SOS call to those who have lost a lot of weight...

[Wiifitmama]

I have lost 91 pounds in just over a year. I have another 5 pounds to go to get into healthy BMI and another 5 or 6 after that to get to goal. However, for the last month or so, I am just not losing any weight. I have been telling myself that it is normal to slow down near the end, that my weight training is building muscle which is heavier, that my body is changing shape, etc. However, the reality is that my clothes do not fit any differently so I do not think I am changing shape and I am really struggling with motivation without seeing any changes.

My body is odd - I have PCOS and need to eat low carb to lose or maintain weight. I generally eat around 1200 - 1300 calories a day, all home cooked, no grains except the occasional porridge, lots of salad and vegetables, and protein. I cut out all artificial sweeteners about 2 months ago. I do have coffee with sugar in each day. I exercise a lot. I run twice a week, swim once a week and I have started doing body pump classes twice a week as well. I also train once a week (some weeks) with a friend doing toning and boxing.

So, for those who have been there, how did you keep motivation towards the end? What further changes did you need to make? Any tips and kick up the backside gratefully received!

Hopeful bump

I'm not sure I have anything to usefully offer. I just wanted to congratulate you on doing so well for so long! Fantastic!

Thank you :)

Someone else must have experienced this?

Hi Wiifitmama I think we have chatted about exercise here before, congratulations on your 91lbs and done so healthily too . I bet you are feeling great, even if a bit frustrated with your current "stall".

IMHO, it doesn't sound to me like your diet needs any changes, certainly not to reduce calories further, you could possibly increase your cals with a bit more protein with the amount of exercise you are doing. You are doing lots if fitness stuff and a good variety so that is great but would you say that you are exerting yourself as much as you did when you started? How often do you mix your routine/session up a bit? Your body will adapt to whatever exercise you do so that it becomes better at it, so a 5km run in, say 35 minutes would have challenged your body a lot a year ago but now may not be too much of a problem. Do you do any interval training during your swims/runs? These are just the best thing for zapping fat and prolonging an increased metabolism after you finish a session. Also do you regularly increase the weights you lift in bodypump?

Thanks for responding. To answer some of the questions: yes I do interval training with my running and swimming and hill training with running as well. I push hard on my 5 km runs too....I have gone from a 34 minute 5k to a 28 min one. With body pump I have only just started. My muscles ache for days after so I think I a pushing enough on that too.

I too think that there is nowhere to cut my diet further. My body is quite problematic with weight loss.....calories and carbs have to be low, but clearly it has been possible for me to lose so I have no idea what is different now.

Very frustrating!

Firstly a massive "well done!!" sounds like you have given a 100+% on your journey.I can only tell you what some of our guys have found which is when the body refuses to let go of the last few lbs then just stop weighing for a couple of weeks,keep to the diet and exercise but just give yourself a break from the scales and cut yourself some slack mentally.Theres no scientific reason behind this but once the pressure is off the body sometimes just rewards you with a loss.
Hope this helps :)

That is good advice, thank you. Harder to put into practise though! I have weighed myself daily for over a year. Some would say that is obsessive, which it might be, but it also keeps me on track. If I don't weigh, it would be too easy to eat too much and the scale would creep up. That would be my worry anyway.

Hi Wiifit I agree with Pegasus, it sounds like you are doing all the right things, sometimes you can just hit a plateau for a while without any apparent reason and then the scales start moving again. This is especially true when you first start weight training. As I understand it, it's not muscle being created super fast (although there will be a small element of this), but something to do with your body hanging on to water to cope with the new demands on it strength wise, it then adjusts and starts behaving normally again, so stick at it .

That's really interesting, thank you. I had not heard that before. Although I have done a little bit of toning in boxing sessions with my friend in the past, and water resistance using aqua gloves, it is only in the last two weeks that I have done real weights with the Body Pump class.

