How much weight loss should I expect to see on this?

trader604

I'm obese according to BMI and according to how I look and how I feel.

I'm a 38 year old male and according to my fitbit scale I weigh 245lbs . I have a very sedentary lifestyle due to full time work and three courses at school. I have little time in between.

At my highest I was around 265lbs. I was at 224lbs 10 years ago and around 210lbs 15 years ago. 15 years ago, I essentially stopped eating for 4 days a week due to working a 12-14 hour shift and 2 hours of travel to and from work. I have never been at a good weight or certainly what I consider a good weight and was overweight as a child as well.

According to the BMI scale I should be around 180. I would be okay at 200lbs at this point as I know I will have extreme difficulty to get under 200.

I've tried limiting my caloric intake to 1600 calories but I'm not losing it fast enough. I've lost 5 lbs in a three weeks. That's no where near enough. I need to lose 5 lbs a week.... Before someone says it's not healthy or sustainable... Neither is living this way or feeling this way. I'm very depressed about the way I look and feel. I'm almost desperate enough to pay Dr. B. the $1200 a month they want.

What I'm thinking of doing is this:

Breakfast: I cup tea with 2% milk and 1 splenda, 1/4 cup of Cheese & Chives Egg creations (150 calories)
Snack at 10am: Quaker Instant Oatmeal (130 calories)
Lunch: ISOflex Whey Protein shake (115 calories)
Snack at 2pm: Vega One Shake (140 calories)
Water or water with crystal light x 5 (50 calories)
Some form of packaged dinner that’s around 400 calories likely from Trader Joe’s.
1 daily dose of a multi-vitamin
1 daily dose of multi-minerals
1 daily dose of B complex

I'm also thinking of adding Metamucil to help with things and lower my cholesterol ratio and the sugar free version is only 20 calories.

That’s about 1000 calories not including the pills. I'm definitely concerned about the hunger cravings in the evening before and after dinner so I'm not quite sure what to do there... broccoli or celery to benefit from negative calories? (Takes more calories to digest than what I'll get from them?)

How much weight loss per week should I expect to see on this?

BombshellPhoenix

I'm very sorry you feel the need to do this to yourself. And you prefaced this with the knowledge that no one is going to help you starve yourself and potentially damage yourself by doing this. I was in the obese BF% June of last year. I was miserable. It took every bit of me to not want to scrape by and lose it as fast as I could but here's the truth. .

You are worth taking the time for.

You are worth spending time to learn sustainable habits and continue learning

please do not do what you're planning. Slow is good. Progress is progress. Getting there at a decent pace and not racing will not only leave you healthier at goal but happier because you will have hopefully found some new recipes and foods to enjoy, maybe an exercise that you can relate with and you'll be set up to maintain. Rather than racing to the finish line and learning nothing.

We didn't gain it overnight. We cannot expect to lose it that way either

shadow2soul

I think you should probably talk to a professional about how you feel.

Obese may not be healthy, but it sounds more like your heading towards ED behavior. Do you really want to risk getting conditions such as osteoporosis, anaemia, gout, gallstones, clinical depression, heart problems, renal failure, and liver disease? What happens when you eat 1000 calories a day and end up binge eating? What are you going to do if the scale still isn't moving fast enough for you? Cut more calories? What happens if you get to your goal weight and still don't like the way you look? What will you do then?

SonicDeathMonkey80

So, you want to lose 65lbs in 13 weeks? You need to slow your roll to something more reasonable. It's not as simple as 5lb x 13wks = 65lbs. It will come off quickly at first and taper off as you get closer to your goal. You didn't get to be 38 years old by not learning a little patience on the way

BombshellPhoenix

Oh and

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

sarahenagy

I will start by saying that 5 lbs in 3 weeks is a pretty decent rate in my opinion. I eat 1300 calories a day and exercise pretty much everyday and loose 1/2 pound a week.

I will also second the above comment that perhaps you should talk to someone about your feelings. I can tell you from experience that if you aren't in a good place emotionally, it will be extremely difficult to loose weight.

Lastly, the one piece of diet advice I can give you that might help speed up your weight loss is to lay off the packaged foods. Based on what you listed it appears that much of your diet is pre-packaged, which usually means sodium-laden. Perhaps track your sodium in your nutrients to see for sure. But a diet high in sodium can make you retain water.

