How does weight loss even work? why is it everyone has it different?

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viren19890
viren19890 Posts: 778 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello again,

So far since Jan 5- me and couple of other friends were cutting for summer.

All on 1k deficit approx and some of them lost close to 25-30lbs and I'm down on 14lbs. Speaking in terms of weight not sure about who lost most inches but how come it works differently ?

They were even lighter than I was -I was 230 and they were 200-220. Down to 178 -185 and I'm at 216.4 lol

Not sad because I can fit in my 5 year old clothes lol but the elusive abs will only come after massive loss right?

So what gives? or the theory isn't all right about Calories being King?

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    You all have different stats. Height, weight, age etc. Probably different activity levels as well. All of those things affect it. Maybe some of them are much more accurate with their intake too. There's a whole host of factors.

    Moral of the story: Don't compare yourself to others.
  • srecupid
    srecupid Posts: 660 Member
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    Activity level and are they eating it back? Maybe they just have faster metabolism? Maybe they logged a little more accurately?
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Each body is different. We are not machines produced at a factory that are calibrated to exactly the same settings.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited February 2016
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    viren19890 wrote: »
    Hello again,

    So far since Jan 5- me and couple of other friends were cutting for summer.

    All on 1k deficit approx and some of them lost close to 25-30lbs and I'm down on 14lbs. Speaking in terms of weight not sure about who lost most inches but how come it works differently ?

    They were even lighter than I was -I was 230 and they were 200-220. Down to 178 -185 and I'm at 216.4 lol

    Not sad because I can fit in my 5 year old clothes lol but the elusive abs will only come after massive loss right?

    So what gives? or the theory isn't all right about Calories being King?

    Because your CICO isn't going to be their CICO. You have different stats...you have different activity levels...you have different levels of adherence, consistency, and accuracy, etc...faster/slower basal rates...the list is endless...

    CICO is just the basic formula...but there are a lot of variables that go into it.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
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    Comparing is the first step to failure. You must only consider your own effort and results, no one else's can be compared.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    They're probably eating less than you... I'd say they're probably starving themselves. Please don't feel bad. 14 pounds in 2 months is a decent rate, 25-30 pounds is not healthy AT ALL.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    To lose weight, you simply have to consume less calories than you burn. That is the simplest answer. However, HOW you do it vary from person to person. Everyone has different body types, different activity levels, different lives. Some people have medical conditions that hamper weight loss so they have to work harder at it. Others have medical conditions that prevent them from eating certain things. You can't compare your weight loss journey to someone elses. They will have different circumstances that don't apply to you, so their weight loss will be faster or slower than yours. It's perfectly ok to try things others have done, but they may not work for you.

    Best thing you can do is work out a method and eating plan that works FOR YOU. Then follow it and let the weight come off in a healthy manner.
  • viren19890
    viren19890 Posts: 778 Member
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    Ok thanks for all the input.

    I'm not getting sad just wanted to make sure if I'm doing enough. Also with the calorie tracking I'm trying to be as accurate as possible -sometimes when I forget to write what I put in the dish- I just don't even eat it lol-I eat something else -been a nuisance lol
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You will end up with a better physique because you're not decimating your LBM

    It's down to personal stats, activity levels and purposeful exercise

    And I agree that comparison with others is unhelpful
  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
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    Are you weighing in together so you know for a fact that they have lost 25 or 30 pounds in 7 weeks? Self-reporting between friends who know that the others are also losing weight might be, shall we say, not quite accurate.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    viren19890 wrote: »
    Ok thanks for all the input.

    I'm not getting sad just wanted to make sure if I'm doing enough. Also with the calorie tracking I'm trying to be as accurate as possible -sometimes when I forget to write what I put in the dish- I just don't even eat it lol-I eat something else -been a nuisance lol

    I know it's frustrating! But look at it this way: by learning proper portions of foods, you're developing a skill that will help you keep the weight off once you hit your goal range. ^_^
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
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    viren19890 wrote: »
    So far since Jan 5- me and couple of other friends were cutting for summer.

    All on 1k deficit approx and some of them lost close to 25-30lbs and I'm down on 14lbs.

    I wonder if your buddies are lying/exaggerating. I wonder if they are both actually losing a lot less than they wanted to so are overcompensating "oh I think I've lost about 25 lbs by now!" even though they haven't. Just sayin'.
  • viren19890
    viren19890 Posts: 778 Member
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    Thanks everyone for posting their thoughts. Also they are my friends so they aren't telling lies lol
    I also see pictures of them posted in Instagram lol
    They could very well be losing size for example bicep from 16 inches to 15.5 inches but looks bigger lol

    April is our end date so we will find out what's what.

    I just don't want to see that I the end result was different because I didn't put in enough effort. That's the worse kind of flop.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Because there are so many other variables. Hormones, stress, rest, genetics, how you train, how you recover, reactions to minerals, etc. aren't SET factors.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • MamaMc3
    MamaMc3 Posts: 213 Member
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    I started on January 5th, and was down 23 lbs as of last Monday. My friend who is also trying to lose and started the same time is down around 10 - 15. I think the big difference is body composition and activity. Although I am overweight, I have a lot of muscle from years of sports. Also, I work out 5 times a week.

    The estimated calorie burn on mfp is just a best guess based on the stats you put in. This means some people will be above it and some below. Your loss is at a healthy rate and you are trending down, so that's great! Try not to compare yourself to your friends. Everyone is different, and it doesn't mean any of you are doing it "wrong."
  • briscogun
    briscogun Posts: 1,135 Member
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    I'd say you are probably in a better position to be healthier and look better than they are at this point. If they are dropping 25-30 lbs in 7+ weeks that is a lot. That's 3-4 lbs a week. Not very healthy. And to do that they are probably losing lean body mass (LBM), so they are losing fat and muscle. This is where the term "skinny-fat" comes in. By losing at a slow but steady pace; eating at a deficit, working out to keep and/or increase muscle mass, etc., you will be able to get those abs you want by summer without looking like a British waif-like model. Your friends will be skinny but will have lost muscle and tone and need to then bulk up and try to cut again (or recomp).

    Just keep on keeping on! There's no right way to get to your goal, but there are a lot of bad ways...

  • viren19890
    viren19890 Posts: 778 Member
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    Yeah thanks all.

    Last week I was kinda pissed to have no lost any weight at all-two week I stayed at 217 lbs and this week I lost 2.4 lbs.

    That's why I just keep going and try to think of the end goal more so than the number on the scale lo.

    Thanks again
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I used to drop weight easy 20 years ago now it's slow thing is us off & not in and this should be long term I know how you feel you 100% to plan and it feels unfair
    Keep at it you know the truth the only person you'd chest is yourself so no point
    Well done
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    Your friends started lighter than you, therefore they had a greater deficit eating at a 1000 cal deficit.
    If you wanted it to be an equal deficit you should have done it by the percentage of daily calorie needs deficit method.

    The lighter one is the less calories one needs. You started at a disadvantage.

    Cheers, h.

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