Question about initial weight loss.
tbduarte1
Posts: 83 Member
It has been one week since i began my first change. I am tracking all of my food and I am eating until full, no crash diet, just exchanging some food choices for others. I have been 500-1000 calories under my MFP calories which are set to 2 pound loss. I lost 7 pounds so far in 6 days. I have been consuming more than my allotted sodium and drinking a lot of water.
My question is, what weight am I losing, Is it water weight? Am I making a big enough deficit to lose that much?
Thanks for any help.
My question is, what weight am I losing, Is it water weight? Am I making a big enough deficit to lose that much?
Thanks for any help.
7
Replies
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You should be hitting your calorie goal, not coming in 100's of calories under.
A lot of it in the first week will be water though9 -
Most is probably water weight given it has been 6 days. This is not a good plan to follow. What ever MFP has recommended your calories to be is what you should eat. MFP has already calculated a deficit so no need to undercut that number. Losing weight too quickly can lead to muscle wasting and having inadequate calories can cause nutritional deficits. How close are you to a healthy body weight (not your ideal weight)?2
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It has been one week since i began my first change. I am tracking all of my food and I am eating until full, no crash diet, just exchanging some food choices for others. I have been 500-1000 calories under my MFP calories which are set to 2 pound loss. I lost 7 pounds so far in 6 days. I have been consuming more than my allotted sodium and drinking a lot of water.
My question is, what weight am I losing, Is it water weight? Am I making a big enough deficit to lose that much?
Thanks for any help.
The first week or two probably involves a lot of water weight, there is really no way to tell. However, why are you eating less than what MFP gives you for 2 lbs? If you are 300+, it may be fine for you to aim for more than 2 lbs per week. But starting out super aggressive can actually lead to faster burnout, so please keep that in mind
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Hey! I just started New Year’s Day. I stopped eating anything processed and cut out bread and sugar, and I lost 8 pounds the first week. I talked to step mom about it, a nutritionist put her on a diet last year and she said the first week she dropped seven pounds as well. I definitely wasn’t starving myself, just getting full off low cal veggies and chicken. I’m guessing most of my initial loss was water weight and bloating. Still feels amazing though! Congrats!10
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Im about 200ish over healthy weight. I am not trying to eat under my calories, it is just happening. I eat 3 meals a day and 3-4 snacks1
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You are losing mostly water weight. the rate of loss will slow after the first week or two.
If you are not weighing ALL your food on a scale, to the gram, and liquids in a measuring cup, you are likely eating over your calories. I certainly hope you are as eating that much UNDER is not healthy or wise or sustainable.
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im eating about 2200 calories a day but I started at 3841
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gore_caitlin wrote: »Hey! I just started New Year’s Day. I stopped eating anything processed and cut out bread and sugar, and I lost 8 pounds the first week. I talked to step mom about it, a nutritionist put her on a diet last year and she said the first week she dropped seven pounds as well. I definitely wasn’t starving myself, just getting full off low cal veggies and chicken. I’m guessing most of my initial loss was water weight and bloating. Still feels amazing though! Congrats!
I wouldn't want a life without bread and some chocolate, and wine. I just make it fit my calories.
OP I dropped 7lbs last week, 1lb of it will have been fat the rest a mixture of water, waste from the excess food I'd been eating and some muscle as well.
You'll always lose a mix. Just keep eating less than you burn and you'll continue to lose. 1% of your body weight is the most you should aim to lose a week.4 -
gore_caitlin wrote: »Hey! I just started New Year’s Day. I stopped eating anything processed and cut out bread and sugar, and I lost 8 pounds the first week. I talked to step mom about it, a nutritionist put her on a diet last year and she said the first week she dropped seven pounds as well. I definitely wasn’t starving myself, just getting full off low cal veggies and chicken. I’m guessing most of my initial loss was water weight and bloating. Still feels amazing though! Congrats!
