-41lbs in 10 weeks?
GreyKnight120
Posts: 60 Member
My focus this week has been on goal-setting and making measurable goals for myself. I began about two weeks ago and have been weighing myself on Mondays, which I find helps keep me better in-check over the weekend. I also know that weight isn't the be-all end-all and that more weight comes off at the start than as progress goes on, but I am looking to set a goal date for this first hurdle.
Some background -
I'm a 35 year old male, height is 6'1", and I began at 390.4 lbs. on 8/24 and lost 4.0 lbs. the first week and 7.8 lbs. the second week. I am now on week 3 and making good progress. My food/exercise diary is open and I am welcome to feedback and constructive criticism (I do have a food scale and I haven't been nitpicking every single item, but I do use the bar code scanner often). I have been trying to exercise regularly. The truth is I was shocked (not entirely pleasantly either) to learn that I dropped almost 8 lbs. in one week, however I understand at the start that water retention is a thing and while I admit even after only two weeks I am feeling much better (sleeping better at night, not as achy, more energy during the day), but my clothing does not feel any looser yet, and I expect it will be some time before I note those sort of changes anyway. I expect this to be a gradual process. I am extremely obese, and the ultimate goal here is to lose about half of my entire body weight. But that is a massive goal and I want to break it down into smaller but realistic and attainable goals.
My first goal has been to hit the 350lb. mark. This was my starting-out weight the last time I tried dieting about 5 years ago - which ultimately failed because I looked upon it as "dieting" and not a permanent life change to what I am now calling my "eating strategy." What I'm struggling with is the 'when'. At my weight I understand it's more feasible and not so unhealthy to lose more than 2lbs. a week, but I'm not sure exactly at what point it does become unhealthy. I've scaled back my portions and introduced exercise to my lifestyle. I'm allotted 2450 calories a day, before exercise, and I generally aim for this number, letting whatever exercise happens remain a calorie deficit unless I'm hungry. I want to be clear that I am not starving myself here, nor am I looking to do anything crazy. I also realize that as I continue to lose weight, my body will not be able to lose as much as quickly, and that's okay!
This all being said, I've been looking at 10/31 for being my target date to reach 350 lbs. That gives me about 7 weeks from now to lose the remaining 28.6 lbs - or approximately 4 lbs. per week. I'm sure there will be good weeks and bad weeks and that value may be higher or lower depending on what comes, but to those who are in the know, or to those who have been obese and lost the weight I am asking if this is a reasonable goal? I'm not going to be devastated if Halloween comes around and I haven't met the goal yet, but it does give me something to aim for and right now I feel that's important.
My next goal will probably be to get down to 305 lbs. (which is just under where I was able to get 5 years ago right when I quit dieting the last time and would probably be the lightest I've been in about 17 or 18 years) and I figure on that being around March or April of 2016 or maybe sooner depending on how phase 1 goes, and depending on feedback received here.
Thank you in advance for any feedback and support. The MFP community has been really great so far and I came here feeling like I knew a lot already, but always just lacked the motivation. But I've learned SO MUCH these past 2-3 weeks and it has really humbled me.
Also since I have a tendency to be a bit longwinded...
TL;DR: Is it safe/healthy for an obese man (age 35, height 6'1, weight ~380lbs) to lose 4 lbs. per week or more?
Some background -
I'm a 35 year old male, height is 6'1", and I began at 390.4 lbs. on 8/24 and lost 4.0 lbs. the first week and 7.8 lbs. the second week. I am now on week 3 and making good progress. My food/exercise diary is open and I am welcome to feedback and constructive criticism (I do have a food scale and I haven't been nitpicking every single item, but I do use the bar code scanner often). I have been trying to exercise regularly. The truth is I was shocked (not entirely pleasantly either) to learn that I dropped almost 8 lbs. in one week, however I understand at the start that water retention is a thing and while I admit even after only two weeks I am feeling much better (sleeping better at night, not as achy, more energy during the day), but my clothing does not feel any looser yet, and I expect it will be some time before I note those sort of changes anyway. I expect this to be a gradual process. I am extremely obese, and the ultimate goal here is to lose about half of my entire body weight. But that is a massive goal and I want to break it down into smaller but realistic and attainable goals.
My first goal has been to hit the 350lb. mark. This was my starting-out weight the last time I tried dieting about 5 years ago - which ultimately failed because I looked upon it as "dieting" and not a permanent life change to what I am now calling my "eating strategy." What I'm struggling with is the 'when'. At my weight I understand it's more feasible and not so unhealthy to lose more than 2lbs. a week, but I'm not sure exactly at what point it does become unhealthy. I've scaled back my portions and introduced exercise to my lifestyle. I'm allotted 2450 calories a day, before exercise, and I generally aim for this number, letting whatever exercise happens remain a calorie deficit unless I'm hungry. I want to be clear that I am not starving myself here, nor am I looking to do anything crazy. I also realize that as I continue to lose weight, my body will not be able to lose as much as quickly, and that's okay!
