ONE YEAR: Much to celebrate, but struggling

It's been one year (well tomorrow will be), since I logged my first full day on MFP and committed to serious weight loss. And I've had success beyond my wildest dreams, losing (at my peak) 60 pounds. If you'd told me a year ago how much I'd weigh today I would have cried with joy. But if you'd told me six months ago how much I'd weigh today I would have cried with frustration.

My first six months on MFP I lost 50 pounds. And since then I've lost around 10, with some current fluctuation leaving me around 57-58 down overall. But I'm so stalled. Plateaued. Attached to a glacier. I understand that I've done things that are the reason - I got sloppy with my diary, I cut down on my cardio. But I've been trying - I switched up my workout, I'm working on upping it now, I'm trying to be as faithful as possible to logging (for religious reasons I can't log Friday nights/Saturdays and those are also my worst days). But still, the scale doesn't budge. Or worse, it rises.

I'm so happy with what I've done so far but I'm so frustrated and upset at not moving forward. I've worked to add weight training and I feel stronger and hope I'm adding muscle but the scale doesn't move and I don't feel thinner either. I've come so far, but I'm still clinically obese, I'm wearing a 12-14 size and I just want to keep going.

Open to any advice! And of course new friends

Stats:
Height: 5'2"
Starting weight: 226
Weight Nov. 2014: 178
Lowest weight: 166
Current weight: 169
Ultimate goal: 135

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Replies

first of all congratulations! That is an amazing feat.

Secondly do not feel frustrated. This is more a learning experience than a weight loss journey. I have not even lost 60 pounds in the last year and a half. I am constantly fluctuating. BUT I am at least slowly creeping down. Something that has helped me tremendously lately is:
1. Taking measurements and restricting my weigh in days (no longer everyday but once every 1-2 weeks)
2. Walking during my lunch breaks and every day after work.

Especially since the weather is so nice lately.

Good luck

A massive congrats on your awesomely amazing loss!!!!! Unfortunately I can't help you with breaking your plateau. But hopefully someone can help you

Come back here!!! Focus and get it together. You are fabulous in your own right. You don't even need anyone to tell you this.

Losing weight then keeping it off is even harder. Just start over again with small steps, journal everything if need be. Your triggers, do you know what they are? What's your line of defense? Keep your healthy snacks around you at all times.

Then start back slowly. Starting over is fine, just remember that you can and will succeed. You are in the process of doing just that.

Love
Maria

You've made amazing progress! Well done!

Do you want to keep losing? Then you have to come at it with the same vigor that you did for those first 6 months. You say you know you've been looser on logging, so maybe tighten that back up again. Then on the days you can't physically log in to the site, can you log in a notebook? For me, logging is about being conscious of what I'm eating. Maybe if you're logging, just not on the site itself, it will help you with being intentional about what you eat.

Have you made any adjustments to your calorie goal?

Thanks all for your encouragement.

jessiruthica wrote: »

You've made amazing progress! Well done!

Do you want to keep losing? Then you have to come at it with the same vigor that you did for those first 6 months. You say you know you've been looser on logging, so maybe tighten that back up again. Then on the days you can't physically log in to the site, can you log in a notebook? For me, logging is about being conscious of what I'm eating. Maybe if you're logging, just not on the site itself, it will help you with being intentional about what you eat.

I can't log in a notebook either, but in the beginning I just had such stronger self control, and basically stuck to goal. Now, I sit down in front of a plate of cookies and before I know it I've had three.

DirrtyH wrote: »

Have you made any adjustments to your calorie goal?

No, I've been at 1200 since the beginning. There were times when I was more consistently under that and they were more successful times but honestly, I just get too hungry to stick to that.

I agree with the above advice. I think that if you are frustrated enough to make this post, you could be frustrated enough to take a good, long look at the behaviors that are preventing you from reaching your goal.

About Friday/Saturday: Perhaps on Thursday (or pre-sundown Friday) you could prepare all of your food for Saturday, lay it out ready, and pre-log it? Either the planning/preparing or pre-logging should help; both together should really keep you from going off track (and then giving up)!

If you're a person than munches throughout the day, maybe try putting little notes on things that say what you're eating when. (My friend has been a big self-saboteur, and has been doing this when she travels and is away from her computer. She is much less likely, she says, to go crazy foodwise from feeling like she's getting away with something when she "can't log.")

You look amazing and are doing a great job! I find it hard to believe you would still be considered obese. There's an interesting thread right now about taking a break from weight loss for a while and focusing on maintaining to give your body time to adapt and "reset" before moving on. That doesn't mean giving up your good habits or not logging, but just not focusing on a loss. I think there's a lot of wisdom behind that. I lost 40 lbs a few years ago and sort of got distracted. I mostly maintained the loss, until the last year or so when a few lbs began to creep back on. Now I'm back at it and I'm thinking it's actually a pretty smart way to go. Anybody can focus and lose a quick 20-30 lbs, and as long as you keep it off, you can always do another batch later and likely your body will be more responsive to it. Not an expert... just my thoughts

I gotta say...you look amazing! Way to go! I'm so impressed with your accomplishment and the changes in your progress pictures. And I hear you...those last few (or 10, or 20) pounds toward your end goal are hard. I've felt stuck for the last 6 months, but am slowly inching toward the mindset that I just need to buckle down and get it done. Best of luck to you!

Amy3935 wrote: »

Thanks all for your encouragement.

jessiruthica wrote: »

You've made amazing progress! Well done!

