Losing 3 lbs a week? help?

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Quinn_Baker
Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone! I need some motivation/ tips/ advice! I need to lose approximately 3 pounds a week until I am closer to my goal. Is this pretty doable? I am currently 218 (started at 246) and 5'4", 21 years old. Currently MFP has me eating 1200 calories a day. Even with this, and adding 20 minutes of exercise, I'm only at a 1000 calorie deficit a day. Plus1200 seems impossible when I'm exercising every day. Help?
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  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    No, the most actual fat a human body can lose is between 1-2lbs a week. 3lbs a week would be for someone who is really obese and under doctor supervision.

    It isn't safe to eat below 1200 net calories for a woman. I know it sucks, but it's going to take time to lose the weight, just like it took time to put it on.

    So please make sure you eat at least 1200 calories + exercise calories to maintain a safe deficit. This is because your body will start to burn your lean muscle mass to run, your brain can't use your fat stores.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    First, congrats on your loss so far.

    Second, slow down. Aim for 1-2 pounds a week, eat your exercise calorie back. and your body will do the rest. Yes, it will take some time but you didn't put the weight on at a 3 pounds a week I'm sure, so you don't need to lose that that rate either.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Hey everyone! I need some motivation/ tips/ advice! I need to lose approximately 3 pounds a week until I am closer to my goal. Is this pretty doable? I am currently 218 (started at 246) and 5'4", 21 years old. Currently MFP has me eating 1200 calories a day. Even with this, and adding 20 minutes of exercise, I'm only at a 1000 calorie deficit a day. Plus1200 seems impossible when I'm exercising every day. Help?

    It sounds like you have set an aggressive goal for MFP to set you at 1200. Your BMR is 1800, which is the amount that your body needs to function everyday. You do not "need" to lose 3 pounds a week, that is what you want to do. The weight was not put on quickly and will not fall off quickly either. Keep at it and congrats from getting to 218 from 246.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    I'm doing what my dietitian set for me. I posted a topic about losing 30 lbs before Halloween, and everyone said it was doable... so ISBN that close to 3 lbs (maybe 2, 2.5) pounds a week?
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    Isn't*
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    I'm doing what my dietitian set for me. I posted a topic about losing 30 lbs before Halloween, and everyone said it was doable... so ISBN that close to 3 lbs (maybe 2, 2.5) pounds a week?

    Halloween is roughly 16 weeks away. that's more like 2 pounds a week, which lines up with my "1-2 pound a week' suggestion pretty nicely.

    So again. 1-2 pounds a week. Eat back exercise calories. Relax. Don't stress.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    I'm doing what my dietitian set for me. I posted a topic about losing 30 lbs before Halloween, and everyone said it was doable... so ISBN that close to 3 lbs (maybe 2, 2.5) pounds a week

    Obviously it's not do-able, because otherwise you would have lost close to 100 pounds since Halloween. Listen to what everyone else says and aim for a slower weight loss. It will work out much better in the long run. Most people who lose a lot fast will gain it back within a year and usually gain some extra on top of that.
    So far you have done really well....Good Luck to you !
  • answezey
    answezey Posts: 1 Member
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    Hey girl I think loosing 3 pds a week is doable! I started at 206 pds and was loosing 3 to 4 pds a wk sticking to the 1200 calories a wk and consistently walking 30 min a day. I didn't workout I just walked. Once I got down to about 170 my weight loss slowed down to about a pd a wk. I'm currently 153 and started the end of jan. you may not loose 3 pds every single wk but if you stick to it, it will happen before you know it!
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
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    Up your exercise to an hour and cut your carbs. You may shoot for 2 lbs a week--but long term? Gonna be hard to keep it going.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    Hey girl I think loosing 3 pds a week is doable! I started at 206 pds and was loosing 3 to 4 pds a wk sticking to the 1200 calories a wk and consistently walking 30 min a day. I didn't workout I just walked. Once I got down to about 170 my weight loss slowed down to about a pd a wk. I'm currently 153 and started the end of jan. you may not loose 3 pds every single wk but if you stick to it, it will happen before you know it!

