Why is it advised to lose .5lbs a week?
Replies
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Funny to me the middle and last picture look entirely different. She looks encredible, healthy and beautiful in the 3rd picture and just weak and skinny in the middle pic.22
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Teabythesea_ wrote: »Teabythesea_ wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »The less fat your body has on it, the less comfortable it feels burning a lot of fat quickly. If you try to lose too much weight too quickly, your body will start to burn muscle instead because it doesn't want to reduce fat. That is why it is advised for only .5 pounds a week when you are close to your goal. It makes it more likely that your loss will be fat and not muscle.
Gotcha.
If you’re eating enough protein and lifting light weights, yet still managing to lose 1lb? Still not a great idea ?
As someone who formerly wasted a lot of time lifting light weights, I suggest switching to lifting heavy (for you) immediately.
This woman hit her goal weight and was not happy with how she looked (the picture in the middle) and changed her exercise routine to achieve the picture on the right. See how she is fitter looking despite weighing 18 pounds more? That is due to having more muscle to fat.
See, all that work and I don’t see much of a difference, that tan does wonders.
Hahahaha I was thinking the same thing! Just a tan!
Muscular weight gain isnt always about creating a drastically different body shape. While the visible changes may be slow and subtle, the mental shift it takes to get to that point is pretty significant. Most people feel much better even if they dont look any different.
18lbs weight gain in muscle, all that hard work I thought there would be at least a noticeable change. That is discouraging.
I fail to see how successfully gaining 18lbs lifting (with such little fat gain at that) is discouraging... she may not look too much different but she's probably a heck of a lot stronger. If I based my success as a result of lifting on how much my body changes (or doesn't) i would've given up 16 pounds ago, but theres just something about being able to lift heavy stuff that makes me feel pretty bad *kitten*.
Yes and yes. Besides gaining the muscle and “toned look”🙄, i sleep better since I started lifting, my skin is clearer, and the chronic lower back pain I had is gone. And my posture is better: I gained half an inch of height, according to one of my medical exams - in my forties! Most importantly, the extra muscle in my leg supports the knee that has given me problems since I was a teen.
I could talk about increased confidence levels, but those are less definable than the above I’ve mentioned.
Nope, my little muscle gains don’t look like much, but they are everything to me.
And it’s pretty cool to swing across the monkey bars as an adult - to the amazement of some of my adult friends. That’s just a silly perk.
I'm right there with you! My silly perk: gorilla chinups...
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Science aside...I have to look at slow weightloss from a more practical point of view... I'm at 'normal' weight, whatever the range for my size. I can still dump 10 lbs in a month with an insane calorie deficit, but then what? The muscles will still be there, but I'll be miserably hungry. For me, slow weightloss eases the transition to staying at an overall lower calorie intake.
Right now, I'm eating at maintenance, lifting heavy weights, and dropped 7 lbs since Christmas, not even trying. If I keep that up, I'll be just the right shape, come bikini season...and the hinges on my fridge will still be intact...4 -
mmebouchon wrote: »Funny to me the middle and last picture look entirely different. She looks encredible, healthy and beautiful in the 3rd picture and just weak and skinny in the middle pic.
Right, I see a big difference too.
And my point of sharing that picture is because that woman reached her goal weight but wasn't happy with how she looked (which is not uncommon when someone loses a lot of weight without exercising) and then hit the gym, and after some hard work, was happy with how she looked, despite being 18 pounds heavier than her original goal weight.
And also, presumably people who are already at a healthy weight who want to lose more weight desire this because they are not happy with what they see in the mirror. Instead of losing more weight, perhaps it would behoove them to recomp.9 -
So, she's 18 lbs heavier yet you can't see any difference. How is that not a huge win for her? She is lean, muscular, strong and gets to eat more at basically the same size. Discouraging? Not at all. #missing the point
I think you are also #missing a point, as you make a different point.
All three of those photos she looks to be at a healthy weight & body composition. There is no need for all women to aspire to look like photo number 3, with the extra 18lbs muscle. Great that she is happy with her body, and can eat more, but that doesn't mean we all want to have her body. She is a fitness blogger, and perhaps has different goals than the average person - such as the one who started this thread.
In our busy hectic lives, we all have to find a sustainable balance. Muscle is nice, but it also requires upkeep. Do we all have hours and hours each week to spend at the gym lifting weights to not only build but keep those muscles? We can maybe do this for a fitness kick, but can we keep it up for the rest of our lives? So how much muscle we aim for is not simply about "more is better" but also, what will fit in with our lives and personal health goals.
