Does everybody try to go for 2 lbs a week?!

alantin
alantin Posts: 621 Member
edited September 22 in Chit-Chat
Why the heck do people ALWAYS seem to try to go for 2 lbs a week?! Even if they only try to lose 5 lbs, are stick thin to begin with, and do know the healthy pace???

I overshot with this myself in the beginning although I only did 1.5! *lol*

Any others? :laugh:
What was the pace you inserted when first making your user account and why did you use that one?

Ps.
Seriously though, if you don't really know what pace you should aim at, only picked 2 lbs a week because it was the biggest number, and are still doing that, you really should read this:

Guide to Calorie Deficits
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Replies

  • epa422
    epa422 Posts: 1,009
    I started with 1 lb, then moved it to .5 lb and lost more weight by eating more. But I only had 10 lbs to lose to meet my goal.
  • RedHotRunner
    RedHotRunner Posts: 850 Member
    I started with 2 a week, just because, but my body found it's groove at 2 pounds a month. It took a little longer than planned, but I still got there.
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    I started with the 2 pounds - for no other reason than because it was the biggest number.

    I decreased to 1 pound this summer and 1/2 pound shortly after that. 1/2 pound is much more doable and I feel better about my calorie intake. If I happen to lose more I'm good, but 1/2 pound per week is a good number for me at this point.
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
    I'm not a particularly patient person, and I chose 2 pounds per week as my goal. I'm also not terribly athletic, either, so I've been happy with a pound or so lost per week, but haven't changed the goal. It gives me something to aim for!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    I chose 1 lb a week and made an agreement with myself to stick to it for 39 weeks no matter what. Haven't looked back :happy:
  • seemichellerun
    seemichellerun Posts: 219
    I'm more focused on building muscle and my nutrition. I figure the weight will come off in time.
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
    I did 1.5 per week, because I knew I wouldn't be able to meet the low calorie requirements of the 2 pounds per week. I was someone who ate WAY too much food, and even cutting down to 1600 calories at first was hard. After losing 30 lbs and getting under 185, I revised it back to 1 pound per week because I quit losing. Started losing again right away with eating more. Now I am almost to 50 lost and within 16 pounds of my goal, so I am probably going to change it back to 0.5 pounds per week pretty soon. This way, I hopefully will have an easier time with maintenance when I get there.
  • shaggy22
    shaggy22 Posts: 32
    I started at 2 pounds, but found that after a 3 or 4 days I felt like my eating was too restricted so I dropped it to 1.5 pounds and that seemed to give me enough room to play with. I am still about 50 pounds away from my opitumum weight, but my plan is to move it to 1 pound a week and then 0.5 pounds a week as I get closer to my goal.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I was at 2lbs a week for about 5 minuts...when i saw how many calories i could eat i quickly changed it...even 1.5lbs was crazy...so i'll happily stick to 1lb a week so i can still eat.
  • thektturner
    thektturner Posts: 228 Member
    I set it at 1 pound because I want to keep the weight off this time and I gave myself a full year to lose the 57 pounds I want to lose.. Though I seem to be consistently losing about 1.4/week.
  • bhelmreich
    bhelmreich Posts: 254 Member
    I barely eat enough calories to for the 2lb a week goal but I recently switched to 1.5lb. My weight loss has slowed for the past month.
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    shot for 5 pounds a week but the powers that be wouldn't let me :-(

    Plus, trying to kill and eat your fattest child is frowned upon
  • lupuslady
    lupuslady Posts: 99
    I have a lot to lose so I picked 2 lbs a week. But the wt would not come off at a steady two lbs a week. I would lose on the average at one lb a week, but since august til now I have lost 23.5 lbs. It comes off in clumps, and I do not care as long as I am losing....
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    hmmmmm - too honest?
  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
    I started with 1 lb per week, but my calories consistently come up quite a bit shorter than that. I'm probably averaging the number of calories for 2 lbs a week weight loss, which is what has has been coming off. I started in early November, and by November 22st I had lost 8 pounds (I haven't weighed myself since, being away from home).

