Success choosing to lose 1/2 pound per week?

I would get discouraged by seeing only .5 to 1 lb loss per week.. =/ I do know plenty of people that are losing at a slower rate and are very happy with it. It helps you in the long run because it will be so much easier to keep the weight off I know I'm in for it when it comes time to maintain.

I started out at the 1 lb a week recommendation, and was as accurate as possible about portion sizes, but was loosey-goosey about it because I figured the goal was long term health, not a quick loss. I just wanted to modify my diet to something I could live with, and it worked. I began losing about 3lbs a month. After I lost a bunch of weight, MFP put me down to 1200 calories a day and I changed my goal to 1/2 lb/week because I stopped losing altogether when I ate that few calories.

My thought is that each of us needs to do what is right for us, and as long as we don't set ourselves up with unrealistic or non-sustainable goals, we'll get there. We just need to do a little better each day.

I've been set up to do 1/2lb a week since I started MFP. I've been very happy with it because it helps me to make life changes instead of just losing quickly. I've lost 12lbs and I feel much, much better. Good luck in whatever you decide.

I have averaged a little over 1 pound a week for the last 6 months, and will be quite happy to take it slowly... it is learning a new attitude to food, learning to be a bit more careful, exercising regularly and making sensible choices. While I have cut down hugely on chocolate and biscuits, I know realistically that I am not going to give them up, but I have to learn to be sensible about how much I have. The danger is that it can creep up without you realising it, and then the scales start to show a gain. Good luck with your steady loss and re-educating yourself to healthier ways!

I have been doing very well. I started out about 22 weeks ago and have lost 23 pounds so far, with only a two week period where I couldn't lose a pound to save my life (before that two week period I had a week where I dropped 1.8 pounds, I think my body was just resting for two weeks before I dropped another 1.2 pounds). I would recommend not eating back calories, unless you drop below your BMR, then eating to stay over BMR may keep you from starving the next day. Also, the healthier the food, the more you can eat of it. I was amazed how much good food I could eat to get up to 1700-1800 calories a day.

I guess I sort of do the opposite. I eat back almost all of my exercise calories 90% of the time because, if I don't, I'm unable to continue working out as vigorously as I would like. The energy just isn't there. Of course, my calorie target is lower, so that could be part of it. I admit, though, that some days I eat junk because I just have no appetite and can't even hit 1200, but what's life without the occaisional cupcake?

I also don't sweat the occaisional day I go over, even if it is by a heafty chunk. 80% healthy and 20% fun is my long-term, life-time goal and I'm okay with that. :happy:

Edited for spelling :ohwell:

I was hoping to lose 6 pds a month...but I am achieving about 4 a month...still it feels great and I can't stand constant hunger. I am on week 7 of C25k and walk every day, weights at gym 3 days a week. I have repeated each week of C25k twice...I do the time version....I am up to 17 minute mile. I can now jog 26 minutes without stopping which is pretty good at 256 lbs:flowerforyou:

Congratulations for jogging for 26min without stopping. At your weight it is a much greater acheivment then most people would realise. I tried it at 230 and it took me months to build up to that time. Well done.

i chose 0.5 lb per week from the very beginning as i dont have a lot of weight to lose. i still go over all the time!! but i thinklosing more slowly is easier and much healthier for everyone..