losing too fast?

geegee921
geegee921 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
I started dieting 3 weeks ago, well its not really dieting for me since I'm eating 3 times more food in a day than I did before. I started at 210 lost 7lbs the first week, which I knew was water. I lost 4.8lbs the second week which I thought was great. But today when I weighed in I had lost 11.2 lbs this week. I go by a 1500 calorie diet, I don't always get that much in but I try to get at least 1200. I walk from 3 to 5 miles once or twice a week. I check my weight at 6:45am every Tuesday. I just can't figure out why the major loss. I don't want to do this in an unhealthy manner. This is the first time in my life I've tried to lose weight so I'm at a loss as to what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    Can you open your diary?
  • marissanik
    marissanik Posts: 344 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    1200 calories is rarely enough so I wouldn't recommend it. I started doing TDEE - 20%, now I'm around TDEE - 15%-10% because I have less to lose. Good luck!
  • geegee921
    geegee921 Posts: 6
    It's open now
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    Its pretty obvious to me that you're not eating enough cals and a lot of what you do eat is high in fat and sodium. I weigh less than you (158) so about 20 pounds above the top end of my bmi, and am steadily losing 2 pounds a week. Granted, I work out 6 days a week, one hour cardio then I have to walk my dogs everyday 3-5 miles (so twice the amount of workout you are currently doing) but I weigh less and have less to lose. You don't want to lose more than 2_ pounds a week becausehigher proportion of it will be muscle, which fuels your metabolism. Losing that will make it easier to put the weight back on. Try bumping your cals up a bit, and if that worries you, add in another workout session. You will still lose, but at a much more sustainable pace, and you will feel more satiated as it will allow you more variety in food to eat.
  • geegee921
    geegee921 Posts: 6
    Thanks, I try to raise the calories but it just seems I can't force myself to eat anymore than I do. I'm not a snacker, I don't enjoy food and before this I might have eaten once a day if that.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    Also see if you can prepare your own foods more of the time. I am vegetarian so it is much easier for me to do so personally, i often make a meat recipe vegetarian-- for example-- I had some quick hburger helper for lunch today-- but with soy crumbles. More typically, I'll chop up veggies and tofu at home and add it to my pasta for fiber, bulk, and protein. aside from that, you can control the sodium, fat etc in your food. The TV dinners your eating certainly aren't doing much for you in that respect. They are convenient, but they are more expensive than buying whole foods and cooking and have more sodium.
  • kangaroux92
    kangaroux92 Posts: 188 Member
    by looking at your diary i agree with caracrawford on some levels. you have little to no vegetables or fruit, and do eat too much processed items. this would explain however why you stay full with all the fat, sodium, and protein. i also am not a snacker during the day. its such a pain in the you know what. but if you don't want to snack than don't. eat when your hungry, that's it. but try to get at least 3 full meals in if you don't want to snack in between don't. and if you don't feel deprived eating the calories that your eating than don't raise them and be happy with the weight your loosing. but you should however change what you are eating. reduce cheese intake, no jimmy deans, balance your proteins with vegetables. and if you feel like a snack always have fruits or nuts, not crabs and cheeses. i do warn you though, if you do start to eat more vegetables and fruit you will find yourself more hungry throughout the day.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I agree that you need to find a way to eat fewer processed foods. If you really don't like to cook, perhaps go with simple things like steaks, chicken breasts, and pork chops that you can quickly pan fry or broil. Add a salad or steamed veggies and maybe a small baked potato and you have a nice, simple dinner.

    You also might look into meal replacement bars like Quest bars (be careful though, many are just glorified candy bars) that give good nutrition and are easy to grab.

    Also, be prepared for a period where you don't lose. Often f you lose a lot very quickly it will balance out around weeks 4-6
  • geegee921
    geegee921 Posts: 6
    Thank you for all the suggestions, the facts for me are veggies? yuck! and fruit? The ones I like are not the good ones. If I had to cook for me and cook separate for the rest of the family (who are extremely active and thin boys). I would never get out of the kitchen. I will try to increase the regular food and decrease the frozen dinners but the convenience is the only way I know I will stick this out. The frozen dinners are a step above all the fast food I was eating. So maybe in time I will continue to go in the right direction. Thanks again!
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    the facts for me are veggies? yuck! and fruit? The ones I like are not the good ones.

