1-2 lbs per week loss...thoughts and such

I know...the schpeal about 1-2lbs loss per week is expected with the band and is healthiest.

However, when I exercise and eat right, I lose 3+ pounds per week. Now I KNOW once I lose a significant amount of weight and get less and less obese, I should expect the 1-2lbs per week. But shouldn't a morbidly obese person (as I was at the start) expect to lose more than 1-2lbs per week, when eating right and exercising? Is it unhealthy for me to lose 3+ per week @ 237 pounds even though I'm eating enough, eating healthy and exercising? I just don't think it is unhealthy. If I were to still lose this quickly after I reach onderland, I could see reason for concern, but now?

Thoughts?

__________________

I don't think it's a big deal because to me the key word is

AVERAGE 1-3 lbs a week (per my doc) Means I could lose 50-150 lbs in a year........ (I'm hoping for 100 myself ;) )

I know 0nce I hit ONEderland the pounds will be fewer and fewer.

__________________

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pTcnDKYCoK_FoG5su-EbAdQ&hl=en
My Blog: http://tracysband.blogspot.com/

There is no concern on losing 3 lbs. I would be more concerned if you are losing more than 5 lbs in a week. You will lose muscle mass. I lose 1 lb a week and am 40 lbs from goal.

__________________
Julie
banded 6/6/06
Dr. McKeen, San Jose CA

320/213/goal 199. Almost there!

I am losing 2-3 lbs a week and my doctor thinks its great. I wouldn't worry unless you start dropping drastically. Good work and good luck on your band journey.

__________________

BANDED: 5-31-07
262/165/150?
Officially a member of ONEderland!
ALMOST THERE!

Yes, obese people will lose much faster at the beginning. And its not all fat, a lot of it is water, fat holds lots and lots and lots of water. Just because you're losing faster doesnt mean you're busily burning up all your lean body tissue and turning yourself into a squidgy blimp. Just go with it - healthy, balanced, exercise and enjoy it while the fast weight loss lasts!

__________________
Jacqui

I am 4 months out and have lost 40 my band phycoligist ( I know I can't spell ) who I still see says that this is a good average I walk And have been more active So I know how you feel .Paul

Weight loss is just math.

You have a Basal Metabolic Rate that will fluctuate from day to day, based on your body weight and lean muscle mass.

Any exercise that you do in addition to your BMR will increase the amount of calories your body will use during the day.

Food is measured in calories, and any food in excess of your BMR plus exercise will accumulate as fat.

Conversely, if you eat fewer calories than you need, you will burn stored fat and lose weight.

So, if, as an example, you have a BMR of 2,000 calories per day and do 500 calories worth of exercise per day, your total caloric expenditure will be 2,500 calories per day.

If you eat more than 2,500 calories that day you will add fat, and gain weight.

If you eat fewer than 2,500 calories that day, you will burn fat and lose weight.

Continuing the example, if you were burning 2,500 calories per day, but only ate 2,000 calories, you would have a 500 calorie deficit. At that rate you would lose 1 pound per week. (500 X 7 days = 3,500 calories. Fat is 3,500 calories per pound)

Continuing the example, if you ate only 1,500 calories that day, you would burn 1,000 calories of stored fat, which would result in losing 2 pounds per week. ( 1,000 X 7 days = 7,000 calories. Fat is 3,500 calories per pound)

If you are losing 3 pounds per week, it means you are eating 1,500 fewer calories per day than your body needs.

Bigger people will lose weight faster, because their basal metabolic rate is influenced by their body size.

That also explains why the rate of weight loss will inevitably slow as a person loses weight.

__________________
See my before & after photographs

Starting weight was 570 pounds
Banded 09/13/2004 by Dr. Neal, in Shelton, WA

"Why are you letting a number on a scale determine your level of happiness, and would it MATTER what the number on the scale said if you were at your perfect goal SIZE?"

All the math makes perfect sense but in reality weight loss seems a bit more sporadic and fickle than that. For my weight, I require over 3000 calories a day just to live. Add to that, I am exercising almost every day for close to an hour and my calories are under 2000 (typically around 1400). Given that, I should be losing weight like mad, but it comes off in fits and starts. As much as we like to categorize the body as a machine, I think there are still some unknown variables that determine the rate of loss - beyond simple "calories in, calories out". Just my humble opinion...

__________________
Cherrybomb
Banded: 7/5/2007
First Fill: 8/16/2007
Second Fill: 9/5/2007
What are you fighting for?

Weight loss is like a staircase, it's drop, then stop, drop, then stop. Of course, looking at the weight loss that way is looking in the short term, as opposed to looking at things from the perspective of the long term.

Bearing that in mind, the math will be accurate in the long run.

__________________
See my before & after photographs

Starting weight was 570 pounds
Banded 09/13/2004 by Dr. Neal, in Shelton, WA

"Why are you letting a number on a scale determine your level of happiness, and would it MATTER what the number on the scale said if you were at your perfect goal SIZE?"