Is it impossible to lose 2lbs a week at my size?

2

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    At your size and goal weight, I'd switch your weekly goal to be only 0.5 lb loss. Anything more and you're likely to lose too much too fast (as in, you'll lose quite a bit of lean body mass), be unhealthy, and be miserable because you're not eating enough.

    ^This!^

    Is your goal ...the "number" on the scale ..... or liking how you look?
  • nickyvw
    nickyvw Posts: 26 Member
    I don't believe there is any safe and healthy way to lose 2 pounds a week at your size. I am 5'0" and 128.8 pounds, and I am losing .5 pounds a week, sometimes 1 whole pound (yippee). You and I are just lucky (ha) to be small people that will not lose a lot at once. Btw, I also work out 6 days a week. I eat 1400-1500 calories a day. Please do not fall below 1200 calories, and I would suggest eating back your exercise calories.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Set your goal to no greater than 0.5 lbs per week which should translate to a deficit roughly 250 calories below actual maintenance. You honestly do not have the fat mass to warrant a larger deficit since the amount of fat that can be oxidized in a 24 hour period depends on total fat mass. This essentially means that once you cross a certain deficit threshold, you will not burn the extra calories from fat - it will come exclusively from lean mass (bone, connective tissue and muscle). Furthermore, the closer to this max deficit results in a risk of losing excessive lean mass.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    It probably isn't! BMR at those figures is about 1400. Eat 700. Deficit of 700 per day. 700x7 is 3400 which is only a pound I think.

    Check me, please.

    700x7 = 4900, about 1.5lbs. But considering I exercise regularly, my daily calories burned is closer to 1700 according to the TDEE calculator, so 700 would be a 1000 calorie deficit, which would equal -7000 a week, or 2lbs. 1200 is a deficit of 500...x7= 3500, or 1 lb per week.

    :noway:
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    If you want to lose muscle, hair and damage your insides/metabolism, it's possible.

    I hope you don't want to do that though. You don't have much to lose. Slow and steady AND HEALTHY is the better alternative.
  • You could probably starve it off and even then that's a big maybe. Why do that at the risk of your health, though? Not worth it.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    I think it depends on how much you are willing/able to burn above and beyond your BMR in additional cardio. I agree with most who have posted that it's probably not a good idea, and 1 lb per week is probably a better plan, however, 1200 cal per day of intake is the nominal threshold to keep your metabolism from going into "starvation mode." If you eat that much with about 275 cal per day of cardio exercise (probably about 45 min or so at a reasonable level), you can lose 1 lb per week. But if you do something around 700 calories per day of cardio on top of a 1200 cal per day diet, I think you find that the numbers work out and it should be possible without breaking the "starvation" barrier. Keep your diet at or above 1200 cal per day intake though.

    Just for clarity's sake, the 1200 calorie threshold for women is the research based recommendation for minimum nutrition and has nothing to do with "starvation mode". Eating below that for an extended period of time could potentially result in adaptive thermogenesis but the recommendation is based on minimum nutrition needed to maintain healthy body function. And that is 1200 calories net. After factoring in exercise calorie burn.

    That's NOT net after calorie burn, that's 1200 calories straight up. doesn't matter if you exercise or not the 1200 for nutrition stays the same.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    Set your goal to no greater than 0.5 lbs per week which should translate to a deficit roughly 250 calories below actual maintenance. You honestly do not have the fat mass to warrant a larger deficit since the amount of fat that can be oxidized in a 24 hour period depends on total fat mass. This essentially means that once you cross a certain deficit threshold, you will not burn the extra calories from fat - it will come exclusively from lean mass (bone, connective tissue and muscle). Furthermore, the closer to this max deficit results in a risk of losing excessive lean mass.

    This is true.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    look at it this way ... you could eat nothing and keep all activity the same and you will lose weight. Do you think that this would be healthy? It's not, and it's unstainable.

    You can drop down to 700 calories, there isn't a calorie police around and really no one cares, but your body will care. Will it care right away? Who knows, but eventually it will care. By the time you notice your nutrient levels will be severely low. Only today a lady was complaining about not having her period anymore.

    What are you trying to achieve here? If it is a healthy lifestyle you are after, then don't go below 1200. Good luck :-)
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  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    Set your goal to no greater than 0.5 lbs per week which should translate to a deficit roughly 250 calories below actual maintenance. You honestly do not have the fat mass to warrant a larger deficit since the amount of fat that can be oxidized in a 24 hour period depends on total fat mass. This essentially means that once you cross a certain deficit threshold, you will not burn the extra calories from fat - it will come exclusively from lean mass (bone, connective tissue and muscle). Furthermore, the closer to this max deficit results in a risk of losing excessive lean mass.

    Quoting for emphasis!

    If you want sustainable change don't get caught up in scale numbers. Eat well (at a low-moderate deficit) do less cardio and lift some weights.

