First time trying to lose weight - hoping for some advice + also just wanted to say hi :)

Sekaiwacrazy

Hello! I joined MFP a few weeks ago when I began trying to lose weight after seeing it recommended online. So far it’s been really helpful for keeping track of what I’m eating.

About me:
Female,
Height: 170-172cm (I’m not sure)
Starting weight: 70kg - currently 67kg
Goal weight: 57kg

I’m trying to lose weight for a couple reasons but the main ones being:
1. Before covid I was a lot healthier and exercised more but that was more to do with the people I was around. But as an individual I’m definitely more of a couch potato and the lockdowns gave me the perfect excuse to be just that.
2. This one may be a bit tmi haha

While most of my fat distribution was pretty even a lot went into my boobs which were quite big to begin with. It’s been causing a lot of pain and inconvenience but I’m too afraid of knifes to turn to surgery

My goal is to lose 0.5kg every week through mostly calorie restriction which has been pretty easy to maintain (I also tried a 36H fast and realized it wasn’t for me), and slightly increasing my activity levels. (I’m also going to uni every day by public transit)

I’m enjoying the calorie tracking function but I’m pretty lazy about making it precise so I always assume that my actual intake is ~200 calories more than what I’m tracking

One question I have is, is it true that if you keep eating at a calorie deficit, your body will eventually get used to it and you’ll stop losing weight? And if it’s true how would I get around that?


Even if no one sees/ replies to this I’ll likely keep commenting to track my own thoughts and progress. However I sincerely hope to make some friends here and keep each other motivated!

AnnPT77

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

Hello! I joined MFP a few weeks ago when I began trying to lose weight after seeing it recommended online. So far it’s been really helpful for keeping track of what I’m eating.

About me:
Female,
Height: 170-172cm (I’m not sure)
Starting weight: 70kg - currently 67kg
Goal weight: 57kg

I’m trying to lose weight for a couple reasons but the main ones being:
1. Before covid I was a lot healthier and exercised more but that was more to do with the people I was around. But as an individual I’m definitely more of a couch potato and the lockdowns gave me the perfect excuse to be just that.
2. This one may be a bit tmi haha

While most of my fat distribution was pretty even a lot went into my boobs which were quite big to begin with. It’s been causing a lot of pain and inconvenience but I’m too afraid of knifes to turn to surgery

My goal is to lose 0.5kg every week through mostly calorie restriction which has been pretty easy to maintain (I also tried a 36H fast and realized it wasn’t for me), and slightly increasing my activity levels. (I’m also going to uni every day by public transit)

I’m enjoying the calorie tracking function but I’m pretty lazy about making it precise so I always assume that my actual intake is ~200 calories more than what I’m tracking

One question I have is, is it true that if you keep eating at a calorie deficit, your body will eventually get used to it and you’ll stop losing weight? And if it’s true how would I get around that?


Even if no one sees/ replies to this I’ll likely keep commenting to track my own thoughts and progress. However I sincerely hope to make some friends here and keep each other motivated!

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

cmriverside

^^In addition to what Ann said, I found that I needed to increase my activity to be able to eat enough food to be satisfied. As I got to a lower weight, that became even more important. Exercise allows me to stay comfortably within my calorie goals. If I don't exercise I quickly find myself eating way too much and begin to gain weight. So, finding something that you like to do that is active is going to be really important going forward.

Sekaiwacrazy

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

Thank you I’ve never thought about it like that! I’ll make sure not to have too big of a calorie deficit.

Lately I’ve been feeling really full even after not even meeting my daily calorie goal (which is from 1300-1400 cal - although I track 1100 because apparently it’s common to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming + I don’t always take into account oils/ sauces I use when cooking) which kind of scares me

I’ve heard stories of people who went on long term diets and ended up with a reduced stomach size which led to them continuing to lose weight even after reaching their goal. I don’t want that to happen so I might try to eat more even if I’m full - unsure if that’s a good idea though since it goes against intuitive eating

Sekaiwacrazy

cmriverside wrote: »

^^In addition to what Ann said, I found that I needed to increase my activity to be able to eat enough food to be satisfied. As I got to a lower weight, that became even more important. Exercise allows me to stay comfortably within my calorie goals. If I don't exercise I quickly find myself eating way too much and begin to gain weight. So, finding something that you like to do that is active is going to be really important going forward.

