So I will just preface this with the fact that I'm 5'6" and weighed 126lbs this morning. So I am essentially at the end of my diet (my goal weight was 127lbs and then 120lbs and now it's maybe 125lbs? Idk - at this point I let myself do maintenance as needed and try to at least eat enough that it fits the deficit and make sure I don't eat over my maintenance - I think once I hit 125lbs I'm switching to fully maintenance). But, I did switch to .5lbs/week earlier in my diet. And it really made it so so so much easier.
My starting weight was 147lbs and my activity level has consistently been sedentary - because I'm a university student on summer break - but I try to be active and when I am active I do eat back *some* exercise calories (if I'm hungry). Originally I was doing 1.5lbs/week deficit but the trainer at my gym told me anything over 1lb/week would result in a lot of muscle loss, so I switched to 1lb/week.
This worked decently well for me, especially when I started going to the gym all the time and burning a lot of calories, but as I got down to a lower weight and I fell off the gym wagon, 1lb a week started being a pretty low budget. Eventually 1lb a week meant a budget of like 1150 calories/day. I ate 1200, but it was pretty miserable (which I think is because it was under my BMR). I didn't have that much energy, I was pretty depressed and irritable, and it just overall really sucked.
So- I decided to switch to 0.5lbs/week because it just wasn't worth it to feel miserable. This boosted me up to around 1400 calories/day (while is a little above my BMR) and it was like night and day. I don't even really feel like I'm dieting anymore (my appetite has definitely decreased - I think it's because I'm eating a lot less unhealthy/processed foods and less sugar and refined carbs - though I definitely still have them, I try to limit them to some degree/be mindful), and it's just so much easier.
I've actually had bad anxiety lately and when I get stressed I lose any desire to eat, so I've had some days where I had to actually make myself eat (because if I don't eat I feel like crap).
Since I'm reaching maintenance I've also been allowing myself to eat at maintenance if I happen to be especially hungry - and I've realized that I won't be able to keep my weight perfectly at one number (which doesn't even seem that healthy), so I'm shooting for more like a range and just trying to generally eat healthily, be more active, and avoid refined carbs, processed food, added sugars, and takeout/junk food. I also try to only eat when I'm actually hungry.
I know I didn't lose a ton of weight, and I did start eating at a 0.5lb/day deficit late into my diet (and I'm sure to many people 1400/day sounds like barely anything - but keep in mind I'm not consistently active and there's a lot less of me now to sustain - and eating less refined carbs and sugars lowers your appetite. So because my body only needs around 1600 calories/day, my appetite is a lot lower and 1400 is a small deficit so it's easy for me. Just imagine it as 250 calories less than whatever your maintenance is), but I feel like this philosophy is applicable to everyone.
Lose weight at a rate where it doesn't feel super restrictive to you. You should feel physically well, it shouldn't feel like you're constantly (actually) starving, and you should have the energy to do daily life stuff and you shouldn't be moody or irritable or depressed. And I know everyone says it, but lifestyle changes are key.
Anyway- I felt like I should be eating at 1lb/week weight loss because I wanted to feel like I'd get results and 0.5lbs felt too slow. But it is so much more worth it to feel normal and fine. And I've still lost weight. This is the first time I've been 126lbs in god knows how long. Slow weight loss is okay and valid and you shouldn't push yourself to lose weight fast at the expense of your health, because it'll still take long enough that feeling like crap for ages won't be worth it (and it's obviously bad for your body if you go too fast).
This post is long and rambly now but I just wanted to say that I am SO glad I switched to a smaller deficit (soon to be maintenace!), and I really recommend people don't push themselves to be at a deficit that harms their mental and/or physical health *even if it's above the recommended minimum/1200*. You can lose weight while still feeling normal and good - go slower if you need to!
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