Downsides of going too fast?

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violet_wister
violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! Today marks 7 weeks that I've been trying to lose weight, and in those first 7 weeks I've lost 28lbs. My starting weight was high (306lbs) and now I'm at 278.

I'm eating 1600-1700 calories a day and still eating high-calorie foods when I want to, within my daily allocation. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself, more that I've quite quickly managed to snap out of the really very excessive and detrimental eating habits I had developed over the past few years and found a happy medium of eating what I like sometimes, rather than all the time. I'm also doing more walking and cardio exercise.

It averages out at 4lbs loss a week, which I know very well is going to slow down, but my question, I guess, is what are the downsides of losing so fast? I know you're not meant to lose more than 1% of your body weight a week, but I seem to be doing much more than that, even 7 weeks in. Is adherence the main pitfall, or is there more to it than that?

IE, if I did adhere all the way to goal, and then maintained forever, would the rate at which I got there have little negative impact?

I guess while it's very motivating that the weight loss is happening, I want to be mindful of the long-term impact on my body. Should I eat more calories and try to put the brakes on my weight loss, or just keep on with 1600-1700 and moderate exercise?

Replies

  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
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    I'm not an expert on these things but from what I've seen, if you have a lot of weight to lose and you drastically change your eating habits, then its not uncommon to lose quickly for the first little while. You're right that it will probably slow down and I wouldn't cut the calories further at that point just to keep up the speed. As long as you are eating the basic required calories, then it shouldn't harm you long term. I think people on the forum will suggest that you do some weight lifting to ensure that you aren't losing muscle.
  • violet_wister
    violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
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    jelleigh wrote: »
    I think people on the forum will suggest that you do some weight lifting to ensure that you aren't losing muscle.

    Very happy to do some weight lifting!
  • ChrisRendon1128
    ChrisRendon1128 Posts: 103 Member
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    I agree on the weight lifting... I lost 70 lbs in 6 months and I am working hard to fill in any "looseness" with muscle so it won't be so obvious.. Congrats on your weight loss!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It's fine when you have a lot to lose, and yeah, it slows down eventually as you lose a lot of water weight at first. IMO you could probably stay at 1600-1700 calories and moderate exercise the whole time (it's what I did!).
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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    Has the loss been even over those 4 weeks, or more front loaded? Losing as 10 pounds from dropping out water weight as the body loses glucose isn't uncommon in a first week or two.
    Make sure you're getting adequate nutrition, including vitamins and minerals, as well as adquetate fat and protein and chances of something harmful from initial loses like that with such a starting weight are probably low.
  • violet_wister
    violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
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    senecarr wrote: »
    Has the loss been even over those 4 weeks, or more front loaded? Losing as 10 pounds from dropping out water weight as the body loses glucose isn't uncommon in a first week or two.

    Week 1 - 8lbs
    2 - 2lbs
    3- 6lbs
    4 - 1lb
    5 - [no weigh in, on vacation]
    6 - 5lbs
    7 - 6lbs

    So it's been a little all over the place but the big losses definitely haven't just been in the beginning! And thank you for your other advice - I'm eating a lot of protein at the moment (because it is delicious) but will be mindful of general vitamins and minerals too.
  • valente347
    valente347 Posts: 201 Member
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    You should probably talk to your doctor to make sure everything is ok with the rapid loss (my I'm-not-a-doctor disclaimer), but the heavier you are, the faster you tend to lose. It will slow down as you approach your goal. A 1600 calorie diet is usually not so restrictive that it could harm you. It's great to hear the losses have been motivating, and that's actually one reason why some researchers and health professionals promote more rapid weight loss.

    There are a few reasons people are concerned about rapid weight loss. 1) It may come from a very big deficit that it too difficult to maintain and leads to the person hurting themselves through too much exercise, too little food, or binging. Your 1600 calorie diet is not a threat in this sense, I think. 2) People suggest that losing more slowly helps protect the amount of muscle currently have. However resistance training while losing weight should help maintain some of your muscle mass. 3) People have suggested that slow loss reduces the chance of saggy skin. I haven't really seen much research that backs this up. 4) Some hormones are affected by the amount of fat you have and rapid loss may affect your mood among other things moreso than if you had lost weight more slowly. 5) Finally, this probably goes without saying, but if you have a medical condition (liver disease, poor kidney function, pregnancy, etc.), you should be more careful about the rate at which you lose weight.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:
    • Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
    • Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
    • Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
    • Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

    Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:
    • Headaches
    • Irritability
    • Fatigue
    • Dizziness
    • Constipation
    • Menstrual irregularities
    • Hair loss
    • Muscle loss

    Read more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/rapid-weight-loss?page=2
  • violet_wister
    violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
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    valente347 wrote: »
    You should probably talk to your doctor to make sure everything is ok with the rapid loss (my I'm-not-a-doctor disclaimer), but the heavier you are, the faster you tend to lose. It will slow down as you approach your goal. A 1600 calorie diet is usually not so restrictive that it could harm you. It's great to hear the losses have been motivating, and that's actually one reason why some researchers and health professionals promote more rapid weight loss.

    There are a few reasons people are concerned about rapid weight loss. 1) It may come from a very big deficit that it too difficult to maintain and leads to the person hurting themselves through too much exercise, too little food, or binging. Your 1600 calorie diet is not a threat in this sense, I think. 2) People suggest that losing more slowly helps protect the amount of muscle currently have. However resistance training while losing weight should help maintain some of your muscle mass. 3) People have suggested that slow loss reduces the chance of saggy skin. I haven't really seen much research that backs this up. 4) Some hormones are affected by the amount of fat you have and rapid loss may affect your mood among other things moreso than if you had lost weight more slowly. 5) Finally, this probably goes without saying, but if you have a medical condition (liver disease, poor kidney function, pregnancy, etc.), you should be more careful about the rate at which you lose weight.

    This is really helpful and useful, thank you for the reply!
  • violet_wister
    violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:
    • Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
    • Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
    • Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
    • Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

    Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:
    • Headaches
    • Irritability
    • Fatigue
    • Dizziness
    • Constipation
    • Menstrual irregularities
    • Hair loss
    • Muscle loss

    Read more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/rapid-weight-loss?page=2

    I'll keep an eye on them but nothing from the lower list is happening to me just yet. Fingers crossed it won't! I'm keeping very hydrated (around 2l a day on days when I'm not exercising and more when I am), only really worried about gallstones which I really do not want!
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
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    IMO you are doing just fine. The more fat you have to lose, the less the body is likely to burn lean mass.

    Do make sure and eat a good portion of protein everyday. You may benefit from supplementing magnesium and potassium if you diet is low in those too.

    If you actually start to feel bad (fatigue, skin and hair issues, menstrual cycle changes, etc.) then you may want to re-evaluate or check in with your doctor.

    With a balanced diet at your current calories though I think you should be good.
  • violet_wister
    violet_wister Posts: 34 Member
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    ilex70 wrote: »
    IMO you are doing just fine. The more fat you have to lose, the less the body is likely to burn lean mass.

    Do make sure and eat a good portion of protein everyday. You may benefit from supplementing magnesium and potassium if you diet is low in those too.

    If you actually start to feel bad (fatigue, skin and hair issues, menstrual cycle changes, etc.) then you may want to re-evaluate or check in with your doctor.

    With a balanced diet at your current calories though I think you should be good.

    Thanks, I'm really glad this is the general consensus as 1600-1700 calories is allowing me to eat 'normally' while addressing what allowed my weight to increase in the first place. Will look into magnesium and potassium!

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