Only losing 2-3 lbs. a month?

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jillerin457
jillerin457 Posts: 70
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been at this since Thanksgiving, and my progress has been really slow. With fluctuations, I net about 2-3 lbs./month lost, going from the high 150s to mid 140s. I'm 5'8" and turned 30 last year. At first I stuck to 1500 cal/day, and about a month ago went down to 1310, which helped a little. I doubt going any lower would work; 1310 seems to be rock-bottom for my metabolism. (Any lower and I'm just miserable.)

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to jump-start the loss? Does this incredibly slow pace mean I'm more likely to keep the weight off?

Replies

  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    You're right on track, seeing as how you don't have much to lose. The less you have to lose, the slower you should be losing it because your body doesn't have the fat supply to support a huge calorie deficit. If you haven't already, make sure your goal is only 1/2 to 1 lb a week, and just keep working on it. The last 10-15 lbs to lose are the hardest. Make sure you're getting in strength training and cardio.
  • MakingAChoice
    MakingAChoice Posts: 481 Member
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    You don't tell us if you are exercising at all and your diary is set to private so we cannot be much help with no real information to go on.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    That's not an incredibly slow pace. It's right on target. You don't have much to lose, so it's not realistic to expect a 2-lb loss every week at this point. Keep doing what you're doing, and celebrate that slow, steady, HEALTHY loss! :)
  • catysthename
    catysthename Posts: 278 Member
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    Your diary is on private...go to your settings and set it to public so we can help!
  • lcastaneda
    lcastaneda Posts: 27 Member
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    The most important thing is not to give up!!! 2-3 lbs a month may not be much but it is better than losing 0 or gaining some back right? Our bodies are as individual as we are & respond accordingly. Sometimes shaking things up a bit in your food or exercise routine can move that dail a bit more. Hang in there!

    Lisa ;0)
  • MeredithLee11
    MeredithLee11 Posts: 192 Member
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    Since you're tall and have a "normal" BMI, I wouldn't be that concerned. I know plateau's can be frustrating, but at least you're still losing some weight. I've never tried it, but I've heard that some people have luck with "zig-zagging" their calories. I'm not exactly sure how they do it numbers-wise, but I bet you'd find something about it if you did a search on the forums or on Google.
  • Tcasillas
    Tcasillas Posts: 30
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    140-150 sounds like a great weight for your height. Im the same height and i am trying to get to 160. any smaller and i look sick. lol

    but i eat 1250 calories a day. its gets easier and easier. and you know the more you work out the more you can eat. so its really really easy. most of the time i dont even eat back all my calories burned just because im not hungry or have had my 3 meals plus 2 or 3 snacks through the day. i do really easy at home workout with jillian micheals.
  • NanBar
    NanBar Posts: 283 Member
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    ONLY?

    Can you imagine turning that around and saying- "I only gained 2-3 pounds this month..."?

    Slow loss is healthy loss.
  • bobball
    bobball Posts: 57
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    Agreed, right on target. I am experiencing the same issue since October of last year. My last 10-15 are going away slowly but because I am working out, I know that my fat content is going down and perhaps gaining a little muscle. The scale is not a good judge when you get down to the last 10. You should be getting your Body Fat measured using a more accurant type of measurement like calipers. If you know someone who is a personal trainer, perhaps you can have them measure you on a monthly basis (and buy them a cup of coffee or a healthy lunch for their time). Or buy some. But you have to have someone else help to measure you.

    B
  • freefallingsora
    freefallingsora Posts: 2
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    Try changing up what you are doing. Trick your metabolism up a bit. When your body becomes used to doing something, it doesn't try to lose any more weight. You end up hitting a plateau because you are becoming immune to the actions. Try doing a calorie dip once a week. Go down to about 1200 for a day and then resume your normal intake. And then on another day, go up to about 1450. Doing this will tell your metabolism that it doesn't have to worry about you. Also, changing up your exorcise routine is good too. For example, if you run for cardio, switch it to the elyptical one day and then dancing another. Just doing something different tells your body to wake back up. You'll get to your goal, you're already half way there! You just have to be patient and positive about it. Your mood helps you lose more too :)
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
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    it's really hard to help anyone if we can't see your diary. if you would at least open it up to members only it would be very helpful when asking for help as someone may be able to see something that you are missing.
  • jillerin457
    jillerin457 Posts: 70
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    Thanks for the input, everyone! It's true that at least I'm *losing* and not gaining!

    For the zig-zagging calories, I agree that is a good idea. I've tried it before and could definitely stand to try it again. As others said, a change to my routine couldn't hurt. I'm currently studying for my PhD qualifying exams, so most of the exercise I get is carrying loads of books to and from the library! (That's an exaggeration, but not much of one.) Once I get to May, I can fit in more intentional exercise, and that will probably help a lot.

    As for my weight/height ratio, I'm a borderline small-medium frame (thumb and forefinger just barely overlap around my wrist), so I could go down to 125 and still be healthy. At this point, 135 would be great, though! In high school I was about 130 so that seems reasonable.

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