320lbs and dropping rapidly
haydenbaird7156
Posts: 31 Member
I am sticking to my calorie count by MFP usually within 100 or so calories. But the weight is dropping very quickly. As a large man it’s estimated to maintain weight I’d need to eat 4000+ calories a day. My calorie count from MFP is 2060. Instantly this puts me in a much larger deficit than the 2lbs per week. I am not breaking down the meals into 6/8 per day as I do not have the time with work to either prepare these or eat them. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner and snack occasionally. I am however eating much healthier than before and I think that a portion of the weight loss I am experiencing is probably my body purging my insides as well.
I have more muscle mass than most people that I know and I am also concerned that the sheer deficit may be causing muscle loss as well as fat loss.
Should I query my calorie plan or stick to it for a couple of weeks and see if the weight loss slows to a lower rate as I am inclined to do?
I have had checks at the doctor and apart from being obese have no health concerns and, as of yet, the obesity has done very little damage to my system. Another factor in my descion to lose weight now!
My other concern is if losing weight too fast will cause me to have excess skin? Or is that just part of losing weight no matter the speed of the weight loss? I see some people lose weight and have 6 packs and are ripped and some lose weight and have hanging layers, is this more down to speed of weight loss or age? Or a number of factors.
I have more muscle mass than most people that I know and I am also concerned that the sheer deficit may be causing muscle loss as well as fat loss.
Should I query my calorie plan or stick to it for a couple of weeks and see if the weight loss slows to a lower rate as I am inclined to do?
I have had checks at the doctor and apart from being obese have no health concerns and, as of yet, the obesity has done very little damage to my system. Another factor in my descion to lose weight now!
My other concern is if losing weight too fast will cause me to have excess skin? Or is that just part of losing weight no matter the speed of the weight loss? I see some people lose weight and have 6 packs and are ripped and some lose weight and have hanging layers, is this more down to speed of weight loss or age? Or a number of factors.
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Replies
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What is your rate of loss starting your second week to now?
It is generally understood that the faster you lose weight the higher the chance of loose skin. However it may be completely unavoidable based on genetics, age, quality of skin, and how your weight is distributed.5 -
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Hi @haydenbaird7156 ! Congratulations on the progress! To prevent muscle loss, you’ll need to add some weight training. This can even be at home, push-ups and the like. When you are ready, I suggest taking up an active hobby: tennis, cycling, swimming, walking...
The skin happens no matter how fast or slow you lose. It is genetic. At a normal weigh, years after a twin pregnancy, I finally had the means to address the excess skin, and had 10.5 inches (26.7 cm) removed with a tummy tuck. Genetically, my skin didn’t recover from the weight/girth gain. So you may just have to plan on having it removed, or accepting it for what it is. Don’t let it discourage you from losing though.
Best of luck!
ETA It takes your skin about a year to recover. After that, it’s all that will happen naturally.
...and is that you on the left in your pic? You’re not wrong in saying that you have a fair amount of muscle! You look like you’d be great at sports of any sort.6 -
I would look at the average maintenance calories for a person your height and sex and start eating at that for the foreseeable future.
It might slow your weight loss a little bit compared to today but it will give you great practice developing maintenance skills while still losing weight.
I don't know your height but at your current weight you're likely to be able to support up to 1.5% body weight loss per week without too many adverse effects assuming you're not exceptionally tall. However I hasten to add that I personally prefer the 0.5 to 0.75% per week range in terms of sustainability and potentially reduced unwanted issues. Certainly while obese ~1% would not be cause for concern to me absent any other indication0 -
That is a fair question and you are correct that as far as I know that is just something that is passed around. Many report that their skin has tightened over time so losing slower may just give it a head start so you don't get to goal with as much.
Maybe someone else has a better answer.3 -
That is a fair question and you are correct that as far as I know that is just something that is passed around. Many report that their skin has tightened over time so losing slower may just give it a head start so you don't get to goal with as much.
Maybe someone else has a better answer.
I suspect that it is a combination of giving it more time to bounce back as you're losing as opposed to waiting for a similar amount of time to pass after you're done losing and a self perception issue in combination.
Most discussions I've seen seem to imply that the damage was already done on the way up. In any case... don't know of anything beyond the fact that it is common to continue improving for a while after weight loss is finalised (up to a couple of years easily) but that there exist limits to what can or cannot be done.
And that when push comes to shove the health benefits out-score the skin issue for the vast vast majority of us.4 -
If I ever get to the end of my goal, I will have dreadful dreadful skin. I am covered in stretchmarked, ripped skin, which is very very thin. Its going to be a car crash. I am preparing for this mentally, I think I might need to invest in some corset type underwear to hold it all in
Then Im going to get a loan out to have a tummy tuck and have my arms de flapped (or whatever the term would be)5 -
That is a fair question and you are correct that as far as I know that is just something that is passed around. Many report that their skin has tightened over time so losing slower may just give it a head start so you don't get to goal with as much.
Maybe someone else has a better answer.
I suspect that it is a combination of giving it more time to bounce back as you're losing as opposed to waiting for a similar amount of time to pass after you're done losing and a self perception issue in combination.
Most discussions I've seen seem to imply that the damage was already done on the way up. In any case... don't know of anything beyond the fact that it is common to continue improving for a while after weight loss is finalised (up to a couple of years easily) but that there exist limits to what can or cannot be done.
