How long did it take?

lisaisso · May 2016

Thanks OP for this. I'm 5'9 and have lost a whopping 19lb since January, I'm at 245 now and want to get to 199 first goal. It is slow, and I find patience and consistency is key. I don't care how long it takes me this time, bc before I'd put a time limit on it as in lose X amount by Y time.. plus I'm living life, holidays and bdays happen, and some days I'm not as strict as others, but progress IS happening

fastobese · May 2016

I have lost 20 pounds in 30 days I was 187pounds and now 167pounds, I've done it by only eating chicken breast with salad and banana on every meal everyday sometimes i do a cheat meal like once a week but I make sure it's only 500 calories so I don't go over 2k calories

meritage4 · May 2016

Hah! I enjoy regular food and great variety. I want to be kind to my body and follow a sustainable eating plan.

leannems · May 2016

Comparing yourself to other folks can be a total motivation killer. It's ok if you're just trying to get a general sense of how long it has taken people, because ultimately, I'll think that you'll see that there is no general sense - every body is different, and the time it takes to lose weight depends on a huge variety of factors. If the plan you're working is working for you - stick with it.

To add another example - I'm 5'9 and started at 290. It took me 11 months to lose 40 pounds. I simply logged calories (no special diet - I still eat donuts and hamburgers and stuff - as long as it fits my calories), but in lieu of eating my exercise calories, I have one cheat day at about 400 calories over. I decided to stick it there for 5 months and did (this was eating within my calories M-F, but largely eating whatever I wanted on the weekend - I logged it, but didn't really care a whole lot about whether it was over my calorie limit). I'm now trying to get another 25 pounds off, and will likely give myself the rest of the year (or perhaps even into February, as holidays can be tough) to get it. Slower works better for me, and seems to be more sustainable. Find what works for you and don't worry about other folks.

chiptease · May 2016

Agreed with many posters above. If it's what works for you, then that's what works! I've lost -35 pounds in a little over a year. It's the most sustainable weight loss I've ever experienced (previous attempts were crash dieting and regaining). So I averaged about -2.5lbs/per month which is considered on the "slower" end. I'm getting closer to my goal weight (135) and I only managed to lose 1 pound last month

But what's important is that you keep aware of your caloric changes and adjust accordingly.

galabrielle98 · May 2016

Thanks so much for everyone's replies. I know comparison is a total motivation killer and it's nice to hear that my loss isn't hopelessly slow.

nowine4me · May 2016

Next time your at the gym, pick up something that weighs 25 pounds, then add 5 and you will quickly realize the significance of what you've accomplished so far. Nice job.

Meganthedogmom · May 2016

I have lost 90lbs so far in the last three years. So, on average 30lb per year.

I'm being patient and it doesn't bother me that it's taken this long (and I still have about 20lb to lose).
However, sometimes I wonder myself if it's taking too long for me to lose weight. I certainly could have been stricter at some points (and have had several months here and there where I wasn't tracking calories at all) but this is my own personal lifestyle change. Everyone's "journey" is different.

120poundstogo · May 2016

galabrielle98 wrote: »

I have been on mfp for a year now and have successfully lost 30lbs, going from 174 to 144. I felt confident with my progress until I saw some people who weighed the same as me and lost twice as much in year. Even one of my friends only recently started and she already lost as much as me.
My question is: how long did it take you? I'm just trying to see what is a common pattern and if I should consider a change of pace. I'm 5'3 and not on a special diet with 6 days of exercise a week. I've heard that paleo diets and vegan diets seem to work but I'm hesitant to try them.

It took me a year and a half about to lose 40 pounds and I am in a plateau right now. No diet restrictions.

NAbramovich · May 2016

I started in November at 185 and made it last week to 163.5 (I'm 5'). I think I want to get to 125 eventually, but I'll adjust that target if needed when I get closer. It's been incredibly slow, but I'm proud of myself and have kept up my efforts long past any previous attempt. I'm not killing myself eating food I don't like or starving myself. I think you should be proud of your progress and not compare yourself to others.