I know it's difficult to find time to cook meals from scratch, but it made such a difference for me. Freezer friendly meals (not the pre-packaged kind) have become my best friend. There are a couple of difference chili recipes I make, as well as a mac and cheese that uses mostly butternut squash and only a little cheese, turkey burgers with liquified veggies hidden in them, and these tex mex rice cakes that are my favorite that I can make tons of on a day off and then pop in the freezer for quick meals later.

Good luck to you!

trader604

While I understand that I'm worth taking the time for... I also should have been worth putting the right foods in my mouth and not eating so much in the first place. It's been going on too long and it's simply time to stop.. People are losing weight rapidly on DRB, stomach stapling, and likely a few other ways. I realize it's not the ideal way of doing things but it's what I need to do for me. I also realize that SOME are gaining it back and more but there are others that are staying at or close to their desired weight.

If the scale doesn't go down as much as I need then I'll have to rely on other supplements to do the job. At this point, I'm hoping the calorie deficit will do the trick.

In terms of the health issues listed, don't the supplements: the vitamin pills, mineral pills, and shakes take care of the nutrients I need to avoid most if not all of those conditions?

Also, I don't know what ED behavior is.

I do understand that the weight loss will taper off the lower I go but right now I need to get to a much lower weight than I'm at.... even if I could get to 225 to see progress... 5-10 lbs is not progress, it's water weight etc.

In terms of binge eating, I will deal with that as it comes and exercise discipline as much as I can including letting my friends know to stop me.

I was really hoping to get an answer to how much weight to expect with the reduction in calories.

georgiaTRIs

Please rethink what you are doing. I was at 245 and knew that I had to start slow. You need to teach yourself new eating habits and that won't happen if you are starving. Don't set yourself up to fail. Even with your life style you can add walking. Start slow and work yourself up. List your actual calories on a normal day then cut at least 500. Don't starve. We are here to support you

TheSatinPumpkin

slow and steady... good luck and best wishes on your WOE.

SonicDeathMonkey80

While I understand that I'm worth taking the time for... I also should have been worth putting the right foods in my mouth and not eating so much in the first place. It's been going on too long and it's simply time to stop.. People are losing weight rapidly on DRB, stomach stapling, and likely a few other ways. I realize it's not the ideal way of doing things but it's what I need to do for me. I also realize that SOME are gaining it back and more but there are others that are staying at or close to their desired weight.

If the scale doesn't go down as much as I need then I'll have to rely on other supplements to do the job. At this point, I'm hoping the calorie deficit will do the trick.

In terms of the health issues listed, don't the supplements: the vitamin pills, mineral pills, and shakes take care of the nutrients I need to avoid most if not all of those conditions?

Also, I don't know what ED behavior is.

I do understand that the weight loss will taper off the lower I go but right now I need to get to a much lower weight than I'm at.... even if I could get to 225 to see progress... 5-10 lbs is not progress, it's water weight etc.

In terms of binge eating, I will deal with that as it comes and exercise discipline as much as I can including letting my friends know to stop me.

I was really hoping to get an answer to how much weight to expect with the reduction in calories.

You can do the math yourself and figure it out, but your body will ultimately lose weight at the rate it decides. A daily 500cal deficit should mathematically yield a 1lb loss per week, so start there. Hopefully you don't give up when things most likely don't go as planned with this lockstep, zero-margin-for-error method you're proposing. Your desperation is clouding your better judgment and hindering the good advice you've gotten here.

williams969

The problem lies in the unrealistic weight loss goal of 5lb/week. In order for you to achieve that, you need to create a calorie deficit of ~2,500 calories every day. Since you are sedentary, and given your stats (I needed to assume a height--I chose 5'11", since it's "average"), you have a TDEE of ~2,500 calories, meaning you need approx that much food to maintain your weight.

So...to lose 5lb/week, you need to eat...ready for it...zero calories. Zero. Complete starvation. You will die to achieve this. That's why we are saying it is unrealistic and unsustainable. The math does not work.

cbhubbybubble

Everybody and every body is different. No one knows how much weight per week you'll lose for what you propose.

BombshellPhoenix

ED is short for eating disorder. Which is what this will more likely spiral into if you do not rethink your plan.

We've all made mistakes. We've all fallen into pitfalls. Your quick weight loss idea of starving yourself is another pitfall. So is looking for a quick fix. It is a disordered thinking. Also, eating so very little for a sustained amount of time CAN cause issues to vital organs and overall health.

