Slowing Down Weightloss

So I've been losing an average of 6lbs a week (despite my 2lbs goal) and I'm nearing the point where I want to slow down my weight loss so I can transition more easily into maintaining the weight I've lost. Approximately how many calories should I add so that I continue to lose, but at a slower rate? Can I add as many as I like (assuming I keep within range of a deficit) or will my body not react well if I increase it too much?

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Just...Set MFP to lose 1 or .5 lbs per week. The rest is up to you. You can reverse diet, adding 100 to your daily goal each week or just go for it.
  • joshuakcaron
    joshuakcaron Posts: 343 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just...Set MFP to lose 1 or .5 lbs per week. The rest is up to you. You can reverse diet, adding 100 to your daily goal each week or just go for it.

    So my body won't freak out if I add an extra 800 calories?
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just...Set MFP to lose 1 or .5 lbs per week. The rest is up to you. You can reverse diet, adding 100 to your daily goal each week or just go for it.

    So my body won't freak out if I add an extra 800 calories?

    Sounds like your body is already freaking out if your losing 6 while trying to lose 2.

    Maybe go up by 400 for a week or two then go up 200 then 100 till your where you want to be.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just...Set MFP to lose 1 or .5 lbs per week. The rest is up to you. You can reverse diet, adding 100 to your daily goal each week or just go for it.

    So my body won't freak out if I add an extra 800 calories?

    It's common sense. If you're under maintenance, you won't gain fat. Water weight? Sure. From your past posts I suggest you just eat.
  • Derf_Smeggle
    Derf_Smeggle Posts: 610 Member
    I think we need some more context here. How many weeks have you been losing 6#?

    What was your starting weight?

    How tall and how old are you?

    How much of a calorie deficit have you been sustaining each week?
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Just...Set MFP to lose 1 or .5 lbs per week. The rest is up to you. You can reverse diet, adding 100 to your daily goal each week or just go for it.

    So my body won't freak out if I add an extra 800 calories?

    It's common sense. If you're under maintenance, you won't gain fat. Water weight? Sure. From your past posts I suggest you just eat.

    I was having this thought too.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    2000
  • joshuakcaron
    joshuakcaron Posts: 343 Member
    I don't
    I think we need some more context here. How many weeks have you been losing 6#?

    What was your starting weight?

    How tall and how old are you?

    How much of a calorie deficit have you been sustaining each week?

    I don't think you need more context. If I eat more will my body freak out. Yes or no. Simple.

  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited November 2015
    For me i am upping with about 100 calories at the time for some weeks. So atm i upped to about 1600 calories and do this for some weeks ( plus a part of exercise of course which is not included in the 1600)
    I am doing this now for the last 90 days.

    Now your weight loss is all over the place so it will be harder to find the right numbers. But i would up a lot! and yes you will have a lot of fluctuations / water weight to start off with...but that is the down part of losing so much weight and having a huge deficit which you chose for when you started. That will balance out and calm down too.

    So slowing down is a matter of data...lots of data...accuracy etc. And the more you have like months and a year for example the better you can calculate. When you dont have that it stays a bigger guess.
    Because even with lots of data it are still estimates

    I thought my weight loss would come to a stand still at 1600 plus burned calories But i lost almost 2 pounds in a week and a half. Before that 3 weeks nothing. So it is hard to tell. It takes time and patience and the slower you have it the easier and more accurate it will be.

    But like said before in your case it will be hard so just add a bunch keep there for at least 3 weeks and add again.

    I would say when you are losing 6 pounds a week and you eat at least 1500 calories a day you can add thousands ( 1 pound losing a week is 3500 calories so you lose 6 times as much as that. so yes thousands and thousands.)
    And before you say that is too much...that are your numbers! You said you eat enough ( so the 1500) and you still lose that much so calculate slowing down to 3 pounds a week means you can add 3 times 3500 calories a week.

    Much yes...but with the data you gave us that are the numbers.

    It seems very off to me, and far to much. But like said before you gave those numbers and you have to work with them now when you want to maintain or slow down.

    Do the math!

    95069916.png
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I don't
    I think we need some more context here. How many weeks have you been losing 6#?

    What was your starting weight?

    How tall and how old are you?

    How much of a calorie deficit have you been sustaining each week?

    I don't think you need more context. If I eat more will my body freak out. Yes or no. Simple.

    What, exactly, do you mean by "freak out"? What do you think will happen?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    I don't
    I think we need some more context here. How many weeks have you been losing 6#?

    What was your starting weight?

    How tall and how old are you?

    How much of a calorie deficit have you been sustaining each week?

    I don't think you need more context. If I eat more will my body freak out. Yes or no. Simple.

    Seems reasonable to ask for more details. You claim your losing 6lb but with a 2lb per week goal.

    How can anyone tell you if your body will freak out based on that information.

