for those of you who never had much weight to lose...

how long did it take you to lose it?

i'm talking about people who came here to lose say, 10-15 pounds. i wanted to lose 12, and i started on march 10th. i don't know what my deal is. i shoot for 1500 calories each day, all fruits, veggies, non-animal proteins and tons of whole grains. i do cardio 4-5x/week for 30-45 minutes a day, i walk everywhere, and i've lost less than 2 pounds. am i doing something wrong? or is it just harder because i didn't have a whole lot of weight to lose?

It could be that you're not eating enough for your activity level.  When you only have a few pounds to lose, your deficit has to be much smaller (like only 200-300 max) or else your body won't cooperate.  At least thats what happened with me.  Hopefully some more informed people will jump in....

really? that's interesting. i've been working on getting my calorie count up, but it seems that the more i eat, the more weight i gain (which sounds really stupid to type...it's like, duh!)

I'm probably going to mis-inform you... but when you have a tiny bit to drop it seems to be a lot harder to get started than if you have a bit more to work with---no that you have to work harder, it's just your results will appear slower. This won't happen over night (not like losing weight on any degree is that easy) but since you have a small amount to lose I think you're more prone to think it'll come off *like that*. It still takes the same amount of work plus a few moderate changes to lose it. In fact, it might be a bit more difficult if you're unsure of why you gained in the first place--was it lack of exercise? going over your cals? Pinpoint the problem first and work from there. Don't get frustrated keep working towards your goals--2 pounds lost is at least 2 steps in the right direction.    

thank you for the kind words, i will stick with it! i'm calling this weight post-college-stress weight...i gained a bit about 2.5 years ago when i graduated and had NO idea what to do with my life, and some of it just sort of made a nice little home in my belly and decided it wasn't going anywhere.

I agree, I have the same little pouch of stress weight around my middle.

When I had 25 pounds to lose (a couple years ago), I was motivated and determined, and 20 lbs came off pretty quickly (if not easily). Now I just have about 10 (well... 15 if I'm honest) and I can't seem to get that extra resolve. I still work out every day, I still count my calories, but I can tell I let things sneak in: chocolate cake once in a while, I go out to dinner way more often then I should (thus making it really difficult to accurately count cals). I never did those things when weight loss was a necessity rather than a luxury.

I guess the best thing I can advise is to make sure you aren't fooling yourself. If you are serious about those few extra pounds (like I would like to be) then just say NO to dessert for a couple weeks. NO Every. Single. Time. See if just cutting out sweets (or whatever is your particular vice) for a little while makes a difference...

i think one issue for me is eating late at night, because i work full-time and then take grad classes in the evening, so sometimes i won't eat dinner until 9pm! but i will make an effort to not do that for a few weeks and see if it helps. thank you!

I've never been overweight. My highest weight ever was 129 and I'm 5' 3/1 2". However, despite the fact that I have always been a small person and never actually needed to lose weight, I did lose 16 pounds in about two months and I'm still losing now. And that was after being at 129 for at least 15 years. I have not had a hard time at all dropping the pounds.

My experience is a little different because I'm all muscle. The weight basically just fell off because my metabolism is high through body type and my activity level is high as well. However, one thing I did that I think applies across the board is vary my exercise routine—a lot. I kept the body guessing, and that worked wonders.

You might also want to give weight training a go. Cardio is definitely important, but cardio and weight training together are necessary for true and long-term fitness and health. And the more muscle you have, the more you can eat and still lose weight. Or, as long as your deficit remains in line, you can eat what you do now and lose weight faster.

If you have lowered your calories and increased your cardio without adding weight training, you could be losing muscle. And that would make your metabolism decrease.

You also need to make sure you get your heart rate up when doing cardio. You have to really make the workout count.

But I'll just reiterate to vary your exercise routine—and push yourself HARD no matter what you do—one more time because I believe that helped me more than anything.

I will  verify that it is harder to lose weight for people who dont have much to lose.  your body  typically has a set size in mind for you...weather you like it or not!  you ever notice that people who losing large amounts of weight can sometimes drop to a weight less than yours?   its because their natural body  stature ( had they not gained weight)  was designed for them to be small. my sister for example, was  well over 225lbs at 5'5.  she is about 160lbs now and is still losing and could possibly get to about 140lbs. whereas me, 145lbs 5'6, cant seem to  lose 10lbs....because I'm where I'm designed to be.

