Share your Numbers
Options
Replies
-
How much above or below the 25% of TDEE mark are you coming in? Is your weight loss indicating a smaller or larger deficit than that?
I'm not going to disagree that at the seventh month mark the consistent high speed may be both gratifying and of some concern--have a look at kevin hall's research behind the nih bodyweight planner which shows compensatory adaptations at about the six month mark--though the math he uses in that 2011 paper is well beyond me.
Concern is regarding future effects, of course. body is dynamic: push to limit but not beyond! Do run hamster (in your case feline) self assessments and don't forget you're currently getting a mood boost from your better power to weight ratio as you're losing weight and this mood boost should probably be excluded from consideration when thinking about the overall effects that your speed of loss may be having. As an example if you don't move around much do you start to feel cold? has this increased and you're deliberately moving more to compensate?--I know I do!
Your 1.9 is not surprising at all given your increased non exercise activity during the day. Think of how many people have zero contribution from exercise but a lot of calories burned by being active.
Sitting may be a 1.3 MET activity; but standing and doing dishes is 1.8 and cleaning up a storm is well into the 2.0+ range. A 0.5 activity factor increase for hours at a time often consumes way more calories than an increase of 5.0 for a short 20 or 30 minute span. So the non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is a major caloric contribution and determinant.
Aerobic activity for the time investment seems to burn more calories than resistance training. The benefits of resistance training move beyond the burn into body composition and health. But it is WORK (work as the concept of a dynamo or kilojoules, it is not a coincidence that we measure in Calories (kcal) and kj) that matters when it comes to expenditure. 60 solid seconds of lifting 320lbs in place (160 lifted plus yourself) may be extremely difficult to achieve but they don't use more energy than 1200 seconds of moving your 160lbs around town!
As to your activity level being moderate... my view would be that just your deliberate walking puts you in the active category (it is around 10K steps if I recall correctly). This is before taking into account biking and the ancillary movement and housework that you've been increasing these past few weeks-- and all together it is far from surprising that you're seeing results that exceed the very active category---you currently ARE more than very active!
Lastly, don't forget that all these multipliers are based on statistical averages. Individually there is variance and we can track above or below the statistical mean and in fact that can change for the same person over time based on circumstances.
Each person's experience is individual and depends on the many things that have taken place before. If you start from a very long period of no dieting attempts (or are starting up after a long enough period of generally increasing weight) your experience may be different from what someone else may experience when trying to reverse a bounce-up in progress. The current consistency of your losses is giving me pause. if you were seeing variable results from week to week and diminishing returns for the effort invested I would be arguing more strongly that side effects were evident and that speed may be of concern.
Also sending you a quick pm regarding an experience I witnessed; not sure if it will get through with MFP these days.
Whew
1 -
Thanks @PAV8888. Responding to your points in turn
How much above or below the 25% of TDEE mark are you coming in?
If my TDEE's hovering around 2350, I'm currently eating between the range of 65% - 77% of TDEE. Never below 65% (which I know is too low); rarely above 77%. To hit 75% on a daily basis I'd need to be eating around 1750 calories. My high days (days I cycle 20kms) are 1800 days; my non cycling days are 1500-1600.
Is your weight loss indicating a smaller or larger deficit than that?
My weight loss is in line with an average deficit of around 32% of TDEE. Not healthy in the long term.
The consistent high speed may be both gratifying and of some concern--
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't gratifying on some level, but I've been round the block a few times and I know too-rapid loss is something to guard against not feel chuffed about. I don't want to store up future problems for myself just for the sake of getting to goal in super-fast time. I have no one I need to impress. No deadline to beat. No pressing medical need to shed the weight rapidly. I'm happy to take my time and lessen any future metabolic adaptations that will make maintenance harder.
If you don't move around much do you start to feel cold? has this increased and you're deliberately moving more to compensate?
I've not noticed feeling cold...or tired...or lethargic. In fact, I'm currently enjoying a 'dieter's high', when the sheer joy of being able to move more freely makes me more inclined to get up and move. My primary reason for knuckling down to lose weight was to address my increasing immobility. Plantar fasciitis; sciatica; painful knees and ankles meant I hobbled like an old woman every time I stood. I was developing a stoop too, from lower back stiffness. Now most of those issues have resolved (just a bit of residual lower back stiffness) and the lack of pain from my feet has given me such a morale boost. Movement is now a pleasure, not something to be endured.
