Help! Overwhelmed re: Metabolic slowing, Dieting, BMR, etc.

Brynich

Hi everyone. So, my background is that I am a 6' 0" male. I started dieting on Tuesday (started counting calories on Wednesday), and have been trying to read up as much information on weight loss everyday since Tuesday (when I joined). On Tuesday, I weighed 235 pounds. Today, I weigh 229 pounds (though from what I've read this is probably water weight as I have not done any exercise). I just did a whole lot of reading on ruining one's metabolism with VLCDs and I was wondering if it was safe to lose 2 lbs a week, without lowering my metabolic rate? According to the calculations by MFP, I would have to eat about 1600 calories per day, however my BMR is 2100 calories/day (TDEE is 2500-2700). So that's eating approximately 500 below my BMR. Would eating so low below my BMR slow my metabolism? Is losing 2 lbs a week risky/dangerous? Also, I hear that it takes 72 hours for any serious change to occur in metabolism, and despite my 1600 calories/day target, I haven't been eating that much (my food diary is open) due to not feeling that hungry for the past 72 hours, and it's been about 72 hours so I want to try to make a change today, before serious damage is done.

I was initially thinking of losing 2 lbs/week until I was in the overweight range (221 pounds) or until I was in the healthy weight range (184 pounds), and then readjusting to lose 1-1.5 lbs/wk thereafter. Do you think any of these plans is reasonable, or should I just readjust to 1-1.5 lbs/week from now (I really want to get out of the obese range quickly)?

At this point, I just really don't know what to do, so any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Francl27

It depends for everyone, but IMO 2 lbs a week is too aggressive when you don't have that much to lose. I'd go 1.5 lb max until overweight, then switch to 1 lb a week.

SideSteel

Given your stats I think you can safely lose up to about 2.5lbs/week in the beginning provided that:

1) Nutrient needs are met.
2) Gym performance is maintained.
3) You closely monitor dietary adherence/how you feel.

Finally, this will all depend on your total intake and what things you need to do with activity and diet in order to approach that value. I'd consider 2.5 to be reasonable depending on all these factors.


EDIT: Additionally, I think you're approaching this a bit incorrectly as far as assuming that you need to subtract 500 from your TDEE for each pound you want to lose. A more reasonable approach would be to set your intake around 20% below your TDEE, and monitor rate of loss and gym performance. If you land anywhere around the 1.5 - 2.5 mark, which you probably will by doing this, leave it there and see where it goes.

I would NOT calculate your TDEE at 2700 and then chop 1000 calories from it assuming that you need to do this to lose 2/week. The math usually won't work out that way due to massive amounts of estimation error in energy needs, energy intake, and energy output.

kgeyser

I took a look at your diary, and it looks incomplete. You need to log consistently and honestly to get anywhere when it comes to weight loss. It's hard for anyone to answer questions and help you if we can't see where the problem might be. Also, you say you're concerned about your metabolism at a 1600 calorie intake, yet you have two days logged where your calorie intake is 1000 calories or less.

Listen to what Sidesteel said about TDEE - 20%, and eat your calories.

WalkingAlong

I think your plan sounds fine. I would not worry about metabolic slowing as long as you're not in true VLCD territory, which is pretty much always considered to be under 1000 calories of food a day.

Brynich

I took a look at your diary, and it looks incomplete. You need to log consistently and honestly to get anywhere when it comes to weight loss. It's hard for anyone to answer questions and help you if we can't see where the problem might be. Also, you say you're concerned about your metabolism at a 1600 calorie intake, yet you have two days logged where your calorie intake is 1000 calories or less.

Listen to what Sidesteel said about TDEE - 20%, and eat your calories.

My diary isn't incomplete. That's literally all I've eaten, usually 2 meals per day.

Brynich

Given your stats I think you can safely lose up to about 2.5lbs/week in the beginning provided that:

1) Nutrient needs are met.
2) Gym performance is maintained.
3) You closely monitor dietary adherence/how you feel.

Finally, this will all depend on your total intake and what things you need to do with activity and diet in order to approach that value. I'd consider 2.5 to be reasonable depending on all these factors.