When people cut out a lot of carbs, they generally drop a lot of water weight quickly, because each gram of carbs holds 3 grams of water. People get excited about the big drop on the scale, but if and when you choose to eat more carbs, the water weight will return. Not saying you won't have lost fat in the meantime, but you will likely see a spike on the scale from your lowest readings.2 -
The first week or two probably involves a lot of water weight, there is really no way to tell. However, why are you eating less than what MFP gives you for 2 lbs? If you are 300+, it may be fine for you to aim for more than 2 lbs per week. But starting out super aggressive can actually lead to faster burnout, so please keep that in mind
I am 377 now, so yes a lot more weight to lose. I logged for 21 days before I changed anything and then I made a small change to exchange some things I was eating for other things. I still eat cheese and ice cream and other things I love.10 -
im eating about 2200 calories a day but I started at 384
The general rule is a person can lose up to 1% or their body weight safely, so you are one of the few who actually can undercut your MFP numbers at the moment. However, do keep in mind that you don't have to. Unless your doctor has directed you to lose weight quickly for a medical reason, comfort & sustainability are really important. So don't attempt to lose the weight so fast that you become hungry and miserable. Also, keep in mind at some point you'll need to adjust and stick with the 2 lb/week goal. Wish you the best 8 -
The first week or two probably involves a lot of water weight, there is really no way to tell. However, why are you eating less than what MFP gives you for 2 lbs? If you are 300+, it may be fine for you to aim for more than 2 lbs per week. But starting out super aggressive can actually lead to faster burnout, so please keep that in mind
I am 377 now, so yes a lot more weight to lose. I logged for 21 days before I changed anything and then I made a small change to exchange some things I was eating for other things. I still eat cheese and ice cream and other things I love.
Sounds like you are doing things just right! 3 -
I was just wondering if its water weight because I do not want to do things unhealthy. I was planning for two pounds a week, hoping for one. So I am not going to expect to keep this pace up.7
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@tbduarte1 It sounds like you have a handle on this There is no way to know how much is water, so I would say if after 2 weeks you are still losing that fast, eat a little bit more, and give it another couple of weeks and adjust again if you need to. And obviously, pay attention to how you feel. If you are fatigued, or starting to stress about food in any way, or lightheaded, or anything like that, bump up your calories as well. Good luck! 3
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I was just wondering if its water weight because I do not want to do things unhealthy. I was planning for two pounds a week, hoping for one. So I am not going to expect to keep this pace up.
Yes, in one week, much of it is water weight. You will only be able to see your reliable weekly weight loss average after many weeks. And in the next few weeks, you may not see as much loss as you might expect because, to some extent, your ongoing fat loss may be masked by the large water drop in water weight. In the meantime, trust the math. The calorie allowance you are given by MFP for a 2 lb/week loss reflects a 1000 calorie deficit. Each 500 calories you cut on top of that is another pound a week. Do try to log as accurately as possible so you have a clear idea of where you stand.0 -
If you have already set an aggressive goal (2 pounds per week), then eating under that calorie goal may be unhealthy for you.
First, make sure you really are eating as much as you think you are. If you aren’t using a food scale, then you may be underestimating your calories eaten.
If you are weighing your food and still coming in 500-1000 calories under your daily allowance, then add foods that are high calorie but not very filling. Foods high in fat but low in volume (oil, butter, nuts, nut butter, etc.) are usually the best way to accomplish this. Have some more ice cream if you still have calories at the end of the day 2 -
So much for my reading comprehension skills. It’s been a long few hours.
In that case, a medically supervised larger deficit is probably appropriate. I’d caution OP that it can be hard to get enough protein/other nutrients with such a large deficit, so that’s something to keep an eye on. I paid very little attention to protein or strength training while I was losing weight, and I regret that now. Seeing a registered dietitian might be helpful for making sure this is a safe plan.3 -
Ive eating over 90g of protein each day. I plan on strength training as one of my steps I am taking all of this slow because I have failed so many times and I want to be successful.4
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I know there is a lot of conversation about it being water weight, but not really an explanation.
