Am I losing weight too quickly? Please help a teen

Options
fineandhealty
fineandhealty Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone.
For the last week or so I've been really good eating just around 1300 calories a day. From that I lost almost 6 pounds.

I am certainly not overweight I am 5'9 and I had a starting weight on about 153. Another catch is that I am only a teenager. I do NOT want to hurt my body.

But it really seems there's only two possibilities for me: Either I lose A LOT of weight very quickly or I won't lose anything. I have NEVER experienced losing weight at a normal pace, like a pound a week.

Why could this be? And should I slow down?



Feel free to add me, I'm always looking for buddies :)))

Replies

  • jenmar17
    jenmar17 Posts: 3,261 Member
    Options
    Is this your first week? It's normal to drop a good amount of weight the first couple weeks. A lot of it is probably water weight. I'd give it a bit more time to see if you need to adjust.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Options
    Yes, you are losing too fast, and eating too little.

    Question: If you're not overweight, then why are you trying to lose weight? You said yourself, you are at a healthy weight. If you're dissatisfied with how you look, look into body recomposition through strength training...ie lifting weights (and, no, you won't get bulky.)

    If you insist that you still need to lose weight, look into what is a healthy weight range for your body and don't go below it. Plug your numbers into MFP and eat the calories it tells you. I highly suggest that you choose the 1-lb or even 1/2-lb per week option.
  • voodoocupcake
    voodoocupcake Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    You are eating way too little. School alone burns a lot of calories and you burn even more if you do after-school activities. Remember, 20% of your daily calories go to your brain. We are the same height and I tried eating a similar calorie count when I was a teen wanting to lose vanity pounds. The weight came off too fast and I ended up weighing 117 lbs after 3 months. It was physically and psychologically damaging.

    1,300 calories is barely enough to keep your organs functioning. At the same height Like jennifer_417 suggested, plug in your numbers. I would recommend the 1/2 lb option. It seems slow but if you're, combining it with body decomposition the results are more dramatic than you might think. Finding a physical activity you love and focusing on eating natural, nutritious food is best in the long run because that isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    Options
    You are not eating enough.

    I'm your height, 40 years older, and maintain on about 2400 calories a day. If I need to drop a little weight, I cut back to around 2000. A growing teen eating only 1300? You are for sure going to cause yourself some harm. You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.
  • thecrushinator
    thecrushinator Posts: 76 Member
    Options
    Did you happen to use two different scales? That's a lot of weight to come off that quickly. You might want to see a doctor or medical person very soon, especially if you continue to drop pounds like that.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    If you're just starting out, or changed your exercise routine recently, then its just water coming out and its normal.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    Options
    Unless by teen you mean 18 or 19, you had to lie about your age when signing on for the site and are not meant to be here. Work with your parents and/or doctors on any weight related questions you have. You could also try spark teens

    www.sparkteens.com
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    Options
    As mentioned, sparkteens.com is good.

    What type of exercises are you doing? Any sports or workouts?
    Fitness is not all about weight and you do not have that much mass to lose.
  • fineandhealty
    fineandhealty Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    I'm eighteen years old. My profile says nineteen which is a mistake I just didn't really care to change it
  • fineandhealty
    fineandhealty Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    And to everyone commenting on the 1300: I am NOT starving on this amount of calories. When I am not trying to lose weight I eat around 1700 AT MOST. I eat low calorie foods, which means I can eat quite a lot of these and be full and satisfied. I am not tired all the time, I'm filled with energy, I'm not cold and I have a positive body image.
    As to WHY I'm trying to lose weight: Last year I was the same height and I weighed 130 pounds - which is now my ultimate goal weight. I really liked how I looked back then, and that's the only things I'm trying to achieve. I don't want to underweight and I do not have an eating disorder.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
    Options
    I personally would eat more. For example, I'm 5"8,34 yrs old and weigh 135, I eat around@1900 per day. So surely a younger, taller person should eat more then 1300. You don't want to end up losing muscle (then you'd look flabby ) so I think raising your calories a bit would be a great idea
  • iknow4sure
    iknow4sure Posts: 1
    Options
    I lose 2 pounds a week on 1200 calories or a little less, but I weigh 272. If this is your first week losing, then your weight loss is normal. Aim for 1 to 2 pounds a week lost, after the first week.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Options
    Let's all take a deep breath before we blow up and say she's eating too little. First of all, the first week's worth of weight loss will almost ALWAYS be accompanied by a big loss of water weight. So the amount she has lost week one is irrelevant. Now lets ask ourselves how accurate a calorie counter we would have been as a teenager. How many of you were perfect calorie counters WEEK ONE? In all actuality, she is probably eating more then she thinks. Honestly, most of us are eating more then we think.

