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Is it possible to lose 3.5 pounds in 12 days??

NWalerys1
NWalerys1 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
12 days ago i weighed in at 124. Today I weighed in at 120.6... I don't really understand how this happened. For that first week I was eating in at about 1000 calories a day and was exercising around 500 calories off. Then the last 5 days, I was sometimes eating around 900-1000 cals a day, exercising 750 off. I did though, have about 3 or 4 days in that 12 day period where I didn't binge, but just ate around 2250 cals a day and did a little bit of exercise, so I don't think my body is in 'starvation mode' if it even exists.
Is it possible that I lost this weight? It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot. I have been eating very healthy these past few weeks. No added butter, no added salt, no takeout or restaurant eating, only one day where I ate some unhealthy sugary high calorie food. Been eating protein - cereal, fish, meats, and many vegetables
I haven't pooped in a couple days. Maybe I haven't been eating enough to even poop.
I do feel 'slightly' weak but can still function perfectly fine. Maybe I should be eating a little bit more.
I do look 'slightly' slimmer but i hope it isn't just muscle that I am losing... please help me determine how I lost this weight?
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Replies

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,217 Member
    It is probably mostly water weight with some actual loss in 12 days.

    Yes you could lose that amount in 12 days - but it won't happen consistently every 12 days.

    You are not in starvation mode.

    Why are you only eating 1000 or less calories though?
  • NWalerys1
    NWalerys1 Posts: 16
    Thanks for your feedback!
    I have been eating to satisfaction. If I eat healthy, then I find myself craving less and full quicker. It hasn't consistently been 1000cals a day. A mix between 900, 1000, 2250
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    What???? If you exercise at all you should be getting well over 1300 cals/day. At the minimum 1200+ what you burn. so if you burned 750 the min you should be taking in is 1950 (1200+750), assuming the calories burned are accurate.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,217 Member
    It is the average that matters though.

    If she is averaging, say, 1500, by eating 1000 some days and over 2000 other days, then all is good.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
    I lost 5 pounds in 11 days
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Yes water weight mostly though. I've lost that much water in a few hours before. Of course that kind of weight loss isn't what you're looking for. Lose 1 lbs a week and stay consistent for real lasting results.
  • spectralmoon
    spectralmoon Posts: 1,179 Member
    It is the average that matters though.

    If she is averaging, say, 1500, by eating 1000 some days and over 2000 other days, then all is good.
    Sorry but netting so few calories then going on a binge for days is not "all good". It's basically an eating disorder.

    :noway: Some days you just can't turn down that awesome pizza, man. It's not an eating disorder.
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
    Eating 2200 calories isn't a binge.

    Having high and low days works for me and I consistently lose 3-3.5 lbs over a 2 week period. I generally have higher days (1800ish) at the weekend then lower (around 1200) during the week.

    Well done for your great loss!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    12 days ago i weighed in at 124. Today I weighed in at 120.6... I don't really understand how this happened. For that first week I was eating in at about 1000 calories a day and was exercising around 500 calories off. Then the last 5 days, I was sometimes eating around 900-1000 cals a day, exercising 750 off. I did though, have about 3 or 4 days in that 12 day period where I didn't binge, but just ate around 2250 cals a day and did a little bit of exercise, so I don't think my body is in 'starvation mode' if it even exists.
    Is it possible that I lost this weight? It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot. I have been eating very healthy these past few weeks. No added butter, no added salt, no takeout or restaurant eating, only one day where I ate some unhealthy sugary high calorie food. Been eating protein - cereal, fish, meats, and many vegetables
    I haven't pooped in a couple days. Maybe I haven't been eating enough to even poop.
    I do feel 'slightly' weak but can still function perfectly fine. Maybe I should be eating a little bit more.
    I do look 'slightly' slimmer but i hope it isn't just muscle that I am losing... please help me determine how I lost this weight?
    As you were typing out that line you should have realized what you are doing is no good.
    You are weighing in at 120, how tall are you?
    It is the average that matters though.

