Realistic loss

3 pounds in 4 weeks isn't a bad loss! Congrats on that! Keep logging carefully (food scale recommended) and be patient.

3lbs isn't bad for 4 weeks, 1lb/week is the usual recommended rate of loss to go for.

If you're not hitting your goal it's most likely because your logging isn't accurate enough. Do you use a food scale? Can you open your diary?

Edit: Using a scale would help a lot, you're probably eating more than you think. And you're right, 500 a day isn't healthy, our bodies do need fuel!

Tilly1285 wrote: »

I haven't been weighing portions. I need to do that. Everything else I use the bar code information within the app.
I got a friend who is dropping weight like crazy on the HCG plan, but who wouldn't on 500 calls a day? I don't think that's healthy. Our bodies need fuel to operate correctly. Right - Wrong?

Right.

And here's why you need a food scale:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjKPIcI51lU&list=FLxRg_80KHM-BdcHvV7nkgfg&index=2

It really depends what weight you started from, and what your calorie target is relative to your TDEE.

So, we would need to know your weight, your height, age, gender, and what your setting was for how many pounds per week to lose.

So far, given what you've said, one pound per week isn't necessarily bad. Doing it right isn't fast, but it is effective.

So there are a few things to look at:

1. Water consumption isn't that important, as long as you're getting enough that you're not thirsty.
2. Do you weigh all of your solid foods? If you use measuring cups, you may be eating more than you think and have a smaller deficit than intended.
3. Do you weigh at a consistent time during the day? Weight can fluctuate by several pounds during the course of the day. Many people do it first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before breakfast.
4. Weight loss is not linear, there are fast and slow periods, even temporary reversals due to water retention.

Realistic weight loss is anywhere from .5-2 pounds per week and it depends on so many factors including how much you have to lose and how old you are. The more you have to lose, the quicker it will come off. The older you are, the slower you tend to lose. (these are, of course, generalizations but tend to be true more of the time than less)

Also, never, ever ever compare yourself and your weight loss to others OR put "only" in front of any loss at all! You have no idea what someone else is doing to lose weight - even when they tell you, it may or may not be true and you also don't know any of the other factors contributing to their weight loss (age, amount to lose, medical history, etc.).

Concentrate on developing good, healthy sustainable habits and quit worrying about the scale so much. Weigh (using a food scale), measure and log *all* of your food. Always use a food scale over measuring cups/spoons for accuracy. You don't have to exercise to lose weight - you just have to eat fewer calories than you burn. You exercise for other healthy reasons instead (better mood, stronger heart and lungs, better muscle tone, stress relief, etc.).

I say celebrate the 3 pounds lost. That 3 pounds less then you had 4 weeks ago. Just remember that the weight didn't come on over night, so it will not go off that fast either. buy yourself a food scale and weigh everything. it will help. Usually what we think is a normal portion is way off. Exercise isn't needed to lose weight. Follow the calories in vs. calories out and the weight will come off. slow and steady wins the race. It also depends on how much weight you have to lose. A person that is 300 pounds will lose faster then someone who is 150.

mark6281991 wrote: »

Another thing is that being too far under your caloric needs is worse than being over. Your metabolism with slow greatly if you do that consistently.

NO. The "Starvation Mode" as referenced here is a myth and completely false. There are many threads on this with links to scientific studies showing why. I am too lazy to search for them right now, but if you are interested in reading the science behind why this is untrue, please do a search on the boards.

Tilly1285 wrote: »

bpetrosky wrote: »

It really depends what weight you started from, and what your calorie target is relative to your TDEE.

So, we would need to know your weight, your height, age, gender, and what your setting was for how many pounds per week to lose.

So far, given what you've said, one pound per week isn't necessarily bad. Doing it right isn't fast, but it is effective.

So there are a few things to look at:

1. Water consumption isn't that important, as long as you're getting enough that you're not thirsty.
2. Do you weigh all of your solid foods? If you use measuring cups, you may be eating more than you think and have a smaller deficit than intended.
3. Do you weigh at a consistent time during the day? Weight can fluctuate by several pounds during the course of the day. Many people do it first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before breakfast.
4. Weight loss is not linear, there are fast and slow periods, even temporary reversals due to water retention.

Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate it!

I weigh one time a week, Mondays after bathroom, before breakfast and shower. Today 257.
I'm a guy, 5'11", 61 yrs old and would like to lose the max of 2 lbs per week.

I'll invest in a digital scale today.

Good deal. Look for a digital scale that measures in grams, and has a tare/zero button. Taylor has some good ones. If you go to Walmart, however, stay away from their Mainstays brand (it defaults to ounces and the button to change it is on the bottom, very annoying).

Using the IIFYM TDEE calculator, your TDEE with no exercise is about 2394/day. A daily deficit to lose two pounds per week is 1000 calories per day: (3500 * 2)/7. Given this, your daily calories would have to be about 1394, which lower than recommended for a male.

The recommended minimum for a male would be about 1500 cal/day. That still gives you a very generous deficit, but not exactly enough for 2/wk, but it should beat the 1lb/wk you're doing now. Weighing your food will help you zero in on it better.

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Tilly1285 wrote: »

I hate exercise. Refuse to do it.
I know it would help, but I just don't want to.

What do you have against exercise?

Tilly1285 wrote: »

I got a friend who is dropping weight like crazy on the HCG plan, but who wouldn't on 500 calls a day?

Probably lost a lot of fat burning muscle too I'm sure of it.

Tilly1285 wrote: »

paxbfl wrote: »

^^^^ THIS. You're doing fine, and I respect that you're losing weight your way. (I have a friend who doesn't exercise, limits his food intake and drinks beer every night. He's losing weight, so who am I to judge?)

But bpetrosky is right. It's hard to lose 2 pounds a week without exercise. I'm a 48-year-old guy, and I have to work out pretty hard 6 days a week (burning at least 600 calories) to consistently lose 2 pounds a week. (I'd still encourage you to get out and go for a walk or something, since exercise brings other benefits too. You don't have to kill yourself in a gym.)

Still, the bottom line is that you're losing weight, doing it your way. So just keep going and remember you're in this for the long-term. There's no sense losing a bunch of weight in a short time and then gaining it back later. Stay focused on your goal and be consistent every day.

I don't mind a walk with man's best friend. I know it's good for him and me, but 95+ degrees out right now, uhmm, NO! And the gym is full of "monkey men" grunting and huffing for the ladies - puleeeze.

Thanks for all the words of wisdom and encouragement.

Till

There are also quite a few easy ways to exercise at home, when you're ready for that step.
And don't worry about the gym - when you're there, I think you'll find the concept of 'monkey men' was all in your head, most of the people there are just like you. Regular peeps just trying to do their thing. If you spend your time worrying about everyone else, how are you going to exercise?

Tilly1285 wrote: »

paxbfl wrote: »

^^^^ THIS. You're doing fine, and I respect that you're losing weight your way. (I have a friend who doesn't exercise, limits his food intake and drinks beer every night. He's losing weight, so who am I to judge?)

But bpetrosky is right. It's hard to lose 2 pounds a week without exercise. I'm a 48-year-old guy, and I have to work out pretty hard 6 days a week (burning at least 600 calories) to consistently lose 2 pounds a week. (I'd still encourage you to get out and go for a walk or something, since exercise brings other benefits too. You don't have to kill yourself in a gym.)

Still, the bottom line is that you're losing weight, doing it your way. So just keep going and remember you're in this for the long-term. There's no sense losing a bunch of weight in a short time and then gaining it back later. Stay focused on your goal and be consistent every day.

I don't mind a walk with man's best friend. I know it's good for him and me, but 95+ degrees out right now, uhmm, NO! And the gym is full of "monkey men" grunting and huffing for the ladies - puleeeze.

Thanks for all the words of wisdom and encouragement.

Till

When my husky was alive and we lived in South Florida, we hated walking in the heat and humidity, so I'd take him right after sunrise and at sunset.

