So everyone hears about the folks that are lucky enough to lose quickly and we see them lose 100lbs in 5 months but for many of us we lose slowly and feel like CRAP about it. This should be a place for us to talk about our frustrations and get advice or encouragement. Maybe you have found a way to speed up your weight loss through trial and error and that might help someone too. I know I work my ass off and I still lose slowly... and then every once in a blue moon ill lose quickly (for me anyway) but I can eat consistently in the mid 600's, protein around 90, water over 80oz and i workout hard at least an hour 6 days a week and i can lose - NOTHING. ZILCH. NADA and its upsetting as heck and makes me feel like complete failure. Before surgery when i did IF/ OMAD I lost a bunch of weight, way faster than I am now, barely exercised so I definitely have moments where i am like- Why did I even do this? Anyway, we all need to sound off at times or get encouragement or great advice and this is a safe place for you to do that and to know you are NOT alone.

2 minutes ago, summerset said:

Access denied.

Weird..I just brought it up in Chrome (icognito mode though)

2 hours ago, froufrou said:

So you don't think that a life time of bad habits, ways of thinking, periods, menopause, various hormonal ailments, childbirth, various abuses that people suffer, genetics, medications, etc etc etc have any factor?

Maybe I'm getting Fatboyslim wrong but I don't think he denies these things. He just seems to say that the TDEE Serengirl claims/thinks to have is too good too high to be true and therefore she's losing the weight not as fast as she "should" according to the calculations she made.

When people are losing weight rather slow it's because their TDEE isn't very high - for whatever reason.

Just now, summerset said:

Maybe I'm getting Fatboyslim wrong but I don't think he denies these things. He just seems to say that the TDEE Serengirl claims/thinks to have is too good too high to be true and therefore she's losing the weight not as fast as she "should" according to the calculations she made.

When people are losing weight rather slow it's because their TDEE isn't very high - for whatever reason.

I agree...but I think as the tone increased..my concern is that his valid points would get lost. And his main reference/issue, as you mentioned, was one poster...I think.

I think there are all sorts of ways to inquire/ask someone to give their supporting data if they are seeking help with it like...hey, post your menu for the past week or for the day, etc. - if the poster truly wants help with that, then hopefully they will post.

If burn rates are being questioned, maybe ask how that is being reached..I was genuinely curious...but some ppl shut down completely, not always because they don't have the data to back things up or have calculated incorrectly. Maybe I'm deceiving myself....that could very well be true.

Sorry for being naive, but what are the acronyms OP, CICO? Is there a post on common acronyms I should look for? Thanks!

Thanks for your support, truly.

I've actually asked more than one poster to put their diet on a variety of threads. I even put my own typical diet on here as an example. I talked about burn rates, CICO, etc. What however happens is the people who have a "problem" always seem to disappear when someone tries to actually get to the root of the problem. This then leaves other people not knowing what is really happening, and as such puts doubts in their minds about what they can expect.

Interesting enough, where you do see people "fess up" is on posts where individuals say "I've lost control" or "how do I get back". that's the reality of this entire situation. Many people are actually in the process of "losing control" or on their way "up in weight" but they mistakenly cloud it in "it's not my fault". They don't get the help they need, and 10 other people feel like their chances are futile.

Part of the problem is also what really constitutes a "slow loser". I would think it would be anyone who loses less than 3-4 lbs per week. I.e. if you are losing 3-4 lbs per week, than don't worry, its all good. If on the other hand you are not losing that much, then lets all talk intelligently and cordially about what may be going on, so we may help.

15 minutes ago, JB1 said:

Sorry for being naive, but what are the acronyms OP, CICO? Is there a post on common acronyms I should look for? Thanks!

Sorry - OP meas Original Post(er) and CICO means Calories in vs Calories out

Also, always a good idea in my opinion to check in with your surgeon/nutritionist when concerned about weight loss. They know your history hopefully extremely well and any challenges you are facing (i.e. illnesses, diabetes, PCOS, menopause (peri, during or post), injuries etc. that prevent regular exercise)....they should not be just a team that does the surgery and goes away.

My surgeon, nutritionist and I already kind of knew ahead of time that I was likely to be a slow loser and I had been an extremely slow loser in any method I chose after years upon years of yo yo dieting. So we knew I was going to likely fall somewhere in the middle range at best but we all hoped for more.

They have termed me a low average to slow loser and that is fine as I know it just means I need to be more diligent on the things within my control that will take me from slow to 'no loser'. We made adjustments and tweaks along the way working our ways through stalls, through possible other issues.

Like I mentioned before, I had been given, when 2 months out, my target calories and I had to push a bit to get my target macros as I favor a low carb/low fat diet. After 4 weeks, even being under 20-30 grams of carbs, things just seemed to flatten. Then they switched my macros around and increased my carbs which had me tripping out but the weight started coming off again.

Sure we can come here and vent and hopefully what this leads to is productive behavior which means continuing to stick out the journey, to step away from the scale when the frustrations threaten your journey, to look at other NSV's, to check and see are their basics we are letting slip (i.e. I stopped logging food in my fitness pal for 3 days so I had no hard data when something changed)...are we choosing a 'good/valid' entry in our trackers...do we have firm understanding of some of the things we are concerned about.

If ppl ask you to post your food, don't think it is that they don't believe you...there could be something you are missing or it validates what you are saying, you get others who have been down this road...their very valuable input...and then ppl can help tackle troubleshooting other things. What I hope we get the MOST from threads like this is when we are open, and...maybe a bit more careful with tone (not saying things should not be challenged or debated that are actually wrong...I just don't want to alienate someone who doesn't understand how we got to xyz reply and frustrated tone..to not post what they are doing because they are afraid.