Going back to the OPs question this comment explains all the more why a slower rate of loss to protect existing muscle mass is crucial, especially if someone is not planning to bulk and build additional muscle mass later. Protecting and maintaining muscle mass as we age is crucial to long term health and quality of life for a variety of reasons.
https://inbodyusa.com/blogs/inbodyblog/52859201-why-building-lean-mass-is-important-for-everyone-even-you/
Did you read the whole conversation thread? There is no evidence that speed of fat loss has an affect on muscle mass; to preserve muscle mass you simply need to ensure you eat enough protein and do enough resistance/strength training for existing muscle.
I read the thread and have not seen one reputable source supporting your claim.5 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
it is safe to lose 1-2 lbs a week IF you have plenty to lose. they fail to tell you that.trying to lose 1-2 lbs a week when you have say less than 20 lbs to lose is asking for issues.the less fat stores you have to help with the weight loss the more lean mass you are going to lose being too aggressive with weight loss. if you have more than 50 lbs to lose then yes 2 lbs /week will be safe for a short time. ask those who go on very low calorie diets to lose the weight quickly when they dont have a lot to lose what can happen over time. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.
There is no evidence that there is a limit to fat loss. Even Lyle McDonald's original estimates haven't been demonstrated in studies. And yes, while in general, cutting quickly is going to cause increased muscle loss, that isn't always true. Its going to depend on your training and protein levels.
Where people fail is excessively cutting calories while not exercising and not eating adequate protein.
no there isnt a limit to fat loss but your body only burns so much a day how much Im sure will vary person to person. but when you dont have the fat stores to lose its not going to come off fast even if you are cutting calories really low. which is why I said being too aggressive with weight loss.and even with enough protein and traninging if a person is eating too little calories I dont think that the protein and training is going to be enough cause the caloires are too little correct? or no?
I'd recommend reading some of Lyle's protocols, especially PSMF. Even with low body fat, you can lose quite a bit of fat without muscle loss. The bigger issues you tend to face with aggressive fat loss, is ability to comply/adhere to the diet, the willingness to eat primarily lean protein only, recovery from training, some lethargy and probably binging depending on your personality.
Where is becomes an issue is when people aggressively diet without refeeds. The leaner you are, the more refeeds are required.
And of you really want to understand the particulars of those diets, go over to the bodybuilding section. Especially the below thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661905/anyone-cutting-after-a-bulk#latest
@psuLemon you do recall that given exposure to media expectations and a quick results culture more people using weight loss diets (or even MFP) end up in big loss-big regain cycles (or worse end up in restrict/binge cycles) than end up in sustainable bodybuilding and carefully considered cuts and bulks coordinated with appropriate exercise.
I send your way words close to things you've said to me in the past
This is the general section with general discussions and recommendations suitable for the majority of MFP users. The bodybuilding section addresses different requirements and may cater to people with slightly different needs. Are most MFP users bodybuilders?10 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
it is safe to lose 1-2 lbs a week IF you have plenty to lose. they fail to tell you that.trying to lose 1-2 lbs a week when you have say less than 20 lbs to lose is asking for issues.the less fat stores you have to help with the weight loss the more lean mass you are going to lose being too aggressive with weight loss. if you have more than 50 lbs to lose then yes 2 lbs /week will be safe for a short time. ask those who go on very low calorie diets to lose the weight quickly when they dont have a lot to lose what can happen over time. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.
There is no evidence that there is a limit to fat loss. Even Lyle McDonald's original estimates haven't been demonstrated in studies. And yes, while in general, cutting quickly is going to cause increased muscle loss, that isn't always true. Its going to depend on your training and protein levels.
Where people fail is excessively cutting calories while not exercising and not eating adequate protein.
no there isnt a limit to fat loss but your body only burns so much a day how much Im sure will vary person to person. but when you dont have the fat stores to lose its not going to come off fast even if you are cutting calories really low. which is why I said being too aggressive with weight loss.and even with enough protein and traninging if a person is eating too little calories I dont think that the protein and training is going to be enough cause the caloires are too little correct? or no?
I'd recommend reading some of Lyle's protocols, especially PSMF. Even with low body fat, you can lose quite a bit of fat without muscle loss. The bigger issues you tend to face with aggressive fat loss, is ability to comply/adhere to the diet, the willingness to eat primarily lean protein only, recovery from training, some lethargy and probably binging depending on your personality.
Where is becomes an issue is when people aggressively diet without refeeds. The leaner you are, the more refeeds are required.
And of you really want to understand the particulars of those diets, go over to the bodybuilding section. Especially the below thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661905/anyone-cutting-after-a-bulk#latest
@psuLemon you do recall that given exposure to media expectations and a quick results culture more people using weight loss diets (or even MFP) end up in big loss-big regain cycles (or worse end up in restrict/binge cycles) than end up in sustainable bodybuilding and carefully considered cuts and bulks coordinated with appropriate exercise.