This all being said, I've been looking at 10/31 for being my target date to reach 350 lbs. That gives me about 7 weeks from now to lose the remaining 28.6 lbs - or approximately 4 lbs. per week. I'm sure there will be good weeks and bad weeks and that value may be higher or lower depending on what comes, but to those who are in the know, or to those who have been obese and lost the weight I am asking if this is a reasonable goal? I'm not going to be devastated if Halloween comes around and I haven't met the goal yet, but it does give me something to aim for and right now I feel that's important.
My next goal will probably be to get down to 305 lbs. (which is just under where I was able to get 5 years ago right when I quit dieting the last time and would probably be the lightest I've been in about 17 or 18 years) and I figure on that being around March or April of 2016 or maybe sooner depending on how phase 1 goes, and depending on feedback received here.
Thank you in advance for any feedback and support. The MFP community has been really great so far and I came here feeling like I knew a lot already, but always just lacked the motivation. But I've learned SO MUCH these past 2-3 weeks and it has really humbled me.
Also since I have a tendency to be a bit longwinded...
TL;DR: Is it safe/healthy for an obese man (age 35, height 6'1, weight ~380lbs) to lose 4 lbs. per week or more?
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Replies
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People who's height and weight are higher, will have more tissue etc, so they will have a higher TDEE. Calorie restriction for them means that they will lose more weight.
For example, a 200lb 5'8 man could lose 2lb's per week comfortably while a 150lb 5'8 man could probably only lose 0.5-1lb per week.
I think you're fine OP.
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Good job! I started my plan losing 8 lbs the first week, 3 the second, and now am in the 2 lb per week pattern. Talking to my nutrition/diet team, they project I will be losing 1-2 lbs a week and will level out. I have always been one to be very impatient, and expect a LOT of loss each week. Now though, perhaps I am wiser..;) Slow and steady wins the race. My focus is more on eating as clean as I can, and keep my calories level, and work on getting some exercise in. <--- that is MY downfall. I am hoping as I lose, I will feel more confident in getting the exercise motivation!
Keep on keeping on...you are doing good.
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MFP is set up to eat what you want as long as it is within your calories goal. I think you should keep an eye on your sodium, it has been a bit high.0
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At your beginning weight, I think that it would be possible to hit that goal within that time period.
That being said, I strongly suggest not setting a firm date/poundage goal. Focus on eating and exercising, as you have been, but don't get tied to losing X pounds by Y date. Your weight loss is not going to be linear. Many weeks you will lose (especially now at the beginning of this project) but sometimes you'll stay the same and sometimes you may gain. The latter will not likely happen right away for you since you have a lot to lose but it will almost certainly happen at some point. Because of the non-linear nature of weight loss, it is not always possible to predict your total weight loss over a certain time period and I think that it is better to leave it open ended. For example, your first goal would be to lose 40 pounds, or 10% of your body weight, rather than 40 lbs in 10 weeks.
You're doing great so far. Keep it up
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1% per week is often cited as a safe rate, and right now you would be slightly above it. 1-2lb is considered sustainable for most and 3-4lb only for the very obese.
So, I would say you are on the high side of safe. Maybe just eat back some of your exercise calories and let the chips land where they fall. I would definitely eliminate the deadlines. I would LOVE to be 175 before Christmas. However, I didn't pick my rate of loss based on a date, instead on what I could sustain and would be healthy for me. Picking something you can sustain is more important than picking the fastest rate.
Also, there is little reason to weigh your food unless you aren't meeting your goals. If you aim to lose 3lb/week and instead lose 4 (over a 6 week period, not just 2-3 weeks), then maybe weighing and tighter logging are required so you don't under eat (or if you are losing too slow, make sure you aren't over eating).0 -
2450 sounds like a great amount for you. It leaves room for tons of things to enjoy. I echo the folks saying to not set dates on the target weights. The only thing you need to worry about right now is sticking with it. It's going to take you over a year to lose what you want. Probably even more than two.
Just for funsies, I put your info into this https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html
Just get past the first parts where you're entering your basic stats, and then switch to "expert" mode and click on the lifestyle tab. That's where you can put in your custom calorie goal. According to this simulator, after 1 year, the simulator puts you at about 290. After 2 years on 2450 (with the activity I estimated -- you can estimate better!) you'd be at 228. I don't want you to be discouraged by this number.