    I actually feel like I am eating quite a bit and still hitting my low calorie goals. I'm just eating a hell of a lot better.
  • ♥jewelchristian♥
    ♥jewelchristian♥ Posts: 3,666 Member
    Too funny gambitsgurl :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :huh:
  • ZacFields
    ZacFields Posts: 62 Member
    I think whatever you do is okay as long as it's sustainable. If you're working your butt off to lose 2 pounds per week, you're not going to be able to keep that up forever. Once you go off the wagon, you're just going to gain it all back. But if the 2 pounds per week plan isn't too much effort and seems to be something you can sustain indefinitely, then it's worth doing.

    For me personally, 2 pounds per week is not sustainable. It's too little food and/or too much exercise. I just couldn't keep that up forever.

    I'm doing 1 pound per week right now, and that's only because I'm getting married in about two years and I want to lose 40 pounds and then have time to keep it off (and maybe knock off an extra 10 pounds or so from there). But if it weren't for that timeline, I'd be shooting for 0.5 pounds per week.
  • Galathea
    Galathea Posts: 420 Member
    I started with 2 lbs per week, but I had 100 lbs to lose at this time. Now I slowed down to 1.5 lbs and plan to go down to 1 lb per week, once I hit a weight of 170 lbs. I just think it's better this way. Slowing down and getting used to eating a bit more will make it easier to maintain in my opinion. But that's just my two cents ...
  • kbooth
    kbooth Posts: 49 Member
    gambitsgirl.....LMAO!!! Too funny!!!! :laugh:
  • kaitimae
    kaitimae Posts: 727 Member
    I originally set mine to 2 pounds, but then I moved it back to 1. I feel better having it set at one, (I like the few extra calories...) and to be honest, even when I eat all my exercise calories, I'm losing over a pound a week. Maybe not always 2 pounds, but a good solid 1 a week works for me. The extra is just a bonus, haha.
  • myukniewicz
    myukniewicz Posts: 906 Member
    i set mine to two pounds a week. i don't have a problem with the 1200 calorie limit. i also work out almost every day, so those exercise calories add up and that gives me some extra wiggle room if desire. its normally hard for me to eat all of my calories in a day anyways, i usually eat some nuts as snacks to help get me to the calorie range i need to be at for the day.
  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
    I set mine to 2 lbs a week. I have a lot to lose and I am right now losing more than that. However, I wouldn't be upset with 2 or even less so long as I'm losing and I know I did everything I could that week.
  • Cubetor
    Cubetor Posts: 19
    I did 1.5 a week but losing more than two pounds a week. I like to have the cusion for the days I dont make it to the gym or when I go visit my parents and have moms cooking. Once I hit my goal I will drop it down to 1 pound a week.
  • Mamoonie
    Mamoonie Posts: 328
    I did 1lb per week, as this was the recommended number. I still stick with it, even though 0.5lb would be better for me, as I never am able to stay within calories. I am losing constantly, some weeks more than others, but I haven't had a gain so far, which keeps me happy and going :-)

    MM
  • CORTNEY5
    CORTNEY5 Posts: 87 Member
    I chose 1.5 lbs a week, just to motivate myself to see if I could actually do it. It was hard to limit myself to the 1200 cals per day at first, but now that I've been doing it for a month, I have a good feel of what 1200 cals feels and looks like in a day, and I know it's ok if I go over a little bit. I'm just starting to understand that going under is worse than going over.
  • iamstaceywood
    iamstaceywood Posts: 383 Member
    I go for two a week becausei had over 100 lbs to lose and figured that was the best way. i lose minimum 2 a week and closer to 4.
    I don't mind the extra work or the low cals. i also don't eat 1200. i eat 1950 and burn 2950 a day. and end up losing over 3
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