How to SPEED UP weightloss

Hi all my weight loss is really slow! And I know it's not a race but I have heard and seen many success stories of people losing weight faster than me even though their starting weight was similar to mine. (246lbs) it's been 3 months now and all I've lost is 38lbs.what should I do to speed up this weightloss ?!? Please help!!!!
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Replies

  • jandsstevenson887
    jandsstevenson887 Posts: 296 Member
    That's actually a great pace! I would focus on keeping that up.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    You should stop comparing yourself to others, readjust your expectations, and (I'm going to be blunt) get a grip. You're losing, on average, right about three pounds a week, which is actually above what's recommended as a sustainable weight loss of 1-2lbs per week. There's no reason to lose faster than you are. Develop sustainable habits, don't fall for fads or crash diets.
  • Unknown
    edited April 2016
    This content has been removed.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    edited April 2016
    OMG! That's a lot of weight in just 3 months! You really don't think that's fast? I think shows like "the Biggest Loser" are doing more harm than good, making people think that they should just be able to drop 100 lbs in 3 months. It's more realistic to lose slower. I lost a bunch of weight several years ago, and have kept it off over the years because I lost it slowly. Lost 50 lbs over 2 years. Now, I just want to lose another 20 lbs, and am losing it .5 lb a week.

    Be patient. The slower you lose, the more likely you'll keep it off.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Hi all my weight loss is really slow! And I know it's not a race but I have heard and seen many success stories of people losing weight faster than me even though their starting weight was similar to mine. (246lbs) it's been 3 months now and all I've lost is 38lbs.what should I do to speed up this weightloss ?!? Please help!!!!

    You've been losing over three pounds per week for three months? At this point you might want to start thinking about slowing down your weight loss rather than speeding it up. What's your height and goal weight?

    My neighbor lost 30 pounds rapidly last summer and looks like she's gained it all back since then.
  • catsdogsh
    catsdogsh Posts: 130 Member
    Losing to fast you just gain it all back. 2 pounds a week is the most anyone needs to lose. It's hard to be happy with slow loss, but it's easier to maintain. Keep going with your plan.
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 402 Member
    Wow. For comparison, I've been dieting for over six months now and I've lost 22 pounds. 38 lbs in three months is incredible.

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    edited April 2016
    Time for some realistic expectations. I would be thrilled to lose that much that quickly. Certainly nothing to complain about!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,148 Member
    You're doing great, as others have said. There's a raft of mis-information in the media that leads to absurdly-high expectations.

    Suggestion: Go take a look at the "success stories" forum here, especially looking for folks who've kept weight off for a while, or who have improvements in health markers (blood pressure, cholesterol, strength/fitness, etc.) as well as simply getting lighter. See how they lost their weight, and how long it took.

    There's no need - and it's not healthful - to lose at a rapid rate. Instead, use your weight loss process to learn how to eat healthily and prudently for the rest of your life. You'll lose the weight, stay healthy and strong, and set yourself up so that you know how to maintain your new, healthy weight forever.

    A lot of "quick weight loss" nonsense, if you peek under the covers, is driven by cynical marketing. People with something to sell - shakes, gym memberships, meal plans, diet programs, exercise equipment, you name it - tout super-fast "miraculous" weight loss. Much of it is literally a lie - there are many stories of folks' before/after pictures being stolen (including from MFP in some cases) then used in marketing claims that have nothing at all to do with how (or how fast) those people lost weight. You'll see lots of people here watermark their photos for just that reason. All of it will tend to have "results not typical" down in the fine print. As with so many things, believe the fine print!
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
    Hi all my weight loss is really slow! And I know it's not a race but I have heard and seen many success stories of people losing weight faster than me even though their starting weight was similar to mine. (246lbs) it's been 3 months now and all I've lost is 38lbs.what should I do to speed up this weightloss ?!? Please help!!!!

    Holy crap! This was my starting weight the first go 'round, and I took over a year to lose 40.
    this is a great pace.
  • FlabToFitty
    FlabToFitty Posts: 70 Member
    Wow thank you all for your responses! I realised that maybe I'm selecting unrealistic goals for myself after watching a show called "fat chance" where I saw a girl who started off with a similar weight as me and had lost almost 80 lbs in 3 months which made me seem like I should push myself harder.
    Also even though I'm now down to 208 lbs from 246 lbs no one around me has really noticed a difference and neither have I therefore I wanted to lose more weight faster hoping to have a noticeable change in my physical appearance.
    Once again thank you guys I really appreciate the advice.

    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    mlinci wrote: »
    catsdogsh wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    mom22dogs wrote: »
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    yeah, I think those shows (although I watch them constantly!) give us all unrealistic weight loss expectations! You see people on TV lose 10-20 lbs in one week....how can that possibly be healthy? Read the boards here and see what others do. If I lose .5 in one week I'm lucky! My husband can eat twice as much as me and lose 3 lbs in a week. Life isn't fair...but we move on and be thankful for what we do have!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    38 lbs in 3 months is slow?????

    Wow, I must live in an alternate universe.

    OP, readjust your expectations.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
    OP, it took me getting under 200 for most people to notice!
    Don't worry, you're doing great!
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    edited April 2016
    Wow thank you all for your responses! I realised that maybe I'm selecting unrealistic goals for myself after watching a show called "fat chance" where I saw a girl who started off with a similar weight as me and had lost almost 80 lbs in 3 months which made me seem like I should push myself harder.
    Also even though I'm now down to 208 lbs from 246 lbs no one around me has really noticed a difference and neither have I therefore I wanted to lose more weight faster hoping to have a noticeable change in my physical appearance.
    Once again thank you guys I really appreciate the advice.




