3 years and 30 lbs...

The last time I used this site was 3 years ago and I was 30 lbs lighter... At that point I was trying to lose weight because I thought I had far too much excess weight then. Now here I am... I'm very disappointed and looking for some encouragement. My goal is to lose 2 lbs a week for 22 weeks. 42 lbs in total. Any tips or words of inspiration are much appreciated.

Replies

  • tinacrane
    tinacrane Posts: 134 Member
    The fact that you are back says a lot. :) Do not be disappointed with yourself any more. Begin today to make those healthy choices. Less calories, more exercise.

    Having said that-2 pounds a week is a lot to loose, unless you really restrict your calories. And that will be hard to stay with for 22 weeks I think. Slow and steady may be best in the long run, so you can loose and maintain this time with a healthier lifestyle. None of us should set ourselves up to fail by unrealistic expectations.
  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
    My story is very similar to yours! Signed up the 1st time wanting to lose 20lbs & now here I am almost 2 years later with a new goal set at 50lbs. Made some good MFP friends that keep it real & help inspire & hold me accountable. The success stories are so encouraging! We've all reached that point of disappointment at some time which is how we find ourselves here. Ready to change for the better and take back control of our lives! This is a great app to help you achieve your goals!
    Good luck!
  • treehopper1987
    treehopper1987 Posts: 505 Member
    I started again back in November... I am now back to my original starting weight, 36 pounds down... 23 more to go before I hit my lowest weight on mfp. I am on my account daily (at least for the last 155 days). I have found writing blogs to be helpful and make myself accountable; they should be open if you want to take a poke and read some. I have dealt with yo-yo weight since high school, but I have had the biggest strength yet in losing weight this time around, probably encouraged by hitting the biggest low of my life. I have to say, for not using mfp in 3 years, it sounds like you have made some healthier decisions than I have, and you will just need to fine tune your diet/exercise regimen again. It can be done.

    Nothing changes, if nothing changes.
  • anamichele07
    anamichele07 Posts: 3 Member
    tinacrane wrote: »
    The fact that you are back says a lot. :) Do not be disappointed with yourself any more. Begin today to make those healthy choices. Less calories, more exercise.

    Having said that-2 pounds a week is a lot to loose, unless you really restrict your calories. And that will be hard to stay with for 22 weeks I think. Slow and steady may be best in the long run, so you can loose and maintain this time with a healthier lifestyle. None of us should set ourselves up to fail by unrealistic expectations.

    I know it is a lot to lose for most people, but I am young (18) and when I eat right and exercise I lose weight very quickly, more like 3 or 4 lbs a week without cutting back too much on calories. But I wanted a more realistic long term goal, so I went with 2 lbs. That is what frustrates me the most. When I make better choices I see and feel the results within a couple of weeks, but that still hasn't been enough motivation to keep me going at it.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    tinacrane wrote: »
    The fact that you are back says a lot. :) Do not be disappointed with yourself any more. Begin today to make those healthy choices. Less calories, more exercise.

    Having said that-2 pounds a week is a lot to loose, unless you really restrict your calories. And that will be hard to stay with for 22 weeks I think. Slow and steady may be best in the long run, so you can loose and maintain this time with a healthier lifestyle. None of us should set ourselves up to fail by unrealistic expectations.

    I know it is a lot to lose for most people, but I am young (18) and when I eat right and exercise I lose weight very quickly, more like 3 or 4 lbs a week without cutting back too much on calories. But I wanted a more realistic long term goal, so I went with 2 lbs. That is what frustrates me the most. When I make better choices I see and feel the results within a couple of weeks, but that still hasn't been enough motivation to keep me going at it.

    I think her point is to set realistic expectations for things you can control (days you ate within plan, days you worked out) rather than things you can't (what the scale says that week). It sounds like you've gotten easily frustrated before. Maintaining a 2 lb a week weight loss is incredibly difficult, and for some people could mean you are losing muscle as well as fat.

    1 lb a week is still plenty quick enough. If you lose 44 lbs in 22 weeks and then gain it back the next couple months after, that's no better than losing 22 lbs over 22 weeks and then losing the next 22 lbs over the next 22 weeks after that. Make changes/choices you can live with for the rest of your life.
  • sarahfadell87
    sarahfadell87 Posts: 182 Member
    The best piece of advice i can give you, is there's gonna be so many times you're gonna wanna give up, DONT. Just keep going. Theres gonna be times you don't see the scale move,(or move in the wrong direction for that matter) keep going. Log, log, log. Whatever u eat, log. Calories in, calories out.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    The best piece of advice i can give you, is there's gonna be so many times you're gonna wanna give up, DONT. Just keep going. Theres gonna be times you don't see the scale move,(or move in the wrong direction for that matter) keep going. Log, log, log. Whatever u eat, log. Calories in, calories out.

    Perfect advice and something I really needed to be reminded of today. Thank you.