As to your activity level being moderate... my view would be that just your deliberate walking puts you in the active category (it is around 10K steps if I recall correctly). This is before taking into account biking and the ancillary movement and housework that you've been increasing these past few weeks-- and all together it is far from surprising that you're seeing results that exceed the very active category---you currently ARE more than very active!
I still struggle with seeing myself as an active person. Yes, I walk every day, averaging around 15000 steps, but not at a particularly fast pace, and predominantly on flat, paved roads. Two hours a day, max. Then, maybe 5/7 days I'll do a road or turbo ride - max 1 hour. And maybe a couple of hours of general pottering in the house or garden, but I certainly wouldn't put myself in the house/garden-proud category. The rest of the time (12 hours a day!) I'm literally sitting on the sofa doing sedentary things - reading, frittering away time online, writing, watching Netflix etc. So I'm active for less than 30% of my waking hours, and inactive (if not positively indolent) for 70%.
If you start from a very long period of no dieting attempts (or are starting up after a long enough period of generally increasing weight) your experience may be different from what someone else may experience when trying to reverse a bounce-up in progress.
I came into this weight loss period after a prolonged period of weight gain. I lost weight through the first half of 2017, getting as low as 68kg in April, but by the November I was back up to 83kg. By May 2019 I was at my 2nd highest ever weight (98.6kg) and I stayed in the 90s all through 2019 and 2020, until March this year when I got serious about losing again. As you can see from the below snapshot of my weight gains and losses over the past 9 years, I've spent most of the past 6 years on an upward trajectory. That would partially explain why my loss rate has stayed consistently high for the past 7 months - my body wasn't depleted in the period preceding this current weight loss period.
The current consistency of your losses is giving me pause. if you were seeing variable results from week to week and diminishing returns for the effort invested I would be arguing more strongly that side effects were evident and that speed may be of concern.
The results were pretty consistent at first, and have now started to slow down. This current hot streak (I'm nearly at the end of week 32) follows the deficit break, so may be down to my body having a bit of respite. So the overall trend is diminishing returns. The next deficit break is 9 weeks away.
Wks 1-4: 3.4kg
Wks 5-8: 3.8kg
Wks 9-12; 3.8kg
Wks 13-16: 3.2kg
Wks 17-20: 2.4kg
Wks 21-24: 2.0kg
Wks 25-28: 1.6kg
Wks 29:32: 2.8kg
Also sending you a quick pm regarding an experience I witnessed; not sure if it will get through with MFP these days.
No PM received yet...3 -
PM is mainly a cautionary tale about high deficits and the potential for neurotransmitter and hormonal changes as well as food ideation. Of course there exists no loss without deficit. So there is a balance between not and too fast.
I am glad to see the deliberate diet breaks. And that your hamsters are evaluating. And willing to adjust. Flexible Garfields Rule!
You remain very active in spite of your splits and discussions... the numbers say so. And 2-3 hours of activity gets us to that level (the 15K step mark; by itself, tends to exhaust the MFP very active category's caloric allowance. Regardless of your (or of my) thoughts on the matter these are just labels denoting a certain activity multiplier that multiplies your BMR calories. Nothing more and nothing less. It could have been called the purple spot activity level and it would still be the same number!
You do lose a bit by your steps being on level ground! Laurie and I poo poo your paved and level steps!!! You can always make them more challenging by walking on the grass! Or walking backwards... though it does take some practice! Maybe find a field with dem tiny british sheep to walk in!!!!!2 -
What a great series of lessons. Thank you two for these posts. I hope to be back into my normal headspace soon...and will be that much more aware when I'm there.1
-
I weigh in daily to keep myself honest. But the scale keeps lying to me! How can I be up two pounds overnight? Even spent an hour at the gym yesterday. I know it’s normal fluctuations but the lack of progress is discouraging. Trying to convince myself the effort is worthwhile.2
-
I weigh in daily to keep myself honest. But the scale keeps lying to me! How can I be up two pounds overnight? Even spent an hour at the gym yesterday. I know it’s normal fluctuations but the lack of progress is discouraging. Trying to convince myself the effort is worthwhile.
