Getting discouraged - please share how you lost weight(fat)

edwardkim85

Hi

I used to weigh 280 pounds(127kg) when I began weight loss and probably was close to 40% body fat(High 30s approx).

After 2.5 months I weigh 265 pounds(120kg) and had a significant body fat loss ( low 30s approx from pic comparison)

I, however, hear of obese people losing weight much faster than this. Some people drop 5 pound/week.

I tried keeping to 1700/cal plus exercises and have successfully done so a couple of weeks, however, my weight never dropped more than 2 pounds/week.

My question is for those who have dropped 5 pound + / week at around 270 pounds.

How many kcal and what type of food do you eat? I would assume you can't eat much more than 1kcal/day ontop of extended cardio? Is this correct?

edwardkim85

I know it's unhealthy to drop cals that low but I don't see any harm in doing it short term(2 weeks or so)

From my calculation, 3500kcal/fat . In order to lose 5 pounds/week I need to burn 17,500 kcal/week below my maintenance,

so 2,500kcal below maintenance.

As a 265 pound male, my maintenance should be(with moderate activity and exercise ) around 3,500. This means that in order to lose 5 pounds/week I have to eat 1 kcal/day.

Does this sound about right?

I want to hear your story of how it worked for you.

My diet plan currently consists of 6 days of decent high protein diet(1700 kcal net) and 1 cheat day(high carb day, about 3k - 3.5k kcal, which should be maintenance for me). I am losing maybe 1 pound/week at this rate.

KateK8LoseW8

Most people don't lose 5 pounds a week consistently. Usually at the beginning of weight loss, people drop a lot of water weight from cutting the junk in their diets and drop a dramatic amount, but it isn't true fat loss. Also, if you're like me, you might lose weight in stalls and whooshes. So I won't lose any weight for a few weeks, and then I suddenly lose 7 pounds over the next couple of weeks, then I stop losing again for a couple weeks, and then suddenly I lose 3 pounds the next week. Consistent 5 pounds per week weight loss is generally only possible if you are severely obese and under a medically supervised Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). VLCDs should NOT be attempted on your own, because under-eating is dangerous, and without a medical doctor to ensure you aren't killing yourself and a nutritionist to make sure you're getting adequate nutrition with your very few calories, you can very well end up with severe malnutrition symptoms. Do not do it on your own.

2 pounds a week is an excellent pace, faster than many people can accomplish, and you could probably get there by reigning in your cheat day. Once a week I have a "dirty day," where I stay under my calories, but let myself get those calories from fast food, restaurant food, and desserts instead of the usual. Maybe you can try that. Eat what you want, but budget for it.

I lost weight simply by calorie counting, both my intake and my output. I use a heart rate monitor to estimate my calorie burns through exercise, which I do 6 days a week, and I use this website to log everything I eat. I weigh all of my portions to ensure accuracy. I've lost 68 pounds in 7 months doing this, which averages out to a little over 2 pounds a week. I'm 100% sure I'll be at my goal weight before a year is up. A year is not that much of your life, and you can make amazing progress in a year's time losing weight at a sensible pace.

megsmom2

Slowly...by making consistent choices. I didn't gain weight all at once, no reason to assume it will (or SHOULD) come off quickly. Eating mostly healthy, but having a treat or two often---and refusing to feel guilty if I sometimes go off the rails. It really is about rethinking your relationship with food and with your body. I know. It can feel like a total slog through the muck if you're expecting quicker and easier...but the rewards are there, and you can learn to find pleasures in new things along the way. It really is simple...just not always easy. Hang in there. You CAN DO THIS!

geekyjock76

Edward, you should not attempt a VLCD to that degree, even short term, unless you are under strict medical supervision. I ran your numbers and you likely have an estimated 90 lbs of total fat mass and 170 lbs of lean mass at a hypothesized 35% body fat. If you are looking to lose a total of 60 to 100 lbs (depending on height), then a 1.5 lb to 2 lb weekly loss [initially] is realistic for you.

