Should heavier people be worried about losing more than 2 lbs a week?

jbrumitt38

I weighed 278.6 as of this morning. At the beginning of the week, I weighed 283. While I have lost a lot of weight this month, this was by far the biggest drop in a week. Should I be worried? I've been hitting 1500-1700 calories every day and my maintenance is at 2700.

I did get my second vaccine shot this week. Dunno if that would make a difference.

wunderkindking

If it's a one time thing I would not worry too much, though that is a LOT. That said, I... would not be doing more than 1000cal deficit on purpose. So 1500 should probably not be your norm or a thing you aim for (though it happens once in a while don't fret about it, either)..

PAV8888

How many months into losing weight are you at this point?

I would not consistently go for the "maximum" of 1% of bodyweight a week for too long, and I would be ready to switch to 0.5% at the drop of a hat for sustainability.... because six months or two years at 0.5% sure beats two months at 2% and then I gave up and regained because I made life harder than it has to be!

cmriverside

You're fine.

I would probably eat more than 1500, though. That's going to be really hard to stick with over time. You probably are just starting, but like PAV8888 said above, be ready to eat more on some days.

Are you getting any exercise at all? Using this site, when you exercise you're meant to add that time into the "Exercise" section at the top of the page, then eat more on those days.

Under-eating isn't a good thing.

Iwannabeapunkrockmom

My weight tends to stay the same for a week at a time and then plummet the next week. I try to look at the overall monthly average and it's less jarring. If my weight was plummeting every week, I'd definitely suggest re-evaluating your plan and make adjustments. I think the important question is, how do you feel? If you see a doctor, how do you labs look? If you feel good and everything looks golden, then keep it up.

spiriteagle99

It's also possible that this was a water weight drop because you are slightly dehydrated or ate less salt than usual yesterday. You may find your weight up a pound or three tomorrow. As stated above, if it happens several weeks in a row, then change your calorie goal so that you eating more.

jbrumitt38

My situation is weird because I am finally losing weight due to a meal planning service that sells pre-portioned meals. I truly don't feel like I'm starving myself. If anything, I find it hard to scramble for the extra calories to meet 1500 every day. That said, I'm going to start trying to get closer to 1700-1800 rather than 1500-1700. Just have to graze on some nuts or something.

richardgavel

With such a large deficit, I would be sure to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet to reduce the potential that portions of your weight loss is muscle (vs fat)

AnnPT77

jbrumitt38 wrote: »

My situation is weird because I am finally losing weight due to a meal planning service that sells pre-portioned meals. I truly don't feel like I'm starving myself. If anything, I find it hard to scramble for the extra calories to meet 1500 every day. That said, I'm going to start trying to get closer to 1700-1800 rather than 1500-1700. Just have to graze on some nuts or something.

That would be a good plan. Speaking as someone who under-ate accidentally for a while (I'm the odd duck for whom MFP underestimates calorie needs), how one feels is not necessarily a great leading indicator of problems. I felt energetic, not hungry . . . until I suddenly hit a wall. Almost overnight, I was weak and fatigued. Even though I'd corrected calorie intake quickly, as soon as I realized, it took multiple weeks to recover normal strength/energy. No one needs that (or worse).

Getting a few snacks in there, like nuts or avocado or something - calorie dense, not too filling - sounds just right to keep the calorie deficit at a conservatively moderate level.

FitnessCurmudgeon

jbrumitt38 wrote: »

I weighed 278.6 as of this morning. At the beginning of the week, I weighed 283. While I have lost a lot of weight this month, this was by far the biggest drop in a week. Should I be worried? I've been hitting 1500-1700 calories every day and my maintenance is at 2700.

I did get my second vaccine shot this week. Dunno if that would make a difference.

Really not a problem. Weight loss is not linear. The scale weighs everything, so fluxes in fluids can account for wider swings.

NorthCascades

I've been 5 pounds lighter or heavier from one day to the next, almost entirely from my hydration level.

penguinmama87

I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

(Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)

AnnPT77

penguinmama87 wrote: »

I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

(Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)

Keep in mind that that fatigue also stands a high chance of reducing your daily calorie expenditures, too: Fatigue usually leads to dragging through the day, resting more, putting off or shortcutting chores that require higher energy, lowered workout intensity, less spontaneous movement (basically fidgeting), and more. Counter-productive in more than one way!

penguinmama87

AnnPT77 wrote: »

penguinmama87 wrote: »

I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

(Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)

Keep in mind that that fatigue also stands a high chance of reducing your daily calorie expenditures, too: Fatigue usually leads to dragging through the day, resting more, putting off or shortcutting chores that require higher energy, lowered workout intensity, less spontaneous movement (basically fidgeting), and more. Counter-productive in more than one way!

Yes, I'm finding that out now! I'm hoping that it won't take too long for my energy to come back now that I am eating a little more. I am typically a very high energy person, so for me to feel like that definitely means something is not right.