Travel Health and Fitness - Depressed by lack of progress

The quick background:

10 years ago I was very overweight (BMI=33). Two years of hard work later (just diet modifications, no exercise) brought me down to just this side of normal (BMI=26). Then I regained 15 pounds.

About three years ago I started exercising much more (weights, handcycling, wheelchair racing) and tracking my food intake again, and by last fall had lost the 15 pounds plus another 12.

Over the winter I gained the 12 back again. This spring I decided to take myself back in hand, and am currently down about 7 from my winter high, but when I read about people losing 10 pounds a month, when I can barely manage 2 (if lucky and very careful), I'm so happy for them, but wonder what I'm doing wrong.

In my heart of hearts I'd like to lose another 20 pounds, which would get me down to a BMI of about 22.

On a completely different topic, if anyone else is running the Bolder Boulder on May 30th, virtual high five, and have fun!

The quick background:

10 years ago I was very overweight (BMI=33). Two years of hard work later (just diet modifications, no exercise) brought me down to just this side of normal (BMI=26). Then I regained 15 pounds.

About three years ago I started exercising much more (weights, handcycling, wheelchair racing) and tracking my food intake again, and by last fall had lost the 15 pounds plus another 12.

Over the winter I gained the 12 back again. This spring I decided to take myself back in hand, and am currently down about 7 from my winter high, but when I read about people losing 10 pounds a month, when I can barely manage 2 (if lucky and very careful), I'm so happy for them, but wonder what I'm doing wrong.

In my heart of hearts I'd like to lose another 20 pounds, which would get me down to a BMI of about 22.

On a completely different topic, if anyone else is running the Bolder Boulder on May 30th, virtual high five, and have fun!

People who first start dieting will loose 10 lbs or more a month. When I first started WW I lost over 4 lbs my first week. That just isn't realistic for someone who has been at it for a while. I don't think that I've lost that much per month since my first month losing. Ignore all the claims by noobs and diet infomerical. If you at a BMI of in the mid to lower 20s are losing 2 lbs a month then you are doing alright. Weightloss experts (real experts not "doctors" on TV or your fat Aunt Sally) say that 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy weightloss. You aren't the far below the range. Just keep exercising and eating well. You are doing just fine.

If you get caught up in the emotion of the pursuit of weight loss, it is likelier that you will go back to your old ways. I have felt it, too.

I know that I could lose a lot of weight very quickly if I pursued weight loss regimes which I've done previously, Atkins being the primary one I'm thinking of. The problem is that when you've reached your goal, you haven't learned new ways of eating; you've simply achieved a single data point, and then what? You go back to eating pasta and bread, etc. I get a lot of satisfaction seeing myself change my eating habits for the better, and also exercising. While as I've stated on the other thread, I'm at a plateau, my body is getting in better shape all the time.

Katja, do you notice any difference in how your body looks now as opposed to when you started? :confused:

People who first start dieting will loose 10 lbs or more a month. When I first started WW I lost over 4 lbs my first week. That just isn't realistic for someone who has been at it for a while. I don't think that I've lost that much per month since my first month losing. Ignore all the claims by noobs and diet infomerical. If you at a BMI of in the mid to lower 20s are losing 2 lbs a month then you are doing alright. Weightloss experts (real experts not "doctors" on TV or your fat Aunt Sally) say that 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy weightloss. You aren't the far below the range. Just keep exercising and eating well. You are doing just fine.

What she said.

Cheers.

Remember taking off weight slower is preferred. Most people that go on crash diets get good early results but then fade out. Also how and what are you doing for exercise (not sure if you are a man or a woman). I see people in the gym 5-6 times a week and they never lose weight. Some of it is poor personal habits that cannot be canceled out by just going to the gym. It is also not working out properly. Also, keep in mind that men and women have very different exercise needs so if its working for hubby does not mean it is working for you.

If you PM me with your exercise/diet regime I'd be more than happy to give you my input. I will be 52 (scary) in September and I am still the 29 inch waist that I was in college. But everyday is a struggle and a challenge but having the right routine will make it doable. Just don't give up.