Well, you know it is worth it!….keep plugging away!…..we can do this!0 -
I weigh in daily to keep myself honest. But the scale keeps lying to me! How can I be up two pounds overnight? Even spent an hour at the gym yesterday. I know it’s normal fluctuations but the lack of progress is discouraging. Trying to convince myself the effort is worthwhile.
I weigh every day too - it helps to desensitise me to scale fluctuations. My weight goes up and down faster than a fiddler's elbow!
2 -
Trendweight.com 😇
(Happy scale for iPhone, Libra on Android, lots of others)
1 -
Some progress this week.
Age: 41
Height: 166cm - 5'5''
SW: 177.8 kg - 392 lb - 64,5 ΒΜΙ (May 2020)
GW: 68.7 kg - 151.5 lb - 24,9 ΒΜΙ
LW: 93.0 kg - 205.0 lb - 33,7 ΒΜΙ
CW: 92.2 kg - 203.3 lb - 33,5 ΒΜΙ
Variance: -0.8 kg / -1.8 lb / -0.86% TBW
OL: 85.6 kg - 188.7 lb - 31.1 BMI - 48.1% TBW in 561 days
Weight class projections:
Obese class II: Reached - 21.05.2021 - 401 days.
Obese class I: Reached - 25.09.2021 - 526 days.
Overweight: 9.7 kg - 21.4 lb - 64 days.
Normal: 23.5 kg - 51.8 lb - 154 days.4 -
congrats
3 -
2 -
Many thanks. Next milestone should be a 50% TBW overall loss. That would mean that I managed to halve my weight. With some luck, I may get this by December (need to lose another 3.3kg/7.2lb).2
-
Wow, @Dante_80, you are such an inspiration to me! Reaching Christmas literally half the man you were a couple of years ago is such an amazing accomplishment! I have confidence that you'll reach that milestone by the end of the year.
As for me, I made a small amount of progress this week:
SW: 96.0kg (BMI 40.1)
LW: 73.0 kg
CW: 72.6 kg (BMI 30.2)
So almost out of the obese zone....
5 -
Little progress this week..at least in the right direction though.
Age: 41
Height: 166cm - 5'5''
SW: 177.8 kg - 392 lb - 64.5 ΒΜΙ (May 2020)
GW: 68.7 kg - 151.5 lb - 24.9 ΒΜΙ
LW: 92.2 kg - 203.3 lb - 33.5 ΒΜΙ
CW: 92.0 kg - 202.8 lb - 33.4 ΒΜΙ
Variance: -0.2 kg / -0.5 lb / -0.22% TBW
OL: 85.8 kg - 189.2 lb - 31.1 BMI - 48.3% TBW in 568 days
Weight class projections:
Obese class II: Reached - 21.05.2021 - 401 days.
Obese class I: Reached - 25.09.2021 - 526 days.
Overweight: 9.5 kg - 20.9 lb - 63 days.
Normal: 23.3 kg - 51.3 lb - 154 days.3 -
Yay, no longer obese, merely overweight!
SW (17/3/21): 96.0kg (BMI 40 - category 3 obese)
LW: 72.6 kg (BMI 30.2)
CW: 71.6 (BMI 29.8 - overweight)
24.4 kg lost (25.4% of my starting bodyweight).
11.8kg to go.
2/3rds of the way to goal.
5 -
WTG, Bella!!!!!!!!!!
3 -
WTG Dante and Bella!1
-
- 0.2 lb! Think I know how to maintain at 220 lbs! 🥴2
-
Hey a minus is not a plus, so there is that! And are you looking at trend or daily weight? I'm up 2 pounds from yesterday and it is 100% explained by salt intake and timing.1
-
Cheers Pav Yeah… owt is a bonus, even 0.2 🤗
I am a trend weight watcher! Doing monthly weighs! Calories set for 1/2 to 1lb loss per week, as opposed to 1 lb per week, but way out for most of month as feeling *kitten* for much of the time! Lack of sleep, lupus fare, but enjoying the effects, slightly more calories is giving - including bit more energy and better sleep too
2lbs eh? …it amazes me / drives me nuts 😵💫how the weight flucuates from day to day!2
