Half way to my goal in just 5 days

jamesrreed · August 2010

My goal is to lose 20 lbs, I'm down 11+ since starting MFP on Sunday.

I haven't done anything extraordinary though besides watch my food intake. No more cardio or strength training than normal. Just a change in my diet. Haven't starved myself either. In fact, what I have eaten hasn't exactly been the best for me. Just a lot less of it.

My starting weight was 220 last Sunday. My current weight is 208.4.

Several people (correctly) told me that it was mostly water weight when I got excited after dropping 7 lbs in two days.

Curious at this point how much of the 10 lb weight loss can be attributed to water and how much to better habits.

Either way I'm very excited and motivated by MFP.

Alleghany · August 2010

You're just like my husband...Wanted to drop 15 - 20 lbs., joined MFP w/me and two weeks later, he'd lost everything just by sticking to his cals and not doing anything different. For him, it was real weightloss and a few mos later, he's still at his goal weight. For me, it took about 2.5 mos to drop my 20 lbs. The only thing I can tell you is that time will tell if it's true weightloss. Regardless, you're off to a super start! Congrats on your weightloss!

Rickmerr · August 2010

Congratulations - keep up the good work!
One thing I would say, being about 50 years old and having lost (and gained back) probably over 100 lbs over the years is this: It's probably better to lose weight slowly than quickly. I've found that for the most part the quicker it comes off, the quicker it comes back on. In fact in my case I've always managed to put it back on in twice the time it took to get it off. In other words if I took off ten pounds in three months, I would put it back on in 6. So don't be in such a rush, and don't be taken in by quick weight loss. I'm much more impressed when someone takes off a half a pound in a week rather than 2 or 3. It forces you to watch what you eat for a longer time while your reaching your goal, and it gives you a more sustainable framework for keeping it off once you get there.

erickirb · August 2010

In order to loose 1 real pound you have to burn 3500 calories more than you take in, so I would guess that most of the loss was excess water. By cutting portions you would have also cut down on sodium (sodium makes you retain water), which is probably the biggest reason for most of the loss.

jamesrreed · August 2010

I wasn't tracking calories then but my guess is that prior to MFP I was taking in anywhere from 8-10k or more calories a day, almost entirely in the form of sodas and sugary snacks. That is not an exaggeration.

By following MFP, I have keep my caloric intake close to 1,700 per day for five days.

Approx. how many calories does the body burn naturally (excluding cardio and strength training activities) in a day?

I wonder if the enormous drop in calories per day and the subsequent weight loss is an indication that my metabolism is pretty high.

I had super metabolism when I was younger (was 6'3" in high school and couldn't top 170 if I tried). Haven't really given the metabolism much of a chance the last 20 years because I was always eating something.

erickirb · August 2010

Depends on a bunch of factors you can go to the tools section and look at your BMR, this shows the amount of calories you would burn at rest all day. You can also change your goals to maintenance to see, at your activity level, how much you burn without exercise, then change back to continue with your weight loss.

As a Guess I would say around 2500 calories at your height and weight is what you would burn without adding in exercise.

dreamm · August 2010

i have had a same experiance 45ld in 8 weeks although slowed down now, think i have plauteu at the moment. if you have lost mostly water, so what still a great incentive, keep up the good work.

Half way to my goal in just 5 days

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