I also want to exercise more, especially to build some muscle mass. Although I’m not sure if I’d be able to find something I enjoy haha.

What types of exercise do you enjoy? Thank you so much

AnnPT77

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

Thank you I’ve never thought about it like that! I’ll make sure not to have too big of a calorie deficit.

Lately I’ve been feeling really full even after not even meeting my daily calorie goal (which is from 1300-1400 cal - although I track 1100 because apparently it’s common to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming + I don’t always take into account oils/ sauces I use when cooking) which kind of scares me

I’ve heard stories of people who went on long term diets and ended up with a reduced stomach size which led to them continuing to lose weight even after reaching their goal. I don’t want that to happen so I might try to eat more even if I’m full - unsure if that’s a good idea though since it goes against intuitive eating

I don't think that's a thing, either. I suspect there'd be something else in the picture. Stomach size is only one possible factor in feeling full or hungry. There are also hormones that govern hunger and satiation.

Psychological factors can also enter into it. For example, we sometimes see people here who reach goal weight, start eating a little more to maintain weight, but panic when they see the scale jump by several pounds. They think they've regained several pounds of fat that took many weeks to lose, so cut calories again . . . and keep losing weight, of course. What's really happening is that upward adjustment of calories causes some water weight gain (multiple pounds), plus there's a little more food residue in the person's digestive system on the way to becoming waste . . . none of which is fat, all of which is normal, and it's a thing to expect when going to maintenance calories. The overreaction and mis-reaction to it leads people to keep losing weight, pretty much out of anxiety.

It's hard to give you advice about what to do when you acknowledge that you don't actually have a good handle on how many calories you're eating. Not trying to log oils and condiments can be particularly problematic, because they're often very calorie dense.

If you've started eating fewer processed foods, and more things like meats, fish, veggies, that can lead to feeling full on too-few calories at first, for some people. In those cases, the right answer would be to eat more calories, and we'd usually suggest not-filling calorie dense things to add like nuts, nut butter, avocados, seeds, butter or oil, etc. But since your logging is approximate, we don't really know if that's helpful or counterproductive.

It's also somewhat common to have a honeymoon period early in a low calorie regimen where one isn't hungry . . . but appetite later comes back with a vengeance. Again, if you're actually not hungry because you're eating at a reasonable calorie level (just counting somewhat approximately), then that wouldn't be expected.

At 67kg (147 pounds) shooting for 57kg (125 pounds), and 170-172cm (5'6"-5'7") half a kg per week is about as aggressive as you'd want to be for best odds of continuing good health and energy, IMO. Slower would be fine, too. If you go on as you are, and lose faster than that 0.5kg per week (averaged over a whole menstrual cycle, or 4-6 weeks if you don't have cycles), I'd recommend eating a bit more. If that's something calorie-dense and not filling, that's fine.

pony4us

You are shooting for normal BMI on the lower end. What worked for me was I looked at my calorie goal to maintain at goal weight. I aimed for that and have maintained for about 6 months now at goal weight. Yep...that is a super slow way to get there but maintaining has been painless.

Sekaiwacrazy

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

Thank you I’ve never thought about it like that! I’ll make sure not to have too big of a calorie deficit.

Lately I’ve been feeling really full even after not even meeting my daily calorie goal (which is from 1300-1400 cal - although I track 1100 because apparently it’s common to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming + I don’t always take into account oils/ sauces I use when cooking) which kind of scares me

I’ve heard stories of people who went on long term diets and ended up with a reduced stomach size which led to them continuing to lose weight even after reaching their goal. I don’t want that to happen so I might try to eat more even if I’m full - unsure if that’s a good idea though since it goes against intuitive eating

I don't think that's a thing, either. I suspect there'd be something else in the picture. Stomach size is only one possible factor in feeling full or hungry. There are also hormones that govern hunger and satiation.

