Is it expecting too much to want to lose 10 lbs a month?

SusanRenee35

That used to be a healthy amount each month & now it seems it is only 5...I want & have set my goals to go down each month 10 lbs....am I being unrealistic?

Brandicaloriecountess

When I first started I lost about 10 pounds a month. But I was VERY overweight. Now I am lucky to lose 4.
So I think it really depends on how much you have to lose.

BIG_Lew

I don't think so.....if u have a goal to obtain and are tht driven, Go get it!!!

TexasRaised89

No 10 pounds a month is fine! Its the best to only lose about 2 to 3 pounds a week.

Keegansmum6

I think it depends on how much weight you have to lose...

PinkEarthMama

How much do you have to lose? How hard are you willing to work ( in the gym & HEALTHY eating )?

I think you could probably do it, if you work hard enough, but it takes a LOT of work to make that safe.

SusanRenee35

I have 50 to lose...and think june/july I should hit goal

tataliciousd89

It really does depend on how much you need to lose. I was just shy of obese on Christmas and I've lost 21 lbs since. I know I won't be able to keep that up as I get closer to my goal, but if you work your *kitten* off (and I mean that) you can do it. It takes a LOT of work, motivation, and pre-planning.

reeniesing

Unless you are 100 lbs over weight, it's probably not very realistic. Initally you may lose that much because of water, but difficult to maintain and it may become discourage. Determine how much you want to lose a week and go from there.

MaximalLife

That used to be a healthy amount each month & now it seems it is only 5...I want & have set my goals to go down each month 10 lbs....am I being unrealistic?

Yes, you will fail in the end more than likely.
Starvation diets don't work.
Why?
Because if your calorie deficit is too great you can easily suffer from
loss of muscle mass (slows down your metabolism) and impaired general progress.
You have to find what is right for you but you also need to remember that your body
is a machine and without the right type and amount of fuel there could be problems
either with loss of muscle, loss of energy, less weight loss/plateaus, etc.

Stick with the MFP recommendations.
Set your goals for 1 lb weight loss per week.
NO MORE!
And eat lean meats, low fat dairy, nuts, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Do both cardio and resistance exercise.

AND EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!
Remember, this is not a race, and you can reach your goals if you stick to a good plan as recommended on this site.

You have many people here ready to lend support, answer qustions and discuss any challenges.
You can do this.

All Is Possible!

KourtneyP83

Agreed - I started out losing 10-12 a month and have recently slowed to around 5 or so a month. I think that's healthy though and it doesn't bother me. I don't care if the scale moves .2 I get excited

When I first started I lost about 10 pounds a month. But I was VERY overweight. Now I am lucky to lose 4.
So I think it really depends on how much you have to lose.

Jackeline0901

1 - 2 lbs a week is the healthiest!!! you could lose 3 a week but it wouldn't be healthy AT ALL. You would be damaging your body. If you are hard headed though. 2 to 3 a week should be fine as long as you do it only ONE month and the rest 1-2. Losing weight drastically makes you more vulnerable to gain it all back sooner. WEBMD says so. And my family doctor.

srp2011

Yes, you are being unrealistic - 10 lbs a month for a woman with the amount you have to lose is unrealistic. Even if you 'crash' diet, which would be dumb, your weight loss is going to slow down the closer you get to your goal. You also didn't mention how tall you are, but your profile says you are 38, and fact is, weight loss is harder when you are 35 and over. You may lose 10 lbs in the first moth, but 1-2 lbs per week is more realistic after that. You are just setting yourself up for failure if you set unrealistic goals - I don't know how you personally react to failure, but a lot of people respond by giving up altogether. If that tends to be your pattern (and I don't know, may you're the type who just ignores it and goes on...), why don't you try setting more achievable goals so that you will eventually reach your ultimate goal?

ONE03

It's difficult for me to lose weight the less I have to lose.

wish21

I'd say 5 to 8 lbs is ideal:)

Articeluvsmemphis

no ma'am, 10pounds and you've only 50 to lose? if you starve yourself, YES, do it sensibly then no. more like half of the 50 is realistic . slower you lose it, better at keeping it off

tistal

Tomorrow is week 3 for me and I will be at 12lbs lost. I have 50 total to lose and I am not starving myself or working out excessively. I take 1 exercise rest day a week. I have been out to eat, had ice cream and was over on my cals a couple of days. My body is just dropping the weight faster than I had expected.

auticus

While rushing is of course what we want, it's not realistic, nor does it really work out in the end for most people.

