Is loosing .5 pounds a week too little?

NaturallyandProperly

If that's correct, it seems like it will take me forever to get to where I want to be. I am 193lbs and 5'4". I'm working out at least 5 times a week, burning at least 500 calories each time and my trainer wants me to eat 1675 calories. What do you think?

seif0068

Nope. It might feel a little less satisfying, but it is a loss and it is very likely more sustainable than losing a bunch really quickly but by doing things you will not be able to do long-term.

Here's how I see it; with the amount I was eating before, I was on track to gain .5 pound a week.

Then, I had to reduce just to MAINTAIN - so that's hard work right there.

Then, I had to reduce even further to actually LOSE weight. So, .5 pounds/week might not seem like much but in my case, mentally, I kept reminding myself that it was harder work than it seemed because I was preventing the .5 pound gain per week and losing .5 to 1 pound per week on top of that.

The main thing for me is that everything I have done to lose that weight, I have incorporated into my lifestyle one thing at a time, gradually, and it's all stuff I can do forever.

Remember that 80% of weight loss is diet; you could work out every day and burn a ton of calories but if you are MORE THAN eating back your exercise calories, you will still gain weight despite working out. If you set your activity level to sedentary, log all exercise (with accurate calorie counts), and end up right around your NET calorie goal for the day, you should see progress.

So, if you are eating 1675 calories TOTAL on your workout days and burning 500, you are eating too little which will actually stall your weight loss.

thisisme13

Personally I believe the slower the losses the better. Not only can you keep the weight off better and it's less of a shock due to lowering calories it also helps you to preserve muscle mass when you having a smaller deficit.

NaturallyandProperly

Still seems too little to me if I'm working out and eating properly.. Maybe my metabolism will speed up? People keep telling me that around 12 weeks of keeping this up I should then, start to see the pounds come off fast... ??

XLMuffnTop

Nope. It might feel a little less satisfying, but it is a loss and it is very likely more sustainable than losing a bunch really quickly but by doing things you will not be able to do long-term.

Here's how I see it; with the amount I was eating before, I was on track to gain .5 pound a week.

Then, I had to reduce just to MAINTAIN - so that's hard work right there.

Then, I had to reduce even further to actually LOSE weight. So, .5 pounds/week might not seem like much but in my case, mentally, I kept reminding myself that it was harder work than it seemed because I was preventing the .5 pound gain per week and losing .5 to 1 pound per week on top of that.

The main thing for me is that everything I have done to lose that weight, I have incorporated into my lifestyle one thing at a time, gradually, and it's all stuff I can do forever.

Remember that 80% of weight loss is diet; you could work out every day and burn a ton of calories but if you are MORE THAN eating back your exercise calories, you will still gain weight despite working out. If you set your activity level to sedentary, log all exercise (with accurate calorie counts), and end up right around your NET calorie goal for the day, you should see progress.

So, if you are eating 1675 calories TOTAL on your workout days and burning 500, you are eating too little which will actually stall your weight loss.

I like this perspective.

fattyfoodie

Weight loss is a gradual reduction in body weight over time. How long did it take you to gain all the weight? For me it started about 10 years ago, so I figure that if I lose 0.5 pounds/week, it will take me 3 to take it all off- less than a third of the time it took me to put it on.

Half a pound a week is a good, attainable goal.

DonnaLeeCattes

I started out Aug 3rd 2012 at 196 and I'm 5'3,
I'm now 123.
Since you have a trainer I would think he/she knows what there talking about so you should do what they say.

1ConcreteGirl

Half a pound a week is what I aim for.

1) it is sustainable loss
2) it preserves muscle
3) I can eat more

It might not feel as rewarding as a crash diet, but the results will last longer.

_mrsgigi_

nothing is to little.. u should be proud of your achievements no matter how little or big they may be

rob1976

It might be. You may want to trying LOSING it instead of LOOSING it.

TylerJ76

What's the hurry?

You're going to be doing this for the rest of your life, correct??

TimeForMe99

All good points, and bear in mind that you don't have to wait until you've reached your goal to see improvements. After 10 pounds your pants will be loose, a few more and your waist will be more defined. By summer you'll probably be in a different size. In the fall you'll need to send your slacks to a tailor to be taken in. Enjoy each of these steps and remember that the slower the loss the more likely you are to be successful long term.

SideSteel

Progress is progress. If your weight is coming off, then this is a good thing.
That being said, given your stats, I would set your goal/limit to around 1.5lb/week as ideal.

melsmith612

Losing 1/2 lb/week is not bad at all. Losing too quickly is just going to set you up for failure, like any crash diet that wants to lure you in with big initial losses so that you'll gain it all back and use their products again for another "jump start".

rachpetersen

0.5 lbs per week is very reasonable. most health professionals recommend losing 0.5-2lbs at most per week. i would be happy with that loss...if you lose it to quickly it will be much more difficult to maintain once you reach your goal. happy losing!

tatd_820

Those ounces add up to lbs. Stick with it, be consistant and before you know it you will be down many lbs. Slow and steady.

ryry_

How long have you stuck with this program? At that calorie level and if you are doing 5 intense excercise sessions per week, I would expect somewhere between 1 lb/ 1.5 lbs per week at that rate.

imhungry2012

Half a pound a week is what I aim for.

