How much weight loss is too much?

December 3, 2008 5:59 AM

How much weight loss is too much?

For the past week and a half, I've been on The Hacker's Diet. It's working like a dream, mostly because I'm sort of a large boy (6'1" and 245) and I'm restricting myself to 1500 calories a day. There's something about understanding what all these numbers mean that makes this really exciting for me.

My body feels great on this diet so far, and I'm being careful to get all the protein I need as well as taking a multivitamin. Problem is, apparently I'm using 2500+ calories a day, apparently (I'm not terribly inactive). Thus, my weight (if one can extrapolate a weeklong trend) is going to be dropping by 2+ lbs a week.

I'm planning on being on this diet for several months, until I get to around 170, which is what I weighed in high school. Obviously, you're not my doctor, but am I going to damage my body doing this? Online places I've looked have said that the safe weight loss range per week is about 1-2, and I'm looking at 2.2 - 2.5.

I guess my question boils down to: assuming proper nutrition, is the loss of too much weight going to hurt me?

posted by TypographicalError to health & fitness (18 comments total)

As long as you don't have any other health problems (including ones you don't yet know about yet) and drink plenty of water and get plenty of exercise, I doubt it. I also doubt your weightloss will be as great during the whole time.
posted by gjc at 6:06 AM on December 3, 2008

Well, people who have had weight loss surgery can easily drop 20 lbs a month or more in the beginning. I think the key is making sure you are getting enough protein so that your organs aren't damaged in the process. You should talk to a doctor though to make sure you don't have any conditions that could make this a problem.
posted by cabingirl at 6:07 AM on December 3, 2008

Mrs Morte works as a diet counsellor, and a certain amount of what she advises has made its way into my consciousness, so here's what I understand about it:

2 or 3 (or even 4) pounds a week is not going to do you any harm, provided you're otherwise healthy. There are medically approved diet plans where the loss can be as high as 5 or even 10 pounds in some weeks. If you're on medication or have any significant health issues, you need to consult a doctor before going on any weight-loss programme whatsoever.

Don't be discouraged if your weight loss is very rapid at the start, then less so. But the Hacker's Diet explains most of that, if I remember correctly.

Rapid weight loss (and I wouldn't class 2 pounds a week as particularly rapid by any means) can lead to an elevated risk of developing gallstones. I know of at least three people (myself included) who have been diagnosed with gallstones immediately after a significant weight loss. I wouldn't wish them on anyone, but I'd stress that this outcome is unlikely unless you're on a very restrictive diet, or have a family history of the condition.

Congratulations on taking such a worthwhile step.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 6:23 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

It's entirely possible that the weightloss won't keep up at that breakneck pace, but if you're concerned, why not up your calories and lose weight more slowly? Keep the same end goal--weight lost more slowly will be a more sustainable change, anyway.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:41 AM on December 3, 2008

Well, people who have had weight loss surgery can easily drop 20 lbs a month or more in the beginning.

Oh, and people undergoing weightloss surgery often have a bevy of complications associated with the rapid weightloss, and are usually under a doctor's care.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:43 AM on December 3, 2008

Depending on how much weight you lose, and how rapidly, your pancreas can act up a bit. The pancreas produces bile, which is used in the digestive process. It's used to producing enough to deal with your current weight. If you drop that weight too quickly--as in 50 pounds in 6 months--it can continue producing the old amount of bile after it's necessary.

This doesn't happen to everyone and doesn't actually pose any long-term health risks, as it will eventually adjust to a new level, but it can be a bit unpleasant for a few weeks. But I think indigestion is the worst symptom you're likely to experience.
posted by valkyryn at 6:49 AM on December 3, 2008 [2 favorites]

I dropped from 335lbs in 2008 to 250 in Sept. 2008 (I end at September because I was layed off and I've become lazy) using a doctor approved diet of my own devising. I started off with a 25lb loss in the first month and finished with 6. At my yearly physical in July, my MD said that, if anything, I'm the healthiest that I've ever been. If you have real concerns, check in with a doctor (you'll want to do that regardless).
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 6:56 AM on December 3, 2008

No, it's fine.

The hardest part is what you do once you've hit your target weight. Can't eat the same as before and/or maintain the same level of activity and expect to keep it off.
posted by jmmpangaea at 6:58 AM on December 3, 2008

jmmpangaea: "No, it's fine.

The hardest part is what you do once you've hit your target weight. Can't eat the same as before and/or maintain the same level of activity and expect to keep it off."

That's a problem for the future. Right now I'm trying not to eat donuts.
posted by TypographicalError at 7:07 AM on December 3, 2008

I am also 6'1 and i currently weight about 165 pounds. 10 months ago I was at 190 which in most cases is good but it was an out of shape 190.....I went down to 155 in only 6 months and aside from being extremely tired (I was running for 45 minutes every day of the week) I was fine....I did have a nutrionist supervising my diet however and let me tell you my restriction was much bigger than yours....after I was done with my diet it has become actually really difficult to eat junkfood...I feel and look much much better and I am happy with the results....so my advise is that if you are healthy go for it...cause I actually dont think you have a really challenging diet...
posted by The1andonly at 7:13 AM on December 3, 2008

Your rate of weight loss is often highest in the first couple of weeks. You're not losing just fat but, if your calorie reduction also means some carbohydrate reduction, you're losing some of the associated water weight. If you slip and have a lot of salty carbs some time in the process, you may see your weight jump rapidly in a short period, but little of that will be new fat, and most of it will be retained water from the carb-and-salt.

