Weight loss per week goal advice
MayaKombat
Posts: 11 Member
Hi all
I currently weigh 298 pounds. I have set my weight loss at 2lb a week and my daily calories is set to 1560 a day.
I wanted to know if everyone thought that number is okay or whether I should set my weight loss to 1.5lbs a week or even 1lb.
I only ask because I have so much to lose, and considering I should never go below 1200 it seems I won't have much more movement calorie wise for the rest of my journey..if you see what I mean?
I don't think I've explained myself very well...
I currently weigh 298 pounds. I have set my weight loss at 2lb a week and my daily calories is set to 1560 a day.
I wanted to know if everyone thought that number is okay or whether I should set my weight loss to 1.5lbs a week or even 1lb.
I only ask because I have so much to lose, and considering I should never go below 1200 it seems I won't have much more movement calorie wise for the rest of my journey..if you see what I mean?
I don't think I've explained myself very well...
0
Replies
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What I think you're missing is that weight loss will naturally slow down as you lose weight. I think 2 pounds per week is a good goal at your current weight. Whether 1560 is a good calorie goal, depends on your height, and whether it's easy for you to stick to.1
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1560cals and 2lb a week is possibly doable if you are eating a well balanced menu of protein, fats, dairy and high fibre foods (grains, fruit and veg) and eating back exercise calories. As you lose weight you'd need to lower your expectations of losing 2lb a week.
But I like the idea of 1 to 1.5lb per week, more calories possibly leading to more stability in your diet (that is not going hungry), weight loss is more sustainable, and the calories can be tweaked as you go.
2 -
kommodevaran wrote: »What I think you're missing is that weight loss will naturally slow down as you lose weight. I think 2 pounds per week is a good goal at your current weight. Whether 1560 is a good calorie goal, depends on your height, and whether it's easy for you to stick to.
I am 5'4. I am finding it okay to stick to. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much bread and rice and whether that's using up too many calories in a day though. Day to day I'm finding it okay, the few days I have worked out it has been difficult as I didn't know whether to eat my exercise calories or not0 -
tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »1560cals and 2lb a week is possibly doable if you are eating a well balanced menu of protein, fats, dairy and high fibre foods (grains, fruit and veg) and eating back exercise calories. As you lose weight you'd need to lower your expectations of losing 2lb a week.
But I like the idea of 1 to 1.5lb per week, more calories possibly leading to more stability in your diet (that is not going hungry), weight loss is more sustainable, and the calories can be tweaked as you go.
Thank you for this because I was going to ask about exercise calories. At 1lb a week loss it's set at just over 2000 calories and for 1.5lbs it's around 1800.
I guess I'm just feeling down because I've only just come back to dieting (again) and I'm on week 3 and I've only lost 1lb after a loss of almost 10lbs for the previous two weeks1 -
Don't forget that your targeted rate does not yet include your true exercise (or activity beyond sedentary) calories.
Those get ADDED to your base goal, so in actual fact as you increase your activity with weight loss over time you it may be possible to eat much more than the 1500/1600 you are starting with and still lose weight.
Over time too as you start to get leaner you may find it convenient to reduce your rate of loss to 1.5 lbs a week or even lower.
This is not going to be an overnight journey and you have a lot of self discovery and experimentation ahead of you, so the important thing is to find a good balance between speed and making things so hard that you end up giving up <-- don't do that!3 -
Don't forget that your targeted rate does not yet include your true exercise (or activity beyond sedentary) calories.
Those get ADDED to your base goal, so in actual fact as you increase your activity with weight loss over time you it may be possible to eat much more than the 1500/1600 you are starting with and still lose weight.
Over time too as you start to get leaner you may find it convenient to reduce your rate of loss to 1.5 lbs a week or even lower.
This is not going to be an overnight journey and you have a lot of self discovery and experimentation ahead of you, so the important thing is to find a good balance between speed and making things so hard that you end up giving up <-- don't do that!
Thank you so much. I actually genuinely never thought of this2 -
You have to decide for yourself how much to eat of the various foods. You want proper nutrition, but you also want good taste and being able to eat normally and in company etc. Try prelogging, if you haven't already.MayaKombat wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »What I think you're missing is that weight loss will naturally slow down as you lose weight. I think 2 pounds per week is a good goal at your current weight. Whether 1560 is a good calorie goal, depends on your height, and whether it's easy for you to stick to.
