Is it true that fast weight loss means it’s only water weight?

[alexis82]

I'm 30/F, 5'2". I've lost about 7.5 pounds in the last three weeks, down from 180lbs to 172.5lbs.

What I've been doing to lose the weight is eating much less than usual (I don't count calories but I'd guess between 1000-1200 depending on the day?), limiting carbs, and adding 45-60 minutes of intense cardio six days a week.

I was really pleased about my progress, but my husband says that it's only possible to lose about 2 pounds of fat in a week and anything more than that means I'm just dehydrated. He's kind of a fitness bro so I figure he either definitely knows what he's talking about or else he absolutely fucking doesn't.

Any thoughts?

 

[smooman]

@alexis82 Well 7.5lbs in 3 weeks is 2.5lbs a week. So it's not that much off his "only 2lbs of fat loss a week" logic.

 

[alexis82]

@smooman That's a really good point!

 

[brokenangel1991]

@alexis82 1000-1200 calories, particularly if you're doing 45-60 minutes of intense cardio per day, isn't enough food. Think long game, and making sustainable choices.

I disagree that there's something inherently wrong with that much cardio, but I'm also a 50-55mpw runner so YMMV, quite literally.

 

[smooman]

@brokenangel1991 OP definitely needs to pay attention to how much she is eating. It's not just to make sure you're not eating too much, but to be sure you're not eating too little.

 

[brokenangel1991]

@smooman Yes. She may feel fine now but fatigue, sluggish workouts, feeling foggy, etc. can creep up quickly- just as quickly as feeling energized can happen when fueling enough.

OP, for reference, 1000 calories is less than what's recommended for my 3 year old.