I don't like crowded gyms so when I have a membership, I go at off hours. Right now I'm getting plenty of exercise from gardening, swimming, and yoga, and when it gets cooler and the garden is less needy, I'll be walking in the woods again.

There's lots and lots of ways to get exercise

Tilly1285 wrote: »

I've been following the recommended calorie intake for 4 weeks. I have twice edged over the limit by less than 20 calories each time. Otherwise, usually under by a 100+ calories.
During this time, I have consumed at least 8 cups of water daily. I hate exercise. Refuse to do it.
I know it would help, but I just don't want to.
Given all this information - only 3 pounds loss. Before trying to limit caloric intake, my daily intake would probably be somewhere in the 3-4,000 calories or more daily range. Lot of fast food, processed stuff and soda. So, getting a little discouraged here.

Thanks,
Till

3 pounds a month is good and realistic weight loss if you don't want to build muscle. Keep up the good work.

KarenJanine wrote: »

Tilly1285 wrote: »

I haven't been weighing portions. I need to do that. Everything else I use the bar code information within the app.
I got a friend who is dropping weight like crazy on the HCG plan, but who wouldn't on 500 calls a day? I don't think that's healthy. Our bodies need fuel to operate correctly. Right - Wrong?

Right.

Your friend will lose weight quickly, but they will not be learning healthy habits that can last a lifetime. If you learn now how to eat the appropriate amount for your body by logging your food and weighing portions, you'll have the knowledge and understanding of how to keep a healthy weight for the rest of your life, which will far out-last HCG (or any other low calorie diet) plan.

I've done two rounds of the HCG diet (injections) and have lost a total of 55 pounds since March 11th of this year. I just started my third round this past weekend and I can tell you from my own personal experience that this diet has been life changing and life saving for me...I have struggled with my weight for years and when I started this protocol, I was at 302...VERY unhealthy. It hurt to move, walk or exert myself...I was miserable and unhappy in my skin. Now, I'm at 250.2, I'm feeling amazing, have WAY more energy, have a clear understanding of what a small cheat can do to stall my weight loss and how to correct that with high protein, low carb choices. I make healthy choices, even on maintenance, and I have continued to drop and/or maintain, depending on the part of the diet I'm in. This diet has helped me feel...FEEL...the difference between eating clean and healthy (organic as much as possible, and unprocessed foods) and not eating that way. It has completely changed what I WANT to eat (clean, healthy, whole foods) and what I DON'T want to eat (all the junk food and processed crap) because of how it makes me feel. I have consistently chosen to make every next right choice to improve my health and my body. I know when I'm full now and I only eat to hunger. Once I'm not hungry anymore, I'm more easily able to stop. When I move into phase 3 (maintenance) I'm able to slowly add in carbs and more fruits/protein without seeing any jumps on the scale. I'm under a Doctor's supervision and weighed/checked weekly. I have labs drawn, urinalysis, and I'm completely comfortable that the HCG diet is working for me and has worked for others I know personally.

The 500 calories a day in Phase 2 is possible without hunger or being "Hangry" because your body is burning it's fat reserves instead of the extra calories from food. It works to preserve your lean muscle and burn those areas of fat that are sometimes resistant to normal dieting and exercise.

I have gone from a size 26-28 to an 18-20. I'm drinking half my weight in ounces each day, mostly lemon water, and people tell me all the time that I'm "glowing". That "glow" is what healthy looks like!!

To say that someone using the HCG diet would "not be learning healthy habits that can last a lifetime" is COMPLETELY FALSE. If you haven't done this, you might want to consider asking someone who has instead of imposing your uneducated thoughts on others. Sorry for my passion on this, but when something changes my life this dramatically, I'm not going to let someone who hasn't been in my shoes try to speak to it.

I don't agree with the HCG drops, because I don't think they are part of the original protocol developed by Dr. Simeon's over 50 years ago and after a tremendous amount of clinical research. Using the original protocol provides a long term solution to obesity when other diets fail...know your facts please before you put this down.