When is a good time to switch to .5 lbs per week?

gallicinvasion
gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I’ve been losing weight for about 6 months now, and I’m wondering what’s the recommended timeframe for slowing down the rate of loss. I started at 2 lbs a week, then switched to 1 when I hit 195 lbs.

SW: 229
CW: 172
GW: 135

Height: 5’4”
Activity: Sedentary
MFP: set to 1 lb loss per week, 1380 calories per day

I would like to continue losing at the rate I’ve been at, which has been awesome, but if there’s a recommended point at which I should slow down the rate, I think it makes sense for me to stick to that. Does anyone know?

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    last 10lbs usually
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    edited October 2018
    Gotcha, so it’s okay to stay on 1lb per week til I get to 145-155, unless I start getting too hungry or the allotted calories starts going under 1200.
  • Cassandraw3
    Cassandraw3 Posts: 1,214 Member
    I switched on the last 5 lbs based on personal comfort level. My overall goal puts me at the top end of the BMI chart, but I have a high amount of non-fat body mass. I could have kept at 1 lb/week, but it was getting pretty hard.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    edited October 2018
    Yeah I’m finding that on days where there are events, drinking, restaurants, etc, it’s pretty hard to stay under 1380 calories. I limit those days the best I can, and I pretty much always stay under the 1380 by barely eating before the event, but it’s hard when events pop up.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    Yeah I’m finding that on days where there are events, drinking, restaurants, etc, it’s pretty hard to stay under 1380 calories. I limit those days the best I can, and I pretty much always stay under the 1380 by barely eating before the event, but it’s hard when events pop up.

    The closer you get the more you can tweak all this, too.

    If you have been keeping good records you know all your numbers by now. I have always allowed one day on the weekend where I ate to maintenance. I looked at it as a mental health day, and I knew by experience it wouldn't affect my overall loss.

    1380 is pretty low/tough to stick to. When I got to within 20 pounds of my goal I was eating 1500 plus exercise calories, so really about 1800-1900 most days. That isn't even hard. :)
  • PHOTOCHAP
    PHOTOCHAP Posts: 104 Member
    You obviously know your stuff. Whatever you're doing is working for you (excellent logging by the way :) ) Your body is gonna tell you when it's almost time to make any changes but for now.. keep up your fabulous work!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited October 2018
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,075 Member
    If you're still comfortable and losing steadily, then there's really not a big need to change IMO. For myself, I have the opposite problem, and while I'm far enough from goal I could be losing 1 lb/week, I just find the hungries to be unsustainable, so I'm better off at a slower loss rate.

    Slowing down your loss can have some advantages as you near maintenance, however, as you have a much better idea of what is "okay" and keeping you on track and the differences between what you have been and will be doing will be small. More time to adjust to what maintenance will actually mean for you.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    Have you taken any maintenance breaks?
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    I'm about to switch mine to 0.5lb/wk. My goal is at/around 1200-ish right now and it's too low for me. I have to be VERY particular about my meals/snacks/food/whatever to be able to stay even close to 1200. I started at 173lb and am currently 154lb. UGW somewhere around 135 I think, but first major goal is 150lb.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    edited October 2018
    emmamcgarity wrote: »
    Have you taken any maintenance breaks?

    I have set myself on maintenance for 1 day in August and 2 days in September (a toga party and a wedding 😂). Would a maintenance break usually be a week?
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    DaisyHamilton wrote: »
    I'm about to switch mine to 0.5lb/wk. My goal is at/around 1200-ish right now and it's too low for me. I have to be VERY particular about my meals/snacks/food/whatever to be able to stay even close to 1200. I started at 173lb and am currently 154lb. UGW somewhere around 135 I think, but first major goal is 150lb.

    Yes this is how I feel sometimes. I feel like I have to be veryyyyyy particular.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    If you're still comfortable and losing steadily, then there's really not a big need to change IMO. For myself, I have the opposite problem, and while I'm far enough from goal I could be losing 1 lb/week, I just find the hungries to be unsustainable, so I'm better off at a slower loss rate.

    Slowing down your loss can have some advantages as you near maintenance, however, as you have a much better idea of what is "okay" and keeping you on track and the differences between what you have been and will be doing will be small. More time to adjust to what maintenance will actually mean for you.

    This is a great point!

  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    PHOTOCHAP wrote: »
    You obviously know your stuff. Whatever you're doing is working for you (excellent logging by the way :) ) Your body is gonna tell you when it's almost time to make any changes but for now.. keep up your fabulous work!


    Thank you!! Logging is fun for me now 😂 especially when lunch prepping.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!

    You're probably not sedentary, unless you have a lot more not busy days than busy ones.

