Losing TOO fast?

EdgeChic

So I am morbidly obese. I was 366lbs when I delivered my second daughter February 19th, 2010 and since then have lost 31lbs. However, 6 of those pounds have been in the last week since I joined this site and started tracking my calorie intake strongly.

The website recommends I eat around 1880 calories a day, but I'm finding if I have a nice breakfast, nice lunch, nice snack and good dinner I'm anywhere inbetween 1200-1500 calories, I am not hungry and don't feel sick. Since doing this, however, like I said, I'm losing a pound a day or so. I am drinking plenty of water (generally 12 - 8oz glasses).

Is this WAY too much to quickly? Should I give it sometime to let it sort itself out?

I have NO intention on crash dieting (I've done this before, gained it all back). I just really wanted to start tracking what I was eating to start losing a healthy amount of weight.

Any information, feedback, etc would be highly appreciated.

I'm so glad I found this site!

Thanks!

Catdemar

you might want to eat a few more healthy items to get the calories. As you lose you will need to eat less so if you your body gets used to eating 1200 calories now then when you need to eat less your body might not respond.
Eat an extra apple, salad, maybe some eggs. At first it is not always fat but water that is lost so this could be why you are losing quickly but think you should kick it up a bit on the calories. I eat 1100-1200 a day not and have not lost anything for 3 weeks and I count everything. Good for you for doing what your doing. Keep up the good work and don't burn out on too much too soon.

that is just my thoughts.

kateyb

Don't worry we all lose the most in the first week or two. It's mostly water weight. I started at 220 and I lost 6lbs in the first week too. Eventually it will even itself out.

The only thing I would say is that you should really eat all of your allotted calories. I know what you're saying about not being hungry for more but being polite - you didn't get to 366lbs eating a diet of 1500 cals a day. I didn;t get to 220 that way either.

If you continuously eat under your calories then it will take you longer to reach your goals. Sounds like silly math but any number of people on this site will back me up.

EdgeChic

Thank you for your reply! I will try and add in something else with dinner and maybe another snack. It makes sense what you said.

Thanks again.

lilay

The first week I started this site (Jan 11, 2010) I lost 7 pounds (starting weight of 231 pounds) eventually things leveled out and now I lose 1-2 pounds a week. So I would just wait and see how things play themselves out over the next couple of weeks. If in week 5 or 6 you’re still losing 6 pounds a week you might want to revisit this.

I would try to eat your calories or you might end up slowing your weight loss in the end. Good Luck!

KatieM7

Like Catdemar said I would try to increase it more if you can. However you don't want to overfill yourself then you will just be miserable. "Listen" to your body and follow what it tells you to do. Good luck with your goals.

Pattyisgr8

When I started last March I lost 6lbs the first week too! It slowed down after that, but your body is adjusting to the good food you are fueling it with. As for the lower number of calories, I would stick with what MFP tells you to eat, I think that as you loose, the number of cals will go down and that might hurt you in the long run. Add in good proteints (nuts, lean meats, ect.).

angela75022

You're staying way under your calorie goal... that's great. I don't think that it's too much too fast. You've just become aware of what your're eating and how much.. so I'm sure that you're eating far less than you did in the past (I am)... and adding in any exercise that you do (including cleaning, laundry, cooking and taking care of the baby) you are burning more than you think you are.

If you are truly worried about it, talk to your doctor. :flowerforyou:

EdgeChic

Thank you everyone for your advice. I am going to try and get closer to my recommended calories. I am just scared that I've spent so much of the past 3 years eating because I was bored, eating because I felt "obligated" that now when I'm NOT hungry and I feel I need to eat to reach my calories...it's just an uphill battle. I guess no one said it'd be easy, right?

Thanks again everyone.

dellroyy

Are you breast feeding? Dont actually want to know the answer, but the additional calories required for "baby making" are nothing compared to the amount of Calories required for breast feeding.

This added in with looking after the babdy as mentioned above, could have a massive difference.

cmw72

I started off at 365 and I lost 10lbs my first week. It's just the body adjusting to a healthier lifestle and most of that is just water and bloat weight. I've had a couple weeks since then where I lost like seven pounds, and some where I've lost none at all. It all balances out in the end.

I do agree with the breastfeeding comments though. If I were in that position, I'd want to double check with my doctor about my diet just to make sure. Then again I'm a dude, so what do I know?

