Losing weight too fast?--an unexpected topic.
jcverhalen
Posts: 11 Member
I've lost roughly 24lb in my first 32 days. Believe me, I'm ecstatic...I've just read one too many things that says this isn't safe so here I am. To begin with, I lost 8 pounds in the first week of water weight so I guess it's more like 16 in 24 days. I'm presently 5'10 and 205.
I don't feel tired or lethargic, I'm eating right around 1500 calories a day, doing some light strength work and 30-60min of very brisk walking per day. I don't feel like I'm being particularly aggressive with it but am getting aggressive results.
I drink nothing but water or black coffee and my diet every day is made up of a protein shake, 2 bananas, a tuna sandwich (minimal mayo), a protein bar and a rotating dinner (either wheat spaghetti with turkey, brown rice with veggies or eggs with chicken and tomato/carrots) spaced over 4-6 meals. My "cheat days" have included a couple hard ciders but that's it.
I guess I just want reassurance that I'm not causing damage or going to go through hell when I try to transition to maintaining.
I don't feel tired or lethargic, I'm eating right around 1500 calories a day, doing some light strength work and 30-60min of very brisk walking per day. I don't feel like I'm being particularly aggressive with it but am getting aggressive results.
I drink nothing but water or black coffee and my diet every day is made up of a protein shake, 2 bananas, a tuna sandwich (minimal mayo), a protein bar and a rotating dinner (either wheat spaghetti with turkey, brown rice with veggies or eggs with chicken and tomato/carrots) spaced over 4-6 meals. My "cheat days" have included a couple hard ciders but that's it.
I guess I just want reassurance that I'm not causing damage or going to go through hell when I try to transition to maintaining.
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How old are you? Doesn't sound bad to me, but you will no doubt hear from some more knowledgeable people here quite quickly. The last two time I did this, I started at 215 and 218, (in 2013 and 2015) and lost 10 and 11 pounds in the first week. Oddly, (reviewing my data from back then) my second week was flat, then they started coming off again. I lost 16 and 18 pounds in the first 4 weeks. Then it started tapering off, and those pounds to get down to 190 and ultimately 185 took a lot longer.
So, all I am saying is I found a similar weight loss in mine, and I am 5'10" also. You started at a higher weight, and I would guess I might have lost maybe that much if I started a little higher.
My prediction is you will start grinding pretty soon and be really working to lose the pounds the more you burn off.
And FANTASTIC JOB!!! What is your target to get to? And how many pounds a week do you have plugged in to lose for your calories burned and taken in? I went with a pound a week this time, with the hope of not getting down on myself when it gets to grind time again. I am on day 6 now.
Well Done!0 -
Your calorie level is pretty low - if it was me, I would be eating more at your weight and height, and getting more variety in. But if you are feeling ok and don't have health problems going in, and you are getting enough protein and taking a multi vitamin for insurance, you'll probably be ok while dropping weight. With maintenance, you will need to find something sustainable ... might be useful to start thinking about that now, and "practicing"
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I'm 27. Looking at it just now I see the exact same 2nd week flatline and then it starts falling again. I have it set to lose 2/week though I try to end with a calorie surplus as long as I feel satiated. I don't have a specific goal, probably in the neighborhood of 185 but I'm doing it more on how I look, feel, and how long I want to spend being this disciplined.
In another month the plan is to relax the restrictions and worry a little less about every single calorie while still maintaining a nice steady loss.0 -
Your calorie level is pretty low - if it was me, I would be eating more at your weight and height, and getting more variety in. But if you are feeling ok and don't have health problems going in, and you are getting enough protein and taking a multi vitamin for insurance, you'll probably be ok while dropping weight. With maintenance, you will need to find something sustainable ... might be useful to start thinking about that now, and "practicing"
What specifically do you mean by sustainable?
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That is interesting that your second week was flatline too. It would be cool if there was a "common pattern" (if there could be such an animal) table to reference, but too many variables I guess to see if others follow a similar pattern.
