How slow is too slow?

tracymayo1
tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
edited October 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I know I am tracking properly for food, so I am not overly worried that I am doing something wrong.
I also know I only have about 20lbs to lose (to hit my first goal of 175)
But I didn't think it would be THIS slowly...

I started at 210lbs and am now at 196 (as of this morning)
I managed to get down to about 195.6 and have been floating around that and mid 196 since.
I use my weight grapher and I see the trend - but I feel like Im not getting anywhere..

It's kind of discouraging...

ETA: I started tracking food on May 30, 2016 - 45 days is just the "streak" I lost my initial streak when I went camping for a weekend and had no service on my phone...
So just over 4 months of this... 14lbs...

Replies

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    You say it's going slowly but don't say how long it's taken you to lose what you have so far.

    0.5-1lb per week is probably about right for you.
  • Darcy0316
    Darcy0316 Posts: 39 Member
    How long have you been doing this? When I joined and took the little quiz, MFP told me I would lose 1/3 of a lb. per MONTH at 1200 calories. Because I'm old, short and already in a healthy weight range, it would just take a really long time. When I lowered calories to 1,000, it's more like a lb. per month. MFP does allow women to lower calories to 1,000, but never sets it up as "default". Thing is it takes very few calories for me to stay the same, under 1400, according to calculators.

    Anyway just wondering how long it's taken you to lose that 14 lbs.?
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    Yeah I realized I didn't say how long...
    Today is day 45 of my journey
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    So basically 15lbs so far in 1.5 months? I'd say that's pretty much perfect. You didn't put it on in 45 days, you can't expect to lose it overnight.
  • iatethemuffins
    iatethemuffins Posts: 4 Member
    14-15 pounds in 45 days (a month and a half) is a little more than 2 pounds/week. That's actually pretty fast.
  • Chadxx
    Chadxx Posts: 1,199 Member
    iatethemuffins wrote: »
    14-15 pounds in 45 days (a month and a half) is a little more than 2 pounds/week. That's actually pretty fast.

    Yep, you are doing great.
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    sorry - I went by my log in record but that isn't accurate.
    I wasn't able to log while camping over a weekend...
    I started this up May 30, 2016 (as per the reports on MFP)
    So, 4 months and a bit...
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
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  • MeganCannon
    MeganCannon Posts: 29 Member
    Yeah, no. You're doing just fine. Like someone said up thread, you didn't put your weight on that fast and you will not lose it that fast either.
  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 597 Member
    It took me six months to lose eight pounds, so...
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    So 4 months then? Averages out to a little under 4lbs per month. Still perfectly acceptable. If it's not quite what you expect then tighten your logging, try to get more activity but honestly, it's a fine rate of loss. Carry on like that and you'll lose 40lbs+ in a year.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    You are on the high end of recommended weight loss. I sincerely recommend a change of perspective on this issue. Enjoy the process and the changes you are making. Get rid of any timelines you have. Do it slowly and do it once so you don't find yourself in the same place 5 years later (speaking from experience).
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    Yeah... I sound whiny, I know :(
    I dont have a set timeline in place for this process. I know slow and steady wins the race.
    I set my goals for 1lb a week, and that seems to be the average it is working out to. I guess I just assumed that I would lose a little quicker because I did want to get down to about 165lbs in the end and set my first goal as 175lbs thinking it would be achieved faster... that isn't the case though...
    I am not strong on patience for these things and when I see my scale bouncing about the same numbers for any stretch of time, I start to panic that I messed something up.., and because I do weight everything with a scale, I wouldn't know where to turn to fix the problem...
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    tracymayo1 wrote: »
    Yeah... I sound whiny, I know :(
    I dont have a set timeline in place for this process. I know slow and steady wins the race.
    I set my goals for 1lb a week, and that seems to be the average it is working out to. I guess I just assumed that I would lose a little quicker because I did want to get down to about 165lbs in the end and set my first goal as 175lbs thinking it would be achieved faster... that isn't the case though...
    I am not strong on patience for these things and when I see my scale bouncing about the same numbers for any stretch of time, I start to panic that I messed something up.., and because I do weight everything with a scale, I wouldn't know where to turn to fix the problem...

    Don't second guess. You are using a food scale, logging consistently enough to lose as expected and are on track. Weight loss isn't linear and for women so many things can affect scale weight. You're just going to have to learn to live with the fluctuations. That's not to say they won't frustrate you, we all have those moments but as long as the trend is down that's all you can ask for.

    And use other metrics to track progress like measurements, clothes fit, fitness levels, mobility. It will take the focus away from solely what is largely an arbitrary number.

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