You say you want to do this for your health. So, why not do it the right way?

shmerek

That isn't enough calories for someone your size. Eat more and just know that it will take a bit longer but in doing so it will also be more sustainable and easier to manage. I am only 145 pounds (I am short) and I would be starving on 1000 calories.

mathandcats

ED stands for eating disorder. 1000 calories is nowhere near enough to get the nutrients you need, and your supplements are not going to prevent the problems that such a low calorie diet will create for somebody. It is likely that a lot of what you lose this way will be muscle. Moreover, you will not learn healthy habits to keep the weight off - which is generally seen as harder than losing it in the first place.

For reference, I'm a 5' 3" woman who was as sedentary as you, and I've lost 27lbs in 3 months + 1 week eating 1500cal and exercising ~30mins almost every day (weights, jogging, 30 day shred, or walking). That seems plenty fast to me.

I'll put this here, and I really hope you will decide to pursue a healthier rate of loss, and perhaps speak to a professional about how you are feeling:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

ruby_red_rose

I understand where you are coming from OP. Trust me, some days I feel terribly frustrated with the 1lb a week weight loss I usually see. But, 5lb/week is going to be impossible to achieve after the initial water weight loss if you are not starting out extremely morbidly obese.
Please be patient, eat at a reasonable deficit, and just hang on. Time will pass no matter what, and if you do the right things, in some months, you will be at a weight you are happier with. Just hang in there. Best of luck!

DebTavares

I'm very sensitive to very low calorie diets and especially if I am low on the fat macro. When I don't eat enough fat my body revolts and makes me extremely fatigued. I'm not sure how other people do it. For some reason I'm ok if I don't hit the protein macro, but go low on the fat and it's like I have a different body. You should listen to your body. Do you feel exhausted?

LoupGarouTFTs

A large salad with greens, tomato, shredded cheese, hard-boiled egg, and 3 ounces of some kind of meat is also about 400 calories and will probably be more nutrient dense (and possibly tastier) than some kind of packaged deal. Want a meal that takes no time to prepare? Put frozen shrimp, broccoli crowns, onions, mushrooms and green peppers into a large metal strainer and steam it for 10 minutes. Season as desired and serve over a cup of boil-in-a-bag brown rice. Same amount of calories as a packaged meal and all kinds of tasty stuff. Plus--one pot! Stick lentils in a crock pot with vegetable broth, onions, carrots, and some kind of seasoning, set it on low, and head off for your day. Delicious soup at the end of the day!

I am a lazy cook and would love for nutrient-dense food to pop out from the ether and land on a self-cleaning plate for me. However, there are many easy foods to make that taste great and are so much better than packaged foods (less fat and sodium, to start) that you can make, even with your schedule. Oh, and the Metamucil thing? Definitely an entree to eating disorder territory--and you're not losing fat, just body waste. Don't do it.

littlefoot612

I'm quite sure you didn't gain all of your weight in 13 weeks so you should not expect to lose it in that amount of time. As everyone has already said, your expectations of losing 5lbs per week are unrealistic. A healthy weight loss is a maximum of 2 lbs per week. You may have some weeks where it's a bit more and some a bit less.
What you are considering is basically a 'crash diet' and It is unsustainable over the long term. You will most likely end up regaining the weight. You need to find a way to eat that will not only help you to lose the weight but to maintain your weight loss. Please read the 'sexypants' link that a previous poster noted.

kathyervinrn

Please reconsider your decision. Your body only loses 2--3 lbs a week in a healthy manor, any more than that and you are compromising your muscle mass. Your body will take what it needs from you in other ways, it does not limit itself to just your fat stores. It you digest muscle to provide your body with the protein it needs you will compromise your metabolism because muscle is a big factor in that process. You need to concentrate on your other assets while you are in the weight loss process. You sound like a very dependable person who is also a very hard worker. I am sure you will find other things about yourself to love as well. As for the vitamins providing what you need, there are many nutrients we get from our food that we still don't even know about. It is always better to get your nutrition from your food if you can. I am a bariatric nurse and see the gastric surgery done often. That procedure is not with out its own set of problems and things can go very wrong with that as well. I have also seen people have that and wind up putting the weight all back on. It can be a life line for some people but it is for people who have very little hope of getting there on their own in any other way. Ideally one would need to loose over 100 lbs of weight to qualify, you really don't. It is always better to lose it on your own in a healthy manor than to alter the way your body uses nutrition if you can. Some people really need that but I don't think that is you. The best gastric by pass docs I know require counseling and nutrition guidance with life style change before under going surgery so that when you get to the other side you can survive there. Seek counseling now so that you can learn to value the person you are and when the outside catches up you will be ready for it.

MollySC2

you will compromise your metabolism.

