How much is TOO much to lose a week?

[*NikkiBell*]

I have been told that five pounds lost a week is way too much. What do you think? How much is TOO much per week?

 

[Lesli54]

5 lbs a week is too much to lose, however there are some exceptions to WHY a person may have lost so much so quickly other than being sick. If you are just starting out with a more balanced meal plan, beginning exercising after being sedentary, drinking more water, and better portion control, it is possible to have a large loss. Most of it will be due to the loss of water retained in your body. Also, the more weight a person has to lose the more that person will be apt to lose a large number of lbs. in a week when they start their program.

A 2lb. loss a week is what is considered average and healthy. There may be weeks when you lose almost 4 lbs and then the next only 1 and then the next 1.5.

If you continue losing such large amounts of weight each week, you might want to check with your dr. Another thing to think about, most people who lose alot of weight quickly, trying to get to X lbs in such a short time, usually will gain all the weight back. Don't be in a rush to lose. Take everything you can get and along the way learn habits that will help you keep it off when you get to your goal.

Have a great day!

 

[bicker]

That raises a very good point: Folks shouldn't ever be looking at week-to-week weight changes as anything significant. The human body just doesn't work that way. At best, for women, folks should be averaging together the last four weeks worth of weigh-ins. So if, for the last four weeks you weighed 170, 167, 167, 166, and now you weight 162, you'd have lost 2 pounds in the last week, not 4 pounds, because your 4 week average weight would have dropped from 167.5 to 165.5.

(170+167+167+166)/4 = 167.5
(167+167+166+162)/4 = 165.5

Men can probably get away with three-week rolling averages, but women should stick with four-week rolling averages.

 

[PatricenPete]

I have lost about 25 pounds since June 14. My first week, I lost 8 pounds and it stayed off. I am continuing to lost an average of about 3 pounds per week.

 

[pearlieq]

As long as you're eating an adequate, well-balanced diet (1500 cal at the bare minimum unless you're really petite) and not overexercising, I don't see anything wrong with losing 5lbs, especially if it's early in your weight loss and you're very large to begin with.

The first week I started losing I lost over 15 pounds and I've have quite a few 4-5lb loss week (not recently, of course ) It seems to come off in fits and spurts--5lbs one week, 2lbs the next, then .5lbs, then 5 again.

Unless you're unhealthy and dropping the same amount week after week, don't worry!

 

[daisy_77]

I recently lost 30 pounds in less than 8 weeks. My doctor said it is not wise to lose that much so fast because you are most likely going to gain it back. I started back up on my eating 1200 cals a day and working out and I have lost 7 pounds in less than a week. I am trying to eat a little bit more, I can't help it if my body wants to lose this weight! I say ask your doctor what he/she thinks is healthy. That is just my opinion! Keep up the great work on your weight loss! You are doing awesome!

 

[Claroquesi]

I just had my first weigh in and I lost 4 lbs in a week, but I think it is all water because they mmake me drink 64oz of it a day!

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

The first week on a diet is 50 % of more water weight in most cases, so losing 5 lbs the first week on a diet is not unheard of nor is it dangerous. Afterwards it should slow to 1/2-2 1/2 lbs per week. If you are losing 5 or so pounds a week steadily, that is way too fast, likely causing metabolic problems.

It also depends on your weight. For a 600 lb person, losing 10 lbs in a week is not dangerous. For a 160 lb person, it would be extremely dangerous. In general, I would say any more than 2 percent of your body weight maximum(excluding the first week) is too dangerous and should be slowed.

It is also important to note that after 48 hours on a diet your body begins producing starvation hormones. No one should even go on a diet under 1000 calories a day. It is also much better to up calories and up exercise instead of lowering calories further. If you burn 3500 calories exercising, you raise your metabolism, working with your body. If you cut 3500 calories dieting, you lower your metabolism, working against your body. In the long run, the exerciser will lose more weight, have more muscle, have a higher metabolism and be healthier.

 

[bicker]

No one should even go on a diet under 1000 calories a day.

Unless medically-supervised.