Am I losing weight too fast?
Augos
Posts: 67 Member
I'm 6'4" and currently weigh 270lbs. I started off in January at 352 lbs.
I'm wondering if I'm losing weight too fast and how quickly should I change things.
My initial goal was to lose around 1.65lbs per week, but for over 6 weeks ive been going at around 4.7lbs per week and I fear it might turn even faster.
For my 1.65lbs goal I should be eating around 2519kcal per day. Instead I've been around 2100kcal per day with 1500kcal of exercise. Last two weeks my food intake has lowered even more though, so now its averaging around 1600kcal with the same exercise. I felt a bit sick after eating my large breakfasts which were around 850kcal, so I decided to replace them with a simpler omelette, which is 400kcal every morning.
With such a deficit I should be hungry, but I don't really feel hungry at all. Even eating 2100kcal felt like a lot and sometimes I felt full before even finishing meals. I've missed meal times if I don't have a reminder too, which is really unexpected, because a year ago I couldn't go long without being hungry all the time. I'm taking all the minerals and vitamins I might need, so maybe that plays a part.
I plan on decreasing the fall around 240lbs, but with current numbers, maybe I should start slowing the fall right now. Is this loss extreme? Could there be any dangers with such fast weight loss?
When I started, I didn't really do a lot of research on the health and nutrition side of things, other than getting my macros right. So any input would be helpful!
Maybe there's also a way to easily increase calories without feeling full too quickly?
I'm wondering if I'm losing weight too fast and how quickly should I change things.
My initial goal was to lose around 1.65lbs per week, but for over 6 weeks ive been going at around 4.7lbs per week and I fear it might turn even faster.
For my 1.65lbs goal I should be eating around 2519kcal per day. Instead I've been around 2100kcal per day with 1500kcal of exercise. Last two weeks my food intake has lowered even more though, so now its averaging around 1600kcal with the same exercise. I felt a bit sick after eating my large breakfasts which were around 850kcal, so I decided to replace them with a simpler omelette, which is 400kcal every morning.
With such a deficit I should be hungry, but I don't really feel hungry at all. Even eating 2100kcal felt like a lot and sometimes I felt full before even finishing meals. I've missed meal times if I don't have a reminder too, which is really unexpected, because a year ago I couldn't go long without being hungry all the time. I'm taking all the minerals and vitamins I might need, so maybe that plays a part.
I plan on decreasing the fall around 240lbs, but with current numbers, maybe I should start slowing the fall right now. Is this loss extreme? Could there be any dangers with such fast weight loss?
When I started, I didn't really do a lot of research on the health and nutrition side of things, other than getting my macros right. So any input would be helpful!
Maybe there's also a way to easily increase calories without feeling full too quickly?
2
Replies
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There probably is a point of diminishing returns, i.e. not getting enough nutrition, not feeling well, etc. I don't think you need to worry a whole lot at 270 and 2100 calories, but you're probably getting close. 2500 would likely be a good call at this point. 1600 is definitely too low.
That exercise number might be inflated, are you using a synced device or how did you come up with that 1500 worth of exercise?
I'm not an expert and have never been over 220, but there is a Group here of "Larger Losers" and I bet this question would interest them if you want to join...
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133315-larger-losers0 -
I use a FitBit sense. The calories come from walks and exercise bike exercises on it. For example I did a fast paced 3h walk yesterday, walked 16km and that showed up as 1800kcal.
For the regular days I walk around 8km with a fast pace and do a very intense biking session in the evening for 30 minutes. It's an indoors exercise bike and I maxed out its difficulty level, so its hard to pedal.0 -
You appear to be in a "classic" eat the least I can while I exercise the most I can fast weight loss "mind set".
I use quotes because it is not necessarily that you WANT to be in the "mind set" but desires, weight loss, neurotransmitters and hormones seem to be pushing you there.
You're losing weight way faster than a "reasonable" rate in the 0.25 to 1% of body weight per week range. Most people seem to find loss rates close to 0.5% of body weight per week more tolerable longer term especially if they're not/no longer in the >40 BMI range
Whether your 1500 Cal burned is net gross or accurate 8km + a half hour bike puts your calories above MFP very active if you were not logging exercise and if you were using a tdee calculator you would be at 2 -3 hours of exercise daily, again at the max for most of them
****So your intake to lose at a slower rate would be above 2500k, possibly you would still lose more than a lb a week eating 3k+ given your height****
Long term do you see yourself eating this much, sub 2k? Do you believe you will continue to exercise the same?
