Worried about how much I lost so quick

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mjhocevar
mjhocevar Posts: 15
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey. I am kind of worried that I have lost almost 20 pounds in just over two weeks. I weighted 226 and now weight 206. I am 32 and am 5'7. I did just get over the 24 flu bug yesterday so maybe that contributed to it, but I am still worried. I have never gone over my calorie goal but always had over 1200 calories a day. I also did not exercise much, just 3 45 min walks or so a week give or take. Any take on this?

Replies

  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    It says you've just joined MPF, so I'm assuming that you've just started trying to lose weight. It isn't all that rare for there to be really rapid weight loss the first couple of weeks, but it's mostly water weight, not fat. I also wouldn't be surprised if the flu contributed to it and you see some temporary weight gain.

    Out of curiosity, how did you determine your calorie goal? This isn't really related to the rapid weight loss; you just seem to have an awfully low target for a 226 lb. male.
  • mjhocevar
    mjhocevar Posts: 15
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    Thanks for the info. I let them calculate it themselves. It was 1610 to start, but now that I am at 209, they reduced it to 1400 or so. Sometimes i never went to that calorie goal depending what I ate, so I would sometimes just be over the minimum recommended 1200 but I would never be under that.
  • scottbrown78
    scottbrown78 Posts: 142 Member
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    I hope you brought your flame suit.....just saying keeping a low cal diet is the easiest way to get flamed here on MFP.
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
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    It's quite likely that those 20 pounds isn't all bodymass that's come off. If you drank less in the day/hours before weighing yourself than you did when you started that will have an effect. That could explain up to 3-4 pounds. Also, if you eat less, you also have less half digested food in you, including a lot of fluids. Again, that's a few pounds difference that doesn't have anything to do with your bodyweight. Unfortunately the scale can't see the difference between actual bodyweight and stuff in the body weight.

    Being sick also triggers your body to use more resources, which, together with just starting with healthy eating can make you lose quite a lot in the first few weeks. If you keep up losing at this pace I'd go see a doctor, but for now it should be fine.
  • experimentaljc
    experimentaljc Posts: 1
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    Thanks for the info. I let them calculate it themselves. It was 1610 to start, but now that I am at 209, they reduced it to 1400 or so. Sometimes i never went to that calorie goal depending what I ate, so I would sometimes just be over the minimum recommended 1200 but I would never be under that.

    Not quite sure how you've managed to end up with goals so low, I just plugged your data in and even on sedentary setting you end up with 1820 calories a day, have you set it to lose more than one pound a week? Also most people probably don't fit into the sedentary category on here, I'm not that active and I lose a pound a week with mine set to lightly active (with your stats that would give you around 2000 calories a day which seems a lot more reasonable than 1400 for a 209lb male).
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    Eh, I'm not planning on flaming. :)

    The thing is that the 1200 minimum is the limit set by MFP to help avoid lawsuits from extreme dieters. Am I right in assuming that you are trying to lose 2 lb a week? In general, the closer you are to a healthy weight, the less weight it is healthy to lose each week.

    The actually healthy minimum to eat is your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is somewhat morbidly described as the number of calories your body would need daily in a coma. It represents the calories that go to things like pumping blood, breathing, digesting, producing hormones, etc. You can find a BMR calculator by going to the apps tab.

    If you want a really detailed explanation on setting healthy goals, this is excellent: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • turquoise3
    turquoise3 Posts: 79 Member
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    I know i commented on your page, but i'm chipping in here to. It isn't unusual to have a large loss to begin with. Even now i have weeks i loose 1lb and weeks i loose 7-8lbs. I have been doing 1200 from the start, but if i get hungry i don't deny myself. Usually around 3 days a week i eat closer to 1500. Just make sure you're drinking enough water, and really listen to your body/how you feel. You don't want to get sick! If you'd like to chat about it at all fire me a PM :)
  • turquoise3
    turquoise3 Posts: 79 Member
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    Eh, I'm not planning on flaming. :)

    The thing is that the 1200 minimum is the limit set by MFP to help avoid lawsuits from extreme dieters. Am I right in assuming that you are trying to lose 2 lb a week? In general, the closer you are to a healthy weight, the less weight it is healthy to lose each week.

    The actually healthy minimum to eat is your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is somewhat morbidly described as the number of calories your body would need daily in a coma. It represents the calories that go to things like pumping blood, breathing, digesting, producing hormones, etc. You can find a BMR calculator by going to the apps tab.

    If you want a really detailed explanation on setting healthy goals, this is excellent: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    That's very useful, thanks!
  • Jelenamiia
    Jelenamiia Posts: 21
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    Eh, I'm not planning on flaming. :)

    The thing is that the 1200 minimum is the limit set by MFP to help avoid lawsuits from extreme dieters. Am I right in assuming that you are trying to lose 2 lb a week? In general, the closer you are to a healthy weight, the less weight it is healthy to lose each week.

