last 10-15 lbs change to 1/2 loss per week, why?

KnitSewSpin

I've seen this on this site a lot and I'm wondering why. I'm on my last 10-15 lbs and my weight loss has really slowed down the past few months. I'm wondering why I should up my calories and change my rate of loss to 1/2 lb. Won't this stop my loss completely?

Just want to know the reasons behind the theory. It's appealing to me because I'm burned out on eating at a calorie deficit (it's been 9 months). I'm a pretty slow loser as it is, so increasing my calories? What will that do to me?

Unknown

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StaciMarie1974

As you get closer to your goal your body burns less. So either you decrease your calories and have the same deficit, or cut back on your deficit goal.

I ate in the 1400-1600 range from Jan-Jul. Was not willing to cut it back further. So re-adjusted my goal, aimed for 1600-1800 which was a NICE change to have the extra calories. And had a smaller deficit. I could have kept going in the 1400-1600 range, but like you've noticed: burnout can happen.

If you are losing very slowly now, though, you may not have 'room' to increase your calories unless you also increase your activity to burn more. How accurate is your logging? Using a food scale for all solid food, logging everything everyday? Being realistic about your burned calories, activity level? Maybe your deficit is already smaller than you think.

GauchoMark

__drmerc__ wrote: »

When you weigh less you burn less calories so your deficit has become smaller

what??? While you may burn less calories when you weigh less, that is not why you reduce your deficit.

Here's the real reason: The closer you get to leanness, the easier it is to lose muscle mass. Period. So, when you have plenty of fat to burn, your body is very preferential towards burning the fat instead of the muscle for energy. Additionally, carrying all that fat around helps keep a certain amount of muscle. As you lose the fat, you have to start being much more careful not to lose muscle. It still happens in both cases (fat and lean) but it is easier to lose muscle the leaner you become.

To avoid this, you decrease your deficit, eat plenty of protein, and start lifting weights. The deficit decrease helps give you the calories you need to retain more muscle mass, but since you are still at a deficit, you are still losing fat.

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GauchoMark

__drmerc__ wrote: »

GauchoMark wrote: »

__drmerc__ wrote: »

When you weigh less you burn less calories so your deficit has become smaller

what??? While you may burn less calories when you weigh less, that is not why you reduce your deficit.

Here's the real reason: The closer you get to leanness, the easier it is to lose muscle mass. Period. So, when you have plenty of fat to burn, your body is very preferential towards burning the fat instead of the muscle for energy. Additionally, carrying all that fat around helps keep a certain amount of muscle. As you lose the fat, you have to start being much more careful not to lose muscle. It still happens in both cases (fat and lean) but it is easier to lose muscle the leaner you become.

To avoid this, you decrease your deficit, eat plenty of protein, and start lifting weights. The deficit decrease helps give you the calories you need to retain more muscle mass, but since you are still at a deficit, you are still losing fat.

Try reading the OPs post and not making assumptions from the title

Um... I did. I answered the OP in the 2 paragraphs you quoted. The OP was interested in why you need to decrease your deficit during your last 10-15 lbs. I explained the reasons - did you?

KnitSewSpin

GauchoMark, that makes a lot of sense! I have changed my goal to lose .5 per week and I'm going to increase exercise, too. Reading other posts has made me think about the stress response and changes in metabolism from losing weight. I think if your deficit is smaller that response will be less severe and your body won't fight you so much to lose those last 10 lbs.

It's difficult, though. I want to go on a strict diet to get the last 10 off fast……but I know intellectually that would be a bad idea.

I'm not much of a weight lifter. I walk my dogs for an hour most days, I also do Urban Rebounding videos on my rebounder which is actually a pretty intense workout, without the pounding on the joints. I do some pilates and yoga as well. I try to do exercise I love that I can sustain. I'm in my 40's….in my 20's&30's I ran marathons and lifted weights and I was very muscular and lean. But I've had four kids since then and I don't have the energy or desire to be that intense in my workout routine anymore. I can do what I'm doing now until I'm 99. And I enjoy the exercise I do.

Francl27

The reason to decrease your deficit is so that you don't end up eating a ridiculously small amount of food, pretty much. Plus with smaller fat reserves, you're more likely to burn muscle if your deficit is too high.

tracymayo1

Also, depending how much to have lost to date, you may want to re-enter your info into MFP as the calories you could eat before may not be relevant now at your new weight.

KnitSewSpin

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

As you get closer to your goal your body burns less. So either you decrease your calories and have the same deficit, or cut back on your deficit goal.

I ate in the 1400-1600 range from Jan-Jul. Was not willing to cut it back further. So re-adjusted my goal, aimed for 1600-1800 which was a NICE change to have the extra calories. And had a smaller deficit. I could have kept going in the 1400-1600 range, but like you've noticed: burnout can happen.

If you are losing very slowly now, though, you may not have 'room' to increase your calories unless you also increase your activity to burn more. How accurate is your logging? Using a food scale for all solid food, logging everything everyday? Being realistic about your burned calories, activity level? Maybe your deficit is already smaller than you think.

I think I've become more lazy and done more eyeballing the past few months…..but I've been at this for so long I think I'm pretty good at my measuring. But yes, I can tighten that up some more, esp. since it is slowing down.

I've lost 30 pounds eating 1200-1400 calories per day, but not doing much exercise until this summer when I started walking again and doing a lot of gardening and yard work. I'm going to up my calls to 1500-1600 and I'm going to be VERY accurate in my measuring/weighing. Also as I said above I'm increasing my exercise.

I just need to relax and not be so anxious to get to goal. I need to realize these last few pounds are not going to be gone in the next month. It will probably take several. I'm at a size 8 and I'm pretty happy where I'm at right now anyway. I'm at the high end of the BMI range for my body and I'd like to be in the middle for a little wiggle room.