Why is it advised to lose .5lbs a week?
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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*.
seriously 18lbs difference in weight and its good that you can hardly see a difference - its why recomp or slow bulking is talked about as an option on these pages15 -
I mean, really it's about playing the odds. Are their people who lose weight at a faster clip right down to a low weight and are happy with how they look when they get there? Sure, of course! Just like there are people who drive too fast and never get a ticket, who rip up their jury duty summons and don't get caught.
It's recommended here because it lowers your risk of ending up under muscled and increases your chances of compliance and a successful transition into maintenance. Regaining weight after weight loss is a huge problem, and to a lot of us it seems like slowing down as you approach goal makes it more likely you are slowly learning how to eat at maintenance so you can hit the ground running and avoid being just another statistic.
Ultimately it's up to you. If you think you have the mentality where you're best choice is to run across the finish line, go for it. It's just a recommendation, and everyone here has done a great job explaining the why. It doesn't apply to everyone 100%, just most.
As to the before and after picture, in the third picture she weighs over 15 lbs more, but looks at least the same, if not slimmer, and has more muscle. That means she gets to eat more food in the third picture than the second. A lot of people are unhappy with how few cals they get to eat to maintain their lower weight. Having more muscle, and looking better at a higher weight, can alleviate that. Not everyone cares about that though, just something to think about!19 -
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*.
Im saying, if I personally was trying to gain muscle to make my body look better physically I’d be disappointed if that’s all 18lbs gave me <<< THAT part is discouraging and disappointing to me I’m not talking about anything else.14 -
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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.
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 point25 -
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 ?
What do you mean by light weights? You need to move beyond leg lifts and curls with 3# weights to maintain muscle in a hard cut from a healthy weight starting point. If your TDEE is relatively high (say 2000 calories a day or more), cutting 500 calories while maintaining .8g of protein/pound of body weight (given starting point of weight within healthy limits) and at least 35 g of fat/day you might be able to maintain the resistance training that will maintain muscle mass. It will suck, though.
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.
Unfortunately, 8lb weights and the elliptical with high resistance likely won’t do a lot to help you maintain muscle in your legs. Sorry!
Everyone loses some muscle with fat when they lose weight. Lifting weights (progressive overload, unfortunately not what you are currently doing) and having a smaller deficit (slower weight loss) can help maintain lean mass. Eating enough protein can help, too, and you don’t have to OD on it to get enough, MFP’s default percentage is usually enough for most people.7 -
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?5 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »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. your body only burns so much fat at a time as it is.
Do you have any evidence to back this up? The studies I have seen have indicated that to preserve lean muscle mass you need to eat enough protein and do some resistance/strength exercise; I have not seen any studies conclude any significant difference in muscle mass based on how fast or slow the fat is lost.
The other thing to consider is that men and women's bodies are different. Healthy women have a much higher fat % than men; healthy men have a higher % of muscle mass than women. What a man needs to lose fat and maintain muscle may be different to what women need.
If a woman has 20lbs of excess fat to lose, there is no reason that I can see that fat can't be aimed to be lost at a rate of 1lb per week, while eating sufficient protein and undertaking resistance/strength training to preserve muscle mass. Of course this may not show up on the scales immediately - that is a different matter - as muscles may uptake extra water for recovery, plus hormonal changes throughout the month, which can affect 'weight' on the scales - but trend over time should be in the right direction. As far as I can see, there is no evidence to suggest that the body would cannibalise existing muscle under these conditions, so no "issues" to worry about.
I get men and women are different. but if a person doesnt have enough fat to lose and are eating too little calories trying(big deficits) then what IS going to be lost? now if a person has 20 lbs of true fat that may make the big difference but Im not talking about that I should have clarified. Im talking about those with 20 lbs to lose and dont have that much fat to lose its not going to be safely done. and everything I have read states that its safer to lose at a slower rate than at a faster rate(more than 2 lbs a week) UNLESS under the strict care and observance of a dr. But at my current weight and fat levels FOR ME 2 lbs would be too aggressive as it would put me at less than my BMR of 1272. I would be at 1200 calories I only have about 30 lbs to lose realistically. but my fat is about 20-25%(going by those pics everyone posts here). I dont even lose at that fast of a rate anyway so 2lbs wouldnt work for me even if I were to try again. but thats me.2 -
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.21 -
As has been mentioned, I feel the answer to the question really boils down to the size of deficit a person can support in a healthy fashion. If a person is at, or very close to, a normal weight, they simply may not have the calories to spare to support a 500 calorie (1 lb/week) deficit without dipping to a level that compromises proper nutrition (which involves quantity as well as quality) and/or their general well-being. Some may, but they are not going to be in the majority, thus the general guideline.
And I'm shaking my head over the comments that there is no real difference in those example pics up-thread
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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/11 -
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.12 -
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.
Which adequate resistance training you're probably NOT going to do (and do adequately) if you're not the type of person who would be comfortable cutting and bulking while lifting heavy.
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I haven’t read all the posts, but OP the National Institute of Health recommends only losing 10% body weight over 6 months for sustainable weight loss.
So for example, I am only looking at 2.2lbs per month loss which is around 0.5lb per week.
That said there are also recommendations like a max of 1% body weight loss per week for fat loss (which actually gets really hard the leaner you are).
It’s recommended a lot though for sustainability. It also helps prevent people from getting into a binge/restrict cycle that can ultimately hinder weight loss.4 -
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#latest2 -
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.12 -
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.
Hmmm. So much to say. I spend about five hours a week lifting at the gym. Upper/lower split, four days a week. Is that hours and hour and hours? That is so little in my mind for the health benefits I get. I make a little progress (not as much as I’d like but I am busy and this is all I can currently squeeze into my schedule), which makes me happy.
If all I wanted to do was MAINTAIN that muscle, I could probably knock that down to three hours a week- maybe less if I added more compoundd movements than I already do.
Fitness kick? I don’t want to get fat again. It’s not a kick; this is for my life so that I can stay active into my geriatric years. The same goes for a modest .5 ish pounds/week weight loss rate that people recommend. If it’s more reasonable, it’s more likely that I can keep it up longterm.
People who view it as a fitness kick will probably fail in their weight loss goals.
And my five hours in the gym (I also walk or ride my bike whenever I can) lets me eat fried chicken guilt-free. Bummer of a way to maintain that muscle with all those extra calories they burn.
Geez. And to comment generally. All the bizarre disappointment people are expressing at the lack of visible difference between the woman’s photos - if she DID show visible gains, I bet there’d be a boat load of females freaking out that, “See? That’s why I won’t lift! I’m scared I’ll get TOO BULKY”!18 -
Among the benefits to strength not mentioned yet, is that lack of it correlates highly with mortality as we age. So if we want to lose fat, keeping strength is more important than simply looking good naked - which is potentially an added benefit. The young lady in the picture is most likely more healthy at 143 than she is at 122 - not because she looks leaner (she does), but she appears to be stronger.10
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