Melanie1967

Welcome aboard "chic"! I have been obese since I was 14 years old. Oh wow, I am 43 TODAY, so that is 29 years of being obese. My highest weight was 255lbs. I tried several diets/fads to no prevail after a week or so, I gave up. I gave up my favorite NOS energy drink earlier this year, (WOW the SODIUM and CARBS in that), and went from 255lbs to 247.7 and stalled out again. My niece turned me onto this site. She joined in January and has lost about 40lbs. I started 3/18, wanting to loose 97lbs. First week I lost 7lbs, second week I lost 6lbs. I thought SWEET! This is going to be easy. And like everyone else has stated, after week 2.....it slowed, and slowed, and slowed! Anyhow, Almost 2 months, and 28lbs off. Tomorrow is weigh in day and I know that number will bump to at least 30lbs off. I average about 2-3lbs per week off, the TOM (time of month) rolls around, and I put 2-3lbs back on that week. With the support here, I feel more determined then ever this time. I am not trying to get skinny, I just want to get healthy. My goal weight is 140-150lbs. Also make sure you do your measurements. Those numbers amaze me more then the lbs on the scale coming off. Gee, I have lost 28lbs, and dropped 2 pants sizes, but I have lost 4 INCHES, yes, 4 INCHES off of my waist!! Feel free to add me as a friend. The more support the better. cmw72 is a friend of mine here, and he is a big insperation to me!

dmags

I agree that the first couple of weeks you will have more significant losses. I did not exercise in the beginning because of this. Once I started to slow down or not even lose in a week, I incorporated exercising. DVD's at home. When you start to slow, and you probably will, it is a great time to introduce exercise. Congratulations on your loss, don't worry about it, CELEBRATE it!

Fiskmama

Congratulations on deciding to get healthy! I don't know for sure, but I would bet that a bunch of the 30lbs you have lost is typical postpartum weight loss. Your body is simply adjusting to not being pregnant anymore. After my first delivery I dropped 30lbs in 2 weeks! Probably most of that was water. If you are nursing your baby just make sure that your dieting isn't effecting your milk supply. They say that you typically burn 300-500 calories a day with breastfeeding and that is something that should be added in to your daily caloric intake. If you are eating roughly 1500 calories a day I would add in that 300-500 calories for baby. Of course if you aren't breastfeeding, then all of this is mute. I think listening to your body and noting hunger cues is key. Yes try to eat all your calories, but don't stuff yourself either. If you're full, you're full! Best of Luck, you are off to a great start!

dj_stevie_c

It'll balance out.

Most people will start losing weight very quickly which is why all these 'con' plans can promise things like "we guarantee you'll lose 20lbs in 2 weeks" etc.

My first week following this I lost 8lbs.

This week I've lost 1lb.

In the past I've lost 24lbs in 2 weeks. It blances out as long as you're being sensible, your body takes a while to adjust, they way I look at it is that your body is so used to processing a lot of junk that when the junk is taken away the body takes a while to adjust so works as hard as if it's still processing all the junk when it doesn't have to, then it calms down. But that's just how I see it no science behind that.

paulreese

You shouldn't neccesarily try to eat more to get your extra calories. The best thing to do would be to try some substitutions that are a little more calorie dense. This way you don't overfill your self yet still get the extra calories you need. Also, yes you will tend to drop weight more quickly when you first start eating a with proper nutrition in mind. Keep up the good work.

EdgeChic

Thank you everyone for your support!!

I am so very glad I found this website. I've decided to only weigh myself once a week and hope to start incorporating some treadmill work within the next month.

I agree that a lot of it is probably post partum baby weight, I only gained 15lbs with this pregnancy so I felt more comfortable with that then the 60 I gained with my first child.

I'm not interested in dropping weight super fast, because it generally comes back super fast, LOL.

Thanks again everyone for the wonderful ideas and encouragement. I'm sure things will start to level out soon, but I know every pound no matter how long it takes is still another pound!

sarahsmom1

So I am morbidly obese. I was 366lbs when I delivered my second daughter February 19th, 2010 and since then have lost 31lbs. However, 6 of those pounds have been in the last week since I joined this site and started tracking my calorie intake strongly.

The website recommends I eat around 1880 calories a day, but I'm finding if I have a nice breakfast, nice lunch, nice snack and good dinner I'm anywhere in between 1200-1500 calories, I am not hungry and don't feel sick. Since doing this, however, like I said, I'm losing a pound a day or so. I am drinking plenty of water (generally 12 - 8oz glasses).

Is this WAY too much to quickly? Should I give it sometime to let it sort itself out?

I started at that same exact weight. Yes at first you lose fast then it tapers to a safe weight loss. I eat 1700 calories I started Mar 6th and have lost 27 pounds. What is you goal weight? If you want to add me as a friend its ok. Good Luck

I have NO intention on crash dieting (I've done this before, gained it all back). I just really wanted to start tracking what I was eating to start losing a healthy amount of weight.

Any information, feedback, etc would be highly appreciated.

I'm so glad I found this site!

Thanks!