In the end we want to all help each other REMAIN on our journey whether losing 20 lbs, 10 lbs 5 lbs a month..or sometimes even 0...yes, that can happen...because we know in the end, patience and persistence will win out.

I’ve been very blessed having a dr and his team that are not only supportive, but encouraging.
And all of us here need to be mindful that different drs have different opinions and plans. And if you’re going to stay with your dr, trust his plans for you. And also like everyone says we are all very different and will have our own journey.
I’m 12 months out, have lost 70 lbs, with still about 40+ to go. It’s been a very very slow journey.
But my dr feels I cannot get the adequate amount of protein in without shakes. And when I seriously up my protein, I finally lose some pounds.
Just wanted to weigh in. Haha!

Starting Tuesday this week I upped my calories to almost 900. The whole time freaking out that I was sabotaging my goals. I had 896 calories on Tuesday, 858 on Wednesday and 916 yesterday for an average of 890 a day. This morning I stepped on the scale with a 2 pound loss! That is more than I have had at one time for a long time!

Again, I think the definition of “slow loser” is tough.

For example, I just looked over my weight logs for the first 6 months, and this is what I found: on AVERAGE I lost 2.69 pounds/week. I went from 246.0 to 176.6from February 6-August 6th.
Okay, so the first 2 weeks I lost 22 pounds, and I had several stall weeks, but it’s important to look at a several month range before rushing to judgement.
Since August 6th, I’ve lost an AVERAGE of 1.54 pounds/week.
Went from 176.6 to 140.8

BTW, goal weight was 155, which I had hit in mid-October.

I’m waaaaaaay more proud of the loss after the first 6 months than I am of the initial losses.
Logically that shouldn’t hold, bc it’s more than a pound/week DECREASE, but those pounds had to come with harder work and really focusing on my plan and then working said plan

The actual numbers aren’t as important as HAVING A GOOD PLAN AND THEN WORKING THAT PLAN.
I’m not saying every day was a success.
Especially during the holidays, I had some hedonistic eating (and drinking days). I had one day in there that I know for a fact I DRANK over 2,000 calories in cocktails.
Overall though, it’s worked bc every day I wake with focus and intensity and that drinking day was actually something I had planned ahead of time, as weird as that sounds.
In short, when I’ve fallen off-plan, it was intentionally and not coming from a place of mental stress or getting caught up in the moment.

According to many people’s definition, I’m definitely a slow loser ( Here is a photo from this weekend: size 6 skinny jeans, and a size small top and I’m 5’7”.


So for all of you “slow” losers out there: keep up, keep fighting, don’t ever stop and don’t EVER stop working your plan.

Sheri - Great job ! Can you give us an idea of the amount of calories you were consuming at various stages of your progress? Like were you at 800 cals for the first x months, then went to X now are at X ? Just a rule of thumb ?

thanks

1 hour ago, Sheribear68 said:

Again, I think the definition of “slow loser” is tough.

Most people who think they're slow losers still seem to lose weight pretty fast. The WLS universe seems to be kind of warped in more than one way, e. g.

- what "losing weight slowly" means.

- what constitutes a "high calorie diet".

The 10th is the day I do my measurements and pics usually. Today I like what I see! Ignore my hair!

4 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

According to many people’s definition, I’m definitely a slow loser (<3 pounds/week ave even during the first 6 months)

I think this is the crux of the problem!

In what world, by who's definition, is anything sub 3 lbs/week losing slowly??

Okay.

"Slow" or "Fast" is all relative. IN THE BEGINNING, its normally easier for a 300lb person to lose 4-5 lbs a week vs a 225lb person.

I started at 235 lbs 2 weeks before surgery. I just looked it up, and not counting the first month post op, I averaged 2.8 lb loss a week until I reached goal in 7 months, with a total loss at that time of 110 lbs (which includes the 11 lbs I lost in my two week pre-op diet).

I DO NOT think my 2.8 lbs weekly loss as slow in any way whatsoever. In fact, I think it was wickedly fast.

I stuck to my plan those 7 months. Pretty strictly. I made sure to get in my exercise. I figured there was time later for a looser diet AFTER I lost the weight.

I am now 1 year & 3 months post op and my total loss is standing at 120 lbs, which is more than 1/2 my total (NOT excess) body weight. Today I am 115lbs with a BMI of 21. I'm 5'2".

However.

Full disclosure, I am of the CICO camp. I also understand that some peoples' CICO exchange are alot more efficient than others' due to a gazillion reasons. But I at the base level, it holds true. You can't argue science. If you don't eat a stick of food for a month, I guarantee you, you will lose a whole lotta weight, no matter what issues you have. Is this healthy? Hells no. But is it fact? Hells yes.

With that said, I do also understand that there are folks who need to vent their frustrations, as it makes one feel better to feel understood and commiserate with others who find themselves in the same boat. There is security and camaraderie in numbers.

I mean, it does sorta suck to be told "this is all your own making", regardless if it is true or not.

The title of this thread is the "SLOW LOSERS CLUB SUPPORT GROUP". Its clear that the purpose of this thread is for those who believe they are slow losers (whatever the criteria is to qualify oneself as such) and to vent and share their frustrations, and not to attend a science lesson.

Perhaps another, separate thread can be started for the purpose of continuing this debate, and this thread can be left to those who need it to get through. I would think that those who want the information will go there to find it.

Of course no one is stopping anyone from posting what they think, when they think it, to wherever they want.

Good Luck, everyone.

Edited January 10, 20206 yr by ms.sss