Need help with suggested weight loss per week

Nita_Bita

Hi, I'm not new to weight loss but since I failed to continue my journey before, I'm starting all over again. I was wondering if since I'm starting over should I try to make my weight loss goal per week as low as 1/2 a pound or as high as 2 pounds? Does it really matter, if I lose weight quickly or slowly? Or is it just a personal preference? I'm fairly active during the day (lifting heavy things, always on my feet) and I am doing Turbo Fire 6 days a week. Right now my current setting is at losing 2 pounds per week which puts my calorie intake at 1,200 per day. Sometimes I find myself going over my calorie intake (but of course I'm having trouble with portion size). Any suggestions or personal experiences would be great! :happy:

morganadk2_deleted

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


This is just a part of it! please read the link above


Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



Good luck on your journey

sammys1girly

Two pounds a week is pretty aggressive, unless you have alot to loose. I aim for about a half pound a week and sometimes lose a little more and it's coming off slow, but steady. I hear it's easier to keep off if you lose it more slowly.

jsharpnack

one pound is easy to keep off and not too difficult to lose...more than that may push your body too hard at once

AHealthierRhonda

I started my journey with the suggested 1 lb a week. I was doing it so I decided to go for 1.2 lbs a week. It makes me have to exercise more each week and really forces me to make healthy eating choices. If I go over on cals one day I don't stress as I normally stay under the majority of the week. I would rahter lose the weight at a slower pace to get myself and my body accustomed to the changes. I find if I lose a lot of weight fast, my body will finally ahve enough and want food all day one day. For me going at a slower pace helps my stomach shrink at a gradual pace and not want as much food daily (except for once a month!!)
Hope this helps you a bit. Basically you do what you need to do to achieve your goal AND maintain it. It isn't just about losing weight, it's about keeping it off and being healthy or at least healthier than when we began our journeys!!

slim_photographer

I would recommend commiting yourself to trying various things to lose, not necessarly to losing .5 or 2 lbs. Because if you try lets say to lose 1 and you see that a 1.5 loss is sustainable then move your goal to reflect that. It's about what you can realisticly do for the rest of your life.
Like you have already acknowledge if you abandon the effort you'll go back to old habits and will probably gain the weight back. 2 pounds and even more is a agressive goal and only people in a bubble can probablu do it, you know what I mean. Celebrities or people in clubs can really isolate themselves from the abundance of calories in the world we live in. For the rest of us losing weight is a slow and sometimes painful process.
For whatever it's worth, my plan consists of having a calorie deficit only during week days and eating maintenance calories during the weekend. This helps me avoid being frustrated by eating too much or depriving myself at gatherings.
You can do this! think of it as a multi-year process, once that sinks in, you'll reach your goal no matter how long it takes.

vsetter

I would shoot for 1 pound per week. I think it is realistic and will keep you motivated. If you shoot for 2 pounds and miss, you might become discouraged. I started at 140# --- losing 2 pounds per week would have been 2 aggressive and not healthy (as I wouldn't be able to get enough calories for my day).