EDIT: Additionally, I think you're approaching this a bit incorrectly as far as assuming that you need to subtract 500 from your TDEE for each pound you want to lose. A more reasonable approach would be to set your intake around 20% below your TDEE, and monitor rate of loss and gym performance. If you land anywhere around the 1.5 - 2.5 mark, which you probably will by doing this, leave it there and see where it goes.

I would NOT calculate your TDEE at 2700 and then chop 1000 calories from it assuming that you need to do this to lose 2/week. The math usually won't work out that way due to massive amounts of estimation error in energy needs, energy intake, and energy output.

I don't go to the gym, as a typical day is pretty much from 7:00 am-7 pm so I have no time. Hence, my lifestyle right now could be described as sedentary I believe. Do you think this method of TDEE -20% would still work without the gym routine. On a side note, I was hopefully planning to start Focus T25 soon, if that could count as gym activity.

Brynich

It depends for everyone, but IMO 2 lbs a week is too aggressive when you don't have that much to lose. I'd go 1.5 lb max until overweight, then switch to 1 lb a week.

My goal weight is around 130 lbs, which would mean I have 100 pounds to lose. Or when you say I don't have that much to lose, are you referring until I reach the upper boundary of the healthy weight spectrum?

cardbucfan

No disrespect, but 130 lbs is too low for a 6'0 tall male. I'm a 5'9 female and my goal is 135 and that's very healthy looking for me. I have a son who is 6'2, very lean and he weighs 160 right now. Why do you feel you need to go that low?

egrusy

No disrespect, but 130 lbs is too low for a 6'0 tall male. I'm a 5'9 female and my goal is 135 and that's very healthy looking for me. I have a son who is 6'2, very lean and he weighs 160 right now. Why do you feel you need to go that low?

^^^Agree. I'm a 5'6" female and my goal weight is 130. Also curious about where you came up with 130. No disrespect intended, just honestly curious.

Brynich

I just set that at a goal because it was the lower end of the health spectrum for someone my height. There's no major reason as to why I set that number specifically. What do you propose as a reasonable goal weight?

Mr_Knight

Given your stats I think you can safely lose up to about 2.5lbs/week in the beginning provided that:

1) Nutrient needs are met.
2) Gym performance is maintained.
3) You closely monitor dietary adherence/how you feel.

I'd second that.

If you can't do the gym, that's cool, just bang out a bodyweight routine when you wake up. Pushups, squats, etc.

Brynich

Given your stats I think you can safely lose up to about 2.5lbs/week in the beginning provided that:

1) Nutrient needs are met.
2) Gym performance is maintained.
3) You closely monitor dietary adherence/how you feel.

I'd second that.

What about all of that minus the gym performance (due to lack of time)? Would that still be safe/reasonable?

Azdak

Hi everyone. So, my background is that I am a 6' 0" male. I started dieting on Tuesday (started counting calories on Wednesday), and have been trying to read up as much information on weight loss everyday since Tuesday (when I joined). On Tuesday, I weighed 235 pounds. Today, I weigh 229 pounds (though from what I've read this is probably water weight as I have not done any exercise). I just did a whole lot of reading on ruining one's metabolism with VLCDs and I was wondering if it was safe to lose 2 lbs a week, without lowering my metabolic rate? According to the calculations by MFP, I would have to eat about 1600 calories per day, however my BMR is 2100 calories/day (TDEE is 2500-2700). So that's eating approximately 500 below my BMR. Would eating so low below my BMR slow my metabolism? Is losing 2 lbs a week risky/dangerous? Also, I hear that it takes 72 hours for any serious change to occur in metabolism, and despite my 1600 calories/day target, I haven't been eating that much (my food diary is open) due to not feeling that hungry for the past 72 hours, and it's been about 72 hours so I want to try to make a change today, before serious damage is done.

I was initially thinking of losing 2 lbs/week until I was in the overweight range (221 pounds) or until I was in the healthy weight range (184 pounds), and then readjusting to lose 1-1.5 lbs/wk thereafter. Do you think any of these plans is reasonable, or should I just readjust to 1-1.5 lbs/week from now (I really want to get out of the obese range quickly)?

At this point, I just really don't know what to do, so any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Eat 1600 calories/day
Eat 1.5 g protein per kg body weight (or not)
If you do a high volume of exercise (e.g. burn > 800 calories in a workout, replace some of those calories afterwards to keep glycogen levels up.
Lift weights 2x/wk in a 5-10 RM range.
Be active in your daily activities.
Track your weight loss.