Psychological factors can also enter into it. For example, we sometimes see people here who reach goal weight, start eating a little more to maintain weight, but panic when they see the scale jump by several pounds. They think they've regained several pounds of fat that took many weeks to lose, so cut calories again . . . and keep losing weight, of course. What's really happening is that upward adjustment of calories causes some water weight gain (multiple pounds), plus there's a little more food residue in the person's digestive system on the way to becoming waste . . . none of which is fat, all of which is normal, and it's a thing to expect when going to maintenance calories. The overreaction and mis-reaction to it leads people to keep losing weight, pretty much out of anxiety.

It's hard to give you advice about what to do when you acknowledge that you don't actually have a good handle on how many calories you're eating. Not trying to log oils and condiments can be particularly problematic, because they're often very calorie dense.

If you've started eating fewer processed foods, and more things like meats, fish, veggies, that can lead to feeling full on too-few calories at first, for some people. In those cases, the right answer would be to eat more calories, and we'd usually suggest not-filling calorie dense things to add like nuts, nut butter, avocados, seeds, butter or oil, etc. But since your logging is approximate, we don't really know if that's helpful or counterproductive.

It's also somewhat common to have a honeymoon period early in a low calorie regimen where one isn't hungry . . . but appetite later comes back with a vengeance. Again, if you're actually not hungry because you're eating at a reasonable calorie level (just counting somewhat approximately), then that wouldn't be expected.

At 67kg (147 pounds) shooting for 57kg (125 pounds), and 170-172cm (5'6"-5'7") half a kg per week is about as aggressive as you'd want to be for best odds of continuing good health and energy, IMO. Slower would be fine, too. If you go on as you are, and lose faster than that 0.5kg per week (averaged over a whole menstrual cycle, or 4-6 weeks if you don't have cycles), I'd recommend eating a bit more. If that's something calorie-dense and not filling, that's fine.

Thank you again for commenting and putting so much thought... after reading through it, it seems more likely to me that I'm probably going through the "honeymoon period" you spoke about. I'll continue eating the way I currently am since I don't feel like I have less energy than before going on the calorie deficit. However, if I do end up feeling more tired I may increase the caloric intake a bit.

Something that is worrying me a bit is how fast I've lost weight... I started calorie-restricting around Sept 1 and have lost 4kg since then. Hoping its mostly water weight???

Sekaiwacrazy

pony4us wrote: »

You are shooting for normal BMI on the lower end. What worked for me was I looked at my calorie goal to maintain at goal weight. I aimed for that and have maintained for about 6 months now at goal weight. Yep...that is a super slow way to get there but maintaining has been painless.

That actually makes so much sense! Although in my case I'm trying to lose weight somewhat quickly due to the second reason I stated which is a bit embarrassing. But I do think it'd be really nice if the maintenance is easier.

If you don't mind me asking, how much weight did you lose and how long did it take you? Thank you so much for the advice

pony4us

I'm 75, lost 35 pounds. Lost the first 20 quicker but the last 15 did the practice maintenance thing. Took me a total of 10 mnths or so. For the last 3-5 pounds we were snowbirding in Florida for two months. No scale, didn't weigh food but practice tracked by being mindfull, fully expecting to have a bit of a gain and planned on getting back to the business of weighing myself and carefully tracking food when we got home. I was thrilled that I was at goal weight, like magic. I've been able to easily maintain (true only 6 months) but we just had a week of house guests and big celebrations, I have enjoyed every meal (without being that annoying picky eater) and am still at the bottom of my range.

mlpatrick335

Good conversation. I’ve been on many diets in the past and most worked for a while but then I’d go astray and gain back more than I’d lost. Since using MFP I’ve been able to lost 50 lbs HOWEVER, the closer I’ve gotten to my goal the more I’ve begun to back slide. The nice thing about MFP is that I can see what I’ve done wrong with no one to frown at me. I also used to keep a handwritten log of my food and water. That textual reminder helped me the most. I’ve stopped that and the weight slowly went up. I’m going to begin to log again and finish my last 8 pounds! Now that I’ve written this I’m feeling motivated to get going again! I’m glad I found this! I’m going for my log right now! Wishing you more motivation!

AnnPT77

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

Thank you I’ve never thought about it like that! I’ll make sure not to have too big of a calorie deficit.