    I just took 16 weeks worth of calorie and weight loss tracking and did the math. I posted about it here :smile: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702775/why-consistency-matters-more-than-accuracy-to-me/p1
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!

    You're probably not sedentary, unless you have a lot more not busy days than busy ones.

    I just took 16 weeks worth of calorie and weight loss tracking and did the math. I posted about it here :smile: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702775/why-consistency-matters-more-than-accuracy-to-me/p1

    Nice, I remember this post!!! Well done!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!

    You're probably not sedentary, unless you have a lot more not busy days than busy ones.

    I just took 16 weeks worth of calorie and weight loss tracking and did the math. I posted about it here :smile: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702775/why-consistency-matters-more-than-accuracy-to-me/p1

    Nice, I remember this post!!! Well done!

    Thanks :blush: Now I feel like a shameless self-promoter :lol: But the easiest way to figure out what works for you really is to be consistent.

    If you're happy losing 1 pound a week still and not getting too hungry, I see no need to change. I knew it was time to change when I started having issues sticking to my chosen deficit.
  • dfranch
    dfranch Posts: 207 Member
    Once I got closer to my goal weight I started focusing on a weekly deficit more than a daily deficit. It helps balance out the high days, especially around the holiday's. If I eat to much on Monday, I try to make up for it later in the week so my weekly average still good. Or if I know there is a party and I'm going to go over, I will eat light for a couple of days ahead and/or after to give me extra calories for the event.
  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    Gotcha, so it’s okay to stay on 1lb per week til I get to 145-155, unless I start getting too hungry or the allotted calories starts going under 1200.

    I would say you are exactly right here. Congrats on your success!
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!

    You're probably not sedentary, unless you have a lot more not busy days than busy ones.

    I just took 16 weeks worth of calorie and weight loss tracking and did the math. I posted about it here :smile: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702775/why-consistency-matters-more-than-accuracy-to-me/p1

    99ljiogbeabz.png

    Look, I did my own! Used an 8 week window but maybe soon I can use a longer sample size.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    Wow, your stats are almost exactly the same as mine. I started at 233 (251 was my high but 233 when I left WW) I'm 5'5" and sedentary. My goal weight was 135. I never got to 135 but I'm old (62). I settled with a maintenance range of 143 - 150. I went to .5 when I had 20 to go. I was too hungry and had been dieting for a year. You'll know when you can't keep going where you are. Now I maintain at about 1400 calories/day. Don't let that scare you though... I'm much older than you are.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    gallicinvasion wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Consider whether or not you are TRULY sedentary. I thought I was - desk job, kind of a lazy bum who watches too much netflix in the evenings - but the math I did on my own numbers (extrapolating 4 months worth of daily calorie logging and weight loss) said otherwise. I'm actually lightly active.

    What rate are you losing at? If you're doing intentional exercise, are you adding back calories for that?

    To answer your original question, I officially switched to 0.5 per week at 15 pounds to my original goal (I've dropped it another 10 pounds now). But my rate of loss was already slowing down because I was finding it hard to stick to the higher deficit calorie goal.


    My rate is usually a pound per week or more (I try to weigh myself every week, but if I have a lot of sodium one weekend, I will wait another week lol). I’m doing a little bit of intentional exercise (seven minutes of circuit training three mornings a week). I usually leave those calories or eat a small portion of them, because they’re only about 60-70 on those days.

    I started wearing a step tracker and it tracks me around 7000-11000 steps on busy days and like 2000-3000 on less busy days. I’m not sure if that would count as sedentary, but I guess it feels safer to me to underestimate 😂 can I ask how you did the math on your activity level? Your “desk job, lazy bum” characterization sounds really similar to me, actually!

    You're probably not sedentary, unless you have a lot more not busy days than busy ones.

    I just took 16 weeks worth of calorie and weight loss tracking and did the math. I posted about it here :smile: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10702775/why-consistency-matters-more-than-accuracy-to-me/p1

    99ljiogbeabz.png

    Look, I did my own! Used an 8 week window but maybe soon I can use a longer sample size.

    Hey, that's awesome!! :smiley: You are definitely not sedentary lol
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    cheryldumais wrote: »
    Wow, your stats are almost exactly the same as mine. I started at 233 (251 was my high but 233 when I left WW) I'm 5'5" and sedentary. My goal weight was 135. I never got to 135 but I'm old (62). I settled with a maintenance range of 143 - 150. I went to .5 when I had 20 to go. I was too hungry and had been dieting for a year. You'll know when you can't keep going where you are. Now I maintain at about 1400 calories/day. Don't let that scare you though... I'm much older than you are.

    Awesome! I think when I have 20 to go, that’ll be a good spot!

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