Weight loss Hive

[creekland]

Is there a max amount that one shouldn't go beyond when losing weight?  If I'm already losing a pound per week (on average - maybe a tad less over a larger picture) is there a problem with upping that to two or three pounds per week for 10 - 15 weeks to get to what I want to weigh?

 

This is without drugs - just via eating fewer calories & normal exercise.

 

It's garden season, so fewer calories is tasty and easy + the boys are returning to college giving me fewer high calorie deals elsewhere.

[Carrie12345]

I think it's only fair to say it's going to be different for every body.  But, generally speaking, going over 2lbs/wk typically involves restrictions that aren't going to be maintainable, there's a bigger risk of regaining (because habits don't get ingrained and people tend to go back to what they were doing before,) and that level of restriction will usually limit not just calories but the needed nutritional content.

[creekland]

I think it's only fair to say it's going to be different for every body.  But, generally speaking, going over 2lbs/wk typically involves restrictions that aren't going to be maintainable, there's a bigger risk of regaining (because habits don't get ingrained and people tend to go back to what they were doing before,) and that level of restriction will usually limit not just calories but the needed nutritional content.

 

I guess that latter part is what I'm wondering about.  Is there a decent website detailing what is needed?  Up to now I've just enjoyed losing the weight and haven't worried about content figuring the variety of veggies and multi-vitamin were good enough.  This past week I've realized I could take it off more quickly if I want to and it's tantalizing.

 

So far I'm down 20 pounds.  My goal had been 30 total, but now I'm thinking 20 (maybe 30) more... so potentially obtainable in a set period of time (like before Christmas) rather than just losing in general.

[Twigs]

20 lbs down - Well done!!  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

 

Some things I've learned about weight loss:

 

1 - It's very common to reach a plateau at about 6 months. Watch for it and don't become discouraged if it happens. Just continue your current calorie level and you will probably start losing again.

 

2 - Because of plateaus (and other reasons) it is very difficult to set a  time goal with your lb loss goal. (I'll lose x lbs by y date.) For me the disappointment for not reaching that goal is a set up for failure. Please be careful.

 

3 - Remember that the lower calories you go, the lower calories you will need to maintain that loss. I always kept the calories as high as possible so that maintenance calories will be as high as  possible.

 

Best wishes.

 

ETA

 

4 - You can control what you eat, but you cannot control what your body does with it. In other words, many weeks I would strictly follow my plan and still gain weight. Sometimes weight loss makes no sense.

[PeachyDoodle]

Having been on my weight-loss journey for two years now, I agree with Twigs.

 

You probably have a plateau in your future. You may want to hold something in reserve for when you get there. Sometimes your body needs a "jump-start" to get over the hump -- either a reduction in calories or an increase in exercise. At least that's been my experience. Don't max yourself out before you get to that point.

 

Setting a goal has been detrimental to me every time I've tried it. When I try to "project out" what I should weigh in three months or whatever, I'm always wrong because my body apparently doesn't get the memo. I lose slow, but steady -- over the long haul. At this point, I don't even have a goal weight, much less a time frame, in mind at all. I am just focusing on making healthy choices day in and day out. YMMV, of course.

 

Great job so far! Keep up the good work!

[Carrie12345]

I guess that latter part is what I'm wondering about.  Is there a decent website detailing what is needed? 

 

Yes and no?  :huh:  :lol:

Most websites use the government guidelines, but look at how many threads there are about bodies that need more X and bodies that need less Y.  With a great mix of produce, generally speaking, the average person should be fine... ish.

 

But it's also important to keep in mind that some vitamins are fat soluble, most of your energy comes from carbs (so slow and fast digesters are both important,) and all your cells need protein.

 

The math and theories involve way too many variables to come up with the perfect amount for every individual. I don't think there's any harm in playing around with it all to see what works best for you as long as you pay attention to how you feel and make corrections as you go along.