1) it is sustainable loss
2) it preserves muscle
3) I can eat more

It might not feel as rewarding as a crash diet, but the results will last longer.

This. An you will likely average a loss more than .5 lb/wk the first month or two.

CyberEd312

I once weighed 560 lbs. and my goal was to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week, I knew I needed a lifestyle change and speeding things up was just stupid because to make it sustainable I needed to look at it as the rest of my life. Fast forward 43 months and all those 1 to 2 lbs. added up.... (Check out my ticker) Just stay the course and you will achieve your goals!! Best of Luck....

Inshape13

I agree with the slower the better because it can lead to saggy skin in the long run with rapid loss. If you just started out(not sure) and you are working with a trainer expect your muscles/body to retain some water also. Good luck and a loss is a loss.

hastinbe

This is also a reason why it is a good idea to log your measurements if you're trying to lose weight. Also, the closer you get to a certain body fat (around 15% for some people), the slower the weight comes off and often the extra work to lose more doesn't make a substantial difference (your mileage may vary)

Goal_Driven

not at all, especially if you're within 10 lbs of your goal weight. I would suggest 1 lb loss until then though. good luck!

HeidiMightyRawr

Half a pound a week is what I aim for.

1) it is sustainable loss
2) it preserves muscle
3) I can eat more

It might not feel as rewarding as a crash diet, but the results will last longer.

This! It's how slow my weight-loss is at the moment and I'm really happy! It's still going in the right direction, I get to eat more (I love food) and my strength gains don't suffer as much.

Although, at your weight and height I'd probably be aiming for 1lb a week (no more though) for the first few months and then bring it down to 0.5lbs once I'm a little closer to goal.

majoki

If you can handle dropping your calories (or if you can work out a bit more), you can lose pounds faster - if this is your desire.

I'd be okay with .5 pounds/week as long as I was clearly losing inches too. I've been between 159 and 160 for 2 weeks now, but my waist dropped another .25". That's what I care about!

Snow3y

Trust me you don't want to lose weight too fast.. You will most probably earn some stretch marks if you do... Slow and steady is more healthier and less strenuous on your body, too

kayjaycee9

This is exactly how I started, a .5 lb/week. It took a good 3 weeks for any change in weight but let me say, once the weight started coming off, it came off, and rather quickly. I actually lost more than I had planned and have been doing this since November of 2012. Also, I included 5 work-out days and 3 strength training days which have tremendously helped with the weight loss and I look forward to sticking with it. As stated in other posts, it is better to lose slowly than deprive yourself

Riemersma4

Remember, it's a journey.
Don't be in a hurry.
You are planning to be healthy for the rest of your life.....not just next week!

Good luck!

rotfool

Just remember, we all didn't put the weight on over night or over a weekend. It's not going to fall off over night or over a weekend. Persistence and dedication to yourself is key.

fresh_start59

Losing 1/2 a pound a week is not too little, especially if you are close to your goal weight or have medical factors that have slowed your metabolism down to a crawl (ie: menopause).

You don't give any specifics about your weight, age, height etc, so it is hard to say if your calories are adequate. For the amount of workout you are doing, my guess is that you probably need to eat more.

That said, I'm at about 1,575 calories a day, but I'm very sedentary and just now incorporating a bit of exercise into my life. I'm obese (which means I have plenty of fat stores for any extra calorie burn) and I'm 53, post-menopausal with only half a thyroid.

I always recommend haybales' spreadsheet for determining an adequate calorie intake:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE

This post explains how to use the spreadsheet:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

BlairCottier

.5 lbs/ week is not too little at all! That is about the rate that I am at now, and I never feel hungry and have tons of energy! Everyone else's comments were pretty right on. If you are serious about being healthy, not just about losing the weight on some crash diet, this is the way to go. Also, someone else mentioned taking measurements. YES!! Take measurements and before/after pictures so those days when there's not much scale movement you can look at other measures of progress and feel really good about yourself regardless of what the scale says! I know, because I went through that myself... some weeks the scale wouldn't budge, but I would lose inches and then when looking at the before and after pics it was amazing the progress I had made with only a 2 lb loss! Stay the course and you will see results... consistency and dedication is key. Good luck!

NaturallyandProperly

WOW! Thank you for all of the replies! I read each one. Very positive, supportive and modivating! I have been taking measurements and will continue to do so. Slow and steady wins the race! It took me 5 years to gain this so ya..... 1 or 2 years to get back to being healthy really isn't that bad! I already feel soooo much better. Thanks everyone!