However.... it is possible to lose weight even if it is against your bodys will (it'll be harder to keep it off, once you get there, but you can achieve weight loss)  

you need to up your cardio.... i mean...if youre walking or jogging, you need to start  running... if your doing the elliptical, you need to up it 7 minutes and about 3 levels...tkae your cardio to the next level. your calorie intake is fine... never let anyone tell you youre not eating enough (as long as youre eating atleast 1200cals a day)  I'm a trainer and nutritionist..... depending on your goal depends on if youre eating enough... your goal is to lose 12lbs  so a 1500cal diet is perfect and upping your cardio level will also boost your metabolism.    you can also incorporate other types of cardio that your body is unfamiliar with... try a spinning class or even a body pump class in place of one of your cardio sessions...do that once a week and i will guarantee you will see faster results..... you need to feel like you got a good workout.

 if you complete a workout and feel like you have the energy to even do  half of it again...then you didnt put forth your best energy effort.... focus on  using your best effort without overdoing it obviously..... but make sure at the end of your workout, you feel exhausted (in a good way)... you can also gauge your effort level by your 'soreness'   . even after years of 5 days a week of working out, atleast once a week i do something new and still get sore.....sore not as in unable to move, but sore as in ' you can feel tight' in a certain area, or  you may feel your abs  sore when you laugh or cough.... that type of sore......

im not encouraging mucsle failure and complete exhaustion to the point of hospitalization....just recommending that you up your intenstiy and try new cardio to boost faster results!

wow, thank you for all the helpful advice! i feel like the response i hear most on here is "oh, you need to eat more," which makes sense to a certain extent, but only so far. thanks again.

Wow!!! I've read everyone's comment and I can identify.  I can't believe it, I thought I was the only one having this problem.  My experience is exactly the same, that is how I know you all are right. I am 5'1 and petite.  Last year, I confronted my weight issue for the first time.  I am black girl and in our culture thickness is okay and attractive to our mates.  However, I choose to be healthy and at an appropriate weight for my height.  I was weighting 145lbs and wearing a size 8.  That didn't look good at my height (my opinion).  I  lost 25lbs.  And just like u, I lost it in 45-60 days.  It just drop off.  Where i had to stop working out.  I was losing in avg of 3lbs a week.  When I stop I was weighting 123lbs.  I hadn't weighted that since I was 17 yrs old. LOL!!! Now summer is coming and I gained 7lbs back.  I see a huge difference unlike others, but I want them xtra lbs off.  I thought it was going to be a snap.  Not so!!! I am so frustrated, that I am having such a hard time.  I've been at it for a mth.  I HAVEN'T LOST ONE POUND YET!!!! I work out 5x a week.  I started eating within my calorie count, however I was still cheating here and there, drinking, eating sweets and eating late at night.  But like you I am determined to lose these 7lbs.  As of Monday, I have put myself on such a strict diet.  I have restricted myself from everything.  I drink plenty of water, no alcohol.  I barely eat 800 calories a day.  Yikes!!! I know that is bad, but I am desperate.  I have changed my workout, I do cardio in the beginning, strength training and then more cardio.  I am going to follow this for two weeks, and see if this makes a difference.  I am sorry I went long.  But  you all made me feel so much better to  know I am not the only one going thru this and u all offered some awesome solutions as well.  Good luck.  I will let you know if it made a difference. 

Original Post by eileenelove:

I will  verify that it is harder to lose weight for people who dont have much to lose.  your body  typically has a set size in mind for you...weather you like it or not!  you ever notice that people who losing large amounts of weight can sometimes drop to a weight less than yours?   its because their natural body  stature ( had they not gained weight)  was designed for them to be small. my sister for example, was  well over 225lbs at 5'5.  she is about 160lbs now and is still losing and could possibly get to about 140lbs. whereas me, 145lbs 5'6, cant seem to  lose 10lbs....because I'm where I'm designed to be.

However.... it is possible to lose weight even if it is against your bodys will (it'll be harder to keep it off, once you get there, but you can achieve weight loss)  

you need to up your cardio.... i mean...if youre walking or jogging, you need to start  running... if your doing the elliptical, you need to up it 7 minutes and about 3 levels...tkae your cardio to the next level. your calorie intake is fine... never let anyone tell you youre not eating enough (as long as youre eating atleast 1200cals a day)  I'm a trainer and nutritionist..... depending on your goal depends on if youre eating enough... your goal is to lose 12lbs  so a 1500cal diet is perfect and upping your cardio level will also boost your metabolism.    you can also incorporate other types of cardio that your body is unfamiliar with... try a spinning class or even a body pump class in place of one of your cardio sessions...do that once a week and i will guarantee you will see faster results..... you need to feel like you got a good workout.

 if you complete a workout and feel like you have the energy to even do  half of it again...then you didnt put forth your best energy effort.... focus on  using your best effort without overdoing it obviously..... but make sure at the end of your workout, you feel exhausted (in a good way)... you can also gauge your effort level by your 'soreness'   . even after years of 5 days a week of working out, atleast once a week i do something new and still get sore.....sore not as in unable to move, but sore as in ' you can feel tight' in a certain area, or  you may feel your abs  sore when you laugh or cough.... that type of sore......

