Too fast in 1 week?

Junisahn

Hey all,

I'm not complaining, but according to my scale, I've lost 4 lbs in the 1 week since I started tracking all my calories and exercise. I'm worried that I'm doing something wrong and may be hurting my metabolism in the long run. I only want to lose 9, so it seems crazy and unhealthy to lose 4 in one week.

I'm eating within 50 calories of what is recommended every day - never going over, but never lacking for food (I mean, I get hungry, but I'm never starved). I'm exercising alot more regularly to earn more calories (because I can't give up my chocolate and peanuts at night). Currently, I'm exercising between 1.5 and 2 hours a day (about 1 hour hiking, 45 minutes yoga and every other day, 15 minutes strength training).

I put myself down as sedentary (because you arent' supposed to count your daily exercise, right? I always walked 1 hour a day), but am wondering if I am actually "lightly active" and if I'm not getting enough calories... I work 15 hours a week at a desk. When I'm at home, I tend to move - cooking, cleaning, fixing up the house type stuff, but I also tend to do sitting activities like reading, sewing... What am I? Sedentary or lightly active?

Thanks,
WendyJ

Junisahn

Hey all,

I'm not complaining, but according to my scale, I've lost 4 lbs in the 1 week since I started tracking all my calories and exercise. I'm worried that I'm doing something wrong and may be hurting my metabolism in the long run. I only want to lose 9, so it seems crazy and unhealthy to lose 4 in one week.

I'm eating within 50 calories of what is recommended every day - never going over, but never lacking for food (I mean, I get hungry, but I'm never starved). I'm exercising alot more regularly to earn more calories (because I can't give up my chocolate and peanuts at night). Currently, I'm exercising between 1.5 and 2 hours a day (about 1 hour hiking, 45 minutes yoga and every other day, 15 minutes strength training).

I put myself down as sedentary (because you arent' supposed to count your daily exercise, right? I always walked 1 hour a day), but am wondering if I am actually "lightly active" and if I'm not getting enough calories... I work 15 hours a week at a desk. When I'm at home, I tend to move - cooking, cleaning, fixing up the house type stuff, but I also tend to do sitting activities like reading, sewing... What am I? Sedentary or lightly active?

Thanks,
WendyJ

TRLTAMPA

very normal to lose that much the first week. especially if ur watching ur salt. i lost 6 my first week and i know a few who lost around 10. it's probly gonna come off even more next week, then it slows down.

PedalHound

Yep, I lost about 14 lbs in my first 3 weeks. It's normal Just remember not to be disheartened when it slows down. At first you lose excess water and recently-accumulated fat. Welcome to MFP!

MisoSoup79

I lost weight very quickly the first two weeks. I think most of it was water that I was retaining, as I never made an effort to get plenty of water in my system.

Now I'm into my third week and the weight loss is slowing down to a more "normal" rate. I have felt excellent the last 3 weeks, so I'm not at all worried about the first 11 that came off my first two weeks. Each person's body is individual and will respond differently to a new exercise and eating routine. If you feel well, have plenty of energy and you're not hungry all the time, you probably have nothing to worry about.

When I first started logging my calories, it opened up a whole new window into reality for me. I think my body appreciates that I have cut back on the sugar, the extra sauces and dressings, and the empty-calorie snacks I used to enjoy without a thought.

allaboutme

you only have a little to lose, so it seems kind of fast to me, but I am no expert, but it could be when you started you were retaining a lot of fluid, and with you balancing your food and exercise, it helped with the water retention. Best I can do usually is 1/2 pound a week. When you don't have very much to lose you can't take as big a cut in your calories. My maintenance calories are around 1700 so if I got down to my BMR level of 1250, that is a cut of 450 per day, so I would only see a maximum of 1 lb per week with those figures. Everyone's body is different, you may find next week, it slows to a crawl. As long as you are eating enough, I wouldn't worry about it. Are you eating your exercise calories too?

thalli1

I don't think if you exercise daily you could consider yourself sedentary.

TRLTAMPA

The profile questions ask if you're sedentary, but then give you the option of working out 5 days. That's how I have mine now because I have a desk job. I still work out 5 days tho. I'm sedentary 8hrs a day at least.

Junisahn

TY all for the responses...

TRL - that's what I did with mine too. I put down sedentary, but told them that I was going to work out 60 minutes a day, 7 days a week. I thought that was where my exercise was taken into account.

allaboutme - I am eating my exercise calories. That's what makes this diet so great to me! I finally can eat my dark chocolate chips and peanuts mixture without the guilt, because I already know that I've exercised those calories off!

I'm just a tad over 5 foot, so they have me at 1200 calories a day to lose 1/2 lb a week (deficit of 250 calories a day). I usually end up eating around 15-1600 due to my exercise.

allaboutme

TY all for the responses...

TRL - that's what I did with mine too. I put down sedentary, but told them that I was going to work out 60 minutes a day, 7 days a week. I thought that was where my exercise was taken into account.

allaboutme - I am eating my exercise calories. That's what makes this diet so great to me! I finally can eat my dark chocolate chips and peanuts mixture without the guilt, because I already know that I've exercised those calories off!

I'm just a tad over 5 foot, so they have me at 1200 calories a day to lose 1/2 lb a week (deficit of 250 calories a day). I usually end up eating around 15-1600 due to my exercise.

Then I wouldn't worry about it, I think it was probably just your body getting rid of some excess water retention. That is why I love eating this way too, I always get to eat enough, I sometimes think it is just wrong to eat as much as I do, but it just depends on the foods you choose to eat. I am never hungry therefore I know I could stick with this for a long time. sometimes I try to tell friends how this theory works, and they look at me as if I had two heads, to diet, you must go without, that is how we were brainwashed. Hard habit to break for some.