Is losing 2 stone in 12 weeks "worryingly fast"?

[JustTryingToBeHappy]

I'm morbidly obese and have been since a child. Twelve weeks ago I weighed in at 20 stone 7 pounds and something inside me snapped. I felt angry and fed up that I had got to this point and powered my rage into doing something about it.

So I did a pile of research on how to find your correct deficit number, started calorie counting and walking more, included more fruit and veg in my diet and I have now lost 2 stone so far. I haven't told anyone I am doing this, but people are starting to guess because they can see it in my face apparently.

Two friends and a colleague this week have all commented "you look amazing, have you lost weight?" When I reply, yes, they are beaming with positivity for me, which is nice. Until they ask how much I've lost and how long its taken and suddenly it's as if I've told them I'm living off air and water only.

One friend told me 2 stone in 12 weeks is "worryingly fast" and I must be "drastically cutting my calories". I replied to her that if you count 1800 cals a day as "drastic" then sure, but I've researched a lot into it and am doing this the proper and safe way. Explained the weight loss will slow down as time goes on. She said I can't possibly be eating that many calories and be losing "so much weight".

The other friend and the colleague have made similar comments. One even accused me of using weight loss injections and lying about it! Honestly it's made me annoyed that people are sticking their noses in when I'm being perfectly healthy.

I have 8 more stone to lose and the thought of people clutching their pearls in horror is taking the shine off my achievements.

How do you deal with this? I'm guessing it will get worse the closer I get to goal. Why can't they be happy that I am finally putting my health first and reducing my risk of a lot of horrible illnesses? I'd be delighted if a loved one was doing that, I want them to be around for as long as possible.

I don't understand.

Well done Op!!! Yes that would be a lot of weight in a short period if you were 10 stone. But being obese means you burn more calories just in day to day life anyway, so you'll naturally get a big calorie deficit. You'll find the more you lose, the weight loss will slow down.
Keep going!!

How do you handle the unwanted comments? Genuinely, it's starting to do my head in 🤣

Thank you, everyone.

Actually, I'm just realising some of that weight loss was due to a dose of norovirus just before Christmas 🤢 so I can't take all the credit 😆

Congratulations @JustTryingToBeHappy it’s fantastic what you are doin* for yourself!
I too need to lose weight and can only imagine having your success. Every time I start losing any comments from others tends to make my willpower evaporate.
For those who have been unhelpful could you deflect with comedy/sarcasm ‘no it’s perspective, I’m standing further away’ and if they don’t get the hint ‘are you insisting I discuss this’?

Well done. Just ignore those comments. Someone who has always been normal weight or only a bit overweight wouldn't have experience in being obese and loosing weight.

I lost 25 lbs in 6 days due to hyperemesis, I felt like I was dying and had to be hydrated via IV. Your loss isn't the same as that so whilst the number sounds drastic the heavier you are the bigger that initial loss is, don't get discouraged when it slows down that's normal.

Well done on your great achievement! It equate to less than 2.5 lb per week which is a healthy sustainable weight loss

Nope seems perfectly fine. I lost 9 stone by myself and also lost loads in the first few months. Then it slowed☺️

Ignore it, carry on

At 20 stone you can drop initially a stone really quickly because its fluids and liquids. The next stone is some fat

As time goes on it will slow down, but even a stone every 6 weeks on average is not fast, not slow. Its a good response but not drastic particularly at your weight

It will slow down, thats natural, enjoy it OP because you're doing well and it will make such a difference to your visceral fat stores, your BP your BS, your pressure on joints, your hormones

Well done

I think it's fine at your starting weight. Everyone loses weight more quickly at the start then plateau and if you're heavier to start with you will lose it faster than someone who just needs to lose a stone or two

Ignore. You are doing so well! It’s not too fast, because (not trying to be mean) you have a fair bit to lose and you must have radically changed your diet. Good for you 🥰As it comes off your weight loss will slow but, you are doing amazing things for your health. Go you!

It is impressive. The most I ever managed was 2lb a week. It's the top end of a healthy loss pattern so long as you are still feeling okay, not hungry all the time or lethargic or tired.

Well done. Keep it up.

It's an okay rate given your starting weight. More importantly you appear to be doing it sensibly. 1800 calories is a healthy intake. You're ensuring you are consistent, informed and moderate. Naturally, as your body reduces its excess fat the weightloss will slow.

There is such an extreme level of misinformation out there and people have imbibed so many nutrition and weightloss myths that their understanding is truly warped. Don't pay heed to them.

Well done on making sensible, sustainable, healthy changes. I really hope you take a minute to give yourself a pat on the back.

When you are obese or very overweight it can be normal to lose weight rapidly at first. It all sounds fine.

I lost 1.5 stone in a lot less time than that so I'd say you're doing fine and sound very sensible. It will slow down as you lose more but just ignore them. It's jealously or annoyance.

@BIWI My watch says I've burnt 1877 calories today and yesterday was 2100. Is that really possible and if so, how much weight would you expect me to lose as my days are more or less the same for exercise. I ask as years ago you helped with an eating plan.

Is this 'friend' big by any chance?

No! Completely healthy weight from what I can gather, and a cracking figure.

@2025willbemytime I'm not a calorie person I'm afraid, so I can't really help.

I'm glad I helped you previously, but that would have been about low carbing.

I hope your username comes good for you!

@Msmoonpie Not necessarily. You only need to eat at maintenance to maintain at 20st. When I was 19st my maintenance calorie requirement was about 2100. The idea that fat people stuff themselves with 3500 cals a day of takeaways is a daily mail myth. Equally fat people only need to overeat by a few hundred cals a day to gain.

Thank you. I've lost my memory through illness so was hoping I was near enough right.

Sounds perfectly healthy given the stats you have shared. Well done OP.

I would also buckle in for more of this as you make further progress. Don’t let them get in your head or sabotage your good results.

If your friend is say 10 stone, she's probably thinking 2 stone off her body in that time frame would be too much and too fast, which it probably would be. Likewise if she's 10 stone then she would likely gain on 1800 cals a day. At your (and not far off my starting weight too) though it's not. It sounds like she's lucky enough to just not know some of the realities of obesity.
You're keeping to a very healthy calorie cap, exercising, eating fruit and veg - by all measures what you are doing is very healthy.
I read recently that losing upto 1% of your body weight a week would be considered a healthy rate to lose and you're nearer the top end but still within that.

Don’t assume that all overweight people are jealous because they want to lose weight!