8 Pounds Down in 20 Days, Is That Good?

2

Replies

  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    To be fair, you did ask what we thought and if it was good progress. We may not know you, your body or your physiology, but keep in mine neither does MFP. You can tell it what you want and it’ll calculate what needs to happen to attain those results, but it certainly doesn’t check in with your doctor to ensure that’s it healthy for you. I, a 5’5” 130 lb, active female could tell MFP that I want to lose 2 lbs per week and it would tell me to eat 1200 calories a day because that’s the minimum and I could do just that, but would it be healthy? Absolutely not. While all of us are different as far as our bodies go, none of us are exempt from the hard truth that if we lose too much too fast it can have disastrous effects on our health that may not be apparent right away.
    [/quote]

    I comepletely understand what you are saying. My results of 8 ponds have made no visual change to my body at all, I am basing my success on how I feel. I can’t go to a doctor every day but I do know that I have more energy, I’m not depressed or anxious anymore, I feel amazing and I am super motivated. To me that’s success!
    [/quote]
    Basing your success on how you feel after 2 weeks is not an accurate or rational measure of whether you are under eating or not. How do you know you wouldn't feel just as good if you were losing at a more reasonable rate like, say, 1lb per week? You don't.

    Negative effects of under eating take a while to show up. Muscle loss will not make you feel anything. I think your exercise program is fine. I will echo what others have said, you are under eating for the amount of weight you have to lose and your overall stats. Will it hurt you for 2 or 3 weeks? probably not. Is it a good long term approach? Nope.

    But why ask if you already have your mind made up. You asked and didn't like or take on board the very consistent feedback you've gotten so you push back. OK, do it your way and accept whatever the results may be.
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    I will 100% take everything eveyone has said and remember it and I will continue to listen to my body. I have to see how this works long term for me, only way I can know how my body is dealing with this new life style.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    2 lbs per week is perfectly fine for obese people who have a lot of weight to lose, so MFP includes it as an option. MFP doesn't tell anyone what they should do, it just tells you what you need to do based on the info you provided, whether it's the best idea or not.

    We've all answered the question you keep asking. The problem would be muscle loss. You don't feel muscle loss as it's happening. Sometimes fatigue and hair loss happen weeks and months after the damage is done. Often the damage is just vanity, in the way you look at the lower weight. If you honestly think we're wrong, that's fine. It might not cause you any problems at all, and I truly do hope you luck out that way.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited January 2019
    You just started a diet and likely weighed yourself at a fully hydrated point and followed this with a relatively dehydrated point. It's a good start and a great motivator, but just don't get discouraged with the next point ticks up.

    As reference my weight fluctuates ~5lbs throughout the day based on hydration 6'4", 220 lbs - I know this is just water weight. We are ~60% water, so this makes sense. The trick it focusing on the fat loss and this is really only detectable over time.

    There is no such thing as a fast or slow metabolism. This is nothing more than a series of biochemical processes. Fast or slow would result in death.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I just looked back through all 21 days and with the exemption of maybe two or three I actually ate over my 1,880 calorie suggestion from MFP. I am eating plenty of food! The calorie deficit is from cardio and exercises not under eating. I’m not starving myself at all.

    Who are you trying to convince? You will do whatever you've decided to do despite some of the wise feedback you've gotten.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    So what everyone is saying is to just eat more? Hell I can do that easily. You are all saying that I should be at my 1,880 calories by the end of the day regardless if it is from only eating 1880 or eating more than 1880 but getting back down to 1880 with exercise? I can do that easily, I love to eat lol. Maybe I’ve been overaggressive but I can’t freaking stand the way I look. I hate what I see in the mirror! I want to do this right and I am sorry for my comments. It all just hit me hard like wait, I’m losing this weight and I feel great but all of these people are saying I’m wrong. What a let down lol. That hit hard, like wow really, this isn’t good. I feel so successful, the weight is going away and now I am curious to see if this 8 pounds in 20 days is a normal thing because I sure am not special so let’s see what other people have experienced. That’s hard news to take and I am sorry if I came off defensive. I’ve been working my *kitten* off and being extremely disciplined so to have a bunch of people say my progress isn’t good is a kick in the face. I hear all of you and I am going to talk to my doctor and really think about everything I have been through and learned. Thank you all.

