Why can't I lose 1lb+ a week?

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uwhuskygirl
uwhuskygirl Posts: 320
in Food and Nutrition
I only have 5lbs left to lose and I was just looking at my suggested calorie intake and it keeps telling me that if I eat 1200 cal a day I should only lose .3 lbs a week, but I have it set at 1lb a week? I'd like to drop the rest of this weight by the end of the month, but it just doesn't seem possible? (Ideally, I'd like to lose 1.5 or 2 a week and have it all off sooner, but I can't figure out how to do it and not go into starvation mode.)

My BMR is 1212 cal a day and my BMI is a 20.3, if that helps at all.

Replies

  • uwhuskygirl
    uwhuskygirl Posts: 320
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    I only have 5lbs left to lose and I was just looking at my suggested calorie intake and it keeps telling me that if I eat 1200 cal a day I should only lose .3 lbs a week, but I have it set at 1lb a week? I'd like to drop the rest of this weight by the end of the month, but it just doesn't seem possible? (Ideally, I'd like to lose 1.5 or 2 a week and have it all off sooner, but I can't figure out how to do it and not go into starvation mode.)

    My BMR is 1212 cal a day and my BMI is a 20.3, if that helps at all.
  • mkklutts
    mkklutts Posts: 13
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    I would say that because as your BMI gets closer to 18, the lowest recommended healthy BMI, the site probably compensates to get you to your weight but keep you around a BMI of 18. I know you'd like to loose it faster, but it will probably be easier to keep it off and maintain your wt if you do it at a more gradual pace. You definitely don't want to starve yourself, because your body will actually start holding on to extra calories because it thinks you are going to starve it. What I would do to try to lose it a little faster is to exercise 5-10 mins more/day, or to get in an extra workout during the week. Hope this helps! Congrats on your weight loss!
  • REB89
    REB89 Posts: 493 Member
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    Actually the lowest safe BMI is 18.5 so it may be that since youa re getting close to that, your body is already at its optimum weight and so it will be very difficult to lose that last few pounds. They always say that the closer you get to your goal the harder it is to lsoe the weight. Oh and losing 1.5-2 a week is unrealisitc. This will only work with someone who is quite overweight. Most people should set their goal to around 1lbs a week loss. Although you may have set your loss for 1 lb a week it could be that the site has calculated that this would be unrealistic and has therefore put it down to only 0.3 lbs a week. I know that when i started I put in to lose 2lbs a week and it automatically went down to 1.3lbs a week which I now see was much more sensible. So I would say just stick it out and be patient and you will lose the last couple of pounds. It may not be as quickly as you want it to happen but in the long run an extra 4 weeks or so to reach your goal won't make too much difference :smile: Good luck!
  • Helawat
    Helawat Posts: 605 Member
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    Actually the lowest safe BMI is 18.5 so it may be that since youa re getting close to that, your body is already at its optimum weight and so it will be very difficult to lose that last few pounds. They always say that the closer you get to your goal the harder it is to lsoe the weight. Oh and losing 1.5-2 a week is unrealisitc. This will only work with someone who is quite overweight. Most people should set their goal to around 1lbs a week loss. Although you may have set your loss for 1 lb a week it could be that the site has calculated that this would be unrealistic and has therefore put it down to only 0.3 lbs a week. I know that when i started I put in to lose 2lbs a week and it automatically went down to 1.3lbs a week which I now see was much more sensible. So I would say just stick it out and be patient and you will lose the last couple of pounds. It may not be as quickly as you want it to happen but in the long run an extra 4 weeks or so to reach your goal won't make too much difference :smile: Good luck!

    Very well said. :glasses:
  • REB89
    REB89 Posts: 493 Member
    Options
    Actually the lowest safe BMI is 18.5 so it may be that since youa re getting close to that, your body is already at its optimum weight and so it will be very difficult to lose that last few pounds. They always say that the closer you get to your goal the harder it is to lsoe the weight. Oh and losing 1.5-2 a week is unrealisitc. This will only work with someone who is quite overweight. Most people should set their goal to around 1lbs a week loss. Although you may have set your loss for 1 lb a week it could be that the site has calculated that this would be unrealistic and has therefore put it down to only 0.3 lbs a week. I know that when i started I put in to lose 2lbs a week and it automatically went down to 1.3lbs a week which I now see was much more sensible. So I would say just stick it out and be patient and you will lose the last couple of pounds. It may not be as quickly as you want it to happen but in the long run an extra 4 weeks or so to reach your goal won't make too much difference :smile: Good luck!

    Very well said. :glasses:

    Thank you:flowerforyou:
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    yep, what everyone says is right. MFP puts a govenor at 1200 (I'm not in complete agreement with this as some people have a small enough frame that it could be slightly lower then that, but better safe then sorry)

    UW, you are in phase five. Read this, it may help a little.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

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