does anyone else only go for half a pound a week ?

Brandonalex15

when i use to shoot for 1 lb i would notice drastic results at the end of the week . i fear that i will just look like im maintaining if i aim for only half a lb . will i notice any changes at the end of the week if i shoot for a half lb a week . how soon . does anybody else only go for .5 of a lb a week ?? i have 30 lbs of fat on me . im 166 18%bf

vismal

The leaner you get the bigger difference each pound makes. At the start of a cut I wouldn't visibly notice half a lb of weight loss. By the end of a cut its extremely noticeable.

missiontofitness

I do, and I've had consistent results. I've been at it for two months, and have lost 12lbs through healthy netting and exercise. I've lost 3x what I've set out to lose so far, but it's also still early in the game for me. But I prefer .5lb/week because my calorie allotment is higher, and it allows me a slow and steady loss that has translated into a complete 180 on my mindset towards food and exercise. I feel like the lowest loss settings allow you to build a routine and create a new habit better.

terbusha

Progress is progress, no matter how small. If you want to drop 0.5 lb/week, that's great. A slow pace is a great way to ensure that you won't be depriving yourself. You'll see changes. You just have to stay consistent.

Allan

DavidSTC

Yes, I'm shooting for .5 lbs. as I approach my fitness goal. Thing is, I almost always lose more weight than I expect each week. I've increased my calorie intake gradually to try to reach that .5-pound goal. My main goal, however, is to retain as much muscle as possible as I shed the remaining excess weight. To do that, I strength train and get plenty of protein. I still do cardio, but not as much as I used to. I just try to stay active in general, which means if I can be doing something instead of sitting down, I get up and do it.

DWBalboa

Any loss is a good thing; just go with what works for you. It may take a little longer to reach your goal but each half of a pound is moving in the right direction.

mymodernbabylon

Yes. I only have 20-25 lbs to lose. And honestly, I want to lose weight but still have a life. I'm not trying to 'diet' but figure out how to eat the way I want to for the rest of my life. So a slow loss of 1/2 lb is good for me. I've been doing this since November and have lost 14 lbs. Some weeks I don't lose, other weeks I do...but it's averaging out to about 1/2 lb a week.

lthames0810

I switched from two pounds per week to a half pound per week early on in this process because I simply needed more to eat. Two would have been nice but I couldn't stick to the 1200 calories it supposedly would have required. I'm much happier now and I just take an "oh well" attitude to the slow process.

One thing, though...

Your deficit for a half pound a week weight loss is pretty slim. One bad day is all it takes for me to be in the maintenance zone instead of the losing zone.

nosebag1212

no, even 1 lb per week is too slow for me, 0.5 is just slow as ****

martinel2099

It took time to pack on the pounds and it'll take time to take them off. My goal is 1lb per week and I'm honestly ok even if I only net .5 lbs per week so long as it's a downward trend. I'm 28 years old and have the rest of my life to lose weight, I want this to be obtainable and to learn habits that'll keep the weight off.

starling01

I've been losing weight at roughly .5 lb a week since last July. I've lost only 50 pounds, but it's noticeable, and to drop weight more rapidly I'd have to drop my calorie intake below 1200. I'm uncomfortable and blue and sick of baked chicken breasts and steamed broccoli as it is, so just no. You have to be patient. It helps me to keep meticulous track of my weight so when I'm discouraged, I can look back and see how long it took to get past a certain number, and to remind myself that I did get past it.

rbiss

Not currently, but the closer I get to my goal, I will definitely have my target set at 0.5lb per week. You don't want to starve yourself if you don't have alot to loose.

ItsCasey

You might not notice half a pound every week, but after a month, you'll notice 2 lbs of fat loss.

ETA: I started my first cut since December two weeks ago. I was reversing for a while and then at maintenance for 6 weeks. I've lost a pound, and I can see an obvious difference in my abs.

sbarella

I do, and I've had consistent results. I've been at it for two months, and have lost 12lbs through healthy netting and exercise. I've lost 3x what I've set out to lose so far, but it's also still early in the game for me. But I prefer .5lb/week because my calorie allotment is higher, and it allows me a slow and steady loss that has translated into a complete 180 on my mindset towards food and exercise. I feel like the lowest loss settings allow you to build a routine and create a new habit better.

Same here.