    The actually healthy minimum to eat is your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is somewhat morbidly described as the number of calories your body would need daily in a coma. It represents the calories that go to things like pumping blood, breathing, digesting, producing hormones, etc. You can find a BMR calculator by going to the apps tab.

    If you want a really detailed explanation on setting healthy goals, this is excellent: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12


    Thanx for this info.
    So... my weight is 73 kg (im from Europe hehe) and my goal is 63, since my height is 170 cm. When i put my measurements on MFP calculator for goal calories it calculate 1340 cal.
    So, after i read that post i calculate my TDEE and it is 2370 cal per day ( i work our 5 times per week).
    What i want to ask is.. Is that possible? :) I mean, it is really a big difference. And i already dont eat 2370 cal per day!
    Did i got it right :)
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    Thanx for this info.
    So... my weight is 73 kg (im from Europe hehe) and my goal is 63, since my height is 170 cm. When i put my measurements on MFP calculator for goal calories it calculate 1340 cal.
    So, after i read that post i calculate my TDEE and it is 2370 cal per day ( i work our 5 times per week).
    What i want to ask is.. Is that possible? :) I mean, it is really a big difference. And i already dont eat 2370 cal per day!
    Did i got it right :)

    So you have about 13kg (30lbs) to lose. TDEE is your total number of calories that you will use for your daily activities including any exercise that you choose to do, this is not the same as what MFP has calculated for your calorie goal. TDEE is what would be called 'maintenance calories' > In order to get the calorie goal the best way is to take a % cut from your TDEE using the following:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal (20% cut),
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal (18%),
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal( 15%),
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal (12%), and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal (10%).

    So in your case you can either set your MFP goal to lose 1lb /week and EAT BACK your exercise calories, OR you can take a 15% cut from your TDEE and NOT eat back.

    Methods that work for 99% of the people here who have discovered them are below..

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method
  • Jelenamiia
    Jelenamiia Posts: 21
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    Thank you so much for quick response and for precious information :) I will read it all. But for a start i will change my MFP goal to 2300 - 15 % :)
    Thank you once again!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    Thank you so much for quick response and for precious information :) I will read it all. But for a start i will change my MFP goal to 2300 - 15 % :)
    Thank you once again!

    That would be @2000 daily assuming you continue to work out at the same level ;)
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
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    A similar thing happened to me when I first started to lose weight. Don't worry - it will eventually slow down.

    I was losing about 4 lbs on average per week, which totalled to about 16 pounds the first month. I was eating about 1600 to 1700 calories on average at the time.

    I think I'm naturally a slender person who's eating habits were atrocious, prior to getting on the healthy bandwagon.

    Here's to hoping you are too! Congratulations for making the change. Enjoy those results!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    did you just now start?
    where are you in your cycle?
    did you have a very high calorie burn/low calorie intake day or two in there?
    are you under significant stress?
    did you have a 10 pounds dip for the flu like most people seem to get?
    are you just posting this as a problem because you would feel guilty if you posted it asking us to celebrate with you? (it's possible, I have to ask, some people arent used to be allowed to celebrate themselves yet)
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    Hey. I am kind of worried that I have lost almost 20 pounds in just over two weeks. I weighted 226 and now weight 206. I am 32 and am 5'7. I did just get over the 24 flu bug yesterday so maybe that contributed to it, but I am still worried. I have never gone over my calorie goal but always had over 1200 calories a day. I also did not exercise much, just 3 45 min walks or so a week give or take. Any take on this?

    Flu bug = MAJOR dehydration. I weigh around 145-148 on average and when I was sick three weeks ago I dropped down to @142. I think you're fine, just don't beat yourself up if the scale jumps up again.
  • mjhocevar
    mjhocevar Posts: 15
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    Thanks for all of the info I really appreciate it. I definately am not celebrating lol! I am sure I will gain a bit after feeling unwell. I was just worried I was eating too little. I set my profile to lightly active, and 2 pounds per week. From what I read here, maybe I should change it to one. I was worried 1500 cals wasnt enough either and that is how myfitnesspal set my new limit.
  • mjhocevar
    mjhocevar Posts: 15
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    I set myself to lose 2 pounds per week. But I agree it seems low. Maybe I should set it to 1 pound a week
  • mjhocevar
    mjhocevar Posts: 15
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    It says you've just joined MPF, so I'm assuming that you've just started trying to lose weight. It isn't all that rare for there to be really rapid weight loss the first couple of weeks, but it's mostly water weight, not fat. I also wouldn't be surprised if the flu contributed to it and you see some temporary weight gain.

    Out of curiosity, how did you determine your calorie goal? This isn't really related to the rapid weight loss; you just seem to have an awfully low target for a 226 lb. male.

    I updated my profile to 1 pound per week as i guess two is too high. It now says 1900 give or take sounds a bit more realistic.

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