Slow, but sure, while frustrating!

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bkberry1
bkberry1 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started counting calories (1200 daily) a month ago. The first week, I lost 3 lbs, the last three weeks I lost 1 lb per week, with a total of -6 lbs for the month. I am so glad that the needle is moving in the right direction, but a pound a week will take me forever to reach my goal! I started at 226 and my goal is 170 - any suggestions in getting faster results.
FYI - I started water aerobics two weeks ago, I have arthritis issues in hips and knees, so any exercise must be low impact.

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  • bkberry1
    bkberry1 Posts: 10 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    1 lb per week is a great rate of loss, you really shouldn't be expecting much more than that. Anything that says you can lose 5 lbs a week or whatever is usually advertising, and simply isn't the truth.

    If you want to make sure you are being as accurate as possible, use a food scale as often as possible, double check that the database entries you are using are accurate, and make sure you log everything (including condiments, cooking oil, beverages, etc).

    Losing fast is usually a prescription for gaining it right back. Take this time to really learn how to eat in a way that you enjoy, that keeps you full, and at the right calorie level so once this year is over you will never have to do this again. Good luck!

    Thanks for the pep talk! I have been logging consistently and I bought a scale about two weeks ago, so I will be using that more often. Patience is not one of my virtues and now that I am in my 50's, I am finding that the weight is not coming off as fast, but I am hopeful that counting my cals will get me to my goal.
  • bkberry1
    bkberry1 Posts: 10 Member
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    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?

    You are right - I am only two weeks into my exercise routine and I know in my mind that a pound down is a good thing! Just not very patient and longing for my "younger" metabolism! Thanks for the props!
  • bkberry1
    bkberry1 Posts: 10 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    bkberry1 wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I don't think a year is forever. And 4 weeks is a bit too short a time to really see what's happening, especially as you've just started exercising.

    But it's worth getting everything as accurate as you can. Are you weighing all solids and semi-solids and measuring liquids?

    You are right - I am only two weeks into my exercise routine and I know in my mind that a pound down is a good thing! Just not very patient and longing for my "younger" metabolism! Thanks for the props!

    If you are at a calorie level that you can consistently stick with and are losing 1 lb/week, celebrate! Put the thoughts of losing faster out of your head, because you likely would not enjoy the process, and this way you have room to adjust downward as it becomes necessary (and it will become necessary :( )

    Edit: Just saw you said you are already at 1200 calories with a starting weight of 226, so you are already pursuing a goal that is too aggressive. 2 lbs/week is really only for those who are the most obese, because they have the initial body weight to support it. 1200 is the default minimum MFP gives when a person chooses a weekly weight loss goal that is too aggressive, and won't necessarily result in 2 lbs/week.

    I am a skeptic, so I put myself on a 1200 Cal diet to see if counting calories would yield results. I have been counting carbs and doing protein diets for about 20 yrs. Always had success losing, but not sustaining the weight loss, as I love carbs and felt deprived from not being able to eat them in the end. So, because of my age (53) and arthritis issues, which keeps me more sedentary, I chose a 1200 Cal a day diet plan. Should I be eating more calories per day? I am afraid if I increase, I will not continue to lose. But, the thought of having to decrease my cals as I get closer to my goal is just depressing!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited July 2017
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    OK, @bkberry1 - back to basics! ;)

    Listen, I hear you. I'm 48 & found myself at 275 a few years back with badly impaired mobility. I've lost 70 lbs over the course of 5 years (40 more to go), but it's been rough with a lot of fits & starts, especially since I was diagnosed in there with hypothyroid & now am in peri-menopause. Our issues can make it a struggle, but the formula works the same.

