LAST 10 POUNDS

AmandaJuneFit
AmandaJuneFit Posts: 134 Member
Hey all,

Started out in February at 217 and now I am down to 175. My goal weight is 160 so i am only 15 pounds away ! I heard the last 10 pounds are the hardest.... is that true? Please advise me on any activites,exercises,and foods you think will help to get these last pounds off! Thanks in advance.

By the way... I am a 5'10, 19 yr old female :smile:

Replies

  • DanyellMcGinnis
    DanyellMcGinnis Posts: 315 Member
    I am definitely finding the last 10-15 pounds to be hardest. I think there was more room for error when I weighed a bit more!

    What is helping me is changing up my workout routine. I like cardio, but I was finding that my heart rate just didn't get up enough to really burn calories doing things I'd been doing all year. So I recently bought Insanity (Beachbody was having a sale). And I'm going back to lifting weights (took some time off because I pulled something), but a different program than before.

    For foods, grain and legume dishes have worked best for me. (I am a vegetarian.) It is hard to make beans and rice, or lentils and barley, with super high calories, as long as you are careful about oil. But because those types of dishes have so much fiber, I find them quite filling even at lower calorie values.
  • iulalomb
    iulalomb Posts: 1 Member
    I have been using my fitness pal for about 2 months now and I am having the same trouble not losing weight at all. I feel trimmer and some of my clothes fit looser but to lose those last 5-10 pounds is taking forever. good advice to be more accurate when logging food and meals.
    Any other tips are greatly appreciated!

    Thanks
  • samgamgee
    samgamgee Posts: 398 Member
    Yep, weighing everything is vital! I've got about 6 lbs left to go. Things haven't slowed down that much but for me the struggle is mental - the temptation is to just go 'oh well, the last few pounds don't matter that much'. Just keep plugging away and you'll get there.
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    i'm coming up on my last 5 pounds...well my DH said i need to drop 10 more to have a 5 pound "cushion".

    I began to seriously change what i ate in January 2016 and now the goal is very close. I don't weigh anything or measure at all, i've never had a problem dropping the extra pounds.

    My challenge is "maintenance".....everyone says it is easier to lose than to maintain the loss. That's been a huge issue for the past 10 years. Scary.
  • carolerunsalot
    carolerunsalot Posts: 96 Member
    I've been bouncing around in the last 6-8 pounds for over a month now with no real progress on the scale. Its hard to keep focused but I am seeing changes in my body and strength that have been positive so I just keep going...
  • shortgirlslim1
    shortgirlslim1 Posts: 22 Member
    Girls I'm 5" and hoping to drop 10lbs in 5 weeks. Could do with all the friends/support as possible so please add me :):)
  • she_creature
    she_creature Posts: 1 Member
    Hi there. I'm aiming to lose the "same 10 pounds" that I keep gaining and losing. My goal is a one pound per week loss, which means net calorie intake of 1200 per day. That's going to be hard for me. I'll need to sustain this for four months, which I am dreading. I want to hit my goal, though, and then finally stay there. If I can maintain at that point, I want to try to shed another 5 pounds.

    Frankly, I really want this, but I just don't know that my goal is possible. I work and have three little kids, and I really like wine and good food. I don't know if I can be on a "diet" for the rest of my life. To maintain my goal weight means I get no more than 1600 calories per day. That will take careful planning, diet logging, discipline, time and effort to keep up. For the rest of my life. That's a lot to commit to.

    I generally prefer healthy food, and flat out LOVE vegetables. The problem is the time and expense required to get fresh food, keep it from spoiling, prep and cooking. When I get stressed or time crunched, I default to unhealthy pantry food. I have maybe 30 mins a day to prep and prepare meals for me and my family. My strategy is to basically make one thing for breakfast/lunches each week and portion it out so that I have it all ready to grab and go.

    Right now, I'm focused on diet more than exercise. I do masters swimming beginning next week, and will do 4 days of swim workouts. That will make me crazy hungry. I also want to hit one yoga class, one spinning class and do one group run each week.

    In the past, I've had a hard time dieting while doing intense or even "normal" exercising. Started losing hair, my period stopped, etc... I was losing about a pound a week at that time, and I was at the mid-range of "healthy weight", so it shouldn't have been a problem. That freaked me out. So my plan is to worry more about diet, less about the exercise.

    Eager to connect with others who are facing similar goals/challenges!
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    i'm not measuring or weighing foods but have been trying for accurate "guesstimate" logging, began with NYeve resolution goal in January 2016 and am now at 124 with a goal weight of 115.

    If you have an open diary to your friends and wish to give & receive encouragement, feel free to add me.

    The weight has been falling off and what i've mainly cut out is sweets and desserts and increasing my fat & protein.