    Simple as that.
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Go to www.fat2fitradio.com and calculate what your maintenance calories would be for 114 and eat that. The weight will come off slowly but in a healthy, sustainable way.

    Sorry, if she eats at maintenance level, how would the weight go down if the calories are set to maintain weight? Just interested if I have missed something here :)
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    I think it depends on how much you are willing/able to burn above and beyond your BMR in additional cardio. I agree with most who have posted that it's probably not a good idea, and 1 lb per week is probably a better plan, however, 1200 cal per day of intake is the nominal threshold to keep your metabolism from going into "starvation mode." If you eat that much with about 275 cal per day of cardio exercise (probably about 45 min or so at a reasonable level), you can lose 1 lb per week. But if you do something around 700 calories per day of cardio on top of a 1200 cal per day diet, I think you find that the numbers work out and it should be possible without breaking the "starvation" barrier. Keep your diet at or above 1200 cal per day intake though.

    Just for clarity's sake, the 1200 calorie threshold for women is the research based recommendation for minimum nutrition and has nothing to do with "starvation mode". Eating below that for an extended period of time could potentially result in adaptive thermogenesis but the recommendation is based on minimum nutrition needed to maintain healthy body function. And that is 1200 calories net. After factoring in exercise calorie burn.

    That's NOT net after calorie burn, that's 1200 calories straight up. doesn't matter if you exercise or not the 1200 for nutrition stays the same.

    Can you clarify this? Cause in my head if there is a 1200 minimum nutrition threshold, than that needs to be net. If you create a deficit by exercising, that would take away from the nutrition, no? Take an extreme case of burning 1000 calories in hours of vigorous exercise, the body would be left with only 200 calories for nutrition and maintenance, surely not sustainable/healthy.

    Or?

    I am no expert and would welcome some insight.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    At your size and goal weight, I'd switch your weekly goal to be only 0.5 lb loss. Anything more and you're likely to lose too much too fast (as in, you'll lose quite a bit of lean body mass), be unhealthy, and be miserable because you're not eating enough.

    Agree with this ^^^

    Good luck!
  • briandahawaiian
    briandahawaiian Posts: 112 Member
    At your size and goal weight, I'd switch your weekly goal to be only 0.5 lb loss. Anything more and you're likely to lose too much too fast (as in, you'll lose quite a bit of lean body mass), be unhealthy, and be miserable because you're not eating enough.

    ^^this!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I think it depends on how much you are willing/able to burn above and beyond your BMR in additional cardio. I agree with most who have posted that it's probably not a good idea, and 1 lb per week is probably a better plan, however, 1200 cal per day of intake is the nominal threshold to keep your metabolism from going into "starvation mode." If you eat that much with about 275 cal per day of cardio exercise (probably about 45 min or so at a reasonable level), you can lose 1 lb per week. But if you do something around 700 calories per day of cardio on top of a 1200 cal per day diet, I think you find that the numbers work out and it should be possible without breaking the "starvation" barrier. Keep your diet at or above 1200 cal per day intake though.

    Just for clarity's sake, the 1200 calorie threshold for women is the research based recommendation for minimum nutrition and has nothing to do with "starvation mode". Eating below that for an extended period of time could potentially result in adaptive thermogenesis but the recommendation is based on minimum nutrition needed to maintain healthy body function. And that is 1200 calories net. After factoring in exercise calorie burn.

    That's NOT net after calorie burn, that's 1200 calories straight up. doesn't matter if you exercise or not the 1200 for nutrition stays the same.

    Can you clarify this? Cause in my head if there is a 1200 minimum nutrition threshold, than that needs to be net. If you create a deficit by exercising, that would take away from the nutrition, no? Take an extreme case of burning 1000 calories in hours of vigorous exercise, the body would be left with only 200 calories for nutrition and maintenance, surely not sustainable/healthy.

    Or?

    I am no expert and would welcome some insight.

    I believe your understanding is correct because of the logic you used and the other poster is mistaken.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Go to www.fat2fitradio.com and calculate what your maintenance calories would be for 114 and eat that. The weight will come off slowly but in a healthy, sustainable way.

    Sorry, if she eats at maintenance level, how would the weight go down if the calories are set to maintain weight? Just interested if I have missed something here :)


    The idea is that it is the maintenance level for 114 - the weight OP wants to get to. She weighs more than that, so her current maintenance Calories would be higher - I didn't do the calculations, so I don't know exactly what that would be. In the above case, eating for 114 lbs maintenance would be a deficit to what her current maintenance is.
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Go to www.fat2fitradio.com and calculate what your maintenance calories would be for 114 and eat that. The weight will come off slowly but in a healthy, sustainable way.

    Sorry, if she eats at maintenance level, how would the weight go down if the calories are set to maintain weight? Just interested if I have missed something here :)

    Thank you, I didn't notice you were going for maintenance of a lighter person.