In tracking my manual graph (with actual graph paper in a 3 ring binder) my 2013 and 2015 see to follow a similar weekly pattern. But I would guess everyone is different, but I am curious as to how my 2016 graph will follow and correlate to the other 2 years if it does.0 -
My target last year was 185 (even thought technically that is still "overweight" which for me seems ridiculous - and I can't imagine weighing in the 160's), and when I got to 185 in 12 weeks, "for me" it was just too low. I felt weak, tired and sluggish. It was not like I got there quickly and it would just be a matter of time to get used to that weight, it took a while to get from 190 to 185. I felt a LOT better and healthier between 190-195, but that's just me.0
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I'm kinda just making this up as I go. I've determined I can consistently and comfortably lose weight so I'm going to do it till I like how I look and feel and call it good.3
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jcverhalen wrote: »Your calorie level is pretty low - if it was me, I would be eating more at your weight and height, and getting more variety in. But if you are feeling ok and don't have health problems going in, and you are getting enough protein and taking a multi vitamin for insurance, you'll probably be ok while dropping weight. With maintenance, you will need to find something sustainable ... might be useful to start thinking about that now, and "practicing"
What specifically do you mean by sustainable?
I mean a way of getting nutrition into you that you can live with for the next 50 or 60 years
Getting into a diet rut can help with the "diet" for sure, but I can't see a person living on water and black coffee and tuna sandwiches and protein bars. 2 -
There are a few possible issues when you lose weight really fast:
- When you eat the bare minimum of calories, it is very difficult to get all the micro and macro nutrients you need, and 1500 cals is the bare minimum for a male.
- Your body can only burn so much fat at a time, so when you lose weight that fast, you are much more likely to be using muscle mass for fuel, especially since it would be difficult for you to be getting enough protein in such low calories to spare muscle and reap any benefits from the strength training you are doing.
- Losing weight very quickly increases the probability of having lose/excess skin issues.
I'm no expert, so I don't know how much damage could be done or how long it would take to happen, but as you are not overweight enough that losing the weight fast is medically necessary, I guess my opinion is... why risk it? And I bet if you ate a bit more and amped up your strength training, you will be happier with how you look when you reach your goal weight. Good luck!1 -
You'd be amazed at how much protein you can cram into 1400 calories! That said, I hadn't considered the loose skin issue.0
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jcverhalen wrote: »Your calorie level is pretty low - if it was me, I would be eating more at your weight and height, and getting more variety in. But if you are feeling ok and don't have health problems going in, and you are getting enough protein and taking a multi vitamin for insurance, you'll probably be ok while dropping weight. With maintenance, you will need to find something sustainable ... might be useful to start thinking about that now, and "practicing"
What specifically do you mean by sustainable?
I mean a way of getting nutrition into you that you can live with for the next 50 or 60 years Getting into a diet rut can help with the "diet" for sure, but I can't see a person living on water and black coffee and tuna sandwiches and protein bars.
Oh certainly not! Hence the rotating dinner thing. It's going to be a portion control thing more than anything when the time comes.0 -
If you feel like you're getting aggressive results, then I'd increase your calories. Personally I love food and if I can eat more food and still lose weight, I'm all for it. I'm 5'6" 171 lbs and I eat roughly 1700 calories a day, sometimes up to 1800. Even on that with MFP set to 1.5lbs/week, I can still lose more than that due to my activity level. I'm still trying to find the "sweet spot".0
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Those of us who struggle with weight need to come to grips with the fact that we will always need to practice discipline and calorie restriction. Those who don't end up In a life of yo yo dieting.3
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jcverhalen wrote: »You'd be amazed at how much protein you can cram into 1400 calories! That said, I hadn't considered the loose skin issue.
