2lb per week too aggressive?

jrc2127
jrc2127 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I’m 5’2 164 and 32 years old. I’m pretty inactive I walk or light cardio about 3 days a week. I would like to lose at least 30 lb. If I set mfp to lose 2 lb per week and 1.5 lb per week loss then I get 1200 Cal... 1 lb per week is 1260. I find this to be too restrictive and then I end up binging. I get 1500 though for 0.5 loss per week which is more doable but I’m wondering if I should just suck it up and do the 1200?

Replies

  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    1) Yes, based on how much I'm guessing you have to lose, 2 lbs/week is definitely too aggressive.

    2) The most important thing is to do something sustainable. If you feel 1200 calories is too restrictive, don't do that. But if you go down the 1500 calorie road and your weight loss rate feels very snail-like, you don't have to do that either. You can customize your goals and be anywhere in between 1200 and 1500. Pick something that makes you feel like you can stick with this.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,794 Member
    If 1lb per week gives you a daily goal of 1260, 1.5lbs or 2lbs is definitely too aggressive. MFP will never give a calorie goal below 1200 for a woman, to ensure adequate nutrition, so it isn't even possible to lose that fast eating 1200 calories per day.

    I've lost 46 lbs so far while being set at a weight loss rate of 0.5lbs per week. It's a LOT easier to stick to your calorie goal that way, I could never have achieved my weight loss while eating 1200 calories, I would have given up. Slow and steady wins the race!

    Exercise and/or being more active is a great way to be able to eat more calories, by the way. My calorie goal is around 1500 (set at sedentary) but I usually eat at least a few hundred calories more by being more active (calorie adjustment from my fitness tracker) and exercise a few days per week.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited September 2020
    jrc2127 wrote: »
    I’m 5’2 164 and 32 years old. I’m pretty inactive I walk or light cardio about 3 days a week. I would like to lose at least 30 lb. If I set mfp to lose 2 lb per week and 1.5 lb per week loss then I get 1200 Cal... 1 lb per week is 1260. I find this to be too restrictive and then I end up binging. I get 1500 though for 0.5 loss per week which is more doable but I’m wondering if I should just suck it up and do the 1200?

    Undereating leading to overeating is common. Do eat more :)

    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

    binge-low-calorie-diet.jpg

    Also consider being more active so you get more calories.
  • ALZ14
    ALZ14 Posts: 202 Member
    I’m 5’3 and 173 right now and I’m at 1300 calories (1lb week). I’ve been here for a few days and it is hard to stick to, even when eating back a portion of my exercise calories I earned. I’m thinking about going to 1/2 pound a week so I’m not miserable. I usually earn 500-600 calories a day by walking 9,000-12,000 steps a day. I don’t eat them all back so it helps create a larger deficit, but in days I’m really hungry or really want that pizza then I can eat more without feeling guilty.

    If your calorie goal too restrictive you won’t stick to it and you won’t hit your goals, so I would do 1/2 or 1 pound a week and then be more active so you can eat those calories, or bank them for a weekend splurge meal.

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