8 Pounds Down in 20 Days, Is That Good?

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  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Ok here is my thing. Up until I was maybe 26-27 I was very skinny and I had a six pack because of that, not because I ate healthy or worked out. I just had a fast metabolism and was very skinny. I weighed 135 at 24 years old in 2007. Around 26-27 I changed nothing, I still didn’t work out or eat good at all and I steadily gained weight every year. From 2007 at 135 up to the end of 2018 where I weighed 184. That’s almost 50 pounds of weight gained just from getting older. I changed nothing in my exercise or diet over those years. My job, where I am on my feet all day, gave me around 12-15 thousand steps a day. Sill horrible diet and no exercise besides my steps and work I sat around 184 and while having a gut was still generally healthy and able to do whatever I needed to do in life with no problems. For 10 weeks I sat around depressed and did nothing but lay on my couch and eat terribly. That’s what got me from 184 to 198. 21 days ago now I weight 190. I don’t think that’s unhealthy at all, I think I am just losing that lazy weight. When I get back down to 184ish I think my weight loss will dramatically slow down.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited January 2019
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    mithion wrote: »
    Ok here is my thing. Up until I was maybe 26-27 I was very skinny and I had a six pack because of that, not because I ate healthy or worked out.
    I just had a fast metabolism and was very skinny.
    I weighed 135 at 24 years old in 2007. Around 26-27 I changed nothing, I still didn’t work out or eat good st all and I steadily risked weight every year. From 2007 at 135 up to the end of 2018 where I weighed 184. That’s almost 50 pounds of weight gaines just from getting older. I changed nothing in my exercise or diet over those years. My job, where I am on my feet all day, gave me around 12-15 thousand steps a day. Sill horrible diet and no exercise besides my steps and work I sat around 184 and while having a gut was still generally healthy and able to do whatever I needed to do in life with no problems. For 10 weeks Insat around depressed and did nothing but lay on my couch and eat terribly. That’s eBay got me from 184 to 198. 21 days ago now

    You can keep telling your story, but you lose weight by burning more calories than you are taking in. Doesn't matter if you put it on 10 years ago or 10 weeks ago. Cutting too aggressively is going to unnecessarily cost you more lean muscle mass period. What you do with that knowledge is up to you.

    Edited to add: Taking into account that some of those first few lbs were likely water weight, you may not be that bad off at the moment, but as has been mentioned, you shouldn't be aiming for more than 1 lb/week.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Most of that is probably water weight. If you keep registering big losses like that, you're likely running too aggressive a deficit. According to https://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=36&csex=m&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=10&cheightmeter=180&printit=0&x=30&y=24: Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, your recommended weight is 128.9 lbs - 174.2 lbs

    Which means that depending on where you're shooting for in that range, you probably don't want to lose more than 1lb per week. If you're going for the high end of the range, even 1/2 pound per week might be more appropriate.

    How can a healthy weight for a 5'10 man be 128 Pounds?That seems off--I know it's a range for a reason, but ....
  • Teabythesea_
    Teabythesea_ Posts: 559 Member
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    mithion wrote: »
    I’m not saying what anyone has posted here is wrong. None of you know me or my body or my physiology. I understand what all of you are saying. Here is what I do not understand. I am eating healthier than I ever have before, I am tracking my calories and macros and taking vitamins, probiotics, omega 3. I am doing body weight exercises, light dumbbell exercises, various cardio exercises and following a detailed fitness plan.

    How in the world is that not a good thing? How in the world are you all going to tell me that exactly what MFP is meant for and it’s working for me is wrong?

    There is a setting that asks how much weight per week you want to lose, I put 2 pounds, I put active for the activity setting. How is any of this not a good result? How after all of this good stuff, good food, vitamins and exercise is going from 198 to 190 in 20 days not a good thing? I’m sorry but that’s absolutely rediculous. What I am doing is working. I feel great, I’m motivated, I haven’t missed a single day. I’ve even had several “cheat days”. But y’all or going to say my results are too much? That’s it’s not healthy? If losing 2 pounds a week is not healthy than why the heck is there that choice to the question when you make your profile goals? I genuinely appreciate all of the concern and scientifically, biologically etc I understand what you are saying, losing too much too quick is not healthy and your body will begin to eat your own muscle.

    My calorie deficit is from exercise. MFP set my calorie goal to 1,880, almost every day I am under that goal either due to just not eating that much or from exercise with net calories. There have been several days where I went way over 1,880 with just food and only marginally offset it with exercise. What I get from all of these comments is that what I am doing is working too good and too fast. I’m sorry but that’s absurd! Once again, I appreciate and respect all of the advice and concern. My original question of 8 pounds in 20 days is that good was simply to see what other people have experienced in their fitness journey. I’m not special in any way and I am not doing anything special or unique. This is just the way my body is reacting and I feel amazing. I 100% disagree that losing 2 pounds a week is unhealthy. I am hydrated, I drink a whole lot of water every single day, I eat healthy 90% of the time, I run, walk, lift weights, do burpees and all that calisthenics stuff and for the first time in my 36 years of life I feel amazing and feel that I am stronger and have more endurance. It’s baffling to me that the responses to my question indicate that what I am doing to is too much. I am no expert on diets or fitness or exercise but I am listening to my body. I truly don’t mean to come off as arrogant or like I know everything because I very much do not, I just started this 21 days ago. I surely educated my self obsessively on how the body uses calories and stored energy and how it’s carbs then fat then protein when it comes the body looking for energy with the lack of food. I have learned about intermittent fasting and how the body responds to it, how lifting weights to gain muscle increases metabolism because it takes more energy to sustain muscle etc. I feel like my body is responding to this new lifestyle in the best way. 8 pounds in 20 Days, is that good progress? Well it seems like to everyone else here it’s too much so I will keep that in mind no matter how much I disagree with that and with how great I feel. Once again thank you for all of the comments, I appreciate it. Everyone have a blessed day and may your fitness journey be the best it can be for you.

