The Last 16 lbs.

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dorado1988
dorado1988 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone, I'm down to the last 16lbs on my 83lb weight loss journey, the first 20lbs just flew off, the following 40lbs were a struggle, but these last lbs I am having a very difficult time with.

There are times when the scale will not budge at all, i have constant mood swings because I am always hungry, i feel like I am missing out on things because I fear that if i go out I will over eat. I have been feeling like giving up lately, but then I remind myself of how far I've come and how little weight I have left to lose compared to when I first started.

But I don't know how much longer reminding myself of this will keep me going. It also does not help that people are constantly trying to break my diet because they feel that I am skinny enough, constantly tempting me with food and beer knowing that I am already struggling with my diet, telling me that I look unhealthy and they like the way i looked better when I was fat. keep in mind most of what I am saying is coming from people who could stand to lose some weight themselves.

I don't know, sorry for the mini rant, I guess I would really like to hear from people who are currently on my phase of the weight loss journey and hear what you are doing to stay positive and on track.

Thanks.

Replies

  • stacicali
    stacicali Posts: 137 Member
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    I am no expert, but I am on the journey with you. My focus right now is on strength training and health markers (lean diabetes runs in my family.) Since I am technically at a healthy weight, I would love to reach my ideal of 10 lbs less, but am willing to wait or reassess if needed. I personally am unwilling to go below 1500 calories per day for fear of slowing my metabolic rate. Be patient and celebrate the body you have right now that you've worked so hard for. :)
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
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    Maybe you need a diet break. Eating at maintenence calories for a week or 2 might help mentally and physically.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
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    And congrats on your progress.
  • MoCo88
    MoCo88 Posts: 11 Member
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    Greetings, Dorado. I've had a similar journey - needed to lose 90 pounds (SW 243, GW 153). For me, the first 40 were pretty easy, then I seemed to be stuck just above 200 for a while. I started working out regularly, and dropped another 25 pounds over about five months. Then went on vacation first week of March, put on 5 pounds and could not get back into my routine. Over the next month or so I gained another 2 pounds, bringing me from my low of 177 back up to 184.

    Two weeks ago I decided enough is enough. Started going back to the gym and tracking my food again. I dropped about 4 pounds - likely the usual water weight that comes off when you start a diet, but encouraging nonetheless.

    At this point, I am planning to take my time losing the final 25-30 pounds. I am refocusing on my original goal, which is to be healthy. Regardless of my weight, in order to be healthy I need to exercise and be mindful of what I eat (e.g. making sure I eat enough protein, fiber, and healthy fats; eating fruits and vegetables and not overindulging with treats like cookies and chips - and beer).

    I actually think taking a break from it all was good for me. I'd rather have maintained instead of gaining during my break, and I'm sad that I lost some ground in my strength training, but I am still in a much better place than I was a year ago, and a year from now I intend to be in an even better place health-wise. Like Staci above, I do not intend to go below 1500 calories again (I started out at 1200 calories, but I was not working out at all; once I started working out I was eating 1400-1600 and still losing).

    Everybody is different, but I believe that for most people the ultimate goal is to reach and maintain a healthy weight. With only 16 pounds left to lose, you are likely at or near a healthy weight so there is no rush to get the rest of the weight off. Maybe take a break from "dieting" and try maintaining for a little while - see how you do with allowing yourself to enjoy going out without going completely overboard. Have a burger but don't eat all the fries. Have a few beers once a week, but not three times a week, and maybe not every week. Continue to be mindful of what you are eating and how you are taking care of yourself; don't give up and go back to the habits that made you overweight. You have made a huge positive change in your life, and you are the one who is in control of maintaining that change.

    That's my two cents!
  • moto450
    moto450 Posts: 334 Member
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    Don't let them get you down. You've come a long way. I don't know what you calories are, but keep in mind that the body requires less as you lose weight. That being said, if you are always super hungry and miserable maybe you are eating too few calories. I have lost 70 lbs and now down to 10%bf. There were many times where I stalled out and finally broke through the plateau by increasing my calories for a few days before going back to a deficit. I don't understand the science behind it, but it works.

    The last few lbs are a beast, and require more patience. You'll do it, but it takes consistency and time. Good luck! There's no reason you can't make it with time.
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
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    you need to eat at maintenance for a while, and something about your plan is NOT sustainable because if you can't live life with food around(i.e. can't go out because ure afraid), you have gone to the other extreme of things.

    all the best
  • dorado1988
    dorado1988 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you all for the very helpful feed back, I will do as a lot of you recommend and try eating at maintenance calories. I think that it would greatly help me mentally if I just took a break for a few weeks. Also good luck to you all and I wish you all success on your journey.

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