Is it normal to lose a lot of weight at first?

nickiphillips1
nickiphillips1 Posts: 114 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying to lose my 40 lbs of menopause weight for over 2 years. I have been eating pretty healthy since October; however, I wasn't tracking my calories. I had my second nutritionist meeting and started MFP Feb 21.
I am 5 ft 8 in
I started at 207 and am now 195.
Everyone told me that I should plan on losing a lb a week to stay healthy.
I have lost 12 lbs in 3.5 weeks. My weight does fluctuate throughout the day as I drink a ton of water.

I would like to get down to at least 165, maybe even 155. (I weighed 150 about 8 years ago)

I eat mostly fruits and vegetables with fish and lean meats along with whole grains. I also swim with a swim team and lift weights once a week.

I was told to eat back at least half my exercise calories.

I don't eat refined sugar, gluten (very rarely), dairy (very rarely), or any soy.

I have MS and I have been pretty healthy now since swimming and eating healthy. I also sleep around 9 - 10 hours a night (I have fatigue from MS). Two weeks ago I went down on my anti-depressants (I have depression from MS).

I get around 8-10 servings of vegetables a day, 2-3 servings of fruit, 2-5 servings of whole grain, come close to my carbs, protein, and fats. Occasionally go a little over in carbs or protein.

I am at 1200 calories plus my exercise calories (around 755+). I don't eat all the exercise, but I eat more when I am hungry. I am getting faster at swimming too.

Am I just losing weight at the beginning? I have to find new jeans and pants because they are falling off already. I was stuck at this weight for so long and I feel so good right now. Someone at swimming noticed this morning. (that was cool)

I want to be healthy about this and I know I am eating right.

I am waiting for this to slow down to a lb a week. Maybe my body is just catching up to me eating healthy for the last 5 months.

Replies

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    The first month will have the fastest rate of loss. Do you have it set at one lb/week? I feel like your base calories should be higher than 1200 (I'm at 1 lb/week, and my base is 1300, and I'm 5'7" and 156 right now). So you could likely be eating a little bit more than you are, if you want to.

    Good work so far!
  • steph_runn44
    steph_runn44 Posts: 28 Member
    I think it's normal to lose a lot in the first few weeks. I know I did. I lost 15 pounds in the first month. I think that soon it will even out once your body gets more used to the calories you are currently eating.

    Awesome job, keep it up!
  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    Yes, most of it will be water weight.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    Yep. Be ready for the slow down and it won't hit your motivation. Great job!
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    Yes yes yes. Exactly what everyone else has said. Don't let the slower rate disappoint you...it's normal.
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    Wait until you only have 10 pounds to lose :neutral:
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    Yes, it's normal to lose more in the first couple of weeks. If you're menopausal, TOM isn't in the picture, but for those who're pre-menopausal women, the timing of that drop of cyclical water weight can make the initial drop seem a bit longer.

    That said, if you continue losing at too rapid a rate, or if you're starting to feel noticeably weaker or more fatigued than usual, do eat more!

    Most people are pretty close to the calorie estimates provided by calculators like MFP's, but some can be further from that average, and a very few (like 1 in 20) can be quite far from the calculators' estimates, on either the "need to eat more" or "need to eat less" side.

    Your own weight loss results, after the initial unusual drop, are your best guide to how much you should be eating. The calculators just give you a starting point.

    Personally, I found I need to eat 25-30% (!) more calories than MFP estimated for my age, weight, and (accurate) activity level. (I'm grateful. ;) ). I'm truly sedentary outside of intentional exercise (and I eat back pretty much all exercise calories), but had to set MFP to "active" in order to get anything close to an accurate net calorie estimate. This is unusual, but it can happen.

    1200 may be too low for you (it was for me, even at 5'5" and a weight in the 150s!).

    Reference: https://examine.com/nutrition/does-metabolism-vary-between-two-people/
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