Thinking about going from 1.5 / wk to 2 / wk

PrincessTinyheart
PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I slipped up last week and gained a couple of lbs but I know why (combination of hormones and being around other heavy eaters) but I'm getting back on track. So now I'm wondering if I could increase my weight loss by setting my calorie limit so I lose 2 lbs per week. Right now I'm set to lose 1.5 per week but it's not working very well. I know I should be exercising more but if you look at my diary you'll see that I could easily shave off some calories in the form of snacks.

I'm so sick of this slow progress! I just want to blast the weight off somehow :( I need to start getting up early to exercise I guess...

I would be limited to 1200 cals a day if I wanted to lose 2 lbs a week. Is anyone else out there limited to 1200? How is it working for you?

Replies

  • FlowerFairy493
    FlowerFairy493 Posts: 182
    Well I guess I am on 1200. Technically I eat 1400, and then I exercise 200 off. That's been working for me. Because it doesn't feel like you are eating so little. Also I do intermittent fasting. I'm not hungry in the evenings so I split all my calories between breakfast and lunch. Maybe one snack at 11am. They are big meals so they keep me nice and full.

    The trick with eating so low is you need to make sure all your macros are spot on. Because there's little to no room for error.

    I didn't ask your stats. But I suggest you have patience. You didn't put on the weight in a week and its not going to be lost in a week either.
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    If you have 72 lbs to lose there is no way you should be limited to 1200 calories per day at 2lbs per week. I have only 35 lbs to lose and at 2 lbs per week set on sedentary I have 1600 calories and change. Even if you are only 5 feet tall, your TDEE calculation must be way off, or your goal weight is so extremely low that you really aren't that heavy to begin with.

    I'd suggest going to scooby's workshop and carefully enter all your details and see what it spits out as your sedentary daily calorie burn. You can subtract 1000 calories off that, and that's how many calories you can eat on a sedentary day and still lose 2 lbs per week.

    If you can afford it, a Fitbit or other activity monitor linked to your MFP account will do almost all these calculations for you. Just make sure all the numbers you enter at the beginning are correct and that your goals are realistic and healthy.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    She certainly may be at 1200, due to age and height and being a woman. When I started I was 200 (lost 20 before I used MFP actively) so my goal was 80 lbs away, and I was told by MFP that 1200 would get me less than 2 lbs. Even with 3 days a week working out, which is probably what I did then, my TDEE was estimated at 2100 (likely high since my body fat was obviously above average but I didn't know it), which would again mean 1200 is predicted to be less than 2/week. I actually lost a bit more since I was more active than I thought, but if you are short and over 40 it's common to get 1200 when obese.

    Of course that's 1200 plus exercise calories.
  • sakuya3834
    sakuya3834 Posts: 116 Member
    Without exercise, I'm only at 1.7 lb/wk loss on 1200 calories, and I have a lot to lose and am only 27. I am short, this is why. Anyway, I like exercise so I am eating a lot more (~1800) and losing almost 2lb/wk.
    OP I wouldn't suggest being so aggressive in your goal because it can be really miserable eating only 1200 calories a day. Take it slower, you will be much more sane.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
    I am 1249 calories a day, but I imagine I am quite a bit older than you. If you're younger you're definitely going to require more calories than myself. I have been losing, albeit at a snails pave, but hey, much better than gaining.

    It's basically taken me about two years to shed off 25 pounds. I went from losing to plateauing, then to losing again. I learned to be happy with a 1/2 pound then a 1/4 pound loss a week. I am probably down to a 1/8 pound a week loss now. It's worth all the frustration, I feel decades younger, much more agile, and more energy. Now I can even catch the grand kids.

    Only people that are super obese, those that are accustomed to eating 4 to 7 thousand calories a day lose weight quickly, but even they slow down as they continue to lose weight.
  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    Wow, I guess being female makes a big different. At 1600 calories on sedentary I'm losing over 2 lbs per week, and then I add back my exercise and eat most of my exercise calories most days. I'm feeling very restricted currently in my eating as I have a knee injury and actually have to restrict my eating to around 1600 calories as I'm not able to run like I have been.

    My apologies to the op, however it might still be good to double check your numbers and see if you can give yourself a bit extra.
  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
    I would suggest staying at 1.5/week or even changing to 1lb/week. If you are having issues staying within your calorie limits at 1.5/week, how are you going to stay within them when you are allowed even less calories than before? Just changing your goals doesn't magically make the weight disappear. You have to have the discipline to stick to your limits. Once you are able to keep to your calorie limits about 80% of the time at 1.5lbs/week, then think about going down to 2lbs/week.
  • countscalories
    countscalories Posts: 418 Member
    I'm at 1100-1200 calories per day.-- never over. I do not get "insanely" hungry. (after the first two or three days of eating like this, I managed to talk myself out of carjacking the local pizza delivery guy). I got tough on myself by not allowing any excuses for my poor food behavior. I make sure to get the recommended amounts of protein, etc. (macros), and it's much easier for me to avoid excess sodium in food (I have a water problem). I weigh my food, and log into MFP every day. Don't get me wrong-- I still love to eat, and I don't cut out any foods. I just don't obsess over food the way I used to. I've also become more selective about the quality of what I eat. Why waste the calories on mediocre stuff?

    I started my weight loss mission on New Year's Day. In 31.71 weeks (222 days), I have lost 79 lbs. This is 2.49 lbs per week. I'm a 53 year-old woman, 5 feet tall. I am a very small person under all of the fat. On January 1, 2014, I weighed 256 lbs, and wore a size 5x top. At 179, I now fit comfortably into 1x. It's easier for me to be more active, and now I can show people that there's a difference between walking and waddling. My doctor is thrilled, my produce man is rich, and my closet has smaller clothes hanging in it.

    I am not trying to tell anyone how much they should lose per week. We're all different. You have to figure out what works for you. Good luck!
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
    Thanks all for the input. In case you are wondering I'm a 42 year old woman, 5''10". I set my activity level to sedentary but I try to work out 2-3 times a week.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    If you can't stick to 1.5 lbs/week, how will dropping your calories even lower help? I'm confused. You're not sticking to your daily calories now. If anything, lower your goal to 1 lb/per week and get a handle on your calories.

    I will say that exercise is invaluable for squeezing in extra snacks. It's also a habit that feeds itself. Exercise once, feel great, become interested in doing it more often.

    You can't hurry weight loss. It will come off with time as you stick with it. Isn't it better to have your dream body in the next 1-2 years and avoid crashing/yo-yo-ing/giving up over several decades?
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
    If you can't stick to 1.5 lbs/week, how will dropping your calories even lower help? I'm confused. You're not sticking to your daily calories now. If anything, lower your goal to 1 lb/per week and get a handle on your calories.

    I will say that exercise is invaluable for squeezing in extra snacks. It's also a habit that feeds itself. Exercise once, feel great, become interested in doing it more often.

    You can't hurry weight loss. It will come off with time as you stick with it. Isn't it better to have your dream body in the next 1-2 years and avoid crashing/yo-yo-ing/giving up over several decades?

    Yes you bring up a good point. I guess, in my somewhat convoluted thinking (ha!) I can somehow shame/coerce myself into not eating afternoon snacks. FWIW, I have improved my eating habits... I've replaced croissants in the morning with egg whites and greek yogurt or oatmeal (less calories, more protein) so I guess it's all a matter of making little changes here and there.

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