Is losing 10-11 lbs a week healthy?

smscott87

I've been using MFP for about 2 weeks now and I love it.
I have a friend whose boyfriend lost 33 lbs in 3 weeks (11 lbs a week). Is that healthy, for either men or women?

Dtho5159

I wouldn't think so. Usually the best is between 1-2 a week. I wouldn't be surprised if he gains it all back.

tiabirdie56

How is that even possible?

aochoa123

I wouldn't expect to see big numbers like that for much longer. In the beginning you do lose more due to water retention. Wouldn't be supprised if his weight loss begins to slow down.

bigredhearts

if he is quite obese it is not uncommon nor really considered "unhealthy". as far as sustainable, well, that would be up to him.

MelC2564

Unless he was actually starving himself, that is crazy! Dont think its the healthiest thing ever...

Shannon023

How is that even possible?

That's what I was wondering. :noway:

sarahsmom1

How much does he weigh

SunshineKisses_2012

If you are being serious, then it depends on the person. Heavier people will loose faster at first because they have a lot to loose and their bodies aren't used to being active. It shocks their body before the body can counter react. If he did it the healthy way, and if he continues on his healthy habits, he will be able to keep it off, however he won't continue to lose at the same rate because his body will get used to the activity.

sleepytexan

ha ha ha ha. :laugh:

pander101

No, and yeah he will probably gain it all back. If he contiune losing too fast his skin will start to show it if it hasn't already. Losing weight that fast your skin can't keep up with it so it starts looking really saggy. He's doing something wrong if he's been losing that fast and it continues.

rluxie

Men have a tendency to lose weight at a faster rate then women. Also, if he is a very large man he could lose this kind of weight in 3 weeks but it would be mostly water weight. My father weights over 400 lbs. and when he seriously watches what he eats and follows his weight watchers program he loses weight like this. After a few weeks 3 or 4 tops he usually drops down to 3-5 lbs per week until he has lost the first 100 lbs. Then he is able to exercise again and starts losing weight at a constant rate 2-3 lbs per week.

moprincess76

I personally lost 8 lbs the first week.. ( but i blame some of that on TOM water weight) depends on his diet.. his workout regime and if he was overweight to begin with.. and if he was how over weight was he... I have seen really overweight folks lose more weight than their counterparts who were closer to their ideal weight.

smscott87

if he is quite obese it is not uncommon nor really considered "unhealthy". as far as sustainable, well, that would be up to him.

He was a big guy (still kind of is but slimmer). He's part of a dance crew, so I think that will help with sustaining the weight loss. I hope.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

I've been using MFP for about 2 weeks now and I love it.
I have a friend whose boyfriend lost 33 lbs in 3 weeks (11 lbs a week). Is that healthy, for either men or women?

LOL! Not even those who are gifted with super high metabolism would lose that amount of weight in a week. It doesn't sound realistic at all.

I was obese before but I never lose that amount of weight in a week, I know gender plays a role here but still that sounds too impossible. Even 5 lbs. a week is considered unrealistic.

myfurturelooksgood

I believe my sister-in-law lost a significant amount of weight in a similar short length of time, having weighed 350 pounds and having gastric bypass surgery. Otherwise, seems kinda rash.

ladysandy

Well I think it's possible if he is pretty heavy, and plus if you watch "The Biggest Loser" you'll see that people there lose 7-8 up to 10-12 pounds a week. Plus if he works out alot it could be possible !

smscott87

How much does he weigh

He weighed about 260-270 if i remember correctly.

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Well I think it's possible if he is pretty heavy, and plus if you watch "The Biggest Loser" you'll see that people there lose 7-8 up to 10-12 pounds a week. Plus if he works out alot it could be possible !

Yes that's true but they're weighing-in every 2 weeks & not every week. Also what we see on TV is not actually live so we wouldn't know.

spennato

When I first started I was losing 10lbs a week and for a month then it slowly tailored to 5 -4-3-2-1 and now 1/2 a lb.

rluxie

Congrats Spen on a job well done and your stick to it attitude.

kapeluza

:"i just wanted to post something about what to expect during the phases of weight loss.

Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.

Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.

Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.

Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!

Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!

Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.

Conclusion:

this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from.

Best health to you all!

-Banks "

rkerr6

Unless he's very big to start, then no, it's not healthy. I lost a LOT of weight a few years ago, very quickly. (Yes, I gained it all back.) I lost over 40 pounds in 6 weeks, and a total of 70 pounds in just under 6 months. I was using a controversial diet plan, and it worked like a charm....BUT...I shocked my body. I lost half my hair (it's grown back). Handfuls fell out for months. I developed gallstones. The instant I stopped the diet, even though I continued to eat well and exercise, I started gaining. And gaining. And now I'm heavier than when I started! So, now it's "slow and steady wins the race" :S

mrdavidjk

Unless he's very big to start, then no, it's not healthy. I lost a LOT of weight a few years ago, very quickly. (Yes, I gained it all back.) I lost over 40 pounds in 6 weeks, and a total of 70 pounds in just under 6 months. I was using a controversial diet plan, and it worked like a charm....BUT...I shocked my body. I lost half my hair (it's grown back). Handfuls fell out for months. I developed gallstones. The instant I stopped the diet, even though I continued to eat well and exercise, I started gaining. And gaining. And now I'm heavier than when I started! So, now it's "slow and steady wins the race" :S

very true
you may loose a lot of weight when you first start dieting, this is usually water weight, and then you settle in to proper weight loss of 1 - 2 lb a week

bcattoes

Wow. Possibly if he weighed > 500 lbs to start with, but otherwise I doubt that could be healthy.