I don't think you're necessarily where you were designed to be.  I've got just about the same stats you have (I'm 146, 5'6").  When I got pregnant 1.5 years ago I was 130, but I slowly gained up to 130.  I was under 120 for a long time, but I thought it looked nasty.  So, I know my body CAN be 120.  I just don't want it to be.  I'd be happy at 130 again....and toned :)

ctara72, don't do it!!!! I know you're desperate, but let me tell you, I did what you did (I call it a starvation diet) and trust me, it's not good! I lost 5 pounds in a week and as a "reward" for doing so well I binged at the Pizza Hut buffet (I kinda laugh about it now, that was back in January) and because my body was so starving, it was like throwing fuel on a fire, I didn't stop eating until I had gained back every one of those 5 pounds- trust me, I'll never do that again!

Phew, now to the topic on hand! :)

katie, I'm 32, SW- 126, CW- 120.4, goal weight between 110-115. So I'm right there with what you're talking about. I started CC March 3 and have lost 6 pounds, but it has been  s l o w  going (and to be honest, my weight fluctuates, so tomorrow I may be 121 or 122 but I'm hoping to see the teens soon). I've really upped my cals, I eat more than CC suggests (eat your minimum BMR) and I do lots of cardio. I agree with petite, add in some weight lifting, your muscles will continue to burn calories even when you aren't doing anything.

If you think you're at a plateau, try this site, I follow a zig zag pattern to try to trick my body and it works for me. That and I love the idea that I can have days where I can eat lots!! :) I live for 1710 Wednesdays! Hey! That's today- woohoo!!

Keep at it, as long as it's going in a downward trend, you're on the right track! Good luck :)

Some researchers did a paper where they came to the conclusion that, on average, 1 pound of fat releases about 31 calories per day. This means that the rate at which you can lose weight depends on how many pounds of body fat you're carrying. So a heavy person with a lot of body fat can loose weight at a greater rate than a person who is carrying less fat.

When I found this out, it was like a eureka! moment. Because it also explains why my rate of weight loss has gone down as I get closer to my goals despite maintaining the same diet effort as I had when I had started.

Original Post by simply2crazy:

Some researchers did a paper where they came to the conclusion that, on average, 1 pound of fat releases about 31 calories per day. This means that the rate at which you can lose weight depends on how many pounds of body fat you're carrying. So a heavy person with a lot of body fat can loose weight at a greater rate than a person who is carrying less fat.

When I found this out, it was like a eureka! moment. Because it also explains why my rate of weight loss has gone down as I get closer to my goals despite maintaining the same diet effort as I had when I had started.

 

Some people say 31 calories; others say 2. Some people say it's 50 for muscle; others say 6. In fact, of late more and more researchers are finding that we have overestimated the calorie-burning potential of both fat and muscle. The only thing they all agree on is that muscle burns more calories than fat. Replace fat with muscle and you can continue to lose weight steadily.

Granted, if one is 250 lbs. and goes down to 150, there's going to be a difference in metabolism, muscle gained or no. But I lose weight quickly and steadily and am currently just 5' 3 1/2" and 113. Going from 129 to 113 I never hit a plateau, and I eat more than most people my height and weight who are dieting. I eat more than some of my male friends who are over 6' tall. That is all because of muscle gained and maintained over almost two decades. And of course it is also due to an exercise routine, which, like muscle, is essential as well for healthy living.

listen to petitpowerhouse- she's 100% on to something--

change your diet to consistent mix of high protein & complex carbs spread out over 6 meals a day- try to eat at MINIMUM 200kcal at a meal- or stagger it to 300 then 100 then 200 - etc etc etc

add in weight lifting - you will build mass & not only look better, but feel better, and turn your body into a 'power house' (pun intended!)

all the ladies on here who are within 1-15 lbs of a 'goal' weight need to seriously examine the value of the number on the scale vs the value of a healthful lifestyle and body-- that's not a rant- just as women we obsess with scales when we should obsess with our health!

i mean, i weigh exactly the same +/- 5 lbs as the day i started on here pretty much- but I've lost 10% body fat-- and gained mass-- so I have finally stopped wanting to weigh 140 lbs and just want to get down to 10-12% body fat-- that's my goal and the scale is useless to me in dictating how I look really- in that it doesn't rule my life as much as looking healthy with muscle & less fat does!

just make healthy changes that keep your insulin consistent by eating every 3 hours only healthy protein & complex carbs- add in weight training for real! & stay slightly under your lean mass kcal + exercise calories burned-- and you should see stellar results--

try to focus on looking healthy! we are all beautiful - even more beautiful as healthy, muscular women, not a random number on a scale!

