losing 3-5 lbs a week
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Web MD says to focus heavily on cardio and to do your strength training circuit before you do your cardio workout to lose more fat0
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Try to set realistic, healthy sustainable goals.
One of the things I've noticed around here is that everyone seems to be fixated on what your scale says, shouldn't the real goal be improving your health?
AWESOME!!!! There have been plenty of days that the scale was up or the same --- but I *feel* great. My choices were good, I exercised and the scale did not immediately reflect that. By remembering that it is a lifetime journey, I now use the scale as a TOOL, not a JUDGE. Ultimately, my good health will be reflected by a thinner body.0 -
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Overview (why I'm posting this)
Over the course of about 7 months on here, I have seen many people suceed, I have also seen some drop off the map. I expect this is because some succumb to the demon that is temptation, and some to the devil that is dissapointment. I wanted to give a few "heads up"s to both new commers and vetrans to the site. Some may know already, some may not. But either way, if this helps anyone to set more realistic goals in their own head, I feel like it has done it's job.
Phase 1. The start of a brand new day! (or week, or month, or year)
Expectations are sky high, usually so is motivation and intentions. This is where most people lose the most weight. At the start it's not uncommon to see 4 to 8 lb losses per week. The reasons for this are mostly (sorry to disappoint) water weight. You drop excess water quickly, and you can have up to 5 lbs of water weight. The next biggest reason is the fat that is right next to the blood vessels, the stuff that you put on in the last month or three, it will melt like butter usually.
Phase 2. Reality setting in.
At about week 3 to a month or so, people suddenly realize that they are no longer dropping 8, 6, or even 4 lbs a week. This is a crutial phase in your journey. Expect this, it is natural. You have shocked your body by changing both eating habits and exercise routine. Now it has had a little while to become used to the new lifestyle, it's going to compensate. Your body still doesn't believe it's permenant yet, so it will still try to store some fat, so now that it knows how to regulate it's new metabolic levels, it tryies to store fat in earnest. It's not uncommon for people to hit a wall here, no loss for weeks. Expect this as well.
Phase 3. The routine.
At about 2 months or so, your routine is pretty much set, your body is beginning to believe that you really want to STAY the way you are going now. You will start to see more consistant (but lower, usually 1 to 2 lbs a week) loss, also, you should start seeing some muscle tone (depending on how much you had to lose in the first place). If you stop to think, you should realize that you have improved dramatically in your exercise levels. If you do cardio, you should notice how much longer and harder you can work. This is important to realize as it is just as big of an indicator as weight loss. Also, by now you may notice that your clothes no longer fit right. This is also very important. The weight may not be falling off anymore, but you are becomming a smaller person. Weight is arbitrary, if you are building muscle (which your body is doing at a furious pace by now) you won't notice huge losses, but you will notice wholesale changes in the mirror!
Phase 4. Really digging in.
This is where the second wall can happen. You're probably at between 3 and 4 months by now, and if you have gone this far, you feel like you have already suceeded. This is where many people stumble. they are tired of the routine, tired of eating different things from all their friends, limiting their alcohol intake. Basically the shine has worn off. this is when your really need to plant your feet. Maybe change up your exercise routine, make a concentrated effort to find different, but still nutritional food. Talk to people. And examine how far you have come. At this point, no matter how much external motivation you receive, it's all about believing in yourself!
Phase 5. End game.
5 or 6 months in you are probably working on that "last 10 pounds". This can be discouraging for many as it is a slow burn. Remember, your body probably feels like it is where it needs to be, your brain might think you need to lose 10 more, but your body is quite proud of itself now, it feels like it has "Done enough" and it wants to stay RIGHT HERE. The body LIKES to have a little fat around just in case, especially for the ladies (sorry girls, it's just human physiology). If you feel like you still need to lose it, prepare yourself for some guerrila warfare against your body. Design an exercise regimen that is very dynamic, forget the "same thing every day". Make a plan that challenges you both physically and mentally. Make sure you give yourself a day off here and there to just veg. And by all means, remember, muscle burns fat at rest. So get some weight or resistance training involved.
