Am i losing to fast?

thrashersara88

I am hoping someone who has a similar situation might be able to give me some insight. In the last 40 days i have lost 13 pounds. In the last 17 days have lost six. I am set for 1.5 pounds a week at lightly active which is generous as i am a preschool teacher and i spend a good time sitting on the floor with littles. I stick to a weekly goal rather than daily so i have variation day to day. I'm not a strictly healthy eater i still indulge in what i like in moderation. My diary is open. I also have just started really working on it in the last 40 days so could this be just the quick flattering weight loss that falls off at the beginning of a new program? I never thought losing weight quickly would be a concern i would have ever had.I just know that slow weight loss is more maintainable and I would rather go slow for sustainable results. I also worry by changing my calorie goal to 1 per week I might be to low.

kommodevaran

You lose some water weight initially. If you stick to the calorie goal MFP gave you, you'll be fine.

100_PROOF_

Sounds like you are probably losing some water weight too. It's not uncommon for people to see a large drop on the scale at first.
Here's what I'd do-
Make sure you're logging accurately. Use a food scale for all solids and measure liquid. This way you can be sure of your calories and continue to watch to make sure your deficit isn't too large. Just continue to monitor it and adjust if needed.

It seems you are off to a good start though! I also use moderation instead of deprivation. I found that eating a well balanced wide variety diet ( that includes snacks and treats within my calorie allotment) is most sustainable for me. Learning portion control and moderation is a great way to set yourself up for long-term success! There's no need for fad diets and extremes.

TavistockToad

how much weight do you have to lose?

elisa123gal

This shows how flexing calories is more effective than eating low calories each day and over exercising. less is more..and were i you..i'd be thrilled.

AnnPT77

Am I understanding this right: You've lost 19 (or 13?) pounds in 57 (or 40?) days (I'm not sure whether your 40 days and 17 days overlapped or not, same for the loss numbers). No matter how I parse it, it looks to me that you've lost somewhere between 1.6 and 2.5 pounds a week, on average, over 40 or more days.

Yes, it's possible that there was some initial water weight loss that made your loss rate look faster. It's also possible (especially if you're premenopausal) that normal water weight fluctuations made your loss look slower or faster somewhere in the relevant time period. Weight loss is always uneven/non-linear. That's why it's good to look at the average over a longer period. 40 days is a fairly long period.

If you've lost 6 pounds in the last 17 days, that's still about 2.4 weeks, and about 2.5 pounds per week on average. Unless you weigh over 250 pounds, that would be fast weight loss, probably too fast for minimizing health risks. It would imply that your maintenance calories (to maintain your current weight) are 1250 calories a day above what you've been eating on average.

If you're really losing at that rate, with MFP set at a 1.5 pounds/week goal, then you should be fine if you reset your goal to 1 pound a week, or possibly a slower rate even. If you eat more, you may see a temporary scale jump from extra carbs and extra digestive system contents. Don't let that panic you, it should sort itself out in a week or so. Even if you're losing at 1.5 pounds a week for real, you still have room to eat more, and lose.

The calculator estimates (like the one MFP gives you) are not accurate for everyone. They just spit out the calories it would take for an average person your size/age/etc. to achieve the target weight loss rate, based on large-scale studies and formulas. Most people are close to average, but most individuals are not exactly average, and a very few can be quite far from average. That's why it's important to trust your own data, once you have enough of it to get a clear picture.

If I believed MFP's estimates for me, instead of maintaining my weight now, I'd still be losing like crazy - its estimate was way too low. When losing, I lost too fast at first on its estimate, and the results (in energy level and strength) were Not Good. To require lots more calories than MFP estimates is quite unusual, but it can happen.

