When people say “that weight loss is too aggressive”?

XLMACX · July 2014

Hi everyone,

Just wondering what people mean when they say “that weight loss is too aggressive”

I know they say something like:

if you have more than 40Lb to lose aim for 2lb loss a week
if you have 30lb to lose aim for 1.5lb
if you have 14lb or less to lose 0.5lb

I know this isn’t the actually figures but it’s something similar too it, me for instance I’m losing between 1.5lb-2lb a week I have between 15- 20lb to lose (not sure on target yet)
Just wondering why this would be said to be aggressive and what it means??

Im never hungry and to me I eat a sensible amount of calories for a 5ft 8.5” female of 10st 13lb
I eat 1600cals a day and 2100-2200 on a Saturday.
I work out 5X a week- walking briskly 2X a week =5miles total, swim 45-50legnhts 3X a week and Zumba once a week (also walk there too 20min walk)

Thanks



XLMACX · July 2014

??? anyone

EvgeniZyntx · July 2014

Your question is addressed well here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Too aggressive a loss leads to issues of adherence and increase risks of medical complications. That thread covers those a bit.

XLMACX · July 2014

thank you i will have a read

Unknown · July 2014

This content has been removed.

paulperryman · July 2014

there is a difference between agressive and extreme, if you are starving yourself that would be extreme and highly unhealthy, aslong as you aren't eating less then your body needs to just exist not including any additional activities like moving and daily lifestyle you aren't in a huge danger unless ofcourse you are already thin and don't need to be losing weight anyway

on the visual side, obviously the skin doesn't just rebound instantly so the slower you can lose the less loose skin/stretch marks you could leave behind at the end, depending on age and how long you've been fat that is. However if you are obese or very overweight thats not your concern, losing weight is. i lost over 30Kgs in 9months and have kept it off even losing more since by choice and i have some loose skin but it's slowly fading so rapid loss isn't all bad. Programs like Biggest Loser however that would be extreme and many a contestant has come out with a heap of flabby skin that can only be fixed by surgery

Least thats my take.

XLMACX · July 2014

thank you for all your comments! maybe i will eat a little more on my saturday night treat or have a bit more on sunday for a sunday dinner, i exspect to only lose 1lb a week now im in the 10st region

Scarecrowsama · July 2014

Your body is not going to lose more than 2 lbs of weight a week, if you lose more, because you have a huge caloric deficit, you can put yourself in serious trouble. When people loses more weight. I mean, crazy amounts of weight, it is usually due to fluid retention, some people, specially those with liver problems, have huge amounts of fluids, if you get a body-fat test, that can be done with some machine, it will tell you what is your body fat percentage, the real one, and it can happen that you may have a 23% body fat, which is not bad depending on your age, but you might look incredibly fat, well, it is all fluid, and you will lose weight drastically.

Your body needs nutrients, if you don't give them, you are in trouble, do not starve yourself, that is a HUGE mistake, eat healthy, but look for the real definition of healthy, healthy is not orange juice plus whole-wheat-seeded-brown-bread with turkey, or anything like that.

XLMACX · July 2014

Thanks for advise, my body fat is 27.6% so not the best! I'm female 5ft 8.5" I have lost 10lb and like I said this is at a pace of 1.5-2lb, if I'm honest I should eat 1600cals a day but what I have been doing is eating 2200 on a Saturday then eating 100 less through the week to compensate but that still means eating 1600 a week, a lot of tdee calculators say I should eat between 1700-1800 a day SO I think I'm going to now eat 2200 cals Saturday then not cut back week after obviously my body can eat more and I will still lose 1lb a week which I'm happy at now

Scarecrowsama · July 2014

Thanks for advise, my body fat is 27.6% so not the best! I'm female 5ft 8.5" I have lost 10lb and like I said this is at a pace of 1.5-2lb, if I'm honest I should eat 1600cals a day but what I have been doing is eating 2200 on a Saturday then eating 100 less through the week to compensate but that still means eating 1600 a week, a lot of tdee calculators say I should eat between 1700-1800 a day SO I think I'm going to now eat 2200 cals Saturday then not cut back week after obviously my body can eat more and I will still lose 1lb a week which I'm happy at now

Is not that bad, women should have in between 25 and 30, is always more than men due to the estrogens thing. The pace in which you are losing weight is great. And your approach of weekly calories is more useful than daily, you don't process the calories in a 24 hours basis like a clock, the best approach is weekly, without extremes.

The average recommendation is your bodyweight x 10 in calories to lose weight, of course is not pure math, it depends on other factors as well.

I think that you are doing near perfection, so just keep it up until you achieve your goals.

StacyPhillipsTSFLcoach · July 2014

I don't buy into the whole "too aggressive" thing, provided your goals are healthy. People have their theories about what it good and what is bad, what is "sustainable" and what is not, and I think the most important thing is to choose something that fits your lifestyle and meets the goals you have. I don't have to "learn how to eat" I did that when I was a baby. What I needed to learn was correct portion control for my goals. When I was losing the 150 pounds, those portions and type of food I ate put me around 1000-1200 calories. Now in maintenance they are closer to 1300-1400 calories per day, I'm 5 foot 3 and small-boned, and that is what worked and what continues to work for me.

DeguelloTex · July 2014

Yeah, I want to be done. I don't have the inclination to drag out my weight loss over two years to fit into some "ideal" pace of loss.

Kalikel · July 2014

"Too aggressive" is subjective. I think the definition varies.

If you're okay with it - if you aren't starving and getting dizzy and passing out (there was just a thread like that!) - and your doctor is okay with it, don't worry. Just lose your weight.

