How much to lose per week?

KayBallin

Hi all,

I'm not sure how much I should try to lose per week. I just adjusted my weight loss projections to 1lb per week since I was still hungry on 1200 calories a day this week and last week (1.5 lb per week projection).

My days are relatively sedentary, with the exception of me walking to and from the train station. I work in an office. However, I do exercise 6 days a week for a minimum of 40 minutes. I'm 5'1'' and 139lbs. I only want to lose about 20-25 pounds. Will a 1 lb per week plan keep my body out of starvation mode? I've been getting that message on MFP nearly everyday. My diary is open. Any advice would be appreciated! The TDEE and BMR lingo has me really confused. Thank you!

Iknowsaur

With so little to lose, even 1 pound a week may not be reasonable for you.
Try setting it to .5, and see how you feel.
The closer you are to your goal weight the longer it takes to lose each pound.

beebeeto

I want to lose the same amount of weight (or a bit more) and ask myself the same.
If you want add me as a friend

auntiebabs

When I was first here I couldn't hit 1200 cal for more than 2 or 3 days. I was starving and cranky, but on the days I went over I felt awful.

Then one day I realized that even a BAD DAY on MFP I was still doing better than I was before MFP.
then i did some math and came up with a range. So i wouldn't have to hit 1 number every day.
I was happier once I gave myself a range:

ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.

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(SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

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As long as I stayed under the TOP OF RANGE I should still lose, slower, but still lose.
As long as I stayed under the SAFETY VALVE I shouldn't gain.

When I was 5lbs from my goal, instead of letting MFP take away calories... I added 100 calories back for each pound I lost so that by the time I hit my goal I would be eating at maintenance.

At first this might seem like a down side.... you'll lose pretty slowly.
THE UPSIDE IS.... you'll lose pretty slowly
REMEMBER: The slower you lose the more likely you are to keep off the weight. It's the long haul that is important. It's not the first one to the finish line that wins. It's the one who can be the healthiest the longest. YOLO.... you only get one body, no trade-ins. I want it to feel good, so I can go out and have fun for as long as I can.

lrmall01

I notice you aren't eating all of your exercise calories back. Perhaps try doing that for another week before you change anything.

It doesn't have to be exactly 0 calories left but some days over the past week you still had hundreds of calories left.

KayBallin

Thanks for the suggestions!