    If she is averaging, say, 1500, by eating 1000 some days and over 2000 other days, then all is good.
    Sorry but netting so few calories then going on a binge for days is not "all good". It's basically an eating disorder.
    Agree with this.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    Please make sure you're getting proper nutrition. It's not recommended to eat less than 800 calories per day (very low calorie diet) so be careful. MFP suggests 1200+. You should probably eat back at least some of those exercise calories, although burn estimates are usually a bit high, and if you don't use a food scale and log everything chances are you're eating more than you think as well. So your net probably isn't as low as some people think but I do think you should eat a few hundred more calories. Also, eating 2200 calories is not a binge, especially if you exercised. You might go over your goal for the day but as long as it's not everyday it should be fine.

    Can you lose 3.5 pounds in 12 days? With calorie burns and water weight, it is possible, but won't happen very often. During certain times of your monthly cycle, a lot of women randomly gain or lose water weight, so that is a possibility as well.
  • Solar_Cat
    Solar_Cat Posts: 188 Member
    It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot.

    Losing water weight has little or nothing to do with how much water you drink. You can drink all you like, but you can't force your body to retain it. You'll simply pee it out if you're eating so few net calories that you're almost fasting, as you've been. It's not healthy and it's not sustainable.
  • NWalerys1
    NWalerys1 Posts: 16
    12 days ago i weighed in at 124. Today I weighed in at 120.6... I don't really understand how this happened. For that first week I was eating in at about 1000 calories a day and was exercising around 500 calories off. Then the last 5 days, I was sometimes eating around 900-1000 cals a day, exercising 750 off. I did though, have about 3 or 4 days in that 12 day period where I didn't binge, but just ate around 2250 cals a day and did a little bit of exercise, so I don't think my body is in 'starvation mode' if it even exists.
    Is it possible that I lost this weight? It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot. I have been eating very healthy these past few weeks. No added butter, no added salt, no takeout or restaurant eating, only one day where I ate some unhealthy sugary high calorie food. Been eating protein - cereal, fish, meats, and many vegetables
    I haven't pooped in a couple days. Maybe I haven't been eating enough to even poop.
    I do feel 'slightly' weak but can still function perfectly fine. Maybe I should be eating a little bit more.
    I do look 'slightly' slimmer but i hope it isn't just muscle that I am losing... please help me determine how I lost this weight?
    As you were typing out that line you should have realized what you are doing is no good.
    You are weighing in at 120, how tall are you?
    It is the average that matters though.

    If she is averaging, say, 1500, by eating 1000 some days and over 2000 other days, then all is good.
    Sorry but netting so few calories then going on a binge for days is not "all good". It's basically an eating disorder.

    Seriously... 2200 calories a day isnt a binge. It is like 600 cals over. To add on, the days that I did go over, I did not "fail" and crave and eat sweets. I ate healthy foods. Those would be the days that I didn't have school, wasn't working, and had nothing to do all day.
  • NWalerys1
    NWalerys1 Posts: 16
    It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot.

    Losing water weight has little or nothing to do with how much water you drink. You can drink all you like, but you can't force your body to retain it. You'll simply pee it out if you're eating so few net calories that you're almost fasting, as you've been. It's not healthy and it's not sustainable.

    Thanks for your input. i don't know much about water weight. So a 5'6" female like me, at around 120 pounds... How much do you believe my water weight could fluctuate in pounds? 1? 2? 3?
  • NWalerys1
    NWalerys1 Posts: 16
    Keep in mind though, while I have been eating probably a little lower than I should have been, I HAVE been really working hard, biking, swimming, running, for about an hour and a half a day, sometimes less, sometimes even 2 hours. I have been putting in the hard work.
  • Solar_Cat
    Solar_Cat Posts: 188 Member
    Thanks for your input. i don't know much about water weight. So a 5'6" female like me, at around 120 pounds... How much do you believe my water weight could fluctuate in pounds? 1? 2? 3?

    I can't know how your body responds, but at a guess I'd say at least 3. I know I can gain or lose 3 or 4 in a couple of days without even trying. All it takes to gain is eating more than maintenance calories plus lots of salt. Losing it is the opposite.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Putting in that much work, and feeling "slightly weak," should be a strong indicator to you that you are probably not eating enough for your body. Regardless of eating to "satisfaction." Our bodies need a general level of intake to function properly, and from the stats stated, there is simply no reason for you to eat such a calorie restricted diet. Whether you are intentionally restricting or not does not matter when considering whether a diet is restrictive.

