Nutrition & Diet Weight loss - how fast is healthy?

[Fromper]

My company started a "biggest loser" contest for February through May to see who can lose weight the fastest. I've been wanting to lose a little weight for a while, so I figured it would motivate me and help me track my weight loss, so I joined. The first two weeks, I just cut out the soda, and gained half a pound, so that wasn't successful.

Then, I started taking it really seriously. I still eat mostly the same meals, but I track how often I snack, and make sure my snack sizes are healthy. So instead of sitting on the couch with a bag of chips or cookies while watching TV, and eating 1/3 to 1/2 of the package at once (which would be 3-5 servings, according to the label on the chips bags, more for cookies), I now pull out a bowl and count out the number of chips in a serving, and take the bowl to the couch with me to snack on. I let myself have 2-3 snacks per day, and just cutting back on snack sizes this way has had great results.

So since starting to take this seriously, I've lost 10 lbs in 5 weeks, which is about half way to my total goal. I'm pretty happy with this.

Now for the question: I could have sworn that I heard/read somewhere that losing more than a pound per week means that you're losing more than fat, and isn't healthy. Is this true?

I know it's a stupid question. Mostly, I'm happy that the diet's going well. But this is the first time in my life I've been on a serious diet, so I just want to make sure I do it right.

--Fromper

 

[ledboots]

It sounds as If you're doing this the right way. 1-2 lbs a week is good, as long as you were overweight to begin with. We had a Biggest Loser at my work too. .

Eta if you are male, the 2 lbs is right on target. Men usually drop weight quicker.

 

[Fromper]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I actually lost more than 3 lbs one week, but it's averaged out to almost exactly 2 per week for 5 weeks.

I really should add some exercise to all this. Since moving to the Chicago area, I'm walking about 35 minutes back and forth to catch trains to and from work every week day, which is more regular exercise than I used to do in Florida, when I drove to work. So I haven't been as concerned about trying to exercise heavily. I haven't even pulled out the juggling supplies to test the ceiling height in my apartment yet!

--Fromper

 

[das_nut]

If you add exercise to the mix, you may be healthier while reducing your weight loss, since building muscle can offset fat loss.

 

[yally]

My weight fluctuates by about 10 pounds, I'll lose 10 in the summer, have gained 10 by spring. But it always happens within the space of 2 weeks.

I don't know why I'm sharing.

 

[yakherder]

You're going to lose muscle when you lose fat regardless of how fast you lose it. This is just about unavoidable, and is the reason why body builders cycle between cutting and bulking phases as opposed to just following the same routine all the time. This involves losing fat quickly with the understanding that some muscle will be lost in the process, and then going back into caloric surplus to promote muscle development, with the understanding that some fat will be gained in the process. Though not a bodybuilder, I find cycling in this manner to be more efficient overall than trying to accomplish both at the same time.

In nature, there is a lot of evidence that this is how we, and most other animals, were meant to act anyway (even if the standard narrative in regards to what is healthy says otherwise), and I've had my own experiences to back it up. I recently lost 35 pounds in a 2 week mountain warfare school and I wasn't even overweight to begin with. The physical aspects were grueling, and despite eating nearly 4,000 calories per day weight just started dropping. As soon as it was over and I got back into my routine, the weight came back.