You more than likely didn't gain all that weight right away... you won't lose it right away either.

5-8 lbs a month is great. Anything more than that unless you are morbidly obese is probably not healthy and will probably backfire in your face soon after.

KristinLeAnn252

I'm shooting for 10 a month and I've lost ten but in about 5 weeks. It's a good goal to set because it's challenging but not impossible.

Articeluvsmemphis

everyone loses a bunch at first, 10lbs is not uncommon, I did it with little to no effort when I changed my lifestyle, IT WILL SLOW, there is absolutely no getting around this.

megsmom2

I'm willing to bet that the first month or so you'll lose 10lbs...but then weight loss will slow, and you'll get discouraged. The first little bit usually comes off easy. Taking it off slower is better for your body in the long run, and by doing it that way consciously you're developing the good habits you'll need to maintain a healthier weight and lifestyle. It's certainly possible to lose that much weight that quickly, I bet most of us have done that crash dieting thing before. There's always a price for it, in the long run.

malk2651

I think what hasn't been said is why losing that much is unhealthy. In my case I lost 12.5 in both my first two months. The problem with that was of those 12 pounds not all of it was fat some of it was muscle. Which I believe is the main reason people are recommending not to try to go to fast, you lose the bad stuff but you also lose the good stuff.

yoouperh

as long as you have at least 1250 calories a day, whatever your body can do is about as much as you can hope for. I lost 12 lbs in a month, but I have a lot to go, Just do whatever you do in a healthy way that you can be proud of and talk about when people as "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" But maybe shoot for 1.5 a week, it's a little more attainable, I hope you hit your goal!

bayouswampmike

YOU CAN DO IT !!!

SusanRenee35

I'm 5'7 & currently 205 goal weight is 155 or so ...I'll see when I get there...I'm not crash dieting & am eating back my exercise calories which I just discovered today I am SUPPOSE to do...I always thought you were not suppose to. Anyway I am eating very well (my journal is open) & exercising.
I just did my first month & lost 16 the first month. I remember going to weight watchers years ago & they always said you should lose about 10 lbs a month so that is what has stuck in my head. Now reading things on here I'm thinking that has changed

ambrstrm

I don't think so ... so far this month I've lost 6 pounds, granted I'm not doing as much exercising as I should be. 5 pounds a week from what I've been told is the limit to what a healthy weight loss should be.

Lozze

You'll always lose more the first month. I lost 20lbs in my first two months! After six months I've lost just shy of 60lbs. But I'm still 40lbs heavier than you. I don't expect it to last much longer.

As others have said its not a race. As long as you're moving in the right direction you'll be fine.

Hoakiebs

No, just program that in as you specify your goals and MFP will dictate how many calories you could consume to achieve that goal. It worked for me. According to my dietician, anything over 2.5 per week is concerning.

beckylawrence70

I lost 11 lbs in 5 weeks.

Artemis_Acorn

I lost 10 pounds a month for the first three months, but the rate has slowed down substantially since then. The pace was nice while it lasted - gave me some momentum, but the body has it's own rhythms and for me it wasn't sustainable to keep that pace going. It's okay though. I'll still be here however long it takes to reach my goal.

brookelittle

Might I just add for everyone who is complaining about losing 10lbs per month... It is safest to lose 1-2 lbs per week... There are 4-5 weeks in each month which equals 8-10 lbs of weight loss per month... I have lost 12 lbs a month for the last 3 months and did not starve myself.. did not over excercise... I walk sometimes... I use my elliptical sometimes... mix that with a really unstable performance of P90X and cleaning the house liberally atleast twice a week and my weight is coming off!! I was a size 22 and am now a size 18 and the new pants are getting loose. Just do your best and forget the rest... My suggestion is to only set a goal on overall weightloss..ie. I started at 5"11 264lbs and I won't stop until I'm 165lbs.. When you set monthly goals you will be discouraged because we all hit a point where we will have to work harder to lose weight and at first (if your working out) you will even gain weight because the volume of muscle vs the volume of fat weighs more! Think about how small your 16oz steak is vs if you tried to scoop a pound of crisco!! Measure yourself... never give up! Have fun with it... if you get tired of walking then try dancing while you get ready for work... anything to get you moving!!! I'm no professional and I can only tell you what has worked for me. I hope this helps!