losing 3-5 lbs a week
Replies
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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.
i am printing this!!!
thanks for sharing. i've been stuck in phase 4 for weeks. and this really helped.0 -
"
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.
Great Post!
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Yeah, I kinda feel like it should be stickied somewhere."
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.
Great Post!0 -
Please, I do not mean this as horrible as it sounds, but you need to come down to reality. You will NEVER be successful and keep it off until you do a reality check and get serious about the weight loss. Your attitude is unhealthy and you will FAIL unless you change it. Slow is better than not at all. USE MFP and it will work, the healthy way.0
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You could drop your carbs low and do the workout DVD twice a day instead of just once. I'm not saying it's a good idea, but it's something that you aren't currently doing.0
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I am eating 1500 calories per day give or take, I work out 4 times at the gym doing the elliptical for 35 mins, strength training, zumba twice a week and pilates once a week. 3 times a week i walk 1.5 miles in the morning with a co worker. My goal is NOT 4-5 lbs its 1 or 2, but since December I have lost 4 pounds in one week ONCE. I might have been pushing it really hard. Its attainable however it is hard work. I'll stick to 1-2 lbs a week. Since the first week of December I am down 23 lbs.0
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I've got a ways to go too and it seems daunting but I agree on the food you have to take it one day at time. I have all kind of workout videos just in case I can not get to gym or do not want to go outside. The key is to have options for exercising so you get it in. Learning to eat better and what works for your body takes time just keep at it and don't give up!!0
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I lost 40 pounds in 2 months on the divorce & depression diet! I also ended up losing my gallbladder, gaining back all the weight & then some, with a messed up metabolism.
I know you don't want to hear that slow is the way to go but it really is for long term healthy success! I am now working with a doctor who specializes in weight-loss. He insists I don't lose more than 3 lbs a week and says that 2 a week is best.
Instead of looking for fast results why not try to look at all the healthy long term good benefits you are doing for your body. The weight will come off, just keep plugging along.0 -
My advice for what it is worth: You need 3x a week weight training and 2-4 x a week cardio sessions. I burn an average of 1500 calories a week working out 5 x a week doing this method. I change it up a lot so as not to get bored. I am doing Chalene Extreme as it provides all of this but sometimes I add other things to this as well. I eat at 1400 calories a week and I DO NOT eat back my exercise calories. I have been on MFP for over a year and have tried lots of different approaches. Your best bet is to eat whole foods (meat, veggies, fruit) and cut out all processed foods except the occassional treat. I have lost 54 lbs in the last year. 40 lbs of this was from gaining weight while pregnant. This has to be a lifestyle change and you have to make exercise and good eating a habit. Bodies are built in the kitchen and shaped through exercise. Losing 5 lbs a week is not a healthy goal. Good luck in all your endeavors0
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i do have the diet down and i eat healthy most of the time. i NEVER eat fast food. and i NEVER eat processed food. didn't do that even before i started this journey. i have read too much about food and where it comes from. i am also fortunate to live in a state where i can meet farmers and buy what little meat i do eat directly from them. only organic for my family. none of that factory farm crap. so diet wise - even though i emotionally eat, it's not like it's the drive thru at McD's. it's more like a homemade quesadilla with organic cheese and going overboard on the cheese.
the mental stuff isn't going to go away over night. i know that. i've heard all of these arguments before. but when i started to put on the freshman 15 when i was 19 or so, i started eating 1,000 cals a day and exercised 6 days a week. it worked for me and i had a rockin' body - and not ana-mia type either. just solid size 6 with great curves, etc. so say what you will about the cals, but i've done fine on that before and not had a problem. you'd be surprised how much food you can eat with a mostly plant based diet on 1,000 cals. i definitely don't feel hungry.
besides, there are people who practice CR as a lifestyle and has been shown to increase longevity. i'm mostly looking for people who have had success attempting this rather than all the arguments against it. i've done research too. i know the pros and cons. i just am curious what methods people have used to achieve these benchmarks.
I just want to state the obvious, you are not 19 anymore so what worked then isn't going to work now. Also if you have had kids your body is so completely different than when you were 19 that it would be ridiculous to continue to try to diet like you are. If you are doing the 30 day Shred you are probably losing fat but gaining muscle which will help melt off more fat as your time goes on and that is when you will see the change on the scale. Try watching for the inches lost and the way your clothes fit because I did the 30 Day Shred and I didn't see much movement on the scale but I saw a huge difference in the way my body looked.0 -
In another thread you posted this:
"i've been on a stress induced binge myself. i just remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and that i really want this. that a day (or week) off the wagon doesn't completely derail my ability to succeed. is it a setback? damn right. but what's done is done - you can't undo it. but you do have the power to change tomorrow. positive self-talk. i have to do it all the time otherwise i fall into that trap myself. you can do it!!!"
If you were eating more than a thousand cals you might not be starving and binging. It could be a "mental thing" like you claim, or, your body could just be seriously hungry because you aren't eating enough.
