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WWhitaker
WWhitaker Posts: 309
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 3 months in to my new lifestyle in the making and have so far lost 8 lbs. I eat the healthiest possible, drink loads of water and exercise 3-5 days a week. Though the weekends usually throw me over due to not being as strict, but I keep myself accountable. I've quit drinking soda mostly but I'll have a Coke Zero if I really want one. I've made a tremendous amount of changes in the last near 90 days.....90 days and I've lost 8 lbs. Since I'm strength training as well, I'm sure the number hasn't moved much from gaining some muscle. I do notice a tremendous amount of differences in my body, so try as I might, to not get hung up on that number. I stumbled upon this article today and it made me furious!!! I've done so many of these options and never have I lost weight like that before! It almost seems like a ploy to get people into healthier lifestyles by having these "stories". While, I'm sure they're likely true, it just infuriates me that with several of those changes I, myself have made, I never lost 20 lbs from switching to veggies vs. fries, or dropped 10 lbs by no longer drinking soda. This almost leads me to believe there might be something wrong with my body as to why I'm not losing weight as quickly as I think I should be and granted there are people out there who lost 25 lbs by humming themselves skinny.....Okay, I totally made that up. Here's the article:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/little-ways-to-lose-big-pounds-2505312/;_ylt=Ag681PCBQ2Db47YPHIvldblabqU5

Replies

  • spim
    spim Posts: 31 Member
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    If you feel more comfortable in yourself, and you can see in your body that you're making progress and things are changing, put the scales away somewhere. You're clearly doing brilliantly, and making progress regardless of what the devil scales are telling you. As for the article, most of us know there's no quick, healthy fix that you can stick to.

    Ignore everyone else, be happy with the progress you can see, and love yourself! :)
  • Dokks
    Dokks Posts: 16
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    That's a pretty good article you linked actually. :)
  • kgagnon7779
    kgagnon7779 Posts: 216
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    Though I think all of those recommendations are all really good and will definitely help you lose weight, the quotes from the "real people" were just cheesy! They had to have been exaggerated. The lady that ran 20 minutes a day and lost 20 pounds in 2 months? She didn't do that JUST by running 20 minutes a day. All of them combined (or even some of them) will help you lose weight, but not as much and as quickly as they make it seem in this article. Not to mention, everyone is different.

    So - keep chugging along and keep taking it off. You're going about it with a great attitude. It's not easy!!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Yes, those do seem really far fetched. I worked my *kitten* off to lose about a pound a week. I call bull-poopie on someone dropping 10 pounds a month by just jogging 20 minutes a day, or 11 pounds in two months by going to Zumba twice a week.

    And I walked my dog daily, at least a mile a day, while I was gaining weight. So dropping a pound a week (50 pounds a year) by taking your poochie out for a ten minute walk? More bull-poopie.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with your body.. Everyone is different. Everyone loses weight at a different rate, burns calories at a different weight, needs a different amount to eat, and the list could go on and on.

    Plus thats only one thing that they did.. for all you know, they could have also had weight loss surgery or take some kind of crazy diet pill, and that wasn't mentioned.

    They also don't mention that the faster you lose the weight, the harder it is to keep off. So while these people are having major success now, they prob. won't be a few months down the line. They call it a journey for a reason.. so don't try to rush the process.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    Learning to eat breakfast has made a huge difference for me. Drinking more water helps because I don't need other beverages and it keeps me full so I don't snack.

    Everyone's body is different and what your goals are make a difference how fast you lose as well. I started by doing 5 min twice a day on the elliptical machine that was sitting unused before that. Counting calories religiously also helped, it's easier for me to make smart choices now even on an "off" day than I would have before. I'll likely hit the 75lbs lost mark by my birthday next month by being diligent and having very few days where I'm over on calories.

