question on safety of my program

Question
Hello, before I ask my question I am aware of the 1-2 pound recommended loss and completely plan to slow down once I get to my first goal. Today I weigh 272.2 pounds. I have a goal of 245.6 (26.6 pound loss) in 10 weeks. I set this goal because according to BMI, I would no longer be morbidly obese at this weight. I am swimming half an hour Monday-Thursday, and walking 20 minutes every other day. I am eating about 1400 calories including fruits and veggies. For the short term, is this safe and is there anything different I should be doing to better reach my goal? What should I look out for so I lose the least amount of muscle as possible?
Thanks

Answer
Hi, Wendy

First, let me say that I think it's great that you are putting so much emphasis on getting healthy by changing your lifestyle.

It's not completely unsafe to lose 26.6 pounds in 10 weeks because you will lose some water weight as a result of starting a new program and changing your eating habits.

I do think that 1400 is a little low.  Remember that there needs to be an energy balance even though you're trying to lose weight.  You need to feed your body enough energy to get you through the day and your workouts, but create enough of a deficit to lose the weight you want.

I have trouble thinking that you are getting all you need from just 1400 calories per day.  I have a feeling you need more than that just for basic bodily functions.  You may want to bump that calories up to 1800 or so.

I would also begin to add weight training into your workout routine.  One of the reasons people lose muscle is because they are so busy doing cardio that they just become skinnier versions of their former selves.  Instead, I want people to feel and look stronger.  This will protect your bones and give your metabolism a boost.  One pound of muscle burns more calories than one pound of fat.  So, the surest way to increase your metabolism to burn calories and increase you lean muscle mass is to add strength/weight training to your workout.  You just need to get to 20-30 minutes 2-3 days per week.  That would be your goal.

I would get a personal trainer to help you with all of this.  He or she can also get accurate numbers on your measurements and body fat to see exactly where and how you are progressing.  This will enable you have a workout more customized to your specific goals and have greater success in a shorter amount of time.

I hope I've answered your questions.  I know you're working hard and I know that this is not an easy thing to do, but it is so worth it in the end.

Keep fighting the good fight and watch those pounds melt away!

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