Do you want to keep losing? Then you have to come at it with the same vigor that you did for those first 6 months. You say you know you've been looser on logging, so maybe tighten that back up again. Then on the days you can't physically log in to the site, can you log in a notebook? For me, logging is about being conscious of what I'm eating. Maybe if you're logging, just not on the site itself, it will help you with being intentional about what you eat.

I can't log in a notebook either, but in the beginning I just had such stronger self control, and basically stuck to goal. Now, I sit down in front of a plate of cookies and before I know it I've had three.

DirrtyH wrote: »

Have you made any adjustments to your calorie goal?

No, I've been at 1200 since the beginning. There were times when I was more consistently under that and they were more successful times but honestly, I just get too hungry to stick to that.

Oh yeah, definitely don't go less than 1200.

Have you considered taking a break? You could try reverse dieting back up to maintenance and just stay there for a few months. Give your body a break, some fuel, "re-set" yourself, and then start again in a few months?

try2again wrote: »

. Anybody can focus and lose a quick 20-30 lbs, and as long as you keep it off, you can always do another batch later and likely your body will be more responsive to it.

Don't know why I chose that number- just thinking about my own situation. Clearly not everyone would even need to take off that much

congrats on making it one year! It's really impressive you haven't gained what you have lost, and you should be really proud of that.

As for stalling...you could try to switch to fruit/veggies for shabbos snack time. Or you could make yourself tupperware containers of pre-measured treats to enjoy. It's a little extra work before hand, but it will be easier to know where you are throughout the day and work accordingly. And as for shabbos meal, just make sure there are lots of veggies for you to choose. You can do this!

The key for me is logging. Can you determine your Friday/Saturday food on Thursday? Then tweak the day on Sunday? I plan a week at a time (I'm crazy type A personality) I just go in and tweak the day (I didn't get around to eating that apple I planned or I was extra hungry so I added PB to the apple etc. I'm new in this journey but I've successfully lost this 80lbs before...clearly I sucked at maintenance lol

Anyway, great job on all your hard work. Come at it again and you will win

Nikki

Amy3935 wrote: »

Thanks all for your encouragement.

jessiruthica wrote: »

You've made amazing progress! Well done!

Do you want to keep losing? Then you have to come at it with the same vigor that you did for those first 6 months. You say you know you've been looser on logging, so maybe tighten that back up again. Then on the days you can't physically log in to the site, can you log in a notebook? For me, logging is about being conscious of what I'm eating. Maybe if you're logging, just not on the site itself, it will help you with being intentional about what you eat.

I can't log in a notebook either, but in the beginning I just had such stronger self control, and basically stuck to goal. Now, I sit down in front of a plate of cookies and before I know it I've had three.

DirrtyH wrote: »

Have you made any adjustments to your calorie goal?

No, I've been at 1200 since the beginning. There were times when I was more consistently under that and they were more successful times but honestly, I just get too hungry to stick to that.

No, I've been at 1200 since the beginning. There were times when I was more consistently under that and they were more successful times but honestly, I just get too hungry to stick to that.
[/quote]

Sorry- accidentally hit the post button the first time. Why were you at 1200 "from the beginning"- was that what MFP gave you? That's a very low number and I'm not surprised you've grown unsatisfied with it. I would definitely want a break from that!

[/quote]

Yes, MFP gave me 1200 from the beginning. I'm pretty short. I try not to eat back workout calories, I see it as more of a buffer, and I do go over sometimes (clearly).
I remember in the beginning I would go to sleep feeling hungry but I was losing so I was happy. I just can't get back to that point, willpower-wise.

Slow and steady is the way to go. I've been 5 years or more on this path and I'm down 85lbs. If you want to see major changes I would suggest heavy lifting. Also you've got to get serious about keeping your calories in check or you'll get nowhere. You can burn a couple hundred calories in an hour at the gym, and eat twice that much in 20 minutes. There is no outrunning a bad diet. But, that being said, you can average your calories out in the week. I try to stay abut 200 calories under budget mon-fri so I can have an extra 1,000 guilt free calories on the weekend. best of luck to you!

Amy3935 wrote: »

Yes, MFP gave me 1200 from the beginning. I'm pretty short. I try not to eat back workout calories, I see it as more of a buffer, and I do go over sometimes (clearly).
I remember in the beginning I would go to sleep feeling hungry but I was losing so I was happy. I just can't get back to that point, willpower-wise.

Yeah, willpower is only going to get you so far. What you do to lose weight needs to be sustainable, even if it makes things go slower. I really do think you should take a break for awhile, regain your footing and then try again. See if this time you can lose weight eating a little bit more so that if you stall out again you have some room to cut. Google reverse dieting.

Congratulations on your progress so far. Many people wouldn't have been able to get as far as you have. When you have a lot of weight to lose (I do too), it's a long haul and it can be hard to maintain the dedication/motivation. For me, when I lose a bit of my motivation and see the scale start to rise, I get scared that I'll gain it all back -- that's enough to kick my but in gear. I find that weighing/measuring/logging is the key for me. I log everything, even when I fall off the wagon and that seems to help. I've lost 36 calories in the past 8 months and I'm also at 1200 calories. I eat back 1/2 of my exercise calories most days. I'm not usually hungry but, for me, socializing is my biggest challenge. It seems like everything involves food or alcohol and I have to make hard choices. Hang in there -- just remember what life was like before you lost the weight and keep working on it.

You've made great progress!! I would say pre-logging for friday/saturday and really setting some goals for portions on those days. What is going on in your mind when you give yourself permission to eat more than usual on the shabbat?

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