 

good morning! I started out at a healthy weight (147-150, 5'7") two to three years ago and in that time I've only lost about 10 pounds.. but I am SO much healthier!! I actually have been debating on calling the weight loss thing quits and just increase my cals 100 per month until I stop losing (which seems like now anyways.. lol)

I realized today or yesterday that I'd rather be PERFECTLY HEALTHY than perfect... :) I feel like my body looks great except for those infamous "trouble spots" but I figure, as long as I keep exercising on a consistent basis and eathing the right food, that fat should be lost with time... and patience ;)

right now I workout 6x a week... 3 days of weights, 3 days of cardio. I'm adding in bike riding (I commute to work, so it's weather permitting) slowly and hope to be riding every weekday in May... rain doesn't bother me ;) but anything below 50* does... lol... I've been switching up my workouts every once in a while and I'll be picking up 20lb weights for my weight days very soon.. just gotta come up with the $50 to drop on them... ew...

but, yeah, just wanted to weigh in here (no pun intended) and jump on the same boat as you guys :)

keep up the great work and stay healthy :)

My weight loss goal is 15 lbs. I have lost 6.5 in exactly one month so far. I honestly think everyone is different. My deficit is usually about 700, give or take. When I work out regularly I don't lose, I quit working out (only until my goal weight is reached, then I plan to tone up what I have), and the weight is coming off about 1 lb. a week, plus or minus. Everyone is different. Just have to find out what works for you.

Kudos to you krrpt08!! I don't know about everyone else, but I find that really encouraging and motivational! A lot of people on here (maybe myself included?...) moan and groan if they stay at the same weight for 2 weeks in a row, and for you to have lost 10 pds over 3 years and still stay positive and with the right perspective is awesome!

Thanks for posting! That made my day! :)

Original Post by lcg10408:

My weight loss goal is 15 lbs. I have lost 6.5 in exactly one month so far. I honestly think everyone is different. My deficit is usually about 700, give or take. When I work out regularly I don't lose, I quit working out (only until my goal weight is reached, then I plan to tone up what I have), and the weight is coming off about 1 lb. a week, plus or minus. Everyone is different. Just have to find out what works for you.

No disrespect is intended here, honestly, but just as honestly? This makes no sense. By restricting calories without exercising to maintain your muscle tone, you are losing muscle. You are losing weight, yes, but you are also losing muscle, that which not only enables you to eat more but also is critical for all manner of health reasons. I will spare you the list.

You say you are going to "tone up" what you have after you lose weight. You realize that at that point you will gain weight, correct? You will actually look slimmer, because muscle is denser than fat and thus holds closer to the bone, but you will also likely gain weight—because, again, muscle is denser than fat, and also your metabolism will have slowed some due to loss of muscle while dieting. So why not just exercise now, gain muscle, and thus weigh more, or weigh the same as you have indicated was your dilemma, but look better, be healthier, and fit into smaller clothes? That is ultimately what will happen, anyway, and by doing it now instead of later you won't lower your metabolism in the process or impede your fitness by losing the muscle you already have.

Why does everyone seem to care so much about what the scale says? "Skinny fat" is not healthy. Muscle enables you to actually look slimmer than your weight would suggest, and in the process you get healthy.

I do apologize. I never make this kind of post. But while I have been working out for two decades I am new to forums like this. And thus I am still a little shell shocked by the number of people who seem to care more about numbers than health. Me, I realized years ago I would never be a 5' 10" runway model. So I decided to be a healthy 5' 3 1/2". That works for me.

Original Post by krrpt08:

 

I realized today or yesterday that I'd rather be PERFECTLY HEALTHY than perfect... :) I feel like my body looks great except for those infamous "trouble spots" but I figure, as long as I keep exercising on a consistent basis and eathing the right food, that fat should be lost with time... and patience ;)

*Claps wildly*

Congrats! By realizing this, you have already won.