    This is encouraging to hear :)

    You know, the long-time users here really want to see people succeed and many have personal experience with these issues. They aren't handing out advice to try to derail people's success. ;) Everyone wants results yesterday, we get that. You obviously have a great work ethic that will serve you well.

  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.
  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    So what everyone is saying is to just eat more? Hell I can do that easily. You are all saying that I should be at my 1,880 calories by the end of the day regardless if it is from only eating 1880 or eating more than 1880 but getting back down to 1880 with exercise? I can do that easily, I love to eat lol. Maybe I’ve been overaggressive but I can’t freaking stand the way I look. I hate what I see in the mirror! I want to do this right and I am sorry for my comments. It all just hit me hard like wait, I’m losing this weight and I feel great but all of these people are saying I’m wrong. What a let down lol. That hit hard, like wow really, this isn’t good. I feel so successful, the weight is going away and now I am curious to see if this 8 pounds in 20 days is a normal thing because I sure am not special so let’s see what other people have experienced. That’s hard news to take and I am sorry if I came off defensive. I’ve been working my *kitten* off and being extremely disciplined so to have a bunch of people say my progress isn’t good is a kick in the face. I hear all of you and I am going to talk to my doctor and really think about everything I have been through and learned. Thank you all.

    It is perfectly understandable that you want to be slimmer and look better right now but it took you some time to gain the weight, right? It is going to take you a comparable, if not greater amount of time to lose the weight. A smaller deficit helps you maintain what muscle you have during weight loss and makes it easier to adjust to for forever so you are less likely to put all the weight you worked very hard to lose right back on.

    No one is trying to discourage you or tell you that your progress is not good. People are trying to save you from disappointment or, worse, health complications down the road. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far but be happy that you can take your foot off the gas a little. Maybe you can eat a little more, maybe you can be a little less disciplined and maybe you can even enjoy your journey to your slimmer self.

    Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint. It doesn't have to be torture or punishment or deprivation and the less it is any of these, the more likely it is you will keep the weight off in the long term.

    Best of luck to you! You seem to have all the motivation and determination you need, now it's time to learn patience :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    1-2 pounds a week is a healthy rate of loss for some people, but too fast for others. It's based on your weight.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    edited January 2019
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    OP, have read any of the stickies? These are good^^^^
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    It's a healthy range of loss for most people needing to lose weight. It depends on a person's current stats and the size of calorie deficit that person can support. Some people with little to lose can only support a rate of .5 lb/week loss (a deficit of 250 calories) before dipping into unhealthy territory. Some people who are extremely obese can support 3-4 lbs/week. At your current stats, 1 lb/week (a deficit of 500 calories/day) is ideal.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    OP, have read any of the stickies? These are good^^^^

    Yes- they really are :)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    Yes 1-2. For people with less weight to lose, 1 lb is appropriate. For some people with a bit more to lose, 1.5 lbs is appropriate. For people with a lot of weight to lose, 2 lbs is appropriate. For people who are morbidly obese, maybe losing more than 2 lbs per week would be beneficial.

    That's all I've got. Have a great day :drinker:
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    This was me a few months into MFP. I get you want to lose this weight and fast, but we're trying to show a larger picture and how a short sighted goal may hinder a long term goal.

    I lost 60 lbs my first year here and wish I would have implemented a progressive lifting regimen much earlier. Not that this did any damage, growing and developing muscle is hard work and losing weight rapidly means losing muscle tissue, which it doesn't sound like what you want.

    You have to be careful with any and all sites as these are largely policy statements and also short sighted in their goal. That and they may only be looking at the issue from one angle - e.g. Mayo Clinic being physiologically, but not psychologically.

    It is important to understand where you are in this process and where you want to be. Right now you want loss, so implement a moderate 500 kcal deficit, but ensure you are fueling your workouts and not undereating. Focus on protein to minimize muscle loss and implement a progressive lifting regimen.

