Adjusting your goals

krwjohnson
krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm a 27 year old male and I'm 5'7. I have lost about 25 pounds over the last month and a half. I am about 7 pounds away from goal weight (140). My question is, is it bad to change my goal weight to 135? My wife thinks I am getting obsessive but I think I just chose a random goal and now I need to readjust. Once I hit my goal I am going to go into a caloric surplus to try to add muscle. Both of those weights are in the healthy bmi range, 135 is actually closer to the middle of my healthy range. Am I being obsessive? I am making a forum post over five pounds....ha ha

Replies

  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    My starting weight was taken right after a week long vacation in Paris so the 25lbs are not all legitimate fat loss. I think mfp recommend 1500, I have been eating 1250. I workout 5-6 times a week. A workout consists of 30 minutes of lifting and 1 hour of cardio. My energy levels have been fine and I am not losing muscle mass.
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    Ha ha you are correct. I am not eating the recommended calories.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    There is no harm in changing your goal as that is very indivualised. However I would highly recommend setting MFP up with your correct weight and select and appropriate rate of loss. For you being so close to your goal, 0.5-1lb is fine.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    krwjohnson wrote: »
    My starting weight was taken right after a week long vacation in Paris so the 25lbs are not all legitimate fat loss. I think mfp recommend 1500, I have been eating 1250. I workout 5-6 times a week. A workout consists of 30 minutes of lifting and 1 hour of cardio. My energy levels have been fine and I am not losing muscle mass.

    is that net or gross?

    there's a good chance you are losing muscle mass....
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    1250 is the actual amount I am eating. You may very well be right about me losing muscle mass, my only reason for believing I am not is my lifts have not declined. In fact, they have increased slightly
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    There is no harm in changing your goal as that is very indivualised. However I would highly recommend setting MFP up with your correct weight and select and appropriate rate of loss. For you being so close to your goal, 0.5-1lb is fine.

    Why do you recommend this? Am I eating a dangerously low amount? These are serious questions btw, it's easy to come off like a jerk on but I promise I am being genuine. I'm not hungry eating 1250 and my energy level is fine. I've just had such success with what I've been doing and I don't want to lose my momentum.
  • Intentional_Me
    Intentional_Me Posts: 336 Member
    edited November 2016
    If you are looking to gain muscle mass when you are done losing weight losing at that rate will only make the process much longer and more difficult for you. Eat the recommended amount to lose 0.5 to 1 pounds a week and eat back one half of your exercise calories. Keep lifting.

    On to the next part of your question I wouldn't have really thought you were being obsessive by changing your goal weight but by you continually saying that and your rate of loss is a little bit concerning to me. There is no race to the Finish Line when there isn't one.
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    oliverneedsyou wrote: »
    If you are looking to gain muscle mass when you are done losing weight losing at that rate will only make the process much longer and more difficult for you. Eat the recommended amount to lose 0.5 to 1 pounds a week and eat back one half of your exercise calories. Keep lifting.

    On to the next part of your question I wouldn't have really thought you were being obsessive by changing your goal weight but by you continually saying that and your rate of loss is a little bit concerning to me. There is no race to the Finish Line when there isn't one.

    Thank you. I think I needed to hear that
  • Intentional_Me
    Intentional_Me Posts: 336 Member
    krwjohnson wrote: »
    oliverneedsyou wrote: »
    If you are looking to gain muscle mass when you are done losing weight losing at that rate will only make the process much longer and more difficult for you. Eat the recommended amount to lose 0.5 to 1 pounds a week and eat back one half of your exercise calories. Keep lifting.

    On to the next part of your question I wouldn't have really thought you were being obsessive by changing your goal weight but by you continually saying that and your rate of loss is a little bit concerning to me. There is no race to the Finish Line when there isn't one.

    Thank you. I think I needed to hear that

    No problem. Someone said that very thing to me and it's been something I remind myself of often.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    krwjohnson wrote: »
    1250 is the actual amount I am eating. You may very well be right about me losing muscle mass, my only reason for believing I am not is my lifts have not declined. In fact, they have increased slightly

    That's neuromuscular adaptation most likely - your nervous system is getting better at firing. Also possibly technique improvements.

    If your long term goal is to build muscle then then first step is to avoid losing what muscle you already have - easier to retain than lose and regain it. Excessive and prolonged deficit should be avoided.

    I think your wife has valid cause to be alarmed. You picked an aggressive goal on a website that assumes you will eat back your exercise calories then didn't eat them back. Now even before you get to 10 stone (which is low for a 27 YO male) your are talking of reducing that target weight even more.

    Slow down young man! It's not a race......
  • krwjohnson
    krwjohnson Posts: 46 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    krwjohnson wrote: »
    1250 is the actual amount I am eating. You may very well be right about me losing muscle mass, my only reason for believing I am not is my lifts have not declined. In fact, they have increased slightly

    That's neuromuscular adaptation most likely - your nervous system is getting better at firing. Also possibly technique improvements.

    If your long term goal is to build muscle then then first step is to avoid losing what muscle you already have - easier to retain than lose and regain it. Excessive and prolonged deficit should be avoided.

    I think your wife has valid cause to be alarmed. You picked an aggressive goal on a website that assumes you will eat back your exercise calories then didn't eat them back. Now even before you get to 10 stone (which is low for a 27 YO male) your are talking of reducing that target weight even more.

    Slow down young man! It's not a race......

    Great advice. Once the number goes down on the scale I tend to get a little overzealous.
  • Charis50
    Charis50 Posts: 181 Member
    Love this thread--thanks @krwjohnson for reminding me that there are people on MFP who ask for advice--and then listen to what people have to offer with an open mind.

    Best of luck reaching your goals at a safe, sustainable speed! :)

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