Healthy amount of weight to lose each week??

[msniki412]

i was just wondering....what is a healthy amount of weight to lose each week? i see on some websites it says 1lb but that seems to be so little! i lost 4lbs last week and my mom says thats not healthy. but its not like im starving myself, because im not. i eat 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks (somedays more or less). i normally have a bigger dinner and watch what i eat during the day. i cut back on sweets and junk food plus soda. ive been on the diet since 9/14 and also taking metformin 500mg 1x a day for pcos and lost 34.5lbs.

[msniki412]

lol you make me laugh!!! my goal is also to lose 100lbs too. im doing this not only for me so i feel better, but also for my BF so when we are ready to try for a baby hopefully it will be alittle bit more easier. i've been having some issues at home with some chocolate cookies this week (i only eat the serving size of 3) i think its because it's period week for me unfortantly, so chocolate is my addiction...lol im trying to drink more water so i added the water tracker to my page. my mom says seltzer water counts as regular water, which is good. good luck on your journey!!! : )

[wonko]

I just peaked at your tracker and I think you are doing really great!  You are like me in that you don't weigh everyday.  (My reason is it's just too stressful, it makes me feel too much like a number and not enough like a person, but I digress....)

I know sometimes I can get bigger swings in my weight due to fluids, PMS, stress, and other lovely details of life.  I try to weigh in once a week, but if I suspect a factor beyond my control is going to strongly influence the reading, I'll put it off an extra day or two.  I also just use a simple old-fashioned analog scale, so I just go to the nearest pound instead of decimals.  My big goal is to lose a total of 100 lbs.  (Though realistically I should lose more, that's a nice round number for now).  So I figure anything less than 1 lb doesn't matter much.    

So if you only see those bigger jumps once in awhile, and you're under doctor's supervision as needed, then it really seems like you're fine and doing quite well.

I'm trying to be inspired by all of the successes people are reporting here.  I've been in "weight loss limbo" for a couple of months and really want to get a little lower before Christmas.  I think if I finally break out of my rut, I'll be more likely to be calorie conscious through the holidays.

There was an unfortunate incident on Monday involving some pretzels and peanut butter, but I've filed a restraining order and they are not allowed to come within 10 feet of each other again.  I've been pretty good since then ;-)

[msniki412]

thanks guys! most weeks i lose about 2-2.5lbs, sometimes less. but i was shocked with last week though. ill check my weight again on sunday and hopefully it will be the normal 2lbs again.

[Ranaesheart]

Both wonko and Barb have provided you with some excellent advice.  Agree that losing weight 1-2 pounds a week is normal and recommended.  Given the weight on your your tracker, it is not uncommon to lose 4 pounds in a week, here and there.  When I started at 330 lbs, there were weeks that 4-6 lbs were lost and I was eating healthy and exercising regularly.  However, as wonko said, the more your weight drops the more the weight loss slows and the calories needed to maintain your weight goes down.

Would be happy to help you find the calories needed to maintain your current weight .. Will need height, level of activity (sedentary, moderate, active) .. have your weight, age and female.  

Extremely pleased you're here and posting .. Healthful (((Hugs))) Ranae

[Barb135]

Metformin is used for pcos and/or diabetes (adult onset type II) and is known to cause weight loss in some cases.  I have friend who is on it for type II diabetes and he's lost a lot of weight over a period of time.  It would still be a good idea to talk to your doctor if you lose too much too fast as that isn't healthy.  

[wonko]

I think the 1-2 lbs per week guideline comes from the fact that in order to lose 1 lb, you need a 3,500 calorie deficit.  Spreading that out over a week, eating 500 calories a day LESS than what your body requires will result in the loss of 1 lb.  To lose 2 lbs a week, you need to increase that deficit to 1000 calories/day.

For most people, we can't reduce our intake and/or increase our output (through activity) beyond what will lead to a loss of 1-2 lbs per week without resorting to overly strict calorie intake (that is, what would cut into our basal metabolic rate) or excessive workouts.  

I'm not familiar with metformin.  If you have concerns that you are losing too fast, you should ask your doctor.

From my experience, I was losing weight much faster at first.  I know I had weeks where I could lose 4 lbs at a time.  That slowed down, and now it is much harder.

As you lose weight, the amount of calories you body needs to maintain that weight of course drops, so that is at least part of the reason why I think it is harder for me to lose now than it was when I frist started to lose weight and was at my heaviest.

You can google "basal matablolic rate" and find calculators and formulas that can help give an idea of how many calories you need given your age, weight, genger, and activity.  Of course, I'm not sure how PCOS and/or medication influences those numbers, but maybe it'll give you a better idea?