Slowing down

5 lbs a month is pretty good when you "I'm working hard, and I'd never say that I've been perfect in following my plan, but overall I think I've done a pretty decent job with it. "

Decent job - get decent result. Closer to goal you get - the harder it is... trust me... 5 lbs a month is great... lets hope this continue...

You still have time. You will lose weight it does get slower. Do not give up. I am almost three years out. I started having ****tails weekly. I will say that slowed my weight loss down. 

I stopped having my weekly ****tails and I have lost 9 pounds and that was three weeks ago. So weight loss still happens. 

Think of all of your NSVs you have when you get down about the number on the scale. I am sure you have a ton of them. So just keep making lists. 

You're likely still in your honeymoon phase, but your weight has dropped so much that now your intake is closer to your actual maintenance.  For a very rough guesstimate on your maintenance calories, multiply your weight by 10 and that'll be your calories per day.  Track your intake and see what deficit you are running right now and adjust as necessary.  You're still doing great--stay in the game!  :D

Jen

Oh Deanna -- I so understand... both things.

I still have trouble making myself SLOW DOWN my eating.  It sucks.  I am wolfer.  I wolf my food down as though I think someone is going to steal it from me. I still use appetizer forks at home -- I still eat faster than my dog that is a lab and inhales her food.  UGH.

Secondly, I slowed down a lot at around the same time.  It's normal, but it sucks.  No worries...look how much I lost in my second year... 

Keep up the fight.  You are doing magnificently.

I am right there with you and it is driving me crazy. I lost in the double digits for 7 months. Staring in month 8 I dropped down to only average about 7 pounds a month. I am still losing and ecstatic  with my results. But I sure do miss the large and fast losses. It is hard having to fight for every pound now. But I know that we can both do it. Hang in there. 

Eating slowly is a challenge for me too. I have twins (they are 22 now), but I learned to eat fast when they were young and it has been a hard habit to break. I am almost a year out and feel my weight loss has slowed down. I have about 15 pounds to go to get into the "normal" range and although I haven't been losing as quickly as I would like, my size is changing because of working out with a trainer, so I am trying to focus on that.

For me this is still a faster rate of weight loss than I have ever experienced in my life. Based on past experiences I would probably have lost less than 50 pounds in this same amount of time. Results will definitely slow as we get closer to goal. Focus on how much you have changed your habits and how much healthier you are now than you were 8 months ago.

I too am an inhaler of my food... better than before surgery, but still do it. I use the appetizer forks and spoons as well... all the time to help slow me down. I also get the stuck feeling in my throat quickly, and have to take a breather for a minute or too...

The closer you get to goal, the slower it becomes. It can never hurt to reevaluate your food... try some different choices. Doesn't mean you were doing anything wrong, just sometimes we get into a rut...or little things slip in that we didn't realize. Mine can be snacking while cooking. Also make sure you are getting enough fats. We need them, and I found upping them a little always broke a stall. (not that you are actually in a stall)

Mine has slowed also, I hope it's just a temporary thing!

you're doing great! dont be discouraged :) If youre working out now, you're probably putting on some muscle, which is always a good thing. I doubt anyone was completely perfect in following their plan. I had a chocolate muffin yesterday, was it good? yes. was it worth it? no lol Youre one of the nicest people on this forums, so I hate to see you feeling sad. Cheer up! You look amazing!

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, it means so much to me.  I found that venting here really helps me to put things in perspective.  I lost 2.5lbs of water weight overnight and I'm back down to 175lbs.  I'm hoping the scale moves some more tomorrow morning!  

Sticking to my plan and staying strong!  I'm so grateful for this support community!  You guys rock!