Changing from losing 2 lbs a week to .5 lbs a week

Squirrel698

I just changed my weight loss goal from 2 lbs a week to .5 lbs a week.

I decided it's time to take a less aggressive approach after I lost 20 lbs in about six weeks. I have about 15 lbs to go until I'm BMI 22, and I would like these pounds to stay off. I have heard, the slower I go, the less chance I have of gaining it all back. So, according to my calculations and MFP, I'm going from 1400 calories a day to 2130.

That seems very high! I think I'll add food back in gradually. Any advice or anything I should watch out for?

amyr271

Have you entered your current weight into MFP?

Squirrel698

Yep, it's currently 168 and I want to get to 153, although I'm not in a huge hurry. I'm a guy, 36, 5'10", btw.

mz_getskinny

I started adding 100-200 calories to my goal each week until I started losing at my desired pace. I have never had luck with mfp's suggested intake, so I do it all by trial and error.

amyr271

Okay, so having ran your stats through a calculator you shoul lose .5 of a pound on 1800 if you were sedentary, so if you have a fairly active lifestyle, you could lose on 2100

jemhh

Squirrel698 wrote: »

I just changed my weight loss goal from 2 lbs a week to .5 lbs a week.

I decided it's time to take a less aggressive approach after I lost 20 lbs in about six weeks. I have about 15 lbs to go until I'm BMI 22, and I would like these pounds to stay off. I have heard, the slower I go, the less chance I have of gaining it all back. So, according to my calculations and MFP, I'm going from 1400 calories a day to 2130.

That seems very high! I think I'll add food back in gradually. Any advice or anything I should watch out for?

I wouldn't add it back too slowly. This next week I'd probably up it to 1800 straightaway.

erinc5

You will most likely see your weight go up on the scale for a week or so in the beginning of your switch. You're adding 750 calories to your day (going from a 1000 cal per day deficit to 250 cal per day deficit). So DO NOT FREAK OUT about the scale going up! It is totally normal to see that when adding calories back in. You are still eating at a deficit, so you will see that weight drop again and start seeing the downward trend again eventually. You could mitigate this slightly by slowly adding calories (like, try 1600 for 2 or 3 days, then 1800 for the next 3, then 2000, then 2130). But, even if you do that, you will likely see a temporary scale increase when you up calories. Again, let me emphasize that as long as you're still at a deficit, this is JUST TEMPORARY!

Also, now that your deficit is smaller, it is crucial to be super accurate with logging everything and weighing things correctly.

And last, just be patient. Half a lb per week might seem slow to you, but it is still progress. Also, you may not lose every week, but as long as you're logging accurately, you will eventually get where you want to be!

Squirrel698

Thanks Erin, that is good advice. I think you're right, I would freak out, just a bit and then go back to my 1300 calories or so. So I'll try and be patient!

Thanks for the encouragement.

I think I'll start eating 1500 today (because I'm hungry) and go up to 1600 in a few days.

jemhh wrote: »

I wouldn't add it back too slowly. This next week I'd probably up it to 1800 straightaway.

Do you mind if I ask why you feel that way? Done that way, it seems I would have an initial gain higher than I would like.

jemhh

Squirrel698 wrote: »

Thanks Erin, that is good advice. I think you're right, I would freak out, just a bit and then go back to my 1300 calories or so. So I'll try and be patient!

Thanks for the encouragement.

I think I'll start eating 1500 today (because I'm hungry) and go up to 1600 in a few days.

jemhh wrote: »

I wouldn't add it back too slowly. This next week I'd probably up it to 1800 straightaway.

Do you mind if I ask why you feel that way? Done that way, it seems I would have an initial gain higher than I would like.

I've made it a habit to incorporate 1 week diet breaks into my weight loss. Whenever I've done that, I've gone from my losing calorie level (generally around a 400-500 calorie deficit) up to maintenance level in one fell swoop. I've never had a weight jump due to that switch. Not even a tenth of a pound on the scale. I don't eat super low carb, though, so that could be part of it. If you are eating a really low carb diet and then up your calories with a bunch of carbs, you'll have water weight gain. But even if you do...it's just water, not fat. We're all different and I can't say that what works for me is definitely going to work for you, but I just think that inching back from 1400, 100 calories at a time, is unnecessary.

rileysowner

Squirrel698 wrote: »

I just changed my weight loss goal from 2 lbs a week to .5 lbs a week.

I decided it's time to take a less aggressive approach after I lost 20 lbs in about six weeks. I have about 15 lbs to go until I'm BMI 22, and I would like these pounds to stay off. I have heard, the slower I go, the less chance I have of gaining it all back. So, according to my calculations and MFP, I'm going from 1400 calories a day to 2130.

That seems very high! I think I'll add food back in gradually. Any advice or anything I should watch out for?

As a 36 year old male, 1400 was below what is considered the minimum calories for males which is 1500. In other words, your goal was too low at that point. You are 36, and think 2130 is a lot of calories. I am almost 50, 5'10", male and lose easily at 2100. You should have no issue at 2130. The increase in calories will likely result in some weight gain but it will be primarily water from replenished glycogen stores, and the extra weight of the food in your gut, keep going and it will start to drop again after things normalize.

Just a note, your BMR is likely around 1750, and your total daily energy expenditure would be anywhere between 2100 (completely sedentary couch potato) and 3300 (extremely active with a physical job and exercise on top of that). You have room to work with. Any gain you have with this will be temporary.

erinc5

I have a higher calorie day (close to maintenance) at least once a week and I always see a jump on the scale, without fail. I'm not following a low carb diet either. I always lose that weight within a day or two. I am usually higher sodium on those days, though. And I drink alcohol more than normal on those days, and I hydrate with water more than normal when I drink so I don't feel like crap the next day.

I wasn't saying it was for sure going to happen (everyone is different), but it does happen to a lot of people and is nothing to freak out about if it happens to you.

allenalrayes21

In all honesty i would recommend staying where you are at. Losing 2lbs a week is in the healthy range of 1-3 a week. If you still want to drop down to .5lbs for your assurance then id highly recommend not jumping up so high. Go slow try 100 calories more every week to 2 weeks until you reach around 1600-1800 calories. Also, i recommend using an IIFYM calculator to figure out your exact numbers, because at 5'8" 195ish i was doing a caloric deficit of 2000-2100 calories a day and i was losing a healthy amount, so im not sure you will be too happy shooting up that high.

elaineamj

Yes, but he is looking at me transitioning slowly to maintenance - rather than going from strict diet to free eating. Making the deficit smaller should theoretically help him learn more or less the way he should be eating for the rest of his life (since a 250 cal difference isn't all that different).

lorrpb

OP you said you've lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. Congrats! That's more than 3 pounds per week. As a young, active male you are eating less than what I as a 60 yo female eat to lose 1 lb per week. You have only 15 pounds left to goal. So 0.5 per week is completely appropriate and healthier than 3 per week. I'm glad to hear you want to make a sustainable change. Upping your calories by 500-700 per week to 2100 should not be problem. You might even be able to increase more than that because given the rapid rate of loss so far you're probably currently eating at a deficit of about 1500 per day. Good luck!