    You are also highly motivated now, but this won't last forever. Look at your life as a collection of habits and behaviors and make sure these are sustainable when your motivation is low.
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2019
    Thanks for all of the great info and insight. I went into my app and changed my goals from 2 pounds a week to 1.5 and realized that every day I have been under my calorie goal and need to stop that. My calorie goal changed from 1880 to 2130. I will make sure I keep eating healthy and exercising but also making sure my net meets or is at least very close to my 2130 daily calorie goal. I definitely do not want to lose what very little scrawny muscle I have lol. I’m skinny everywhere on my body except my gut and my chest. I used to have a six pack up until about 24 y/o just because I was so skinny not because I worked out. I want to look down and not see this disgusting gut anymore. I want to be and look and feel healthy. I want to be around to see my little girls grow up and be able to play with my grand kids. As for motivation, I am a proud member of the United States Military, we don’t know how to be unmotivated lol!!!!
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    edited January 2019
    Thank you for your service <3

    Oorah!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited January 2019
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    Look at your life as a collection of habits and behaviors and make sure these are sustainable when your motivation is low.

    This is the most succinct way I've ever heard this said. <3 Mind if I use this when the subject comes up?
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2019
    z85vj3b5buvq.png

    Please look at the pic and let me know what you think. I see the error of my ways. The last day is today and not complete yet. I underlined the days where I was negative calories and the days where there was a weight change. I weigh my self on the same scale at the same time every morning.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    mithion wrote: »
    I am honestly very torn. I just did a Google search for “How many pounds lost per week is healthy?”. Literally every single website I went on said 1-2 pounds per week! Now I’m confused. I’m talking the centers for disease control website, men’s health, Mayo Clinic, not bs no name diet websites. Every single one says it is healthy to aim for 1-2 pounds per week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Now I am really confused by everyone’s comments lol.

    You also lost 8 lbs in 20 days no? That's nearly 3 pounds a week.
  • born_of_fire74
    born_of_fire74 Posts: 776 Member
    edited January 2019
    mithion wrote: »
    z85vj3b5buvq.png

    Please look at the pic and let me know what you think. I see the error of my ways. The last day is today and not complete yet. I underlined the days where I was negative calories and the days where there was a weight change. I weigh my self on the same scale at the same time every morning.

    A couple things to bear in mind:

    Weight loss isn't linear. There will be days where you "gain" weight when it seems like you shouldn't have because you did really well to stay within your calorie allotment or where you didn't "lose" any weight even though you didn't eat all the calories you had available. A pound of fat = 3500cals so, on any day you see a large scale fluctuation, think about whether or not you really ate or skipped enough calories to gain or lose what the scale says you did. A weight tracking app like Happy Scale or Libra really helps to smooth out the day to day fluctuations so you can see your true loss over time.

    The other is that exercise trackers often over-estimate the amount of calories that you've earned. It's usually recommended to eat back something like 50-75% of what your tracker tells you you've earned or you may be over-eating without intending. There's a bit of trial and error with this. You'll likely just have to figure out what works for you over time.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    born_of_fire74 wrote: »
    mithion wrote: »
    z85vj3b5buvq.png

    Please look at the pic and let me know what you think. I see the error of my ways. The last day is today and not complete yet. I underlined the days where I was negative calories and the days where there was a weight change. I weigh my self on the same scale at the same time every morning.


    The other is that exercise trackers often over-estimate the amount of calories that you've earned. It's usually recommended to eat back something like 50-75% of what your tracker tells you you've earned or you may be over-eating without intending. There's a bit of trial and error with this. You'll likely just have to figure out what works for you over time.

    If I'm understanding this correctly, the days he is showing positive net calories are actually the days he was eating under goal. So day 1, his net calories were 198 under his MFP goal. Am I correct, OP?
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    The Net Calories are the calories I had left or went over. So if there is a + it means I should have ate those calories to get back to the daily calorie goal. If it is a - that means I went over on calories and didn’t exercise enough to make up for it.
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