Lately I’ve been feeling really full even after not even meeting my daily calorie goal (which is from 1300-1400 cal - although I track 1100 because apparently it’s common to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming + I don’t always take into account oils/ sauces I use when cooking) which kind of scares me

I’ve heard stories of people who went on long term diets and ended up with a reduced stomach size which led to them continuing to lose weight even after reaching their goal. I don’t want that to happen so I might try to eat more even if I’m full - unsure if that’s a good idea though since it goes against intuitive eating

I don't think that's a thing, either. I suspect there'd be something else in the picture. Stomach size is only one possible factor in feeling full or hungry. There are also hormones that govern hunger and satiation.

Psychological factors can also enter into it. For example, we sometimes see people here who reach goal weight, start eating a little more to maintain weight, but panic when they see the scale jump by several pounds. They think they've regained several pounds of fat that took many weeks to lose, so cut calories again . . . and keep losing weight, of course. What's really happening is that upward adjustment of calories causes some water weight gain (multiple pounds), plus there's a little more food residue in the person's digestive system on the way to becoming waste . . . none of which is fat, all of which is normal, and it's a thing to expect when going to maintenance calories. The overreaction and mis-reaction to it leads people to keep losing weight, pretty much out of anxiety.

It's hard to give you advice about what to do when you acknowledge that you don't actually have a good handle on how many calories you're eating. Not trying to log oils and condiments can be particularly problematic, because they're often very calorie dense.

If you've started eating fewer processed foods, and more things like meats, fish, veggies, that can lead to feeling full on too-few calories at first, for some people. In those cases, the right answer would be to eat more calories, and we'd usually suggest not-filling calorie dense things to add like nuts, nut butter, avocados, seeds, butter or oil, etc. But since your logging is approximate, we don't really know if that's helpful or counterproductive.

It's also somewhat common to have a honeymoon period early in a low calorie regimen where one isn't hungry . . . but appetite later comes back with a vengeance. Again, if you're actually not hungry because you're eating at a reasonable calorie level (just counting somewhat approximately), then that wouldn't be expected.

At 67kg (147 pounds) shooting for 57kg (125 pounds), and 170-172cm (5'6"-5'7") half a kg per week is about as aggressive as you'd want to be for best odds of continuing good health and energy, IMO. Slower would be fine, too. If you go on as you are, and lose faster than that 0.5kg per week (averaged over a whole menstrual cycle, or 4-6 weeks if you don't have cycles), I'd recommend eating a bit more. If that's something calorie-dense and not filling, that's fine.

Thank you again for commenting and putting so much thought... after reading through it, it seems more likely to me that I'm probably going through the "honeymoon period" you spoke about. I'll continue eating the way I currently am since I don't feel like I have less energy than before going on the calorie deficit. However, if I do end up feeling more tired I may increase the caloric intake a bit.

Something that is worrying me a bit is how fast I've lost weight... I started calorie-restricting around Sept 1 and have lost 4kg since then. Hoping its mostly water weight???

The first couple of weeks can see a fairly major water weight drop, especially if a person has reduced carb and/or sodium intake significantly. If that's happened, you might see a period that looks weight-stable (little/no loss), basically from rebalancing of water retention, even though fat loss continues (hidden on the scale by a re-increase in water retention).

If the fast loss continues for a full 4-6 weeks, I'd encourage you to consider eating more, even if it feels manageable. Weight loss rate (averaged over 4-6 weeks) is the best estimator of actual calorie deficit, not some calculator or fitness tracker.

If you're actually losing fat faster than 0.5-1% of current body weight per week, there could be a "hit the wall" effect in the semi-near future. "The wall" might be weakness, fatigue, rebound major hunger/appetite or - at a lower probability - some hair thinning or health issue.

I'm not saying that there would inevitably be bad consequences, just that there would be higher odds of something like that alongside fast loss.

I accidentally lost too fast at first, because I'm apparently one of the relatively rare people for whom MFP (and a good brand/model fitness tracker that estimates well for others) give a surprisingly major underestimate of calorie needs. I got weak and fatigued, then it took multiple weeks to recover back to normal, though I corrected (ate more) as soon as I realized. No one needs that.

westrich20940

There is great advice above. And it sounds like you have a decent (and relaxed) outlook/plan on what you're doing. .5lb/week seems a good place to start.

