rapid weight loss

Lizzy_Sunflower

So I got an email from the dietitian that I am losing weight too fast.

After 4 weeks in the program, I lost 16.2 lbs., which is an average of 4.1 lbs. per week.

They assure me that I am making excellent progress , but that my rate of weight loss is faster than expected.they want me to average 1-2 lbs per week. And not to eat less than 1500 calories/day. I am currently averaging about 1300 a day, and I am not hungry in the least.

I also know that as the first round of weight drops off, it will be harder for me to lose weight in the future. So I am kind of enjoying the quick results.

Besides the dreaded "starvation mode" are there any side effects of losing weight at this pace?
....thoughts? .....opinions?.....talk amongst yourselves

Jenni268

Honestly, I'd go with what your dietician is saying. They do it for a living and have no other motive than to see you succeed and be healthy! Great progress, by the way! I'm definitely jealous!

But, again, your dietician's job is to secure your health. I'm sure that they have reasons and if they haven't told you what they are, I'd ask!! Sometimes it's hard for me to remember, but health is more important than "skinny."

Good luck with your journey!

spackham

I am seeing a dietitian too and I also struggle with eating too little. So, I have been asking for 2 months what is the very least I need to eat and she said 1000 calories plus ALL of your exercise calories and to never go under that at all. So I eat that plus another 100 cals just to be safe. She also said that if I do not exercise that day I need to eat NO LESS than the 1200 calories. I am losing about 2 pounds per week doing that. When I am not very hungry I eat nuts or some avocado. Costco also sells Trio bars of nuts, seeds and fruits that is an easy way to pump up your calories. Sometimes I only need 1/2 a bar. I am glad there is someone else out there who struggles with this too.

brookesready

I would definitely take your dietitian's advice. I good incentive is that by losing 1-2 lbs per week your skin is able to keep up. One of the downsides to losing a lot of weight fast is excess skin.

WrenLynn

Losing too much too fast you will not only be losing fat but muscle mass. That is one of the best reasons to not create such a huge deficit that you are losing more than 2 pounds a week. I also agree with that it helps with your skin adjusting.

Lizzy_Sunflower

Well, I certainly do not feel like I am starving myself, or depriving myself in any way. I haven't found a good exercise routine yet. So I just feel like I should enjoy this benefit as long as it is short lived. If it continues I will be sure to add a healthy 100 calorie snack...

Lizzy_Sunflower

And thank you for the skin and muscle warnings. That is kind of stuff I wasn't aware of.

JennDoesKeto

lizzy, Ive lost almost 18lbs in 30 days..im averaging over .5lb a day. im not doing a whole lot of exercising. in fact the most i do usually is slow walk 15 minutes and on a frisky day (happend once) 20 minutes on my gazelle. so im not doing much but not eating a ton. i know when you weigh more in the begining you will lose more quicker in the begining...it will taper off.

dlaplume2

That is a little too fast. I hear ya on the enjoy it while it lasts, but if you are losing muscle instead of fat, when it does slow down it could cause your weight loss to stall out. It could also reverse when you have to start making up that muscle loss.

You could have skin sagging issues, and nutrient defficiencies.

I would try adding back some calories or maybe review your settings. Maybe you are more active than you had listed and thus created too large a defficit.

Best wishes.

Lizzy_Sunflower

I would try adding back some calories or maybe review your settings. Maybe you are more active than you had listed and thus created too large a defficit.

Best wishes.

Good point. I'll check it out.

pearlsgirl96

Try adding a serving or two more of protein or even fat to each meal you have !! yes I said fat!!! HEALTHY fat such as an avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, raw almonds, raw walnuts, etc. (DO NOT eat vegetable oils or processed/hydrogenated oils). If you are still losing weight as fast as you are by adding a little more protein or healthy fat then maybe your body just naturally sheds weight faster. Btw: adding a serving of protein or fat to your meals is really only about 1 or 2 oz. Its not much more but will help you take in a few more calories.

ATT949

So I got an email from the dietitian that I am losing weight too fast.

After 4 weeks in the program, I lost 16.2 lbs., which is an average of 4.1 lbs. per week.

They assure me that I am making excellent progress , but that my rate of weight loss is faster than expected.they want me to average 1-2 lbs per week. And not to eat less than 1500 calories/day. I am currently averaging about 1300 a day, and I am not hungry in the least.

I also know that as the first round of weight drops off, it will be harder for me to lose weight in the future. So I am kind of enjoying the quick results.

Besides the dreaded "starvation mode" are there any side effects of losing weight at this pace?
....thoughts? .....opinions?.....talk amongst yourselves

Perhaps you should ask your dietician?

I'm a big believer in self-awareness and in learning what I can about, in this case, weight loss. Getting the advice of your dietician and then making an informed decision could be the right plan of action.

I've been to a variety of health care providers in my 54 years, military and civilian, and I believe that, generally speaking, they have their patients' best interests at heart. I also realize that they have their own biases and that, if they work within a larger organization, they will are susceptible to the pressure from the organization to "sing the party song". I listen to the recommendations of those health care providers and then I make a decision about what course of action to take.

One characteristic that I have seen in all of my interactions with docs is that they err on the side of caution. And with good reason. On one hand, it's safer for the patient and the healthcare provider to advise a patient to lose weight slowly than take a chance that you'll throw your body chemistry out of whack (albeit temporarily). Two reasons come to mind - it may take longer but it's consistent progress so people will tend to stick it out. On the other hand, by advising a "slow and steady" approach, a health care provider significantly decreases their chances of getting sued.

I use the words "informed decision" 'cause that's very important. For me, changing my lifestyle to get my weight under control is one of the most important things I've ever done in my life. What we are doing here will improve our quality of life and will add years of good health to our lives. On that basis, I think it's a good idea to spend some Google Fu to learn about what we're trying to accomplish and develop a sense of what we're putting our body through.

Congrats with your weight loss and best of luck with your journey!