Losing weight too quickly, need help with calories/ meals
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I just went back through my log for the last month.
Since June 4 I have lost 6.8lbs as of yesterday morning so 23 days.
6.8 x 3500 = 23800 calories
23800/ 7= 1034 calories extra each day
In those 23 days I logged 42813 calories (I ate more but didn't log so I'll use this number)
42813/ 23= 1861 calorie average
1861+1034 = 2895 calories
This seems ridiculous for someone who aside from breastfeeding and 2 hours of walking a week is fairly sedentary... Or did I do this wrong
I agree and that's why I think that you should definitely have the thyroid blood work done, specifically TSH, fT4 and fT3. Don't let your doctor brush it off. Insist on getting the blood work done.
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I posted in your other thread (thanks for the add) but I wanted to add that I agree with the advice to use full fat everything if you're having trouble taking in your needed calories as well as trying eating smaller amounts more frequently.0
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At 5'5" and 135, you aren't "very thin," and a pound a week is a reasonable weight loss for the amount of body fat that you have.
I would expect you to lose 15lbs in the first week after birth and an additional 5lbs at least the week after that. Not only is there the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid, but your own blood/water volume increases a lot during pregnancy. Plus, boobs tend to be bigger at the end of pregnancy than they end up being once you're set in breastfeeding mode.
I was 157lbs when I had my daughter and under 130lbs 6 weeks later. That's perfectly normal post-pregnancy loss. And I'm an inch taller than you.
Remember, too, that if you're carrying your kid everywhere, you're burning quite a bit more than you would at your weight otherwise. You're probably burning over 600 extra calories a day if you're carrying him around, not 400-500.
Check for thyroiditis. If you don't have it, up your calories a bit more, and I'd start worrying if I was still losing more than a pound a week after being down to 130lbs.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »At 5'5" and 135, you aren't "very thin," and a pound a week is a reasonable weight loss for the amount of body fat that you have.
I would expect you to lose 15lbs in the first week after birth and an additional 5lbs at least the week after that. Not only is there the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid, but your own blood/water volume increases a lot during pregnancy. Plus, boobs tend to be bigger at the end of pregnancy than they end up being once you're set in breastfeeding mode.
I was 157lbs when I had my daughter and under 130lbs 6 weeks later. That's perfectly normal post-pregnancy loss. And I'm an inch taller than you.
Remember, too, that if you're carrying your kid everywhere, you're burning quite a bit more than you would at your weight otherwise. You're probably burning over 600 extra calories a day if you're carrying him around, not 400-500.
Check for thyroiditis. If you don't have it, up your calories a bit more, and I'd start worrying if I was still losing more than a pound a week after being down to 130lbs.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, on my frame I feel anything less than 135 looks too thin. 135 was my prepregnancy weight, which I had maintained at for over a year. I was 178 when I had my son and was 143 at the 6 week mark... I'm trying to get ontop of this now as I don't want to get lower than 130 and that is rapidly getting closer. I'm going to see the doctor this week so I will increase my calories in the meantime0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »At 5'5" and 135, you aren't "very thin," and a pound a week is a reasonable weight loss for the amount of body fat that you have.
I would expect you to lose 15lbs in the first week after birth and an additional 5lbs at least the week after that. Not only is there the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid, but your own blood/water volume increases a lot during pregnancy. Plus, boobs tend to be bigger at the end of pregnancy than they end up being once you're set in breastfeeding mode.
I was 157lbs when I had my daughter and under 130lbs 6 weeks later. That's perfectly normal post-pregnancy loss. And I'm an inch taller than you.
Remember, too, that if you're carrying your kid everywhere, you're burning quite a bit more than you would at your weight otherwise. You're probably burning over 600 extra calories a day if you're carrying him around, not 400-500.
Check for thyroiditis. If you don't have it, up your calories a bit more, and I'd start worrying if I was still losing more than a pound a week after being down to 130lbs.
I am 5ft5 and 134lbs, losing a pound a week is not happening for me.... I am not 'very' thin, but I don't exactly have a tonne of bodyfat left to lose.