ChristinWrites

I am doing half pound per week and focusing more on exercise/strength this time. I want to lose the fat but I also want to maintain and build some muscle and be stronger. I lost a lot of weight once before - a pound to two pounds per week and at the end I just looked like a smaller flabby person. I've heard that losing slowly makes maintenance easier and taking it slow also gives me time to address more important issues - like the emotional/mental issues behind why I overate etc. I also love to cook and I am not willing to go down to tiny amounts of calories to get where I want to be. Slow and steady and I've noticed a much, much bigger difference this time in how I feel about the process. I don't feel deprived, I am slimming down nicely even with a modest weight loss - probably due to all the exercise. Last time I did very little exercise and just didn't feel as energetic and good overall as I do now. I was obsessive and cranky - this time I'm laid back, more dedicated and just in a better place and I credit slow loss and lots of exercise with that.

kgeyser

I'm going to be transitioning to 1/2 lb per week soon, and like you, I'm a little apprehensive. But I'm getting close to goal, and at this point it is all about fat loss. I've been working really hard over the last six months, have improved all my lifts, and am starting to see some definition. Fast weight loss isn't worth losing all the beautiful muscle I've worked so hard for. I could lose faster, but I'd end up looking like ****. So even slower weight loss it is.

likitisplit

I find a half pound a week is easier to maintain over time - I'm not hungry except right before meals, etc. It feels like the fat just melts off, rather than actively dieting. Being fit is a long term strategy. It need not be a hard one.

likitisplit

when i use to shoot for 1 lb i would notice drastic results at the end of the week . i fear that i will just look like im maintaining if i aim for only half a lb . will i notice any changes at the end of the week if i shoot for a half lb a week . how soon . does anybody else only go for .5 of a lb a week ?? i have 30 lbs of fat on me . im 166 18%bf

You are also a 20 year old male. If I were a 20 year old male, I'd rock the half pound a week and hit the weights hard.

PantherPride833

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

likitisplit

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

PantherPride833

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

likitisplit

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

Two weeks could be water weight. I'd wait it out through one period cycle. Just keep doing what you're doing and trust the process.

Also, are you tracking everything and weighing your food. Especially when you are at that strong of a deficit with that little to lose, it's easy to mis-estimate, eat without tracking and/or binge. Essentially, your body is fighting back to get the food it needs and deserves. The end result can be eating at maintenance or above without realizing it.

deksgrl

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

Do you use a food scale and weigh/measure everything? Maintaining at 1200 doesn't seem likely.

PantherPride833

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

Two weeks could be water weight. I'd wait it out through one period cycle. Just keep doing what you're doing and trust the process.

Also, are you tracking everything and weighing your food. Especially when you are at that strong of a deficit with that little to lose, it's easy to mis-estimate, eat without tracking and/or binge. Essentially, your body is fighting back to get the food it needs and deserves. The end result can be eating at maintenance or above without realizing it.

Yeah I measure my portions and weigh my food. Is it possible I need to up my calorie intake more.
Like maybe my body is storing it, because even with 1200, I burn about 300+ a day from cardio.
I'm going to weight it out like you said though.

PantherPride833

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

Do you use a food scale and weigh/measure everything? Maintaining at 1200 doesn't seem likely.

Yeah I measure with measuring cups and weigh. But I do have a net of 900 due to 300 cals I burn from cardio.
Is my calorie intake too little? I know that can hurt as well after while.

likitisplit

Wondering if anyone has advice on breaking through plateaus. I tried switching up exercises as well. I do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Should I up my cardio?

I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs.

How long have you been on a plateau? Are you maintaining, gaining or losing less than you would like?

What is your goal weight? How much are you set to lose?

I have been on it for about 2 weeks when before I was losing .5 lbs or more a week.
I'm maintaining right now and I eat the least amount of calories that I can eat a day, 1200.
I want to get down to what I was years ago, which was 125 lbs.

Do you use a food scale and weigh/measure everything? Maintaining at 1200 doesn't seem likely.

Yeah I measure with measuring cups and weigh. But I do have a net of 900 due to 300 cals I burn from cardio.
Is my calorie intake too little? I know that can hurt as well after while.

Don't net 900 calories. Eat what MFP gives you. Accurately track your food and exercise. Be patient.

Also, don't freak out if you gain a bit when you start netting 1200 again. That's your muscles storing energy and it means that you'll get more out of your workouts. It's not fat.

newfie026

My trick is to keep it at a pound a week and fix my exercise goals to a strict minimum. I know I'll do more, but if I don't, it's ok. I'm almost at my goal, so I'm getting rid of flab by circuit training and jog/walking. I still lose a little over a pound every couple of weeks or so, so I'm happy with that. I rarely eat only 1200 calories a day. I eat back my exercise calories and sometimes a bit more, My goal is to get what I'm supposed to get in my body in it and to heck with the rest..

jhinds88

I'm currently aiming for anything between .5 and 1lb a week. Any more than that for me and I'm worried about tipping into muscle loss. As for the bigger picture, weight loss is weight loss, if you're seeing a downward trend in your weight, you're doing something right keep it going!

danimalkeys

My goal is .5lb a week, but it's generally more like .5lb every 2-3 weeks. I'm within a couple lbs of my goal weight.