Getting really tired of hearing this on this message board. Posting wives tells & lying should be a bannable offense imo.

I'm not going into detail why you are wrong. You can do your own research. There are plenty of peer-reviewed studies showing you don't know what you're talking about.

Docbanana2002

I went on a crash starvation diet, lost all the weight in a short time, and was healthy and happy without a weight problem for the rest of my life....Said NO ONE, EVER.

Listen, The habits that got you this heavy can harm your health and should be changed, but not changed out for a foolish, self destructive, quick fix scheme that will wreck your health in a new way. And fail in the long run.

The problem isn't your weight. The weight is merely a symptom of a sedentary life and poor eating habits and perhaps an unhealthy relationship with food. THAT is what needs to change, and the outer transformation will come in time. Start eating healthy, exercising, adopting healthy new habits that you can sustain for life. Be patient--you didn't get this size overnight and won't reach goal overnight either.

Alatariel75

You know the fun thing about being obese and losing weight? You can do it.... while EATING FOOD! That's right! Us obese people have higher BMRs and burn more moving out large selves around and so we can actually eat and lose weight! Crazy but true. You should look into it, I recommend it AND even when you get skinnier - you can still eat food! Just look at the wild success stories here on the boards.

Don't starve yourself. It's unhealthy, counterproductive and ultimately leads to failure. Respect yourself, your body isn't something to punish, it's something to cherish. It's the only one you get. Treat it kindly.

MSeel1984

This would be considered a very low calorie diet...1,000 kcals? That's not enough for a very petite woman let alone an adult male. You could be hindering your progress by limiting too much. You need to get ENOUGH calories to avoid slowing your metabolism...and also, understanding that we all have busy schedules, start getting physical activity into your routine.

ryanwood935

I'll agree with others that this diet will lead you nowhere good. This motivation you have right now will go away someday (sooner rather than later with this crash diet, most likely). What happens when the enthusiasm runs out? "Only 5 percent of people who lose weight on a crash diet will keep the weight off." I don't mean to be rude, but chances are you are going to keep telling yourself you are different, only to see yourself fail and be a statistic. For what? Short term happiness?

Say you do miraculously get to 180 losing 5 pounds per week. Now you'll be battling loose skin everywhere because your body didn't have the time or nutrients to adjust. And how are you going to maintain this new weight? You haven't learned anything about healthy eating, just NOT eating. How much of this weight was fat, and how much was actually muscle? You'll be slimmer, but you won't look any less fat with all the lost muscle mass.

Here's my proposal: Do it right. Find out how many calories you need to eat to lose 2 pounds a week. Work out your proper macros, and do what you can to stick to them. Eat healthier. The broccoli and celery you mentioned is a good start. Drop any fast food and as much processed food from your diet as you can manage. Learn healthy eating habits you will be able to keep the rest of your life, it'll help keep the weight off in the future. I would personally say drop the shakes for now as well. They CAN help build a healthier body, but work on building healthy eating habits first, THEN consider their value.

Get a membership at the local gym and hit the free weights. Start a workout routine. Rippetoe's Starting Strength is a good one for someone new. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224 Here's a link to a great write-up for the program. It's long, but detailed to help with any questions you may have. Some people are afraid of the gym - if you are one of them, get over it. Take all this motivation you have and get out of your comfort zone. If you can't bear the thought of lifting or working out in front of others, find something else to get your exercise in. Just make sure you eat back the calories you burned off doing said exercise. It way seem counterproductive, but you'll feel more full (you can't beat the hunger pangs forever!), and you will maintain more muscle as you are cutting weight.

It's going to take a long time to learn everything you need to about healthy eating, and the best way to get your body a great workout, but if you do your homework, it will pay huge dividends for years to come!

deansdad101

(snip) People are losing weight rapidly on DRB, stomach stapling, and likely a few other ways. I realize it's not the ideal way of doing things but it's what I need to do for me. I also realize that SOME are gaining it back and more but there are others that are staying at or close to their desired weight.

If the scale doesn't go down as much as I need then I'll have to rely on other supplements to do the job. At this point, I'm hoping the calorie deficit will do the trick.
(snip)
I was really hoping to get an answer to how much weight to expect with the reduction in calories.

Trader;

I'm guessing that by now you've probably heard the "sermon" enough times to be able to recite it by heart.
Some of it is "dogma", some based on "questionable" assumptions (questionable in that there are other "theories" with equal scientific "backup"), some "myth" (as the poster before stated), and some, actually just plain "good advice".

