Suspiciously Easy?

baby_bokchoy

So I'm halfway (almost) through my third week of very careful calorie counting, and I've already lost 10 pounds. I can feel a difference in my body. I posted recently if it was okay that I'm eating less than my goal calorie amount per day, around 1000 calories, and the consensus was that it was fine. But I've been reading about fast weight loss and the propensity to gain it all back, and I'm also not feeling really hungry like, knowing me, I would expect, and I'm finding this kind of easy? Maybe I'm just on an initial success high. Am I likely to hit a plateau soon? Or gain it all back? Can anyone "weigh" (haha) in on this?

AsaThorsWoman

Likely it will get harder later... but for now... ride your momentum!

Don't slow down now because it's going to get harder later.

It's going to get harder later either way.

Good luck!

baby_bokchoy

Likely it will get harder later... but for now... ride your momentum!

Don't slow down now because it's going to get harder later.

It's going to get harder later either way.

Good luck!

Hmmm, I figured as much. Thanks!

MB_Positif

This is easy if you keep it simple.

I'd recommend eating a bit more though. 1,000 really isn't enough.

stumblinthrulife

It really is this simple. But I second the sentiment that you should eat more. I wouldn't want to maintain that deficit long term. Eat at a 500 Cal a day deficit for steady, sustainable weight loss while minimizing the chances of a crash and burn binge session or worse still just falling off the wagon altogether.

BramageOMG

This is my first time tracking what I eat. HOLY CRAP, I had no idea how many calories I could devour in a day. All he little stuff adds up fast. Once I got an idea of what a normal day should look like, I am finding it easier to make the right choice knowing the consequences. I guess the answer to your question depends: Is this a short term goal to lose some weight or a lifestyle change that is sustainable. I am shooting for the later.

Tomorrow my fridge gets an overhaul. I have a LOT of things in there I simply will never use now that I know what the label says. (Sauces, salad dressings, ect)

Like you, I am coming 800-1000 below my target every day, and although it is a drastic change, It's not that bad. Im finding some good new food along the way too.

vismal

Calorie counting is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. You can even be pretty darn accurate if you weigh all your food. 1000 calories a day however is not the best idea. While you may feel fine now, and you aren't really doing anything dangerous, you will eventually feel the effects of the very low calorie diet. Your results might be faster at first but 1 of 2 things generally happen to people who go very low on calories. The first is that you might eventually binge. Most people follow a binge with even more low calories and what I call "punishment cardio". This then leads to more binging and a vicious cycle occurs. If you don't binge you will likely end up stalling on your weight loss. At this point you are kind of stuck. You have left yourself no room to lower calories. Both these scenarios tend to lead to frustration, and ultimately giving up. This is why lots of people who use extreme measures to lose weight don't keep it off. Unless someone is obese I usually recommend they lose weight eating as much as they can. I know I can lose weight at 2000 calories. I have the will power to eat 2000 calories. I can still lose weight at 2500 calories. Sure it will be slower, but it will also be easier in the long run. Plus I will be less likely to binge, and if weight loss stalls, I have wiggle room.

baby_bokchoy

I might try to eat 1200 some days, just to mix it up a bit, or if I actually am hungry, but at the moment, eating 1000 doesn't feel restrictive, and I just don't feel hungry for any more calories at the end of the day. I agree that it seems low, but I also think listening to my body, and eating only when and as much as I am hungry for is a good idea. Who knows, though, maybe next week will be a radically different experience. Thanks for the advice!

vismal

I might try to eat 1200 some days, just to mix it up a bit, or if I actually am hungry, but at the moment, eating 1000 doesn't feel restrictive, and I just don't feel hungry for any more calories at the end of the day. I agree that it seems low, but I also think listening to my body, and eating only when and as much as I am hungry for is a good idea. Who knows, though, maybe next week will be a radically different experience. Thanks for the advice!

Again, I just worry that if you stall on your weight loss then you'll effectively be screwed. You can't go and eat 800 calories... Also at only 1000 calories I would also worry that you are not getting in enough protein and fats. How many grams of protein and fat are you getting on average?

baby_bokchoy

Unless someone is obese I usually recommend they lose weight eating as much as they can. I know I can lose weight at 2000 calories. I have the will power to eat 2000 calories. I can still lose weight at 2500 calories. Sure it will be slower, but it will also be easier in the long run. Plus I will be less likely to binge, and if weight loss stalls, I have wiggle room.

