Losing 3-4 pounds per week?

[manlymatt83]

Hi all,

Back in 2007 I was about 200 pounds. Over the course of 2008 and early 2009 I put on 50 pounds and was 250 throughout 2009, 2010, and most of 2011. Between then and last month, I slowly got down to 230 while also adding muscle mass. I hadn't changed my diet at all... just worked out about 5-6 days per week.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I stopped drinking entirely in mid March as a six month challenge and then two weeks later completely revamped my diet. Instead of eating three large meals for me per day, and not watching calories, I began eating a diet of something like:

Meal 1: half cup whole oats with water and a banana
Meal 2: (after workout) protein shake and sweet potato
Meal 3: steamed broccoli and a piece of grilled chicken
Meal 4: protein shake and assortment of italian meats with lettuce
Meal 5: carrot, sweet potato, maybe some muscles or fish

As you can see, for 2-3 weeks straight now I've been eating really well. I hadn't thought much of it until this morning when I saw someone I haven't seen in three weeks. They said "holy cow, you've lost weight in your face". I stepped on the scale and low and behold I'm down 10 pounds since three weeks ago. How is that possible?

Am I doing something wrong? I'm eating right, I think. And I'm not overdoing the workouts. And I did go to bed mostly full (I'm not keeping myself hungry or anything). Thoughts?

 

[blackdogdeek]

AFAIK, when you switch to a low-carb diet, the rapid weight loss in the first few weeks is due to a loss of water weight. If you check my whole30 log you'll see that I experienced something similar in the first couple of weeks.

 

[mple]

Your sample diet looks deficient in dietary fats and micronutrients.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133634471

 

[Blackjack200]

Yeah, you might want to get a little more fat in there. Unless I'm just missing something the only fat I see is the italian meats. Other than that it looks fine.

Don't worry about the rapid weight loss, it's probably mostly due to water. Just monitor it going forward.

 

[jaedaliu]

Yeah, you might want to get a little more fat in there. Unless I'm just missing something the only fat I see is the italian meats. Other than that it looks fine.

Don't worry about the rapid weight loss, it's probably mostly due to water. Just monitor it going forward.

Switching to making your own food also cuts out a ton of salt, which is another reason you aren't retaining as much water.

keep up the good work!

 

[manlymatt83]

Thanks all!

 

[manlymatt83]

Your sample diet looks deficient in dietary fats and micronutrients.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133634471

Awesome

 

[manlymatt83]

Yeah, you might want to get a little more fat in there. Unless I'm just missing something the only fat I see is the italian meats. Other than that it looks fine.

Don't worry about the rapid weight loss, it's probably mostly due to water. Just monitor it going forward.

Are there simple healthy foods I can get that fat from?

 

[blackdogdeek]

Eggs

 

[Blackjack200]

Peanuts, peanut butter, cottage cheese, eggs, and butter are my primary sources. All except for butter are considered healthy, but I personally don't think butter is a problem as long as you're in a caloric defecit.

Oily fish, olives, olive oil, are also good, although not part of my diet.

I choose to stay away from red meat for the most part, but there are some that think it's just fine.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Are there simple healthy foods I can get that fat from?

avocado is probably the single best source. A large avocado can have up to 30g of fat IIRC.

 

[OHAB]

Something else that has helped many, and what some may want to flame me for is actually water fasting once a week for a 24hr period. Basically you don't eat ANYTHING at all, but only drink water. Every time you get hungry, drink 24-36oz of water as fast as you can until the hunger pain goes away.

This works for plenty of people, and could be that extra something to help lose those extra pounds. It also lets your digestive system "rest" if you will. Don't get me wrong, there are side effects like: fatigue and headaches... but that's about it. Just my $0.02.

 

[manlymatt83]

Thanks for the suggestions! I do eat eggs and fish a lot. Avocados too. I'll keep that in mind I also munch on almond butter a lot. Does that count?

As for the weekly fast, I have heard that's good.

 

[mple]

Peanuts, peanut butter, cottage cheese, eggs, and butter are my primary sources. All except for butter are considered healthy, but I personally don't think butter is a problem as long as you're in a caloric defecit.

Oily fish, olives, olive oil, are also good, although not part of my diet.

I choose to stay away from red meat for the most part, but there are some that think it's just fine.

No single food item or isolated meal (outside of industrial trans fat) should be considered unhealthy without considering ones total diet.