    Good Luck for the summer of 2016 and all of us can Do This!!!
  • Megarachnid
    Megarachnid Posts: 120 Member
    The last 10 lbs! This is exactly what I'm struggling with. I gained 80 (yes you read that right) with my last baby and I've lost all of it, but the last 8-10. I just can't seem to motivate myself to be as disciplined as I should. I workout regularly and love it, but food is my weakness. I just need to knuckle down and get it done.
  • Mandz1984
    Mandz1984 Posts: 84 Member
    I'm also in this camp and struggling! Food is my weakness. I've been on and off MFP for years and I'm finally in a place where I'm not overly concerned about my weight, but I would like to drop some fat. Doing well in the excercise department but need to start logging again. As someone else said going to up my protein and fat and cut back on carbs/sugar. Would like to be a bit leaner by the time I go away in August. Need lots of encouragement lol :smiley:
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    @Megarachnid @Mandz1984

    This is our time and we can encorage each other to drop the final 5 or 10----and keep it off.
    If encouragement and weighing everyday helps, then we're in the right place.
  • acobriant82
    acobriant82 Posts: 2 Member
    My last 10 lbs have been extremely hard to lose. I went from 165 to 155 within 2 years but have stayed right around 155 for about 2 years now! Still trying to reach 145!
  • LINIA
    LINIA Posts: 1,159 Member
    @acobriant82

    Hopefully you'll get some suggestions on how to get started losing again, how tall are you?
  • elize7
    elize7 Posts: 1,088 Member
    I'm up 15 pounds from where I want to be. For the third time. I'm finding maintenence to be very elusive. So first off, drop the 15 I regained, then revamp the maintenence plan.
    Would love to hear any successful strategies for maintenence.
    Also, ideas for shaping up skinny fat. At home type things work best for me.
  • wantoldme
    wantoldme Posts: 140 Member
    I want to lose 15 pounds. Currently I am 5'1" and 118 pounds. I have decided to increase my workout duration and frequency.
  • Mandz1984
    Mandz1984 Posts: 84 Member
    Does anyone else find when they work out a lot their weight doesn't budge or even goes up!? I often find this and it's really frustrating. When I focus on food and only do small amounts of exercise like walking I loose weight. But when I log and work out hard my weight just hovers around the same. I am also hungrier so tend to eat my exercise calories back. Maybe that is the key but its just mildly frustrating!
  • wantoldme
    wantoldme Posts: 140 Member
    Mandz1984 wrote: »
    Does anyone else find when they work out a lot their weight doesn't budge or even goes up!? I often find this and it's really frustrating. When I focus on food and only do small amounts of exercise like walking I loose weight. But when I log and work out hard my weight just hovers around the same. I am also hungrier so tend to eat my exercise calories back. Maybe that is the key but its just mildly frustrating!

    I feel the same way. I notice it too but lately I have been increasing my workout and losing weight.
  • bananabeannn
    bananabeannn Posts: 110 Member
    Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself. 32 years old, 5'3, currently at 130 wanting to get to 115-118 and be healthy. About a year ago I was prescribed adderall which suppressed my appetite so much and I dropped weight pretty fast but I didn't eat meals really. A lot of processed food cause the calories were still in a deficit. Anyway now the adderall doesn't do what it used to for my appetite, and I put most of the weight back on. So, I want to do this healthfully! I tell myself that it's not possible to lose weight without restricting my calories significantly, but I have to change that belief. I like fast immediate results and when I don't see them I get discouraged. So, in feeling like I am in it for the long haul this time. 1500 a day limit, and I am tracking everything.

    Please share your progress all, as it is motivating!! Good luck.
  • bananabeannn
    bananabeannn Posts: 110 Member
    Oh and, I just need to feel like I can do this. My sense of mastery/accomplishment is a little in the pits and I would really like to feel like I've got this. I am considering learning to run, since that is something I find difficult to accomplish. Anyone here run? I workout and have decent stamina, but running...I hate it.
  • Mandz1984
    Mandz1984 Posts: 84 Member
    Oh and, I just need to feel like I can do this. My sense of mastery/accomplishment is a little in the pits and I would really like to feel like I've got this. I am considering learning to run, since that is something I find difficult to accomplish. Anyone here run? I workout and have decent stamina, but running...I hate it.

    Fellow running hater here *waves*
  • waffle92
    waffle92 Posts: 6 Member
    its reassuring to know im not the only one feeling like this.

    mentally i am really struggling with being in the right place to blast off this last stubborn few pounds and it is making me feel so down.

    i keep starting and failing and starting again and it just feels impossible at the moment. how do you break through that bad habit/self sabotage barrier and start seeing results?!

    my problem is i eat really healthy meals then my head says "its fine youre not fat, you can have a treat" and i end up eating junk snacks. its stupid -i know exactly what i need to do but i cant get myself doing it.

    ive lost my workout and healthy eating mojo and i want it back :'(
  • vrojapu
    vrojapu Posts: 268 Member
    I read something recently in a behavioral study which amounted to positive self-talk winning over strategies such as imagery/visualization. Essentially, the participants who told themselves "I can do better" actually did do better.

    I thought I'd use it myself, but I modified it - "I can do a little bit better" and hey, presto! it has worked so far!!
  • twentytwelve12
    twentytwelve12 Posts: 245 Member
    I struggled to lose the last 10kg.
  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
    Hey! I'm 5'6" & 29yo. Started at 165 lbs at the beginning of the year. Made it down to 150 last week. Goal weight is 140lbs.