Seriously--don't overanalyze and overthink this. The chances of you "damaging your metabolism" are nonexistent under most circumstances. Your metabolic rate will likely decrease somewhat no matter what you do--that's part of weight loss and eating at a deficit-- but it will be transient and mitigated by your resistance training and protein intake.

Weight loss is not linear and it doesn' t occur on a fixed schedule--you may lose 3 lb one week and 1 the next. Seriously--if you are worried about "serious damage" to metabolism after 72 hours, you are going to drive yourself nuts.

Brynich

Hi everyone. So, my background is that I am a 6' 0" male. I started dieting on Tuesday (started counting calories on Wednesday), and have been trying to read up as much information on weight loss everyday since Tuesday (when I joined). On Tuesday, I weighed 235 pounds. Today, I weigh 229 pounds (though from what I've read this is probably water weight as I have not done any exercise). I just did a whole lot of reading on ruining one's metabolism with VLCDs and I was wondering if it was safe to lose 2 lbs a week, without lowering my metabolic rate? According to the calculations by MFP, I would have to eat about 1600 calories per day, however my BMR is 2100 calories/day (TDEE is 2500-2700). So that's eating approximately 500 below my BMR. Would eating so low below my BMR slow my metabolism? Is losing 2 lbs a week risky/dangerous? Also, I hear that it takes 72 hours for any serious change to occur in metabolism, and despite my 1600 calories/day target, I haven't been eating that much (my food diary is open) due to not feeling that hungry for the past 72 hours, and it's been about 72 hours so I want to try to make a change today, before serious damage is done.

I was initially thinking of losing 2 lbs/week until I was in the overweight range (221 pounds) or until I was in the healthy weight range (184 pounds), and then readjusting to lose 1-1.5 lbs/wk thereafter. Do you think any of these plans is reasonable, or should I just readjust to 1-1.5 lbs/week from now (I really want to get out of the obese range quickly)?

At this point, I just really don't know what to do, so any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Eat 1600 calories/day
Eat 1.5 g protein per kg body weight (or not)
If you do a high volume of exercise (e.g. burn > 800 calories in a workout, replace some of those calories afterwards to keep glycogen levels up.
Lift weights 2x/wk in a 5-10 RM range.
Be active in your daily activities.
Track your weight loss.

Seriously--don't overanalyze and overthink this. The chances of you "damaging your metabolism" are nonexistent under most circumstances. Your metabolic rate will likely decrease somewhat no matter what you do--that's part of weight loss and eating at a deficit-- but it will be transient and mitigated by your resistance training and protein intake.

Weight loss is not linear and it doesn' t occur on a fixed schedule--you may lose 3 lb one week and 1 the next. Seriously--if you are worried about "serious damage" to metabolism after 72 hours, you are going to drive yourself nuts.

What is RM, and not many calories are burned in weight-lifting (thus I don't need to eat them back), right?

kgeyser

I took a look at your diary, and it looks incomplete. You need to log consistently and honestly to get anywhere when it comes to weight loss. It's hard for anyone to answer questions and help you if we can't see where the problem might be. Also, you say you're concerned about your metabolism at a 1600 calorie intake, yet you have two days logged where your calorie intake is 1000 calories or less.

Listen to what Sidesteel said about TDEE - 20%, and eat your calories.

My diary isn't incomplete. That's literally all I've eaten, usually 2 meals per day.

My goodness, you're 6 feet tall, you need to eat! You'll be able to lose the weight at a much higher calorie intake. If you continue eating like that you put yourself at risk for all kinds of issues.

chrishaga

Looking at your Diary for the past week or so, here's my input:

1.) For the first month: track everything you eat. Everything. Even if you only eat one almond, put that ****er in your diary. If you binge: log it. If you starve, log it.

2.) Track your weight at the same time every day under the same circumstances. Record it.

3.) After 3-4 weeks go by, put those numbers in a spreadsheet like googledocs and calculate what your daily caloric intake should be. If you want to lose weight, subtract 500-1000 calories from your daily needs.

4.) Try being mindful in the hours after a meal how your body "feels". Set aside time for this. Tweak your Protein/Carb/Fat ratios based on this.