In the last category ("good advice"), I would include "5#/wk average really is "unrealistic", and "you really have to look at both your current food consumption "pattern" and that which you "proposed".
However long it takes you to lose however much weight you do, at some point you will (hopefully) arrive at a point (weight) you will want to "maintain". A VERY large part of the whole diet "thing" is training both your body and your mind to eat in a fashion that will both "satisfy" your appetite and maintain weight equilibrium.
It's a trite saying but carries with it a large degree of truth that "you'll want to be able to eat this way for the rest of your life".

My "opinion" (and that's exactly what it is - "mine" and "opinion". You know what they say about "opinions are like......" - so take it for what it's worth.

As some others have, I "ran your numbers" and based on 5'8" (my guess) it look like a BMR of 1840 and TDEE of 2210.
In a previous life I was a staunch believer in the Cals In < Cals Out (CICO) theories and "common wisdom" (I'm less so now, but let's stick to that for the time being since it's the resident "religion" on this board).

Rule of Thumb - 3500 cal/week (500/day) "should" yield ~1 lb/wk loss. So 1000/day ~2 lb/wk.
2210 - 1000 = 1210 cals/day "should" = about 2#/wk loss.

I'ts important to understand that ALL of these numbers are "averages" and depending on which calculator you use they can vary WIDELY (each uses different algorithms) so this is where your "grain of salt" comes in.

Depending to a very large degree on "which" site you ask, there will also be a large dose of "conventional wisdom" (aka "gospel") - some based on "fact" some, not so much.

One will admonish you to NEVER consume less than 1200 cals/day no matter what (or you'll die, stop weight loss or gain weight, or at least enter "starvation mode" (which is 100% hocus-pocus - all of it, it's total "myth"). Both my wife and I have been consistently under 1000/day for approximately 4 months and we're both still alive, both continuing to lose at "realistic" rates, and both continuing to maintain what we would describe as "sedentary" lifestyles.

CICO will ONLY work though if you commit to keeping accurate, detailed, daily records of weight and EVERY single calorie that passes your lips. A good (as in "user friendly") tracker is essential but it won't work by itself. There are a number of "good" ones out there (all or most "free") and that, plus an accurate bathroom scale, accurate kitchen scale, and a decent set of measuring cups are really ALL you need.

The mantra around here requires also "tracking" Cals Out (exercise). MY "opinion" unless you are a body builder, weight lifter, or spend hours at the gym daily - it's a waste of time (the tracking, not the exercise). Since you have defined yourself as "sedentary" (as would probably the majority) I'm guessing it isn't likely to change much in the near future.

As you probably know, most the sites (and programs) out there are based on "low cal / low fat" diets and their "recommended" meal plans, nutrient goals, and "default' calculations and suggestions all stem from the USDA "food pyramid" "assumptions".

As stated previously, my personal level of "confidence" in that particular "theory" has waned in recent days (despite our "success" using it in a somewhat modified plan).

I don't want to leave the impression that "my way is better than yours", or to further complicate your decision process, so I'm going to suggest you take the various "opinions" you've received so far, into account and map out a plan. It is going to require you "rethinking the 5#/wk" thing, but shoot for 2 or so and keep going.
Commit to tracking and develop a database of "your" stats, one you can actually rely on instead of all the "guesstimates".

When time permits, take a look at some of the "other" methods that "challenge" the "common wisdom" that everyone "thinks" they "know". There has been a tremendous amount of research conducted over the years (some better than others) and while not totally "conclusive" there is ample evidence that calls the "lo cal, low fat" assumptions into question.

Do your own DD (due diligence) on your own time and decide for yourself. Here's a start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0GSSSE4l8U

I'm not familiar with "DBR", nor would I consider surgery ("needles" and "white coats" don't sit well with me) but my (or anybody else's "opinion" really doesn't matter - that's a decision only you can make).

Likewise, I'm not qualified (and doubt others here either) to advise on ED but I've seen nothing that would cause me to report you to the local cops in that regard.
I'm not a "fan" of "supplements" (shakes, powders, etc) and relegate them to the "fad" piles.

Take a couple steps back, reconsider your "goals", and push on for now - the other options will always be there down the road if you get to that point. In the meantime though, grab the proverbial bull, and put your faith in you (not "friends").

It's not about "luck", but I'll wish you the best of it anyway and while "opinions" may differ, this really is a GREAT place to come for "advice", "opinion", or exposure to concepts you may not have been previously aware of - just keep that shaker of salt grains handy and you'll be fine.