Totally confused about what is physically possible ... help!!
Hi everyone! I was just reading some stuff about rate of loss and calories consumed etc and it is confusing me a lot and kind of discouraging me as well a bit. It seems that if at 343lbs, I consume around 1200-1600 lbs a day (given my BMR), I should only lose a little over 2 lbs a week. That has not been the case at all or me so far. I know things will definitely continue to slow down as I lose more, but if I have lost at a rate of round 6 lbs a week for the past 6 weeks, do y'all think it will really slow down to only 2 lbs a week?
Have any of y'all found that you are able to lose at a rate that is faster than the amount you thought you would using your BMR and calories consumed? Are mos people only able to lose that small an amount a week or can a lot of people keep to closer to 3-5 lbs a week?
Any input on this would be greatly appreciated as I am completely confused with all this info.
The heavier we are at the start (I was 242 at 5'2"), the faster we lose at first. It's important not to go too low in the calories too soon, because our bodies are cunning instruments, and will start trying to maintain weight on the lower numbers. The temptation is to go lower still but the same pattern repeats.
I'm currently averaging 2.3lbs a week, varying between just under a pound some weeks and 4lbs another. I'm not a keen exerciser but this Way of Eating suits me - 1400 calories but no more than 110g carbs/at least 30 minutes walking, more if possible. 2.3 doesn't sound a lot as a one-off but rolled together, it means I'm really chomping down the weight.
Oh, it definitely slows down, and sooner than I expected. I thought that slow down only happened for people who had 20 or fewer to go. I was quite surprised to see mine slow down when I still had 60 pounds to go. I'm 5'4" and my slow down point was 200 pounds. Adding 4 pounds per inch for height that's around 240 for you, not that we'll lose the same at all.
I agree with Rosinante about making sure you're eating enough calories. Someone around here has in her signature that she's on the "eat as much as you can and still lose weight" diet. I love that! I wish I'd followed it myself. I started out at 1200 calories and I think if I'd started higher I'd have been able to back off 100 calories or so each time I stalled instead of just waiting them out. If you have nowhere to go with your calories there's not a whole lot you can do with a stall but have patience. (That works by the way...just waiting out a stall. But sometimes I think it would happen faster if I could play with my calories.)
I'm all about eating enough to satisfy me and still lose weight Why be so restricting right off the bat when you can loose just as well with a higher amount of calories? Gives you no wiggle room to adjust, ya know?
If you're conscious, you're going to burn a lot more than your BMR.
BMR is the calories burned just by existing. Essentially you'd burn BMR if you were in a coma.
There are a lot of factors that can affect your burn-rate for calories. Some of the experts believe that the more you eat, the more you burn. Maybe, maybe not. I lose better on low-carb than the same calorie level of high-carb.
I would encourage you not to worry about what your body will or will not do several months from now. Eat enough to allow you the energy to exercise, and see where that takes you.
I think calorie level is a very personal thing. Even if I look at myself - how I respond to a 1500 calorie diet today is a lot different than it was in my past. Twenty years ago, I would have told you it was impossible for a woman of my current size to lose so little on what I'm eating now (my activity level has dropped too, though).
There's no way to predict how your body will respond to different calorie levels. Some people find they can increase their calorie level if they choose low-carb. Other people find that increasing calories can sometimes increase weight loss (I suspect there are a lot of reasons, but one might be that you have more energy to exercise when you're not starving yourself).
It's hard to try to predict how well you will do for the long term. It's hard enough taking this one day at a time, but I really think it makes the journey easier if you don't try to estimate how quickly you could (in theory) lose the weight.
Just keep experimenting and you'll find the calorie level and food choices that work best for you.
Those calculators are basically useless. They tell you one thing and then 13 other different things happen. I'd ignore them. I'd also stop trying to figure out how much you can lose per week and for how long and how much every one else is losing and at what rate. We are all experiments of one.
I too believe you should stick to the higher end of your calorie range. You've got plenty of time to take it down, if and when need be.
I'd love for you to stop focusing on the numbers (other than keeping track of your caloric intake) and start focusing on nailing down your plan. Focus on learning healthy eating/exercise habits. Focus on meal planning and planning in advance. Focus on preparing and taking foods with you. Focus on finding delicious, healthy, lower calorie foods. Focus on making yourself some rules, some boundaries. Focus on learning coping skills and techniques for all situations - stress, joy, holidays, work environment, dining out, social functions, boredom, etc. Focus on staying on plan, as that is the one thing you can control and predict. And of course provided you stay with that plan - the weight will come off and in a very timely fashion.
