Should heavier people be worried about losing more than 2 lbs a week?

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jbrumitt38
jbrumitt38 Posts: 10 Member
edited April 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
I weighed 278.6 as of this morning. At the beginning of the week, I weighed 283. While I have lost a lot of weight this month, this was by far the biggest drop in a week. Should I be worried? I've been hitting 1500-1700 calories every day and my maintenance is at 2700.

I did get my second vaccine shot this week. Dunno if that would make a difference.

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  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    edited April 2021
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    If it's a one time thing I would not worry too much, though that is a LOT. That said, I... would not be doing more than 1000cal deficit on purpose. So 1500 should probably not be your norm or a thing you aim for (though it happens once in a while don't fret about it, either)..
  • Iwannabeapunkrockmom
    Iwannabeapunkrockmom Posts: 61 Member
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    My weight tends to stay the same for a week at a time and then plummet the next week. I try to look at the overall monthly average and it's less jarring. If my weight was plummeting every week, I'd definitely suggest re-evaluating your plan and make adjustments. I think the important question is, how do you feel? If you see a doctor, how do you labs look? If you feel good and everything looks golden, then keep it up.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,680 Member
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    It's also possible that this was a water weight drop because you are slightly dehydrated or ate less salt than usual yesterday. You may find your weight up a pound or three tomorrow. As stated above, if it happens several weeks in a row, then change your calorie goal so that you eating more.
  • jbrumitt38
    jbrumitt38 Posts: 10 Member
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    My situation is weird because I am finally losing weight due to a meal planning service that sells pre-portioned meals. I truly don't feel like I'm starving myself. If anything, I find it hard to scramble for the extra calories to meet 1500 every day. That said, I'm going to start trying to get closer to 1700-1800 rather than 1500-1700. Just have to graze on some nuts or something.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    With such a large deficit, I would be sure to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet to reduce the potential that portions of your weight loss is muscle (vs fat)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,390 Member
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    jbrumitt38 wrote: »
    My situation is weird because I am finally losing weight due to a meal planning service that sells pre-portioned meals. I truly don't feel like I'm starving myself. If anything, I find it hard to scramble for the extra calories to meet 1500 every day. That said, I'm going to start trying to get closer to 1700-1800 rather than 1500-1700. Just have to graze on some nuts or something.

    That would be a good plan. Speaking as someone who under-ate accidentally for a while (I'm the odd duck for whom MFP underestimates calorie needs), how one feels is not necessarily a great leading indicator of problems. I felt energetic, not hungry . . . until I suddenly hit a wall. Almost overnight, I was weak and fatigued. Even though I'd corrected calorie intake quickly, as soon as I realized, it took multiple weeks to recover normal strength/energy. No one needs that (or worse).

    Getting a few snacks in there, like nuts or avocado or something - calorie dense, not too filling - sounds just right to keep the calorie deficit at a conservatively moderate level.
  • FitnessCurmudgeon
    FitnessCurmudgeon Posts: 4 Member
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    jbrumitt38 wrote: »
    I weighed 278.6 as of this morning. At the beginning of the week, I weighed 283. While I have lost a lot of weight this month, this was by far the biggest drop in a week. Should I be worried? I've been hitting 1500-1700 calories every day and my maintenance is at 2700.

    I did get my second vaccine shot this week. Dunno if that would make a difference.

    Really not a problem. Weight loss is not linear. The scale weighs everything, so fluxes in fluids can account for wider swings.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    I've been 5 pounds lighter or heavier from one day to the next, almost entirely from my hydration level.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

    A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

    (Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,390 Member
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    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

    A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

    (Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)

    Keep in mind that that fatigue also stands a high chance of reducing your daily calorie expenditures, too: Fatigue usually leads to dragging through the day, resting more, putting off or shortcutting chores that require higher energy, lowered workout intensity, less spontaneous movement (basically fidgeting), and more. Counter-productive in more than one way!
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    penguinmama87 wrote: »
    I would see how you trend and maybe make an adjustment based on that. One week could mean a lot of things, but I think the average over several weeks would be more meaningful.

    A personal experience I'm dealing with right now: I'm significantly overweight, and last month I had several weeks *in a row* of unexpectedly big losses and felt fine, until this past week when I crashed hard. I realized I was probably undereating (I was logging accurately, but I probably need more calories than I thought). I've bumped up a little and will again see how that affects things, again looking at a several week/month-long trend. I have the time to figure it out, and I'd rather do it right even if it means it's a bit slower. I did kinda like those big numbers, not gonna lie, but I do not love the fatigue.

    (Part of me wonders how much potential undereating has derailed my previous weight loss attempts, too.)

    Keep in mind that that fatigue also stands a high chance of reducing your daily calorie expenditures, too: Fatigue usually leads to dragging through the day, resting more, putting off or shortcutting chores that require higher energy, lowered workout intensity, less spontaneous movement (basically fidgeting), and more. Counter-productive in more than one way!

    Yes, I'm finding that out now! I'm hoping that it won't take too long for my energy to come back now that I am eating a little more. I am typically a very high energy person, so for me to feel like that definitely means something is not right.

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