Finally think found diet for me :-)

[Aussieblues]

Well just about to start 3 rd week of diet. It was so funny as I still have 3 weeks left of my monthly pass at weightwatchers I went and got weighed Wednesday. Now for past 6 months my overall weight loss was a gain of 3 lbs so not impressive! I'd loss one week but gain next purely due to boredom of tracking pro points which is really calorie counting! So after gaining a pound the week before ( which would've been 3 if hadn't started diff diet) I jumped on scales and she squealed I'd lost 6 lbs lol. Then proceeded to tell me unhealthy to do that every week! Like I could! Firstly I was helper at a meeting until they shut it down as only 20 odd successful losers attended apparently losses money if not over higher number. Secondly I have completed open university nutrition course so do know healthy is 1 to 2 lbs a week which now after the 5 day attack phase it what I should lose. But feels good to be 10 lbs lighter than 3 weeks ago without constantly worrying how many pro points or calories does this food have and am actually eating less as I can eat more if wanted to

[Hidden]

Hi Aussieblues,

Losing weight too quickly can be quite a problem for some people.

And we all know that the recommended maximum rate is about 2.2 lb or a kilogram a week.

But that is averaged out. For one reason most people lose weight faster than that at the start of their weight loss journey. Secondly, more people have blips and spurts in their weight loss journeys.

If you've shed 10 lbs (4.5 Kgs) in your first three weeks then you're losing weight a bit too fast, but not frighteningly so.

But, with a couple of caveats, that's unlikely to be a problem as you will probably even out over the next couple of weeks or so and, if not, you will probably adjust your routine a bit - add in a few more calories a day - to put it back on track at about the right rate of loss.

Now the caveats - because it isn't only about rapid weight loss being more likely to be regained later.

1) If you're losing weight at too fast a rate and you do not feel well, e.g. headaches, listlessness, sleeplessness, feeling faint or giddy or are experiencing other symptoms such as a loss of endurance, difficulties keeping your body temperature up, mood swings, diminished short term memory - then do something about it.

2) Losing weight significantly faster than the given recommendation really shouldn't be done other than for relatively short periods.

For sure, it is possible - and sometimes medically necessary - to lose weight more quickly by using VLCDs, but these shouldn't be undertaken unless under medical supervision, because they often come with a number of problems attached such as excessive water loss / dehydration, diarrhoea or constipation, and loss of muscle (rather than fat) and gallstones can be a risk too.

I've lost weight a bit too fast over the last 10 weeks - 13 Kgs in 10 weeks = 30% too fast. A couple of times I upped my food intake a bit to try to balance it out. But if I hadn't felt basically fit and well and functional - except for a bug that's been doing the rounds amongst my colleagues - I most certainly would have taken action about it, i.e. significantly upped the calorie intake and sought medical advice.

One other thing - it can be when people are losing weight too fast, they're just not eating enough and as well as not getting enough calories, they're also not getting enough nutrition for their body's needs.

Sadly, there isn't really enough awareness of this and that is probably because of all those sensationalistic adverts of the ilk of "you can lose 6 stone in 0.27 nanoseconds, just buy this delicious tasting ....".

[Aussieblues]

Ah you should be well aware that first week of a diet shouldn't really be averaged out with the following weeks, I lost 6-7 first week purely due to over eating week before which isn't unusual in people about to start dieting and usually first weight loss includes excess water. It's the weeks after that should be looked at for a regular 1 to 2 lb loss. I have no intention of stripping muscle by trying to lose too much too quick and I don't count calories as that made me too food obsessed. So I'm eating from a healthy food list and not eating loads of low fat but highly sweetened 'diet' foods that left me unsatisfied and over eating. I would never under eat a) because I'm a natural piggy b) as I go to the gym twice a week so I'd soon know if I didn't have energy to Zumba I'm no novice but appreciate that too many people want to lose too much weight too quickly but I'm not one of them. All I know is there are a lot of diet lifestyles out there and not one type suits all. Congrats on your loss though you must feel a lot fitter for it

[Hidden in reply to Aussieblues]

Hi Aussieblues,

In fact, whilst I do feel a lot better than when I started, I am getting to have a too fast weight loss issue. One advantage of weighing every morning is that I'm more able to chart the trends over different periods - and I've lost 1 kilo just this weekend!

Ho hum.

I'd better make a few adjustments to the calorie intake, or I could end up with some real problems.

Nothing too drastic, some peanut or cashew butter on toast here, some honey on yohgurt and fruit there, perhaps a bigger afternoon snack when at work, maybe a few more carbs with my dinner.

I do have a tendency to go up a bit, or level out for two or three days, and then spurt downwards with my weight, but even if I levelled out for three solid weeks, it would only put me to where I ought to actually be.

[Aussieblues in reply to Hidden]

Problem is do you feel hungry? I wouldn't want to be adding snacks to eat if I wasn't hungry. Maybe you are just losing water, I hope you are keeping your water levels up. But shows we are all different in approach and results

[Hidden in reply to Aussieblues]

No, I 'm not going around hungry, nor dehydrated. But I am losing weight a bit too fast and that could have consequences, so I'm going to pre-empt the problems and increase my calories a bit to level out for a few days or at least reduce the rate of weight loss.

As I've said, I'm a bit ahead of the game anyhow, so if I don't lose any weight for a few (or even more) days, it's no big deal.

[maggie123]

Aussieblues, Well done you, fantastic, keep up the good work, if you slip up, laugh and start again ha ha ha. Good luck and best wishes.

[Aussieblues in reply to maggie123]

Thanks that's def the key thing really that slips ups happen but to get back on with it thanks