Losing weight too fast?

ethalew01

I’m following my calorie intake very carefully and I have a serious workout plan. I’ve been going on 22 days straight now and lost almost 21 pounds. I was only 208 lbs when I started. So I wasn’t terribly overweight or anything. I was just wondering if it is safe to lose that much weight in such a short time..?

MichelleSilverleaf

That is a lot, even for water weight. How much are you eating, are you eating back exercise calories?

ethalew01

I’m not eating back my exercise calories. After dinner is when I do my workouts and I stop eating all together after that. I’m worried about losing muscle mass

quiksylver296

What does your weight loss look like if you throw out the first week?

People typically lose a lot of water weight in the first week, and that can throw off the average.

TavistockToad

ethalew01 wrote: »

I’m not eating back my exercise calories. After dinner is when I do my workouts and I stop eating all together after that. I’m worried about losing muscle mass

MFP works by giving you a deficit before exercise which is why you should eat exercise cals back.

If you don't want to then use a TDEE calculator to get your calorie goal.

sijomial

ethalew01 wrote: »

I’m not eating back my exercise calories. After dinner is when I do my workouts and I stop eating all together after that. I’m worried about losing muscle mass

Not eating back the exercise calories as this site is designed / how your daily goal is calculated and losing weight too fast is known as cause and effect.

Eat more then your chances of muscle loss are vastly reduced.

ethalew01

Thanks for the information!

AnnPT77

A common recommended rule of thumb around here, to keep health risk odds on the manageable side, is to lose no more than 1% of current body weight per week, and probably less than that when within 50 pounds of goal.

That would be based on the weekly average after throwing out the first week or two of weight fluctuation or unusual loss rate (if you experience that), and looking at several weeks after the weirdness stops. (4-6 weeks is particularly important for premenopausal women, which you clearly aren't, because of monthly hormonal cycles and their effect on water weight).

I lost too fast briefly, because MFP materially underestimated my calorie needs (even with correct inputs). I felt great, until I didn't. Despite correcting as soon as I realized, I got weak and fatigued, from which it took several weeks to recover. I can't recommend undereating.

yirara

I also work out after dinner, and it has this effect of stopping any hunger alltogether on me. Doesn't matter whether I lift weights, do bodyweight intervals, go running or swimming. I usually eat a bit more than my calorie allowance during daytime, which also is my motivation to work out after dinner. And if I don't work out.. oh well.. the world won't end from that. *shrugs*

jan110144

ethalew01 wrote: »

I’m not eating back my exercise calories. After dinner is when I do my workouts and I stop eating all together after that. I’m worried about losing muscle mass

Muscle loss is a very legitimate concern. I would seriously suggest eating back a portion of your exercise calories (I ate back 40- 50% initially and went to almost 75% as I got close to goal. Also, make sure that you are getting enough protein in your diet as it is crucial to building muscle.