Everyone does it the way that works best for them.

williams969 · July 2014

Another thing to consider is that for many of us with a smaller weight loss goal (say, 15lbs), a 2lb/week loss is nearly impossible to achieve.

For me, that would mean I'd have to eat 600 cals/day if I'm sedentary. IMPOSSIBLE! I won't and can't do it. If I do my normal exercise, I'd still have to eat 1,000 cals/day for 2lb/wk loss. Again, crazy stupid (for me, YMMV). I would get extremely fatigued and my workouts would not be adequately fueled.

Extreme, aggressive, unreasonable. All of these terms apply differently to different cases. In my case, all three if I "try" for the "fast" way to weight loss. But for some people, as long as the calorie goal is reasonable (for the most part, your daily nutrients and goals are fulfilled, and you're not fatigued or ill from lack of nutrients), higher losses can and do happen.

QuietBloom · July 2014

Thanks for advise, my body fat is 27.6% so not the best! I'm female 5ft 8.5" I have lost 10lb and like I said this is at a pace of 1.5-2lb, if I'm honest I should eat 1600cals a day but what I have been doing is eating 2200 on a Saturday then eating 100 less through the week to compensate but that still means eating 1600 a week, a lot of tdee calculators say I should eat between 1700-1800 a day SO I think I'm going to now eat 2200 cals Saturday then not cut back week after obviously my body can eat more and I will still lose 1lb a week which I'm happy at now

Is not that bad, women should have in between 25 and 30, is always more than men due to the estrogens thing. The pace in which you are losing weight is great. And your approach of weekly calories is more useful than daily, you don't process the calories in a 24 hours basis like a clock, the best approach is weekly, without extremes.

The average recommendation is your bodyweight x 10 in calories to lose weight, of course is not pure math, it depends on other factors as well.

I think that you are doing near perfection, so just keep it up until you achieve your goals.

It's not as straightforward as that. Here is a chart representing age and body fat in women.

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Meerataila · July 2014

It's not as straightforward as that. Here is a chart representing age and body fat in women.

If my BMI accurately reflects reality, that chart is inaccurate in my case. I'm chubby and don't feel well even at %22 body fat. At %28 I was outright fat. Hell, I'm under %22 now, and I'm still chubby, and I'm sure my workouts will be easier with less of this belly. What is that supposed ideal based on?

PikaKnight · July 2014

In regards to ideal per week loss:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

In regards to aggressive/very big deficits:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

wannabehealthyagain · July 2014

Your body is not going to lose more than 2 lbs of weight a week, if you lose more, because you have a huge caloric deficit, you can put yourself in serious trouble. When people loses more weight. I mean, crazy amounts of weight, it is usually due to fluid retention, some people, specially those with liver problems, have huge amounts of fluids, if you get a body-fat test, that can be done with some machine, it will tell you what is your body fat percentage, the real one, and it can happen that you may have a 23% body fat, which is not bad depending on your age, but you might look incredibly fat, well, it is all fluid, and you will lose weight drastically.

Your body needs nutrients, if you don't give them, you are in trouble, do not starve yourself, that is a HUGE mistake, eat healthy, but look for the real definition of healthy, healthy is not orange juice plus whole-wheat-seeded-brown-bread with turkey, or anything like that.

Your first paragraph is incorrect. Especially the first sentence. A person who is morbidly obese will tend to lose more than just 2 pounds a week for a little while. There is no "clock" in the body that says "Well, she's taken off 2 pounds this week...no more" That's just BS. Have you seen any of the extreme weight loss shows? Those people lose sometimes 20 pounds in one week and they are working with nutritionists and personal trainers so they are not dehydrated, starving themselves or depleted of nutrients.
I saw you post this exact comment on another thread just a little while ago and almost commented there but chose not to. Now that I'm seeing it word for word yet again, I had to say something.

PikaKnight · July 2014

It's not as straightforward as that. Here is a chart representing age and body fat in women.

If my BMI accurately reflects reality, that chart is inaccurate in my case. I'm chubby and don't feel well even at %22 body fat. At %28 I was outright fat. Hell, I'm under %22 now, and I'm still chubby, and I'm sure my workouts will be easier with less of this belly. What is that supposed ideal based on?

BMI is not the same as Body Fat % . Not sure if you are mixing the two up while looking at that chart.

WalkingAlong · July 2014

I think many people can safely AIM FOR 2 lbs/week loss without bad effects. Trained food loggers miss 25% of their calorie intake in tests, on average. If you're aiming for 1200 you're probably actually eating at least 1500. This is true of you if you're aiming for 2 lbs/week and not achieving it.

If you're ACHIEVING over 2 lbs/week loss over a longer term and you're under 200 lbs. (so it's more than 1% of your weight), then it might be time to re-think it. Or if you have trouble complying with your calorie goal and feel burned out and impatient for your diet to end so you can get back to unrestricted eating or if you feel binge-prone, you should probably eat more.

Meerataila · July 2014

It's not as straightforward as that. Here is a chart representing age and body fat in women.

If my BMI accurately reflects reality, that chart is inaccurate in my case. I'm chubby and don't feel well even at %22 body fat. At %28 I was outright fat. Hell, I'm under %22 now, and I'm still chubby, and I'm sure my workouts will be easier with less of this belly. What is that supposed ideal based on?

BMI is not the same as Body Fat % . Not sure if you are mixing the two up while looking at that chart.

Oh crap, you're right, I've been mixing them up. More than just this once, too. Thanks for clarifying. I'd be fine at around %24 then.

When people say “that weight loss is too aggressive”?

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