    I wasn't aware that there are "bad" fruits and vegetables. :huh:
  • geegee921
    geegee921 Posts: 6
    I'm talking oranges and watermelon I've always heard of the fruits they aren't the best choice
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    I'm talking oranges and watermelon I've always heard of the fruits they aren't the best choice
    Oranges are high in vitamin c, watermelon is high in potassium, vitamins a&c.
    You can make vegetables delicious, you need to be more creative in your cooking. Honey glazed carrots are yummy (watch the amount of honey) Brussels sprouts with turkey bacon for those who eat meat, asparagus and sauteed onions.
    Browse through epicurious.com and just look up things you might like to eat and see what recipes pop up. You'll be surprised how tasty it all can be if you use your imagination.
  • hope002
    hope002 Posts: 1,066 Member
    The question was: am I losing too fast?
    Responses: - eat less processed food
    - eat more veggie and fruits
    - eat more fibre, less sodium....

    very interesting... :) how do all these advices answer her question?
  • freedomwriter88
    freedomwriter88 Posts: 38 Member
    Thank you for all the suggestions, the facts for me are veggies? yuck! and fruit? The ones I like are not the good ones. If I had to cook for me and cook separate for the rest of the family (who are extremely active and thin boys). I would never get out of the kitchen. I will try to increase the regular food and decrease the frozen dinners but the convenience is the only way I know I will stick this out. The frozen dinners are a step above all the fast food I was eating. So maybe in time I will continue to go in the right direction. Thanks again!

    I am not a medical or weightloss professional, so I can't tell you why you are losing weight so fast. Maybe you just made a lot of changes at once. If this continues, I would see the doctor. Losing weight quickly could be connected to any number of medical conditions.

    Please know what I am about to suggest is not from a place of judgement, but from experience.

    My family was crazy growing up. My dad worked 80ish hours a week, and my mom worked 40-50. We had a ton of frozen meals, and quick food on the table. I got in the habit of eating food that could be made quickly. Usually, that meant processed, high fat, and high sodium. I was never a "thin" child, but as my metabolism changed, and despite playing multiple sports, I began to put on weight. (My parents are good, wonderful people, and I should have made changes years ago...)

    Now, at 25, I need to lose somewhere around 120lbs, and am having to break a lifetime's worth of habits.

    It is good to instill healthy eating habits young. Your sons won't always be so active, and their metabolisms so forgiving. I am not saying take away all their favorite foods, but introduce some "healthy stuff".
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Thank you for all the suggestions, the facts for me are veggies? yuck! and fruit? The ones I like are not the good ones. If I had to cook for me and cook separate for the rest of the family (who are extremely active and thin boys). I would never get out of the kitchen. I will try to increase the regular food and decrease the frozen dinners but the convenience is the only way I know I will stick this out. The frozen dinners are a step above all the fast food I was eating. So maybe in time I will continue to go in the right direction. Thanks again!

    How about making healthy meals for the whole family and just eating smaller portions or cutting out some of the parts that the rest of the family eats. A beef roast with potatoes and veggies is really good and filling. Let the rest of the family have the bread and butter and gravy and you concentrate on the meat and veggies.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    The question was: am I losing too fast?
    Responses: - eat less processed food
    - eat more veggie and fruits
    - eat more fibre, less sodium....

    very interesting... :) how do all these advices answer her question?

    The rest of her post which clarified the question was that she doesn't like food and finds it hard to eat more calories so we are offering suggestions so she can start eating more balanced.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    IMO 3 weeks is not really a long enough time period to know if you're losing weight too fast. I generally take a month (or TOM-to-TOM) and then calculate an average weekly weight loss over that time. I don't make any changes to calorie intake or activity within that month to give me a good idea of what's going on.

    The generally accepted (around here anyway, it seems) recommended weight loss rates are below:

    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

    But you can also use % body weight loss if you want (I think the recommended rate is about 1% body weight/week, but I'm not 100% sure of that).

    Having said that, I lost a shade more than 2lbs/week to start with and found it highly motivating (I had a lot to go). I've progressively slowed my weight loss down over the last 8 months by adding calories back in every couple of months or so.