So...are you 5'5'/5'6"? Your goal weigh is ~125lbs?

Here is just something to think about from my own personal experience. I'm just going to point out that your goal weight is at the lower range of the 'healthy weigh range' for a woman of your height. I'm not saying that it's an inappropriate goal weight - but it *could* be.

Just keep that in mind as you are setting your calorie goals and goal weight --- pay close attention to if what you are doing is really hard or you think it's unsustainable ( you said currently it seems fine). Example - if you get to your goal weight and then move to eating at maintenance - it's normal to gain a bit but it should even out after some time. If you feel like you have to continue to stay in a calorie deficit to stay at 125lbs...then it's likely that's not the right weight for you.

I'm just suggesting this due to my own experience. I'm 5'3"/5'4" --- the 'healthy weight range' for 5'3" goes down to like 105/107lbs....even the 'healthy weigh range' for 5'4" goes down to like 110lbs. And those figures might be healthy for some women at those heights - but not necessarily for everyone. I got down to ~115 and I looked unwell/too skinny. I didn't love the way I looked after a while and other people def made comments (one person even straight up asked me, "Are you sick?")....so just be aware that as you lose weight it might be a good idea to re-*kitten* your goal weight and don't be afraid to make adjustments as you go.

***Again -- I'm not saying that this isn't a good goal weight for you as I don't know you or how your body distributes weight, etc. But it is def near the range that I might be thinking "Is this really the right goal weight for me".

frhaberl

Great advice above. I especially agree with looking at weight loss over a period of 4-6 weeks and making adjustments. I've been adjusting diet and exercise since early April and have had a week where I gained 2.6 lbs and a week where I lost 4.6 lbs. I didn't make adjustments immediately after either of those weeks because my average over the 4-6 weeks (including the big gain/loss week) was still within 0.5 lbs of my target weight loss. I think that the less certainty you have about what your actual caloric intake is, the more you need to look at the longer term trends. That can definitely be successful and could very well help you to become more in tune with your body than with a calculator.

If you are looking for suggestions on what you could do that might help you find a middle ground, I would suggest having a week where you eat "normally" but measure everything. That could help you know whether you are truly underestimating by 200-300 calories a day, or if the number is higher or lower than that. It would take some time and a good kitchen scale, but I think the exercise is worth it. This is a good post to look at if you're interested in what measuring could look like - https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10899708/the-benefits-of-measuring-at-least-for-me#latest. After a week of measuring you might find some items you want to keep measuring so you have a more accurate read on what you're consuming (oils, butters, and other calorie dense foods) or you could just settle on a better "fudge factor" to include in your calorie count each day/week. For example, entering a generic "garlic clove" or "large tomato" is probably not going to make a big difference, but entering "1 oz cheese" when you are eyeballing it and eating it frequently could create a big inaccuracy.

Another approach that can help is to do your portion control all at once. I do my weighing of calorie dense foods when I get home from the store. Meats get portioned out and weighed in disposable bags that get labeled with the weight before I store them. Same with snacks. For some snacks, I have a specific bowl that I know the capacity of and that's what I always eat that snack out of.

Best wishes. Let us know how things are going.

pony4us

Again, to follow up on your goal weight. Find your calorie goal at 125lbs and follow that for a two weeks at least. You will still not gain weight. Then ask yourself if you are happy eating that way for the rest of your life. If not continue back to your weight loss plan and every 5-10 pounds lost do a test drive at that level. It is more about how you will live in the long term than a number on the scale or the size of your jeans.

