Will early big losses (Lbs) level out?

texasredreb

When I started March 11, I estimated my weight to be 225lb. I went to the doctor on March 18 and I weighed 221lb. My conclusion here was that my estimate wasn't too far off. I don't really count that as a loss because of my estimated starting weight.

My body scale arrived yesterday and I got it all set up for a morning weigh. I weighed 216lb.

I'm sure (almost sure) that all of this means nothing because it's one guessed weight and two actual weights on two different times of day with different scales and different circumstances (fully clothed with shoes and completely naked).

My question is--if some rapid weight loss is happening right now, will it level off in the days and weeks ahead?

I'm 55, female and set my goal loss at 2lbs/week. I set myself as lightly active. My caloric intake as suggested by MFP is 1270. I made a slight tweak in my goal weight today (lowered it from 150-135) and MFP dropped 20 calories/day from my daily. 1270 is the new goal.

estherdragonbat

Yes, initially, you can expect to lose quite a bit of water weight. Also, as you get smaller, your calorie needs will too. Which means that the same calories that have you losing 2lbs per week at 216 may have you maintaining or gaining at 140 (number grabbed from thin air without checking).

Also, what you're wearing, how much food is in your stomach at time of weighing, whether you've used the washroom, time of month, sodium levels, and a host of other factors may impact the number on the scale.

lindamtuck2018

Yes rapid weight loss will slow down as time progresses. The first few weeks I was losing, the weight seemed to fly off. Now it settling down and is averaging about 2 pounds a week.

AnnPT77

texasredreb wrote: »

When I started March 11, I estimated my weight to be 225lb. I went to the doctor on March 18 and I weighed 221lb. My conclusion here was that my estimate wasn't too far off. I don't really count that as a loss because of my estimated starting weight.

My body scale arrived yesterday and I got it all set up for a morning weigh. I weighed 216lb.

I'm sure (almost sure) that all of this means nothing because it's one guessed weight and two actual weights on two different times of day with different scales and different circumstances (fully clothed with shoes and completely naked).

My question is--if some rapid weight loss is happening right now, will it level off in the days and weeks ahead?

I'm 55, female and set my goal loss at 2lbs/week. I set myself as lightly active. My caloric intake as suggested by MFP is 1270. I made a slight tweak in my goal weight today (lowered it from 150-135) and MFP dropped 20 calories/day from my daily. 1270 is the new goal.

To the bolded: Maybe.

It's common to lose some extra water weight (not to mention to end up with reduced average digestive system contents) right at the start of weight loss. That effect should level out after a couple of weeks. If you're a premenopausal woman (I'm guessing post from your age, but that's not 100%), then regular monthly hormonal fluctuations can keep things on the weird side longer, depending on when that initial water weight fluctuation hits in your monthly cycle.

Most of the time, you'll see folks around here suggest setting up MFP with as accurate profile entries as you can, logging as accurately as practical, eating back some/all of your exercise calories, and sticking with that routine for at least 4-6 weeks to see how things average out, before adjusting. (Exception: If you develop otherwise unexplained negative symptoms along the way, like weakness or fatigue, alongside seeming to lose quite fast, eat a little more, because that's a danger sign).

That said, all of this stuff is just estimates. Most people will be fairly close to what MFP estimates, a few will be a little further off, and a very rare few will be substantially off the estimate (high or low). That's kind of the nature of statistical estimates. (Even fitness trackers just give you calorie estimates, not measurements.)

I joined MFP in 2015 at age 59, 154 pounds (already down from 183), 5'5", sedentary outside of intentional exercise (retired and and all that). MFP gave me an estimate of 1200. That turned out to be way too low, as I'm apparently one of those oddballs outside the norms. I lost too fast, got weak and fatigued, and it took weeks to recover back to feeling normal, even though I corrected as soon as I realized.

So, you're probably fine at 1270 (if it's happily sustainable for you - if not, slower loss is fine and probably more effective). But, be aware that it's just an estimate, just in case.

BTW: Changing your goal weight in MFP doesn't affect your calorie target. But, if you've recorded new & lower weight(s) since you started MFP, going back through the profile setup will make it "notice" that, and drop your calorie goal, because now-thinner you needs a slightly lower calorie target in order to (it estimates) lose 2 pounds a week. I hope that makes sense.

All your goal weight in MFP affects is some "motivational" (?) progress toward goal weight kinds of messages. It doesn't affect calories (neither does the profile entry about how many times a week you plan to exercise, BTW).

Best wishes!

texasredreb

Thanks for taking the time with your explanations! I'll stay the course for 4-6 weeks before making an adjustment. I'll also not worry so much if I go over a few calories. I lost another pound since yesterday, so I'm down 10lbs from when I started on 3/11 (with my estimated weight). That loss is super-motivating, but I know it's not sustainable or healthy for the long run.

Danp

That was my experience.

When I first started I was dropping weight at approx 2kg (4.4lb) to 2.5kg (5.5lb) per weeks. Then after about 3 weeks I had a 'bounce' and went up by 1.5kg (3.3lb). Then I settled in t a rate of loss of about 1.5kg (3.3lb) per week.

As I got lighter the rate eventually dropped to 1kg (2.2lb) and now I'm losing at a rate of about 0.75kg (1.5lb) to 0.5kg (1.1lb) per week.

Note: I was over 350lb when I first started so the unusually high initial numbers aren't something that people should expect to see unless they were as extremely overweight as I was. Even then the first 3 weeks were an anomaly even for someone who was my size and I recognise that.