I send your way words close to things you've said to me in the past
This is the general section with general discussions and recommendations suitable for the majority of MFP users. The bodybuilding section addresses different requirements and may cater to people with slightly different needs. Are most MFP users bodybuilders?
I would bet that there are just as many people in the bodybuilding section waiting for 'that special magic pill' than there are in the fitness/weightloss crowd...
My nephew, who (very much overweight, coming out of high school) got into both. He tried just about every shortcut in training and nutrition available to him, still gave up after 2 short years...and yet, I'll be the one looked at as the fitness 'freak' in the family, always with my protein shakes, salad bowl, and water bottle...lifting 8 years and counting...
Fact is, nothing ever works without consistency, discipline, and patience.6 -
So, she's 18 lbs heavier yet you can't see any difference. How is that not a huge win for her? She is lean, muscular, strong and gets to eat more at basically the same size. Discouraging? Not at all. #missing the point
I think you are also #missing a point, as you make a different point.
All three of those photos she looks to be at a healthy weight & body composition. There is no need for all women to aspire to look like photo number 3, with the extra 18lbs muscle. Great that she is happy with her body, and can eat more, but that doesn't mean we all want to have her body. She is a fitness blogger, and perhaps has different goals than the average person - such as the one who started this thread.
In our busy hectic lives, we all have to find a sustainable balance. Muscle is nice, but it also requires upkeep. Do we all have hours and hours each week to spend at the gym lifting weights to not only build but keep those muscles? We can maybe do this for a fitness kick, but can we keep it up for the rest of our lives? So how much muscle we aim for is not simply about "more is better" but also, what will fit in with our lives and personal health goals.
Going back to the OPs question this comment explains all the more why a slower rate of loss to protect existing muscle mass is crucial, especially if someone is not planning to bulk and build additional muscle mass later. Protecting and maintaining muscle mass as we age is crucial to long term health and quality of life for a variety of reasons.
https://inbodyusa.com/blogs/inbodyblog/52859201-why-building-lean-mass-is-important-for-everyone-even-you/
Did you read the whole conversation thread? There is no evidence that speed of fat loss has an affect on muscle mass; to preserve muscle mass you simply need to ensure you eat enough protein and do enough resistance/strength training for existing muscle.
Here is an interesting read for you, specifically table 2 of the findings after the study. While both the rapid and slower weight loss groups had improved health markers, rapid even showing more improvement in some areas, the slower weight loss group definitely had more favorable body composition results and improved body fat percentages (meaning more lean mass was maintained)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5702468/#!po=34.72225 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
it is safe to lose 1-2 lbs a week IF you have plenty to lose. they fail to tell you that.trying to lose 1-2 lbs a week when you have say less than 20 lbs to lose is asking for issues.the less fat stores you have to help with the weight loss the more lean mass you are going to lose being too aggressive with weight loss. if you have more than 50 lbs to lose then yes 2 lbs /week will be safe for a short time. ask those who go on very low calorie diets to lose the weight quickly when they dont have a lot to lose what can happen over time. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.
There is no evidence that there is a limit to fat loss. Even Lyle McDonald's original estimates haven't been demonstrated in studies. And yes, while in general, cutting quickly is going to cause increased muscle loss, that isn't always true. Its going to depend on your training and protein levels.
Where people fail is excessively cutting calories while not exercising and not eating adequate protein.
no there isnt a limit to fat loss but your body only burns so much a day how much Im sure will vary person to person. but when you dont have the fat stores to lose its not going to come off fast even if you are cutting calories really low. which is why I said being too aggressive with weight loss.and even with enough protein and traninging if a person is eating too little calories I dont think that the protein and training is going to be enough cause the caloires are too little correct? or no?
I'd recommend reading some of Lyle's protocols, especially PSMF. Even with low body fat, you can lose quite a bit of fat without muscle loss. The bigger issues you tend to face with aggressive fat loss, is ability to comply/adhere to the diet, the willingness to eat primarily lean protein only, recovery from training, some lethargy and probably binging depending on your personality.
Where is becomes an issue is when people aggressively diet without refeeds. The leaner you are, the more refeeds are required.
And of you really want to understand the particulars of those diets, go over to the bodybuilding section. Especially the below thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661905/anyone-cutting-after-a-bulk#latest
Psu, you always provide great info, and this is no exception. But based on this (^^^) among other things, I think you approach the whole practice in a much more structured, scientifically-informed way than most of us MFP-ers.