Yes everyone's built differently but it's a little big of a sweeping statement to say OP should easily be able to lose a pound a week and that be normal.0 -
Unless OP is extremely muscular, a pound a week at 135 isn't all that much. It really isn't. It's less than 500 calories a day (because you DO lose increasing amounts of muscle as your lean mass increases unless you're doing serious lifting)--it's actually closer to 350 calories per day if you're not lifting:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376744/figure/F1/
Most likely, you lost muscle mass during your pregnancy, as well. Most women do. So your set point, not including breastfeeding and not including hauling around the baby, is lower.
10 weeks back to pre-baby weight is just not weirdly fast. Most women who manage to lose all their baby weight do it in 6 weeks to 6 months.
135lbs is a BMI of 22.5. That's 22lbs away from underweight. Whatever you're used to seeing yourself at, you're far from "too thin." You have plenty of time to figure out if something is happening. Until then, have a peanut butter sandwich every day. It might be enough.
My BMI is almost identical, and I know I'm objectively not "too fat" even though I am at the fattest I have ever been except immediately post-pregnancy before, and I can hardly stand to be in my own skin right now. (And don't talk about "if you just recomped"--I was 15-20lbs lighter WITH a good 5-10bs more muscle on my frame before. I've never been "skinny-fat" at any weight.) So I may feel subjectively "too fat," but in objectively, I'm not, and I've dropped into the low risk band on all measures now.
I've rarely lost less than a pound a week at 135, averaged over a month, which I usually reach either because of childbirth or prolonged illness.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »Unless OP is extremely muscular, a pound a week at 135 isn't all that much. It really isn't. It's less than 500 calories a day (because you DO lose increasing amounts of muscle as your lean mass increases unless you're doing serious lifting)--it's actually closer to 350 calories per day if you're not lifting:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376744/figure/F1/
Most likely, you lost muscle mass during your pregnancy, as well. Most women do. So your set point, not including breastfeeding and not including hauling around the baby, is lower.
10 weeks back to pre-baby weight is just not weirdly fast. Most women who manage to lose all their baby weight do it in 6 weeks to 6 months.
135lbs is a BMI of 22.5. That's 22lbs away from underweight. Whatever you're used to seeing yourself at, you're far from "too thin." You have plenty of time to figure out if something is happening. Until then, have a peanut butter sandwich every day. It might be enough.
My BMI is almost identical, and I know I'm objectively not "too fat" even though I am at the fattest I have ever been except immediately post-pregnancy before, and I can hardly stand to be in my own skin right now. (And don't talk about "if you just recomped"--I was 15-20lbs lighter WITH a good 5-10bs more muscle on my frame before. I've never been "skinny-fat" at any weight.) So I may feel subjectively "too fat," but in objectively, I'm not, and I've dropped into the low risk band on all measures now.
I've rarely lost less than a pound a week at 135, averaged over a month, which I usually reach either because of childbirth or prolonged illness.
Not sure if you saw my post about how much I was eating/ losing... Based on my calculations (which may very well be wrong) I should be consuming nearly 2900 cal a day to maintain, as it is closer to 2lbs a week I'm actually losing (6.8lbs in 23 days) I do not want to get lower than 130 as I feel for me it's a healthy weight. With that being said I need to figure out how I can eat a significant amount more calories to slow my loss until I can level it out and eventually start recomping.0 -
Ditch everything in your diary that's reduced fat in favour of full fat - instant extra cals without extra volume.
Yes this is a good way to pack in some additional calories for a start. Increase your calories in snacks with the aid of protein bars and nutritional shakes (such as Boost plus calories) between meals.0 -
I'm not sure why the the 1-pound-per-week-is-reasonable idea keeps getting brought up.
OP has been recently losing at around 2 pounds per week.
At age 24, 5'5" and 135 lbs, allowing for, say 30 minutes of light walking per day, I'm guessing OP's TDEE (not taking into consideration breast feeding) would be on the order of 1950 kcal or so per day, which I believe is her current calorie goal. She is averaging around 1860, which is close enough to maintenance, were she not breast feeding. She is breast feeding, so allowing -500 kcal for that, then she ought to be losing around 1 pound per week (which is what someone above keeps referencing as being reasonable). Yes, that would be reasonable.
