one of those.

    It has been almost 17 months since I got here. I am tempted to just say OH WELL and change THIS to my goal weight except I feel certain -- CERTAIN! I would immediately gain five pounds.
  • poohbah4
    poohbah4 Posts: 127
    As I've lost weight, I've become significantly more active, which probably counteracts the tendency to lose at a slower rate because of a lower calorie requirement.
  • strongereveryday7
    strongereveryday7 Posts: 53 Member
    Never threw in the towel and given up completely, but I have had plenty of setbacks! I just try to re-evaluate my goals and objectives to ensure they are realistic and attainable, then "get back on the horse" so to speak! :)
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    given up here

    what was your original goal weight and how far have you made it?
  • strongereveryday7
    strongereveryday7 Posts: 53 Member
    As I've lost weight, I've become significantly more active, which probably counteracts the tendency to lose at a slower rate because of a lower calorie requirement.

    I don't know you, but I'm uber proud of your progress! Keep up the good work. What an inspiration and proof that hard work pays off! :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Why should it get (noticably) harder to lose weight as you get lighter? I've seen that statement multiple times now and i don't understand the rationale and personally, i can't confirm it at all.

    As you lean out, your body requires fewer and fewer calories...so for example, lets say 2000 calories at your starting point gives you a 500 calorie deficit because your maintenance is 2500 calories...as you lean out, your maintenance number decreases...so that deficit shrinks which means you lose more slowly. The only way to combat this is by reducing your intake further (often not a viable option for many) or increasing activity or some combination of both.

    Add to that, you don't have the fat stores you used to have so maintaining larger deficits results in more fatigue as you simply can't convert enough fat for energy. You also run a greater risk of muscle loss when you have dwindling fat stores but you're trying to maintain a large deficit.

    People can literally work on those last few points in BF% for months and even years.
  • tradergeorge
    tradergeorge Posts: 1
    This can happen, especially if you have lost a lot of weight in a short time. Your body will "rebel" and go into conservation mode...You probably need to change your thinking more than your plan....When this happened to me, I changed my goal to a much more conservative one (.5 pounds per week)...This will allow you to eat more, but you have to be religious about reporting and logging...Once you get used to the new regimen, even if it takes several months, the weight will start coming off again. Then, once you get to your goal, you can just change your goal to maintaining abd you will find that nothing changes much....You will be on a regimen that you can keep for life...Good luck!!!
  • RacquetChick
    RacquetChick Posts: 164 Member
    Yes, I always wanted to weigh 135 but can never seem to get lower than 142
  • BrillFit
    BrillFit Posts: 368
    Has anyone given up on reaching their goal weight and decide to start maintaining instead when they reached a certain weight as it gets harder as you get lighter?

    Yes and no.

    I mean, like you said - it get's harder as you lose weight and fat. The smaller you are, the more effort and more consistency you need to continue progressing.

    I realized the goal should be less about an actual number on a scale, and more about how you feel and look.
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Why should it get (noticably) harder to lose weight as you get lighter? I've seen that statement multiple times now and i don't understand the rationale and personally, i can't confirm it at all.
    Part of it is that you burn less. Part of it is as you get leaner, your body has less stores to draw from. So it has a harder time coming up with the 500 kcal deficit from fat causing fatigue and other issues at that deficit level. You can also look at it the other way. People with a lot of weight to lose can handle a 1000 kcal/day deficit and feel fine.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    For the most part, I have. 140 isn't gong to happen because I can't get below 170. Scale weight is the only goal I have left that's unreachable, so it's becoming a stupid goal when it's the only one.
  • rainbowfaye
    rainbowfaye Posts: 68 Member
    Nope. In fact I'm certain I can get there. However, I'm not even halfway yet so we will see in a year or so.
  • Michifan
    Michifan Posts: 95 Member
    Goal weights are arbitrary and the closer you get towards it the more you should know if it is a reasonable number (high or low).

    What good is a goal weight that you cannot maintain long term and feel good about?
  • Tanie98
    Tanie98 Posts: 675 Member
    Yes, I always wanted to weigh 135 but can never seem to get lower than 142
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    Sort of.... I've been at a plateau for nearly 3 months. My goal is 115 and I'm at 120. I'm netting around 1200, eating back exercise calories. I've even tried netting around 1100, no dice. I also work out a lot. If I really wanted the goal, I could give up my one cheat day a week or even try to net around 1000 (I'm very short and older, so it's possible) , but I don't know if I want it that badly.
    I just bought a new workout outfit and also wanted to buy some pants on clearance at GAP. They had only 28 in what I wanted, which is my usual size, but I'm down to 27. So, I am getting smaller and more muscular. I had been told by a nutritionist a while back that it would be very hard, possibly not even possible to lose the last 5 lbs. However, I'm still tracking my food and still working out because even if I'm not at my goal, if I go back to my old ways, I'll also go back to my "old body."

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