When does the 'quick losing' bit slow down??

PositiveMummy · May 2011

I've been told that when you have quite a lot of extra weight to lose, when you start dieting etc you will lose it quickly to begin with and then it slows down.

Please could someone explain to me why this is? I've lost 11lbs in about 3 weeks so really pleased so far, and don't want it to suddenly slow right down lol.. (yeah, who would?)
So if anyone has any tips on helping to keep up a good loss each week, I'd really appreciate it! Obviously I'm gonna carry on with my same diet and exercise, but maybe I'll have to work out for longer and longer??

Any thoughts or advice? Thank yooouuu :-) xx

BlessedMomX2 · May 2011

bump

copperdave · May 2011

I lost 14 pounds in the first 3 weeks, then it started to taper. As you lose weight, your body needs fewer calories to sustain that weight, so calories "in" need to be adjusted accordingly. It's never safe to drop below 1200 calories per day, so once you're close to, or at that point, you'll really notice the weight coming off more slowly. My weight loss has leveled out to around 1.5-2 pounds per week, which is about right. Hope this helps!

mauryr · May 2011

I can tell you from my own (current) experience that the weight was / is more difficult to lose when my bmi approached 25. The last 10 lbs have taken about 90 days, and I lost 3 times that in the first 90 days, when my BMI was over 35. I still have about 2 lbs to go before bmi of 25, my primary goal, and it is going very slowly. Very, very slowly. Sometimes in the wrong direction.

Packerfan23 · May 2011

I have lost almost 30 pounds (despretly seeking to lose that 1-2 pounds to break over 30!) and I have several pounds to go, but have been pretty much in a holding pattern since Easter and have been yo yo ing a couple of pounds. (My weight loss journey started at the end of January, beginning of February prior to joining MFP) I have been trying different things to jump start the "losing" process again, but haven't quite found something that has worked yet to break fully into the lost over 30 pounds category yet. But people are still noticing it, so I am thinking (and can feel it in my clothing) that it may not show on the scale, but it is showing on the outside! I am trying not to be concerned about this "plateau" at this point... :happy:

PositiveMummy · May 2011

Thanks copperdave, yes that definitely has helped :-)

I'm hoping I'll keep losing quite rapidly for the next couple of months, I already feel soo much better for losing just 11lbs so the thought of losing more makes me so excited for the future!!
This site is brilliant, the whole calorie counting thing has worked wonders, and I'm already grateful for this site, and know I'll keep this up because I've seen results!!

Good luck to you all, and anyone can feel free to add me!
xx :flowerforyou:

Clinton1074 · May 2011

bump

I am new what does this bump mean?

blue3628 · May 2011

bump

I am new what does this bump mean?

blue3628 · May 2011

To bump a thread on an internet forum is to post a reply to it purely in order to raise the thread's profile. This will typically return it to the top of the list of active threads. The term "to push-up" a thread is also used to describe this type of action. It has been suggested that "bump" is an acronym of "bring up my post",[1] however this is almost certainly a backronym and the usage is entirely consistent with the verb "bump" which means "to knock to a new position".[2] It can also be used in personal messages (PMs) or instant messages (IMs) on the Web, to return an older message to the top of the list.

wikipedia

seems to be the correct definition as far as i've seen. I'm new too so had to look it up a few weeks ago :-)

Atlantique · May 2011

I've been told that when you have quite a lot of extra weight to lose, when you start dieting etc you will lose it quickly to begin with and then it slows down.

Please could someone explain to me why this is? I've lost 11lbs in about 3 weeks so really pleased so far, and don't want it to suddenly slow right down lol.. (yeah, who would?)
So if anyone has any tips on helping to keep up a good loss each week, I'd really appreciate it! Obviously I'm gonna carry on with my same diet and exercise, but maybe I'll have to work out for longer and longer??

Any thoughts or advice? Thank yooouuu :-) xx

When you first start dieting, the calorie deficit between what you are eating and what your body needs to get through the day is quite large and fat is readily available for burning. Over time, even if you keep your intake the same, that deficit decreases because as you lose weight, your body needs fewer calories to get through the day. So eventually, as that deficit becomes smaller and smaller and there is less and less fat available to burn, your weight loss slows down.

Also, once you've lost most of the fat, your body is less willing to let it go. Your body WANTS you to have a certain fat store as protection against any drops in food availability. So when you're close to the edge of having a healthy amount of fat, it can be more difficult to lose more fat and instead lose more muscle. At this point, many people find that they have to raise their calories and have a very small calorie deficit in order to lose more fat.

incircles_lp2 · May 2011

I am very close to my ideal weight (about 17lbs away), and it has taken me a year to lose 12 lbs. It took me about 4 months to lose 5lbs. It is a lot harder to lose weight when you are close to your natural/ideal weight. Don't let that stop you from trying though. You can do it!

ImBabyBunny · May 2011

This frustrates me too. I have about 19 more lbs to go ...It has taken me months to lose just 5lbs. But I have made bad chooses and many mistakes along the way. So I am trying to get use to going very slow with the rest.....take one day at a time, celebrate all those small goals and raise the bar a bit higher every time I do

cruiseking · May 2011

Having been up and down the scale to the tune of 40+ pounds over the years, I can tell you there is good news and some great news. First the great news; When you are way over your ideal body weight, it is really pretty easy to lose some fat (for all the reasons mentioned above), as your body becomes leaner, you need to really step up the fitness routine, and not just a little bit. If you walk 2 miles when you are 40 lbs overweight, your goal should be to run 4 miles when you are 20 lbs overweight, and then double that when you are at your ideal weight. Your body gets excited, and wants you to push the limits of your new found self. In other words, sometimes our body has more faith in us than we do. The good news is; your body wants to be pushed. So push it! I lost about 8 lbs my first week, and only 2 lbs the second week. Time to up the ante!

PositiveMummy · May 2011

Ok, so in other words, I need to make my workouts harder each week and push myself! I think I can do it!!

octopusami · May 2011

My first three months on here I lost 35 lbs and now I am in the slow burn. I just keep telling myself this is not a race. It took my body 29 years to put on all the fat and it is going to take a while to get down to where I want to be. I have been 2 lbs away from my half way point for a couple weeks now. Eventually it will happen.

sweebeesmom · May 2011

I think that's why they say "the last five is the hardest to lose." That's definitely the case with me anyway. Since January I've lost 15 lbs with just diet.. I lost 5 the first month, 4 the second, 3 the third, 2 last month and then the last lb has been going up and down with water weight. I count calories, not always super strict with my diet, but I always try to stay under what would maintain my current weight on the days that I "indulge." I think your body gets wise and starts buffering to maintain some stability.

I'm throwing a party the minute I get under 140. It's been seriously overdue.

When does the 'quick losing' bit slow down??

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