However, OP is losing at twice that rate.
Whether her BMI of 22.5 is considered "very thin" or not is not the point. The point is that she is losing weight faster than she expects to based on her level of activity and her level of food intake. Regardless of whether or not another person has experienced weight loss that was slower or faster than she is experiencing, the rate of loss she is now experiencing is causing her some amount of concern. It has "pricked up her ears", if you will.
Post-partum thyroiditis, while not that common, is possible and the blood work should be done to rule it out. OP has already stated that she is going to have the blood work done.
In the meantime, I think that she's looking for more suggestions on increasing her calorie intake.
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My daughter had a baby a few weeks ago and is breastfeeding. This is her second birth and both times after the births, she has eaten a lot more calories than she usually does, while still slowly, but steadily losing weight. Breastfeeding can burn a lot of calories.0
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I'm not sure why the the 1-pound-per-week-is-reasonable idea keeps getting brought up.
OP has been recently losing at around 2 pounds per week.
At age 24, 5'5" and 135 lbs, allowing for, say 30 minutes of light walking per day, I'm guessing OP's TDEE (not taking into consideration breast feeding) would be on the order of 1950 kcal or so per day, which I believe is her current calorie goal. She is averaging around 1860, which is close enough to maintenance, were she not breast feeding. She is breast feeding, so allowing -500 kcal for that, then she ought to be losing around 1 pound per week (which is what someone above keeps referencing as being reasonable). Yes, that would be reasonable.
However, OP is losing at twice that rate.
Whether her BMI of 22.5 is considered "very thin" or not is not the point. The point is that she is losing weight faster than she expects to based on her level of activity and her level of food intake. Regardless of whether or not another person has experienced weight loss that was slower or faster than she is experiencing, the rate of loss she is now experiencing is causing her some amount of concern. It has "pricked up her ears", if you will.
Post-partum thyroiditis, while not that common, is possible and the blood work should be done to rule it out. OP has already stated that she is going to have the blood work done.
In the meantime, I think that she's looking for more suggestions on increasing her calorie intake.
Thank you! Someone who has read my posts and understand where I am coming from.. I am concerned because I am practically at my goal weight but continuing to lose 2 lbs a week eating a calorie deficit that should allow for me to lose 1lb or less as I often snack and don't bother entering it. I will continue to increase my calories as much as I can until I see my Dr later this week.0 -
From a separate thread on calorie dense foods that I'm having trouble linking but here is the list from the original post:diannethegeek wrote: »I'm posting this list with the intention of creating something that people can link to when someone is having a hard time reaching their calorie goal. I hope that other users will add more ideas in the comments.
Calorie dense foods can be your best friend when you're trying to eat more. These are foods that pack a lot of calories into just a small amount, so they boost your calories quickly without putting a lot of extra food in your stomach. This is a generic list and it's definitely not comprehensive, but anything here can be included in a balanced diet (as long as there are no allergies, medical conditions, obviously):
avocado
cheese
full fat dairy
Greek yogurt
ice cream
peanut butter (or other nut butters)
dark chocolate
less lean cuts of meat (including beef, pork, sausage, etc.)
seeds (chia, flax, sunflower, etc.)
nuts
olive oil
coconut oil
butter
beans and lentils
protein shakes, bars, and smoothies
hummus
beef jerky
cornbread
tuna
full calorie condiments
full calorie sauces & dressings
sour cream
guacamole
whole grain pasta
rice
bacon
whole eggs
quinoa
fruit and fruit juices
pretzels
bananas
scones
muffins (bran, blueberry, banana nut, etc.)
potatoes (sweet, red, gold, purple, white, etc.)
dried fruit (raisins, apricots, plums, dates, etc.)