I just wouldn't recommend committing to drastically reducing any specific thing for months on end in the name of expedited weight loss.

[kiana]

A couple of things:

 

1) There is a maximum number of calories each pound of fat can release for use each day. If you go beyond that, you are going to be losing weight that is not fat, which for most is undesirable. The full article is behind a paywall, but the reference I found said that it was 31.4 calories/lb of fat. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15615615 for more information. Most people who are not already quite lean (as in, defined abs at the least) are not going to run into this, but it is the hard limit. 

 

2) Decreased energy expenditure (the CO part of calories in/calories out) starts earlier for some than others. This applies especially with NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) -- see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415 for some information. This can result in seemingly paradoxical results where a lower calorie count does not result in much additional weight loss if NEAT is sufficiently reduced. 

 

3) If calories are too low, getting adequate nutrition becomes a serious issue. Getting RDAs of nutrients on a sub-1200-calorie diet requires very careful planning. The best site I've found to make sure you're still getting enough nutrition is cronometer.com (basic level is free and very useful), although it doesn't have as much community as some others. 

 

4) Adherence and psychological effects begin to become a problem at higher caloric deficits. It does not do any good to reduce your daily calories by an extra 500 for a week if you become unsustainably hungry and eat a quart of ice cream and a box of oreos on the 8th day. 

 

Bearing all this in mind, it's generally pretty safe to aim for 1% of your body weight per week. If you are very lean, this may be too high. If you're clinically obese (higher than 32% bodyfat for women -- see http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/ for information on visual estimation of bodyfat) and somewhat careful about including adequate nutrition, this can be pushed a bit higher, but generally 1% is a reasonable mark. I have little idea what your current weight and fat level are, but I know I saw a picture of you at a gathering, and I doubt it's high enough to sustain 3 lbs/week. 

 

Edit: It should go without saying, but if you are feeling weak, or if you lack energy to do enjoyable activities, your deficit is too high. The best thing to do there, assuming you are not ill, is to take a week of maintenance before beginning again at a somewhat higher calorie count. 

[Slache]

You're not supposed to go over 2, or over 1 if it's a long term thing. There are a lot  of opinions out there but those seem to be common. CONGTATS!

[J-rap]

I was just reading about this the other day, and it said that 1 pound a week is an ideal goal, but more than that can be too hard on your body.  And of course, how exercise and specific nutrients play into this makes a difference.

 

 

[creekland]

4) Adherence and psychological effects begin to become a problem at higher caloric deficits. It does not do any good to reduce your daily calories by an extra 500 for a week if you become unsustainably hungry and eat a quart of ice cream and a box of oreos on the 8th day. 

 

Bearing all this in mind, it's generally pretty safe to aim for 1% of your body weight per week. If you are very lean, this may be too high. If you're clinically obese (higher than 32% bodyfat for women -- see http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/ for information on visual estimation of bodyfat) and somewhat careful about including adequate nutrition, this can be pushed a bit higher, but generally 1% is a reasonable mark. I have little idea what your current weight and fat level are, but I know I saw a picture of you at a gathering, and I doubt it's high enough to sustain 3 lbs/week. 

 

Yeah, nowhere close.

 

#4 is also not a problem.  I don't get hungry anymore even if I go without food for long periods of time (a pro of that radiation deal 18 months ago) - hence it's very easy to cut more if I want to.  Ice cream and Oreos are never tempting taste-wise anyway.  

 

But I'm gathering that it isn't a good idea overall... nor is it a good idea to set goals, etc.  I also don't want to lose energy - definitely not a problem so far.

 

So, I'm probably going to continue with what I've been doing rather than getting tempted to cut considerably more.

 

It was tempting though.  Especially since fasting for a couple of days per week (not sequential) would not be any sort of mental problem... and seeing the weight come off and older clothes fit again is quite the mental boost.

 

But slowly and surely is better than quickly and doing damage that could be problematic down the road.