I am 5'4. I am finding it okay to stick to. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much bread and rice and whether that's using up too many calories in a day though. Day to day I'm finding it okay, the few days I have worked out it has been difficult as I didn't know whether to eat my exercise calories or not
If you decide to eat back exercise calories, it's a good idea to eat back only 50-75 percent of them, as the numbers are notoriously inflated.MayaKombat wrote: »I guess I'm just feeling down because I've only just come back to dieting (again) and I'm on week 3 and I've only lost 1lb after a loss of almost 10lbs for the previous two weeks
You have to look at your loss over time. Your body isn't all fat - you consist of lots of different stuff that has different density - food and water goes in, waste goes out, so your weight naturally fluctuates, and sometimes so much that you can't see the true fat loss through those fluctuations. But over time, you will lose weight, if you stick to your allotted calories. To avoid having to go on and off, put together a plan that is so easy to stick to that you don't mind doing it for the rest of your life. And keep in mind that that's something you actuallyt have to do - to keep weight off, you have to stick to an intake that creates calorie balance.
11 pounds in 3 weeks is 3.67 pounds/week.2 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau). My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers, and rather create an additional calorie deficit through exercise!
You want your macros to be properly balanced, MFPs recommendation is not too bad in this area. You should also focus on getting enough fluids, as you don't want your weight loss to be due to hypohydration/dehydration. A good aim is 1 ml per 1 kcal eaten + whatever fluid loss you have during exercise.
Good luck!-1 -
I like it that you are already thinking about your balance of foods, wondering if bread is too high for you, for instance. While you are working towards a weight loss it might help to keep in mind the foods you like to eat and will want to keep in your diet when you move into maintenance. Unless you have a reason to avoid foods, allergies and intolerances, no food should ever be ruled out. You can find ways to make your preferences work for you.
Congratulations on a very good start.3 -
MayaKombat wrote: »Hi all
I currently weigh 298 pounds. I have set my weight loss at 2lb a week and my daily calories is set to 1560 a day.
I wanted to know if everyone thought that number is okay or whether I should set my weight loss to 1.5lbs a week or even 1lb.
I only ask because I have so much to lose, and considering I should never go below 1200 it seems I won't have much more movement calorie wise for the rest of my journey..if you see what I mean?
I don't think I've explained myself very well...
Hi, I am new to this and had similar thoughts, but as you go along week by week, you'll workout what best suits your needs. For example: i don't log my exercise, and aim to eat within my daily calorie and have been losing 2lbs a week....you can eat anything you like as long as you don't go over. As time goes by and you get used to it, you can get tougher with your diet and keep losing weight. Good luck hun1 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau).
Wut? Lol
Are you sure? WHO can't be that clueless... Lots of people including me would be gaining weight at 1800cal a day. ... I dunno about starving...4 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau). My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers, and rather create an additional calorie deficit through exercise!
You want your macros to be properly balanced, MFPs recommendation is not too bad in this area. You should also focus on getting enough fluids, as you don't want your weight loss to be due to hypohydration/dehydration. A good aim is 1 ml per 1 kcal eaten + whatever fluid loss you have during exercise.
Good luck!
Do you have a source for this? MFP's minimums are 1200 for women and 1500 for men to get adequate nutrition, and I know of many people who would gain at 1800/2100.3 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
You have to decide for yourself how much to eat of the various foods. You want proper nutrition, but you also want good taste and being able to eat normally and in company etc. Try prelogging, if you haven't already.MayaKombat wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »What I think you're missing is that weight loss will naturally slow down as you lose weight. I think 2 pounds per week is a good goal at your current weight. Whether 1560 is a good calorie goal, depends on your height, and whether it's easy for you to stick to.
I am 5'4. I am finding it okay to stick to. I'm wondering if I'm eating too much bread and rice and whether that's using up too many calories in a day though. Day to day I'm finding it okay, the few days I have worked out it has been difficult as I didn't know whether to eat my exercise calories or not
If you decide to eat back exercise calories, it's a good idea to eat back only 50-75 percent of them, as the numbers are notoriously inflated.MayaKombat wrote: »I guess I'm just feeling down because I've only just come back to dieting (again) and I'm on week 3 and I've only lost 1lb after a loss of almost 10lbs for the previous two weeks
You have to look at your loss over time. Your body isn't all fat - you consist of lots of different stuff that has different density - food and water goes in, waste goes out, so your weight naturally fluctuates, and sometimes so much that you can't see the true fat loss through those fluctuations. But over time, you will lose weight, if you stick to your allotted calories. To avoid having to go on and off, put together a plan that is so easy to stick to that you don't mind doing it for the rest of your life. And keep in mind that that's something you actuallyt have to do - to keep weight off, you have to stick to an intake that creates calorie balance.