Even if all 1400 calories are from protein, it won't result in a "muscle-sparing" situation if your deficit is too large. After using all the calories you're consuming, and maxing out on the energy it can recover from fat (roughly 30 cal/lb of body fat/day), your body is going to have to find the rest of the energy it needs somewhere else, and that means muscle (eventually it means organs as well, but I doubt you're at that point yet).
Even after your initial weight loss, it sounds like you're still losing about 5 lbs a week. If that represents fat loss, you would need to have about 80 pounds* of body fat, or 40% BF, at your current weight, which seems high to me for someone who is 5'10 and 205 pounds. So, unless you have 40% BF or more, and you're getting enough protein, and you're doing resistance/strength training, and you're getting enough fat and micronutrients, then 5 lbs a week is probably too aggressive.
*5 lbs a week = 17,500 calories a week, or 2500 calories a day.
2500/30 [because a pound of fat can provide roughly 30 calories a day] = 83.3 pounds
83.3/205 [current weight of OP] = 40.7% BF3 -
My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.1
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I tend to lose quick in my first few weeks too. My theory is that my body doesn't want to weigh that much, so when I start managing my portions back down to where they should be, my body just starts melting the fat off. It's a crazy theory, I know, but I've seen the rapid weight loss too.0
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jcverhalen wrote: »My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.
yes, you are, or you wouldn't be losing that fast. the numbers at MFP or anywhere are generalizations - anyone who's more active than average for the level they choose or has more than average muscle will need more calories. anyone who puts more intensity into their cardio workouts can burn more than the average burn.
you can't lose 4 to 5 pounds per week without losing muscle. maybe try adding a couple hundred calories to your day and slowing things down.0 -
As has already been said, rapid weight loss equals muscle loss, muscle loss equals reduced capacity to burn calories. Also if you are exercising are you eating back calories burned? If not, in real terms you are consuming a lot less calories than you think.0
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itsbasschick wrote: »jcverhalen wrote: »My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.
yes, you are, or you wouldn't be losing that fast. the numbers at MFP or anywhere are generalizations - anyone who's more active than average for the level they choose or has more than average muscle will need more calories. anyone who puts more intensity into their cardio workouts can burn more than the average burn.
you can't lose 4 to 5 pounds per week without losing muscle. maybe try adding a couple hundred calories to your day and slowing things down.
Ok, more accurately I should say I'm not INTENTIONALLY creating that much of a deficit. At the end of the day, MFP usually shows me with roughly 200-300 calories remaining to my goal (with exercise factored in). 90% of what I'm eating has calorie content right on the label so I find it hard to believe I'm underestimating my intake that drastically. I don't work particularly hard during the cardio (4-5mph walk for 20 min at a time isn't real demanding)...hence my confusion.0 -
jcverhalen wrote: »My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.
I lost faster at any given (deficit) calorie level than the calculators said I should (including MFP's estimates).
The calculators are just estimates, based on averages of lots of people. Individuals' results cluster around the average, but some are a little further from average than others. Evidently, you and I are a little further from average in the lucky direction.
If you're losing at 2 pounds a week, assume you have a 1000 calorie a day deficit, and behave accordingly, unless and until your results change. Experience trumps calculators. If you're losing too fast, add some calories to better preserve health, energy and strength.
When I first joined MFP, I treated its estimates as correct. It thought my eventual net maintenance calories would be around 1400-1500. (I'm 5'5", 60 y/o, female, sedentary outside of explicitly-logged exercise that I eat back).
So I ate at 1200, and lost at least a couple of pounds a week, though I "should have" been losing less, even at my fat weight. I could do 1200, wasn't too hungry, got decent protein and other nutrition, felt good . . . until I didn't. I got fatigued, among other things.
With that wake-up call, I increased calories. Things improved. It now looks like my actual maintenance will be more like 2000 net (plus or minus 100), if not a little higher.
I'd suggest that you might want to consider eating more, so you can avoid the "feeling good . . . until you don't" step. Just my opinion, though.3 -
jcverhalen wrote: »My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.
