Vitamin overdose/Losing more than 2 pounds a week

Hafose

Hi Guys!]

I have a problem. I started eating healthy and I am a little concerned about my vitamin intake. eating more vegetables added more vitamins to my diet. I usually take multivitamin supplemens, but I have noticed that I am actually overdosing Vitamin C. Should I stop taking vitamin supplements? Even tho it does support my iron and calcium. I know that vitamin C is water soluble and it doesnt stay too long in the body!

Side question:
Is it OK if I lose more than 2 pounds a week even tho I am eating 1200 Calories (Recommended by MFP) and just do some long walking EVERYDAY! I am all Ok with losing 2 pounds a week, but I am losing 3 pounds instead. Is that bad?

navygrrl

If you're really worried about the Vitamin C, try just taking the specific supplements about which you are worried (iron and calcium, although make sure you are taking Vitamin D with the calcium). And unless you are popping those 1000mg Vitamin C pills, I think you should be fine with the multivitamin.

As for your weight loss, since you are just beginning, you will lose more since most of that will be water weight. Also, from looking at your profile, it seems like 2lbs per week is too aggressive. I'm sure someone will link the recommended weight loss guidelines. MFP likes to recommend 1200 calories per day for women.

TheNewPriceIsLoading

OP, I started off with Weight Watchers and following the plan to a T I lost between 3-6lbs a week for the first month.. Then slowed gradually to 1-3lbs for the subsequent months. Now that I am done with weight watchers I am following my stats on MFP as it's free and doesn't cost $50/month like WW. But I would say as long as you aren't going double digits on weight lost in a week, you're fine. And as the poster above me said, as long as you aren't taking 1,000mg Vit C you're fine.

Hafose

Thank you for the respond! Why is it too aggressive to lose 2 pounds? I am not trying to lose more 2 pounds, and I dont want to lose fat not water. How can I do that?

tycho_mx

Vitamins are roughly divided in two camps: hydrosoluble and liposoluble.

The former can be dissolved in water. As a result, if you take an excess you simply pee them off. They are of very little concern. The others can be problematic (like vitamin A hypervitaminosis for those that eats lots of liver, like the inuit).

If you had lemonade and a guava every day, you'd exceed the daily intake. No problem.

Philp0718

MFP recommends 1200 calories a day as a limit for women because simply, 1200 is the minimum amount women, on average, can consume daily without creating health issues. Everybody is different. You should find your BMR and increase the calorie limit for yourself on MFP according to your goals. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

As for the excess vitamin C, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Any extra vitamin C will simply be flushed out of your body in your urine, it is unlikely to be harmful.

Iron_Feline

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

This is an excellent link to help you get started.

2lbs is too aggressive as you don't have enough fat on your body to lose 2lbs a week - more likely you will lose some fat and some muscle, something you want to avoid at all costs.

from this link

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

hope this helps - it's a fair bit of reading but very worth it :flowerforyou:

_HeartsOnFire_

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

This is an excellent link to help you get started.

2lbs is too aggressive as you don't have enough fat on your body to lose 2lbs a week - more likely you will lose some fat and some muscle, something you want to avoid at all costs.

from this link

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

hope this helps - it's a fair bit of reading but very worth it :flowerforyou:

This!

Erika44095

I agree with prior poster that I don't think 3 pounds is anything to worry about. You are making positive changes in your life and seeing positive results. Depending on how big those changes are, you will see results bigger then 2 pounds in a week. I don't think 3 pounds a week is anything to be concerned about. I'm not going to comment about the vitamins issue as I don't know anything about that kind of stuff. Keep up the great job you are doing with your weight loss.

navygrrl

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

This is an excellent link to help you get started.

2lbs is too aggressive as you don't have enough fat on your body to lose 2lbs a week - more likely you will lose some fat and some muscle, something you want to avoid at all costs.

from this link

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:
More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

hope this helps - it's a fair bit of reading but very worth it :flowerforyou:

Yay! I was hoping someone would post those links, and there you have! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

bigblondewolf

Actually, you can overdose on vitamins (granted you would have to be consuming pretty high levels of each to do so). For example, when you take vitamin C in extreme excess it can cause nausea and stomach cramping as your body is unable to process the extra vitamin quickly enough. Most excesses in vitamins are simply uncomfortable, however some can cause a lot more serious problems than nausea. An excess of minerals like selenium and iron could lead to hair loss and even mild nerve damage. Again, you're not going to overdose on eating healthy foods alone, but I would watch how many supplements you start introducing into your daily routine. I'd suggest monitoring your vitamin levels you're getting through foods and then only taking supplements where you find your natural diet is not providing you enough.

QuietBloom

Vitamins are roughly divided in two camps: hydrosoluble and liposoluble.

The former can be dissolved in water. As a result, if you take an excess you simply pee them off. They are of very little concern. The others can be problematic (like vitamin A hypervitaminosis for those that eats lots of liver, like the inuit).

If you had lemonade and a guava every day, you'd exceed the daily intake. No problem.

^This.
Depending on how much you have to lose, 3 lbs a week can be fine in the beginning.

Fuzzipeg

If you loose at a rate in excess of 2 lb a week the "consensus" in the medical/health world is that you risk loosing muscle as well as fat. The objective is to loose the fat part of the weight without damaging the muscle mass. Also because it usually takes a long time to gain weight it will probably take a long time to take off. Sometimes when you start a new eating regime, choosing to eat differently to usual to become what ever your vision of Healthy is, different things to different people, there can be a tendency to loose more because you are not having so much salt, colas, pre packaged meals and the like. Diet only means "What you eat" not necessarily following any weight loss plan. It is possible for a larger person to possibly loose for a l more weight for a little while, because there is more to take control of, then as you come closer to were your body likes/wants to be you will start to loose more slowly. Sometimes this can happen because you need fewer calories at a lower weight. Disappointing but true. MFP used to recalculate???not sure it does now but that might just be me. For a person without health issues usually there is not benefit from having extra vitamins and minerals because your usual needs are met by the healthy food you eat, and hopefully enjoy. The press give us not only a push to a poor self image but also damaging ideas on weight loss and how much loss is "good". We meet the world face on not airbrushed.

So much about eating healthily is about finding out what is right for yourself. First make sure you are registered at the right activity level. I am retired and have been virtually housebound so my activity is low, you say you walk regularly this could put you up some activity levels and calories or you could choose to "eat back" the calories you have used up by walking or what ever, where this is extra movement. Activity levels are subjective conclusion. Consider what you regularly do and you may well find you are active or very active.

Hope this helps