Should I adjust my weight loss rate/ expectation?

SashleyA

At what point should I change my expectation of the rate that I lose weight? I am 5'2" and am trying to get to 135. I am currently 148 and have dropped just under 10 lbs so far at a rate of about 1 lb per week, but seems to have slowed down a bit the past couple of weeks (which, to be very fair, was not helped by holiday related eating and drinking). Should I adjust my expectation of how fast I lose the rest to something closer to .5 lb a week or should I continue working towards a 1lb per week goal for a while longer?

Stage14

As you lose weight, your weight loss will slow. I don't know your calorie intake, but you can always decrease that to get back to an average of 1lb a week. However, I wouldn't worry about it unless/until you have several weeks of stalled/slower weight loss that don't include holiday indulgences. Weight loss isn't linear, and it's possible to go a couple of weeks losing little or nothing and then drop a larger amount than normal "all at once".

SashleyA

Thanks! I think I just needed a bit of reassurance! I'm not going to cut my calories, since I'm pretty much as low as I have any desire to go.

Siansonea

As you lose weight, your weight loss will slow. I don't know your calorie intake, but you can always decrease that to get back to an average of 1lb a week. However, I wouldn't worry about it unless/until you have several weeks of stalled/slower weight loss that don't include holiday indulgences. Weight loss isn't linear, and it's possible to go a couple of weeks losing little or nothing and then drop a larger amount than normal "all at once".

Maybe if you start out very obese, this is true, but if you're going from 158 to 135, there's no reason to expect a noticeable slowdown in weight loss rate, if you're staying within a proper calorie deficit target. Most people's weight loss "slows" as they get closer to their goal because they don't adjust their target number based on their new weight, or because they become less disciplined about staying at their target number (as the OP has admitted is true in her case).

So to answer the OP's question with a question: Do you want to adjust your weight loss rate expectation? Because there's no right or wrong answer. You can even choose to stop losing weight for a while, and maintain your current weight, then go back to losing when you feel like it. It's all about priorities, balancing your desire to have a life with your desire to attain your goal weight. Sometimes having a life SHOULD be the priority. You don't get a gold star for losing weight quickly. I know that's sacrilegious to say around here, but when we're talking about a lifelong change in our attitudes toward food, perhaps a gentler approach is more sustainable than a hardcore do-or-die all-or-nothing approach.

Stage14

As you lose weight, your weight loss will slow. I don't know your calorie intake, but you can always decrease that to get back to an average of 1lb a week. However, I wouldn't worry about it unless/until you have several weeks of stalled/slower weight loss that don't include holiday indulgences. Weight loss isn't linear, and it's possible to go a couple of weeks losing little or nothing and then drop a larger amount than normal "all at once".

Maybe if you start out very obese, this is true, but if you're going from 158 to 135, there's no reason to expect a noticeable slowdown in weight loss rate, if you're staying within a proper calorie deficit target. Most people's weight loss "slows" as they get closer to their goal because they don't adjust their target number based on their new weight, or because they become less disciplined about staying at their target number (as the OP has admitted is true in her case).

So to answer the OP's question with a question: Do you want to adjust your weight loss rate expectation? Because there's no right or wrong answer. You can even choose to stop losing weight for a while, and maintain your current weight, then go back to losing when you feel like it. It's all about priorities, balancing your desire to have a life with your desire to attain your goal weight. Sometimes having a life SHOULD be the priority. You don't get a gold star for losing weight quickly. I know that's sacrilegious to say around here, but when we're talking about a lifelong change in our attitudes toward food, perhaps a gentler approach is more sustainable than a hardcore do-or-die all-or-nothing approach.

Wouldn't adjusting your numbers based on your new weight be exactly what I was suggesting, decreasing your caloric intake once you weigh less? I was referring to weight loss rate on the same eating plan.