Do some setup for the future.
If you are anywhere near as active as you indicate as a 6'4" person your maintenance will be well above 3k.
How will you eat to maintain your weight?
And yes, health issues can occur because of fast weight loss and the closer to normal weight and faster the loss the more likely they are
What surprises me is that around the 6 month mark people seem to normally slow down, not accelerate, as suppressed hunger cues start rebounding.
Is it possible that you've felt your body disagree and you've doubled down to get things done as fast as possible so you can get there?
You're 9 months in to changing your life around. Look to the future in 9, 18, and 27 months from now when you're normal weight.
As a former 350lb person, do you believe that you will have left MFP and will no longer be exercising and watching what you eat with quite a bit of diligence while still continuing to maintain your loss?
Let's not go for drama by saying you're going to have to apply some diligence for the rest of your life.
But if you want to get to the point where it is statistically more likely that you will continue to maintain your major weigh loss as opposed to regaining, you're probably looking at the five year mark... so it's not like getting to normal weight a bit faster has much value.
In my books figuring out ways of eating and moving and buttressing up your arsenal with a variety of satisfying and satiating lower calorie go tos you can return to in the future to better manage your weight is probably more important than pure speed.
And the time to experiment is when you have a deficit available to cover up any failed experiments!
More time moving in the right direction is good, not bad
You're 6ft 4", right? (Me: 5ft 7", age 49/50 at the time, M, 1 year loss 72.5 lbs, average intake 2560, 17970 average Fitbit steps, no bike 🤷🏻♂️)4 -
Because fat has 9 calories per gram, compared to protein and carb's 4 calories per gram, and aren't bulky, adding fats is the simplest way to add calories. Add that oil, butter, cheese, nuts, etc. back in!
What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?
Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:- Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
- Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
- Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
- Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening
Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:- Headaches
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Menstrual irregularities
- Hair loss
- Muscle loss
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Don’t forget to readjust your goals MFP will not automatically adjust goals with weight loss. You have to go in and do it yourself.
I lost about 70 my first seven months. Not at your pace, but pretty quick. What you are doing sounds similar to what I did- flat calories and lots of exercise.
In retrospect probably not a wise plan, but I’m wiser now (thanks, forum friends!!!) and try to be better now, more cognizant of what I’m doing.
Even at that pace, I was able (and advised to) to bump my calories up several times during that trajectory to where I was eating significantly more than I started with, and was still losing weight.
You’re nine inches taller than me, and eating about where I was at the end of that first year. You need some more calories.
Even if you get back to your original plan of 1.65 /week that will still be amazing progress even by Christmas.
Errrr….. give yourself the Christmas gift of future health. 😇
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I am 273.6.. and topped out years ago at 361 lbs. When I first lost 120 lbs., I did it in 4 months. I asked my doctors if that was unhealthy, and their response was.. being 360 lbs. is deadlier.
The issue is whether you feel as if you are struggling to eat this way.. if you eat 2100, and feel good, then you likely are eating enough, and you DO have stored body fat.. a lb. is 3,500 calories.. so when you lose 3 lbs. in a week, that is 10,500 EXTRA calories, you did not eat, but that your body DID use.. you just ate the calories in the past, and that is what they are for.. so in a week, you USED the extra 10,500 calories, on top of what you consumed, divided into 7 days.. for an average of 1,500 extra calories. So daily you actually USE 3,600 calories.
We all do this to some extent, unless we eat more than we need. Bodyfat is your backup. The thing you need to be concerned about is getting your nutrition in the 2100 calories you EAT.. because fat being broken down, means calories, but there is no calcium in bodyfat ( ex. ).
If you are OK eating 2100, and getting the proper nutrition, or as close as other people are, since most people do not meet the RDA's, but can still be healthy.. in other words, not very LOW on important nutrients, then you are fine.
Obviously, the major concern, is that you force yourself to eat this way to hit a goal... then quit and gain it all back. I gained some back, and yo-yo'ed for several years in a 40 lb. range.
I found a diet I like eating, so weight loss just happens, and I enjoy my food. I eat around 2,500, but I don't think I could eat any more. Some days I drop to 2,300, and I feel better. I still lose incredibly quick, and I think that is simply due to size. It takes a lot more to be mobile at 270. It's easier for them to factor what is best for 150-200 lb. guys.. more data. Above 220, I think they try, but don't get it right. I'm only 5'6".. short for my weight, but I said I wanted to lose 2 lbs. a week, and lose that per day right now.