popplylily

i agree with mfp, its great taht your eating that amount comfortably but with so much to lose id be wary of slowly /shocking your metabolism too much at this stage. the lower you go at the start it means you have nowehre to go if you plateau..
also you want to keep your great metabolism. the body speeds up its burning process the more you eat. so the rules people tell you about "if you eat this much a day youll put on x in one yr" is kinda bull****. studies show your metabolism can double its burning power if you eat over your limit and half it if your under. when i was sick i could put on from eating just fruit in a day. the body is incredible at that.
If you want advice, having seen several people with that much to lose and watch the yrs and yo yo carry on through low cal starts. mostly its because theyre impatient as they do have so much to lose and need the motivation of losing fast.
my advice is add healthy snacks maybe a little olive oil on your salads etc. smoothies are great to add cals healthily.
id aim for 1800 def. the more shock your body gets, it will catch up with you, it will after a week or two go "**** - slow down the burning!" and boom you have lowered your metabolism. And at that weight its not a good thing to do. my sis has ruined hers so bad that even though she eats about half of what i eat she stays the same like forever. all because she keeps popping on a low cal diet then the moment she stops the shakes, having half of what i do causes big gains.
im not saying this to make you too stuffed or feel awkward. Just from a caring perspective. I have studied chemistry and biology at uni and really think you need to up the cals. in a healthy way of course. later on you will need less calories to support your lighter weight anyway. if your body is used to supporting 200/300 pounds on 1200 lets guess what it will need if you were say 170... VERY little! and your body will be so proud at its resourcefulness!
be careful right now honey, and keep the cals upwards of that just to protect the future of a healthy weight. xxxx

MagicGardenMrsO

It will balance out in a couple of weeks. Having been on WW and NS, that the heavier you are, the more weight you lose the first few weeks. Mostly it is water weight but it is also because you go from eating 4,000 to 6,000 calories a day to 1500 - 1800 calories.

There are days that I eat close to 1800 calories and other days I eat 1250 calories. Sometimes we're hungry, sometimes we're not and some days you eat more fiber than others, which keeps you feeling full longer. Just make sure you are eating 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day and your body won't go into starvation mode. If you're not hungry but know you need to get an extra meal in, have a yogurt drink or half a snack bar (Atkins, South Beach, Special K, Fiber One, etc.).

DarcieC2389

I agree with some of the others. Usually after a change in diet, you will lose more the first week or two. It will probably level off and the next week may only be like a 1 or 2 lb loss. I tend of expect this if I have a larger wt. loss one week, probably the next week will be quite a bit less. I wouldn't be concerned about it, unless you are having those large numbers, after a month or more. The recommended wt. loss is generally 1/2 lb-2 lbs. a week to lose in a healthy way without side effects. Keep up the good work.

Dara80

There are a few things to consider in your case. For starters, you just had a little one. When I had my oldest son I walked out of the hospital weighing 260 pounds. 3 months later I weighed 180 and that was with no dieting or exercising whatsoever. Just breastfeeding and being me. I did the same thing with my other two children although I went down to my prepregnancy weight both times. 180 for my daughter and 230 with my youngest son who is 14 months old now. I'm not an expert at this but it seems like giving birth changes our chemistry for a while and could be the reason you're dropping the weight rapidly. Another thing to consider is you are over 300 pounds. Once again, not an expert on this but I've noticed that bigger people tend to lose the weight faster. On The Biggest Loser, the folks that are bigger tend to pull the larger numbers. As they get smaller, so does their weight loss. This season, that guy Mike is dropping child sized weight each week. Whereas Sam had large numbers until he got near his goal weight and then slowed down to a crawl. Once you get down a bit, you might find that your losses will slow down a little too. One of the gals on my What to Expect board has lost 40 pounds in 6 weeks whereas the rest of us are plugging away at 10 pounds lost. Of course, she's been really working hard at it too so I have no doubt that is where at least 80% of her success lies.

twilight1542

First of all, welcome to MFP and congratulations on making the decision to do something good for yourself. I am proof that absolutely anyone can lose weight if they are just willing to make the commitment to eating healthy and being active. I started here at 235 lbs. After 1 month lost 15lbs. After 1.5 months 26lbs. After the first 3 months I leveled out to an average of 2lbs per week. It is normal because a lot of water weight and your body simply reacting to a big change in diet and exercise. So don't stress too much about that because it will even out over time.

As for your calories per day, I have had the best success staying as close to MFP's recommendations as possible. I do know of people who lost eating slightly less and I also know people who found that they lost most consistently by actually eating more than MFP recommends (e.g. doing 1500 base calories instead of 1200). Everyone's different so you just have to find what works the best for you. But I do have one suggestion diet wise. There are plenty of ways to bulk up on calories without having to eat a lot of food. Instead of having a veggie only salad add in grilled chicken or beans (kidney and garbanzo are awesome)--that will easily add a couple hundred calories. For a snack, have a handful of unsalted almonds--that's almost 200 calories and is full of healthy fat and protein. You could also eat a protein bar instead of a piece of fruit. You just have to get creative and find foods that are appealing to you that are highly caloric. If you're going for low-fat everything, try getting the full fat version. Most of all, listen to your body. Don't eat just for the sake of eating, but don't deprive yourself simply because you feel like that's the only way to lose weight. The goal here is not to "diet" but to change your "lifestyle". You can definitely do this. There are also lots of "sticky threads"--threads that always appear at the top of certain forums--that contain fantastic information on everything from exercise suggestions, to nutrition, to how to beat the dreaded plateau, to "starvation mode". When you have some time, take a peek at them because they've been incredibly helpful to me in this journey : ) Most of all, GOOD LUCK!

kwardklinck

It's normal to lose a lot the first week. If you continue losing a pound a day, you might need to add back in a few calories per day. I find it easier to maintain my weight loss if I don't lose more than 2 pounds a week.