I lost faster at any given (deficit) calorie level than the calculators said I should (including MFP's estimates).
The calculators are just estimates, based on averages of lots of people. Individuals' results cluster around the average, but some are a little further from average than others. Evidently, you and I are a little further from average in the lucky direction.
If you're losing at 2 pounds a week, assume you have a 1000 calorie a day deficit, and behave accordingly, unless and until your results change. Experience trumps calculators. If you're losing too fast, add some calories to better preserve health, energy and strength.
When I first joined MFP, I treated its estimates as correct. It thought my eventual net maintenance calories would be around 1400-1500. (I'm 5'5", 60 y/o, female, sedentary outside of explicitly-logged exercise that I eat back).
So I ate at 1200, and lost at least a couple of pounds a week, though I "should have" been losing less, even at my fat weight. I could do 1200, wasn't too hungry, got decent protein and other nutrition, felt good . . . until I didn't. I got fatigued, among other things.
With that wake-up call, I increased calories. Things improved. It now looks like my actual maintenance will be more like 2000 net (plus or minus 100), if not a little higher.
I'd suggest that you might want to consider eating more, so you can avoid the "feeling good . . . until you don't" step. Just my opinion, though.
...and an opinion I appreciate. I've read so much about weight loss from just about every source I could find and the analytical corner of my brain went into overdrive and crunched everything to exact science. Now the results don't match the match and it's making me crazy. I think you're right...I need to accept averages are just that and tweak my system based on the results I see as well as doing it by feel rather than rote.0 -
jcverhalen wrote: »jcverhalen wrote: »My body fat was up in that realm when I started this but now, not as much. Looking back on my food diary I'm eating between 1400-1600 every day. I guess I don't understand WHY I'm losing that quickly. I'm trying to maintain between 2-3lb, closer to 2 nowadays. I'm not creating nearly enough of a deficit to be losing at that rate.
I lost faster at any given (deficit) calorie level than the calculators said I should (including MFP's estimates).
The calculators are just estimates, based on averages of lots of people. Individuals' results cluster around the average, but some are a little further from average than others. Evidently, you and I are a little further from average in the lucky direction.
If you're losing at 2 pounds a week, assume you have a 1000 calorie a day deficit, and behave accordingly, unless and until your results change. Experience trumps calculators. If you're losing too fast, add some calories to better preserve health, energy and strength.
When I first joined MFP, I treated its estimates as correct. It thought my eventual net maintenance calories would be around 1400-1500. (I'm 5'5", 60 y/o, female, sedentary outside of explicitly-logged exercise that I eat back).
So I ate at 1200, and lost at least a couple of pounds a week, though I "should have" been losing less, even at my fat weight. I could do 1200, wasn't too hungry, got decent protein and other nutrition, felt good . . . until I didn't. I got fatigued, among other things.
With that wake-up call, I increased calories. Things improved. It now looks like my actual maintenance will be more like 2000 net (plus or minus 100), if not a little higher.
I'd suggest that you might want to consider eating more, so you can avoid the "feeling good . . . until you don't" step. Just my opinion, though.
...and an opinion I appreciate. I've read so much about weight loss from just about every source I could find and the analytical corner of my brain went into overdrive and crunched everything to exact science. Now the results don't match the match and it's making me crazy. I think you're right...I need to accept averages are just that and tweak my system based on the results I see as well as doing it by feel rather than rote.
I look at it this way: The calculators only giving estimates makes the weight loss process even more fun as a sort of home science-fair-type project! (I'm a little on the hyper-analytic side myself. While losing, I got to the point where I could pretty much predict the magnitude and timing of my loss/gain after going under/over calorie target, including estimating when the water weight from an over-goal or high sodium day would melt away. Fun stuff for the inner geek!)0 -
it's easy eat more food...you eat less than I do and I am a 43 year old woman.
you are losing too fast and will regret it.1
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