Lost a lot of weight but still too big!

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silverteacup
silverteacup Posts: 46 Member
Hello Everyone,

I am not new to MFP but I am new to this group. I haven't really joined groups here before I am not sure why I suppose it just never occurred to me.

I started my journey in January 2013 with a starting weight of 431 lbs on a 5'2" frame. I was nearly as wide as I am tall. In 2013 I lost 148 lbs, in 2014 I lost 50 lbs, so far in 2015 I have lost zero. Notice a trend here? I am stalled out. Not gaining really but I seem to float up and down over a 10 lbs range. I knew going into this it would be a multi-year path, I need to lose another 80 lbs to put me in the range my doctor wants me in. But I am so stalled out, my motivation is at a very low point. I try very hard to stick to the regime of diet and exercise but I could really use some support from people who truly understand that for someone
over 300 to 400 lbs even when you have lost a lot of weight you still are quite big.

Any support you can offer would be helpful. How do you deal with the fact that even after losing a total of 187 lbs you are still...."fat" and need to wear plus size clothing when your friends lose 60 lbs or less end up in size 10 or worse 0 and look amazing. It's definitely challenging to keep the momentum.

Help!

Jenna

Replies

  • Ftw37
    Ftw37 Posts: 386 Member
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    After I lost 200 pounds I was still 60 pounds overweight. I understand.

    I focused on percentage goals toward my final goal. So I'd celebrate every 10% towards the finish line. Don't give up. If you have the willpower to lose 187 pounds you can lose any amount more you choose.
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
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    Agree with above^^. It gets a little frustrating to see people who have reached their goal after losing half of what your halfway point is, but If you've lost 187 pounds… you can absolutely stick with it to lose the last 80. I've lost almost 160 and still have over 40 to go to get to my goal… which still puts me in the overweight range.

    Hang in there. Like you said… you knew going into it that it'd be a multi-year process for you. Part of me thinks that's to our benefit. When you have so much to lose… like we do, we don't have any other choice but to make it a lifestyle change. Forget maintaining… we have to change our lifestyle just to lose it! Because those quick fix fad diets where people lose 30 pounds in the first month…? yeah. You wouldn't even notice a 30 pound difference on us! I think the sheer longevity of our weight loss period will make maintenance that much easier for us.
  • ssflbelle2012
    ssflbelle2012 Posts: 314 Member
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    Yep I am right there with all that each of you have said. I have been working on reducing this weight for many years. I had lost a lot in 2006 and 2007, never got to goal but did maintain the lost for a year. Then slowly started gaining until I got back to almost 400 pounds. I restarted again in June 2014 and this time around it has been so very slow. The older you get the slower it takes. So if you are all younger than me (almost 60) strive to get it off now. I have lost only 40 pounds this time around but over all have lost 148 so I am almost to the halfway mark. I am figuring another 2 year or more for me to be in the overweight category.
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  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    Ftw37 wrote: »
    After I lost 200 pounds I was still 60 pounds overweight. I understand.

    I focused on percentage goals toward my final goal. So I'd celebrate every 10% towards the finish line. Don't give up. If you have the willpower to lose 187 pounds you can lose any amount more you choose.
    This. So much this. I've lost a little over 200, gained back some last Winter, and slowly chipping away at it.

  • dksmith20110
    dksmith20110 Posts: 35 Member
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    Hey all. I agree with the quote above: "...we don't have any other choice but to make it a lifestyle change." I just started my journey 3 weeks ago at 386 lbs and down to 369 so far. I literally got to the point where I realized the time was now or I will be dead. As my cardiologist says "i am a ticking time bomb." But fortunately I still have time to do something about it. What we all have to realize is that it can be relatively easy for us to lose weight at the beginning of our journey because at our heavy weight we burn a lot of calories even while sedentary in our activity. So I know that as I become physically able to do more things, I will have to increase my physical activity to keep losing weight. We all have our plateau weights that are hard to get past. My major one is the 300 lb. level. Hoping to break through that when I eventually get there, but I fully expect to have some weeks or months where things may level off. It is fantastic that you have maintained without gaining back any more than 10 lbs! Keep logging what you eat; we won't make it if we are not honest with ourselves about how many calories we are taking in. And perhaps try to find some small ways to increase your activity. I am having to do that constantly. Since I am limited how much I can walk at my weight, I purchased some lightweight kettlebells, and I am working out with just the 5 lb one (a few minutes every other day to start), then try to walk some the days in between. I will gradually increase the length of exercise time and weight of the kettlebell as my physical capabilities safely allow. I don't know what activities will work best for you because we are all different. But we have to be careful with our exercise too; overdoing it could cause an injury preventing us from exercising which is counterproductive. I'm right there with you all...fighting to lose, but we have to win the battle because the alternative is horrific. If any of you have some good suggestions for exercise and increasing activity for those of us with limitations, esp while over 350 lbs, I'd love to hear them.
  • 17761776
    17761776 Posts: 1,098 Member
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    Where are you people??? Joined and just got my first response today.. We need to stand together, help support each other, chat!!!!! Gayle Minneapolis
  • dksmith20110
    dksmith20110 Posts: 35 Member
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    We are here, but this group sometimes goes a while between posts. I have been on a severe plateau the last 3 weeks myself. This is mostly due to not staying consistently under my calorie goal and also because my activity has been nil while dealing with getting a recurrence of a plantar's wart taken care of by the foot doctor. I have still been able to lose fractions of a pound those three weeks but I do need to get back on track. I think the great thing about this group is that the vast majority of us have had to overcome physical limitations that impact our ability to increase our activity so we know the challenges we all face. Thankfully now having lost over 46 lbs since April, I have seen drastic improvements in that area. I am still dealing with the foot ailment and starting to get my legs treated for venal insufficiency, so hoping to feel even better.
  • 17761776
    17761776 Posts: 1,098 Member
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    I know!! I have bad knees, need surgery but doctors want weight off. Find swimming helps, laps n just walking. Thanks for responding, thought I was alone. Gayle Minneapolis
  • QuillensMom
    QuillensMom Posts: 100 Member
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    I can relate, I have lost 100 pounds and I'm 284 lbs so still fully in the morbidly obese zone. I lost 60 in the past 6 months so just gonna keep doing my best and working on my fitness. Feel free to add me, I'm on here a lot (logged one year yesterday) and we can support one another :) Jesse,FL
  • 17761776
    17761776 Posts: 1,098 Member
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    I'm so happy to have another person to share this journey with!!!!!