How come I've only lost 11 pounds?
Asked by anonymous on Sep 29, 2009
in Weight Loss
I have been dieting for the last five weeks consuming under 1000 a day (honestly) and have only lost 11 pounds. I am 46, female, 5'7", starting weight is 231, activity is 60-minute walk 2-3 times a week.
Answer
A loss of 11 pounds over 5 weeks is perfect, and it is completely in line with the calculations. You may know that it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. Well, you needed 2100 calories a day to maintain 231 lbs at a sedentary activity level, and so by eating about 1000 calories, you created a deficit of 1100 calories a day. Multiply that by 35 days to see that your deficit amounted to 38,500 calories, which translates into 11 pounds. Walking 2-3 times a week does not place you in the moderate activity range. On average, you walk only 20 minutes a day. Try to walk for 30-45 minutes everyday, and increase your intake to 1500 calories to avoid a plateau. Also, adjust your expectations - aim to lose one pound a week - or 52 lbs a year! Time flies.
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