After you get below 250 or so, you might want to change your intake to keep the speed going. Play with the simulator and get some realistic long term goals. At first it is really fast.0 -
You are doing fine. 3-4 lbs a week is very doable for you. I am 355 and hoping to hit 320 by Oct 31 myself and under 300 by Christmas, but if I don't, I don't. I am working hard at it but I know the first few days of Oct I will be on vacation and wont eat perfect that week though I will be doing a lot of walking up and down hills and ridges. Keep up the good work0
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Thanks everyone for the feedback!!
To clarify just a little bit I was only looking for a timeframe to set for my goals since it has been suggested to me that I set SMART goals for myself in weight loss and in other matters as well.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevent
Time-bound
After reading the given feedback I'll probably continue to stick with this, but I'm not going to give it a whole lot of importance. For the sake of goal-setting I'll aim for getting myself down to 350lbs. for 10/31 and if it happens great, and if I fall short, then I'm not going to let any discouragement stop me from continuing with my goals. As has been said, it's more important to me that I'm losing weight and in the past getting discouraged has resulted in a full stop and subsequent reversal. I would also rather lose a fraction of a pound each week and know that I'm losing wisely and burning fat and building muscle. The point is that I'm moving in the right direction, after much too much time spent going the wrong way with it.
@WBB55 Thank you for that link!! I'm totally going to keep that one in my bookmarks list and play around with it from time to time as I continue to succeed!! I'm not at all discouraged! I know I'm still on the very first steps of what will be a long journey to lose, and ultimately a lifelong journey to continue to maintain those good eating and exercise habits!
@strangesoul79 That's a good way to look at it! If you don't meet the goal in the time you're aiming for, there's nothing to say you won't hit it the following week, or the week after. I would use that not to get discouraged but rather to fuel my progress. Maybe I'll be a couple pounds short of my goal for 10/31. "Ohh so close, but I'll get it next week!!" I think the most important thing is to maintain positivity (except in the direction of those pounds of course!) and keeping on with it. Thanks!
@nordlead2005 I did not know that about the 1%. I'm also going to keep that in mind for future goal-setting as I continue to lose weight.
@dredremeg I have struggled with sodium for a long time. It seems hard to find good food that is convenient and also low in sodium, but I'm going to make it a point to keep a closer eye on it moving forward!
Thank you to everyone else for the suggestions and ideas!0 -
You sound like you have a level headed approach. You don't have to look far on MFP to find lots of people getting hung up on the pounds/date connection. Based on weight loss my first 3 months (25) I wanted to lose 50 lbs every 6 months and reach my goal weight by dec 2015. I made the first 6 months about 10 days late. Second 6 months I was about 2 1/2 months late to goal. So I know I won't make goal by Dec. I'm fine with that because I'm still losing pounds every month, losing inches even faster, and gaining in strength and stamina on a weekly basis. So what if the weight loss prcoces takes longer than I want? The only thing that changes is a few more months before I can start adding in a few extra cals for maintenance. And a little longer on new clothes. But I'm always getting new clothes anyway (thank you Goodwill) so it just means the ones I get now will last a bit longer. Good luck!
SW 301
CW 196
GW 150
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I think you're doing OK. I am 5'8" and started at 285. I set MFP for -2 lbs per week, ate them all, exercised at some of the calories back, and generally just started making better choices. My average loss was 3.9 lbs per week, 10 weeks in I was 39.5 down. It seemed fast, but I knew I was eating good and getting exercise, and I just could not justify eating more than MFP told me too, or exercising less; what sense would that make? I am currently down 54.5 lbs and within 10 lbs or my original goal and involved in goal setting for my next phase.
I like the SMART goals. I set some for myself in June with milestones throughout summer and into fall/winter. I set realistic goals, allowing for the slowdown or plateau which has not really came. I am currently almost 2 months ahead of my goals, or about 15 lbs depending on how you look at it. Again, I've been making good choices, and getting exercise and I can't see changing either of those when this is working.0 -
I'd say that keeping on track and hitting your calorie goal for 10 weeks is an awesome goal! If you have the app, look at your weekly average for calories and hit them every week. That gives you a bit more flexibility to be over one day and then lower the next day which is not a problem (unless you have issues with binging then over restricting).
Keep the weight loss by then as a secondary goal, and I'd reduce that a bit to 3lbs a week. If you hit it earlier, than awesome! But you are more likely to have a happy affirmation, instead of a negative "well it was good, but not THAT good". The trick to this journey is to keep everything positive.
When I was losing weight, I looked for things that I enjoyed doing. I was blessed because my body enabled me to do martial arts or do a mud run or go for a hike. Those activities had the added benefit of allowing me to fit pizza and wine into my weekly goals. WIN leads to WIN leads to WIN. Too many people do the opposite. I ate this BAD food and now I have to punish myself on the treadmill = negative spiral. Keep it positive
I'd also suggest non-scale goals in addition to the weight loss ones.