    Also, learning about nutrition is a process. I know so much more now than I did 8 months ago, and I've gradually changed what and how I eat over that time, and I'm a self-confessed foodie who has always loved cooking from scratch. I think it's great you have moved away from fast food to frozen meals with labels you can actually read, interpret and learn from, and you're right, it's a matter of moving in the right direction.
  • geegee921
    geegee921 Posts: 6
    Actually my sons and husband are naturally healthy eaters they do like vegetables and chicken and things they eat them regularly. But when their idea of fun is a 50 mile bike ride I don't spare the olive oil and potatoes and broths and such that I cook for them. It's not that I don't have time. I am a stay at home mom and cook for them everyday. But they cannot diet with me they need the calories just to maintain. My oldest is 19 and 5'10" weighing 130 my youngest is 15 5'9" and weighs 100lbs. I can't spare the calories when it comes to them and I don't have the time after feeding them to care for me. My children DO NOT eat processed meals. They do get fast food when they want because they are teenage boys and I don't see anything wrong with it. I was always thin until i had my kids and stopped working. Too thin actually. I asked about the safety of losing that fast not an assessment of my parenting skills!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Actually my sons and husband are naturally healthy eaters they do like vegetables and chicken and things they eat them regularly. But when their idea of fun is a 50 mile bike ride I don't spare the olive oil and potatoes and broths and such that I cook for them. It's not that I don't have time. I am a stay at home mom and cook for them everyday. But they cannot diet with me they need the calories just to maintain. My oldest is 19 and 5'10" weighing 130 my youngest is 15 5'9" and weighs 100lbs. I can't spare the calories when it comes to them and I don't have the time after feeding them to care for me. My children DO NOT eat processed meals. They do get fast food when they want because they are teenage boys and I don't see anything wrong with it. I was always thin until i had my kids and stopped working. Too thin actually. I asked about the safety of losing that fast not an assessment of my parenting skills!

    I also cook everything for my family. What I've generally done is prepare the basic food that we all eat, use the MFP recipe builder so I know what's in it, and then just adjust everybody's portions. For DD and DH, they get different portions and more olive oil, cheese etc. and I organize and weigh my meals to meet my macros and calorie targets. It takes time to enter everything into the recipe builder, but I've found it worthwhile. It's just easier for me if we all eat the same basic food.
  • caracrawford1
    caracrawford1 Posts: 657 Member
    You're losing a bit fast but as I said before, try to up the cals. Take care of yourself too, mama. :) the less TV dinners and processed food you eat the better you'll feel. Try something new with veggies and stuff, it might open up your appetite.
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    "I don't have the time after feeding them to care for me."

    Maybe have a talk with your family about your need to make time to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable manner. I bet they will support you in your efforts to get healthy.
  • freedomwriter88
    freedomwriter88 Posts: 38 Member
    Actually my sons and husband are naturally healthy eaters they do like vegetables and chicken and things they eat them regularly. But when their idea of fun is a 50 mile bike ride I don't spare the olive oil and potatoes and broths and such that I cook for them. It's not that I don't have time. I am a stay at home mom and cook for them everyday. But they cannot diet with me they need the calories just to maintain. My oldest is 19 and 5'10" weighing 130 my youngest is 15 5'9" and weighs 100lbs. I can't spare the calories when it comes to them and I don't have the time after feeding them to care for me. My children DO NOT eat processed meals. They do get fast food when they want because they are teenage boys and I don't see anything wrong with it. I was always thin until i had my kids and stopped working. Too thin actually. I asked about the safety of losing that fast not an assessment of my parenting skills!

    I wasn't assessing your parenting skills. I apologize that it came across that way. Parents who eat processed foods tend to feed them to their families, so I made that leap. In your case, I was wrong. Once again, I apologize.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    My dietitian told me not to judge weight loss based off the first month. That time period your body is adjusting to the changes being made, reduction in calories and new exercise that wasn't being done before. You can lose a lot of "pointless" weight at first and then then it tapers off to a normal weight loss pattern.

    I have lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks but most of that was water. I am now falling into a normal 1 pound a week pattern.
  • elephant2mouse
    elephant2mouse Posts: 906 Member
    It's pretty normal to lose a lot of weight the first week to a month, especially if you have a lot to lose.

    About the veggies and stuff, I love love love convenience foods. They are just too easy... I still eat them, but I also buy convenience veggies and fruits! Yes they are more expensive, but we were throwing away so much produce before because I didn't want to cut it up lol.
    I just buy precut fruit, veggie trays, and salad bowls! Super easy to log the calories, and just as healthy.
    :flowerforyou:

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