What should my pounds lost per week be?

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FritoGirl4life
FritoGirl4life Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
i am 5'7" 180 pounds and trying to get down to 145 pounds. My question is, should I be trying to lose 2 pounds a week or 1.5? I am trying to create a sustainable lifestyle change and would appreciate any tips. My diary is open for viewing as well. Also, on Sunday's, I am not as strict with my food choices as that is normally a day we eat out so should I try to limit that to once every 2 weeks instead?

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  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    slow and steady wins the race, go for one pound per week loss ....

    as far as "cheat" days go, I do not really adhere to that. I do not believe in viewing food as good or bad. Food is just energy that you body uses for different bodily functions.

    My suggestion would be to incorporate foods that you like into your overall diet and make sure that you are hitting your calorie/micro/macro targets for the day. So yes you can have some pizza, cookies, ice cream, etc....
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Slooooooow and steady is easier. 1.5 pounds per week or even less.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,617 Member
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    1% of you're body weight is a good rule of thumb. As you approach goal weight, that percentage decreases.

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  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Honestly, you shouldn't be trying for either. That much of a loss per week is really reserved for those with a lot more to lose than you. Start out at 1 pound per week and as you get closer to goal you'll want to shift to .5 pound per week.

    Your Sundays could be problematic if you're eating so much extra that day that you're erasing your deficit for the rest of the week. I'd suggest still logging on Sundays, even if you eat out. If the restaurants you choose do not post nutrition information online or on their menus then try to at least make a good guess. Days I eat out I will usually eat less at the other meals to compensate.
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    I'm 5'7 as well and have a similiar goal weight (148). I'm currently 155 so I'm close!

    I did 2 pounds a week until I got to 160 pounds, now i'm slowing it down to 1/2 pound to a pound a week - which is frustrating at times but I know that the slower it comes off the higher the chances I'll be able to maintain my goal weight once I get there.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    When I'm cutting weight, I shoot to drop ~1-2 lbs/week. You'll need to make adjustments as you get closer to your goal and drop that rate down to 0.5-1 lb/week. When you hit your goal, the best thing to do is a reverse diet to get your calories back up to normal with minimal gains in body fat. It works very well if done right.
  • FritoGirl4life
    FritoGirl4life Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks for the input! I have been getting so frustrated because I'm not losing as quickly as I would like. I'm down 11 pounds and trying to make much healthier choices but I know I can't eat 100% all the time so I give in to a piece of chocolate occasionally. TBH, my BIGGEST struggle is drinking enough water. But I'm trying!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Somewhere between 1.5 and 1.8 would put you at 1% of your body weight.
  • whatyouwill
    whatyouwill Posts: 71 Member
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    Is the 1% of Bodyweight suggested by Doctors?
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    slow and steady wins the race, go for one pound per week loss ....

    as far as "cheat" days go, I do not really adhere to that. I do not believe in viewing food as good or bad. Food is just energy that you body uses for different bodily functions.

    My suggestion would be to incorporate foods that you like into your overall diet and make sure that you are hitting your calorie/micro/macro targets for the day. So yes you can have some pizza, cookies, ice cream, etc....

    I agree whole-heartedly with everything said here. Weight loss isn't a race and whatever you do to lose weight, you have to continue for the rest of your life to keep it off. So, eat the foods you like and enjoy and just learn how to eat them in moderation.

  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
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    My suggestion is to use MFP to track what you're actually eating now, and start putting together an image of what your life will look like when you're sustaining a healthy level of activity and diet.

    With a little research on healthy living and using the information you get from accurate MFP logging, you will determine what changes need to be made in your life.

    Your body is at the appropriate weight/composition for your recent diet and exercise patterns. It likely "snuck up on you" as it slowly got to a point where you now feel the need for a different body.

    Don't think about changing your body; change your patterns and remain patient while your body gravitates toward the appropriate weight/composition for your new healthy lifestyle. It will happen. Not overnight. But it will happen, and you will find yourself informed and prepared to maintain it or make new choices as your goals change.

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    whatyouwill wrote: »
    Is the 1% of Bodyweight suggested by Doctors?

    Generally, doctors say between 1 and 2 lbs per week, without dropping below 1200 calories for women or 1500 calories for men. But some doctors do suggest that 3 to 4 lbs isn't particularly unsafe. But I expect they mean for obese people. So, it all works out to about 1% of a person's body weight.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2015
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    At your weight, I think 1-1.5 lbs/week is a fine goal. I went through a period where I liked to have a day that was higher calorie too (not crazy, but dinner out or the like without worrying too much about it). For a while I was covering it by having it be my long run or long bike ride day, but if I were you I might try 1.5 lb/week, see what that gives you, and if it seems reasonable do that and just have one day a bit higher which will probably bring you in at somewhere between 1-1.5 lb and help make it feel more sustainable.

    But that's going to be a personal thing. For me having room for a higher calorie day or two is consistent with how I will probably maintain.
  • cheemasaab
    cheemasaab Posts: 3
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    Hey guys, I'm kinda in a rut and need advice. I started using my fitness pal and the body media armband in January on a consistant basis. I'm very active and roughly burn 3500-4000 per day based on my job. During the days I play sports I can be up to 5300ish. Anyways I've been weighing my foods as much as possible and up until a week ago I was at 208 from 224 and now I jump on the scale and back up to 219. I'm afraid I'm sliding back down. My eating habits haven't really changed I do cheat now as I did before.

    Any advice would be awesome but sometimes I feel like the lower the scale goes I can have that extra peice of junk food.

    One more question. I'm very sports oriented and wanted to know if I stop playing sports due to a minor injury can someone like myself still lose weight?

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