[Abruener]

I have been on this diet for a few weeks now, I have lost 16lbs which is great!! I also have been going to the gym for the past 2 weeks, 5 days a week. I would think I would be losing much more weight. I have decided to take my calorie intake down fro 1590 to 1470 a day. Any thoughts would be great


for every 5lbs lost!!

[Silverdrmr]

Any particular reason why you think you need to loweryour intake?

You seem to be doing great so far, especially a few weeks into it.

At your activity level, about 1600 is good.

[walking2lose]

Another thought is that you might need to tweak the kind of calories you eat. I have no idea of your typical menu, but it's possible you need more protein, healthy fats, etc. You don't want to be hungry because then willpower will be shot. Good luck!

[Shmead]

I think your expectations are unrealistic. TV has left a lot of people with the idea that losing 15-20 pounds a month is average. It's not.

But remember this: fat has the same density as butter. So imagine 16 BOXES (not sticks) of butter lined up on the counter. That's how much fat your body has burned. That's amazing! Give it some credit.

[NorthernExposure]

Shmead is right. 1-2 lbs a week is considered good progress. I lost about 3 lbs a week when I started out (generally speaking, the bigger you are, the easier the weight comes off). Those TV shows are NOT realistic. I read an article stating how they actually dehydrate the contestants prior to weigh in so their numbers look better. You also have to remember that those people are in a controlled enviornment...nobody in the real world has time to work out 6 hours a day!

You're doing great...the time when you *really* need to cut calories will come soon enough! Enjoy your progress!

[Emme]

If you are still losing weight at 1590 calories, then I would just leave it as it is. I have heard that people will drop calories as they plateau, so if you go too low and then plateau, you won't have too much lower to go.

[peanutt]

16 lbs is great! I agree with the others that there doesn't seem to be any need for you to lower your intake right now. Remember, it's a slow and steady process.

[Lori Bell]

Okay, here's the deal for me. I started out 43 pounds more than you AND an inch shorter. The first several months into my weight loss I ate 1200 calories every day...with NO CHEATS. Just looking back at my weight loss journal I lost 14 pounds in the very first 2 weeks, (9 the first week, 5 the 2nd).

So, the fact that I weighed more and ate less would make a person think I should have lost more than you...but I didn't. I guess my point is, If it's not broke, don't fix it! You are doing great and I would suggest you keep doing what you are doing because it's working...and well, I might add.