11 pounds in 3 weeks is 3.67 pounds/week.
You're right. I guess ultimately the answer is stick to the plan and be patient. I will remember not to eat all my exercise calories. I use a Polar HRM so I'm not sure how accurate they are but I won't eat them all just in case. Thank you1 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau). My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers, and rather create an additional calorie deficit through exercise!
You want your macros to be properly balanced, MFPs recommendation is not too bad in this area. You should also focus on getting enough fluids, as you don't want your weight loss to be due to hypohydration/dehydration. A good aim is 1 ml per 1 kcal eaten + whatever fluid loss you have during exercise.
Good luck!
This was my worry, I wasn't sure if I was eating enough. But I guess if I eat some exercise calories that makes up for it?
And yes I really do need to drink more water. I currently only drink about 1.5 litres a day and I know that's not enough. I'm gonna work on it. Thank you0 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau). My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers, and rather create an additional calorie deficit through exercise!
You want your macros to be properly balanced, MFPs recommendation is not too bad in this area. You should also focus on getting enough fluids, as you don't want your weight loss to be due to hypohydration/dehydration. A good aim is 1 ml per 1 kcal eaten + whatever fluid loss you have during exercise.
Good luck!
Please ignore this, Maya.3 -
I prefer this calculator http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to the MFP one because when it calculates your daily calorie needs it includes your activity level, rather than you adding exercise calories afterwards.
With MFP, my daily calorie goal is 1500, which I find too low. At 1500, I end up over-estimating my exercise calories so I can eat more! Scoobys gives me 1700, and as long as I keep exercising regularly, I feel like I'm eating like a normal, active person rather than dieting - those 200 extra calories everyday make a world of difference. (And I lose weight quicker, since I'm not over-estimating my exercise calories.)
YMMV
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MayaKombat wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »I'm wondering if I'm eating too much bread and rice and whether that's using up too many calories in a day though.
Your diary isn't open, so it will be tough for people to answer that.
Have you tried logging the next day's food the night before to see how everything will shake out? Not only will it cut down on impulse eating, but you will also be able to tweak your numbers to be what you need them to be.0 -
Note that as @kommodevaran mentioned, your weight changes will not be linear!
There are some very nice trending weight apps (libra for android, happy scale for iphone, weightgrapher.com as a web site, trendweight.com which I personally use--it works better with Fitbit and I see you're using a Polar...)
These apps and sites help you better see the changes to your underlying fat level as opposed to getting stuck on day to day water weight fluctuations.
Congratulations on a great start and on starting to question your food choices with an eye towards finding winning combinations of satiety, satisfaction, and caloric cost!
That is exactly what I meant about a journey of discovery and change.
You will do good!1 -
Jriggs46615 wrote: »MayaKombat wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »I'm wondering if I'm eating too much bread and rice and whether that's using up too many calories in a day though.
Your diary isn't open, so it will be tough for people to answer that.
Have you tried logging the next day's food the night before to see how everything will shake out? Not only will it cut down on impulse eating, but you will also be able to tweak your numbers to be what you need them to be.
I'll try to fill in the week ahead. I think that method will work for me. Thank you1 -
I like it that you are already thinking about your balance of foods, wondering if bread is too high for you, for instance. While you are working towards a weight loss it might help to keep in mind the foods you like to eat and will want to keep in your diet when you move into maintenance. Unless you have a reason to avoid foods, allergies and intolerances, no food should ever be ruled out. You can find ways to make your preferences work for you.
Congratulations on a very good start.
Thank you :-)
I'm glad to hear I can eat bread if I want to. I like bread lol0 -
MayaKombat wrote: »Hi all
I currently weigh 298 pounds. I have set my weight loss at 2lb a week and my daily calories is set to 1560 a day.
I wanted to know if everyone thought that number is okay or whether I should set my weight loss to 1.5lbs a week or even 1lb.
I only ask because I have so much to lose, and considering I should never go below 1200 it seems I won't have much more movement calorie wise for the rest of my journey..if you see what I mean?
I don't think I've explained myself very well...
Hi, I am new to this and had similar thoughts, but as you go along week by week, you'll workout what best suits your needs. For example: i don't log my exercise, and aim to eat within my daily calorie and have been losing 2lbs a week....you can eat anything you like as long as you don't go over. As time goes by and you get used to it, you can get tougher with your diet and keep losing weight. Good luck hun
Thank you very much. I wish you success on your journey also :-)
1 -
Note that as @kommodevaran mentioned, your weight changes will not be linear!