    To be fair, you did ask what we thought and if it was good progress. We may not know you, your body or your physiology, but keep in mine neither does MFP. You can tell it what you want and it’ll calculate what needs to happen to attain those results, but it certainly doesn’t check in with your doctor to ensure that’s it healthy for you. I, a 5’5” 130 lb, active female could tell MFP that I want to lose 2 lbs per week and it would tell me to eat 1200 calories a day because that’s the minimum and I could do just that, but would it be healthy? Absolutely not. While all of us are different as far as our bodies go, none of us are exempt from the hard truth that if we lose too much too fast it can have disastrous effects on our health that may not be apparent right away.
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
    edited January 2019
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    [/quote]To be fair, you did ask what we thought and if it was good progress. We may not know you, your body or your physiology, but keep in mine neither does MFP. You can tell it what you want and it’ll calculate what needs to happen to attain those results, but it certainly doesn’t check in with your doctor to ensure that’s it healthy for you. I, a 5’5” 130 lb, active female could tell MFP that I want to lose 2 lbs per week and it would tell me to eat 1200 calories a day because that’s the minimum and I could do just that, but would it be healthy? Absolutely not. While all of us are different as far as our bodies go, none of us are exempt from the hard truth that if we lose too much too fast it can have disastrous effects on our health that may not be apparent right away.
    [/quote]

    I comepletely understand what you are saying. My results of 8 pounds have made no visual change to my body at all, I am basing my success on how I feel. I can’t go to a doctor every day but I do know that I have more energy, I’m not depressed or anxious anymore, I feel amazing and I am super motivated. To me that’s success!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    mithion wrote: »
    To be fair, you did ask what we thought and if it was good progress. We may not know you, your body or your physiology, but keep in mine neither does MFP. You can tell it what you want and it’ll calculate what needs to happen to attain those results, but it certainly doesn’t check in with your doctor to ensure that’s it healthy for you. I, a 5’5” 130 lb, active female could tell MFP that I want to lose 2 lbs per week and it would tell me to eat 1200 calories a day because that’s the minimum and I could do just that, but would it be healthy? Absolutely not. While all of us are different as far as our bodies go, none of us are exempt from the hard truth that if we lose too much too fast it can have disastrous effects on our health that may not be apparent right away.
    [/quote]

    I comepletely understand what you are saying. My results of 8 ponds have made no visual change to my body at all, I am basing my success on how I feel. I can’t go to a doctor every day but I do know that I have more energy, I’m not depressed or anxious anymore, I feel amazing and I am super motivated. To me that’s success!
    [/quote]
    Basing your success on how you feel after 2 weeks is not an accurate or rational measure of whether you are under eating or not. How do you know you wouldn't feel just as good if you were losing at a more reasonable rate like, say, 1lb per week? You don't.

    Negative effects of under eating take a while to show up. Muscle loss will not make you feel anything. I think your exercise program is fine. I will echo what others have said, you are under eating for the amount of weight you have to lose and your overall stats. Will it hurt you for 2 or 3 weeks? probably not. Is it a good long term approach? Nope.

    But why ask if you already have your mind made up. You asked and didn't like or take on board the very consistent feedback you've gotten so you push back. OK, do it your way and accept whatever the results may be.
  • mithion
    mithion Posts: 78 Member
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    I will 100% take everything eveyone has said and remember it and I will continue to listen to my body. I have to see how this works long term for me, only way I can know how my body is dealing with this new life style.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    2 lbs per week is perfectly fine for obese people who have a lot of weight to lose, so MFP includes it as an option. MFP doesn't tell anyone what they should do, it just tells you what you need to do based on the info you provided, whether it's the best idea or not.

    We've all answered the question you keep asking. The problem would be muscle loss. You don't feel muscle loss as it's happening. Sometimes fatigue and hair loss happen weeks and months after the damage is done. Often the damage is just vanity, in the way you look at the lower weight. If you honestly think we're wrong, that's fine. It might not cause you any problems at all, and I truly do hope you luck out that way.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited January 2019
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    You just started a diet and likely weighed yourself at a fully hydrated point and followed this with a relatively dehydrated point. It's a good start and a great motivator, but just don't get discouraged with the next point ticks up.

    As reference my weight fluctuates ~5lbs throughout the day based on hydration 6'4", 220 lbs - I know this is just water weight. We are ~60% water, so this makes sense. The trick it focusing on the fat loss and this is really only detectable over time.

    There is no such thing as a fast or slow metabolism. This is nothing more than a series of biochemical processes. Fast or slow would result in death.

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