Sekaiwacrazy

pony4us wrote: »

I'm 75, lost 35 pounds. Lost the first 20 quicker but the last 15 did the practice maintenance thing. Took me a total of 10 mnths or so. For the last 3-5 pounds we were snowbirding in Florida for two months. No scale, didn't weigh food but practice tracked by being mindfull, fully expecting to have a bit of a gain and planned on getting back to the business of weighing myself and carefully tracking food when we got home. I was thrilled that I was at goal weight, like magic. I've been able to easily maintain (true only 6 months) but we just had a week of house guests and big celebrations, I have enjoyed every meal (without being that annoying picky eater) and am still at the bottom of my range.

that's really inspiring! thanks so much for sharing

Sekaiwacrazy

mlpatrick335 wrote: »

Good conversation. I’ve been on many diets in the past and most worked for a while but then I’d go astray and gain back more than I’d lost. Since using MFP I’ve been able to lost 50 lbs HOWEVER, the closer I’ve gotten to my goal the more I’ve begun to back slide. The nice thing about MFP is that I can see what I’ve done wrong with no one to frown at me. I also used to keep a handwritten log of my food and water. That textual reminder helped me the most. I’ve stopped that and the weight slowly went up. I’m going to begin to log again and finish my last 8 pounds! Now that I’ve written this I’m feeling motivated to get going again! I’m glad I found this! I’m going for my log right now! Wishing you more motivation!

thank you so much! I hope you're able to reach your goal

Sekaiwacrazy

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Not true. If it were true, no one would ever starve to death. Sadly, many people starve to death every day around the world, and they aren't fat when that happens.

What can happen:

As you get lighter you'll burn slightly fewer calories because it takes a little less energy to move a lighter body through the world.

If you were to under-eat dramatically - have too big a calorie deficit - you'd get fatigued and burn fewer calories than expected, basically through fatigue and subtly reduced activity.

Thank you I’ve never thought about it like that! I’ll make sure not to have too big of a calorie deficit.

Lately I’ve been feeling really full even after not even meeting my daily calorie goal (which is from 1300-1400 cal - although I track 1100 because apparently it’s common to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming + I don’t always take into account oils/ sauces I use when cooking) which kind of scares me

I’ve heard stories of people who went on long term diets and ended up with a reduced stomach size which led to them continuing to lose weight even after reaching their goal. I don’t want that to happen so I might try to eat more even if I’m full - unsure if that’s a good idea though since it goes against intuitive eating

I don't think that's a thing, either. I suspect there'd be something else in the picture. Stomach size is only one possible factor in feeling full or hungry. There are also hormones that govern hunger and satiation.

Psychological factors can also enter into it. For example, we sometimes see people here who reach goal weight, start eating a little more to maintain weight, but panic when they see the scale jump by several pounds. They think they've regained several pounds of fat that took many weeks to lose, so cut calories again . . . and keep losing weight, of course. What's really happening is that upward adjustment of calories causes some water weight gain (multiple pounds), plus there's a little more food residue in the person's digestive system on the way to becoming waste . . . none of which is fat, all of which is normal, and it's a thing to expect when going to maintenance calories. The overreaction and mis-reaction to it leads people to keep losing weight, pretty much out of anxiety.

It's hard to give you advice about what to do when you acknowledge that you don't actually have a good handle on how many calories you're eating. Not trying to log oils and condiments can be particularly problematic, because they're often very calorie dense.

If you've started eating fewer processed foods, and more things like meats, fish, veggies, that can lead to feeling full on too-few calories at first, for some people. In those cases, the right answer would be to eat more calories, and we'd usually suggest not-filling calorie dense things to add like nuts, nut butter, avocados, seeds, butter or oil, etc. But since your logging is approximate, we don't really know if that's helpful or counterproductive.

It's also somewhat common to have a honeymoon period early in a low calorie regimen where one isn't hungry . . . but appetite later comes back with a vengeance. Again, if you're actually not hungry because you're eating at a reasonable calorie level (just counting somewhat approximately), then that wouldn't be expected.

At 67kg (147 pounds) shooting for 57kg (125 pounds), and 170-172cm (5'6"-5'7") half a kg per week is about as aggressive as you'd want to be for best odds of continuing good health and energy, IMO. Slower would be fine, too. If you go on as you are, and lose faster than that 0.5kg per week (averaged over a whole menstrual cycle, or 4-6 weeks if you don't have cycles), I'd recommend eating a bit more. If that's something calorie-dense and not filling, that's fine.

