Too fast?

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apocalypsepwnie
apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've seen a few posts around where some members are saying certain weight losses have been too fast.
I've seen one recently where 65 lbs in 8 months was crazy fast.
I come a land of kilos so 65 lbs is just under 30kg, which is near my goal amount. I'm planning to lose this in 6 months.
Currently I'm losing 1.25kg/week on average which is nearly 3 lbs/week. I've seen many people say over 2 lbs/week is unhealthy and too fast. I weighed in yesterday and had lost 2.5 kg/5 and a half lbs in 6 days. I've lost 11kg/22 lbs so far in exactly 2 months.
I'm eating 1500 cals/day and exercising 2000-3000 cals off/week which I only eat back if it nets me under 1200 cals for the day. I average 1250 cals/day at the end of the week.
I'm 5'4 and currently 91.9kg or 202 lbs. My goal is 70kg/154 lbs by the end of february.
I drink 8-12 cups of water every day, if not more and my diet is fairly clean. I eat my 2 and 5 every day and keep my sodium as low as I can. I prepare most meals myself and very rarely eat out.

I'm just looking for some opinions here, why is that fast?

Replies

  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    And no I'm not low carbing or cutting anything.
    I'm usually 40/30/30 or 50/25/25.

    I use a HRM to count cals burned which only counts anything where my heart rate is above 75 which is my RHR.
  • MamaWalkingBear
    MamaWalkingBear Posts: 49 Member
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    Losing too fast especially after the first few weeks can impact your health negatively. I've lost 9 pounds in the last two weeks,but I changed how I was eating with my doctor's advice. Because I have so much to lose (over 200 total, and I've lost over 25% of that in the last year) I do consult my doctor and a dietitian.

    Here is an article from Weight Watchers about losing weight too fast. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=76801&sc=3053

    I hope this helps! My daughter lost weight too fast as a teen and did not eat enough protein. We discovered that the muscles she was building running cross country were starting to take a toll on her heart, since she wasn't eating enough protein. We had to get her to eat at least 60 mg of protein a day. That was challenging, since she was not a meat eater at the time.

    So that is one way that losing too fast can have a negative affect.

    Good Luck and stay healthy!!
  • voyageruk
    voyageruk Posts: 11
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    Are you losing it safely? If you are not starving yourself or using questionable methods then surely the body is happy to lose at that rate? I think everyone is different. It sounds like you are doing well and I hope it continues :smile:
  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
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    I think it depends on how much you have to lose. I've lost 85 pounds in about 6 1/2 months but I still have another 85 pounds to lose. I know the last 85 will not come off as easy as the first 85.
  • Crayvn
    Crayvn Posts: 390 Member
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    sounds like you know what your doing as far as macros etc.....if your not hungry all the time and seeing the results you want its not a bad thing per se.... Im sure some will debate this.....its all a matter of how you feel mentally and physically..i would say eat more..but that just my opinion.. take a look at your TDEE etc... if your only avg eating 1200 ish calories and you hit a plateau it doesnt leave you anywhere to go with a deficit really..just some thoughts :) good luck!
  • DianneBoo
    DianneBoo Posts: 226 Member
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    For average weight loss, 1-2 pounds lost per week is considered the norm for keeping the weight off. Now, I am only 5'5" and have a total of 145 pounds to lose (from when I started back in April....I had already lost quite a bit from january until I signed up on MFP in April). I only weigh myself on the 1st of every month, but I average 8-12 pounds lost! I burn 15,000-20,000 calories a month on average and typically have 1250-1500 calories per day. I too drink lots of water. I don't think I am losing too fast. The loose skin I had is tightening up, I have better muscle tone and am down several pant/dress sizes.

    So, as long as you are feeding your body everything it needs and you workout, I think you are doing just fine. Your body will tell you if something isn't right, so just listen to it.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    Certainly not hungry. Not tired. I eat enough protein and carbs. Most of my fats are 'good' fats and I'm always under in the saturated and haven't ever registered any trans.
    I had about 2 weeks where I was only meeting 1200-1300 in food and netting about 900 and my weightloss was at 0.5kg/week so I went back to trying as best as I can to meet 1500 in food to net 1200 and I lost 2.9kg in 6 days. I'm sticking with the staying higher.
    I started on 1800 and when I started dropping weight my cals went down, obviously.

    I note days where I'm really hungry, not very hungry or exhausted from a big day at work. Each week I note them in a calander to see if there are any trends to what I'm eating to cause this. I did find netting less than 1200 was making me more tired but now I've upped it again I'm all good.

    I take vitamins to supplement what I'm not getting which I saw a nutritionist and showed them my macros after a month to see where I was actually deficient diet wise which has really helped with energy and sleeping.

    Thanks for the opinions.
    I play roller derby which is high intensity and burns 600-1000 calories in a 2 hour training session. I'm not feeling tired or burnt out at the end like I used to before MFP so I know I'm eating ok.
  • cruciia
    cruciia Posts: 94 Member
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    As long as you're not starving yourself and you're happy with the amount of exercise you'er doing (not pushing yourself too far) then I don't see a problem with it.

    My doctors, as well as Jenny Craig etc have told me that weight loss of 0.5kg to 1kg is optimal, however at a higher weight you're more likely to lose more weight. I don't see a problem with your weight loss of 1.25kg a week, congrats! I would be more concerned with 2kg a week.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    If I hit a plateau I'm happy to eat back all of my exercise calories for a little while just to get a 'refeed' type thing going and drop them off again. I'm even happy with going back up to 1800 as I know I probably wont gain any.
    If I do, ah well... the trend is down.