    Agree, you are doing great. And I promise that there IS a change with that much weight loss. It is just hard to see when you view it gradually (day by day). That's why so many here promote taking pictures. And I imagine you can absolutely fit into smaller sized clothing, even if you are making do with what you have. If you want people to notice I suggest you go clothes shopping and get at least on outfit that really fits.
  • pickgo
    pickgo Posts: 13 Member
    It might be that the next 6lbs are the ones that really show. But focusing on all the differences that YOU notice is more important anyway surely?
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    You are already losing faster than the recommend maximum healthy rate of 2 lbs a week (8 lbs a month).
    You are talking about wanting to lose more than 3 lbs a week. That is not a reasonable goal for safe sustainable loss.
    Don't compare to others and be patient. The person who loses 80 lbs in 3 months will most likely regain all of that.
  • KeepingUpWithKari
    KeepingUpWithKari Posts: 287 Member
    Hi all my weight loss is really slow! And I know it's not a race but I have heard and seen many success stories of people losing weight faster than me even though their starting weight was similar to mine. (246lbs) it's been 3 months now and all I've lost is 38lbs.what should I do to speed up this weightloss ?!? Please help!!!!

    Are you serious?

    That is an awesome pace. You want it to take its time. We don't put on our weight overnight so don't expect it to disappear that fast. Its a lifestyle change and you need to get that to click in your mind otherwise you may find yourself back in this same spot later on in life.

    Also, GREAT JOB on the loss! That is great. Btw, we are all different so we lose at different paces, dont rush it too much. We are supposed to learn in this process..
  • Nicklebee93
    Nicklebee93 Posts: 316 Member
    edited April 2016
    You do realize you're almost averaging 12 pounds of weight loss a month, right? That is A LOT of weight. In comparison it took me just as long to lose 20 pounds. Remember fast weight loss isn't always better, you want to learn to change your life so you don't gain it all back once you're done with your "diet". Keep going and be proud of how much you've accomplished.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    Is this a joke? Do you really think you can or need to lose faster than 3 pounds a week? You won't find many people on here who will encourage that let alone tell you how to do it.

    I agree with many of the other posts. Stop watching The Biggest Loser. And more importantly than anything, stop comparing yourself to other people. Nothing, nothing, nothing is worse than that.
  • creativecritters77
    creativecritters77 Posts: 19 Member
    You're doing great! Be patient with yourself and congratulate yourself on how far you've come in just a short time. We tend to be so hard on ourselves, even when we're heading in the right direction and doing the right things to meet our goals. TV is BS! LOL Those shows aren't real (yes those people may have lost all that weight that fast, but they had 24/7 professional support, trainers, dietitians, etc. and you have no idea whether they were able to maintain their weight loss years down the road). Your goal is to lose the weight healthfully and keep it off, right? So you just keep doing what you're doing, because it's working!
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
    "Comparison is the thief of joy". ~Theodore Roosevelt.

    You're losing at a healthy, sustainable rate. Isn't that the whole point?
  • koreangurl
    koreangurl Posts: 59 Member
    Good pace so would just leave it. But if you insist then dropping your calories or doing more cardio would help.
  • alexreyn13
    alexreyn13 Posts: 52 Member
    Mate, 38lbs in 3 months is fantastic!
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    There's nothing wrong with having above average or high expectations. So if you want to do even better than you're doing, and you have the calories and energy to do so, then you could add some extra cardio workouts, increase either intensity or duration or both.
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
    I hear ya - it's frustrating when u see no real noticeable loss on your body, even when u see it on the scale. I've lost 17.8lbs since January and it's barely noticeable. Yes my clothes fit better and I can wear some tops I had to stop wearing, but overall, I don't look much different. My DH, who has always been at a healthy weight, lost 10 lbs due to health issues + a different diet and everyone keeps talking about how skinny he is getting. I was just commenting about it tonight lol.

    That all said, I will repeat what everyone said. Slow and steady has been proven to give u the highest chance of keeping the weight off for good.

    And remember, u might have dropped at a pace of 3lbs a week in the first few months, but as u start losing more, it's healthier to slow down to losing 2 lbs a week. Closer to ideal, most ppl say 0.5 - 1 lb a week is best.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    How long did you weigh 246 lbs? Longer than 3 months?
    Well there you go
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    suruda wrote: »
    yeah, I think those shows (although I watch them constantly!) give us all unrealistic weight loss expectations! You see people on TV lose 10-20 lbs in one week....how can that possibly be healthy? Read the boards here and see what others do. If I lose .5 in one week I'm lucky! My husband can eat twice as much as me and lose 3 lbs in a week. Life isn't fair...but we move on and be thankful for what we do have!

    It's very unhealthy. The first "biggest loser" ended up hospitalized after the show, urinating blood, as a result of kidney damage from the rapid weight loss. Contestants have lost hair and their periods, some have been hospitalized, it's all in all extremely unhealthy.

    And with a lot of contestants, they have to be losing significant muscle mass, particularly near the end of the season when they are significantly lighter. Muscle is less calorie dense than fat, so the more of your calorie deficit comes from breakdown of muscle tissue, the more the scale moves. Rather than 3500 calories/lb, muscle tissue can be broken down to yield only around 600 calories/lb, so the same deficit leads to almost six times the drop in weight if you're losing pure muscle instead of pure fat. Of course nobody loses purely one or purely the other, but the higher the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss, the quicker the scale will change.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    38 lbs is like all I've lost since June. :o There's no hurry.
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
    You're striving after the wrong TV show. Start watching "Naked and Afraid". Those people lose 20 and 30 pounds in 21 days. All you have to do is stay awake all night shivering in 40 degree weather scratching bug bites. Then only eat a snake or a couple of grubs for those three weeks. Totally simple. That's reality TV for ya!