I decided last year I'd finally do it and try to lose weight (starting at 5'7" 200 pounds). After a year of working my ass off at the gym, learning to count calories, staying absolutely away from foods I know my body reacts badly to like dairy, white bread and just in general fast food/junk food, I've managed to lose only 35 pounds. I will be honest and say there are times where my heart wasn't entirely in it even though I'm committed, it was my last year of University and I had to spend a few weeks at a time studying/doing final projects etc and I would take a break from the gym, but this only happened twice for a couple of weeks at the end of the semester (and I would still count calories and stay away from crap food).
I'm raging back at the gym about a month ago, working my ass off again, burning 500 calories on the elliptical, lifting weights as heavy as I can lift, even resorting to walking home from the gym (a 1.5 hour walk) and taking random classes they offer. My weight is just stiff as a board and I am getting pretty frustrated. I can't help but wonder why is it that it took me one year just to lose 35 pounds (it feels like 2 pounds a MONTH), when I've heard people lose 100 pounds in a year. I'm embarrassed to even mention how much weight I've lost because while people are congratulating me and telling me I look better, I feel like I should have achieved my goal by now. I'll never give up, but I'm starting to feel like an idiot.
I am trying for 50lbs in 10 months and I may... or may not make it : / But after the initial weight lost, it... has... been... so... sllloooooowwww! To the point I should just start weighing monthly :P I am even plateauing about 3-4 weeks now and I am getting so annoyed.
At this point 2lbs a month sounds awesome to me, don't sell your self short it is or can be way easier to lose 100lbs weight from obese to healthy in a year, than it would be 50lbs from overweight to healthy in less than a year and even then losing 25lbs from healthy and stay in health BMI in 1/2 a year.
And I'd say being in university you don't really have an advantage, if anything a disadvantage. In my current position I say, yes, I have an advantage (a weird one and embarrassing one, unemployed and a burden on my family due to mental health reasons) and in my weight loss and probably wouldn't be able to do what I did in the time I did it in, if I didn't have this.
I found crossing over from over weight to healthy weight range very hard, I even fell off the wagon and know at my last 10lbs it is even worse and I refuse to fall off the wagon!
Don't give up!
I figured that too, perhaps if someone is going from eating 10 000 calories a day to 1000, well then there will be drastic changes in comparison... I'm afraid of making this my excuse though?
Kinda like that just maybe not those numbers ;)
When your bigger you burn more cals so there for you can eat more and easily gain deficits and an obese or overweight person can lose 4lbs in 2 weeks easy (maybe just by cutting out desserts, fast food and soda for a deficit and changing nothing else). While thin person trying to lose 5lbs to fit into their dress has to exercise (3-5 times a week), eat less and eat well for maybe 1-3 months.
It's really interesting when you put it like that hollowness, that makes me feel a bit better about my weight not really doing anything at the moment, even though I'm working out and eating well. Thanks for the motivation!
No problem :) I too plateauing at 3-4 about weeks eating well and working out hard! I get annoyed just cause I am so impatient... and I am being ever so good, please can I has some results :P ;)
As long as you eat at least your BMR nothing should go wrong, 800 is too low and under eating is counterproductive, it causes stalls and gains (which in turn makes you eat even less) and when you do lose it is more lean mass and less fat!