I'm not obese, but my first goal is 25 pounds, which looks like it might happen quickly, and my ultimate goal is 50 pounds, which I realize might take a long while. If I were to continue as I am until I've lost 25, and then gradually switch to the recommended calories, would I gain weight at first and then lose it, or what?

marieamethyst

I've been doing 1200 since last August, with some breaks where I maintained in between, and I still find it rather easy to do. But I don't beat myself up on the days where I go over my limit; instead I focus on balancing it out with a lighter day or more exercise. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: I've only had one week where I stayed the same weight, otherwise a pound+ lost a week is the normal for me, even at a healthy weight now. No stalling, and I haven't gained anything back, even when I took my breaks and didn't count calories.

baby_bokchoy

Again, I just worry that if you stall on your weight loss then you'll effectively be screwed. You can't go and eat 800 calories... Also at only 1000 calories I would also worry that you are not getting in enough protein and fats. How many grams of protein and fat are you getting on average?

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

vismal

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

30-40 grams of protein is way to low. When you do not get in adequate protein you run the risk of some of your weight loss being lean mass rather than fat. This is also a concern if you don't do some kind of weight lifting in your routine. You say you are hitting your fat goals but what is your goal? You may also not be getting in enough fat every day. Fat is important and contrary to popular belief is not what makes you fat.

baby_bokchoy

I've been doing 1200 since last August, with some breaks where I maintained in between, and I still find it rather easy to do. But I don't beat myself up on the days where I go over my limit; instead I focus on balancing it out with a lighter day or more exercise. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: I've only had one week where I stayed the same weight, otherwise a pound+ lost a week is the normal for me, even at a healthy weight now. No stalling, and I haven't gained anything back, even when I took my breaks and didn't count calories.

That's good to hear! And well done. I'm thinking, from all these replies, that I should up my intake to 1200 a day, rather than 1000.

MississippiMama87

You can shake up a stall by changing up your workout routine instead of just cutting more calories. Just burn more instead of eating less.

I doubt any kind of weight gain would show up if you bumped up your cals a little. You would probably just lose more slowly.

baby_bokchoy

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

30-40 grams of protein is way to low. When you do not get in adequate protein you run the risk of some of your weight loss being lean mass rather than fat. This is also a concern if you don't do some kind of weight lifting in your routine. You say you are hitting your fat goals but what is your goal? You may also not be getting in enough fat every day. Fat is important and contrary to popular belief is not what makes you fat.

Yeah, I think I'm getting about half the protein I need, so I can definitely up that. And the fat goal is just what it says on my MFP thing, which is about 50, depending on how much activity I do.

williams969

Again, I just worry that if you stall on your weight loss then you'll effectively be screwed. You can't go and eat 800 calories... Also at only 1000 calories I would also worry that you are not getting in enough protein and fats. How many grams of protein and fat are you getting on average?

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

That's not very much protein at all. I use IIFYM.com to sort out my macros. Typically, for weight loss, you're going to need ~.8-1g/protein per 1lb/lean body mass. Now, you'd need to know your approx. BF% for that, but even if you're not sure, typically a women's range is somewhere around 75-120+g/protein a day. It's not just to preserve as much muscle as possible. Hair loss and nail thinning/breakage can happen with inadequate protein intake.

bajoyba

Again, I just worry that if you stall on your weight loss then you'll effectively be screwed. You can't go and eat 800 calories... Also at only 1000 calories I would also worry that you are not getting in enough protein and fats. How many grams of protein and fat are you getting on average?

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

30-40 grams of protein is pretty low. What are your micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) like? The biggest issue with eating a very low calorie diet, aside from not giving your body enough energy, is falling short of your body's nutritional needs. It just becomes very difficult to keep those nutrients at healthy levels with so few calories to work with.

vismal

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

30-40 grams of protein is way to low. When you do not get in adequate protein you run the risk of some of your weight loss being lean mass rather than fat. This is also a concern if you don't do some kind of weight lifting in your routine. You say you are hitting your fat goals but what is your goal? You may also not be getting in enough fat every day. Fat is important and contrary to popular belief is not what makes you fat.

Yeah, I think I'm getting about half the protein I need, so I can definitely up that. And the fat goal is just what it says on my MFP thing, which is about 50, depending on how much activity I do.

50 fat seems reasonable but you really need more protein. 0.8 grams per lb is a decent amount for most people.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Again, I just worry that if you stall on your weight loss then you'll effectively be screwed. You can't go and eat 800 calories... Also at only 1000 calories I would also worry that you are not getting in enough protein and fats. How many grams of protein and fat are you getting on average?