Let's say you want to reduce actual fat mass by 60 lbs, then the maximum deficit window whereby fat oxidation occurs will be approximately 2790 calories below TDEE (90 lbs of total fat mass x 31 calories). So if you need 3500 calories to maintain weight, fat mass will only be used as fuel by eating as little as 710 calories. Thus, if you eat 1 calorie a day, then 709 calories will come almost exclusively from loss of lean mass. Keep in mind that you likely will lose lean mass just by the large deficit alone, not including anything beyond the limit of energy transfer in fat stores.

Nachise

Edward, I don't know much about you except your starting weight and goals. You may want to get some help in setting some healthy goals, and I wish you the best of luck. I initially lost 10 lbs my very first week just by adhering to three meals a day and no snacking. The other 28 I have lost have been hard fought and slow.

What I have found out is that I have been on what I call an "even exchange" plan recently. For every pound of fat I have been losing, I have regained that pound as muscle. I've been on the longest plateau of my life, but I have dropped two jean sizes, almost a third, and my arms and torso are looking more lean and defined. I work out with an exercise physiologist and every couple of months or so, he will put me on his body impedance machine. My BMI has gone up 150 points, and I feel better. My fat to lean ratio is reversing.

Three times a week, I do high intensity interval training with some extra weight training, yoga once a week, and walk/hike as much as I can the remaining days. Counting solely on losing weight by cutting calories is not the healthiest way to go. It's a start, but not the entire journey. Good luck.

SLLRunner

Edward,

Some people lose weight quickly at first, and some don't. My beau did but it has slowed down significantly now.

Some people do very low calorie diets, including those protein shakes, and they lose quickly but then gain all or most of it back once they resume regular eating habits. This method is not recommended because VLCD can cause big problems later down the line.

If you establish a lifestyle of eating foods you like and at at a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

Edited to add: I'm sorry, I didn't finish my post. I lost weight by eating at a calorie deficit.

cafeaulait7

I'm going to be totally honest here I have never had a problem losing weight, not that I haven't allowed myself to get a bit chubby here and there So hearing from a lot of folks who have always had problems losing has been a bit eye-opening. I think I have more patience. The reason I can lose weight 'easily' is because I make it easier and am OK with it taking a fairly long time. I really think that's the biggest difference in the end.

I get impatient, too. It's part of the process because it takes so long! But I haven't had to change anything to the level that I'd eat 1000 calories a day or anything. I mean, that's torture! My work isn't nearly as hard. I'm lazy that way But if it's easier, it is more likely to stick. I couldn't take the torture route for a month, probably. I can take the easy road for a really long time, as long as I can keep that impatient nagging of my mind under control. That is the hard part. The actual changes aren't so awful if they aren't so huge, though! They become normal fairly easily and quickly, and then the rest is just waiting it out

Best of luck!

gman94568

For me, I try to eat 1700-1800 calories daily and do a cardio workout 4X weekly doing 60 minutes on an elliptical trainer resulting in an 1100 calories workout. I don't eat back my exercise calories. I have been losing about 3 lbs per week and expect that to slow as I lose weight and get in better shape.

Supertact

Why do you want to lose so fast?
The slower and more consistently you lose the better man.

edwardkim85

Hi everybody,

Thank you for your responses, it helps a great deal to get second, third, opinions etc.

I just wanted to know how others lost weight because I heard of many cases where some people's weight 'melted' off for the first couple months when they begin a diet and exercise regime.

Thanks!

Ed

MyJourney1960

Hi everybody,

Thank you for your responses, it helps a great deal to get second, third, opinions etc.

I just wanted to know how others lost weight because I heard of many cases where some people's weight 'melted' off for the first couple months when they begin a diet and exercise regime.

Thanks!

Ed

I think that what you've heard is how the weight "melted" off for the first 2-3 WEEKS, not months. and that happens usually becuase of a major change in intake (and usually exercise). it doesn't continue for months, and it shouldn't.

be patient, be consistent, and don't worry about "the others". it's better to go slowly and achieve long term results.