Unrealistic Expectations

reneeileen

Every now and then I will com across conversations, threads, objectives where I read some very lofty expectations. It seems like this time of year there is a bit of a Biggest Loser mentality going on here so I just wanted to lay out a Biggest Loser scenario.

Our "loser" is a 35 year old man that weighs 350 lbs and is 6'0". He has a BMR of 2923. His goal is to lose 10 lbs per week. To achieve his goal he has restricted his diet to 1700 calories a day and must burn 3777 calories per day with exercise. To burn 3777 calories a day he exercises 6 hours a day.

Now think about your lifestyle and efforts. Does a 1 lb weight loss look better now?

bnelly55

I understand what you're saying, however what is unrealistic for you may not be for some people. Yes, exercising 6 hours per day over the top, but for a 350 lb person 1700 calories is plenty.

CiciPorcayo

I think that is very unrealistic... however that is not usually the case. We have to be realistic in our goals but never limit ourselves to the possibility. We should do what we can manage long term. If I were that *Imaginary unrealistic guy* I would eat more or fear having so much excess skin from rapid wait loss :noway: not happenin

adjones5

I lose .2 lbs a week if its a really good week. I would be pumped to lose even 1 lb a week!

Thena81

i cherish every lb i lose, thats one reason i weigh every morning, i want to know whats going on! lol

EricMurano

for a 350 lb person 1700 calories is plenty.

Nope, it isn't.

gashinshotan

He can lose 10 lbs a week like that - especially since he's in the very obese range... I think hes setting himself up for failure though with 6 hours of exercise!

EricMurano

I lose .2 lbs a week if its a really good week. I would be pumped to lose even 1 lb a week!

Do you even need to lose weight? You must be very close to your goal if you do!

adjones5

I lose .2 lbs a week if its a really good week. I would be pumped to lose even 1 lb a week!

Do you even need to lose weight? You must be very close to your goal if you do!

Last time I weighed myself about 2 weeks ago I was 4 lbs from goal but I promised myself that I wouldn't weigh in again until feb because I get so stuck on the number.

ccadroz93

That is so unrealistic its crazy! I am no expert, but I don't think it would be healthy to exercise for 6 hours a day!! Come on, really?? I can't imagine any doctor saying a regimen like that would be OK to pursue.....Someone could do that for a few days, but it would not be obtainable over a long period of time. Maybe this individual should check out Bill Phillips program called Transformed. Its a complete mental, emotional, spiritual AND physical make-over. Losing weight is more than diet and exercise!

reneeileen

In case it wasn't abundantly clear, this person is fictitious. The point I was trying to make is that is the amount of work it would take to lose 10 lbs in a week. That's the way the math works out. The calorie allowance was one I actually picked up from a BL contestant while watching the show.

High weekly weigh loss goals like the one I outlined require an extreme approach.

reneeileen

i cherish every lb i lose, thats one reason i weigh every morning, i want to know whats going on! lol

I love it. I weigh in multiple times a week because I'm curious.

reneeileen

I think that is very unrealistic... however that is not usually the case. We have to be realistic in our goals but never limit ourselves to the possibility. We should do what we can manage long term. If I were that *Imaginary unrealistic guy* I would eat more or fear having so much excess skin from rapid wait loss :noway: not happenin

I'm not saying this is the typical case. I'm just trying to lay out the math of what that type of weight loss really looks like. I don't think we should limit ourself with lack of belief in our abilities or unrealistic expectations.

mommamindi

My personal goal (not for weight loss) is to work out 2.5 hours a dayI love how I feel after a ride on my bike...it helps destress me 6 hours a day is way too freaking much. My husband however was a 295 pound man and in the first week of his lifestyle change he dropped 10 pounds...I told him not to expect it to continue

shakybabe

if person is that heavy they might well lose 10lbs first few weeks but most of it will be water and could probably do it on much less exercise, if they still expect to lose those kind of numbers as they get lighter then its unrealistic?

When I first went gluten free low carb i lose 7lb first week and 4 lb next.. if I was still expecting to lose those kind of numbers when I'm less than a stone off my goal it would be unrealistic?

I'm steadily losing 1lb a week and of course women have advantage that we drop water every month!... in my case an additional 2-3lb usually comes off that week besides the additional 4lb water that went on the week before!

I think you have to place some expectations on yourself to exercise and improve your strength etc.. I never thought I could get this far mianly cos I'm wheelchair user and family never included me in fitness stuff, cos they didn't think I'd be able to do it.. ok I couldn't do what they were doing to keep fit ... zumba and cycling but.. rewind to xmas day... I arrive just over 2 stone lighter, brother is bigger than he was.. hasn't been on bike for a few months, SIL is same size and stopped going to zumba as its 'too hard sometimes' and she prefers sit at home babysitting her nephew! .. they've given up on 'dieting', yet I was the one who was never expected to be able to do this just cos I use a wheelchair! ... sometimes we can surprise ourselves and others!

claire_90

I kind of think it's important to aim that high. hoping for a 10lb loss each week is fine ... as long as you're ok with perhaps not getting those results .. in the first week though with a diet change probably would but it's difficult to maintain high loss. I lost about 10lbs my first week of eating healthy (I ate really badly beforehand) and I was only 140lbs so I'm sure they could.