    I also eat back my exercise calories so I'm sure to get ENOUGH fuel for my body.
  • emccand
    emccand Posts: 195 Member
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    I think everyone loses different, I tried quitting pop too and had no results. I have also tried green tea pills, acai berry pills and slim fast lol none of that stuff worked and i realized that if there was a magic pill, or shake, or detox that no one in the world would be fat so i quit trying all the junk i heard advertised about, i think its all a gimmick, the only real way to lose is to eat healthy, and exercise, and change your lifestyle. Dont get frustrated, Im sure the strength training has something to do with your number lose, but how many inches have you lost? Look at that too. Keep up the good work eating healthy and working out, you will lose in time :flowerforyou:
  • Melissajojo3
    Melissajojo3 Posts: 100
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    I see you started around April which is right around the same time that I started my diet, I have let go of sweets, sodas, pastas, and high carb foods, I have already lost 42 pounds in those 70-80 days already. I don't see why your losing so little weight in the same amount of time that I have, but every body is different and to be honest with you, taking baby steps is fine it just takes longer to lose weight. Its a life style change its not a race, just do what your doing now and you will get your body adjusted to where you start seeing more great results, try to replace a meal with a protein shake, this might help. how may calories are you eating a day? how many calories are u burning? what are you eating? I stay away from restaurants all together and maybe every know and then eat a slice of pizza but thats only like once a month....good luck with your journey :) you can do it!!
  • snkeller24
    snkeller24 Posts: 459
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    Everyone is different/Everyone has an opinion. You have to experiment and find what works for you.

    You need to look at your diet and exercise.

    Borrowed this blog from a friend.

    http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,227 Member
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    I suspect those people who lost so much are the ones who had something wrong with their body. I dropped 20 pounds in 2 weeks when I started this because I had extremely high blood pressure, and the water pill they put me on took off 10 of those (probably more) and the physical demands of recovery from a small stroke did the rest. I look at those numbers and guess that first person was retaining tons of water and stopping eating out cut the sodium and dropped a bunch of water weight but not fat weight. The problem was they were not healthy to start, but are getting healthy and getting rid of that water is the first part of it.
  • gremlet
    gremlet Posts: 21 Member
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    Please don't think there's anything wrong with you!

    I'm sure some people lose weight fairly quickly and healthily and that's all well and good. I'm not one of them. I've lost about 11lbs in the last 3.5 months and that's with training for a 10K and now a marathon, good food choices AND strength training. The number isn't big, but I look much, much better, my clothes are falling off me and more importantly I've got SO much fitter, it's untrue!

    I don't think articles like this are particularly helpful. It's nice to have some inspiration, but implying that losing weight as as easy as replacing fries with veggies is just wrong. It's definitely a step in the right direction but pure weight loss will always boil down to calories in vs. calories out.
  • WWhitaker
    WWhitaker Posts: 309
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    Thanks, everybody!!! I'm so thankful for everyone's positive attitude and support! You guys rock!!!! xoxo
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    Of course most of the info in the link is "over simplistic".....losing weight is not magic, and making healthy changes are not easy! Keep plugging away - and pat yourself on the back for losing 8 pounds!
  • suzooz
    suzooz Posts: 720 Member
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    I think they are missing the same small print that is in other diet adds: results not typical.

    The article does have some valid points about how small steps can make a huge difference. When I find myself overwhelmed with trying to be "perfect" to lose weight, I will often step back and decide to take one of these smaller steps. It keeps me going.

    But I think the testimonials might be a bit misleading -- either they did more than just the "one" thing in the article, or perhaps they had alot to lose, or perhaps they are the rare case that something like this would work. Regardless, there is nothing wrong with you or your weight loss journey. You are doing the right things! Some of us just take a little longer to shed those pounds!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    sweetie you are doing an excellent job and have so much to be proud of. We know there are no quick fixes . . . if there were, we wouldn't be here on MFP, right?

    chin up, girl, keep rockin!
  • sarahanncoyle
    sarahanncoyle Posts: 3
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    Ive just started this group but since the end of feb. 2011 ive lost 30lbs and it hasnt been as difficult as one might think. yes i push myself at the gym, yes i eat less than i did before, yes i do take in better for me foods, but they are little changes to my lifestyle that have made the difference. gulping water like a fish actually isnt the best thing for your body. you should have atleast 64 oz per day but if you drink more than half your body weight in ounces of water per day you can actually do damage to your kidneys. So the best idea is to pick a number between 64oz and half your weight in oz and STICK to that number try not to fluctuate so your body can get used to having a regular amount of water and not retain it. Watch your portion sizes. If you eat salads dont drowned them in fatty dressing., if you have to have dressing try low fat or fat free and actually measure the serving size so you know what it looks like. It is possible to loose that kind of weight !! good luck

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