Thank you, all, for your encouragement. Just writing it down made me realize that things aren't as static as I sometimes think they are.

anonplz, I can't say that I see too much difference over the last few months - not much more than normal menstrual fluctuations in waistline (so, yes, I'm female). Certainly haven't dropped a dress size or anything like that.

Katja, if the number on the scale is going down, even slowly, don't despair! Most people who live in climates that have cold weather in winter gain weight over the winter. It's not just a problem you have, so you're completely normal in that regard. :)

Remember, as many have pointed out on other threads, it's a lifetime journey, so it takes time.

Echoing everyone else in that slower weightloss is better than rapid weight loss.

In my case, I've lost around 12 lbs this year, so about 1 lb a week. Yes it's slow going, but I know that I'm doing it via lifestyle change rather than a crash diet. anonplz made a good point about how quickly diets can work to remove the weight, but when you're done and have made the weightloss goal, if you go back to your old eating habits, then the weight will come back. I think there are studies that show that cycle dieting is actually really bad for people and will ultimately lead to more weight gain.

I also find that it's harder to lose weight once you start getting into the healthier ranges. Think of it in percentages. When you weigh 200lbs, 15lbs is only 7% of your body weight. When you weigh 150, 15lbs is 10% of your body weight. You're asking a lot more from your body and it'll take more time.

Take it slow and don't worry, as long as the scale is going down, you're doing just fine. Perhaps it's better to try measuring yourself rather than weighing yourself? You might see more results that way?

Also, remember its really about a new lifestyle that includes exercising a certain number of times a week a certain number of hours a day. Also, making better food choices but realizing food is the friend not the enemy its usually cracked up to be. If you exercise properly and eat sensibly the pounds will come off.

Two things. First, people have this idea that I'm going to lose 25 pounds and then its all over when in fact its never ending (why so many people end up regaining what they lost.) Second, life is about a chocolate large chip cookie (love the ones in AA F class), ice cream sundae, or thick dough pizza every once in awhile. Learn to work cheat days/meals into your nutrition scheme because very few of us can eat healthy 100% of the time.

In taking off 30 pounds in about 8 months, if I lost MORE than 2 pounds a week, I did an immediate head-check to make sure the results were not based on my doing anything rash or stupid. I've lost weight quickly before, but it always came right back.

So I lost the weight slowly, and sometimes plateaued for weeks at a time. But the weight is staying off, and that's what really matters.

My goal right now is to lose an average of .5 pounds per week as I approach an optimal BMI and try to firm things up rather than take fat off.

It's not as much fun to get on the scale, but a lot more fun to look in the mirror. ^

So be happy with slow. It's the proper way to go! ^

It's not as much fun to get on the scale, but a lot more fun to look in the mirror. ^

So be happy with slow. It's the proper way to go! ^

Ditto that. To date, I'm averaging 2.25 lb. per week. Now, I'm even catching women checking me out, which hasn't happened in ages.

Here's an ego-boosting tip for you if you find yourself getting depressed:

Last weekend, I was out carousing, and in a quiet moment, I took a good hard look around at the other customers at the bar - and I realized that while I am certainly not the youngest, never have been the most handsome, and have neglected care and upgrade my clothes, out of the approximately 20 other people, I am in the best shape! Because looking at people's hanging jowls, second chins, big extended bellies, it was just so clear.

Made me feel REAL good. :) :p

Here's an ego-boosting tip for you if you find yourself getting depressed:

Last weekend, I was out carousing, and in a quiet moment, I took a good hard look around at the other customers at the bar - and I realized that while I am certainly not the youngest, never have been the most handsome, and have neglected care and upgrade my clothes, out of the approximately 20 other people, I am in the best shape! Because looking at people's hanging jowls, second chins, big extended bellies, it was just so clear.

Made me feel REAL good. :) :p

Too true!

I was at the doctor's office yesterday for a leg problem. They tested my reflexes and awed at how great they were. Then then tested my range of motion and called it "balleria-like". Then they talked about how great it was that I could do 4 miles on the elliptical.