    Stop
  • dsanford55
    dsanford55 Posts: 66 Member
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    Please don't eat less than 1200 calories a day....it's not healthy and will backfire by screwing up your metabolism....trust me I have learned this over the years. And please eat clean....meaning don't eat 1200 calories a day and 260 of it be for a regular coke or 300 for ice cream. Good Luck....2 lbs a week would give you amazing results!
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    I'm doing what my dietitian set for me. I posted a topic about losing 30 lbs before Halloween, and everyone said it was doable... so ISBN that close to 3 lbs (maybe 2, 2.5) pounds a week

    Obviously it's not do-able, because otherwise you would have lost close to 100 pounds since Halloween. Listen to what everyone else says and aim for a slower weight loss. It will work out much better in the long run. Most people who lose a lot fast will gain it back within a year and usually gain some extra on top of that.
    So far you have done really well....Good Luck to you !
    You missed it. I have only been losing weight for a couple months.. I want to lose 30 before this next Halloween. But thanks.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    Hey girl I think loosing 3 pds a week is doable! I started at 206 pds and was loosing 3 to 4 pds a wk sticking to the 1200 calories a wk and consistently walking 30 min a day. I didn't workout I just walked. Once I got down to about 170 my weight loss slowed down to about a pd a wk. I'm currently 153 and started the end of jan. you may not loose 3 pds every single wk but if you stick to it, it will happen before you know it!
    Thank you! That's good to hear. I don't expect it to be 3 lbs on the dot each week every
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    ^week but at least it will be more than .5 every two weeks. Lol
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
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    Look.... you said you wanted to lose 30 pounds by Halloween and your ticker says you have lost 25 pounds. So....you have until Halloween to lose another 5 pounds. Is that right?
  • Bearbrat
    Bearbrat Posts: 230
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    Hey girl I think loosing 3 pds a week is doable! I started at 206 pds and was loosing 3 to 4 pds a wk sticking to the 1200 calories a wk and consistently walking 30 min a day. I didn't workout I just walked. Once I got down to about 170 my weight loss slowed down to about a pd a wk. I'm currently 153 and started the end of jan. you may not loose 3 pds every single wk but if you stick to it, it will happen before you know it!

    Stop
    yes, please
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    No, I want to lose another 30 lbs before halloween
  • ashleyisgreat
    ashleyisgreat Posts: 586 Member
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    Obviously losing 3 lbs a week is too aggressive, probably not sustainable, and will likely result in metabolic damage. But you don't want to hear that, right? You asked the question to get affirmation for eating 1000 calories a day, and unfortunately you'll probably get some of that.

    I think that, as others have said, you would be a lot better off eating at a lower deficit and aiming for 1-2 lbs a week. That way, you would be fueling your body, you would be less likely to plateau for an extended period of time (because you didn't cause metabolic damage), and you would be more likely to continue eating this way for life. When you go on crash diets (and that's kind of what 1000 cals a day for X amount of months is), you are more likely to rebound. Hard. That's my two cents, anyway. Good luck.
  • Quinn_Baker
    Quinn_Baker Posts: 292 Member
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    I'm not eating 1000 calories a day! LOL! I'm eating 1200-1300...
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    3lbs a week is unhealthy and most likely not doable. You should be netting at least your BMR every day, which I'm fairly positive for you is more than 1200. Even if you net 1200, that's better than what you're doing now. Eat your exercise calories back.

    Who cares if you don't lose all 30 pounds by Halloween? I wasn't at my goal weight last Halloween and I still rocked a sexy costume. Any weight loss should be celebrated. Even if you lose 1 pound a week and only make it halfway to your Halloween goal, that's still a great accomplishment and you'll look awesome. Not to mention you'll be wayyy healthier and have better long-term results. The slower you lose weight, the more maintainable it is.

    I really like this thread on calorie deficits for further information. Check it out: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1017045-a-very-interesting-and-informational-read-on-deficits

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