    Like I said if your eating at a 1000 calorie deficit but some how losing 6lb (3000 cal deficit right), science and normal went out the window.

    But then again 6lb might be normal if this is your 1st or 2nd week of weight loss. Eg water weight

    Or 6lb might be reasonable if you had 200lb to lose and were on some vlcd.

    So those question they asked seem reasonable to me. In order to give you an answer that is at all realistic.
  • Derf_Smeggle
    Derf_Smeggle Posts: 610 Member
    I don't
    I think we need some more context here. How many weeks have you been losing 6#?

    What was your starting weight?

    How tall and how old are you?

    How much of a calorie deficit have you been sustaining each week?

    I don't think you need more context. If I eat more will my body freak out. Yes or no. Simple.
    Define "freak out". Define how much more of a calorie increase you have in mind. Define the starting parameters we are working within.

    There are too many actual variables to give any sort of reasonable answer to such a vague question. Unless you are simply looking for WAG's.

  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited November 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    OP has posted before, he has been significantly undereating, didn't care about the extreme weight loss in a short time frame figuring he would work on regaining muscle once he had reached goal.

    While his profile may have been set to lose 2lb per week, he ate much lower than that and was possibly over exercising.

    OP your body may 'freak out' for a week or two while your body adjusts to the additional calories, it is possible there may be no losses for a few weeks. Hopefully you will stick it out and not revert back to the massive undereating. You may want to slowly add the additional calories, add back half the first week to second week, and the other half the second or third week.

  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited November 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.

    yes he posted that before that he lost in 6 weeks an average of 6 pounds a week. Lost 36 pounds.
    not me guessing of making data up here
    His own threads.
    (one is removed i think)

    But what is your problem? with it? He wants to slow down...so he can now take his own data he gave us here and do the math...when it isnt right that is not up to us is my opinion.
    What we all think of his loss is a whole other subject
    If it is healthy too.

    I am giving him now the needed info based on his own data he gave here. That it is way off...well it are the numbers to work with.
    I can not change science or possible wrong data given by him.

    95069916.png

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.

    yes he posted that before that he lost in 6 weeks an average of 6 pounds a week. Lost 36 pounds.
    not me guessing of making data up here
    His own threads.
    (one is removed i think)

    But what is your problem? with it? He wants to slow down...so he can now take his own data he gave us here and do the math...when it isnt right that is not up to us is my opinion.
    What we all think of his loss is a whole other subject
    If it is healthy too.

    I am giving him now the needed info based on his own data he gave here. That it is way off...well it are the numbers to work with.
    I can not change science or possible wrong data given by him.

    95069916.png

    My problem? With it? Is that when somebody says they are losing an average of 6 pounds per week, it can mean that he lost 10 pounds one week and 2 pounds the second. Or it can mean he lost 10 pounds the first and 8 the second and 3 the third and 3 the fourth. Or it can mean 6 pounds each week for six weeks. Context matters, contrary to what the OP seems to think. If he doesn't provide that context it is normal to ask for it.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.

    yes he posted that before that he lost in 6 weeks an average of 6 pounds a week. Lost 36 pounds.
    not me guessing of making data up here
    His own threads.
    (one is removed i think)

    But what is your problem? with it? He wants to slow down...so he can now take his own data he gave us here and do the math...when it isnt right that is not up to us is my opinion.
    What we all think of his loss is a whole other subject
    If it is healthy too.

    I am giving him now the needed info based on his own data he gave here. That it is way off...well it are the numbers to work with.
    I can not change science or possible wrong data given by him.

    95069916.png

    My problem? With it? Is that when somebody says they are losing an average of 6 pounds per week, it can mean that he lost 10 pounds one week and 2 pounds the second. Or it can mean he lost 10 pounds the first and 8 the second and 3 the third and 3 the fourth. Or it can mean 6 pounds each week for six weeks. Context matters, contrary to what the OP seems to think. If he doesn't provide that context it is normal to ask for it.

    You still take the average over weeks So same thing

    But not going to argue over it. OP asked to slow it down and flipping his body out. When you under eat and you add a lot of calories yes you fluctuate..normal. But (his) body will jump from joy with all the nutrition's it finally get.

    When he loses so much weight over the time of 6 weeks he can calculate what his maintaining level (about/average) is and cut from there 500 calories for a normal 1lbs weight loss a week. When still losing to much he can cut back 250 calories a day etc etc. Up to him.

    95069916.png
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.

    yes he posted that before that he lost in 6 weeks an average of 6 pounds a week. Lost 36 pounds.
    not me guessing of making data up here
    His own threads.
    (one is removed i think)

    But what is your problem? with it? He wants to slow down...so he can now take his own data he gave us here and do the math...when it isnt right that is not up to us is my opinion.
    What we all think of his loss is a whole other subject
    If it is healthy too.