    OP, are you weighing your food, using measuring cups/tablespoons (these are meant for liquids only), or just eyeballing and guessing? Do you track 100% of what you eat? Do you ever forget? Do you eat out or cook 100% of what you eat? All these questions affect the accuracy of your counting. If you are super strict and you are very confident that you are really eating 1300 calories, then I'd agree, it's a bit low, but again MOST people underestimate their caloric intake. This is why I'd give it another few weeks and see what your weight does. Eating a true 1300 is probably less then you should be eating, but doing it for a few weeks won't hard you. If you continue with rapid weight loss, or simply don't feel good, I'd up calories. If weight loss slows down and you start losing at a slow, steady, pace, then I would keep at it.
  • fineandhealty
    fineandhealty Posts: 21 Member
    Options
    Thank you for an answer I can actually use :) I probably DO underestimate the number of calories I am eating, though I lost almost six pounds the first week, even though I drank about two litres of water each day. It's not like I'm depriving myself or feeling hungry all the time. If for example I've already hit the 1300 in a day, I'd EAT ANYWAY because one should always listen to the body.

    And believe it or not; 1300 was the number of estimated calories that MFP gave - if I want to lose one pound a week.
  • CharliLarlie
    CharliLarlie Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    I suggest you talk with a doctor or nutritionist/dietitian about your diet before going off an a diet. I won't say you are eating too little or too much, because I am vegetarian and while I sometimes eat a lot of food, it is all vegetables or fruits, which doesn't translate into calories as prescribed by a chart on Department of Agriculture's pyramid. I eat 5 or more meals a day, but again, they are veggies and fruits, no meat, seafood, dairy, processed foods, and very little oil. I even saute in veggie broth, rather than oil. I admit, I do add a teaspoon of oil when I am popping popcorn--kernels, not the processed microwave popcorn. I use the oil so the nutritional yeast I sprinkle over the kernels before they are popped will adhere and make the popcorn taste good. My husband thinks it has no salt--he's right, it doesn't, but the nutritional yeast gives it a nice flavor for me.

    So please speak with a nutritionist or look at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's website at http://www.pcrm.org/ or Dr. McDougall's Health and Medical Center at https://www.drmcdougall.com/index.php. they have free information and guides to vegan eating. There are recipes and information about why one should not eat meat and other foods that are bad for our bodies. Good luck!
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Options
    Thank you for an answer I can actually use :) I probably DO underestimate the number of calories I am eating, though I lost almost six pounds the first week, even though I drank about two litres of water each day. It's not like I'm depriving myself or feeling hungry all the time. If for example I've already hit the 1300 in a day, I'd EAT ANYWAY because one should always listen to the body.

    And believe it or not; 1300 was the number of estimated calories that MFP gave - if I want to lose one pound a week.
    Yeah, give it a few more weeks to level off. No matter how much you drink, when you start reducing calories taken in you always lose water weight.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Options
    130 is actually underweight for your height. I'm sure you weren't underweight as an adolescent, but part of maturing is that your body changes and its needs change. Trying to recapture a look from when you were not fully mature is a recipe for problems. Take this advice as you wish, but you are at a healthy weight - appreciate it and figure out what you want to DO with this healthy body - are you an athlete, a dancer, an outdoors person? Focus on those things and you are likely to be able to easily maintain a healthy body and size without preoccupation and all the things dieting makes you vulnerable to.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Options
    130 is actually underweight for your height. I'm sure you weren't underweight as an adolescent, but part of maturing is that your body changes and its needs change. Trying to recapture a look from when you were not fully mature is a recipe for problems. Take this advice as you wish, but you are at a healthy weight - appreciate it and figure out what you want to DO with this healthy body - are you an athlete, a dancer, an outdoors person? Focus on those things and you are likely to be able to easily maintain a healthy body and size without preoccupation and all the things dieting makes you vulnerable to.
    5'9 130 is a BMI of 19.2. That is not underweight. it's normal.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Options
    130 is actually underweight for your height. I'm sure you weren't underweight as an adolescent, but part of maturing is that your body changes and its needs change. Trying to recapture a look from when you were not fully mature is a recipe for problems. Take this advice as you wish, but you are at a healthy weight - appreciate it and figure out what you want to DO with this healthy body - are you an athlete, a dancer, an outdoors person? Focus on those things and you are likely to be able to easily maintain a healthy body and size without preoccupation and all the things dieting makes you vulnerable to.
    5'9 130 is a BMI of 19.2. That is not underweight. it's normal.

    You're right. I was thinking 19.5 as the cut off.
  • JoannaEngel84
    JoannaEngel84 Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    And to everyone commenting on the 1300: I am NOT starving on this amount of calories. When I am not trying to lose weight I eat around 1700 AT MOST. I eat low calorie foods, which means I can eat quite a lot of these and be full and satisfied. I am not tired all the time, I'm filled with energy, I'm not cold and I have a positive body image.
    As to WHY I'm trying to lose weight: Last year I was the same height and I weighed 130 pounds - which is now my ultimate goal weight. I really liked how I looked back then, and that's the only things I'm trying to achieve. I don't want to underweight and I do not have an eating disorder.

    Here's the thing, at 18, you're body is still changing, I didn't develop half of my curves until my early/mid 20s (though everyone is different). If your body is still changing shape (in a good way) 130 may look very different now than it did when you were 17. I weighed 110 in high school and looked pretty average, if I tied to weigh that now (even though I'm the same height) I would look emaciated due to the shape of my body. Be careful about getting too dramatic in the weight loss at your age. If you're in a healthy weight range, stick with it.

Categories