Ok, well i've posted here before as i started my diet, and i've checked back every now and again. I am 6 foot 4 and i started at 265, i am 18 yrs old. Now here is the problem, if you can call it that. I have lost between 2-5 lbs every 3 days. And after reading peoples posts on here, that doesnt seem normal. I eat about 1200 calories a day, i still feel hungary sometimes tho, but i usually just get some carrots or an apple. Basically what i want to know is, if you think that the reason that i'm losing so much in so little time is because i'm only an 18 yr old male and i'm still growing? I started my diet on September 30, and i lost 28 lbs in a month and a week. I was thinking that i might be losing muscle, but i dunno because i play hockey, and i have take a before and after picture, and i am noticable thinner and my relatives comment. I just don't know, i keep thinking that this can't be true. If anyone knows whats going on here drop me a line....

hi jaco..i will give you my honest opinion..1200 calories a day is the minimum amount a woman who is only 5 ' should get..you are an active, tall, young man who is playing vigorous sports and is still growing..you need many, many more calories than you are getting...and you need them because you need the nutrition they represent..10 pounds a month is a good safe loss..my opinion is that you need to up your calories until you are losing no more than 10 pounds per month...but make them healthy calories..protein, whole grains, low fat/non fat milk/dairy, fruits, veggies, small amounts of good fats..i suggest you add some additional dairy servings, another serving or two of protein, and a couple of fruits per day....and maybe some additional whole wheat bread or high quality cereal...good luck in your plans :*

Although I think your age gives you an edge, I think the biggest factor is that you're expending far more calories through daily activities and exercise than you're eating.
I too had moments of such phenominal loss I don't like to discuss losing in terms of numbers for fear others will think it could be "the norm" and get discouraged, but I had one 6 week period(45 days) in which I lost 37 pounds (like losing 1.2lbs/day), but my weight was about 275lbs at the time so of course the more you need to lose, the more you can lose, but what it was was the level of exercise I had been doing during that period. I was lifting heavy 4-5 days/week and doing cardio 5-6 days/week and the pounds were melting faster than I could believe. So in retrospect, I should have been eating more to offset such a speedy loss, but of course I got caught up in the losing and rode it out!
You really should add a few extra calories to your day, only because this is suppose to be for a lifetime and realistically, even if you lose like this now, some day you'll want to eat more and that's when your weight will start to creep back up.
If this isn't a pace you can keep for a lifetime, you should balance it out now. It does feel good for now, trust me I know! But it won't last forever and at some point you'll have to stop losing and deal with eating to maintain your loss. Will 1200 cals/day really be enough a year from now, or 5 years from now?
And the more fit you become and the more muscle you develop, the better the fuel you'll need to keep your body running. I'd at least look at 1600 cals/day, that's still way low for a dude, especially an active teenage one!

Donna

hey there jaco. I agree that 1200 is way low for a guy at your height, age, and activity level. I'd go one step higher than Donna and suggest you try for about 2000 cals a day because if memory serves, I ate at least that much when I was a teen (and I'm a shortie). Did you know there a Dudes forum here? The guys there have lost lots of weight, or on their way to losing a lot, and I believe many of them are pretty tall guys. They may be able to provide you some extra 'dude' support.

Thanks alot everyone. I agree, even my mom tells me that im eating too little, i just love the way this feels cause its coming off so easily. I figured that once i get down to the perfect weight then, i will add an extra 200 calories a day every 2 weeks until i get the total calories back up to where i'll not gain and not lose and my body will have time to adjust to it. Does that sound like it might work?

Jaco...eat more now...don't wait until you get to goal...you are losing way too fast..sorry but you don't want it to all come back do you....? and playing hockey...you need to eat more about 2000 calories or so as Dea mentioned...and do check out the Dudes forums they are a super bunch of guys...Best of luck

Louise

Originally posted by jaco
Thanks alot everyone. I agree, even my mom tells me that im eating too little, i just love the way this feels cause its coming off so easily. I figured that once i get down to the perfect weight then, i will add an extra 200 calories a day every 2 weeks until i get the total calories back up to where i'll not gain and not lose and my body will have time to adjust to it. Does that sound like it might work?


Well with this apporach, you may send your body into shock and gain some before you plataue and even out.

You have the rest of your life to be thin. So slow and steady will be ok. ( 10 lbs a month max).

Losing more slowly will give your body a chance to adjust. What will you think if you lose everything all at once and then your skin hasn't had a chance to adjust? Just my :2

Oh yeah, and I suppose I should clarify: I ate at least 2000 cals (human garbage disposal) AND I am a shortie and very active (and by no means overweight). Your body needs the nutrients, especially at this growing stage of your life :)