The last 10 may take 3 to 6 months to lose. I know nobody wants to hear that, but it's true. And forget the idea of increasing your calorie deficite, healthy bodies need good nutrition, your body no longer has the fat reserves to handle the large deficites you could when you were 30 40 or 50 pounds overweight. Better to make it a 3 or 400 calorie deficite (NET, please count your exercise calories too!). It may take a bit longer, but your body will like you for it. Plus it feeds those new muscles and keeps them burning fat, keeps your skin healthy (elasticity is important when you want those places that were stretched out to "snap back") and keeps you from getting head aches and depressed.
Conclusion:
this is what I have learned, not just from my journey, but from others as well on here. It saddens me sometimes to see people hit one of these stages and not recognize it for what it is, a part of the process. If we all can have realistic expectations, then we are more prone to win the fight and stay healthy in the long run. Note that some people will hit these stages harder then others, some may take longer, but for the most part, this is the rule that the exceptions will come from. "
That's all I got because I have no clue how to lose 3-5lbs a week.
Fab post , so glad i looked on here , I am going to keep reading this advice its the best and most thorough ive seen yet thanks x0 -
Sorry just read the post a little more... 1000 calories is NOT nearly enough. I eat 1700 a day and lose about a pound a week.
Less doesn't always mean more loss. You will screw up your body and metabolism doing that
Biggest Loser isn't real life.
ALSO biggest loser weigh ins werent always in a week. one of the contestants came out with a book about it. she said that it showed as a week but sometimes could really have been 3-4 weeks. so even at that heavy they dont always lose that much :-)0 -
I started MFP over a year ago with a very aggressive and stubborn attitude, just like you. I ate an average of 900 calories per day and worked out like a maniac..... this is what I learned during my adventure:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/302589-eat-more-to-lose-more-explained
Increase your calories and do it the right way. There is a reason we call it the "right way", btw, because it works not only for the short term, but for the long term. I no longer struggle with my weight, calories, or eating. Please join me.0 -
Great replies everyone, too bad some people will never understand and do what they want anyway.0
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"i'm mostly looking for people who have had success attempting this rather than all the arguments against it."
You aren't getting replies from these people....because they don't exist. Try asking experts if you don't believe the 1000s here that are trying to keep you from ending up with an eating disorder and medical conditions from lack of proper nutrients.0 -
if you read my initial question it was asking for anyone who had had any luck hitting that benchmark. i didn't ask anything but that. that is all. and yes, 1000 cals is working for me plus exercise, but i'm not hitting the 3-5 lbs per week. my question is more of a mathematical one - what is the formula for calculating deficit taking into account bmr so i can figure out how much exercise i need a week to hit this goal.
Then it doesn't sound like it's working for you, if you still aren't hitting 3-5 per week. Because it doesn't work. Because your body doesn't want it to work. Don't post in a forum and expect no one to comment about how unhealthy this is. God forbid if someone else stumbles upon this and tries to do the same because they saw it here with no one posting counter positions.0 -
I've been pretty satisfied with losing a little over 50 pounds in a year. It's slow, but I know it's not coming back, and I know that I haven't hurt my organs, metabolism, or lean muscle mass. Also being able to eat 1,700 cal/day makes me happy.0
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Look, I am eating around 1000 calories a day too, give or take 200 depending on how i feel. BUT when i exercise I eat all the calories back. AND i'm a really small frame and honestly I feel great.
HOWEVER... I exercise. and you don't. i'm sorry, but a 20 minute tape is nothing. go for an hour walk! walk to work and back, or to the store! It's crucial.
I recommend walking 40 mins a day and then going for a half hour jog or something. exercise is the way you will get your massive deficit.