I suspect you've cut down on carbs a fair bit. Not low carb, but just less than you had been. Carbs get stored in your body as glycogen (in the liver and muscles). At close to 400 lbs, you would have a lot of this. For every gram of glycogen, your body stores 3-4 grams of water. So lose 1 lb of glycogen from reducing carbs and you are down 4-5 lbs.
But this loss will stabilize after a couple of weeks as you settle in on a carb level and you stop reducing glycogen.
Keep doing what you are doing for 3-6 weeks before making any real changes (unless you start feeling fatigued). I suspect the loss rate will slow down.
Also, I agree with others to hit the numbers MFP gives you and eat some nuts or something to get to fill your calories.1 -
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Tacklewasher wrote: »I know there is a lot of conversation about it being water weight, but not really an explanation.
In fairness, I actually did touch on that in a reply to another poster:gore_caitlin wrote: »Hey! I just started New Year’s Day. I stopped eating anything processed and cut out bread and sugar, and I lost 8 pounds the first week. I talked to step mom about it, a nutritionist put her on a diet last year and she said the first week she dropped seven pounds as well. I definitely wasn’t starving myself, just getting full off low cal veggies and chicken. I’m guessing most of my initial loss was water weight and bloating. Still feels amazing though! Congrats!
When people cut out a lot of carbs, they generally drop a lot of water weight quickly, because each gram of carbs holds 3 grams of water.
Just sayin
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Glad you are here and started on this journey. You can totally do this, one day, one meal and burn one calories less then you consume at a time!
The first week or two probably involves a lot of water weight, there is really no way to tell. However, why are you eating less than what MFP gives you for 2 lbs? If you are 300+, it may be fine for you to aim for more than 2 lbs per week. But starting out super aggressive can actually lead to faster burnout, so please keep that in mind
I am 377 now, so yes a lot more weight to lose. I logged for 21 days before I changed anything and then I made a small change to exchange some things I was eating for other things. I still eat cheese and ice cream and other things I love.
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The first week or two probably involves a lot of water weight, there is really no way to tell. However, why are you eating less than what MFP gives you for 2 lbs? If you are 300+, it may be fine for you to aim for more than 2 lbs per week. But starting out super aggressive can actually lead to faster burnout, so please keep that in mind
I am 377 now, so yes a lot more weight to lose. I logged for 21 days before I changed anything and then I made a small change to exchange some things I was eating for other things. I still eat cheese and ice cream and other things I love.
Sounds like you are doing things just right!
I agree, some might be water weight to start with, and excess digested food leaving your body.
But eating 500 calories a day under the calories given to you my MFP when calculated to lose 2 ounces a week, should result in a 3 pound loss per week.
At your weight, that is definitely within the 1% guideline of loss most people believe is healthy. Great job! Keep it up!1 -
Ive eating over 90g of protein each day. I plan on strength training as one of my steps I am taking all of this slow because I have failed so many times and I want to be successful.
Is 90g the MFP default protein goal for you?
I'm not sure how tall you are, but if you're not especially short, a little more protein might be helpful, if you can fit it in enjoyably. There's some research suggesting that a bit extra protein helps preserve muscle during weight loss, even before starting strength training. Most of us, when obese, have at least some extra muscle compared to an equally (in)active healthy-weight person, just from carrying our body weight around. Keeping it can be helpful in the long run.
A common recommendation around here for weight loss is something around 0.6-0.8g protein daily (minimum) per pound of healthy goal weight. If 150 would be a healthy someday weight for you (whether you're targeting that exact number or not), then 90g daily would have you at that lower 0.6g/goal-pound level.
Don't get me wrong, you're doing well; this just might be a little tweak to think about, especially if you (1) end up adding some calories, and (2) enjoy protein foods and/or find them satiating.
Best wishes! 1
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