granola
coconut
salmon
edamame
olives
honey
molasses
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In the food diary, there are several entries for "Breastfeeding" that are -500 calories--add this to one of your meals daily to adjust your total calorie goal without having to reset everything. And then make sure you are adding some calorie-dense foods in to make up the difference. If you lose too much too quickly you could jeopardize your milk supply.0
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Based on my weight loss and food intake I have calculated my caloric needs to be roughly 2900... I am looking for specific suggestions of calorie dense foods/ meals to add as I already incorporate several into my diet and not sure how to keep adding. I was eating around 1700 for about a year so I'm lost with all the extra caloriesIn the food diary, there are several entries for "Breastfeeding" that are -500 calories--add this to one of your meals daily to adjust your total calorie goal without having to reset everything. And then make sure you are adding some calorie-dense foods in to make up the difference. If you lose too much too quickly you could jeopardize your milk supply.
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Based on my weight loss and food intake I have calculated my caloric needs to be roughly 2900... I am looking for specific suggestions of calorie dense foods/ meals to add as I already incorporate several into my diet and not sure how to keep adding. I was eating around 1700 for about a year so I'm lost with all the extra caloriesIn the food diary, there are several entries for "Breastfeeding" that are -500 calories--add this to one of your meals daily to adjust your total calorie goal without having to reset everything. And then make sure you are adding some calorie-dense foods in to make up the difference. If you lose too much too quickly you could jeopardize your milk supply.
Someone posted a good list above. A lot of those foods (especially olive oil, butter, peanut butter, and such) will definitely increase your calories pretty quickly without having to increase volume as much.
ETA: I also see you chose rice cakes as a snack. Maybe try substituting bread? And not small/diet type bread either. The bigger slice ones that are 100-130 cals a slice.0 -
If you can find the time to make them, "lactation cookies" are high calorie, high fat snacks. When I made the recipe, it worked out to be about 735 calories per cookie. 63g fat, 40g carbs, 12g fiber, 12g protein.
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/major-milk-makin-lactation-cookies.html0 -
marilynxmonster wrote: »If you can find the time to make them, "lactation cookies" are high calorie, high fat snacks. When I made the recipe, it worked out to be about 735 calories per cookie. 63g fat, 40g carbs, 12g fiber, 12g protein.
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/major-milk-makin-lactation-cookies.html
Sweet God....
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PikaKnight wrote: »marilynxmonster wrote: »If you can find the time to make them, "lactation cookies" are high calorie, high fat snacks. When I made the recipe, it worked out to be about 735 calories per cookie. 63g fat, 40g carbs, 12g fiber, 12g protein.
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/major-milk-makin-lactation-cookies.html
Sweet God....
Is anyone else relieved that there wasn't actual...um....lactation in the ingredients list?0 -
PikaKnight wrote: »
Based on my weight loss and food intake I have calculated my caloric needs to be roughly 2900... I am looking for specific suggestions of calorie dense foods/ meals to add as I already incorporate several into my diet and not sure how to keep adding. I was eating around 1700 for about a year so I'm lost with all the extra caloriesIn the food diary, there are several entries for "Breastfeeding" that are -500 calories--add this to one of your meals daily to adjust your total calorie goal without having to reset everything. And then make sure you are adding some calorie-dense foods in to make up the difference. If you lose too much too quickly you could jeopardize your milk supply.
Someone posted a good list above. A lot of those foods (especially olive oil, butter, peanut butter, and such) will definitely increase your calories pretty quickly without having to increase volume as much.
ETA: I also see you chose rice cakes as a snack. Maybe try substituting bread? And not small/diet type bread either. The bigger slice ones that are 100-130 cals a slice.
Alright I'll try and find some higher calorie bread when shopping, the bread I currently have is 85 cal a slice (just regular whole wheat bread) and the rice cakes were 80 for 2, I like rice cakes better so I figured the 5 cal wouldn't really make a difference..0 -
marilynxmonster wrote: »If you can find the time to make them, "lactation cookies" are high calorie, high fat snacks. When I made the recipe, it worked out to be about 735 calories per cookie. 63g fat, 40g carbs, 12g fiber, 12g protein.
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/major-milk-makin-lactation-cookies.html
My goodness, 735 for one cookie!? I'm going to need to find the time to try to make these0
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