Is loosing .5 pounds a week too little?

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  • Goal_Driven
    Goal_Driven Posts: 371 Member
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    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
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    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
    majoki Posts: 151 Member
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    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
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    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
    kayjaycee9 Posts: 18 Member
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    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
    Riemersma4 Posts: 400 Member
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    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
    rotfool Posts: 6
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    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
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
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    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
    BlairCottier Posts: 171 Member
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    .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
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
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    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!
  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
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    Also, for those of you who have lost the weight CONGRATULATIONS!! I see some very impressive people on here. It's nice to see real people taking charge of their lives... thank you..
  • NaturallyandProperly
    NaturallyandProperly Posts: 138 Member
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    *losing... ya, whatever, this isn't grammar SKOOL. l8r.g8ters. lol
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    Not necessarily... I have my diary set to lose 1/2 a pound a week... and I feel it's just right... sometimes I lose more, sometimes I don't lose at all... but as long as it's a steady decline it's all good... I have tried the 1200/1400 and I don't feel satisfied and feel hangry... which in turn makes me binge, which is counter productive.
  • Puggles04
    Puggles04 Posts: 37
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    I do not know where you getting your numbers, but if you go by TDEE - 20%, then you are slightly under and should lose at least a lb a week, even as a couch potato. I have my cals set 1550, and I am couch potato(most of the time) and I lose an average of 2lbs when I stick to my cals and macros. I was off the wagon for a bit and it took a little while to readjust after vacation and weaning my baby from bf'ing.
  • JeneticTraining
    JeneticTraining Posts: 663 Member
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    Not at all.

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