Why is weight loss so frustratingly slow?

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  • xlgman
    xlgman Posts: 33 Member
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    You're all dropping some solid advice on this thread!
  • amanda000002014
    amanda000002014 Posts: 73 Member
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    I look at this as changing my life little by little, and the losing weight is a side effect.
  • drabbits2
    drabbits2 Posts: 179 Member
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    Wow--I am not even the original poster and this is exactly the input I need right now. We have all been in a bad place weight wise at one point or another and all the advice here is terrific. Finding the SELFISH WHY is key for me. Ultimately we have to be healthy for ourselves--the vanity stuff is not sustainable (at least it's not for me). I want to be healthy--at age 45 I do not want to be a soft and flabby middle aged mom--sooo cliche. How cool would it be to be a strong and svelte 45 year old!?! Healthy and strong, not tired and lazy.
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    I think setting hard goals of "must be this weight by this time" is setting yourself up for failure.
    Maybe you'll reach those goals, maybe not. It doesn't always mean you've done a bad job at it - or even if it does, there's not point in beating yourself up.

    I think it helps to have other goals, things that you can directly control, because the number on the scale is not something you can magically change, even when you eat well and exercise, there are other factors (hormones, medical conditions etc) that influence this.

    Maybe better goals are things like:
    - walking for 3km or 10,000 steps or 30 minutes 6 days a week.
    - eating five veg and 2 fruit every day
    - trying a new kind of exercise (lots of free workouts on line) every week

    And the payoff isn't always about the numbers either. You might have "only" lost 21 pounds before you went to Disney, but did you find it easier to walk around without getting exhausted? Have you found something in your wardrobe that you can fit into again? Have you found new foods or recipes that you enjoy?

    I think if you spend your time saying things like "this is sooo slow, I'll never get there" you'll be constantly miserable.
    If you spend your time saying - I set three goals this week and met all of them. Hooray!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    You're losing close to 10 lbs a month and complaining it is slow? :huh:

    Rethink your expectations because things will slow down and without understanding that you will only get more and more frustrated. Set up other goals or understand that the time focused losses (xx by date) can be so hard you'll want to quit.

    Does the "constant miserable" mode motivate you or hinder you?
  • jbatinker
    jbatinker Posts: 313 Member
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    SueSueDio wrote: »
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    I am starting to think of it not as losing weight but as learning to manage my relationship with food in a better way. Weight loss is just a happy side effect.

    That's a great way to look at it - I need to remember that! :)

    OP, you're doing great! I know it's tough... like others have said, we all want to lose the weight NOW and not have the process drag on for months or years. But remember to celebrate every pound you lose! Don't feel bad if you don't make a loss you wanted by a certain date, be proud of however much you DID lose. Set goals that are unrelated to the number on the scale, like fitness goals as the above poster mentioned, or fitting into a favourite outfit again, or reaching a certain measurement for bust, waist or hips.

    Remember to think about how you feel, about how your clothes fit, about what else has changed in your life, about things that are easier for you to do than they were when you started. Never compare yourself to other people who may be thinner, fitter, losing faster or whatever else - just compare to yourself last week/month/year and see how much you've achieved. Work on being a better version of you, not being like someone else. :)

    Go to a store and find something that weighs around 40lbs, and pick it up. Think about how you used to carry that around on your body, and how great it is that you got rid of it!

    Be kind to yourself - it's going to take a long time, and there will be days, weeks or maybe even months where you don't lose much or perhaps even gain a couple of pounds. It's all normal. You'll eat too much sometimes. You'll want to throw in the towel now and again. You might even fall off the wagon completely for a few weeks! Don't worry, just get back up and start over. It's okay. :)

    Remember that even at an average of a pound per week, you'll be 52lbs lighter after a year. If you give up, you'll stay where you are or even gain back what you've lost so far. Use thoughts like that to keep yourself motivated when things get rough.

    And yeah, like others have said - this doesn't have an end date. Once you get to your goal weight, you have to stay there and that's a whole new ball game! :) So working on ways to get your mental game together now will help in the future, as well as having a plan and continuing goals for when you do get there - whether that's this year, next year, or a couple more down the line.

    Read the stickies at the top of each forum section, if you haven't already - there's a ton of useful and motivating advice on these boards if you look for it. :)

    Good luck, and keep at it - you WILL get there, eventually, and you'll be glad you didn't up completely when you do!

    Great words of wisdom! I did go home last night after reading this post and tried on a pair of Tinkerbell PJ's (Yes, Disney fanatic here) that I have not been able to wear since I bought them and they FIT!!! Thank you.
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    STEVE142142 wrote: »
    pondee629 wrote: »
    Nobody ever remembers how long it took to put the weight on. Hint; a real long time, most likely a great portikon of your life. And we ALL want it gone NOW. Ain't going to happen. It came on gradually, it's going to go off gradually.