PokeyBug

My Fitness Pal is a good tool, but we have to keep in mind that we're the ones who need to learn how to use the tool. And we're all different. Are you happy or unhappy with this rate of loss? Some of us want to lose more slowly, with good reason, others of us just want the extra pounds gone asap. If you're unhappy with this rate and think it's too fast, you just need to tweak your settings a little. Maybe you're Active, instead of being Lightly Active? Maybe you need to set your loss goal at 1 pound per week to achieve that 1.5 pounds a week?

debbiesteinman

I don't think you need to worry. We are all different and even though 1-2 pounds a week is considered the (right amount), you are definitely on the road to better health once you reach your goal weight. Many of us underestimate our daily calorie intake because we do not accurately weigh our foods and forget to add our salt intake. Your body will balance out the weight loss and plateaus in our weight do occur even after strict adherence to strict diets. We must change things up and exercise more to get great results. Calorie restriction and intermittent fasting gives quick results so keep up the great job. My goal is to lose 2 pounds by August.

thrashersara88

TavistockToad wrote: »

how much weight do you have to lose?

Ok sounds crazy but i dont really have a real plan in place. I set my initial goal for 50 lbs total loss which i feel like would put me in a place that i would be happy with the results and would put me in a "healthier" range. However, I am doing this to feel better and more energetic. I wouldn't be upset if I dont reach 50 lbs. I plan on going into maintenance when i reach a place that i am happy with. According to my BMI I should look at a total lose of about 90. I really dont think i would care to go that far. I do however want to be able to keep up with the weight loss without to much yo-yoing

thrashersara88

elisa123gal wrote: »

This shows how flexing calories is more effective than eating low calories each day and over exercising. less is more..and were i you..i'd be thrilled.

Thank you! I am excited that ive been successful so far but i have been the type to ride the loss - gain rollercoaster so i want to be cautious of how i am doing it this time. In the past I've dieted in a way that allowed me to lose quickly but would also make gaining it back plus more a lot easier. I've struggled so much in the past and I just want to get to a good place so i can be my best self. Also I'm about to be 30 and i think I'm worried about my health because I'm not a kid anymore and I've been eating like one for a long time lol

NovusDies

thrashersara88 wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

how much weight do you have to lose?

Ok sounds crazy but i dont really have a real plan in place. I set my initial goal for 50 lbs total loss which i feel like would put me in a place that i would be happy with the results and would put me in a "healthier" range. However, I am doing this to feel better and more energetic. I wouldn't be upset if I dont reach 50 lbs. I plan on going into maintenance when i reach a place that i am happy with. According to my BMI I should look at a total lose of about 90. I really dont think i would care to go that far. I do however want to be able to keep up with the weight loss without to much yo-yoing

It doesn't sound crazy it sounds healthy.

Edited to Correct: Oops. I missed a sentence in your post. If you can lose a total of 90 you can stay at 1.5lbs per week if it slows down. If it doesn't try adjusting your activity level as previously suggested.

Meghanebk

A lot of the initial loss can be water loss if you changed your eating habits or macros, for instance if you're eating less carbs.
You may also not be as sedentary as you think - sitting with a group of preschoolers seems a lot more active to me than sitting on a couch watching tv.

You say you have 50 to 90 pounds you could lose to get to a moderate BMI - the more you have to lose, the faster the weight often drops at first.

If i were you, I'd keep watching it for another week or so and if you're still losing that fast add some calories so your weight loss rate stays under 2 lbs per week. Adjust it to 1 lb a week or less as you get closer to your goal.

Don't forget to eat enough protein, losing fast can mean losing muscle as well as fat!

girlwithcurls2

I love hearing preschool kids called "Littles." That's how I've always referred to mine

LisaMelton1

I had 100 lbs to lose and dropped the first 30 quickly but have slowed to an average of .5 to 1 lb a week. I agree that some was water but I think it was also my body adjusting to healthy portions and nutrients. I made the mistake of trying keto when the loss slowed and got sick. Stay the course, adjust calories and increase activity as you lose and all will be well

mywayroche

You lose water weight from lost glycine stores. Google it

AnnPT77

mywayroche wrote: »

You lose water weight from lost glycine stores. Google it

Better info if you google "Glycogen".