Worried I will stop losing weight, help?

kadisimmonsmfp
kadisimmonsmfp Posts: 2 Member
in Motivation and Support
A little history, in the past in college I tried twice to lose weight. I was always around 200 when starting and after a few weeks I'd make it to 190 but never get any lower than that amount and get frustrated and give up. Fast forward 2 years and I step on a scale recently to realize I was almost 222 pounds and was shocked. Three weeks ago I started going on walks and eating around 1200 calories a day. Though it has been hard I have managed to lose 14 pounds so far. I worry now though that the 14 pounds is just water weight and I'm going to stop losing soon. I also worry that even if I do manage to get to 190 (30+ pounds lost) that my body is just going to stop losing. Has anyone else had this experience? Were you able to push past that weight (for me 190)?

As a note, my lifestyle has drastically changed in the last few years. I no longer am in college, living in a dorm surrounded by food and alcohol. I love alone now and I am able to monitor exactly how many calories are in eat meal I make and also am not tempted by my environment. Also I'm no longer in a relationship with someone who constantly eats out. So most of my meals are made at home. I think this may have hindered my weight loss in the past.

Note: I'm 5'2" and currently 207. So I have plent of weight to lose.

Replies

  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    You will lose weight if you eat a proper deficit (set up in your profile here), weigh and log your food and continue, even if some weeks you don't see a loss.
  • saranne1015
    saranne1015 Posts: 180 Member
    I'll tell you right now: You WILL hit plateaus. You'll have to reassess your diet and exercise routine then. But why worry about tomorrow today? Take it one day at a time and worry about that plateau bridge when you come to it. I'm the on again, off again type myself, so I totally understand you. You can do it!!!!
  • tomatosoup3
    tomatosoup3 Posts: 126 Member
    i have something similar, for me the weight is 150. i just can't seem to break into the 140's.
    know that this is not a physical barrier, but a psychological one. i've never done it before and as long as i don't actually believe that i can, i won't be able to.

    similarly, it is related that it used to be thought that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. athletes tried and tried and no one could go under that number for years. then- someone broke it. and you know what happened? suddenly many other people were able to break it as well. they no longer assumed it was impossible, and they got up and did it.

    you can, too.
  • Elphabs
    Elphabs Posts: 13 Member
    You are not alone. You have just voiced a concern we all have and with all the talk about plateaus, metabolism changes and other worries, your concerns are certainly valid.

    That said, you are in a much better place now than you were in college. You are no longer surrounded by pizza and beer and the party mentality that permeates college. In short, you are now a grown-up. You can control your environment in a way you could not in college and you are in a place mentally that you can decide what kind of life you want to live.

    Have faith in yourself. Losing weight is hard but you have proven you can do it. Don't let the doubts sabotage you. The obstacle of 190 may no longer exist and if it does, face it when you get there just as you faced 222 pounds. Don't set yourself up for failure when you are doing so well. In short, deal with each day as a new opportunity and enjoy your successes. You are on a good path. Just keep walking.
  • kadisimmonsmfp
    kadisimmonsmfp Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you all so much for the support. I definitely hope I can break the barrier and hopefully in 6 months or so I'll be able to say I was successful.
  • a_candler
    a_candler Posts: 209 Member
    We all have ups and downs with our weight, the thing to do is not freaking out about it. Just start a new day and get back into it, tracking exercise ect.

    As a word of caution you might adjust your calorie intake. I found it very hard and unrealistic to stick to 1200 calories. I actually felt weaker at that range. I adjusted my settings and ate 1600 calories and have stuck with it. 1200 was just too restrictive to me.
  • TrishB1470
    TrishB1470 Posts: 283 Member
    I can relate to how you are feeling! For me the number was 179. I'd get there and the loss would stop and I'd quit. Right now I'm stuck at 170, and have been for a while, but I'm not giving up this time. I'm adjusting and trying new things, something will work and I'll be moving again. Stick with it! It is so worth it. I started at 220 and am at 170 now, and I can't tell you how great it feels!
  • jakefitzgerald93
    jakefitzgerald93 Posts: 24 Member
    Hi :) I platued when I lost my weight for a while so your not alone.

    Firstly I would recommend eating more food. Your not eating enough calories honestly. I don't even count calories I just count my carbs fats and proteins.

    Try having 170g of protein per day 90g of fat and 80g of carbs. See how you feel. That's what I done to lose 84lbs last year B) I can send you a free diet plan if you'd like ?
  • Dove0804
    Dove0804 Posts: 213 Member
    edited June 2016
    You can totally do this! 1200 calories might be too aggressive for you, and if you feel like it's going to be hard to keep up, you can adjust your rate of weight loss and eat a bit more. You will lose weight more slowly but if you stick to it you WILL lose weight- use My Fitness Pal's goal setup thing and it will tell you about what you need to eat to lose a certain amount per week.

    If it's any comfort to you- as long as you have a caloric deficit you WILL lose weight! Your caloric intake or your rate of weight loss (how fast you lose) WILL have to change as you get smaller, though, in order to keep losing. Many people fail to realize this and find themselves in a plateau. The truth is, what works for a heavier body to lose weight does not work for a lighter body to lose weight. You constantly have to adjust your goals, and weight loss is not linear. You might be able to aim for 2 lbs/week weight loss at first (be careful about doing any more than that), but eventually that is going to be too extreme and you will have to shift down to a 0.5 - 1lb/week loss once you get closer to your goal. Many find that they have more sustainable weight loss if they eat more calories per day but slow down how fast they lose.

    Other reasons people plateau is because they get too lax in logging their food. When they tighten up their logging again, they realize they've actually been overeating when they otherwise would swear up and down that they were eating at a deficit. Also, make sure you're giving yourself enough TIME. A week or two of no apparent change does not mean you are plateauing. Make sure you're logging accurately and have your goals set appropriately and keep on trucking. Water weight and normal fluctuations discourage many.

    I definitely have had my share of poor starts- I tried again and again to get started and could never make it very far. Just KEEP TRYING! It WILL click eventually!!! It clicked for me and I'm down 55 lbs now. It really helped me to realize that all it takes is simple calories in, calories out. If you trust the math and log accurately, everything will work out.

    It sounds like you are in a much better environment now and can focus on building new habits and accurately logging your meals. You will make it! Baby steps, baby steps.

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