Thank you again for commenting and putting so much thought... after reading through it, it seems more likely to me that I'm probably going through the "honeymoon period" you spoke about. I'll continue eating the way I currently am since I don't feel like I have less energy than before going on the calorie deficit. However, if I do end up feeling more tired I may increase the caloric intake a bit.

Something that is worrying me a bit is how fast I've lost weight... I started calorie-restricting around Sept 1 and have lost 4kg since then. Hoping its mostly water weight???

The first couple of weeks can see a fairly major water weight drop, especially if a person has reduced carb and/or sodium intake significantly. If that's happened, you might see a period that looks weight-stable (little/no loss), basically from rebalancing of water retention, even though fat loss continues (hidden on the scale by a re-increase in water retention).

If the fast loss continues for a full 4-6 weeks, I'd encourage you to consider eating more, even if it feels manageable. Weight loss rate (averaged over 4-6 weeks) is the best estimator of actual calorie deficit, not some calculator or fitness tracker.

If you're actually losing fat faster than 0.5-1% of current body weight per week, there could be a "hit the wall" effect in the semi-near future. "The wall" might be weakness, fatigue, rebound major hunger/appetite or - at a lower probability - some hair thinning or health issue.

I'm not saying that there would inevitably be bad consequences, just that there would be higher odds of something like that alongside fast loss.

I accidentally lost too fast at first, because I'm apparently one of the relatively rare people for whom MFP (and a good brand/model fitness tracker that estimates well for others) give a surprisingly major underestimate of calorie needs. I got weak and fatigued, then it took multiple weeks to recover back to normal, though I corrected (ate more) as soon as I realized. No one needs that.

Thank you so much again for sharing your knowledge and experience. I think this definitely is in line with what I'm experiencing. I got sick (probably unrelated) but the calorie deficit probably didn't help my immune system much.

side note- I'm actually low in ferritin/ iron in my blood (originally at 5~ a year ago and now about a month ago at 10~) and have been taking iron supplements for a year now. The low iron probably also contributes to a weaker immune system. Because of this, even while calorie-restricting, I've tried to keep eating a similar amount of protein.

Anyway, being sick made me tired all the time and I just stopped restricting cals and foods or weighing myself for a while.

While being too exhausted to do much, I read many mfp forums and I feel like I've gained so much knowledge and motivation from others' journeys. Especially seeing your numerous comments and advice which I've been keeping in mind. Overall just really happy that this community exists

Sekaiwacrazy

westrich20940 wrote: »

There is great advice above. And it sounds like you have a decent (and relaxed) outlook/plan on what you're doing. .5lb/week seems a good place to start.

So...are you 5'5'/5'6"? Your goal weigh is ~125lbs?

Here is just something to think about from my own personal experience. I'm just going to point out that your goal weight is at the lower range of the 'healthy weigh range' for a woman of your height. I'm not saying that it's an inappropriate goal weight - but it *could* be.

Just keep that in mind as you are setting your calorie goals and goal weight --- pay close attention to if what you are doing is really hard or you think it's unsustainable ( you said currently it seems fine). Example - if you get to your goal weight and then move to eating at maintenance - it's normal to gain a bit but it should even out after some time. If you feel like you have to continue to stay in a calorie deficit to stay at 125lbs...then it's likely that's not the right weight for you.

I'm just suggesting this due to my own experience. I'm 5'3"/5'4" --- the 'healthy weight range' for 5'3" goes down to like 105/107lbs....even the 'healthy weigh range' for 5'4" goes down to like 110lbs. And those figures might be healthy for some women at those heights - but not necessarily for everyone. I got down to ~115 and I looked unwell/too skinny. I didn't love the way I looked after a while and other people def made comments (one person even straight up asked me, "Are you sick?")....so just be aware that as you lose weight it might be a good idea to re-*kitten* your goal weight and don't be afraid to make adjustments as you go.

***Again -- I'm not saying that this isn't a good goal weight for you as I don't know you or how your body distributes weight, etc. But it is def near the range that I might be thinking "Is this really the right goal weight for me".

Mhm I 100% agree with you on that. And while my goal is 57kg it's not really a super set number or anything. Two of the many reasons I'm losing weight are for health and aesthetic reasons and if I feel healthy and like the way I look before that I'd probably stop.

