I wish I could find this blog post that stuck with me. Basically your weight loss will be a graph with peaks and valleys. Keep doing what you are doing as it's obviously working. Seriously you should be so proud of yourself and not let this bother you. Play the long game.

I am impressed you can walk 8-10 miles per day. How do you manage to fit this in? That's really impressive.

Sorry for typos, phone autocorrect doing its thing.

To be clear I went from 275-237 over a much longer period prior to March. Like over the course of a year. Without really trying.

Then I lost about 1.5 pounds a week for 7 weeks starting in March. Then May 14 I just stopped losing anything whatsoever.

The messages about equilibrium are definitely true for me. I weighed 250 for most of my adult life and it seemed like it stayed very stable, both in terms of gains and losses.

I do some strength training, running and biking in addition to walking.

I don’t overeat. Ever. No cheating as in scared of diabetes. Which makes this frustrating as I cannot pinpoint the problem.

I used to have some success with IF but frustratingly, fasting during certain times makes my blood glucose go up.

I appreciate the effort thoughts though. I do think my body is just holding on hard and the historical viewpoint of famines and such makes sense. Wish I knew how to crack the code. Maybe a few days of higher calories would help to reset. I feel like I’ve tried the other direction and that didn’t seem to help…(ie cutting back even further)

How old are you?
I was slim for all my life, until perimenopause. My body shape seemed to change overnight. I pay attention to my diet more than I ever have, but my weight has increased by 20 lbs. I exercise, lift weights, sleep well, etc. but the scale won’t budge. I’m thinking of just throwing away the scale.

I’d consult a registered dietician. You may be eating the wrong types of food and maybe too little. A calorie is not a calorie. Highly processed foods, added sugars, and alcohol are a no brainer. Cut those for the most part. But we need carbs, fats, protein, and fiber. Fruit is not your enemy.

OP, are you tracking calories? It is really hard to do so accurately.

Anonymous wrote:Don't hate your body. Your body is not built for weightloss - otherwise, you wouldn't survive. You have to give it time to adjust to the new weight. When you weighed 275 pounds, your weight didn't fluctuate markedly because it was at an equilibrium. You eat more, you eat less - the weight stays the same. When you throw your body out of equilibrium, by walking a lot more, by eating less for a period of time, your body starts to think, "What is going on? Are we starving to death?" This is how people survive real famines. Your body does what it can to regain equilibrium - slows down the metabolism or whatever.

The good news is that your body is resetting the equilibrium at 223. Now, keep doing what you are doing and your body will figure out that you are not starving to death and will start letting you lose more weight. And say thank you to your body for keeping you safe and alive.

not OP but thank you. I needed to hear this too. You are a very kind person.

Anonymous wrote:My high weight is 275. I am currently 223. I went from 275 to 240 without intense efforts. Just being more active and a bit more thoughtful about diet. It happened over a long period though. 3 months ago I realized the diabetes I always knew was on the horizon had finally happened. (Long family history and obviously the weight piece)

So I made huge major lifestyle changes. I walk 8-10 miles a day, walk after every meal, drastically reduced carbs for the first time in my life, get some exercise, cut way back on eating out, don’t ever eat after dinner. Cut way back on calories. Eat no desserts or fruits, alcohol pasta etc. I prioritize sleep in a way that I never have my whole life.

The first two months I lost about 1.5 pounds a week. It felt very slow but was progress.

Then five weeks ago it stopped entirely. I have not lost anything in a month. How is this possible when I drastically cut calories and increased movement? I am so beyond frustrated. I want to cry every morning when I step on the scale. Giving up isn’t an option because reversing the diabetes is my primary goal and that is happening - my a1c has dropped a lot already. But how can it be possible not to lose something with such huge lifestyle changes?

you have lost 35 lbs over 3 months and 1.5 lbs/week. That is NOT slow. People have unrealistic expectations on how long it takes to lose weight.

As for the plateau. I would start by tracking calories to know what you are consuming.

If i am reading this right you lost 35 pounds over 3 months. That is not slow. Your body may need to plateau for a bit. I think our bodies like to find set points. You will likely start losing again.

As y have said, you might want to add in a few cheat days so your body knows it is not starving. Or mix up your exercise. Walking is great but sometimes you need to mix it up. Add some weightlifting if you can.

And yes. It is very frustrating.

Don't hate your body. Your body is not built for weightloss - otherwise, you wouldn't survive. You have to give it time to adjust to the new weight. When you weighed 275 pounds, your weight didn't fluctuate markedly because it was at an equilibrium. You eat more, you eat less - the weight stays the same. When you throw your body out of equilibrium, by walking a lot more, by eating less for a period of time, your body starts to think, "What is going on? Are we starving to death?" This is how people survive real famines. Your body does what it can to regain equilibrium - slows down the metabolism or whatever.

The good news is that your body is resetting the equilibrium at 223. Now, keep doing what you are doing and your body will figure out that you are not starving to death and will start letting you lose more weight. And say thank you to your body for keeping you safe and alive.

I'd reverse diet. Cheat for a few days and then get back into it.

OP I don't say this as a quick fix but as a medical solution to address a metabolic issue but have you talked to your doctor about Ozempic? The reasons these semiglutides help people are at least in part about how you hold on to insulin/sugars.

The reason weight loss has historically been so insustainable is people like you, their bodies have a new normal and its really really hard to PERMANENTLY be hungry so even if your willpower holds out 95% of the time the 5% can ruin your efforts. You seem like exactly the kind of person this would be great for, already doing the work and getting your exercise up but being held back by your metabolic condition.

You may be gaining muscle while losing fat, so the scale doesn't change much, but your composition does.

Have you taken measurements?

Weight loss is so hard OP. I totally feel your frustration. Sometimes it is not linear. I’d try a 24-hour fast to see if that breaks your plateau. Or if that feels too drastic, try skipping a few meals. Sometimes you just need to jumpstart your body.

My high weight is 275. I am currently 223. I went from 275 to 240 without intense efforts. Just being more active and a bit more thoughtful about diet. It happened over a long period though. 3 months ago I realized the diabetes I always knew was on the horizon had finally happened. (Long family history and obviously the weight piece)

So I made huge major lifestyle changes. I walk 8-10 miles a day, walk after every meal, drastically reduced carbs for the first time in my life, get some exercise, cut way back on eating out, don’t ever eat after dinner. Cut way back on calories. Eat no desserts or fruits, alcohol pasta etc. I prioritize sleep in a way that I never have my whole life.

The first two months I lost about 1.5 pounds a week. It felt very slow but was progress.

Then five weeks ago it stopped entirely. I have not lost anything in a month. How is this possible when I drastically cut calories and increased movement? I am so beyond frustrated. I want to cry every morning when I step on the scale. Giving up isn’t an option because reversing the diabetes is my primary goal and that is happening - my a1c has dropped a lot already. But how can it be possible not to lose something with such huge lifestyle changes?