Not losing as fast as I'd hoped...

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Not losing as fast as I'd hoped...
9
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 9:53am

Okay, I know they say that it is healthy to lose 1-2 lbs a week, but I’ve also read that if you have more to lose than you can safely lose up to 3-4 lbs a week. Since I have added weights to my routine I am not losing as much, but I also don’t feel like my clothes are much looser. My measurements aren’t going down much either, so I don't know if I'm losing much fat. I started on 8/25 at 225 and was 219.2 this morning. That’s only about 1.9 lbs a week. I am PMSing so I’m hoping that I’m just retaining water and will be down more next week. If I continue this trend I will still be at my goal weight by my vacation but I guess I had my hopes up that I could lose faster. I know I shouldn’t be complaining since I’m losing at all, but I feel like I’m exercising my butt off 6 days a week and I had hoped for more...

Did you guys find that your weight loss picked up at a certain point? My sister told me that she didn't lose much in her first 2 months but then lose much more quickly after. I'm hoping that's the case with me!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2004
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 12:33pm

Every person is different when it comes to weight loss. If you stay focused on the scale though, you run the risk of hitting a brick wall when it comes to motivation. I, personally, have always lost very fast. My mother loses very slow, even if she sticks witha strict diet and exercise plan. What weight loss comes down to is calories in vs calories out. It's possible that you are either 1) Eating more calories than you think you are (this is very easy to do) or 2) Not eating ENOUGH calories for how much activity you get. If #2 is the case, you would need to increase your calorie intake to a more reasonable level for your activity level, or you could stall your weight loss even more as time goes on. This is the situation with my mother. She has always had exceptional control over what she eats, but because she underate for so long, it took her FOREVER to lose 12 lbs she gained last year due to emergency surgery, and that was with her only eating about 1000 calories a day.

If you track your food already, make sure you measure EVERYTHING for a few days and track EVERYTHING accurately to see how much you are really eating. If you don't keep a journal, try it for a few days and see how much you are really eating. This will tell you if you need to focus on eating less or on eating more healthy foods.

HTH

Staci


 


Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 12:52pm
I do use fitday to track my food and am staying within the 1400-1600 range. I am very careful and measure my food, so I am almost positive I am doing okay in that area. I do cardio for an average (sometimes more, sometimes less) of 35 minutes a day, as well as weights for 30-45 minutes, 4 times a week. I feel like my calorie intake and exercise are reasonable and it is working somewhat. My carb/protein/fat ratios are good, I get enough fiber, drink a ton of water, and even have been drinking fat free milk to see if it helps. I just I shouldn't expect to lose 3-4 lbs a week, but it would be nice! I guess maybe I should be more patient? Maybe I'm not meant to lose that much, I don't know.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2004
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 7:51pm
Anna, all we can tell you is to be patient :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-24-2003
Mon, 09-19-2005 - 10:22pm
Hi there. I'm new here. I was reading your message. I just started Aug 15. I am working out with weights and doing treadmill. I started eating better too. I have lost only 8 lbs. I weighed today. I feel like i'm losing slow too. But everyone says it takes 1-2 months to see good results. Muscle weighs more than fat so weight lifting will seem like your not losing as much but you are replacing fat with muscle. Measuring yourself is really the only way to know. So if you havn't, get that measuring tape out and try measuring once a month. Hope this helps.
Susan
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-03-2005
Tue, 09-20-2005 - 12:18am
If you are working out at a gym have them start testing your body fat!!! That will tell ya whats really going on.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 09-20-2005 - 12:11pm
Mine jumps and stalls - I lost 20 pounds in just a little over my first month - then not a damn thing for three weeks - and then 1.5 pounds this week. I know it is REALLY hard to stay motivated when it's slow (and I, too, had hoped that at MY weight I'd lose more quickly for a few months - I started out 90 pounds heavier than you!) - but just look at it this way: You may only be losing 1-2 pounds a week, but if you weren't doing this at all, you wouldn't have lost anything, or maybe you'd even have gained! So it is progress any way you look at it. I've always wanted to lose weight in a hurry, but I've finally decided that if it takes me 5 years to lose the fat, that is better than losing 5 years and still being fat!
Avatar for airlily
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-02-2004
Tue, 09-20-2005 - 3:44pm

I know how you feel! Almost makes you want to submerge your head in the toilet for ten minutes or so....

I'm taking that nutrition class at Curves, and they're saying it's good to mix up your diet every week. So, one week you're eating almost all protein. Then, the next week you're eating only 45% protein. One week you're on 1200 calories, but then the next you can go up to 1400. I guess it's about making sure your body doesn't get used to one type of food? Not sure.

As for me, I'm trying to put in more protein this week, but will probably revret back again next. I am also going to put in at least 30 minutes of cardio activity on my off days from strength training, and take out some extra calories, bringing me down to 1200/day (Curves calls this their Phase I). You can check out my journal if you're ever curious as to what I'm doing.

I only lost 12 my first month, even though I know bigger people are supposed to lose faster. I'm happy to have lost something, though; I was only working out three times a week, and was eating 1500/day, so the fact I lost anything with such a lax schedule is cool, I guess. Still, more would be great.

The one thing I'm trying hard not to do is take any stimulants. I've even told myself I'm not allowed any caffeine. So, I haven't had coffee or soda in a long while. I want it to be all me doing the weight loss. If I hit a plateau, I'll just have to mix up my diet again. I think on Celebrity Fit Club they mixed things up, too.

Don't know how much help I was, but I know how you feel. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2005
Tue, 09-20-2005 - 3:54pm

Hey Anna,

Are you on any type of medication that effects insulin levels? I used to be on Lexapro and i couldnt lose ANYTHING...i switched to wellbutrin and the weight is coming off MUCH better. My doc said that lexapro can spike insulin levels...which one of insulins jobs is to maintain the body's current fat level, therefore, if insulin is high you wont lose fat.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Wed, 09-21-2005 - 6:18am

Everybody loses weight differently (that sounds like a cliche?). I lose very fast for a few weeks (first week on plan I lost 11 lbs). Then I stall for a while. Then start losing again. The stalling parts kill me and could be really frustrating and not motivating at all. But it helps when I look at the big picture and see that I am losing around 2-3 lbs a week on average.

EDIT: I'll take a slow PERMENANT weight loss anytime. I'd hate to lose weight quickly, gain it back, and have to go through all this again.

Mary
247/won't tell/165




Edited 9/21/2005 6:22 am ET ET by merry_ivillage