Am I losing too fast?

[Ryan8501]

Hey all! Let's get down to it,

I'm 18, 6'3 and at the start of May 2016 I weighed 245lbs, with body fat around 30-32%. I began cardio workouts in early May and to this day 6/30/16 I weigh 213lbs, which is 32lbs total over a little less than 2 months. Breakdown is -16.6 in June, & -16.4 in May. I eat good nutritious food (cooked by my mom), nothing pre made or unhealthy stuff like that. Calorie intake ranges from 1500-2000 daily.

Looking back over the past 2 months, there were days I splurged like crazy and I was also at camp for a week straight with no workouts and unhealthy food. So quite honestly, I could've lost A LOT more if I dedicated myself 100%

My goal is to get down to 180, then bulk up to 200 while lifting and doing core exercises. I read everywhere that losing weight at this pace is unhealthy and can lead to muscle loss. My question is, am I losing weight too fast? I physically feel great, and have not lost any muscle that I notice. Do I keep going at the same pace? Am I worrying about nothing? ANY advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!

(also if this is too fast, what are the risks, short term and long term?)

[mchack]

Weight loss rate is fine. However as you get leaner you will lose weight slower. Make sure to get enough protein. The calories seem a bit low there is no need to go down to 1500 a day. You should start to track calories more carefully because margin of error will be larger when you get leaner. You should start lifting weights immediately and not wait till you are at 180.

[robbskittles]

Hey all! Let's get down to it,

I'm 18, 6'3 and at the start of May 2016 I weighed 245lbs, with body fat around 30-32%. I began cardio workouts in early May and to this day 6/30/16 I weigh 213lbs, which is 32lbs total over a little less than 2 months. Breakdown is -16.6 in June, & -16.4 in May. I eat good nutritious food (cooked by my mom), nothing pre made or unhealthy stuff like that. Calorie intake ranges from 1500-2000 daily.

Looking back over the past 2 months, there were days I splurged like crazy and I was also at camp for a week straight with no workouts and unhealthy food. So quite honestly, I could've lost A LOT more if I dedicated myself 100%

My goal is to get down to 180, then bulk up to 200 while lifting and doing core exercises. I read everywhere that losing weight at this pace is unhealthy and can lead to muscle loss. My question is, am I losing weight too fast? I physically feel great, and have not lost any muscle that I notice. Do I keep going at the same pace? Am I worrying about nothing? ANY advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks all!

(also if this is too fast, what are the risks, short term and long term?)

I too have questions about loosing too fast... recently i started out at 301lbs. 25 june of this year and now today july 1st I'm at 285. I eat about 1500 Calories a day and do about 15-25 miles a day on my mountain bike at a fast pace.

Everyone says to slow down, but even if i plus the calories my bike runs are intense at my weight keeps coming off. I am ex military so my mindset is set to be hardcore. I know i will have loose skin issues but at this point I've come to think it's a price i have to pay for being overweight.

I haven't notice any muscle decreasing. I can still pick up my regular weight in the Gym no problem. I will try and up the calorie intake so i can slow down this process and will let you know how it goes.

It's hasn't even been a month since i started all of this so i can't really say much more till more time passes. My Goal is 200 lbs by the end of the 2016 year.

[Tommy W.]

When you're carrying that much fat you can lose quickly without and repercussions. As you get leaner it'll slow down or even stop once your maintenance balances out with your calorie intake.

[MarriedIn60Days]

At 213, I believe you should be eating 2500 calories a day (and that's with no exercise). If exercising, you probably can bump that to 3000. If you eat 1500, that's a 1500 calorie deficit, which translates into at least 4 lbs a week.

I've read you shouldn't go with more than a 1000 calorie deficit, but I've given myself a 2 month deadline, and a 1000 calorie deficit is dropping the weight like crazy for me. No energy issues, no fatigue, and no big problems at the gym. Keep it up!

[Tommy W.]

At 213, I believe you should be eating 2500 calories a day (and that's with no exercise). If exercising, you probably can bump that to 3000. If you eat 1500, that's a 1500 calorie deficit, which translates into at least 4 lbs a week.

I've read you shouldn't go with more than a 1000 calorie deficit, but I've given myself a 2 month deadline, and a 1000 calorie deficit is dropping the weight like crazy for me. No energy issues, no fatigue, and no big problems at the gym. Keep it up!

You can't randomly pick a number by using a calculator and say that someone at X lbs. should be eating X calories. There are too many factors. NEAT which is not really able to be counted, body composition, etc. All these factors add up to a highly individual maintenance number.

[284Shooter]

Start lifting heave as you can, NOW!

[Tommy W.]

Start lifting heave as you can, NOW!

No.
Lift sensibly

[MarriedIn60Days]

You can't randomly pick a number by using a calculator and say that someone at X lbs. should be eating X calories. There are too many factors. NEAT which is not really able to be counted, body composition, etc. All these factors add up to a highly individual maintenance number.

Tommy - what is the precise number YOU choose as his baseline for being a 6'2 male weighing 213 lbs? If we can't choose a calorie baseline, what are the missing variables?

[Tommy W.]

Tommy - what is the precise number YOU choose as his baseline for being a 6'2 male weighing 213 lbs? If we can't choose a calorie baseline, what are the missing variables?

Re read my post and add the age factor also. To really figure someones base (maintenance) calories they need to eat normally and track the calories for a week. If their weight has been fairly stable then this is their true maintenance. They can the adjust from there for fatloss. This means a week before they can start dieting down however guessing and being too high will set you back a month.

You either want to do the 1 week tracking or just start lower than what the calculators say, that way if you're losing too fast that first month you can add some cals back in and already be losing fat and not wasting time. Very unlikely that you'll add cals back in though. I've never seen it happen.

[Jman10]

Ryan - congrats on the weight loss thus far. What type of cardio were you doing daily (treadmill, ellipical, bike)? Was it high intesisty or low intensity? Also, how long and how many times per day?

I'm cutting right now so i'd be interested in hearing your answered. You really melted off the fat quickyl

[BoringWesley]

Hey all! Let's get down to it,

I'm 18

Our bodies are capable of doing tremendous things, especially at young ages. Enjoy it because as you get it old it may slow down (genetics may play a role as well). Anyway, congrats on the progress you are making, my only recommendation would be to add weight training now ( it sounded like you were only doing cardio from your initial post, then were going to Bulk/Lift once you got to your goal weight).