and drink the water, or you will get massive headaches or pass out or fall sick. furreal.0 -
Heya. Rapid weight loss for me caused the development of gall stones. Which causes an occasional bout of unbearable pain that can last for hours. I need surgery to remove my gallbladder but I can't afford it so I just deal with it until it's no longer an option. So lump that in with the loss of lean muscle mass and bone and I'll gladly take .5-2 lbs a week. I'd love to be skinny like yesterday but if modest results aren't enough to keep me going, this isn't going to last
Eta: I didn't realize this thread was 10 months old
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I have a hard to eating and tend to eat too few calories. In fact everyday my fitness pal says I still need to eat a few hundred more. But I am trying to stay between 1100 - 1300 calories and I do Zumba on the Wii for 19 minutes everyday. I am losing 4-5 lbs a week. I wasn't charting at first because I kept going down to 1000 calories and then I would gain a pound. Now that I never go under 1100 I am losing everyday. I eat high protein in the morning and 3 small snacks and vegies and meat for dinner. I drink a low cal shake for breakfast and one before bed. I drink it with in an hour of waking and I make sure I eat every 2-3 hours. I set alarms on my phone. Not saying this will work for you but here is my typical day. 8 am low cal protein shake.{180} 11 am 2 eggs and 3 turkey bacon[230), 1 pm 1 piece of cheese[110]. 3 pm 1 cup of greek yogurt [140]. 5 pm dinner. 4 oz of lean meat [200] and a salad or low carb veggies[200]. 7 pm low cal protein shake [180]. I have hard time with water so I only get in 4 glasses but if I drink less I see less weight come off. We eat out at Taco Wednesday's and I totaled 1800 cal for that day and still woke up to a loss. But that's just one day of carbs. I'd be curious to see if it works for someone other than me. If I am still hungry at 10 when I go to bed I take a few sips of another shake and a glass of water. If I am craving sweets I drink the whole shake and go to bed.0
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Okay so from all the responses, this is the conclusion I see. You are wrong, dumb for thinking you can, and why are you even asking the question? I came upon this doing a google search about weight loss of more than 2 pounds a week. I know I lost 100 pounds just eating healthy and exercising in a year, no calculations. Some of the responses were way out of line. The girl asked a question and its as if she was attacked. Some of the comments were out right mean. No it may not be the healthiest way to go, but I know my first month I lost 30 just by exercising more and cutting back. Bigger people, like morbidly obese people lose a lot more in the first two months than the average size. I know you all may not think what she's doing is healthy, but really that many people just repeating the same facts yet each time being more aggressive and mean. I also couldn't read anymore past page three. Wow, what's the support in that?1
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i'm interested in trying to lose 5 lbs a week (give or take a pound or two). i have 110 to lose. if you've had any luck hitting this benchmark, i'd be curious what you are doing. i know, i didn't put it on over night (in fact, it took 6 years). but, i've been reading about rapid weight loss and it doesn't sound like it's the big deal they used to think it was. i find myself getting discouraged and then emotionally eating when the scale doesn't move like i think it should. i want to get rapid results.
i know there are no magic bullets. i'm looking for targets for calories in and time spent on exercise...and what kind you are doing.
my diet is pretty healthy right now. and i am exercising 5 days a week. doing 30 day shred for 20 minutes every day and not getting the results i want. better overall fitness level, but the scale and tape measure aren't moving to my liking. i really need to invest in an HRM so i have a better idea on the cals. I know my BMR right now is about 1800. i think i figured to be on target, i'd need to find a way to eliminate another 7000 - 10,500 a week. I eat 1,000 - 1,200 cals a day. I give myself a little wiggle room, but try to be on the low end.
If you had advice on workouts (that i can do at home) it would be really appreciated!! I am able to get to the gym on the weekends, just not during the week.
17,500/week deficit will be needed. Break that up, that's a 2500 calorie deficit per day.
Working very hard on the elliptical I can burn 13 cals/minute (not based on HRM but using my average HR & an online calculator). I round this down to 10 cals/minute to give myself some leeway.
Let's say you eat 500 cals less, that leaves an additional 2000 calories per day to burn, which equals approximately 200 minutes, or nearly 3 hours at high intensity on the elliptical.
Or you could work at moderate intensity for 6 hours per day.
I'm not saying it can't be done, it can (I watch Biggest Loser, I know), however I don't recommend it. If you want ANY chance of your skin bouncing back, LOSE SLOWLY. Try to stick with 2lbs/week given the amount you have to lose.
Edit: ANNND i just realized this was a dead thread.0 -
Honestly, losing 3-5lbs a week is not a hard feat at all. But you will not lose 3-5lbs a week long-term.
Gradually you will progress to 1-2lbs at the most, and an average of at least 1/2 a lb a week.
It's all in what you eat, and if you're not someone who can spend their life in the gym... it starts in the kitchen. If you eat the right way, NOT DIET FOOD AND NOT DIETING, you WILL lose weight.
