Anyone else taking it really slow this time?

LisaMDJ · October 2011

It took me about a year to lose 110 pounds back in 2006-07, and then I gained 80 pounds back with my pregnancy and haven't managed to lose any of it again. I've tried many times, and I might lose 15-20 and then gain it right back. Every time I start trying, I want to see the scale move quickly because I'm impatient to get the weight off. I've been reading a book called "Break Through Your Set Point" lately, and while I don't believe everything it says, I'm going to take its advice on one thing. I'm going to do it slooooowly this time. The book suggests taking six months to lose 10% of your weight (the time might vary, of course, depending on your starting weight), then maintaining that level for six months. Then you repeat the process until you're at a healthy weight. I'm starting at 243, so this could take a while, but I'm actually ok with that for the first time in my life. I plan to lose 24 pounds by March, maintain that level for a while, then try again, and keep doing that until I'm back down to 165. If it goes off a bit faster, great, but if not, I'm not sweating it. MFP gives me 1800 base calories, and I'm eating them all. Yesterday I ate most of my exercise calories, and I'm only committing to exercising three times a week. I need this to be manageable this time, and I need to stick with it forever.

Anyone else taking it slow like me?

brookst4 · October 2011

Sounds like a great plan. I have had my account here for over a year but until recently I just started taking it seriously. My intentions are to try and lose 1-2 lbs a week. For my workout I am trying to get up to 5 days a week but am okay with 3 if that is all I can do. Frequency then duration. I wish you luck.

jlc1243 · October 2011

Yes! I have not given myself a certain deadline for getting to goal. I think you are going about it the right way for sure! I too would love the scale to tell me it's all gone when I step on it, but that is where I have failed before. By treating it as over when I hit my goal. That meant I didn't have to work at it any more and in turn the weight crept back on. I now understand this is something I have to do everyday, forever. Just keep plugging away at it and it will become an everyday thing instead of something that has a defined deadline. You'll do great!

melsinct · October 2011

I had 30 pounds total to lose and it has taken me 8 months to lose 28 pounds, so I am definitely taking it slowly! However, I have not once had any sort of backslide, I haven't given up, not even for a day, and I feel like this is truly a sustainable way of living. So I guess slow and steady works for me! I didn't have a time line, as in "In X months I will lose X pounds." I just went with it and broke it down into mini-goals. Basically every 10 pounds was a milestone for me.

minimommy1 · October 2011

Your not alone. I also am on a healthy lifestyle journey. After over 25 years of trying every other way to 'lose weight' I finally have learned that it isn't so much about losing weight as it is about being healthy. I have finally learned that if I eat healthy, exercise and do this in a way that I can live with for the rest of my life the weight will come off. It is coming off - yes slowly- but it is coming off and I believe it will stay off because my whole focus is not just a number on a scale but instead is about more than that because I am more than that. I am more than a number on a scale. I now make my goals about tangible achievements. Things that mean something to me that show I am improving in health. So you just keep taking it slow and continue to learn to be healthy. You may add me as a friend if you like.

catwrangler · October 2011

Yeah, slow and easy, I have to get used to watching what I eat and excercising since I want to make it a lifelong habit from now on.

I have never read that book, what are the parts you don't agree with?

LisaMDJ · October 2011

I have never read that book, what are the parts you don't agree with?

Well, the guy who wrote it also happens to be the guy who came up with Slim-Fast (to his credit, though, he doesn't push Slim-Fast in the book). So I had to take everything with a grain of salt because I'm not big on the whole meal replacement thing. As for disagreeing, it's not so much that I don't agree with stuff, it's that a lot of the book is just the same old stuff we've heard before (eat slowly, use smaller plates, etc) and I'm just tired of hearing that stuff because it's only helpful if this is the first time you've ever tried to diet and you're completely clueless. Also, he says not to track your calories and instead to just focus on strategies to make you eat less, and I find that if I don't track them religiously I will find ways to eat too much to lose weight. I've tried so many different ways and the only thing that consistently makes me lose weight is to track my calories as closely as possible.

LisaMDJ · October 2011

catwrangler, I have to tell you I love your signature about the distinction between lose/loose! It drives me a little crazy when I see people talking about "loosing" weight, but it's such a common mistake that I'm trying to overlook it!

BetteEdmonson · October 2011

You have to decide what works for YOU. Pre-Diabetes is making me take mfp and my healthy new lifestyle seriously. I was only 10 points away from Diabetes at 63 years old. I don't want that so I followed my youngest daughters' advice and checked into mfp. It is sure working for me. I'm just letting my body do what it wants. My knees keep me from 99% of most exercises but water aerobics is the perfect one for me. I find that water aerobics is strengthening the muscles around my knees and making it much easier to walk. Both need knee replacement (see the doc next Tuesday) but I haven't let that stop me.

Take it as slow as you need to be successful and to KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF. We've all been there so don't kick yourself. Hang in and stay strong!

Bette

Anyone else taking it really slow this time?

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