That's probably it then. If it still stays the same then consider your diet again, it may be that with your activity levels, particularly building muscle, you need more calories, providing they are quality ones, ie enough good non processed carbs and lean protein

I am in awe of your weight loss. We have chatted on here before... I also have pcos. I did find that as I had several plateaus when I got near target.

Also I agree with the comments about the water retention and weight training.

I got the last stone off through my own take on dukan. Protein and veggies every day and 1 apple each day too - so totally cut down on carbs.

The scales will start moving again, just stick at it, its hard when the scales don't move. Before you know it the scales will jump down 2-3 pounds at a time.

I don't know Dukan, but it sounds like what I am doing.

Breakfast: either two eggs scrambled, a yoghurt, or porridge

Lunch: big salad and some protein, or green veg and protein

Dinner: similar to lunch

I drink a couple of coffees a day with sugar and skimmed milk, lots of herbal tea, water. If I snack it is on olives or some low carb fruit (not daily). Once a week I might have a little 90% chocolate.

Wow! What a weight loss! Well done!

The last half stone was hard for me- It stuck there for about three months. Then, I had one weekend off- Chips, cake, etc etc. The following week, I went back to healthy eating, and the weekend off seemed to have done it. I lost the last half stone easily after that.
Sounds weird. Worked for me. :)

Diet is great, only improvement would be to cut out sugar.

Yes diet was along lines of 2 egg omelette breakfast, low fat yoghurt as snack, tuna & salad for lunch, apple mid afternoon, protein and veg for dinner.

Plateaus normal when you get close to target, just have to keep on going. I do think though once you are so close to target occasional day off at weekend is ok and as belleend found it might even help.

Thanks everyone. The scale finally moved in a downwards direction this morning so I am happy :) I had two days of massive working out, so maybe that helped or maybe my body was just ready. Only 4 more pounds to get to "normal" BMI.

How do you feel about your diet - have you had enough of it, or see it as a long term diet. Even when you get to target I suggest you add extra foods in gradually. I tend to now be more flexible with myself at weekends and pretty much stick to the original diet (perhaps with a little more fruit) during the week.

I ended up losing an extra stone once I'd reached target, although it was very slow weight loss. Dukan reckons that you need to be guarded for 5 days for each pound loss to maintain weight loss, as during this time body very susceptible to weight gain, and as I lost 52 pounds I'm still in my maintenance phase.

I feel ok with it. It is a way I will have to eat for life really. I just can't eat grains. I would like to add back in sweet potatoes and more fruit. I currently eat about 1200-1300 cal a day and I would like to think that 1500 (of the right sort of calories) is my maintenance level.

Very interesting about the 5 days per pound. I have never heard that before. For me, I will have roughly 100 pound loss so that is 500 days!!

I do eat grains (even bad ones) at weekends.... I eat good ones but small portions (quinoa/millet/brown rice) after big run. Can maintain by being good all week and exercise. But yes 1400-1500 calories all week and a bit more at weekends.

I do eat apples / pears each day but tropical fruit would be treat. I found that as I got closer to goal (and below) I got hungrier (I think as my body did not like its fat stores being used up!) hence loss very slow, but as you are eating that way for life doesn't really matter how slow weight loss is.

re: the 500 days, I do buy into that, many people gain weight quickly after diet ends, important to use that time to lift weight and restock muscles (tend to lose muscle mass along with fat when you diet).

wow - well done for getting your new shape

I would only add try spin, something new and fun that may help. Well done on the 5km time to

I follow this personal trainer on twitter and read his blogs - In the past (ie when not pregnant like now), I've had some great results from following his advice. I think you can also join a free forum as well. Personal Trainer

Wow that is amazing! I lost some weight because of polycystic ovaries and wanting to conceive. The only way I managed the last bit and to maintain was cutting out carbs mon to fri. For breakfast I I used to have turkey and fruit. Seemed to work and now pregnant so now going back to eating carbs which feels very weird!