So as the weeks go on, you may find you 2+ weekly loss dropping to 1-2 pounds as you get closer to your target weight. Relax, keep eating well, keep active, and don't turn yourself into knots trying to get back to a 2+ weight loss every week. With immense dedication you might do it, and you might do it in such a way as not to damage your health, but you have a whole life to lead while you're losing weight. Ideally, you're making new eating and activity habits permanent. Enjoy the ride.

(I'm a small woman and I find it hard to keep to 1500 a day. If you want to get more active, you should bump up your calories a bit. )
posted by wexford_arts at 7:24 AM on December 3, 2008

I did almost exactly what you're doing about a year and a half ago; dropped from 258 to 180 using the Hacker's Diet and a 1500 calorie a day regimen. I drank plenty of water and took a multivitamin every day.

It took me about ten months, and I've been wandering between 180 and 187 ever since; I'm still looking for the ideal plateau weight where I can stay stable.

The side effects? Um... I feel great. I look great. I had to buy all new clothes, which look good on me. I spend a lot less on food. I have a lot more energy to do stuff.

So, basically, side effects include awesomeness.
posted by MrVisible at 8:57 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

1500 calories a day sounds incredibly low for someone of your size. To me itit doesn't sound particularly healthy in terms of your body functioning well nor does it seem like a super sustainable way to continue to live once you reach a goal weight. (General wisdom on this is that anything more than 2 lbs. a week is going to be way tougher to keep off.) But, take that with a grain of salt since I am a layperson interested in nutrition and fitness, not a pro.

But you're not asking about how quickly it's safe to lose weight, right? You want to know how much to lose total? I would check out some online BMI calculators to get a sense of where it's healthy for your body to be and then balance that out with other factors, such as your frame and what your body needs fuel-wise. The number isn't as important as is how much fat you're carrying, cholesterol, heart health etc. They are related, of course, but once you get closer to your goal weight, you want to think less in terms of numbers and more in terms of overall fitness.

Sparkpeople has been a great resource for me because it helps you set a weight goal and then use nutrition and fitness tools to reach it. It calculates via an algorithm that seems pretty legit, what your daily calorie intake (broken down into carbs, fat, protein) should be based on what you want to lose. And it has some built in stops so that you can't create a plan that causes you to overexercise or undereat.

Plus, it boasts a very active community of people trying to lose weight and maintain a goal weight which means they can give lots of facts and info on these types of questions as well as a ton of support and motivation. Sounds hokey but is great, I promise. Also, lots and lots of great articles on nutrition, fitness, motivation, etc. and so on.
posted by Rudy Gerner at 9:06 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Considering you describe yourself as a 'large boy', you may want to rethink the goal of 170lbs. That seems pretty small, and chances are you've grown some since high school.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 9:13 AM on December 3, 2008

jeff-o-matic: "Considering you describe yourself as a 'large boy', you may want to rethink the goal of 170lbs. That seems pretty small, and chances are you've grown some since high school."

Well, large in the sense of circular. I actually have a thin build, I think, which makes all this extra weight even more out of place.

The very short term goal right now is, of course, just eating right every day. But my plan is to get down to sub-200 and then see what sort of weight looks and feels right for me. I'm not so concerned about numbers (re: weight) as I am health.
posted by TypographicalError at 9:20 AM on December 3, 2008

Oh, and people undergoing weightloss surgery often have a bevy of complications associated with the rapid weightloss, and are usually under a doctor's care.

Some do. Many don't. Yes, you hear about the bad cases but for many surgeons, the complication rate is very low (on the order of 1% or less).

Also, "under a doctor's care" is misleading as for many it consists of a nurse asking "do you feel ok? are you following your diet?" on a monthly or quarterly basis.

I know this is not a thread about weight loss surgery but I just wanted to clarify that many people have lost weight rapidly in this way and not suffered serious health problems as a result. The gallbladder issue previously mentioned is the most common.
posted by cabingirl at 9:38 AM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

I lost almost the same amount of weight on the South Beach Diet in 2005- from 240 to 170 (I'm 6'-2"). I lost the 70 lb. over a 6 month period, and lost at a 3 lb./week rate for a few months. No problems.

Sadly, I've gained most of it back in the three years since.

Happily, I'm back down to below 200 and hope to get back to the 180s, a weight I think I can maintain, in the next few months.
posted by Doohickie at 10:27 AM on December 3, 2008

I know this is not a thread about weight loss surgery but I just wanted to clarify that many people have lost weight rapidly in this way and not suffered serious health problems as a result. The gallbladder issue previously mentioned is the most common.

I know, but it just seems strange to me to say, "Well, people undergoing weightloss surgery lose that much and they're fine," because it's an entirely different situation than losing weight from diet alone and, even if the doctor's care isn't great, they do have someone there monitoring them if something goes wrong (i.e. gallstones).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:44 PM on December 3, 2008