    It was my goal to hit 150 before I left for my 12 day vacation on Friday. Since hitting 150 I've allowed myself a little more wiggle room (aka several crazy over days that seem to average out to maintenance for the week) I'm planning on not logging at all on my vacation, but make healthy choices (I'll be in Italy, so we'll see. I'm not missing our on pasta & Gelato just because of a couple pounds!)

    By giving myself those weeks of relaxed/higher calorie eating, I know I'll be more focused & ready to slay those last 10lbs (or maybe slightly more...) when I return from vacation. I know myself well enough to realize that I need this break both mentally & physically. I plan on recalulating my calories at my current weight, continue strength training & not eating my exercise calories. MFP currently has me at 1320/day. If I could get a job that gets me moving & off the couch that would be wonderful too...
  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
    waffle92 wrote: »
    how do you break through that bad habit/self sabotage barrier and start seeing results?!

    my problem is i eat really healthy meals then my head says "its fine youre not fat, you can have a treat" and i end up eating junk snacks. its stupid -i know exactly what i need to do but i cant get myself doing it.

    ive lost my workout and healthy eating mojo and i want it back :'(

    One thing that's helped me stay focused is that I've calculated my maintenance calories at my goal weight. I know it will be 1800. I'm currently at 1320, so 1800 sounds like heaven! I keep telling myself that if I can stick to lower calories for just a little while (a few months) I will be able to eat more every single day when I'm at maintenance. I have maintained at my goal weight for years before. My weight gain only happened when I changed from an active job to a sedentary job and changed my eating habits. So I just remind myself that these lower calories are only temporary.

    As @vrojapu said, I also tell myself that I CAN do this. And that I DESERVE to feed my body healthy, nutritious food. Good food is not a punishment, but a reward. It makes me feel SO much better (mentally & physically) than eating processed junk.
  • gtrgrl96
    gtrgrl96 Posts: 1 Member
    I should start by giving some props - wow, @KiyaK , that was incredibly helpful! So simple, but I've never had that perspective before. Thanks for posting about the maintenance calories. I think that's going to shift my gears a bit.
    I'm 5'4", 145 and trying to get off 10lbs because I think I can easily maintain 135 (I was lower but that was tough). I maintained 135 for a while (and pictures of my myself from then don't make me sad. Lol), but then we moved and then baby... You get the drift. Before pregnancy I was hovering between 140 and 145, so the preggo weight has been long gone (he's 3 and I lost it in the first six months or so - I was over the 200 mark! Yikes, milkshakes and Chick-fil-A!), but now I'm so ready to get the 10lbs off that I was aiming for before that! And it's weird because the weight is all in my midsection. For the first time in my life I actually like my legs, I just hate my stomach - used to be the other way around. In fact, a lot of my pre-pregnancy pants fit better in the legs than they did before, but I still can't wear them because of my tummy. Yes, they're about four years old, and I probably need to ditch them anyway.
    My biggest issue, as @she_creature has described is that it's really hard to be mindful of food with the distraction of a pre-schooler around. It's a grab-n-go situation. I've cooked for the week and stuffed the freezer before and, I'm really not sure why that didn't work. Perhaps I need to cook a few different meals to choose from? It got very boring, very fast, and I started looking at his frozen chicken nuggets like they were little beef filets with black truffle cream sauce. I cannot understand how that happens. And he didn't eat them, and I hated to waste them, and they don't reheat well... Ugh. I just didn't stick to it.
    I've rejoined the gym, and little one goes to the childcare and loves it, so that's not a problem. It's snacking and not eating well. Dinners are great - the hubs cooks the best salmon, steak and shrimp I've ever had, he's a great support. But during the day... those snacks sneak in. A bite here, a nibble there. Soon, I've had the equivalent of an hour on the elliptical without even realizing it. And these ridiculous snacks haven't brought me any joy whatsoever. Seriously. Chex Mix and Teddy Grahams?? Why am I doing that??
    So I'll be journaling the heck out of my food in the next few months and hoping that I won't eat the snacks because I'll be too embarassed to enter them into the food journal. 1200-1500 range. I have been trying to lose a few for a cruise, but that's now upon us and happening in a few days, so my midsection will be my midsection. I wonder if trying to lose for an event is too much pressure and is a set up for failure, and that's probably why I didn't take it very seriously. I need to get my head in the game that this is for the long run. But I'll have fun nonetheless! Journaling starts upon return! Good luck to all of you, you're my inspiration, so thank you!!
  • natnicks319
    natnicks319 Posts: 12 Member
    can any of you ladies help me out on my post?
  • KiyaK
    KiyaK Posts: 519 Member
    can any of you ladies help me out on my post?

    Where is your post?
  • MzKrystle
    MzKrystle Posts: 74 Member
    The last 10 lbs! This is exactly what I'm struggling with. I gained 80 (yes you read that right) with my last baby and I've lost all of it, but the last 8-10. I just can't seem to motivate myself to be as disciplined as I should. I workout regularly and love it, but food is my weakness. I just need to knuckle down and get it done.

    I gained almost 70lbs with both my kids. Unreal!!!!