    The idea is that it is the maintenance level for 114 - the weight OP wants to get to. She weighs more than that, so her current maintenance Calories would be higher - I didn't do the calculations, so I don't know exactly what that would be. In the above case, eating for 114 lbs maintenance would be a deficit to what her current maintenance is.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    That's NOT net after calorie burn, that's 1200 calories straight up. doesn't matter if you exercise or not the 1200 for nutrition stays the same.

    Can you clarify this? Cause in my head if there is a 1200 minimum nutrition threshold, than that needs to be net. If you create a deficit by exercising, that would take away from the nutrition, no? Take an extreme case of burning 1000 calories in hours of vigorous exercise, the body would be left with only 200 calories for nutrition and maintenance, surely not sustainable/healthy.

    Or?

    I am no expert and would welcome some insight.

    I missed this reply.

    The reason for the 1200 minimum is to obtain nutrients which are usually lacking on a vlcd. It's really hard to plan a day under 1200 calories and not be short on vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, fat -- all of which are necessary.

    That being said, carrying too large of a deficit is usually unwise.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I'm 5'1 and 123 lbs, trying to get to 114. I told MyFitnessPal I wanted to lose 2lbs a week...

    You need a 1000 calorie/day deficit to lose 2 pounds a week. Given your already small size, your TDEE is not going to be much above that, unless you exercise like a fiend.

    Basically, the only way for you to lose 2 pounds a week is to literally starve yourself.
  • maggie16sweetxoxo
    maggie16sweetxoxo Posts: 314 Member
    Do not eat under 1200! Please don't do it! I've been down that road. Save yourself !
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Threads like these are exactly why MFP really needs to add notes in the weekly weight loss goal section.
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    thsi thread is ridiculous...

    "To lose a kilo a week you need to have a 7000 calorie deficit a week. "

    NOT TRUE AT ALL


    i also dont buy these figures of healthy weight loss rates... i can lose over a pound a week and keep my lean mass and i have less than 40 pounds of fat in total.... I dont have gifted genetics either, I'm typically overweight.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I agree with others that .5 of a pound a week is the best way to do it. You will be happy with the results. As you get closer to goal weight you may even only lose a pound a month and that's ok.
  • ni1966
    ni1966 Posts: 17
    Go to www.fat2fitradio.com and calculate what your maintenance calories would be for 114 and eat that. The weight will come off slowly but in a healthy, sustainable way.

    Sorry, if she eats at maintenance level, how would the weight go down if the calories are set to maintain weight? Just interested if I have missed something here :)

    By working out
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Of course you can lose 2lbs a week at your size. You've only got 9 lbs to goal. At 2lbs a week that's only 4.5 weeks. At your height 113 isn't necessarily unrealistic; heck a woman of your height, with a slight build, would still be healthy at 105. Contrary to popular belief, our bodies are built for feast AND famine. Undereating for a few weeks absolutely isn't likely to cause any damage. There are actual starving people who are able to go by on very little for months, and years.

    The question isn't "can" you lose at that rate, but:

    A. Where is that weight coming from? Mostly water, fat, or muscle?
    B. When the weight is gone, will you realistically be able to transition into a maintenance program that you can sustain.

    I've lost weight fast, and I've lost it slow. I've found that how you lose the weight is far, far less important than how you transition into a sustainable maintenance phase. That's your biggest concern right now, not whether you can actually lose 2lbs a week or not.
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    thsi thread is ridiculous...

    "To lose a kilo a week you need to have a 7000 calorie deficit a week. "

    NOT TRUE AT ALL

    How is this statement untrue? A pound of.fat equals 3500 calories. There are 2.2 pounds in a kilo I think. So It's actually over 7000...
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    Be patient. You only have nine pounds to lose. Even if you only lose 1 pound a week, that's just a little over 2 months, and you'll do that in a healthy way. 700 calories. AYKM?
  • Go4it1985
    Go4it1985 Posts: 169 Member
    It is possible but it will be a challenge. It most likely cannot be done through calorie cutting alone because you cannot go below 1200 calories otherwise your body will go into "starvation mode" and this will mess with your metabolism.

    You need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    Using both calorie & exercising you could:

    Calculate your Base Metabolic Rate or Total Daily Energy Expenditure Rate and then Cut 500 calories from that figure per day for a week (as long as you don't go under 1200 cals)
    Burn up another 3500 calories throughout the week from exercise (e.g. 7 gym seshes burning up 500 calories (a bit less than an hour at the gym depending on your chosen activity/ies)
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    It is possible but it will be a challenge. It most likely cannot be done through calorie cutting alone because you cannot go below 1200 calories otherwise your body will go into "starvation mode" and this will mess with your metabolism.

    A myth. That's not how "starvation mode" works.