*Take pictures and measurements regularly (especially if your water weight fluctuates)
*Have a goal size, or even better a goal outfit
increase how long you can walk/run/dance/elliptical/swim/hula hoop/whatever
*Figure out things that you've always wanted to do but couldn't and put that as a goal - can't fit on that roller coaster? Do it next year! Touch your toes, ride a bike, go kayaking, walk a fun/mud/color/cosutme 5k, run a 5k, do a hike, go to the club and get down... Whatever floats your boat. Life goals, IMO, are more motivating than the scale.
On a side note, unless you have blood pressure problems that respond to sodium, there is no need to restrict. Most people do not. It's only about 10% of high blood pressure patients that respond to low sodium diets. I eat a massive amount and my blood pressure is edging on too low. Also watch it if your water weight/bloating is affected. Mine isn't, but some people can see a 5-10lb jump the day after a super salty meal. So if that happened on a Sunday, it might throw off your Monday weigh in.
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I would also caution you to consider setting SMART goals for behaviors that you can fully control, rather than your weight loss. Make sure to choose behaviors that will enhance your efforts to achieve better health. For example, goals such as "I will prepare a healthy lunch to take to work instead of eating out 4 days this week" or "I will complete 3 exercise sessions of at least 20 minutes this week" or "I will drink 0 calorie beverages instead of soda every day this week" are completely under your control to attain. And achieving them will help you to be successful at moving toward a healthy lifestyle.
I understand the temptation to set time bound weight loss goals, but I think they are generally a mistake. For me, they would fail as a SMART goal because I do not believe they are always attainable - sometimes there are factors beyond your control that influence the number that shows up on the scale, even if you are doing everything according to your plan. You simply are not in complete control of how your body loses weight - in particular, fluctuations in water weight can mask fat loss. In my opinion, it can also put pressure on some people to do whatever it takes, even if it means reducing calories to an unhealthy level, taking appetite suppressants, or engaging in excessive exercise in order to achieve their weight loss goal.
In my opinion, it also directs your mental focus to your scale weight as the measure of your success. To me, that is a dieting mentality that is unhelpful in achieving long term success. I want my mental focus to be on establishing new health-promoting behaviors. If I do that, I know that the weight loss will happen, even if it doesn't necessarily appear on the scale on the schedule I would predict based on the math.
YMMV. I wish you success at attaining your goals.0 -
I haven't read every response in full but it sounds sensible, as does your attitude. I'm about 15lbs from losing half of my body weight, I started at 329 lbs. I didn't so much set time based goals (because overall that worked out very frustrating) but I did set mini goals along the way - I focused on 5kg at a time (I'm from New Zealand and we work in kgs).
When I started out I lost at a very quick rate and it gradually slowed down and I averaged 1kg/week, or just over 2 lbs/week. I know the most I ever lost in a week was just under 4kg - 8 lbs or so. As I got even closer to goal it really did slow down, and I decided to maintain for a while. I'm just coming off a year of maintenance to lose that last little bit. The really important thing is to just keep going and all the weight lost adds up!0 -
I'll walk back a little on my previous post. I do agree with liliwolf, better to set attainable goals and exceed them. That feeling is awesome when you do it. When I was setting my goals, the weight goals were based on ~2-2.5 lb per week; my reality was more than that. I also have to agree with more than just scale goals.
Do I think you can do 40 in 10 weeks, probably.0 -
Definitely achievable. I'm up to 38lb in about 9 weeks. I'm 6'2" and started at 336lbs. As long as you stick to it, it seems to just fall off. Even when keeping to the MFC calories I always seem to lose a minimum of 2lb a week. Sometimes as much as 4/5lb. Keep it up!0
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Thank you for all the feedback!! I agree that the scale is probably not the best metric and setting time-oriented goals based on that sort of shoots myself in the foot for achievable goals. I will carry it on as sort of a guideline, knowing full well that weight loss is not linear and based on the replies I'm sure that as I continue to lose weight it will begin to taper. That is to say - just because I may be able to lose the first 40 lbs. over 10 weeks, the next 40 lbs. will very likely take longer. And I'm okay with that!!
@lilawolf I've got two "goal shirts" in the closet - one from a long time ago that didn't quite fit and one from just a few months back because I knew I was having my physical soon and anticipated losing some weight soon thereafter (though in hindsight I wish I hadn't waited). Someday I know I'll post a picture of myself wearing those goal shirts and them fitting comfortably.
Thanks everyone for the encouragement, support, and suggestions!!
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