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SoyD986
SoyD986 Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all - first post here on this awesome forum.

I'm 35, female, 5'5, SW 242.0, CW 228.5 lbs.

On Feb 4, I made a decision to start reversing the ~70lbs I gained over 4 years of some terrible eating and drinking choices. In the past, I would have just stopped eating a good group and see pounds disappear like water, but this time I wanted to make a life change and be able to eat normally, but healthily for the rest of my life. I calculated my daily caloric needs here and on other sites and they all gave me between 1100-1250 kcals a day to lose 2 pounds a week. I bought a scale. I started drinking 100oz of water a day.

And, now 13.5lbs lighter, 7 weeks, 1.93lbs a week, and I'm totally bummed out. I know, I know - this is a healthy weight loss rate. I guess I just thought that since I have such a tremendous amount of weight to lose I'd see some big initial water weight losses - the ounces here and there are not that motivating. I keep reading on here how people have lost 20-40lbs in the same 2 months, and I can't help but feel like a loser (and not the good kind). Happy Scale isn't such a happy app for me anymore.

Tell me this is normal. That slow and steady works. That I'll hit my goal of 180, I'm just a slow loser. I know some people on here might yell at me, but I guess I just need some encouragement, please.

Replies

  • KorvapuustiPossu
    KorvapuustiPossu Posts: 434 Member
    edited March 2016
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    You are not a slow loser. You are losing at a great rate. Slower loss is much better and the weight is more likely to stay off since during the time you are bound to learn control and portion sizes :) Don't stress you are doing great :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    1.93 pounds a week is actually towards the high end of loss rate. Not everyone gets that initial whoosh...I gained two pounds my first two weeks. You're right on track!
  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
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    I think you will go past the 180lb mark if you keep at it. I'm sure most of us wish it would go faster but just keep going. You will get there. I've been losing 1lb/week and I wish I would just have a huge jump week but I'm just thankful it's going in the right direction.
  • SoyD986
    SoyD986 Posts: 57 Member
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    Thanks guys! I had a weepy scale morning today and needed this. You guys rock. :)
  • stephieleee
    stephieleee Posts: 113 Member
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    I'm losing it a lot slower so you're doing great. I started at 224lbs and have only lost 6.3lbs in 7weeks. My motivation factor is knowing it will keep coming off, and more likely stay off, rather than just losing all that water weight.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    2lbweek too aggressive - change to 1lb. Keep carbs under 100 grams/day.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    It took you 4 years to put that weight on. That is 17 pounds a year or .33 pounds a week. You have lost what it took you almost a year to gain, in just a few weeks.

    13 pounds is a really nice loss. You should be proud of that.
  • kthompson601
    kthompson601 Posts: 174 Member
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    You're doing fabulous! Healthy, sustainable weight loss is slow and not linear. You should be proud of how well you've done so far, and keep on this track. It's working for you!

    The way I figure it is, the time is going to pass no matter what happens to you weight-wise, right? So I'd rather be even 2 pounds lighter after a month rather than have a month gone by and still be the same weight.

    I know when you have a lot to lose, it seems insurmountable, like it may never happen. I've lost 110 pounds, and yet still have another 60-65 to go. Some days it can seem really impossible, like "God I have so far to go," but it's so important to remember how far I've come. And you should be proud to. Seven weeks passed, and now you're 13.5 pounds lighter! You should be stoked.

    As for other people's losses--this is a common mistake we all make, repeatedly. You shouldn't compare yourself to other people. You should compare yourself to JUST YOURSELF, but in the past. Like, a month past, or six months, or a year. Don't say, "Person A lost 20 pounds, I only lost 13.5, I suck." Say, "I'm 13.5 pounds lighter than I was two months ago! I'm doing it! I'm getting leaner and healthier every day!" You aren't competing with everyone else. Your journey is not equal to anyone else's. It's your path, and yours alone. Just compete with you in the past. "I ate salads four times this week, whereas last week I only ate them twice. I'm winning!" "Two days ago I skipped the stairs, but today I made sure to take them. Victory!" "Wow, 13.5 pounds of fat, gone. I'm even more beautiful than I used to be."
  • Sherriediva1
    Sherriediva1 Posts: 345 Member
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    ^^^THIS kthompson601 is speaking Truth!
  • TheLittleFangs
    TheLittleFangs Posts: 205 Member
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    You're amazing. Do you know the difference to your health and life you've already started to make? You're a damned rock star so far as I see. You're consistent. Yes, of course you're going win your battle. Importantly you have already said you've learned life lessons that big drops are often water.... you know these answers
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    You've been doing really well losing at a steady rate the way you want to. People who have a big loss at first often slow down after that and some people don't lose for a few weeks starting out. You'll get where you want to be.
    Don't compare to other people.
    I've lost slower than a lot of people but I'm doing really well for me and feel I can sustain what I am doing.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    I lost 75 pounds over three plus years and it stayed off five for years, plus I had not the loose skin.

    agree with the posts above about time and its interesting that you lost what took a year to gain already.

    Many best on the rest!
  • SoyD986
    SoyD986 Posts: 57 Member
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    <3<3 THANK YOU!!! <3<3
  • surprisethekids
    surprisethekids Posts: 23 Member
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    I could have written your post this morning. I'm quite a bit heavier than you are, but I woke up discouraged at how slow the process seems to be THIS time. I remind myself the difference is that in the past I was doing some sort of unsustainable "crash" diet, and while the weight fell off, it went back on in a big hurry when I returned to "normal". I repeat to myself every day that healthy eating IS my new normal, and I won't let the weight I lose come back!

    Good luck - you can do it!

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