In time, you will have less fat to burn.. probably not that far off, since you are taller, and being lighter, means less calories burned by excercise/daily activity, so you should slow down eventually. I wouldn't worry about it.. just enjoy the weight loss, as long as you aren't feeling as if you are depriving yourself.0 -
I'll go bold here: I think you're probably losing too fast, unless your medical team is telling you that fast loss is an urgent priority for your health, and they're monitoring you frequently for any issues arising from the fast loss (via blood tests, exams).
If you've been averaging almost 5 pounds a week loss for six weeks, and are now at BMI 32.9 (class 1 obese, but the line between overweight and obese is 30), that's very fast loss. Your actual weight loss rate is the best gauge of your calorie needs (once you have enough data to evaluate, which you do). Calculators (like MFP) only estimate.
I lost too fast for a while by accident (MFP underestimates my calorie needs materially). I felt great and not hungry . . . until I suddenly didn't. It was like hitting a wall. I got weak and fatigued, took multiple weeks to recover even after increasing eating to a sensible level, and was lucky that nothing worse happened (other than maybe a little hair thinning a few weeks later, since that's one of some effects that can be time-delayed).
At BMI 32.9, you do have more stored-fat resources, but there still significant health risks.
You've been eating 2100 (or less), and losing 4.7 pounds a week averaged over 6 weeks. That implies that your actual deficit is about 2350 daily, and your maintenance calories (with the exercise in the picture) are more like 4450 (or more, depending on how much under 2100 you've eaten).
Whether that number comes out that way because you've been lowballing the 2100 by quite a lot, or because of the high exercise levels, or because you underestimate your intake, or something else . . . the weight loss rate alone suggests that your actual deficit is around 2350.
If you're feeling too full when you eat more, add calorie dense foods. High-fat items are a good way to do that, unless you find those super-sating. Use more oil when you cook your omelet (avocado oil or olive oil are good choices for MUFA/PUFA), put some cheese on the omelet, eat nut butters or avocado, use a little more dressing on salads and make it a higher-calorie one, add nuts or seeds to foods, etc. Once you've dialed in your protein, healthy fats, diverse veggies/fruits for micros and fiber, it's also fine to eat some less filling, less nutrient-dense treat foods, like chocolate (good antioxidants, especially in dark chocolate), baked goods, higher-calorie fruits, candy, etc.
Fast weight loss is risky. In addition to the risks kshama noted, you can be losing unnecessarily much lean mass alongside fat loss (and that's slow/hard to rebuild), plus some studies suggest it can potentially impair immune response to viruses. Anecdotally, some who pursue fast loss seem to have a hunger/cravings snap back effect at some point, where hunger sensations increase a lot (might be mitigated by periodic maintenance breaks during loss).
It's just my opinion, but I'd encourage you to slow the bus down now, to something under 1% of body weight per week, and maybe slower than that once you're dropping out of the obese BMI zone (a bit under 250 pounds at 6'4").
Yeah, I'm a concerned old granny type, probably old enough to be your granny, or at least old auntie. Which reminds me: Even at 5'5", 125 pounds, age 65, I'd maintain my weight, maybe even lose super, super slowly, at your 2100 calories. Admittedly, I'm mysteriously a good li'l ol' calorie burner for my demographic, but it still makes me think you can eat much more than 2100 and still lose at a sensible rate.
Best wishes, sincerely!5 -
Congrats! You’re doing great.
My thought for what it’s worth- you lost quickly when you needed to - down 80 lbs in 8 months.
That is great for your health. I did the same when I started 80 lbs in 8 months. I’m a little less tall 6’2” and went from 308 to about 230. In retrospect, I might have been better off losing a little more slowly- BUT- at 308 my blood pressure was pretty high and at 230 just a little- great for health!
What I noticed was that I had more energy etc as promised, but in the gym it was obvious that I was weaker but quicker. I could do body weight stuff and generally move better, but my lifts were at lower weight even though I improved form.
But I think now maybe it is time to throttle back a little and work to try to maintain muscle while losing fat. I didn’t burn anywhere near 1500 cals/day exercising like you do, but most of your exercise seems to be cardio-ish and maybe try to include some form of resistance training now. There’s lots of body weight stuff you can incorporate into your walks eg push-ups, air squats etc. maybe every 10 minutes or so just stop walking and do some calisthenics. Your muscle mass is likely high because of carrying the 352- don’t lose that muscle- it’s hard to gain back!2 -
I had the exact same question I'm losing around 4 pounds per week and I was concerned also1
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