How many pounds loss per week to set?

forruths

Hi,
I started at 276lb last summer and set MFP for 2lb a week loss. At first I lost 3lb a week then settled into 2lb a week. I'm about to hit the 200lb mark and if I stick religiously to the plan I can still lose 2lb in a week but it feels like it's getting more difficult.

Can I ask what you have done when you are part way through a large weight loss (I'm aiming for 100lb initially) and the loss starts to slow down?

Also if you are in your 50s and on this journey I'd love some more MFP friends for mutual encouragement!

Ruth

shadow2soul

You might want to change your weight loss goal to 1.5 lb per week. I had mine set to 1 lb per week loss when I was 200lbs, but because of Fitbit underestimating my calorie burn my actual deficit was averaging out to be 700 calories oer day (just under what is needed for 1.5 lb per week loss).

chulipa

Hi im almost 52 years and stsrted at 287lbs now weigh 202lbs so i understand. When i go see my dietician on march 23 i am going to ask her if i should drop down from 2lbs to 1.5lbs a week. I will send you a friends request. And im from North Carolina

UpEarly

I set mine at half a pound per week. Yes... it took me a little over a year to lose the weight I wanted to lose, but it was steady and completely painless. I was never hungry and I didn't have to give up any foods I enjoy eating. I've kept the weight off for four years now. I think slow and steady won the race for me! If I knew then what I knew now, I never would have aimed for faster weight loss.

juleszephyr

Hi Ruth, I went from 257 lbs to 139lbs and certainly you need to set your weightloss amount lower at this point. I would suggest trying 1 lb a week goals and see how you get on. It does get harder and a lot of people compensate for the deficit by upping their exercise as they shed the pounds. This needn't be hardcore cardio, walking and yoga and age appropriate exercise classes are still moving in the right direction.
I will be 50 next year and I do think it gets harder as you get older too especially dealing with the menopause and hormones etc.
Good Luck and feel free to add me if you wish. I log everyday and am back in losing mode after putting back on 20 lbs through stress eating back end of last year.
Jules x

ModernRock

Think about it in terms of percentages. When you started you wanted to lose 100 pounds and at first lost 9 pounds a month, or 9% of your unwanted fat. As that fat was lost, the percentage of the remaining amount you were trying to lose increased. So, when you got down to maybe 72 pounds of unwanted fat--I'm guessing--you settled into losing 8 pounds month. At first, that's still 9% of your unwanted fat. But now, you have about 32 pounds left of unwanted fat, and if you continue to lose at a rate of 8 pounds a month, that's 25% of 32 pounds this month, 33% of 24 pounds next month, 50% of 16 pounds the next month, and 100% of the remaining 8 pounds in the final month. On paper, that should work, and would lose 32 pounds in 4 months, but as your weight decreases, so does your BMR and room for maintaining a 1000 calorie a day deficit.

Alternatively, you could manipulate your daily calorie goal to lose 25% of your remaining unwanted fat each month--that's the 2 pound rate you have now and will decrease over the course of the next year. The 32 pounds would be gone in about 13 months, but you'd be within 5 pounds of your goal in 7 months. Your daily calorie deficit would decrease as you got closer to your goal. It would look something like this:



When the daily deficit gets near and below 100 calories, you can see why accurate calorie counting comes into play. On the other hand, by that time you are within 3 or 4 pounds of your goal, which means you are easing yourself into maintenance.

forruths

Thanks for all the advice. Sounds like I should definitely set MFP for me to lose less per week.