You also posted that you plan to take your cals down between 20 and 50 each time you lose 20 pounds. So you're prepared to live on 700 to 880 cals per day eventually if you lose it all? If you stop losing at those rates, will you be "adjusting" your cals even further? Do you see how what you are saying does not make sense for your body (or anyone's body, for that matter)? You need to get some patience and realize that losing that amount of weight isn't something that's going to happen overnight, and the way you want to do it is not a healthy one-it has the potential to leave long term health problems.
Add some supportive friends and do this the right way. You won't regret it.4 -
One of the reasons people aren't telling you how to do what you want to do is because many people have already tried that or seen friends try it, and had it either not work (gotten ill) or seen the pounds melt off and then be back in a year with more (what happened to my friend, she lost 50 lbs in 3 months ... and then 2 years later was +20 from her original starting point.)
I wouldn't recommend something that I've seen fail and fail hard.1 -
In my opinion, eating 1000-1200 calories/day and working out that often is not enough calories. Actually, in my opinion that isn't enough calories at all. Not eating enough can also cause you to gain weight. I had about 70 pounds to loose and started out with 1500 calories/day...no, it was not the rapid loss you are looking for, but I am at a good maintenance weight after a year and it was a calorie intake that I could live with, eat foods I enjoy and not starve myself. Those calories are important. I am certainly not a nutritionist , but just be careful.
Good luck and happy logging!1 -
1: calorie count is too low, starving yourself = muscle loss, and water weight, not fat
2: you will lose quickly at first and then it will slow, then pick back up, you're obese with 110 to lose, like I am so rapid weight loss isn't hard to achieve, just harder to maintain when it comes time to get closer to goal
3: drink plenty water
4: strength training is AWESOME, get started
5: i exercise everyday, except maybe Sunday, but I usually have dance practice at church so that's something
6: at home, I do Jillian M. routines, and Turbofire. . so many dvds to choose from, just give it your all, whatever you do
7: protein is good, think eating plenty of eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans, chicken
8: but carbs are awesome as well, I love bagels, don't think you can't have those
9: be patient
10: be patient
11: BE PATIENT0 -
Mallory3411 is correct. Rapid weight loss will mess up your metabolism and is not sustainable. Your body is probably in starvation mode because you are not eating enough calories to support your structure. I strongly encourage you to see a licensed nutritionist. I am seeing one now and had so much misinformation about weight loss and food in general. She has me eating a lot more calories than I would have ever eaten on my own and, the weeks that I stick to the plan, I lose 1-2 pounds a week (except for the week before my period I usually gain a pound or two like clockwork). I still have a long way to go (about 75 pounds). I've had this weight for over 11 years. I figure even if I move at a turtle's pace, in two years I'll be where I want to be so who cares how long it took?
Good luck-be healthy and wise about your weight loss. Don't be in a hurry; if you work a healthy plan, you will get there.1 -
In another thread you posted this:
"i've been on a stress induced binge myself. i just remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and that i really want this. that a day (or week) off the wagon doesn't completely derail my ability to succeed. is it a setback? damn right. but what's done is done - you can't undo it. but you do have the power to change tomorrow. positive self-talk. i have to do it all the time otherwise i fall into that trap myself. you can do it!!!"
If you were eating more than a thousand cals you might not be starving and binging. It could be a "mental thing" like you claim, or, your body could just be seriously hungry because you aren't eating enough.
You also posted that you plan to take your cals down between 20 and 50 each time you lose 20 pounds. So you're prepared to live on 700 to 880 cals per day eventually if you lose it all? If you stop losing at those rates, will you be "adjusting" your cals even further? Do you see how what you are saying does not make sense for your body (or anyone's body, for that matter)? You need to get some patience and realize that losing that amount of weight isn't something that's going to happen overnight, and the way you want to do it is not a healthy one-it has the potential to leave long term health problems.
Add some supportive friends and do this the right way. You won't regret it.
No, I plan to INCREASE for every 20 pounds lost.0 -
Biggest Loser isn't real life.
[/quote]
SO TRUE!1 -
I have to agree, the faster you take the weight off, the faster you'll put it back on....plus some! And that amount of calories is crazy! You have to eat to lose! As long as you are active, you can eat more! Try eating the right stuff. Lots of fruits and veggies! And don't cut everything out of your diet. I still eat normal, but just less. And if I want dessert or pasta, I have it, but just a small serving.
There is no magic pill or potion! It's alot of hard work and determination that will help you succeed! Good luck in your journey!0 -
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.
You say you know there are no magic bullets, but that is exactly what you are asking: What's the magic answer for 5 lbs a week? There isn't one. And you shouldn't aim for that. It's not healthy. You are eating way too low for what your body needs to function properly and putting yourself at risk of other health problems. Even if you lose the weight, I wouldn't be surprised if you gained it back, because quick loss like this is generally not sustainable. I would STRONGLY urge you to speak with your DR and a registered dietitian to come up with a plan for long term weight loss success. I also strongly urge you to eat at your BMR and start working out - walking, lifting weights, etc. In all likelihood, given the amount of weight you want to lose, you will probably have weeks, especially in the beginning, where you will lose 3-5 lbs per week, even eating 1800+ calories per day.