And that when push comes to shove the health benefits out-score the skin issue for the vast vast majority of us.
That is kind of what I was thinking. It is highly unlikely that going slower and adding more calories to your day creates any type of nutritional benefit for your skin. I suppose it could be the amount a person might need to balance their meals better but I think that would be rare.
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If I ever get to the end of my goal, I will have dreadful dreadful skin. I am covered in stretchmarked, ripped skin, which is very very thin. Its going to be a car crash. I am preparing for this mentally, I think I might need to invest in some corset type underwear to hold it all in
Then Im going to get a loan out to have a tummy tuck and have my arms de flapped (or whatever the term would be)
Haha! “Deflapped”! I can relate. As i get older, it all just wiggles. I’ve seen some great work done. You check out RealSelf? And be sure to thoroughly check out your surgeons previous work.1 -
How much have you lost in what amount of time?
I agree with weight training.0 -
I actually weigh more than you and am likely shorter (I'm 5'6", CW 335, SW 360) and I lost the first ten or twelve pounds at an alarming rate. However, after some research I chalked it up to a water weight loss, as my diet changed and included much less sodium and alcohol, which personally cause water retention for me. My weight loss slowed to 2 pounds a week after that. Right now I'm averaging 4 pounds a week but I have some sort of stomach illness that's going on.
I would say give it 3 or 4 weeks and see if you continue losing too quickly. You may need to adjust your deficit or potentially see your doctor.
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If I ever get to the end of my goal, I will have dreadful dreadful skin. I am covered in stretchmarked, ripped skin, which is very very thin. Its going to be a car crash. I am preparing for this mentally, I think I might need to invest in some corset type underwear to hold it all in
Then Im going to get a loan out to have a tummy tuck and have my arms de flapped (or whatever the term would be)
Haha! “Deflapped”! I can relate. As i get older, it all just wiggles. I’ve seen some great work done. You check out RealSelf? And be sure to thoroughly check out your surgeons previous work.
Well when it comes to it I will need a lot of research I think, we're in the UK so although obviously people do have cosmetic surgery I think we still have to have a referral from our own GP before we approach a company or whatever. I think its a minefield.0 -
Thanks for the info and opinions folks! Very helpful. The weight loss I believe will partly be water weight as well and I am going to give it a few weeks and see if it slows. The initial weight loss was 9 pounds in the first week.2
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I am kind of in your boat. In 2017 I was 330 lbs and lost 43 pounds before throwing in the towel and going into a maintenance / slowly gaining it back mode.
I lost 9 pounds the first week like you, and 21 lbs the first month. It seemed so easy, and I started thinking about how fast and easily I would get to my goal weight of 195.
Then, in another week or two, the fun stopped, my weight loss plateaued for a while, and then it resumed, but
at a (for me, with my high expectations) demoralizing and tiresome slog of 2 - 2.5 pounds per week.
I just got back to dieting a while ago. When I restarted, I lost 17 lbs. the first month. Then the plateau, and now it's 2 lbs/week again.
Enjoy this brief phase while it lasts and be ready for the real work ahead, without unrealistic expectations. We 330 lb men are not burning 4,000 cals/day; it only seems like it at first. Go with the MFP numbers and trust the plan. For some reason at our weight level there's an easy first 4-5 weeks but it doesn't last forever. Not knowing that the first time set me up for unrealistic expectations which ultimately caused me to stop dieting. This time I was more ready for dieting reality when it came.
Advice: don't overthink the numbers or try to correct anything. Just make sure you're getting enough food and enjoy the ride. You aren't going to lose 9 lbs/week long term, or for that matter 3 lbs/week. Your body will snap into a normal weight loss mode soon enough; it requires no intervention. If you're eating MFP's recommended # of calories, you are already doing it right.
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I agree that a lot of water weight comes off first. Usually slows down after week three, although men do lose weight a lot faster than women. Checking with your doctor is a good idea. Maybe get a referral for a nutritionist or dietician to set you up with a graduated plan, and show her MyFitnessPal.2
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haydenbaird7156 wrote: »Thanks for the info and opinions folks! Very helpful. The weight loss I believe will partly be water weight as well and I am going to give it a few weeks and see if it slows. The initial weight loss was 9 pounds in the first week.
Pretty normal, and I had the same experience. Typically, you start eating fewer carbs (not low carb, just less pizza and chips) and that reduces your glycogen storage, which reduces the water you carry. 1 unti (g, oz, lb, whatever) of glycogen needs 3-4 units of water in your body.
Take it as a bonus and realize you won't continue at that rate.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »haydenbaird7156 wrote: »Thanks for the info and opinions folks! Very helpful. The weight loss I believe will partly be water weight as well and I am going to give it a few weeks and see if it slows. The initial weight loss was 9 pounds in the first week.
Pretty normal, and I had the same experience. Typically, you start eating fewer carbs (not low carb, just less pizza and chips) and that reduces your glycogen storage, which reduces the water you carry. 1 unti (g, oz, lb, whatever) of glycogen needs 3-4 units of water in your body.
Take it as a bonus and realize you won't continue at that rate.
Interesting!! And finally an explanation for the mind-blowing numbers that show up in the first month of dieting and are never to be seen again. The extreme debloating and weight loss of the first 5-7 days of a diet, I get why that happens, but the next few weeks where presumably you're debloated but are still rapidly losing weight have always been a mystery. This makes sense.0
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