I'm getting about 30-40 grams of protein a day, and I've been meeting my fat goal almost perfectly most days.

That's not very much protein at all. I use IIFYM.com to sort out my macros. Typically, for weight loss, you're going to need ~.8-1g/protein per 1lb/lean body mass. Now, you'd need to know your approx. BF% for that, but even if you're not sure, typically a women's range is somewhere around 75-120+g/protein a day. It's not just to preserve as much muscle as possible. Hair loss and nail thinning/breakage can happen with inadequate protein intake.

Yep. Not to mention many people (myself included) who don't eat enough protein and strength train arrive at their goal weight and are unhappy with the results. I've spent more than a year trying to build back the muscle that I lost and I'm not there yet.

apparations

I've been doing 1200 since last August, with some breaks where I maintained in between, and I still find it rather easy to do. But I don't beat myself up on the days where I go over my limit; instead I focus on balancing it out with a lighter day or more exercise. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: I've only had one week where I stayed the same weight, otherwise a pound+ lost a week is the normal for me, even at a healthy weight now. No stalling, and I haven't gained anything back, even when I took my breaks and didn't count calories.

This is quite helpful to me as well as it seems we are at similar weights and goals, so thank you. I am also surprised at how easy it can be, but it also makes me afraid my loss will slow soon. Good to know sticking with it means continuing with steady loss.

darkguardian419

I had the same thought about a few of my relationships... if it's anything like those, it's going to get more difficult.

baby_bokchoy

Okay, I guess this situation needs a bit more info. I walk about 3 to 5 miles a day, so my activity isn't very high at all, and for right now, I'm totally fine with that. Maybe when I have access to a gym come September, I'll start lifting or something. For right now, I'm just trying to lose 25 to my initial goal, and then eventually 50. I take vitamins, such as D, B, Biotin, Probiotics and Omega 3s, and I eat a pretty healthy diet of vegetables and chicken or fish about twice a week (I was a vegetarian for 6 years and I'm still not that into meat, not for ethical or health reasons), but I also don't deprive myself of things like chocolates or desserts or Pop Chips or whatever, in moderation. I realize I need to up my protein, but I think that's the only real problem right now. And I'm willing to raise my calories from 1000 to 1200. Thanks for all help!

marieamethyst

I've been doing 1200 since last August, with some breaks where I maintained in between, and I still find it rather easy to do. But I don't beat myself up on the days where I go over my limit; instead I focus on balancing it out with a lighter day or more exercise. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: I've only had one week where I stayed the same weight, otherwise a pound+ lost a week is the normal for me, even at a healthy weight now. No stalling, and I haven't gained anything back, even when I took my breaks and didn't count calories.

That's good to hear! And well done. I'm thinking, from all these replies, that I should up my intake to 1200 a day, rather than 1000.

Try protein powder if you struggle with protein; I do a scoop in my morning coffee and it's about 160 calories for 25g of protein. That'll bump you closer to 1200 and bring up your protein. Nature Valley also has some delish protein bars (10g) made from nuts/dark chocolate/etc that are sooooo addicting, and great at satisfying the sweet tooth without too many calories (190 for the bars I eat).

marieamethyst

I've been doing 1200 since last August, with some breaks where I maintained in between, and I still find it rather easy to do. But I don't beat myself up on the days where I go over my limit; instead I focus on balancing it out with a lighter day or more exercise. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Edit: I've only had one week where I stayed the same weight, otherwise a pound+ lost a week is the normal for me, even at a healthy weight now. No stalling, and I haven't gained anything back, even when I took my breaks and didn't count calories.

This is quite helpful to me as well as it seems we are at similar weights and goals, so thank you. I am also surprised at how easy it can be, but it also makes me afraid my loss will slow soon. Good to know sticking with it means continuing with steady loss.

Awesomesauce! :flowerforyou: I'm all about taking time off after a couple of weeks/months to relax for a bit, I think that has helped me not bottom out from trying to rush through it too quickly. I hope your success continues; good luck!

FrankiesSaysRelax

The first few weeks are always pretty easy to lose weight in my opinion. The problem with eating only 1000 calories is that when you stall out in a few more weeks, you have no more room to cut. The goal should always be to lose on as much calories as possible. Will it be slower? Yes. But it's a lot easier to maintain a weight loss on 1800 calories than 1000. Just something to think about.