Rapid Weight Loss In The Beginning...Why?

qpmomma1

Why do people lose a ton of weight in the first week or so of starting a lifestyle change? I know it's not fat. It can't be. What is the weight you lose in the beginning?

icrushit

Your body uses up its internal carb stores (called glycogen). Glycogen causes you to retain water, with each gram of glycogen requiring your body to hold onto something like 4- 5 times its weight in water. As soon as your body starts using up glycogen when you're in a calorie deficit, that glycogen drops, and so does the water that was previously required to maintain it, thus the rapid weight loss in the first week or so for most.

qpmomma1

Thanks for the info!

lchadwick2

Good explanation! It also can explain why a bad weekend nutritionally can look on Monday like you gained all the weight back all at once. Be patient and you'll probably notice that you have a day or two of what looks like incredible weight loss again. Probably why they tell you to only weigh yourself once a week. Would you agree @iloseityes‌?

qpmomma1

lchadwick2 wrote: »

Good explanation! It also can explain why a bad weekend nutritionally can look on Monday like you gained all the weight back all at once. Be patient and you'll probably notice that you have a day or two of what looks like incredible weight loss again. Probably why they tell you to only weigh yourself once a week. Would you agree @iloseityes‌?

Good point! I didn't think of it that way!

cwolfman13

When you reduce calories, this triggers the loss of glycogen and the fluid along with it. Additionally, you are eating less so you have less waste in your system than when you were eating more.

All of the above cause fluctuations throughout weight loss and in maintenance. This is why trends are more important than the actual numbers. This is also why people shouldn't spaz out when they have a bigger than normal calorie day or more carbs than usual or whatever and step on the scale the next day to see a few pounds gained...it's not fat...it's glycogen, fluid, and waste.

lchadwick2

^ Yep

lchadwick2

For example: Last week I ran 7 miles on Sunday morning and weighed 216.8. Didn't eat very good that day and woke up on Monday weighing 223. Ate well at the beginning of the week and weighed in at 218.6 and 216.4 Tues and Wed. Had an office party that day and weighed 219 on Thursday. Back to 216.8 today. As long as this Friday is 1 lb less than last Friday It'll be a good week. Do that all year and you're 50 lbs lighter.

icrushit

lchadwick2 wrote: »

Good explanation! It also can explain why a bad weekend nutritionally can look on Monday like you gained all the weight back all at once. Be patient and you'll probably notice that you have a day or two of what looks like incredible weight loss again. Probably why they tell you to only weigh yourself once a week. Would you agree @iloseityes‌?

I think a lot of weight fluctuations can be accorded to glycogen fluctuations, as some days we may eat more carbs than others. Also good old fashioned water retention from the type of foods we eat sometimes is also a factor, especially where salt is concerned I think. Also, when the hormones get out of kilter, as they do from time to time eating at a deficit or simply month to month for most women, water retention and also weight fluctuations can easily occur.

I think the most important thing personally, is consistency of your methods, by which I mean consistency day to day in terms of your intake, and also with exercise. Once you're confident in your methods, I find it a lot easier to identify and dismiss any water-related fluctuations.

Re: weighing, I actually weigh daily, first thing in the morning after I've used the bathroom but before I've eaten anything. By doing so, I get a very consistent reading, and also by doing so over a period of time I was quickly able to get a handle on my own body and weight loss. I track this data, as well as my intake and exercise every day, and with all this data to ponder and analyse when the need/ curiousity strikes, I have a very good idea of my patterns of weight loss. Daily weighing may not be for everyone though, it just was for me

By the way, what you will also find is weight loss is rarely linear, but often happens in fits and starts, and plateauing for days or even a week or two, is nothing unusual in my case. Nor is dropping several lbs over a couple of days before plateauing again. There is some anecdotal stuff out there if you google 'whooshing' which I found helped explain things a little.

All in all, if you can gain a little consistency in your methods, and keep track of some of your data, you will put yourself in a great position of understanding the pattern of your weight loss, I think

lchadwick2

Oh, I'm a real geek at keeping the data. I started back in July of last year. I agree about the timing of the weigh in. That's when I do it. And I try to even be consistent with my meals. I try to find what's working and keep doing that. Also, if I keep all things the same and change the exercise, I can see how it effects my weight loss. Not everyone can eat the same things all the time but the way I see it, if I find the perfect set of ingredients in a smoothie and it tastes good, gives me energy, and helps me lose weight and improve fitness, then why not.

MakePeasNotWar

Don't forget about sodium, either. From what I've read, maintaining sodium dilution levels is important for muscle and nerve function, so when extra sodium is introduced, the body also retains water to dilute the sodium and restore balance. That's why sometimes after a restaurant meal or high sodium prepared food, you can see a big jump on the scales, even if your carbohydrates are constant. I've gained 2 lb in a day from water retention. A good clue that you are retaining water from sodium intake is puffy, swollen eyelids when you first wake up (seriously)

When people start a weight loss program they often reduce their restaurant meals and packaged food consumption, If they do, they will shed extra water weight as their sodium levels fall.

kungabungadin

MakePeasNotWar wrote: »

Don't forget about sodium, either. From what I've read, maintaining sodium dilution levels is important for muscle and nerve function, so when extra sodium is introduced, the body also retains water to dilute the sodium and restore balance. That's why sometimes after a restaurant meal or high sodium prepared food, you can see a big jump on the scales, even if your carbohydrates are constant. I've gained 2 lb in a day from water retention. A good clue that you are retaining water from sodium intake is puffy, swollen eyelids when you first wake up (seriously)

When people start a weight loss program they often reduce their restaurant meals and packaged food consumption, If they do, they will shed extra water weight as their sodium levels fall.

You can gain a lot of weight from water retention my mom had a combined weight of 46 extra lbs of water in her legs. She had more but that was what they drained from her legs.

257_Lag

iloseityes wrote: »

Your body uses up its internal carb stores (called glycogen). Glycogen causes you to retain water, with each gram of glycogen requiring your body to hold onto something like 4- 5 times its weight in water. As soon as your body starts using up glycogen when you're in a calorie deficit, that glycogen drops, and so does the water that was previously required to maintain it, thus the rapid weight loss in the first week or so for most.

Well putt!

And in addition to this the same thing happens when you TRY and eat at maintenance. People that don't understand this sometimes have trouble thinking they are gaining weight already and then they cut again.

When you get to a weight that you like it's best to go a few pounds below your target to make up for this.

sherbear702

cwolfman13 wrote: »

When you reduce calories, this triggers the loss of glycogen and the fluid along with it. Additionally, you are eating less so you have less waste in your system than when you were eating more.

All of the above cause fluctuations throughout weight loss and in maintenance. This is why trends are more important than the actual numbers. This is also why people shouldn't spaz out when they have a bigger than normal calorie day or more carbs than usual or whatever and step on the scale the next day to see a few pounds gained...it's not fat...it's glycogen, fluid, and waste.

That makes me feel better. I was horrible this weekend and the scale reflected it.

locnlovely

This is great information. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

yoovie

because it's a drastic change in their fuel:activity ratio compared to (usually) years of the opposite directly preceding it.