In this thread, we are also reading things like (attributions removed intentionally):Muscle is nice, but it also requires upkeep. Do we all have hours and hours each week to spend at the gym lifting weights to not only build but keep those muscles? We can maybe do this for a fitness kick, but can we keep it up for the rest of our lives?I mean 8lb weights and cardio on the elliptical with high resistance to maintain muscle on my legs, I mean like not having to go full weight training mode since all I’m trying to do is maintain what I have.
. . . which I'm not criticizing here, but it's a very different approach from the one you describe (and practice).
Of course, we can hope that folks will learn from you and figure out how to better achieve their personal goals (whatever those may be).
But there's also a risk of feeding the idea that losing a pound or more a week, with little weight left to lose, is a no-risk behavior as long as we do some resistance exercise (intensity and type unspecified) and get the USDA recommended protein intake.
I'm not sure where the balance is, but I do think there are a lot of people here who'd like to have "permission" to lose really fast, while not understanding other aspects of some protocol that manages the risks, and without applying such a protocol in practice.17 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »FYIPretty much every reputable medical website (CDC, NHS in the UK, Mayo Clinic, etc) says it's safe to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week.
Same in Australia - recommendation for healthy adults is 0.5-1kg a week, which is 1.1-2.2lbs.
Of course in practice will have ups and downs, and it can be hard to lose this much consistently every week so people shouldn't feel bad if they are losing less. But there is no health reason I can see why (when the health departments of educated nations recommend this) it would be a problem to lose this much as long as you are eating clean and healthy to meet nutritional needs as well.
it is safe to lose 1-2 lbs a week IF you have plenty to lose. they fail to tell you that.trying to lose 1-2 lbs a week when you have say less than 20 lbs to lose is asking for issues.the less fat stores you have to help with the weight loss the more lean mass you are going to lose being too aggressive with weight loss. if you have more than 50 lbs to lose then yes 2 lbs /week will be safe for a short time. ask those who go on very low calorie diets to lose the weight quickly when they dont have a lot to lose what can happen over time. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.
There is no evidence that there is a limit to fat loss. Even Lyle McDonald's original estimates haven't been demonstrated in studies. And yes, while in general, cutting quickly is going to cause increased muscle loss, that isn't always true. Its going to depend on your training and protein levels.
Where people fail is excessively cutting calories while not exercising and not eating adequate protein.
no there isnt a limit to fat loss but your body only burns so much a day how much Im sure will vary person to person. but when you dont have the fat stores to lose its not going to come off fast even if you are cutting calories really low. which is why I said being too aggressive with weight loss.and even with enough protein and traninging if a person is eating too little calories I dont think that the protein and training is going to be enough cause the caloires are too little correct? or no?
I'd recommend reading some of Lyle's protocols, especially PSMF. Even with low body fat, you can lose quite a bit of fat without muscle loss. The bigger issues you tend to face with aggressive fat loss, is ability to comply/adhere to the diet, the willingness to eat primarily lean protein only, recovery from training, some lethargy and probably binging depending on your personality.
Where is becomes an issue is when people aggressively diet without refeeds. The leaner you are, the more refeeds are required.
And of you really want to understand the particulars of those diets, go over to the bodybuilding section. Especially the below thread.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661905/anyone-cutting-after-a-bulk#latest
@psuLemon you do recall that given exposure to media expectations and a quick results culture more people using weight loss diets (or even MFP) end up in big loss-big regain cycles (or worse end up in restrict/binge cycles) than end up in sustainable bodybuilding and carefully considered cuts and bulks coordinated with appropriate exercise.
I send your way words close to things you've said to me in the past
This is the general section with general discussions and recommendations suitable for the majority of MFP users. The bodybuilding section addresses different requirements and may cater to people with slightly different needs. Are most MFP users bodybuilders?
Keep in mind, that I am not arguing that one should aggressively cut. I already mentioned the issues with aggressively losing weight. Extreme dieting protocols have their place, but in generally, it's with the morbidly obese while under care of a physician and those who are very knowledgeable on how to properly quickly. And yes, I always suggest finding the most appropriate path that aligns to ones goals and is most likely to adhere. For me, that would never be 1/2 lb per week. It doesn't lend itself to much error.
But semantically, there is NO evidence currently, at least that I am aware of, that one can only oxidize so much fat in a given date. Even reading Lyle's old article seems like it was more theoretical (similar to his perfect lean bulk information). And given that the majority of people here like to argue semantics, I thought I would point that out.3 -
I looked up Kelsey, the woman in those photographs - she is still on IG, albeit on a different account now. In one of her posts she admits that upon reaching her original goal weight, the MIDDLE PHOTO, she was BELOW the healthy weight range for her size. Just an fyi.
And, she has now gained even more muscle and is at her original weight. I think she looks fabulous.3 -
Can people really not see the difference in those photos? Wow.12
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