Is very slow weight loss possible?

bipzchou
bipzchou Posts: 7 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

In the past 6 months, I have put on 15 lbs. I would like to lose this weight but would like to do this very slowly - probably at a steady not too low calorie deficit in order to lose about 1 lbs per month. I would like to know if anyone has successfully done this? I've been told that my body would probably adapt to the gradual decrease in calories and I would end up not losing any weight with this approach. Any input would be appreciated

Replies

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    It's possible for many, but I personally can't seem to do it. When I'm that close to the edge of maintenance I just...seem to go to maintenance.

    You should try it. It may work for you. You won't know until you give it a shot.
  • bipzchou
    bipzchou Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks everyone for your replies so far.
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    It's possible for many, but I personally can't seem to do it. When I'm that close to the edge of maintenance I just...seem to go to maintenance.

    You should try it. It may work for you. You won't know until you give it a shot.

    That's what many people have told me. I guess it depends on the person. How long did you try the very slow weight loss approach for?
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    Yes it's possible, it's just that such a small deficit can get wiped out quickly.

    I've done the less than 2 pounds a month plan but it was accidental because I wasn't weighing my food and not estimating right. Lol.
  • bipzchou
    bipzchou Posts: 7 Member
    aimeetu wrote: »
    I've spent the last year losing 28 lbs at a steady rate of .5 lbs per week. It is do=able but I do find have to make sure not to slip into "just a 100 calories" over won't hurt. It might :smile: Good luck.

    That's encouraging to hear :) ouf of curiosity, what is your daily calorie deficit?
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,989 Member
    Yes, it took me a couple of years to lose 35 pounds. For me, I had my calories set low (1200), but since I wasn't weighing my food and just guesstimating the calories, I was obviously eating more than that because I lost really slow. But I was happy with that as long as I was losing. I have had no trouble maintaining for a few years now.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    It took me 2 years to lose the 30lbs i needed to lose. But i had months of maintenance and lax logging here and there, but i got there in the end without any needless suffering/hunger.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    bipzchou wrote: »
    Thanks everyone for your replies so far.
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    It's possible for many, but I personally can't seem to do it. When I'm that close to the edge of maintenance I just...seem to go to maintenance.

    You should try it. It may work for you. You won't know until you give it a shot.

    That's what many people have told me. I guess it depends on the person. How long did you try the very slow weight loss approach for?

    More like how many times. Dozens, probably. ;) I am not sure for how long. It's been different each time but after enough times you can see which way the wind is blowing.

    But again, you should try it and see if it works for you. It just might.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,372 Member
    Helpful hint: judge your progress using a trending weight app or web site :wink:
  • WickedPineapple
    WickedPineapple Posts: 698 Member
    annacole94 wrote: »
    I'd set MFP to 0.5 lb/week and assume that you'll have enough logging errors to lose around 1-1.5 lb/month.

    ^ This is what I did. I lost the last 10 lbs to my goal weight over the course of a year. Occasionally I'll look to lose a couple more lbs and it usually takes me 2-3 months because I don't like large deficits.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I have been in maintenance for 6 months at 1900 cals a day but the data show that I have lost about 2# or 1/3rd of a pound per month over that time period, which is a pretty slow rate of weight loss. Doubt that many could lose weight at a much slower rate than that.
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
    I lost over 50lbs in about 4 years. I took breaks from time to time and vacations where I didn't log so on average lost about a pound a month. I have come so far in that time and I know I will never see that weight come back. By taking my time I have learned so much about maintaining balance in my food intake and was able to come leaps and strides in my fitness as I was never too tired to push my body to do more with a small deficit. I echo the earlier sentiments though to use a tracking app for your weight if going slowly. It's very hard to see progress otherwise.

    Best of luck on your journey!
  • mlsh1969
    mlsh1969 Posts: 138 Member
    Yes definitely, set mfp to 0.5lbs per week or eat at maintenance but increase activity, example if u ride a bike 20 min a day increase to 40 or add an extra workout in
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    This is what I am doing to keep my gains.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    It's possible. It'll test your patience, but yes, it can be done.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Yes. I'm currently running an average deficit of ~300 cals/day and losing ~0.5 pounds/week.

    I have MFP set to "1 pound per week" for loss so that when I eat a little over, I haven't completely wiped out my deficit. Basically, I "aim" for a 500 calorie deficit and that lets me actually have a 300 calorie deficit.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    I've lost 5lbs in 5 months so far this year without food logging,

    Also lost 6lbs in 6 months with calorie counting a few years ago.

    If you are good at maintaining it's not difficult to nibble away a few calories here and there - I don't aim for an every day deficit, majority of my days are at or around maintenance level. It's quite painless really, just making a few conscious food/drink choices to shave off some calories here and there. A 400 calorie sandwich instead of a 500 calorie sandwich for example.

    The bonus for me is that training/exercise performance isn't impacted by the tiny and erratic deficit.
  • lilysillycat
    lilysillycat Posts: 159 Member
    It took me three years to go from 215 lbs to 185 lbs. It was a very slow process. about 10 lbs per year.
  • twistedingenue
    twistedingenue Posts: 38 Member
    This is roughly what I'm doing. My aim is really for .5-1 pound a week, but I'm still struggling with impulse control (which is due to ADHD, so yes, it's all technically mental), particularly on the weekends. But I know this about myself, so I understand that my weight loss is going to be slower and very uneven.

    I'm ~14 pounds down since the beginning of the year.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    Yes, I didn't have very much weight to lose, and I travel a lot for work, so that was the approach I had to take. I'd spend a few weeks trying to lose .5 lb a week, go on a business trip, regain a pound, lose that pound the following week and another half pound, then I'd be up after travel, then down. It was hard to be patient with the slow trend downward--felt like an act of faith!

    The good news is maintenance doesn't feel all that different from losing, so there wasn't really a transition for me.
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