    Thanks so much for the confidence in what I'm doing.
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    And no I'm not low carbing or cutting anything.
    I'm usually 40/30/30 or 50/25/25.

    I use a HRM to count cals burned which only counts anything where my heart rate is above 75 which is my RHR.
    Ok? At what calorie intake? This is why using 40/30/30 or XX/XX/XX is bad. Go by xx per lb of weight or lean body mass.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Fast weight loss usually turns into fast muscle loss. You didn't gain weight overnight so you can't expect to lose all that weight overnight. And you really should care more about body composition and preserve your lean body mass instead of worrying about weight. You will have a lot tighter and smaller of a body if you maintain your muscle and just cut fat. When you worry about cutting fat (through weight training, some cardio and a smaller calorie deficit) you will get results like the girl in the link below. If all you worry about is cutting weight, your body will use muscle to create energy, which means you will be a 125 or 135 lb skinny fat girl. So would you rather look better or weight less?


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    And no I'm not low carbing or cutting anything.
    I'm usually 40/30/30 or 50/25/25.

    I use a HRM to count cals burned which only counts anything where my heart rate is above 75 which is my RHR.
    Ok? At what calorie intake? This is why using 40/30/30 or XX/XX/XX is bad. Go by xx per lb of weight or lean body mass.

    If you'd read my first post you'd know. Thankyou for taking the time not to do that.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    There's no one-size-fits-all rule. Typically, the fatter you are the faster you're able to lose.

    I wouldn't recommend changing something that's working.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    Fast weight loss usually turns into fast muscle loss. You didn't gain weight overnight so you can't expect to lose all that weight overnight. And you really should care more about body composition and preserve your lean body mass instead of worrying about weight. You will have a lot tighter and smaller of a body if you maintain your muscle and just cut fat. When you worry about cutting fat (through weight training, some cardio and a smaller calorie deficit) you will get results like the girl in the link below. If all you worry about is cutting weight, your body will use muscle to create energy, which means you will be a 125 or 135 lb skinny fat girl. So would you rather look better or weight less?


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat

    I actually have an extremely high muscle mass already. My calves are so large that I can't wear boots, even gumboots or boots that are made for bigger girls. Even knee high socks can be a struggle. Same with my thighs. I already have well formed abdominal muscles. I am focusing on my arms and strengthening them particularly the shoulder joint to protect against dislocations.
    I do strength training along with my cardio. And I certainly know what 'skinny fat' is and have no intention of getting there. Before starting this journey I had consulted with a PT and a nutritionist with whom I'm in regular contact. I play derby with them.
    I understand that there is muscle loss with weight loss. It's very hard for many people I meet to understand that my weight is as high as it is because of my size. I'm muscular and always have been.

    *edited to add that my calves actually have muscle definition from both the muscles there. So I don't have jelly legs. It's amusing for my family members for me do to squats for them because of how my thighs pop. So yeah, no skinny fat here.
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
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    my calves were huge too when I was younger that boots couldn't zip up! and had to wear boots 3 sizes to big in order to march in band! :P not all calves are big because of muscle, but then I haven't seen your body...

    if you are truly losing fat you'll need to think about where it will be lost and make sure you do exercises to build up the muscle in that area and also to keep the skin supple so it doesn't sag as the fat is lost... saggy skin is the pits cause you can't get rid of that naturally, you have to prevent it.

    do it safely and make sure you're balancing diet with exercise. :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    Fast weight loss usually turns into fast muscle loss. You didn't gain weight overnight so you can't expect to lose all that weight overnight. And you really should care more about body composition and preserve your lean body mass instead of worrying about weight. You will have a lot tighter and smaller of a body if you maintain your muscle and just cut fat. When you worry about cutting fat (through weight training, some cardio and a smaller calorie deficit) you will get results like the girl in the link below. If all you worry about is cutting weight, your body will use muscle to create energy, which means you will be a 125 or 135 lb skinny fat girl. So would you rather look better or weight less?


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat

    I actually have an extremely high muscle mass already. My calves are so large that I can't wear boots, even gumboots or boots that are made for bigger girls. Even knee high socks can be a struggle. Same with my thighs. I already have well formed abdominal muscles. I am focusing on my arms and strengthening them particularly the shoulder joint to protect against dislocations.
    I do strength training along with my cardio. And I certainly know what 'skinny fat' is and have no intention of getting there. Before starting this journey I had consulted with a PT and a nutritionist with whom I'm in regular contact. I play derby with them.
    I understand that there is muscle loss with weight loss. It's very hard for many people I meet to understand that my weight is as high as it is because of my size. I'm muscular and always have been.

    *edited to add that my calves actually have muscle definition from both the muscles there. So I don't have jelly legs. It's amusing for my family members for me do to squats for them because of how my thighs pop. So yeah, no skinny fat here.

    Do you track your body fat? If not, then all of this is generally an assumption.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    I have had it done just before starting and intend on having it done regularly. I'm going to invest in the fitbit scale so I can do it at home.
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    my calves were huge too when I was younger that boots couldn't zip up! and had to wear boots 3 sizes to big in order to march in band! :P not all calves are big because of muscle, but then I haven't seen your body...

    if you are truly losing fat you'll need to think about where it will be lost and make sure you do exercises to build up the muscle in that area and also to keep the skin supple so it doesn't sag as the fat is lost... saggy skin is the pits cause you can't get rid of that naturally, you have to prevent it.

    do it safely and make sure you're balancing diet with exercise. :)

    Certainly muscle. There is a very small amount of fat up near my knee but that's it.
    It's mostly coming from my butt/top of thighs and tummy right now. I have back issues so I'm trying to do what I can to work my core without sit ups.

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