Of course, it felt like a hollow victory when they came back with a sheet of paper and said, "We've booked you an appointment with a neurologist and at the bottom is the information about the other test we've ordered."

Here's an ego-boosting tip for you if you find yourself getting depressed:

Last weekend, I was out carousing, and in a quiet moment, I took a good hard look around at the other customers at the bar - and I realized that while I am certainly not the youngest, never have been the most handsome, and have neglected care and upgrade my clothes, out of the approximately 20 other people, I am in the best shape! Because looking at people's hanging jowls, second chins, big extended bellies, it was just so clear.

Made me feel REAL good. :) :p


the usual ego boost for me is when I climb into my F seat and look around at the other pax; of the typical 16 seat Domestic F seats on the typical 738 or Mad Dog (AA); an easy half dozen still have a problem fitting into a domestic F seat, much less try to get out of it; another 4 would never make it in a Y seat without spillage.. the rest are either petite women or kids LOL

Another motivater re: physical health. I was in the ER recently for abdominal pain (thankfully turned out to not be my appendix), and while hooked up to the monitors, I set off the low pulse alarm. Apparently, my resting heart rate is lower than the average adult my age!

As I've continued losing weight, I definitely see people checking me out, lol. Biking, jogging, calisthenics, watching the carbs - it's all adding up, after, what, 10 weeks. Naturally, I'll never be 25 again, but being healthy and looking healthy and shapely, THAT's priceless. ^

Related to the "how often do you weigh yourself" thread - after starting this thread, I stopped weighing myself every morning and took a break from logging all my food.

This morning I weighed myself, and was down 3 pounds.

Few questions!

1. Are you always doing your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach ?

2. Are you avoiding all starch carbs (like potatoes, pasta rice) after 3pm ? Meaning evening meal should just be a lean protein and fibrous carbs like veggies and romaine or red leaf lettuce

3. If you are maintaining a disciplined diet, are you taking a cheat meal of anything your heart desires once a week ? (This actually shocks your metabolism and you burn more body fat in the long run as well as helps your mind maintain the discipline of a strict diet whatever it happens to be)

Worldspan
(61 yr old competitive bodybuilder)

Few questions!

1. Are you always doing your cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach ?

2. Are you avoiding all starch carbs (like potatoes, pasta rice) after 3pm ? Meaning evening meal should just be a lean protein and fibrous carbs like veggies and romaine or red leaf lettuce

3. If you are maintaining a disciplined diet, are you taking a cheat meal of anything your heart desires once a week ? (This actually shocks your metabolism and you burn more body fat in the long run as well as helps your mind maintain the discipline of a strict diet whatever it happens to be)

Worldspan
(61 yr old competitive bodybuilder)

Umm...no, no, and YES! (thank goodness, I thought I was going to totally fail this test)

My turn to bump this thread... So, I've been doing Weight Watchers since April 1, and have only lost 16 pounds. :( I've been good about tracking my points, and other than a few slip ups, I've been good about following the points program and not exceeding my daily points. I'm very frustrated about the lack of progress though because I feel like I'm not losing much.

As a competitive bodybuilder in my "other life" I will just throw a few suggestions at you.

1. Make sure you always do your cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning for optimum fat burning.

2. If you go to the gym and do both cardio and weight train, do the cardio last! Not like most gym idiots who do it first to "warm up". Weight training hardens your arteries, cardio softens them, so that's what you want when you leave the gym.

3. Avoid all starch carbs after 3pm daily meaning no rice, potatoes, pasta or rice at night. Just fibrous carbs at night like veggies and salads.

4. A trim firm physique is 75% diet and 25% exercise. That said, eat clean 6 days a week and then on the 7th day (mine is Sunday) taking a cheat meal of whatever you want in the world be it Lasagna, Fettucine, Pot Roast, etc. Taking that cheat meal allows you to fill the cravings you develop during the week and enable you to maintain a clean diet for years on end. Also the cheat meal shocks your metabolism in such a fashion that you burn more body fat than if you'd not consumed that meal at all!

Hope these points help!

Worldspan