Eating right means having every nutrition in your meal plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That means with every meal you need to have a protein, a serving of vegetables, a serving of fruit, and a starch. Doing this, will greatly boost your metabolism because what happens when you don't have all of the nutrients you need in your meal... your body doesn't know how to react to the lack of the nutrient you do need... and most times that leads to over eating, and storing fat. Also, cooking with olive oil and only consuming about 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil a day will be beneficial. Also, adding protein to your diet like a protein shake or even a protein drink will really help you achieve your results. Trust me, I have been on this for quite sometime and it has helped me achieve and maintain my weight. There is NO DIET and NO DIET food, you can buy most of your food at your local grocery store. One tip... is to gradually get away from using salts. ANYTHING POWDER, like garlic powder, onion powder, ect... is okay to use, but salts make you retain water weight, which in turn can be the determining factor of losing an extra lb. Good Luck!
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all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.1
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technicalman wrote: »all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.
2014 thread, this time. Still a zombie.
I didn't read this whole thread, but often very old threads contain bad, outdated information.
There's no point in bringing them back just to disagree with them: It just makes new people here read the bad, old stuff.
Please don't wake up old threads. There are plenty of newer threads to post on. Or, start one of your own.
If you like disputing things, maybe start one over in the Debate area?
As an aside, in suggesting 1000 as a minimum for women, 1200 for men, you're suggesting minimums below what MFP itself recommends.11 -
You would calculate your TDEE (also your BMR, but you're not in a coma, so that's irrelevant, anyway) based on your height, weight, gender and activity level. From there, you subtract 500 calories per day for each pound you want to lose. So you'd need to create a 1500 - 2500 calorie deficit. Even eating 0 calories, you may find it difficult to attain your 5 lbs. per week. Because of the math.
The more you short-change your metabolism by undereating, the less energy you have to exercise and create a deficit. Good luck. You should really reconsider a healthier goal for weightloss of between 1/2 and 1 percent of your body weight.1 -
Oh, man - I replied to this on my phone at work after only reading the first page - so sorry. OP is likely LONG gone...5
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5 lbs a week is unrealistic and dangerous, I’m sorry. 2 lbs a week is the maximum safe amount (unless one has hundreds of lbs to lose) and less may be even more realistic.1
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Expert here. You're NOT doing yourself any favors eating that low and exercising. That would NET you well under 1,000 calories a day and the body is much smarter than you think. While you have excess storage to use, the body IS NOT great at giving up calories versus how it stores it.if you read my initial question it was asking for anyone who had had any luck hitting that benchmark. i didn't ask anything but that. that is all. and yes, 1000 cals is working for me plus exercise, but i'm not hitting the 3-5 lbs per week. my question is more of a mathematical one - what is the formula for calculating deficit taking into account bmr so i can figure out how much exercise i need a week to hit this goal.
i certainly don't claim to have all the answers, but several responses were about eating healthy, no processed foods, etc. And no, I don't see anything wrong with calorie restriction because I more than exceed all my dietary needs with regard to macros because i choose the right foods. i have worked with a nutritionist in the past and i know how to make the 1,000 cals work.
i'm trying to figure out how much exercise i need to get the deficit i'm aiming for. perhaps my question wasn't clear enough that i was looking for people who have had success doing that - not just opinions from random "experts".
My professional opinion is that you should be consuming at least 1700 calories a day. Don't try to figure out why. Whatever you're doing ISN'T working so it might be wise to actually take advice from people that actually know how to do it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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technicalman wrote: »all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.
read and learn.
Your knowledge base is a tad lacking on what can and does happen, and much worse than you seem to believe.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201401
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OP hasn't been to the forums for over a year.
Not sure what happened from 2013 to 2020 last visit.
Always hate it when we don't hear the results of the extreme attempts. I figure it didn't go well or we'd be getting a big "told you it would work".9 -
technicalman wrote: »all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.
2014 thread, this time. Still a zombie.
I didn't read this whole thread, but often very old threads contain bad, outdated information.
There's no point in bringing them back just to disagree with them: It just makes new people here read the bad, old stuff.
Please don't wake up old threads. There are plenty of newer threads to post on. Or, start one of your own.
If you like disputing things, maybe start one over in the Debate area?
