Is this even possible? I know I need more patience.

You mean you've erased 23 years from your weight? That is AWESOME!
I've never heard of anyone not being able to get to goal. Some that give up trying or stop because they find themselves content at a lesser goal. You're basing your goal on a number. What if you get to 10lbs above it and feel fit and look smaller than when you WERE that size? Would the scale number be such a big deal then? You've got to go one day at a time. I know you're impatient, but you are setting yourself up for failure if you don't beat the negative out of yourself. You're moving along very well! Who cares what your scale says?? You are letting that number bring you down, doubt yourself, diminish your success and it has you looking into the future, which you seem to tend to believe holds no promise when it comes to your weight. KNOCK IT OFF!

I know you were looking for success stories, and I gave plenty of time for the thread to turn that way, You are doing SO FRAKING AWESOME with your cals and your exercise, you ARE a success story of sorts. I believe you ARE losing inches like crazy. When I see posts like this, I feel like I would like to grab your face and make you look at a bigger picture, not just that stupid effing scale number.

Hugs and kisses.

YES It is possible!!! Slow success is still SUCCESS!
Remember "the slow and steady win the race'
Don't be so worried about how long it takes you to get there. Just know that YOU ARE DOING THIS!
I too am doing well in my weight loss, and it's because I didn't give up!
Are you going to give up all that you have GAINED?!
I didn't think so!!!
Now - get back to it! Progress IS PROGESS!!!
I'll be here plugging away - every day - just like you! So DON'T GIVE UP!

Sorry kids, mom's gotta whine for a minute.

If I haven't been at goal weight in 23 years, can I do this? Can this old lady honestly get down to goal?

I've lost 10 pounds at a GLACIAL pace and that brings me down to what I weighed when I was 9 months pregnant with my first child (over 23 years ago).

Any success stories out there?

Thanks y'all!

Who you callin' old?? Your 18 years younger than me. I'm not old. Ergo........
If you are over the pity party, it's time to plan a dinner with good macros adnd within your calorie goals and maybe think about getting a workout in hmmmmmm??

Ok. Pity party over.

Good breakfast & lunch - check.

Workout w/weights and good dinner - planned.

;-)

There you go! Now you got it goin' on!! :drinker:

You are the same age as me. Body composition has SO much to do with the number on the scale. I'll be honest, I didn't have a lot to lose because I have been fighting that weight creep every so often when my clothes get tight but last year, on my 45th birthday, I weighed the most I had since high school, not counting my pregnancy 23 years ago, and knew it was time to get focused again.

I'm not entirely sure how to put all of this, so I'll probably ramble. Bear with me.

I came to the realization years ago that I was never again going to have the firm 117 pound body that I did at age 27 when I was working out at the dojo 5 days each week and kicking butt in karate competitions. For one, I just don't have the time or the energy to work out that much or that hard.

I have clothes that I was wearing when I did previously weigh my goal weight of 125 and when I reached 123 those clothes still didn't fit the same. My body has changed. (I tossed them!)

I've been running for the past year now and have had fluctuations up and down since originally reaching my goal weight in October. No matter what I weigh I'm still not as big as I was before I started running. Why? I've added muscle which is more compact than fat. I might hit 140 again but I know that my previous 140 pound clothes will still be too big as long as I'm still working out and running. Case in point, I have a pair of swim shorts I wore two summers ago that I can barely keep over my hips when I try them on now.

Don't focus on the scale. Instead use that tool realistically in conjunction with another goal: aim to reach a fitness goal or a clothing size or a number on the tape measure. And search your soul to decide whether or not you really want to do the work you're going to need to do to get your body back to where it was 20-25 years ago because it IS harder to MAINTAIN a smaller size at our age and that's just a fact of life. You might reach that (unrealistic) weight goal but do you really want to do the work to keep it? I know I've decided I'm pretty darn happy where I am.

ETA: Re-read that and decided I needed to add... Yes, you can reach your goal weight if you really and truly want it. I have. It'll be harder than it was 25 years ago but it'll also be worth it. What you need to keep at the forefront of your mind is that you aren't going to reach that goal and then just stop and I can't imagine you plan to, either. I guess the point I was trying to make earlier is that you need to decide what you're going to be comfortable doing to maintain it when you do reach that goal weight. That's going to make a difference in what your final goal really is.