Is it normal to have "squishy fat and whooshes"?

mrihel6615

I'm starting to notice a pattern with my body.
And I'm wondering if its normal for others too, or even plausible.
Although I know we're all different.
For starters, I am 4'10, 127-128 pounds.
I started off at 142 pounds, so almost 15 pounds down!
My goal is between 107-112
About 12 weeks or so ago I noticed myself get really squishy in mostly my stomach and a little in my legs.
Then I googled and found out that its because your fat cells retain water when you're losing weight.
And then you "whoosh" it all out eventually.
Well, I never got the whoosh.
Instead I just lost weight very easily for about 9 weeks.
Then my progress slowed rather a lot.
But now I'm having the same effect except in my hips, butt and thighs.
Has any body else had the squish but no immediate whoosh and just a constant weight loss after that?

47Jacqueline

It sounds like you have to work out. Woosh woosh. ;-)

CJsf1t

Try adding strength training/body weight training to your exercise routine it prevents squishy fat. No idea about the whoosh. I have been 'whooshing" pretty frequently since I increased my water intake to 2L

Liftng4Lis

Are you exercising?

mrihel6615

47Jacqueline wrote: »

It sounds like you have to work out. Woosh woosh. ;-)

Does exercising cause the whooshes?
And I do exercise but not nearly as much as id like to.
But now that life is settling back down, I should be getting back to it!

CJsf1t

mrihel6615 wrote: »

47Jacqueline wrote: »

It sounds like you have to work out. Woosh woosh. ;-)

Does exercising cause the whooshes?
And I do exercise but not nearly as much as id like to.
But now that life is settling back down, I should be getting back to it!

Why are you hung up on the whooshes?

mrihel6615

bcomingfitmom wrote: »

mrihel6615 wrote: »

47Jacqueline wrote: »

It sounds like you have to work out. Woosh woosh. ;-)

Does exercising cause the whooshes?
And I do exercise but not nearly as much as id like to.
But now that life is settling back down, I should be getting back to it!

Why are you hung up on the whooshes?

Because I'm attempting to see if my body is in a pattern.
That's all.
I hate how I feel right now! >.<

CJsf1t

Try increasing your water

mrihel6615

bcomingfitmom wrote: »

Try increasing your water

I will!

mildammm

Lol I honestly don't know what 'whooshes' are... If you are referring to losing water weight to eliminate the minor bloat, stop eating salt. But these effects are incredibly temporary, so I wouldn't worry about it.

But you may be experiencing loose skin. I have it too. It'll tighten up a bit over the years. Stay hydrated. You could also try strength training to build some 'hard' muscle - it will help with the overall feeling of being too 'squishy'.

AliceDark

Well, considering the source (Lyle McDonald) I'm inclined to believe it a little more than I otherwise would, but as far as I know, it's just a theory.

Kalikel

I don't know about "normal", but I know it happens. I lose almost all my weight in short bursts. It isn't in one day, but I'll not lose for a long time and then lose a bunch in a week.

I know it is coming, because my fat loosens up. It feels like it is separate from everything else in there. It's like half-melted jello. When that happens, I know it's coming.

The Not Losing is a drag, but the "whoosh" makes up for it. That's always a nice week.

If you lose in bursts or if you lose slowly and consistently - doesn't matter. Losing is losing and Yay, that.

gobonas99

Kalikel wrote: »

I don't know about "normal", but I know it happens. I lose almost all my weight in short bursts. It isn't in one day, but I'll not lose for a long time and then lose a bunch in a week.

I know it is coming, because my fat loosens up. It feels like it is separate from everything else in there. It's like half-melted jello. When that happens, I know it's coming.

The Not Losing is a drag, but the "whoosh" makes up for it. That's always a nice week.

I'm the exact same way. I won't lose an ounce (just fluctuate between the same 2-3 pounds) for 2-3 weeks, then "whoosh!" I'll drop 3-4 pounds in less than a week. Lather, rinse, repeat. The "hold" weeks are incredibly frustrating, because mathematically, I should be losing, but the whoosh weeks make up for it.

RBXChas

gobonas99 wrote: »

Kalikel wrote: »

I don't know about "normal", but I know it happens. I lose almost all my weight in short bursts. It isn't in one day, but I'll not lose for a long time and then lose a bunch in a week.

I know it is coming, because my fat loosens up. It feels like it is separate from everything else in there. It's like half-melted jello. When that happens, I know it's coming.

The Not Losing is a drag, but the "whoosh" makes up for it. That's always a nice week.

I'm the exact same way. I won't lose an ounce (just fluctuate between the same 2-3 pounds) for 2-3 weeks, then "whoosh!" I'll drop 3-4 pounds in less than a week. Lather, rinse, repeat. The "hold" weeks are incredibly frustrating, because mathematically, I should be losing, but the whoosh weeks make up for it.

