[zotjen]

For those of you who have lost weight, what's the best way to lose those pesky 10 pounds that just won't come off? I just have a little more to lose around my abs and love handles and it's starting to get frustrating. I already go to the gym three or four times a week. Do I increase the length, frequency, instensity, etc. of my workouts? I am very careful of what eat so other than eating less, which probably isn't a good idea, I don't think there's much I can do diet wise. Any suggestions?

FWIW, in the past 12 months I've lost at least 40 pounds of fat and gained some back in muscle so obviously what I've been doing has been working. It's just the last 10 pounds I'm having trouble with.

 

[Ampersand]

Try the forum at www.bodybuilding.com.

I'm not a supplement pusher, but if you're interested, I use Lipo-6 from Nutrex to shed those last few pounds around the abs and lower back. I only recommend it if you continue to hit the gym and watch your diet. Metabolism boosting pills don't work very well if you aren't active.

 

[mrdeadfolx]

I lost 85 pounds in 2003-04 (went from 262 lbs to 177 lb), and it was SOLELY due to 4 things. No more soda, no more cheese, and by running and swimming. It was so easy, it felt virtually effortless. I'd go running every night for about an hour, just strap on my portable rig and go. Id go swimming whenever possible, and after a little while, I think my metabolism kicked into gear, because it took about a month for me to lose a single pound, and then suddenly the weight just started FLYING off. At first I only wanted to lose 40 pounds, but once I got on a roll I literally couldnt slow my metabolism down. I lost the last 20 pounds with no regard for my diet or exercise at all, I'd just eat semi-healthy and run whenever I got the urge to leave the house. I figured I was at my target weight so I'd give up the routine, but I only stopped losing weight when I dove into the pizza boxes and ice cream headfirst. Im now happily at 185, and have been for some time. Good luck to you

 

[nysulli]

cardio and diet are the only 2 ways to burn that last bit of fat off, then again, maybe genetically you won't be able to lose it easily, for a while in college i was really careful about my diet, and i was playing baseball, so i was getting 4 hours a day of lifting, running around and just general exercise, no mater what i did, those last 10-15 pounds wouldn't shed, just my genetics i guess, stopped worrying about my diet and it took 2 years to put 5 pounds on

 

[Nugget]

I know where you're coming from. I put on ~40lbs in a year because of a series of medical procedures which left me marginally mobile, during which time I chose to quit smoking. Since then I got serious about the gym, entirely changed my diet, and I've lost nearly all of the weight and added a good 20lbs of muscle...but I've still got an incredibly annoying and incongruous ring of chub around my waist. I actually found it so frustrating that I spoke to a nutritionist, who said it's going to be near-impossible to get it off so long as I'm in law school. Apparently persistent stress triggers fat storage in that area.

 

[GSurge]

So how about the first ten pounds?

 

[Steve_72]

Nice job. Personally, I've lost 60 lbs in 13 months going to the gym 5 days a week and eating more sensibly. I've recently hit a plateau though, capping out at 165. If it seems your not getting anywhere anymore, it's best to change up your workout routine as your body has probably adapted and gotten used to your regimen. If you are not already doing so, you might also try interval training on cardio machines. As opposed to say, jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a steady, constant pace, instead do 15-20 minutes of easy jogging, mixed with intervals of running. For example, do 1-2 minutes of jogging at about 40% effort, then 30sec-1min of running/sprinting at 80-90% effort, and switching back and forth. Basically, varying your intensity during your cardio session. Supposedly it's 9x more effective for burning calories than a longer, and constant slow-paced jog as your body continues to expend calories hours after your workout. Anyways, you can google "interval training" and find more info on it. Good Luck!

 

[Old Pa]

I'm down 44# in the last year. Weight is all inputs (what you consume), outputs (what you expend), and mental attitude (what you think of yourself). What really turned the trick for me this time was mini-meals (200 to 300 calories, 4 to 5 times a day), increased daily walking (I park at the far end of all parking lots, use the stairs, and walk my girls every night), and yoga with meditation (there no longer is a "final 10 pounds"; I'm already successful and satisfied). Works for me.

 

[chych]

I'm 5' 8" and I was around 140-150 for several years, having the issue where I can't lose the 'last 10 lbs' that were blocking my abs/'love handles'. Then I did some swimming last summer (~3 hours/week) and now I'm 130-140 now, and my abs are starting to show. That worked for me!

 

[virometal]

Good idea for a thread with some great advice. It is the season to think about the pool and of course those pretty things in short shorts.

For me cutting the carbs is a surefire way to get rid of the last ten. I'm talking about chicken and tuna with fresh fruits and veggies. Carbs include ketchup or any other toppings and of course sodas, juices etc; no complex carbs, no bread, no potatoes, nada. Also to get really lean, monitor water intake. Be warned, this kind of diet can take a couple weeks to get used to. At first, you'll lose up to two pounds a day. Then you'll stall and crave bread like nothing else in the world. It's get better, but takes discipline.

This worked for me beside 15 - 20 miles a week and one and an half hours lifting. I hate lifting weights. So I just do heavy supersets to get in and get out. I have a slow meto, which also means more work.

But most of the time, that ten pounds is not worth missing out on life. At least as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ilovesocks]

From the thread title, I thought the OP was a Brit who just bought a new piece of equipment.

 

[Jahn]

no more soda? i really should try that, if only to drink less soda.

 

[configure]

Might I recommend orange juice as a soda supplement? It beats the living daylight out of any soda made, I assure you

 

[meat01]

This is a great thread as I am in the same boat as you. I lost my first 10 pounds by running 3-4 times a week (3 miles each time out) and eating better, but I can not lose any more weight even though I am still running. I know smaller frequent meals helps, but I feel if I eat any less, I wouldn't have the energy to run. I will cut out the soda (and the alcohol.) and see if that helps.

GSurge: Eating less at each meal, but eating frequently will help if you exercise to lose weight. I used to bike and it didn't do anything for me. Running helped a lot.

 

[pne]

diet also worked for me, assuming you're keeping up with exercises. I ate a lot of low calorie filler whenever i had the urge to stuff myself, mainly fiber pellet cereal.