Slow down

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ekim2016
ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
Today is day 50 and I am only down to 258 from 269. Am I being impatient? I feel my pants are loser, and I am logging and weighing food correctly at 1760 per day. In fact, I always have surplus calories of at least 50 per day. I drink 4 bottles of water daily.. plus 3 cups of black coffee.. getting discouraged.
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  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    You're losing an average of just over a pound per week. That's a good rate of loss. Fast loss isn't necessarily a good thing. Keep at it and you'll get there.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    You are being impatient.

    Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep going!
  • danibabii11
    danibabii11 Posts: 72 Member
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    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited July 2016
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    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The calorie goal that MFP gives you already includes your chosen deficit so you should try to hit the number that MFP provides.
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
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    that is what I am thinking usmcmp about lean mass. I read that go slow to lose fat, but was feeling like I am going to slow... so thank you all for the encouragement. I realize the weight creeped up like an insidious alien invasion from outer space... haha came on sneaky and slow.. so I have a slow battle to ahead...:)
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    You have no way of knowing that. You don't know the OP's height or body composition. While 1-2 pounds per week is often mentioned as a "safe" rate of loss, it isn't a good rate for everybody, regardless of protein intake or training.
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    You have no way of knowing that. You don't know the OP's height or body composition. While 1-2 pounds per week is often mentioned as a "safe" rate of loss, it isn't a good rate for everybody, regardless of protein intake or training.

    Height has very little to do with it. I don't go buy the 1-2 pound "rule". I go by the 1% or less of your body weight per week "rule" because I believe it is a healthier way to look at it. Especially when you get down below 200 pounds. I don't think it's a good idea to lose 2 pounds a week at that point, but the OP is 258.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,994 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    Not really. Deficit size, protein intake, and muscle challenge are all limiting factors on maintaining/gaining muscle, and you can't make up for missing the boat on one factor by doing better on the other two.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    You have no way of knowing that. You don't know the OP's height or body composition. While 1-2 pounds per week is often mentioned as a "safe" rate of loss, it isn't a good rate for everybody, regardless of protein intake or training.

    Height has very little to do with it. I don't go buy the 1-2 pound "rule". I go by the 1% or less of your body weight per week "rule" because I believe it is a healthier way to look at it. Especially when you get down below 200 pounds. I don't think it's a good idea to lose 2 pounds a week at that point, but the OP is 258.

    How can height have little to do with an appropriate calorie goal? 258 at 5'4" vs 258 at 5'10" vs 258 at 6'3" put you at very different distances from a healthy weight. How overweight you are absolutely has a large bearing on appropriate deficit size.
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    Not really. Deficit size, protein intake, and muscle challenge are all limiting factors on maintaining/gaining muscle, and you can't make up for missing the boat on one factor by doing better on the other two.

    I was losing 4 pounds a week at 250 with little to no loss of muscle. <-- Probably too much I will admit. While I agree that a deficit can be too large to preserve muscle, I don't agree it has to be as small as you are implying.
  • KassiesJourney
    KassiesJourney Posts: 306 Member
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    Keep doing what your doing, if your losing your good. At a pound a week your doing fine.
  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    You have no way of knowing that. You don't know the OP's height or body composition. While 1-2 pounds per week is often mentioned as a "safe" rate of loss, it isn't a good rate for everybody, regardless of protein intake or training.

    Height has very little to do with it. I don't go buy the 1-2 pound "rule". I go by the 1% or less of your body weight per week "rule" because I believe it is a healthier way to look at it. Especially when you get down below 200 pounds. I don't think it's a good idea to lose 2 pounds a week at that point, but the OP is 258.

    How can height have little to do with an appropriate calorie goal? 258 at 5'4" vs 258 at 5'10" vs 258 at 6'3" put you at very different distances from a healthy weight. How overweight you are absolutely has a large bearing on appropriate deficit size.

    All of those heights measure obese on a bmi scale. So, I stand by my original statement that height has very little to do with it. If the OP had less to lose that would be a different story.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,994 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    Not really. Deficit size, protein intake, and muscle challenge are all limiting factors on maintaining/gaining muscle, and you can't make up for missing the boat on one factor by doing better on the other two.

    I was losing 4 pounds a week at 250 with little to no loss of muscle. <-- Probably too much I will admit. While I agree that a deficit can be too large to preserve muscle, I don't agree it has to be as small as you are implying.

    Sorry, I wasn't focusing on the specific numbers so much as what I mistakenly thought you were saying (that deficit size doesn't matter at all, given enough protein and strength training -- but I see that I interpreted your statement too broadly).

    Yes, I would agree that at 250, assuming BF% north of 25%, you're probably not compromising muscle preservation at 4 pounds a week (assuming adequate protein and strength training -- the stool needs all three legs -- putting that in for any lurkers so they don't misunderstand, b/c I think we're in agreement here. Cue doves and kumbaya :smile:

  • Colt1835
    Colt1835 Posts: 447 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    Not really. Deficit size, protein intake, and muscle challenge are all limiting factors on maintaining/gaining muscle, and you can't make up for missing the boat on one factor by doing better on the other two.

    I was losing 4 pounds a week at 250 with little to no loss of muscle. <-- Probably too much I will admit. While I agree that a deficit can be too large to preserve muscle, I don't agree it has to be as small as you are implying.

    Sorry, I wasn't focusing on the specific numbers so much as what I mistakenly thought you were saying (that deficit size doesn't matter at all, given enough protein and strength training -- but I see that I interpreted your statement too broadly).

    Yes, I would agree that at 250, assuming BF% north of 25%, you're probably not compromising muscle preservation at 4 pounds a week (assuming adequate protein and strength training -- the stool needs all three legs -- putting that in for any lurkers so they don't misunderstand, b/c I think we're in agreement here. Cue doves and kumbaya :smile:

    Yeah I think we are on the same page, but I'm glad you replied to me. I wouldn't want anyone to misunderstand what a meant.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Colt1835 wrote: »
    usmcmp wrote: »
    Having only 50 calories left over at the end of your day will make it go slow. I lost 4 lbs in tge past few weeks and typically have a surplus of 300 calories a day

    The larger the deficit the more likely you are to lose lean mass. Meaning you have to lose more weight in the long run because you aren't losing purely fat.

    You can tilt the loss in favor of fat with the appropriate amount of protein and strength training. The OP could double his deficit and he would be fine.

    You're correct and for someone with body fat at the higher levels they risk less lean mass with a faster weight loss rate.
  • Crayvn
    Crayvn Posts: 390 Member
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    at just under 200 lbs. my "focus" is not on if im losing lean muscle. at this point im focused on calorie deficit, getting back into a regular routine at the gym, and staying motivated. Im doing cardio and strength training so im bound to save "some" lean muscle. Once I get out of the obese range I will start become stricter about my macros. Losing weight is a simple mathematical formula- calorie deficit.. at this point of my journey, If I stressed and micro managed all the other little details I would give up. Ive been to both extremes. From obese to lean machine. I just want to be healthy, happy and strong.
  • ekim2016
    ekim2016 Posts: 1,199 Member
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    btw I am a male 5' 10 " so it sounds like I should lower my caloric intake? I set my goal to 225lbs to start, but really want to get to 199 at some point. I just feel like I am going slower than I should, but I do understand slow is best. I am definitely not fluctuating on the scale nor gaining, so that is a solid good thing. Plus as I mentioned, I have never gone over my caloric allowance, and usually have some calories available at end of day. ( I consider those to be "banked" )