Same here! I'll fluctuate within the same 2-3 pounds, and I hold that for a week or two (or three), then all of a sudden I drop a lot all over a few days. The week before last I lost every day from Sunday through Friday, a total of 4 pounds. Mathematically I know I didn't eat so little to warrant that kind of loss, but I guess my body was ready to dump it.

odddrums

I have the same thing happening to me! I've been logging my weight every morning just to see my weekly and monthly fluctuations, and basically every month goes like this:

start at 182, go up to 187ish and down to 180 in a week, but always keeping around 182, then after a month I'm down to 177 and only going back up to 184. Then I bounce around there for a month...and drop 2 pounds, and I'm currently bouncing between 175 and 180. It's a bit frustrating but looking at the 3 months overall I see steady decline in my lows and highs, with a big average drop each month of 2-3 pounds.

Drinking more water helps, as well as having a super heavy workout/running [or sometimes drinking ] day every few weeks to squeeze all the water out of my system. For this I've been doing Bikram Yoga every 2-4 weeks. It helps push all the extra water, salt, and whatever else out. Then I drink a bunch of water and poof! I'm a few pounds lighter.

I also know ALL about the squishy fat [I've read that article a few times] and currently have a nice amount of extra skin and annoying fat clinging to my stomach and refusing to die like a terminator. Hopefully I can slowly starve the rest of this stuff out of me without losing too much weight. I know, go lift heavy yadda yadda yadda...

sllm1

Good to know that I'm not alone. I've tried to describe this "hold pattern" before, but people tend to think I'm nuts. Now I have a name for it in my head - holding and whooshing.

I will also say that I have noticed that I'm terribly irritable on "whoosh" days. I can tell I'm whooshing just by my mood. Lower scale numbers the next day...every time.

wmcmurray61

sllm1 wrote: »

Good to know that I'm not alone. I've tried to describe this "hold pattern" before, but people tend to think I'm nuts. Now I have a name for it in my head - holding and whooshing.

I will also say that I have noticed that I'm terribly irritable on "whoosh" days. I can tell I'm whooshing just by my mood. Lower scale numbers the next day...every time.

I do this too! I thought I was crazy and it's nice to know I'm not alone. Especially the being crabby part.

Numberwang22

I definitely get whooshes too and noticed the skin feels different beforehand. Squishy and a bit cold and clammy. Hoping I'm due one soon but not really feeling different skin anywhere!!

maoribadger

I dont seem to whoosh I just lose 1-3lb a week. Mind you have only been at it for a cpl months but Im guessing its just individual. Ive also noticed my week has a pattern, bounce around the same weight monday to thursday, resign myself to not losing this week then drop the lot over fri sat and sun. Hence weighing on a monday

annette_15

Yeah I got it through my whole weightloss. The fat under my skin gets all dimply and bumpy, (especially on the outer side of my thighs) for a lack of a better description and all of a sudden overnight it just goes away and I feel smoother and tighter after...Its so weird

rileysowner

From what I know generally this only happens at lower fat levels. Having said that, the actual pattern has been fairly well documented, however, the physiology behind it has, to the best of my knowledge, not been determined. In other words, people are putting forward theories why this happens, but more studies a needed to determine exactly what is happening. It may be water taking the place of the triglycerides in the fat cells which is then dumped in a short period of time resulting in a quick weight loss, or it might be something else. I have not read up on it in a while though so more research might have been done since.

WalkingAlong

It's normal, with or without a big whoosh. I've seen it talked about in weight loss forums for 15 years, before Lyle's article (and he's referring to it being an internet topic in that). I think it happens at many fat levels. I've never had the marbley feeling some describe but it's more like marshmallow-y or watery? I used to have whooshes but anymore it seems to trickle off, not whoosh.

Lowcarbfriends forums 13 years ago used to call it jigglypuff.

radiosilents

Yes, that is pretty much how my weight loss has been going. When I read about the whoooosh I was pretty excited. I've been in the middle of a BIG holding pattern this month and expecting a whoosh in the next week or two. We shall see. This is also why I weigh and record every day, so that I can see the pattern better. I think it is very interesting!

Kalikel

WalkingAlong wrote: »

It's normal, with or without a big whoosh. I've seen it talked about in weight loss forums for 15 years, before Lyle's article (and he's referring to it being an internet topic in that). I think it happens at many fat levels. I've never had the marbley feeling some describe but it's more like marshmallow-y or watery? I used to have whooshes but anymore it seems to trickle off, not whoosh.

Lowcarbfriends forums 13 years ago used to call it jigglypuff.

Before I read about it here, I called it "jiggly", too. That's exactly what it is. Loose, jiggly, jello-like and then it falls off.

ithrowconfetti

I've experienced whooshes in the past, when I cut back on my calorie intake by too much daily, and my deficit was too great. I retained so much water. Once I indulged in big meals, like a buffet (even if it was sodium-laden), I'd lose at least 3 pounds the next day. Using water/diuretic pills once in a while helped too.

Maryanne1923

I get the same pattern. Weight stays the same give or take the same 1-2 pounds for about 3 weeks. Then on the 4th week I lose 3-4 pounds. I don't get crabby that week but I do get that gnawing hungry feeling even though I'm eating in the same way as every other week. Interestingly the week I lose is usually the one after TOM.