There are some very nice trending weight apps (libra for android, happy scale for iphone, weightgrapher.com as a web site, trendweight.com which I personally use--it works better with Fitbit and I see you're using a Polar...)
These apps and sites help you better see the changes to your underlying fat level as opposed to getting stuck on day to day water weight fluctuations.
Congratulations on a great start and on starting to question your food choices with an eye towards finding winning combinations of satiety, satisfaction, and caloric cost!
That is exactly what I meant about a journey of discovery and change.
You will do good!
Omg everyone here is so lovely and encouraging lol. Thank you so much :-)
1 -
A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-1.5 percent of body weight per week. As per your weight mentioned if I calculate it comes to 4.5 lb loss per month which is 1lb approximately per week which is a steady and good pace of weight loss.
Anything faster than this would be unfeasible. However the rate may slow down over time for which I suggest you increase your activity. If your workout schedule is 3 days a week try bringing it to 4 or 5 days and if possible 6. If your work life is hectic you could also try 3 days of weight training and 2-3 days of light to moderate cardio.
Regards
Nihal khan0 -
nihalkhann007 wrote: »A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-1.5 percent of body weight per week. As per your weight mentioned if I calculate it comes to 4.5 lb loss per month which is 1lb approximately per week which is a steady and good pace of weight loss.
Anything faster than this would be unfeasible. However the rate may slow down over time for which I suggest you increase your activity. If your workout schedule is 3 days a week try bringing it to 4 or 5 days and if possible 6. If your work life is hectic you could also try 3 days of weight training and 2-3 days of light to moderate cardio.
Regards
Nihal khan
At her weight, she can safely lose 2 pounds a week, and maybe even closer to 3 (1% of total weight per week) for quite a while0 -
I think the kcal intake targets from MyFitnessPal are somewhat low...
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau). My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers, and rather create an additional calorie deficit through exercise!
You want your macros to be properly balanced, MFPs recommendation is not too bad in this area. You should also focus on getting enough fluids, as you don't want your weight loss to be due to hypohydration/dehydration. A good aim is 1 ml per 1 kcal eaten + whatever fluid loss you have during exercise.
Good luck!
@BMidtun got a source for that? I wasn't able to find anything on http://www.who.int/en/ for any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as being a starvation diet. I did see something on on various blogs, but while they did refer to the WHO in the article, the footnotes did not include a WHO source.0 -
WHO (Worlds Health Organization) defines any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as starvation diet, which over time would put your metabolism into "energy saving mode" (this is what often happens when you reach a weight loss plateau).
You are absolutely wrong and have no idea what you're talking about. Let us count the ways:
1) WHO repeatedy refers to 2000 calories as an "average" person's diet, and not in a negative way.
2) WHO makes no reference at all to "energy saving mode," which is a ridiculous, made-up thing that overweight people think is keeping them overweight.
3) All WHO nutritional requirements are available online. They do discuss energy requirements, and those requirements are WAY below the numbers you mention (because in many areas of the world, those caloric numbers are simply unreachable - yet, literally no one is dropping dead from eating under 1000 calories per day, let alone 1800).
4) If you were anywhere near correct, MFP would cease to exist because all the women here who eat well under 1800 calories would have already starved, by your "logic."My recommendation would be not to go below these numbers
Please learn something before offering your terrible, incorrect, baseless, actively harmful "recommendations."
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kshama2001 wrote: »got a source for that? I wasn't able to find anything on http://www.who.int/en/ for any diet below 2100 kcal/day (men) / 1800 kcal/day (women) as being a starvation diet. I did see something on on various blogs, but while they did refer to the WHO in the article, the footnotes did not include a WHO source.
Those numbers are similar to the ones used by WHO to determine how many calories of food they need to plan for when feeding people who are entirely dependent on WHO food assistance. It's intended as minimum average maintenance calories for refugees.
Cite is The Usual Words of Caution, Bull World Health Organ. 2008 Mar;86(3):162
Note that interpreting this as "no one should eat less than this ever or they are starving" is ridiculous nonsense.0 -
Wow...thanks everyone...this has been an interesting read. Good to know I'm not being starved lol0
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@MayaKombat just dial in your calories first -- no need to go fast. Eat what you enjoy and stay within your goal. Then start experimenting with different food combos that achieve satiety. For me, that's tons of fruits and vegetables with 3oz or so of protein at each meal. Also experiment with meal frequency and timing. I find that 3 meals and two snacks are optimal. But everyone is different. Enjoy the ride.2
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