Moving really slowly

KimDis
KimDis Posts: 24 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've lost weight before. And kept it off for a respectable amount of time. My biggest enemy in this struggle has been a growing sedentary lifestyle and laziness. I felt those clothes grow tighter & just didn't focus on this. Kept making excuses...

So now I'm sticking to my diet (seriously) and have been increasing my exercise (up to 4x per week with Pilates & walking). I drink at LEAST 8 glasses of water (and I don't count it when I add Mio or an additive) daily.

It's been 28 days & I'm a bit surprised at my weight loss. I didn't expect 5lbs every week... but I really thought I'd have lost 3-4lbs weekly the 1st two weeks. Instead I lost about 3 lbs the 1st week and have barely eeked out 1.5lbs a week since then.

At this rate it will take almost 4 months for me to see changes in my clothing & my face. And longer for me to get to goal.

In the past my 1st few weeks were BIG weeks (5-6lbs per week). That loss and those changes kept me motivated.

I just don't know how long I can do this if it's gonna take a year. It did not take me a year to gain a good portion of this weight. Major stress over just a few months led to changes I did not counter with increased activity & self control. I'd do almost anything to lose 4lbs just one of these weeks. And I'm terrified of what happens if I plateau. I'm eating around 1200-1300 calories a day and working out. I can't exercise 2 hours a day. I can't eat less & I can barely get in all of the Jenny Craig foods on my menu as it is.

I'm just beginning to feel overwhelmed.

Any ideas on how to stay motivated?

Replies

  • JanaGentry
    JanaGentry Posts: 4 Member
    I too am dealing with the same thing....I'm at a loss as to what to do...I've been doing almost identical to what you have been doing. I've been eating about 1200-1300 calories a day, trying to exercise 2-3 times a week, yet I've only lost about 3 pounds.

    I've tried reducing the amount of carbs and increasing the amount of protien...but nothing seems to work.

    I'm equally as frustrated!
  • NAMsMommy
    NAMsMommy Posts: 132 Member
    Just curious why you don't count it if you add an additive. I guess I am one of those who counts it as "water" if it has no calories and no caffeine.

    As for the motivation, every person is different, so I can't say exactly what will work for you, but what about measurements? I know when I'm not losing, sometimes it is inches.

    Another thing I do is set fitness goals. I am a runner, so I sign myself up for 5 and 10k runs and try to beat my personal best. Or I will make a mileage goal for the month.

    Hopefully something I said helps. =)
  • Emma1903
    Emma1903 Posts: 195
    In my opinion they are big losses, you have to think of it as in 2 weeks you have lost 4.5lbs in 2 weeks so that averages to just over 2 lb a week which is a big loss. Go to your cupboard and weigh out 4.5lbs and then hold it feel the weight, feel how much you was carrying around every day see if this motivates you, it might sound silly but it works.
    Also are you eating your exercise calories back?
  • ValMae
    ValMae Posts: 52 Member
    Make sure you take your measurements as well as just weight! I wasn't losing very many lbs but my body was changing a lot in my measurements and that kept me motivated until I did start losing again. It really helps to see that you've lost inches off your waist in a month and other achievements like that!
  • cbaines74
    cbaines74 Posts: 77
    Don't give up, I am in the same boat. I lost 45lbs back in 2004 and gained it all back and some. I started here on April 11th and have only lost 6lbs, Before it fell off quickly, but like someone here told me, you are in this for the long haul, screw the scale! As long as you are feeling better who cares if it does take that long, it is well worth it in the long run for your health!! :-)
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
    Measure! If you don't measure, buy a measuring tape today!! It sounds like you are working out hard, and maybe the scale isn't moving as quickly as you'd like, but I BET you are losing inches. Also, make sure its the same time of day you are weighing, and the same clothing. With jenny craig, watch your sodium intake- even with all of that water you might be retaining fluid :) Also, take vitamins daily! To help with water retention, boil a WHOLE lemon (cut in half, peel and all) in 2 cups of water and drink away, do this the evening before you weigh, or everyday if you'd like. Hope that helps!
  • superjae5
    superjae5 Posts: 64 Member
    You have to remember too that doing it the right way means you'll probably often drop a pound a week unless you're doing crazy amounts of physical activity or exercise. 2 lbs a week sounds like you're really making good progress to me. I think if you want it faster than that you'll have to put in the extra exercise time, because limiting food doesn't do it quick and shouldn't (quick meaning more than 2 lbs/week).

    But I agree with the comments of the others on here, make sure you're eating your exercise calories back for your goal. If your body goes into starvation mode it won't let go of extra pounds.
  • KimDis
    KimDis Posts: 24 Member
    See here's the thing: my clothes aren't fitting any differently either. So I don't think I'm losing inches. And I get the whole muscle vs fat loss thing... but I have 50lbs to lose. I'm not gonna weigh what I do now, have that be muscle gain, and fit into a size 10...

    I've been adding lemon to my water but will try adding more. I take vitamins daily since I want to make sure my body is getting the nutrients it needs. I've been increasing my exercise slowly - gonna increase again this week to 5 days. I'm trying to make changes that will really last.

    Hardest part is probably eating exercise calories... I can barely find the time/tummy space to eat the calories on my menu... plus i'm not comfortable going off plan. I don't know how to do this.

    Thanks for the good ideas :)
  • KimDis
    KimDis Posts: 24 Member
    Almost forgot - the reason I haven't added my mio enhanced water is cuz my JCraig consultant said that I should only count true water with nothing added for my intake. I decided why not, couldn't hurt.

    I also realized that the last time I lost weight I took vitamins that stimulated my liver to give up the fat my body was losing. Not on that program anymore, but I'm thinking it can't hurt to drink some dandelion root tea - it helps stimulate liver function & clean the body of toxins.

    I have a recipe for a mix of this, pure cranberry juice, and lemon that I'm going to begin to drink. Maybe this will get things moving...
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