Losing Weight Really Fast!

DonielleMartin
DonielleMartin Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
Firstly, allow me to introduce myself: my name is D, I am 219 lbs (started at 228) and 26 years old.
My issue is that I've lost 9 lbs in 15 days. I am a stay at home mom, and I don't workout, so I set my lifestyle to sedentary, and because I am fairly active with housework, I chose to loose 1.5 lbs a week instead of 2 so I would get a higher calorie intake, just in case some days I was more active than others. MFP put me at 1600 calories a day. I also did my BMR and to maintain my weight I would need 2100 calories a day. A healthy 500 calorie a day deficit from my BMR also happens to be 1600 cal a day. So this is a "healthy" calorie cut for my age, weight, height and lifestyle.

I can't always meet 1600 calories a day. This isn't due to under eating. I have changed the way I eat to include mostly fruits and veggies and some whole grains and protein. My meals are more or less balanced. I eat until I am full, and sometimes even force myself to eat more to take in more calories, but even still I end up sometimes taking in anywhere between 1200-1700 cal a day. I am also busier some days than others. The low end of my calorie intake is usually the days I kind of just sit around and piddle, and the high end are the days I decide to reorganize my whole house. I never crave and am never hungry other than normal meals and snack times. And oh do I snack!

Anyways, my biggest problem is, I'm doing everything 'right', I feel good, plenty of energy, but I've lost about 9 lbs in two weeks. Every other day the scale moves. I've heard this is unhealthy! Do I need to worry?

Replies

  • siratlas
    siratlas Posts: 239 Member
    hey there D! I wouldn't worry too much. Usually for the first couple of weeks you'll notice a fair drop from losing water weight.

    I started out at 301 and I think within the first 3 weeks I lost 15 lbs.
  • mimieon
    mimieon Posts: 182 Member
    Well, you want a deficit from your TDEE - not your BMR. So that may be what is going on.
  • dlionsmane
    dlionsmane Posts: 674 Member
    If you are not hungry, not dizzy or lethargic sounds like you are doing ok. A big loss at the beginning is normal, due to excess water weight. I would not expect that to last very long, it will even out and get more stable. What not to worry about are the days and/or weeks to come that you lose nothing, just keep at it.
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
    I wouldn't worry. If you're eating right and you feel good (enough energy, not light-headed, not constantly hungry), I wouldn't worry. Weight will often come off faster in the beginning.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
    Doesn't sound like a bad thing! Part of the large initial weight loss that you often get when starting a diet is fluid loss because you are eating healthier food so less bloating. I also find that I can lose a couple of kilos at certain times of the month again from fluid fluctuations. When you have a reasonably large amount to lose it is possible to lose weight quicker than when you get closer to your goal.

    Sounds like you have your calories set correctly but if you start feeling hungry and are still losing weight quickly then you could bump them up.

    The main problem with losing weight quickly is that it is often not done in a sustainable way so it just goes back on. Also you can lose muscle mass so eat plenty of protein and it can be a good idea to do some resistance training.
  • stephgas
    stephgas Posts: 159 Member
    a few years ago when i first started trying to lose weight, i lose 11lbs in 14 days! when we weigh more, the early pounds come off faster. plus, depending on what your old eating habits were like, it could be a lot of water weight. as long as you're eating enough and feel good, i wouldn't worry about it too much for the first couple of weeks of your new lifestyle.

    also, remember it's a new lifestyle. be sure that whatever you're doing is sustainable for you. it's important to eat foods that you'll always be able to eat, and find an exercise routine that's going to be something you can fit in for the rest of your life. 'diet' is not a verb; it's a noun - our diet is what we nourish our bodies with. 'diet' is not something we do.
  • DonielleMartin
    DonielleMartin Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you all for the responses. After researching all day I've come to the conclusion that weight loss has become far too complicated. So many theories and opinions clash over weight loss, it's just crazy. I know MFP uses some form of BMR/TDEE equation, so I just decided to up my activity to lightly active at losing 2lbs a week. This gave me the original 1600 calories that I'm used too (and already struggling to reach) while giving me wiggle room for my activity.

    Wish me luck. Just trying to figure this weight loss thing out is in and of itself confusing enough to make someone just give up! But I'm not, not this time!
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    I'm in the same boat. Want to lose a pound a week, but find I am eating between 1300-1800 calories, and then exercising as well so my net is going too low. Hard to fill up all my calories when I run out of fat and sodium allowance. Am in search of proteins that will fill my calorie need without busting the budget elsewhere.
  • MaDwItNeWfLaVa
    MaDwItNeWfLaVa Posts: 78 Member
    I lost about 50 lbs in 2 or 3 months. Once you get about 10 to 20 lbs is when it starts coming off slowly. Im in my last 9 right now, and im platueing like a mofo. It helps keep you motivated tho, but nope nothings wrong with ya.
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  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Weight always comes off relatively quickly in the beginning, especially if you are heavier. You are not losing at a rate that is unhealthy- don't worry!
  • DonielleMartin
    DonielleMartin Posts: 3 Member
    I read about this one method: eat for your goal weight. I thought this was genius. Instead of thinking "well, I'm gonna eat x amount of calories until I lose the weight, and then up it to maintain weight" you should look at it like "I wanna weigh x amount of weight. If I can figure out how many calories a woman my age, height, gender and activity level would need to maintain my GOAL weight, and eat that I will never have to change the way I eat again. The change will be lifelong"

    So I did. My goal weight is between 150-160 lbs. It takes a 160 lb woman my age, height and activity level 1600 calories a day to maintain the weight. So I eat 160 calories a day, give or take. I don't put myself on so strict a plan as to feel like a failure at the end of the day. If I go over 150 calories, so what? I don't feel the need to "reset" because even at 1750 calories I am still at a deficit. I believe this way of thinking, the relaxed, forgiving method is the reason I am finally seeing results (as well as the way I eat. I have changed my eating habits dramatically to include fruits, veggies and water, when before it was sprite, pastas, breads and meat almost exclusively)

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