Is 2 lbs a week too much for my size?

HungerHurts
HungerHurts Posts: 16
in Getting Started
Hello,

I am 5 ft4 and 141 pounds. My goal weight is around 110-115 pounds.

I have a Bodymedia Fit and am very very active. I am a waitress 40 hours per week, I run, and I am getting back into lifting.
My TDEE ranges from 2400-2900 most days.

Can I reduce intake by 1000 calories, or is this too much for someone my size? I don't want to lose a ton of muscle.

My body fat % is pretty high at the moment I am guessing by my measurements

Replies

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    YES!!! You should be losing around 1/2 pound a week, you don't have much to lose. About 250 cal deficit should be fine for 1/2 pd loss. :happy:
  • HungerHurts
    HungerHurts Posts: 16
    Really only half a pound? :O That was my plan, but I was going to wait until I was back in the 120s for that!

    The only problem with the 250 cal deficit I see is that if my numbers are slightly off then I would just maintain. Has this been a problem for anyone else?

    I really wish I could have my body fat % tested so I knew! I am pretty sure it is in the overweight range though :/
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
    YES!!! You should be losing around 1/2 pound a week, you don't have much to lose. About 250 cal deficit should be fine for 1/2 pd loss. :happy:

    This.
  • samammay
    samammay Posts: 468
    If you reduced your calories that much I dont know that you would make it through the day. I would do 250-400 calorie a day deficit. Start with 250 and if you arent liking the results *slowly* increase the deficit no higher than 500.
  • IanBee93
    IanBee93 Posts: 237 Member
    You don't have to cut out 1000 calories from just eating less, you could cut 500, and burn 500, if you want to lose 2lbs a week. You don't have much to lose, so you could lose 1 pound a week, if you want. Half a pound a week is like nothing.. :sick:
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Two pounds a week is pretty bold, and you would end up losing a lot of msucle mass along the way because of how many calories you would have to cut to achieve that.

    I personally think you could focus easily upon a 1lb loss though, then readjusting to a 0.5 lb loss once you get closer to goal (say 10 lbs or so away, give or take depending on how easily you lose weight). Aim for -20% from TDEE, and reasses at every 5 pounds lost.
  • sdirks
    sdirks Posts: 223 Member
    The trick is not to cut calories, but to replace your existing meals with higher quality foods (like substituting bison for beef, almond butter instead of peanut butter, and raw nuts or rice cakes instead of popcorn). On top of that, you can add some more challenging exercise routines the closer you get to your goal weight. Better quality foods are going to leave you feeling full longer and give you more energy.

    Also, quality and duration of sleep play a major role in weight loss results, especially for women. Women who go from 6 hours/night to 8 hours, without making any other changes to lifestyle or diet, can lose 1-3 lbs per month (Canadian Medical Association Journal, http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2012/09/17/cmaj.120876).

    It sounds like your job is very active (and probably stressful, too). Try cutting out an evening activity like watching TV or browsing the web, and give that extra time over to your sleep cycle. It's a small change that can make a big difference... and you don't have to count calories or hit the gym, either! :)

    With the amount of exercise you get in a day, you need to be careful when reducing your calorie intake. Start off slowly (100-250 calories/day, like the other posters have said) and see how you feel. Shave off 100 calories/week until you reach a happy medium between weight loss and energy levels. You need to give your body the fuel it needs in order to burn off excess fat. Too few calories coming in and too many calories being burned will cause your body to start eating its own muscle for fuel instead of your fat cells, so precision is key.

    Good luck!
  • CassieFindley86
    CassieFindley86 Posts: 18 Member
    I am in a simliar boat. I am 5'3, I weight 137 right now, and my goal is 120-125.

    I also have the Bodymedia, and I love it! It helps me see how much I burn in a day. I aim for 1,000 calorie deficient every day with a mixture of food and exercise. I sit most of the day at my job, so I typically burn about 2300 a day with exercise and try to eat about 1200 calories a day.
  • AronKishore
    AronKishore Posts: 42
    I weigh 329 lbs
    I eat 1500 calories of food a day
    I burn 1200 calories a day doing cardio
    I do some weights, but don't really add up the calories for that at the end of the day.
    So yea, losing 2 lbs a week is reasonable and not aggressively high. Good luck :)
  • HungerHurts
    HungerHurts Posts: 16
    Two pounds a week is pretty bold, and you would end up losing a lot of msucle mass along the way because of how many calories you would have to cut to achieve that.

    I personally think you could focus easily upon a 1lb loss though, then readjusting to a 0.5 lb loss once you get closer to goal (say 10 lbs or so away, give or take depending on how easily you lose weight). Aim for -20% from TDEE, and reasses at every 5 pounds lost.

    Thank you for all the replies everyone!

    I think that this answer seems to fit my situation the best. The reason I posted was because though 2 lbs a week sounds amazing, I knew deep down it was a bad idea.

    Maybe one pound a week until I get close to my goal weight?
  • HungerHurts
    HungerHurts Posts: 16
    I do need to get some more sleep! I have super high anxiety/insomnia so I get very little sleep and am always keeping myself busy

    The only reason I don't think I am exhausted from cutting calories is my high caffeine intake. I'm an addict :3

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