I did consider some factors when deciding this goal weight though-

Firstly, I am Asian- which according to online sources and my family members our "healthy weight" is a bit lower just due to genetics from what I understand. Many of the commonly found ranges for healthy weight aren't based on whats right for me.

Secondly, I used to be a lot slimmer naturally without ever thinking about diet or exercise. To be fair I was in my early-mid teens, but it's still a pretty good guideline for "how much my body wants to weigh." I didn't really pay attention to weight/ BMI/ etc at all back then, but I remember I calculated it once and it was around 18 or 19.

And lastly the reason I gained weight rapidly was a hugely negative lifestyle change (covid 19 quarantine)
which gave an intrinsically lazy person like me the excuse to not go outside for almost two years (also it was harder to get fresh food so my diet also decreased in quality.

Anyway, just why I settled on my goal weight- but I am a bit older now and my body could be completely different. Thanks so much for the concern though I'll keep it in mind

evileyefirefly

Sekaiwacrazy wrote: »

Hello! I joined MFP a few weeks ago when I began trying to lose weight after seeing it recommended online. So far it’s been really helpful for keeping track of what I’m eating.

About me:
Female,
Height: 170-172cm (I’m not sure)
Starting weight: 70kg - currently 67kg
Goal weight: 57kg

I’m trying to lose weight for a couple reasons but the main ones being:
1. Before covid I was a lot healthier and exercised more but that was more to do with the people I was around. But as an individual I’m definitely more of a couch potato and the lockdowns gave me the perfect excuse to be just that.
2. This one may be a bit tmi haha

While most of my fat distribution was pretty even a lot went into my boobs which were quite big to begin with. It’s been causing a lot of pain and inconvenience but I’m too afraid of knifes to turn to surgery

My goal is to lose 0.5kg every week through mostly calorie restriction which has been pretty easy to maintain (I also tried a 36H fast and realized it wasn’t for me), and slightly increasing my activity levels. (I’m also going to uni every day by public transit)

I’m enjoying the calorie tracking function but I’m pretty lazy about making it precise so I always assume that my actual intake is ~200 calories more than what I’m tracking

One question I have is, is it true that if you keep eating at a calorie deficit, your body will eventually get used to it and you’ll stop losing weight? And if it’s true how would I get around that?


Even if no one sees/ replies to this I’ll likely keep commenting to track my own thoughts and progress. However I sincerely hope to make some friends here and keep each other motivated!

So while it's pretty well covered above, you will have plateau's throughout the process. You won't necessarily have to reduce calories below what you're eating now depending on the amount of exercise you're doing. You will build muscle which will increase your metabolism, so you may end up needing more calories at some point. (I say this because I've known a few people, myself included that actually needed to increase calories to continue to lose weight)

You didn't by chance do the snake diet fast? I did that, and lost a decent amount of weight, but it is totally unhealthy, and not sustainable. Those 48-96hr water fasts are brutal.....

Keep up the good work and you'll hit your goals.

scavonedan

Here is my two cents: Weight loss technically is very easy when you think about the basic math of calories in and calories burned. It is the mental game of keeping at it that is hard. So watching what you eat is only part of it. Eating healthy is very good (watching sugar levels, cholesterol, fats, and so on) regardless of weight loss intent but in eating healthy you set yourself up for better success. Calories burned is more difficult unless you are a person that loves to exercise. Exercise can be almost anything that keeps you moving. You do not have to run a marathon or join spin classes and so on. If you do and love it, all the best. The mental game of keeping active is what I find is hardest for people. You need to keep doing something and if you lose interest in that activity or sport find something else. You also need to make the time. It is so easy to sit back and watch TV or read a book. You have to get that motivation to keep at it.

I found no alcohol, limit my snacks and sweets, plant based mostly diet, and an easy 30 minute jog every morning melted the weight and keeps it off. I add in yoga and some easy strength training now and then. If I can't do the easy jog I at least walk several times if I can. I vary where I run just to keep the boredom away. I don't care if I do 2 miles or 4 miles. I go for the 30 minute time at a certain pace and heart rate. I am not out to win any race.