32 Lbs in 2 1/2 Months: Losing Too Fast?

[Lunalore]

Hey ladies! I'm sure you see posts like this all the time, but I'm a little bit worried. Well, to be honest, mostly I'm just ecstatic , but, you know. A little concerned too.

I started this weight loss journey at my heaviest ever - 366 pounds. That's over 200 lbs overweight for me, and extremely morbidly obese. I have serious health problems as a direct result of my weight, including high cholesterol, elevated trigylcerides, PCOS, prediabetes, and knee pain - and I'm only 32 years old. I NEED to lose this weight, and RIGHT NOW.

Anyways, I started trying to eat healthier in phases. First, I stopped buying candy, then stopped bringing home the pastries from work, and then finally in November I started tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal, as well as walking more each week. (I already walk quite a lot because I don't have a car.)

At first I was eating the calories MFP told me to eat - 2,290 a day, plus more if I exercised each day. But lately I've been eating more like 1,700 - 1,800. I never go below 1,400 - 1,500 a day, and even that's pretty rare. But I'm just losing weight so rapidly! Ever since I had that surgery, when I gained 7 lbs from the saline drip, the pounds have just been melting off.

I guess the thing I'm really worried about more than anything is the big 30 number. This is usually when I quit. I do really good for awhile, lose about 30 pounds, and then go back to my old ways. Can any of you all relate to that?

[Lambiechop]

Considering your starting point I don't think it's too rapid. It came off of me a lot easier when I was over 300 and in the upper 200s than it is now.

And I can definitely relate to hitting a point where you give up and regain. I went from 320 to 190 in 2006-2007 and then I got complacent and gained about 75 lbs back.

[silentarctic]

I wouldn’t worry too much, if you really are eating 1800 calories a day you are probably burning more than you realize through activity right now. This WILL slow down as you lose weight your body burns less calories to do the same activity. So don’t let that discourage you when/if it does slow down. But if your eating enough and don’t feel deprived / aren’t counting down the days to the end of a diet but are okay with eating this way for pretty much the rest of your life I say stick with it.  that’s my 2 cents anyhow!

[rachaelm]

Stop worrying. You are doing really well! Now keep going! LOL

[canadacatman]

I started at 371.2 and the first week i lost 14 pounds the thing i was told is that when your that big starting the first 10-15 pounds is all water. So keep it up your doing great.

[SmooVeshea]

That's a realistic goal to be at your starting weight. Now as you loss weight, it wont be coming off as rapidly but you have nothing to worry about.

So about the 30 lbs idk what to say about that other than JUST KEEP GOING!!!! Youve acheived a big accomplishment by losing that 30 lbs so imagine how you will feel at your goal weight or something close to it!

[rachaelm]

Originally Posted by Kara

Something to keep in mind is that a good healthy rate of loss is about 1% of your overall bodyweight per week. For someone in a "normal" weight range of 150-200 lbs, that equals the traditionally cited 1 to 2 pounds per week.

But when you start off heavier, 1% of your bodyweight is going to be more like 3 or 3.5 lbs per week, right? So you can lose "faster" than someone who has less to lose. (I put faster in quotes because you're not really losing faster - you're still losing 1% of your bodyweight per week.)

Plus, as someone else mentioned, the first week that you cut out junky salty stuff, and cut back on sugars, you can drop 5 or more pounds of water weight.

So if you lost on average 3.5 lbs per week for 8 weeks, that's already 28 lbs. Then add in 5-8 lbs of water weight, that that's 33 pounds total.

That sounds like an absolutely perfect rate of loss to me.

Now, the thing here to keep in mind is that as you lose weight, your rate of loss will slow ... and when you get into the 100s, you'll probably drop to less than 2 lbs per week lost. Don't let that freak you out. Again ... 1% of your bodyweight per week on average. Too many people get worried when their losses slow down and they don't remember the 1% rule.

So congrats on your progress so far. You're doing great!

Good information Kara, I've never heard the 1% rule. Thanks!

[Lunalore]

Thanks for all the info ladies, especially Kara. You all make a lot of sense. I just get so neurotic about my weight, whether it's going up or down - as RachaelM can tell everyone.

[rachaelm]

Originally Posted by Lunalore

Thanks for all the info ladies, especially Kara. You all make a lot of sense. I just get so neurotic about my weight, whether it's going up or down - as RachaelM can tell everyone.

Hey, I'm just glad there's a forum like this, where we can all be neurotic together!

[linJber]

Well, Kara beat me to it. When I started losing, I thought I could lose 30 pounds in 10 weeks. That was pretty fast and furious, but I did it without too much difficulty. Then I was shooting for 1% a week and was pretty easily able to do that, too. I have always heard that the 1% rule is safe and healthy, as long as you stay above 1200 calories. Make a chart where every week's goal is 99% of what you were the week before. With 334 as a starting point, you will be about 198 in 1 year at 1% per week. Woot! How great would that be? Then about 17 more weeks will get you to your goal of 166. It's SO doable!

For me, it was huge to have a weekly goal along with my long term goal. I just made a simple chart on Excel, put in the formula to take off 1% every Wednesday, and held myself accountable to me! You can do this, too. Good luck. you've made fantastic progress so far.

Lin

[neonwildflower]

Originally Posted by linJber

Make a chart where every week's goal is 99% of what you were the week before.

This is brilliant! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, I love it. I'm going to do this for myself and my SO and partner in weight loss!

[Dthornby]

Very helpful perspective - the 1% rule. Thanks!

[baker23]

Sounds about right. My first 70 pounds came off within a 5-6 month time period. When you start out heavier you lose a bit more. It'll slow down the closer you get to your goal. I really had to start stepping up my efforts when I hit 250.

Good luck and DO NOT stop. Your doing fanastic.

[Liliann]

Great job on your progress so far!! Keep up the good work!! Excellent!!

Liliann

[saltatoria]

I'm so glad I read this! Great information... I was wondering about the 1-2 pounds per week thing because every time I've yo-yo'd in the past, I'd lose more like 3-4 pounds per week until I hit an even keel.