    Consistently eating lower than biological need will condition the body to be satisfied on lower levels of food. It is a survival tactic built into our internal mechanisms.

    I do so very much hate when people use terms like "binge" when discussing high calorie intake days. Binges are not conscious and decision-based eating patterns. At the same time, one does not need to eat sugary "bad" foods in order to binge. It is entirely possible to constitute a binge eating "healthy" foods.

    Basically, it's not a good idea to NET so low of calories, especially when you simply don't have that much weight to lose. In order for someone of your height and weight to achieve 750 calories of exercise burn a day, we're talking no less than 2 hours of exercise a day, give or take. If it feels right, that's fine, but you really need to fuel yourself to support such a habit if you want long-term results.
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    You're 5'6?!?! You fully should be eating more, and remember exercise can be a diet suppressant therefore you might not "feel" hungry but it doesn't mean your not. If your not netting atleast 1200 locals find some calorie dense foods to bump your net up like peanut butter.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Thanks for your input. i don't know much about water weight. So a 5'6" female like me, at around 120 pounds... How much do you believe my water weight could fluctuate in pounds? 1? 2? 3?

    I can't know how your body responds, but at a guess I'd say at least 3. I know I can gain or lose 3 or 4 in a couple of days without even trying. All it takes to gain is eating more than maintenance calories plus lots of salt. Losing it is the opposite.

    Me, I can fluctuate in water weight up to 20lbs, and it often has nothing to do with eating over maintenance or eating salt. Exercise can generate water gain. Hormones can generate it. Lazy days can generate it. Simply eating more than your standard intake can do it. Our bodies will hold onto water in order to dilute and filter the foods we eat, and the best way to assist in general is keep the water intake ample. If you think it's salt related, make sure to incorporate potassium-rich foods, because unlike many people think, salt is voided from the body by binding with potassium, not simply by being flush by water.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    Is it possible? Yes.

    Is it likely to go straight back on following a few days of eating a normal amount? Yes.

    Or is likely to return next time you have a period due? Yes.

    But doing 500+ calorie burn work outs of cardio, feeling faint and dizzy @ 5' 6", 120lbs and 19 years old? No. :noway:

    There are better, and sustainable, ways to do this.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,217 Member
    12 days ago i weighed in at 124. Today I weighed in at 120.6... I don't really understand how this happened. For that first week I was eating in at about 1000 calories a day and was exercising around 500 calories off. Then the last 5 days, I was sometimes eating around 900-1000 cals a day, exercising 750 off. I did though, have about 3 or 4 days in that 12 day period where I didn't binge, but just ate around 2250 cals a day and did a little bit of exercise, so I don't think my body is in 'starvation mode' if it even exists.
    Is it possible that I lost this weight? It can't be just water weight because I always drink a lot and yesterday I rested and drank a lot. I have been eating very healthy these past few weeks. No added butter, no added salt, no takeout or restaurant eating, only one day where I ate some unhealthy sugary high calorie food. Been eating protein - cereal, fish, meats, and many vegetables
    I haven't pooped in a couple days. Maybe I haven't been eating enough to even poop.
    I do feel 'slightly' weak but can still function perfectly fine. Maybe I should be eating a little bit more.
    I do look 'slightly' slimmer but i hope it isn't just muscle that I am losing... please help me determine how I lost this weight?
    As you were typing out that line you should have realized what you are doing is no good.
    You are weighing in at 120, how tall are you?
    It is the average that matters though.

    If she is averaging, say, 1500, by eating 1000 some days and over 2000 other days, then all is good.
    Sorry but netting so few calories then going on a binge for days is not "all good". It's basically an eating disorder.

    I was responding to her following clarifying post where she says she varies between 900, 1000,and 2200.

    I don't think that is such extreme differences as to be seen as a deprive and binge cycle.

    Such variation with a appropriate average, of, say , 1500 seems fine to me and not an eating disorder at all.

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