why is my weight loss so slow?

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Selina_Kyle_60
Selina_Kyle_60 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have lost 19 pounds in the past 5 months which is great, but I thought i would lose more weight than that by now. My starting weight was 185. in the past month I have lost one pound. I have been following MFP's recommendations. I consistently stay under my calorie goal and i go to the gym 4-6 days a week. I don't know what more i can do. Im at 1200 calories a day now because MFP suggested that as my calorie goal to lose 2 pounds a week except I don't actually lose 2 pounds a week. This is pissing me off. Im considering asking my doctor for some type of a diet pill when i see her next week. Also Im going to start taking my measurements this weekend. I feel like MFP sets up these goals for you that you think are attainable but they are not, for me anyway. I feel like it has trained me to expect a 2 pound loss per week but it doesn't seem to happen. I feel like throwing in the towel. Why am I killing myself!!!

Replies

  • kayeiam
    kayeiam Posts: 215 Member
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    are you eating back your burned calories at the gym? If so, don't eat so many back.
  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member
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    My starting weight was 172lbs and 166 days of constant logging I'm down 11lbs. That sounds like nothing, but it's 11lbs I wouldn't have lost if I had thrown in the towel every time I got fed up.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    The lowest that MFP will give you is 1200 cal/day. So if your maintenance cals are 2000 and you'd have to cut by 1000 in order to see a 2 lb loss, it's still going to give you a goal of 1200.

    You are losing at a good pace. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • mattreadfx
    mattreadfx Posts: 50 Member
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    kayeiam wrote: »
    are you eating back your burned calories at the gym? If so, don't eat so many back.

    yup

    I did this for months, ate back too many calories


  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    When I started this 3 years ago, I was also frustrated with my slow weight loss. If i was lucky I would lose maybe 5lbs a month, sometimes 2lbs, sometimes 8lbs, but I kept at it, there was a lot of crying and yelling, but I never gave up and I'm glad I did, it took 18 months, but I lost 100lbs and so far kept it off. Without any drugs.

    There could be a lot of factors that you're not losing quickly: you're eating more than you think, you're not burning as much as you think, maybe try picking up some heavy weights, they do a body good and increases your metabolism. But always remember...you are losing and that's most important. Oh and congratulations on your weight loss!!!!
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
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    Just for comparison, I've been doing this since November of 2013 and I have "only" lost 22 pounds. It's probably going to take me another year to get down to my goal weight.

    When you say "killing yourself" sort of indicates to me that you've got an end date in mind. You do know that you may lose the weight, but to keep it off you'll have to be maintenance forever. Like, the rest of your life, right? So you may need to change your mindset a bit. This isn't like you can lose the weight then go back to eating and doing whatever you want thing. It's supposed to train you to eat better, exercise, and generally lead a healthier lifestyle. That's the idea, anyway.
  • abuck_13
    abuck_13 Posts: 382 Member
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    Following up on the others. A kitchen scale makes a HUGE difference. It is so easy to underestimate how much you are eating. With things like cereal, make sure you measure. I was surprised when I measured it out - I had actually been eating a little over 2 servings when I thought it was only one.

    Personally, I find a goal of .5 to 1 pound a week the best. I don't feel hungry, and it is easier to maintain in the long run.

    You've done well so far, keep at it, just really double check the portion sizes.
  • Paul_Collyer
    Paul_Collyer Posts: 160 Member
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    I think 2lb a week may be over ambitious, and you aren't managing it anyway. Try 1lb a week and try to meet your calorie target over each last 7 day period as you go, while being mindful of any possible inaccuracies in your workout burns. The most reliable way to track workout calorie burn is with a heart rate monitor btw.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    So you're losing on average a pound a week and that's slow?! Maybe lower your expectations you're losing a sensible amount of weight at a sensible pace.
  • ZakiJaye
    ZakiJaye Posts: 24 Member
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    Slow is good, a friend of mine started the same time as me last year and in the first 3 months lost 4 times what I did but couldn't maintain it and now is exactly where I am anyway.