    Go back into your profile & enter your stats, your true daily activity level minus purposeful exercise, and a weekly goal of 1 lb/week. Read the stickies at the top of the "getting started" and "diet & weight loss" forums about accurate logging and any other issues you might be concerned about. Then eat the number of calories MFP gives you. Period. Log meticulously, but eat them. Log any purposeful exercise and eat back about half of the calories it gives you (the burns listed in the database are inflated). That's it! Really :) By randomly choosing 1200 calories, you are making the process much harder than it needs to be, and likely will burn more muscle mass in proportion to fat, leaving you underwhelmed with your body in the end. There may come a time when you need 1200 calories for the last 10-15 lbs- or maybe not- but now is not that time. :)
  • jusjoking
    jusjoking Posts: 56 Member
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    I started on Apr 16th and essentially I wanted to lose about 70 or even 80 lbs. from 258 to around 185 or even 175

    Ive never been patient PLUS I have never used any eating discipline in my life lol. I was pretty much a boredom eater I guess.

    So I got all excited and plotted out weight loss based on 3 lbs per week and that looked GOOD on paper! Of course I knew from years of weightlifting etc that 2lbs per week was a more realistic goal

    So I started with 2000 calories which is what I calculated for 2lbs per week. Of course I was worried and also impatient

    Long story short, it has all went smoothly and ive lost about 21lbs. Im not THAT excited yet because im still super fat lol. It wont really get exciting until I start getting near 200lbs


    My advice? Just get the process started and let it work. FIND OTHER THINGS TO DO and dont think about the weight loss all day long. let it happen

    I weigh myself every morning and plot it out but so far im not obsessing about it. As you will see there are patterns where it seems I was "stuck" but so far the loss keeps on coming


    c6tinijzamdh.jpeg
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    jusjoking wrote: »


    My advice? Just get the process started and let it work. FIND OTHER THINGS TO DO and dont think about the weight loss all day long. let it happen

    I love this advice. Sometimes we get so obsessive it's like, "Everybody be quiet... I'm trying to lose weight here!" Trust the process & live your life :)

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    jusjoking wrote: »
    I started on Apr 16th and essentially I wanted to lose about 70 or even 80 lbs. from 258 to around 185 or even 175

    Ive never been patient PLUS I have never used any eating discipline in my life lol. I was pretty much a boredom eater I guess.

    So I got all excited and plotted out weight loss based on 3 lbs per week and that looked GOOD on paper! Of course I knew from years of weightlifting etc that 2lbs per week was a more realistic goal

    So I started with 2000 calories which is what I calculated for 2lbs per week. Of course I was worried and also impatient

    Long story short, it has all went smoothly and ive lost about 21lbs. Im not THAT excited yet because im still super fat lol. It wont really get exciting until I start getting near 200lbs


    My advice? Just get the process started and let it work. FIND OTHER THINGS TO DO and dont think about the weight loss all day long. let it happen

    I weigh myself every morning and plot it out but so far im not obsessing about it. As you will see there are patterns where it seems I was "stuck" but so far the loss keeps on coming


    c6tinijzamdh.jpeg

    My jaw always drops when people post their weight trending graphs and all their dots are perfect and under the line. Mine has never been that neat, I go under and over that damn line regularly!
  • jusjoking
    jusjoking Posts: 56 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »

    My jaw always drops when people post their weight trending graphs and all their dots are perfect and under the line. Mine has never been that neat, I go under and over that damn line regularly!

    I think in my case its because I was SO fat to begin with and im still super fat. Ive lost like 21-22 lbs in 11ish weeks or so.....but im still super duper porky

    Point being, its not like im at the point where I am trying to laser cut the last 8 ounces away lol. Im still in the early "low hanging fruit" stages.

    Its not like im even eating "strict" at all. Its just that for years I have eaten SO much and huge portions etc

    But yeah, I was freaking out about 2 weeks in when my weight got up ON the line lol.

    20lbs down...60 to go. So far I dont think ive gotten any unsolicited comments lol

  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    The important thing is to create a lifestyle. So when you do lose the weight it stays off. It took me 2 years to lose the weight, but you know what? It happened and one day you'll be there. It's not a race.

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