Am I losing weight too fast?

kimouette2 · February 2016

Hi guys,

Since I quit smoking I gained weight. Being Asian, I spent all my life being a skinny person. I am still not very overweight, but I sure would like to go back to where I was 2 years ago!
So I started this new journey where I workout 1 hour a day and calculate my calories using Myfitnesspal. The app calculated that I should eat 1290 calories a day.

I am 164cm tall and my starting weight was 129.4 pounds
That was 16 days ago.
I just weighted myself, I am now 123.2 pounds

My ideal weight is 112 pounds (I have a very small frame, the extra weight is all in my belly and thighs)
Having lost 6.2 pounds in 16 days, am I going too fast?
Or is it ok to lose and then increase food intake when I am at my ideal weight to just maintain it that way?
Or is going too fast going to affect the long term results?
Thanks for your help!
Kim

T0M_K · February 2016

I am no expert but I've gathered that as you start into a new weight loss journey its not uncommon to lose more in the early stages. I know that I did. 12lbs in the first month. it was probably some water weight despite me not really understanding why that is. The past couple weeks, its stalled to almost a stop so i suspect you like me are in a honeymoon period so to speak. I'd trust the APP for a month or two and see how things settle in before making much of a change. as long as you have been honest with the app on your body composition numbers..its as good a place as any to get rolling. Of course all this requires you log your food accurately. weigh everything you possibly can. Im a realist and i realize that all of use just don't carry a scale in our pockets but be as accurate as you can and when you can't weigh something especially something you eat on a regular basis, make arrangements somehow to get it accurately weighed at some point to make sure you are spot on with your recording.

I don't buy into the "long term results" type effect. This is a journey to find the calorie levels that your body needs...now its calories to lose weight, later it will be calories to maintain weight. Its a math game where you are in control. Your body won't let you down, you are in control so don't be fooled into thinking that "your body will dictate" results. its up to you. If you come off weight loss mode and eat to many calories you will gain it back. Its really that simple.

Best wishes!

KrisiAnnH · February 2016

At 129 lbs and 164cm you are in a healthy BMI range (21.5). If you get down to 112 (8 stone) your BMI will be 18.8, which is .3 away from unhealthy/underweight. I know you say you have a very small frame, but it is definitely worth considering that you would be very close to that line. I'd definitely recommend looking at body recomposition if you are unhappy with how you currently look (given that you are in the mid range of a healthy BMI already).

Anyway- back to your original question.

As you have just started out on your weight loss 16 days ago some water weight loss is to be expected. 6lbs in 16 days isn't unusual for beginners and it's unlikely that all of that is fat- however, as you have so little to lose and you're already in the health BMI range I'd definitely say to up your calories. 1290 calories is very low and a bit unnecessary, especially for your goals. Are you eating your exercise calories back? It's important that you do as MFP hasn't allowed for exercise calories in your 1290 daily goal.

At the weight you are currently and the goal you have set yourself, I'd definitely be aiming to lose .5lbs a week maximum. As you've just started out I wouldn't panic too much about the numbers being higher, but maybe add in a few hundred calories extra a day just to be sure. Remember, the winner is the person who gets to eat the most and still lose weight

kimouette2 · February 2016

Tom and Krisi thanks a lot for your (very different) opinion!

Tom : I really am calculating my calories as precisely as I can (using a scale for each ingredient). Since I never eat outside, it is not too complicated, I created my 18 favorite recipes in details and most of the time I am rotating between those 18.
If what you are saying is true

"I don't buy into the "long term results" type effect. This is a journey to find the calorie levels that your body needs...now its calories to lose weight, later it will be calories to maintain weight. Its a math game where you are in control. Your body won't let you down, you are in control so don't be fooled into thinking that "your body will dictate" results. its up to you. If you come off weight loss mode and eat to many calories you will gain it back. Its really that simple."

then I am at peace!

KrisiAnnH, I know the ideal numbers are close to the official underweight numbers, but this is how I spent my entire life while never working out and eating as much food as I wanted, but always very good whole food. I admit, my metabolism might have changed, I am not getting any younger (34) and that cigarette quitting transformed my body, so I might change my mind about the ideal numbers while in the process of losing weight. I will not let myself starve or anything, but those thighs and that belly have got to slim down!

I doubt the accuracy of that technic (body measurements and Bodystat device at a kinesiologist), but I did get a full body composition analysis. My body fat (about 20 days ago) was at 28.3% (normal range being between 21% and 27%) and water content was 51.5% (normal range being 50%-60%).

I dont necessarily want to get to 21% body fat, but that only proved what I was already seeing and feeling, I did get fatter!

That question about eating the exercise back is a good one! Sometimes I do, sometimes I dont, sometimes I eat an extra 50 to 200 calories!
I dont feel like I am on a diet because I eat what I want and I am naturally attracted by healthy food. The only part of this that feels like a diet, is giving up on chocolat. But that's it, I am not depriving myself from anything. I just workout 1 hour a day and eat healthy food and this is the rate at which I am losing right now.

Tom is right, I am probably just having a "honeymoon"... I guess we'll see

jessetfan · February 2016

Just so you know, you don't have to give up chocolate to lose weight. If you're not feeling deprived that's fine, but you can work it into your goals.

KrisiAnnH · February 2016

No worries at all, I'm glad I could help even if it was just to offer an alternative perspective

As Jessetfan said- no need to give up on chocolate! Especially if you're eating healthy and nutritious food the rest of the time

As long as you are happy with where you end up that is the main thing, especially as you wouldn't be into the unhealthy range. But one of the reasons I mentioned it's the lower end is that theoretically you should be losing at a slower pace. The general rule is that the closer you are to your goal weight or healthy bmi the slower you should lose- and once you're in the healthy range slower still.

If nothing else, I'd definitely eat back your exercise calories every time if I were you, even if only 50%. On a 1290 calorie goal, burning an extra 200 calories and not eating them back will put you below the healthy minimum recommendation. With so little to lose and already being at a healthy weight you may be doing more harm than good by eating so little. Just something to think about

Good luck with your goals!

elaineamj · February 2016

I use trendweight. I discounted the first week or so of sharp water weight loss. This week I finally feel like I can trust it with my current weight trend (there's 20 days of data AFTER the initial drop). According to trendweight, I have been losing 1.5lbs a week on avg. Their math says I am burning about 700+ calories per day on avg. I think that's too much since I really want to go slow and steady at this. No interest in starving myself and my DH was saying that I've been acting sluggish and mentally scattered lately. I've been feeling sleepier than normal most mornings.

For what it's worth, I am 5ft tall and on 1200 calories/day. MFP counts my exercise calories at 400-500/day and I have been eating back half of that. (averaging about 1300-1400 cals/day).

As of yesterday, I have bumped up my calories - I am eating back all my exercise calories instead of just half. I'll know in about 2 weeks or so whether this will work for me. I figure the best thing I can do is keep a close eye on trendweight and let the numbers tell me what is and isn't working for my body. (oh and monitor my body signals of course!)

Am I losing weight too fast?

Replies

Categories