    If you are going to be fit and healthy in the long term slow is the way to go. At this rate it will be another 18 months until I am at my goal weight, but this is for my whole life so it's worth the wait. No crash diets that I cannot keep up, just healthier food and moving about more, I do think that the main reason for people failing at weight loss is impatience, we live in a world where we can get almost everything NOW! Unfortunately not this... not if you want to keep it.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You're accidentally eating too much

    Either not weighing and logging properly or overestimating your calorie burns from exercise

    Probably a bit of both
  • Delilahhhhhh
    Delilahhhhhh Posts: 477 Member
    edited February 2015
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    OP congratulations so far. The name of the game is patience pure and simple, your profile says that you have done this before, so you know how it works, patience. I set myself other targets, how many squats, lunges, lost inches etc.

    I read this every six weeks or so it's keeps me honest with myself.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    and this, because it kinda makes sense to me, may be it might for you too?
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

    YOU CAN DO THIS!!

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Though 1lb a week suggests you're managing around a 500 cal defecit which is perfect if you have less than 75lb to lose
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    You are either not logging correctly or eating too much for your calorie burns. Your loss during the first 5 months bears this out. Also, a goal of 2 pounds per week is too aggressive. Your body will not want to sustain that. Set it to 1 pound per week and be very accurate with your logging, and only eat half of your exercise calories back.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    So the normal answer to all these questions is that you are eating more than you think and burning less.

    Are you weighing all your food?
    Are you eating back calories?
    How much exercise are you doing and what sort?
    Care to open your diary?

    The projected loss by MFP is pretty standard based on straight math.
    Instead of blaming MFP, then perhaps you might investigate possible causes as to why you arent losing at that rate? The less you have to lose then the less realistic 2lb becomes and its more like 1 or 0.5lb.

    2lb a week is attainable but you might have to work pretty hard for it. When these things happen to me I just get more determined and investigate solutions. Throwing in the towel would be the last thing on my mind.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    The lowest that MFP will give you is 1200 cal/day. So if your maintenance cals are 2000 and you'd have to cut by 1000 in order to see a 2 lb loss, it's still going to give you a goal of 1200.

    You are losing at a good pace. Slow and steady wins the race.

    Considering the amount that you have to lose, this is probably what is going on. If you are on the MFP website you can click on the goals tab and it will tell you how much you can expect to lose with the option that you chose. For example if I choose 2 pounds a week it will give me the minimum 1200 but says that I will only lose 1.4 a week. I would suggest adjusting your goal to 1 pound a week and tighten up on your logging.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    About a pound a week is awesome, WTG! Slow and steady wins the race. Remember, you're want something sustainable.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    jkal1979 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    The lowest that MFP will give you is 1200 cal/day. So if your maintenance cals are 2000 and you'd have to cut by 1000 in order to see a 2 lb loss, it's still going to give you a goal of 1200.

    You are losing at a good pace. Slow and steady wins the race.

    Considering the amount that you have to lose, this is probably what is going on. If you are on the MFP website you can click on the goals tab and it will tell you how much you can expect to lose with the option that you chose. For example if I choose 2 pounds a week it will give me the minimum 1200 but says that I will only lose 1.4 a week. I would suggest adjusting your goal to 1 pound a week and tighten up on your logging.

    ^^Ditto this

    MFP has a floor of 1200 calories. To lose 2lbs a week, you would have to eat at a 1000 calorie deficit every day. Unless you burn 2200 calories every day (meaning your TDEE is 2200 calories), then you can't lose 2lbs a week at 1200.

    Either eat at 1200 calories and accept what you lose without expecting it to be 2lbs a week, or (my preference) change your weekly goal to 1lb a week. You'll probably be able to eat a little more every day (which is why its my preference).
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Because a pound a week is "slow".

    LOL. Yer funny. How fast did you put it on? I'll bet it was hella slower than a pound a week, right? Why should you want to take it off any faster than you put it on.

    I'll never understand this obsession with speed.

    I've taken my sweet time (on purpose) to lose 55 pounds from my high over four years. FOUR YEARS, if that helps put it into perspective ... and I couldn't be happier with the results.

    You are doing fine.

    Keep on keepin'' on and you'll get to your destination.

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