    I am giving him now the needed info based on his own data he gave here. That it is way off...well it are the numbers to work with.
    I can not change science or possible wrong data given by him.

    95069916.png

    My problem? With it? Is that when somebody says they are losing an average of 6 pounds per week, it can mean that he lost 10 pounds one week and 2 pounds the second. Or it can mean he lost 10 pounds the first and 8 the second and 3 the third and 3 the fourth. Or it can mean 6 pounds each week for six weeks. Context matters, contrary to what the OP seems to think. If he doesn't provide that context it is normal to ask for it.

    Yeah nothing wrong with asking for more details. Like you mentioned there are many ways you can average 6lb a week, could be fat, muscle or water weight depending on the missing details.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    edited November 2015
    We all asked before he wont open his diary and wont give more details

    Like i said i gave him the info by calculating the data he gave us. According to his own threads before it was all fat loss not muscle or water.
    That it is totally warped i have no doubt about that.

    But time to leave lol
    Try to stay out of the yes or no discussions

    Good luck OP happy to see that you up your daily calorie intake.

    95069916.png
  • joshuakcaron
    joshuakcaron Posts: 343 Member
    For me i am upping with about 100 calories at the time for some weeks. So atm i upped to about 1600 calories and do this for some weeks ( plus a part of exercise of course which is not included in the 1600)
    I am doing this now for the last 90 days.

    Now your weight loss is all over the place so it will be harder to find the right numbers. But i would up a lot! and yes you will have a lot of fluctuations / water weight to start off with...but that is the down part of losing so much weight and having a huge deficit which you chose for when you started. That will balance out and calm down too.

    So slowing down is a matter of data...lots of data...accuracy etc. And the more you have like months and a year for example the better you can calculate. When you dont have that it stays a bigger guess.
    Because even with lots of data it are still estimates

    I thought my weight loss would come to a stand still at 1600 plus burned calories But i lost almost 2 pounds in a week and a half. Before that 3 weeks nothing. So it is hard to tell. It takes time and patience and the slower you have it the easier and more accurate it will be.

    But like said before in your case it will be hard so just add a bunch keep there for at least 3 weeks and add again.

    I would say when you are losing 6 pounds a week and you eat at least 1500 calories a day you can add thousands ( 1 pound losing a week is 3500 calories so you lose 6 times as much as that. so yes thousands and thousands.)
    And before you say that is too much...that are your numbers! You said you eat enough ( so the 1500) and you still lose that much so calculate slowing down to 3 pounds a week means you can add 3 times 3500 calories a week.

    Much yes...but with the data you gave us that are the numbers.

    It seems very off to me, and far to much. But like said before you gave those numbers and you have to work with them now when you want to maintain or slow down.

    Do the math!

    95069916.png

    I wish I had a Fitbit but I'm on my feet lifting and moving for 9 hours a day and I'm at the gym 2-3 hours, 3/4 sometimes 5 times a week. I think my loss has to do with that more than what I'm eating (or I guess technically it's both)
  • joshuakcaron
    joshuakcaron Posts: 343 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    How long have you been losing weight? (How many weeks?)

    How many pounds have you lost for each of the past 4 weeks?

    He is losing 6 pounds a week for the last 4 weeks ( and more)

    So the average will be huge.

    But he can do the math.

    For each pound he lost and want to slow down he can add 3500 a week. :)
    So when he wants to slow it down he to two pounds lost a week he can add 4 times 3500 calories to his week.
    So 14000 calories a week is 2000 calories extra a day! to slow it down.

    His own numbers/data is telling him this.

    95069916.png

    Did he send you a private message indicating that he has lost 6 pounds per week? Because his OP said that he said that he is averaging about 6 pounds per week (for no stated number of weeks), not that he has actually lost 6 pounds per week for each of the past 4 weeks.

    yes he posted that before that he lost in 6 weeks an average of 6 pounds a week. Lost 36 pounds.
    not me guessing of making data up here
    His own threads.
    (one is removed i think)

    But what is your problem? with it? He wants to slow down...so he can now take his own data he gave us here and do the math...when it isnt right that is not up to us is my opinion.
    What we all think of his loss is a whole other subject
    If it is healthy too.

    I am giving him now the needed info based on his own data he gave here. That it is way off...well it are the numbers to work with.
    I can not change science or possible wrong data given by him.

    95069916.png

    My problem? With it? Is that when somebody says they are losing an average of 6 pounds per week, it can mean that he lost 10 pounds one week and 2 pounds the second. Or it can mean he lost 10 pounds the first and 8 the second and 3 the third and 3 the fourth. Or it can mean 6 pounds each week for six weeks. Context matters, contrary to what the OP seems to think. If he doesn't provide that context it is normal to ask for it.

    Correct, I'm averaging 6 a week, some weeks I've lost 3/4, a few I lost 8, another week I lost 1.