Butter and red meat can be included as part of a balanced healthy diet assuming an average individual without underlying metabolic conditions.

 

[mple]

Something else that has helped many, and what some may want to flame me for is actually water fasting once a week for a 24hr period. Basically you don't eat ANYTHING at all, but only drink water. Every time you get hungry, drink 24-36oz of water as fast as you can until the hunger pain goes away.

This works for plenty of people, and could be that extra something to help lose those extra pounds. It also lets your digestive system "rest" if you will. Don't get me wrong, there are side effects like: fatigue and headaches... but that's about it. Just my $0.02.

There is negligible difference in body composition between eating slightly more for 6 days and fasting 1 day vs eating slightly less for 7 days. You may feel more miserable during your fast and be more likely to binge eat upon breaking your fast.

 

[Blackjack200]

No single food item or isolated meal (outside of industrial trans fat) should be considered unhealthy without considering ones total diet.

Butter and red meat can be included as part of a balanced healthy diet assuming an average individual without underlying metabolic conditions.

It's all relative. I don't think a little bit of butter or red meat from time to time is a problem, but at the same time, I don't think consuming any amount of butter is as healthy as drinking an equivalent number of calories of whole milk (the whole food butter is derived from).

As for red meat, a recent study suggests that even controlling for fat, red meat is still not great.

http://www.nature.com/news/red-meat-wrong-bacteria-bad-news-for-hearts-1.12746

 

[iluvdeal]

As for red meat, a recent study suggests that even controlling for fat, red meat is still not great.

http://www.nature.com/news/red-meat-wrong-bacteria-bad-news-for-hearts-1.12746

Thanks for linking to that article. It mentioned L-Carnitine which is a supplement I was taking but no longer will after reading that. This supplement is widely promoted as an anti-oxidant and anti-aging supplement, who knew it could have the opposite effect.

 

[Wyndru]

Funny that you mentioned about your friends noticing your face looking different....I lose all of my initial weight in my face too. I just wish it would at some point eventually fall off of my gut and love handles :awe:

The large losses in the first few weeks is definitely a welcome motivator, but don't get too worried about excessive loss...you probably won't lose nearly as much over the next few weeks. My weight loss has been so unpredictable even though I've been tracking every calorie, and supposedly should be losing 2 lbs a week (and I don't even calculate my nightly exercise into it). Some weeks I lose 6, others I gain 2.

I even bought a new scale thinking something was wrong with it haha. I guess it's normal to fluctuate though. As long as you see a gradual loss over the long term you are good.

 

[Blackjack200]

My weight loss has been so unpredictable even though I've been tracking every calorie, and supposedly should be losing 2 lbs a week (and I don't even calculate my nightly exercise into it). Some weeks I lose 6, others I gain 2.

I even bought a new scale thinking something was wrong with it haha. I guess it's normal to fluctuate though. As long as you see a gradual loss over the long term you are good.

lol, I have the same issue. I'll be consistently under my calorie budget for the week and not lose anything or even gain a little. Yes, I know it's just water, but even knowing that I sill mutter 'ehh? fuck!' to myself when I read the scale.

 

[Wyndru]

Just a side thought about weighing in...how do you guys weigh yourself, with or without clothes?

I actually got my new scale today and was just testing it, and I had a pair of sweats and a tshirt on, and it was a 2 lb. difference. I never realized that clothes weighed this much. I can understand a pair of jeans, and a heavy shirt maybe, but sweats and a tshirt weighing 2 lbs surprised me.

So far I love the new scale I got. I just checked the highest rated scales on amazon and came up with this:
http://www.amazon.com/Eatsmart-Preci...6924862&sr=1-2

What I like about it so far is it goes to the 10th (my last scale only did .5) and it also is the same regardless of how I stand on it. My old one had a different weight depending on where it was sitting on the floor or if I leaned to one side of it.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I wear only my boxer briefs when I weigh myself. Also, I try to weigh myself at the same time everyday (morning, before meals but after pooping) to eliminate any other variables.

 

[atpokey]

lol, I have the same issue. I'll be consistently under my calorie budget for the week and not lose anything or even gain a little. Yes, I know it's just water, but even knowing that I sill mutter 'ehh? fuck!' to myself when I read the scale.

Don't forget your body is typically fighting to hold on to its calorie stocks as well. I find my body never listens to what I want it to do