You didn't gain overnight, you aren't going to lose overnight, so be realistic about it. Find someone you can talk to when you have an emotional trigger that makes you want to eat. You have to solve that for long term success or you'll find yourself back where you started.
Good luck to you and I really hope you change your approach. We'd all love to see a long term success story from you in the future!0 -
"
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.
Wow, talk about dead on! Great post!0 -
My husband and I started a low carb/low calorie diet the second week of this year. The first week we ate no carbs. After that, we added in green veggies, so hence the "low" carb. I eat less than 1000 calories/day, although I am supposed to eat between 600-800/day. My husband also eats less than 1000 net calories/day. His goal is to lose 100 pounds by Christmas. In the past 8 weeks, he has lost 38 pounds. I've lost 12, but I only have 40-50 to lose, and I didn't do the diet for about 3 weeks due to vacation and illness. It's harder for me to work working out into my routine, so I have started running the stairs at work every time I go to the restroom. I'm on the 3rd floor, so I run up and down 3 times about once an hour. You can do this!!0
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When you do what you've always done, you get what you've always gotten.1
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FWIW I lost 30lbs in 31 days between Nov-Dec 2011 following the juice only reboot program by Joe Cross, the guy from Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead documentary. Didn't fall sick or had any health problems as such. Might not be the healthiest way as per traditional wisdom but did help me kick start my journey for sure 0
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I lost that during a colitis flare and I was also sicker than a dog. So to answer your question, get diarrhea. Kidding of course. Good luck with your weight loss.0
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lets say you are only restricting yourself to lose 2lb per week, which is the healthy way everybody will agree. What you guys forget is that that's the body fat loss, in addition to that you will also lose some water weight as well, which will increase your total weight loss per week. It differs for everyone, but for me if i diet and eat around 1200 cal a day, i lose around 3lb in a week, which is total of fat and water loss.0
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i do have the diet down and i eat healthy most of the time. i NEVER eat fast food. and i NEVER eat processed food. didn't do that even before i started this journey. i have read too much about food and where it comes from. i am also fortunate to live in a state where i can meet farmers and buy what little meat i do eat directly from them. only organic for my family. none of that factory farm crap. so diet wise - even though i emotionally eat, it's not like it's the drive thru at McD's. it's more like a homemade quesadilla with organic cheese and going overboard on the cheese.
the mental stuff isn't going to go away over night. i know that. i've heard all of these arguments before. but when i started to put on the freshman 15 when i was 19 or so, i started eating 1,000 cals a day and exercised 6 days a week. it worked for me and i had a rockin' body - and not ana-mia type either. just solid size 6 with great curves, etc. so say what you will about the cals, but i've done fine on that before and not had a problem. you'd be surprised how much food you can eat with a mostly plant based diet on 1,000 cals. i definitely don't feel hungry.
besides, there are people who practice CR as a lifestyle and has been shown to increase longevity. i'm mostly looking for people who have had success attempting this rather than all the arguments against it. i've done research too. i know the pros and cons. i just am curious what methods people have used to achieve these benchmarks.
I just want to state the obvious, you are not 19 anymore so what worked then isn't going to work now. Also if you have had kids your body is so completely different than when you were 19 that it would be ridiculous to continue to try to diet like you are. If you are doing the 30 day Shred you are probably losing fat but gaining muscle which will help melt off more fat as your time goes on and that is when you will see the change on the scale. Try watching for the inches lost and the way your clothes fit because I did the 30 Day Shred and I didn't see much movement on the scale but I saw a huge difference in the way my body looked.
THIS... Well Said.0 -
"
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.
Thank you SOOOO much! I think this will help with my mindset while I struggle to get my final 10 off!0 -
This is advice from a RN here.
What worked for you at 19 is NOT going to work for you know. As you age your metabolism slows and your hormones change all of which effects your body. Your MD is NOT going to recommend a 5 lb weight loss per week it is not healthy. Max is 2 lbs per week. Also it took you YEARS to put this weight on and it is NOT going to come off and stay off unless you take your time.
If you eat less than 1200 calories a day your body goes into starvation mode and everything you eat is put into fat storage " Just in case". That is a known medical fact. Your metabolism will slow ever further to keep that fat storage.
I struggle with emotional eating as well but it can be controlled. It takes a lot of work to sit down a recognized that you are not feeding your body but feeding your emotions or shoving them down with food. This can take counselling if need be but it can be controlled. I am concerned about your thought process and I urge you to go to speak with your MD about all of this.0 -
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You are exactly right WanderingMe.
Lib_B, Check with your doctor for nutritionist before trying to lose weight that quickly.
I know someone who did that, but had to have her gall bladder removed from the side effects of rapid weight loss.0
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