    It was your lifestyle that caused the weight gain. It will be your lifestyle that is going to have it go off. It's not a diet as in a temporary change in your daily life. It's a change in your daily life, now, tomorrow and for the future. Let us get used to it. A pound a week. Seems small. Seems insignificant. It works. Over time you will see the results you were always hoping for. You will find clothes that were once tight that you now "swim" in. Your exercise routine will become easy and you'll look for ways to "pump it up". And, over this time, you will develop the habits and lifestyle to maintain the weight, figure and general fitness you now strive for.

    It don't come easy and it don't come quick. But, as long as you want it enough to keep at it, it will come. Motivation comes for the incremental success we get along the way. Celebrate them and continue.

    Life is a journey completed in small steps, you just keep taking them.

    Thanks this saved me a lot of time writing my response. You summed it up perfectly.

    The only thing I will add is that you have to find a selfish why. It can't be for the significant other and can't be for the kids it has to be totally for yourself that's what's going to get you through the rough times. Also as a secondary benefit that selfish why will take care of all the other reasons. Also realize that you're worth it and you deserve it.

    YES. It's all ME, I want to do this, I want to be back into shape, I want to be able to run a Half Marathon, I want to look good on the beach, I want to fell better, both physically and about myself, I want, I want, Me, Me, Me,...

    Finishing that first 5K, my profile picture, felt REAL GOOD. ;-)
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    jbatinker wrote: »
    Great words of wisdom! I did go home last night after reading this post and tried on a pair of Tinkerbell PJ's (Yes, Disney fanatic here) that I have not been able to wear since I bought them and they FIT!!! Thank you.

    Fabulous! There you go... didn't it feel great to fit into those? :)

    I have boxes of clothes that no longer fit me, and I try some on every few pounds. Of course it's a little disappointing if something is still too tight, but when I find one that DOES fit it's an awesome feeling! And I know that if I stay on track, the rest of them will fit soon and eventually be too big. :)
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Congrats on your progress so far, I know it can be painfully slow especially when we have set a goal in mind. One thing that I would do to try and not be so hard on myself with date-weight goals was to start doing some activity you don't really care for. For me it was anything that required me to get on the floor - I wasn't having it!!! But for some reason I could never justify why and so one day after my trainer made get on floor and do bicycle crunches, that I did but HATED every last one. I decided that I refused to let them win and started doing them at home to challenge myself and get my mind off my plateau, being able to do that and the added exercises I started doing I not only gained some strength, lost some inches but found out being on the floor is not so bad. I did get past the plateau and didn't stress myself about the fact that I hadn't lost any weight.
  • sashayoung72
    sashayoung72 Posts: 441 Member
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    You are doing GREAT! and 4 months, ahhh I remember that. I've been 18 months and yes I'd like it to be over, but I know i will always have to count so it's just a journey!
  • Marycycles
    Marycycles Posts: 48 Member
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    I started at 250 and lost 105lbs in 8 months and kept it off 2 years, before getting depressed and gained 60lbs back. I started walking, then running now I bike. What worked for me was exercise and yes I eat every one of those bonus calories!
  • FrankieandSpots
    FrankieandSpots Posts: 446 Member
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    Think of where you'll be a year from now if you stay the course. 2 years?
    And if you do stay on track the time it takes to reach your goal will seem insignificant (but worthwhile) in 10 years time.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    We live in a world of instant gratification these days. Unfortunately, there's no instant gratification in weight loss. Sometimes you just have to step back and reset your mindset.

    As for motivation, just take it one day at a time. Do things that you truly enjoy and things won't feel like a chore.
  • KristieJC
    KristieJC Posts: 243 Member
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    I think it's frustratingly slow the same way that broccoli doesn't taste like brownies. The universe is torturing us :wink:
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
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    You've done amazing so far and you probably feel and see the benefits already.

    You may stall or even gain a pound or 2 over the cruise but the next one you may be 180 or less.

    Touring those ports day after day is hard work and not lugging 40lbs around will make you enjoy your time more than you would at your starting weight.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
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    It's never over. You'll need to think about calories for the rest of your life. It's not like you lose the weight and everything gets magically better. Each and every day after that magic number shows up on your scale, you will still need to think about food, exercise and calories. I don't want to be doom and gloom, but it's never over. But it's worth it.
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
    edited June 2016
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    jbatinker wrote: »
    Thanks everyone. After much thought I have turned my attention from the cruise date to clothes I want to fit in. Found a great dress for a formal night on the cruise that is a little snug - new goal, to feel great in it no matter the weight number!

    That's a great goal to aim for! :)

    And when you do go on your cruise, don't worry too much - you're there to enjoy yourself, not to fret over every little thing you eat. :) You'll probably gain a few pounds, so just be mentally prepared for that when you get back, and be ready to climb aboard the weight-loss wagon again and get back in the game!
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    If fat loss didn't slow down the less fat mass one has, we'd all die quickly during famine.
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
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    Amazing job so far I think! Try 2 remember it took years to get to our heaviest weights and it takes time to get healthier! This is a lifestyle change and you are doing great!

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