As an aside, in suggesting 1000 as a minimum for women, 1200 for men, you're suggesting minimums below what MFP itself recommends.
Well, maybe the Alli one as a cautionary tale. And I really hope the wolf spider one never dies
I absolutely agree with this, especially waking up threads just to disagree. I think sometimes though people type a question into google, a thread from MFP comes up and they create an account so they can comment. That's happened to me a couple of times trying to google nutrition information, though of course I don't create an account and start an argument
So many of these threads are revived by people with one or two comments who never post again. 3 -
read and learn.
Your knowledge base is a tad lacking on what can and does happen, and much worse than you seem to believe.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201401
@heybales I was interested in reading the blog you linked to, but it says I don't have permission. Would you please check your privacy settings?1 -
technicalman wrote: »all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.
2014 thread, this time. Still a zombie.
I didn't read this whole thread, but often very old threads contain bad, outdated information.
There's no point in bringing them back just to disagree with them: It just makes new people here read the bad, old stuff.
Please don't wake up old threads. There are plenty of newer threads to post on. Or, start one of your own.
If you like disputing things, maybe start one over in the Debate area?
As an aside, in suggesting 1000 as a minimum for women, 1200 for men, you're suggesting minimums below what MFP itself recommends.
Well, maybe the Alli one as a cautionary tale. And I really hope the wolf spider one never dies
I absolutely agree with this, especially waking up threads just to disagree. I think sometimes though people type a question into google, a thread from MFP comes up and they create an account so they can comment. That's happened to me a couple of times trying to google nutrition information, though of course I don't create an account and start an argument So many of these threads are revived by people with one or two comments who never post again.
Wolf spider?
Do tell…1 -
MargaretYakoda wrote: »technicalman wrote: »all that stuff above about slower metabolism is just bunk. everybody's metabolism slows down when you lose weight. there's less of you so there's less metabolism. if you're body goes into starvation mode, the slowest your metabolism can slow down is about 10% of what it currently is. if it slows down more, it means you're dead. organs need to run which requires metabolism. women probably shouldn't go below 1000 calories per day in food. men shouldn't go below 1200 calories a day in food. 500 calories deficit from what you burn is a lb. a week. so 1500 calories deficit per day is 3 lbs a week. if eating the minimum calories won't give you the 1500 calorie deficit, you have to make it up in exercise. use an app and a smartphone/watch to figure out the calories burned during exercise.
2014 thread, this time. Still a zombie.
I didn't read this whole thread, but often very old threads contain bad, outdated information.
There's no point in bringing them back just to disagree with them: It just makes new people here read the bad, old stuff.
Please don't wake up old threads. There are plenty of newer threads to post on. Or, start one of your own.
If you like disputing things, maybe start one over in the Debate area?
As an aside, in suggesting 1000 as a minimum for women, 1200 for men, you're suggesting minimums below what MFP itself recommends.
Well, maybe the Alli one as a cautionary tale. And I really hope the wolf spider one never dies
I absolutely agree with this, especially waking up threads just to disagree. I think sometimes though people type a question into google, a thread from MFP comes up and they create an account so they can comment. That's happened to me a couple of times trying to google nutrition information, though of course I don't create an account and start an argument So many of these threads are revived by people with one or two comments who never post again.
Wolf spider?
Do tell…
i dont know that i remember that story. not off the top of my head anyway.
now, i have my OWN story, but other than the fact id really like to know what kind of land speed record i broke running up a flight of basement stairs after encountering a wolf spider literally the size of my HEAD by my washer and dryer, and how many calories I might have burned that night in doing so, I'm not sure it would be relevant to MFP LOLOL
coincidentally, it was a rental house, i was moving out in about a week, and the washer and dryer was the only thing in the basement. i never went back in the basement and left the washer and dryer behind. and the clothes in it.
i dont regret my decision.
LMAO4 -
autumnblade75 wrote: »read and learn.
Your knowledge base is a tad lacking on what can and does happen, and much worse than you seem to believe.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales?month=201401
@heybales I was interested in reading the blog you linked to, but it says I don't have permission. Would you please check your privacy settings?
That figures, don't use it for ages, and then make a change to settings yesterday.
Didn't think through the effect. Setting correct again.0 -
no clue how i ever missed that LOL0
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