Jams009 · May 2016

It's going to take me the rest of my life.

corbinskiii · May 2016

It doesn't matter how long it takes, you'll succeed if you go at the rate that makes sense to you and works for you. Competing with others doesn't matter. It's not a race and you should be doing this for yourself.

benevempress · May 2016

You obviously do have a calorie deficit, since you are losing weight. Perhaps the others that are losing faster have a larger actual calorie deficit per day? I was going to post that if you go slow with a small deficit, you are practicing maintenance skills and that is a very good thing.

Then I glanced at your diary and saw that you are logging less than 1,200 calories per day with over 1,000 in exercise calories (not eaten back). Has that been true for the whole year? How are you measuring exercise calories? If you are doing that much exercise, you need more than 1,200 calories to sustain it. MFP calculates your deficit already, so you are expected to eat some or all of your exercise calories and you should still lose weight. If you really are netting 200 calories per day you would be starving--literally-- not giving your organs and brain enough to function and losing more than 2 pounds of fat and muscle every week. This leads me to believe that you may be already getting more calories than you think you are, so I'm not suggesting you eat more but instead to verify your numbers.

I would like to suggest three things:

1) that you start weighing (rather than measuring) your food, as well as being sure to log every single thing that you eat or drink (including condiments, etc). Then make sure that the database entries you select are correct by verifying them with another source (such as the USDA).
2) do some research online as to how many calories are burned doing the types of exercise that you do. I don't have a good source for this, but I know people say both exercise machines and MFP overestimate.
3) find a BMR calculator online and determine what yours is. BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate, and is the amount of calories your body burns just being alive, not moving at all (like in a coma). It is what allows your brain and body to do the work of breathing, circulating your blood, repairing tissues, digesting food, etc. An individual who is sedentary still burns approximately 1.2 X their BMR. If you eat less than this amount, consider that you are not giving your body enough fuel to do the most basic work it needs to do to keep you healthy. At 18 years old, even if you are only 5'0" and 139 (since you said you have 39 pounds left to lose), your BMR is around 1332 calories per day. If you are taller or heavier, it is more.

Once you know what you are truly consuming and what you are burning (both by being alive and through exercise), you can pick a calorie deficit level that accomplishes your goals. For the record, I do think a slow, steady loss is easier, but each person is different.

WendyLaubach · May 2016

I'm 5'5" and have dropped 67 lbs. in six months--but I started at 245. I'd like to lose another 55+, and I expect it will go slower as I approach my target weight. Your rate seems quite rapid considering how close to ideal you started. Those last few pounds seem to take most people a long, long time, which makes sense: like coasting to a landing.

WendyLaubach · May 2016

PS, if you've been eating this way for a year and losing weight slowly and steadily, and you feel fine and your doctor is happy, why mess with success? You're doing great. The results speak for themselves, regardless of theories about how people should eat.

robot_potato · May 2016

Every body is different. I'm 5'7" I have gone from 199 to 168 in 5 months. But, I also have an 8 month old baby, so I am able to eat quite a bit and still lose due to breastfeeding. I also lift weights and do a bit of cardio. Now that i am about 20 from my goal i do expect the loss to slow down, and that's ok. In fact, I don't expect to meet my goal til probably the end of this year.

30 pounds in a year is great, it's much nicer than 0 pounds, isn't it?

vixenb192 · May 2016

Working out 6 days a week could be changing your body fat into muscle so you will have a slower loss. Your doing so well. Everyone is different. Just go at your own pace.

galabrielle98 · May 2016

@benevempress Yes, I do seem to log less food calories then exercise. I tend to disregard exercise calories since I always assume that I eat more than I realize. Getting a food scale is something I have considered and I guess I'll actually get one now.

How long did it take?

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