Looking forward to hearing of your continued success.
I lose 1.5 lb per week with 1,200 cal/day and 1 hr fast walking. Sometimes I would stay on plan and lose nothing, so 2 lb per week is a great loss. You are doing great job!
Focus on learning healthy eating/exercise habits. Focus on meal planning and planning in advance. Focus on preparing and taking foods with you. Focus on finding delicious, healthy, lower calorie foods. Focus on making yourself some rules, some boundaries. Focus on learning coping skills and techniques for all situations - stress, joy, holidays, work environment, dining out, social functions, boredom, etc. Focus on staying on plan, as that is the one thing you can control and predict. And of course provided you stay with that plan - the weight will come off and in a very timely fashion.
It's kind of fun to think about the numbers isn't it? Just remember that all of this becomes null and void if you don't continually and diligently work your plan. All the stats in the word are useless for a watcher...it's only valuable for the doer. AND, it really is most important to do this for health and longevity and all that good stuff...
But if numbers are what you are looking for, I'll give you a few. FOR ME, being low to moderately active in the first 100 pounds lost, eating 1200 to 1500 calories, (1320ish average) and starting at 5'7" and 333 pounds, (and NEVER cheating, because I was SICK and TIRED of being FAT, and I had cheated myself for years shoving down everything and anything I wanted)...
Anyway, I lost my first 50 pounds in 10 weeks. That is an average of 5 pounds per week. I lost my first 100 pounds in 28 weeks. That is an average of around 3.5 pounds a week (total weight loss). I lost my first 150 pounds in 50 weeks. For and average of 3 pounds per week (total weight loss). I reached my original goal of 175 pounds lost, (158) in 70 weeks for an average of 2.5 pounds per week (total weigh loss). AND finally I met my ultimate goal of 190 pounds lost (140) in 91 weeks for an average of 2 pounds per week (total weight loss). Also the more weight I lost the more active I became. Now I rarely sit down. I usually don't even sit down to use the computer...lol
I stayed at the same calorie level throughout. I didn't change things at all. I didn't up calories then take them down, I just stuck to it, day after day after day. I never had a plateau, (meaning I never had more than 2 weeks without a loss) and I only weighed weekly.
Judging from your ticker, it looks like you have had a great start. I'm very happy for you and your accomplishments. Just stick to it, and it will ALL come off. Keep posting, and keep workin it. I have a huge soft spot for big losers.
You have been given great advice! I lost relatively fast at first and my rate of loss has slowed down now. Like Robin and the others, I would like to encourage you to focus on developing your plan. It is important to develop a way of eating that you can maintain long term. As Robin said, we are all experiments of one.
IMHO, having a way of eating that is doable for you is the most important thing.
Hi everyone! Thanks for all of the input and advise! Believe me, I know that this is more about health than anything and I will be the first to admit that I have a problem with getting wrapped up in the numbers. However, since I have SO much to lose, looking at those calculators and hearing that my body "should" be losing so much less than I hope it will ... and what it is, was just sort of discouraging. For me, right now, thinking about the calories and lbs is the easiest way to keep myself on track. As I get nearer my goal I plan to meet with a nutritionist to make sure that I am not only eating to lose weight, I am eating to live a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. I know that we are all made differently and that no 2 person's weight loss will be the same. I just wanted to see if it is possible to lose a higher rate than those calculators predict. The only reason I even checked them was to make sure I was eating a good range of cals to actually lose. Since my eating habits have been so crazy in the past, I don't trust my instincts so research is how I find I have been able to do this on my own. I don't want to have to pay WW or a nutritionist right now so I turn to free helpers such as this forum and the calculators as a guide.
Lori Bell, your attitude on your plan sounds a lot like mine is now. I am sticking to a calorie level that I feel is fine for me (not lower than 1200 and no more than 2000... normally around 1600) I have had lots of social engagements with tons of yummy looking food but haven't allowed myself to cheat once. I too am OVER being fat and it isn't worth it to break my plan for even one day. The only "cheat" days I will allow myself this year are Thanksgiving day and Christmas day.. not the entire week or season but the day. It has finally clicked with me and I refuse to give up (even when it seem SO hard not to. It is encouraging to hear that your weight loss didn't slow for quite a while into it. I don't mind it slowing... I just hope it will keep going like this until I have reached a more substantial weight loss (that way I can be stalled at lower weights )
Thanks again to everyone for your input!! Take Care!
Totally confused about what is physically possible ... help!!
