It is unlikely that you will lose weight consistently (i.e., weight loss is not linear)

segacs

jemhh wrote: »

It really does help to look at that big picture when thinking about your progress.

Yep! Instead of lamenting the fact that I haven't lost any weight this week, I will remind myself that I lost 25 pounds already!

emmavagg

Excellent post thank you

techreyes

I am only a few weeks into this particular journey but this one post has really put things in perspective at the most crucial moment. Its the moment of the first time a child on a long journey says: "Are we there yet? When are we gonna get there?". I have decided to be patient. I am also going to bookmark this post for when I want to ask those same questions again. Great words. Thanks.

jemhh

techreyes wrote: »

I am only a few weeks into this particular journey but this one post has really put things in perspective at the most crucial moment. Its the moment of the first time a child on a long journey says: "Are we there yet? When are we gonna get there?". I have decided to be patient. I am also going to bookmark this post for when I want to ask those same questions again. Great words. Thanks.

I'm glad that you found it helpful. Keep on plugging along and you can do it.

azulvioleta6

Very true. I've been doing this for several years and my weight loss has sort of a scalloped pattern--I lose 8-10 pounds, maintain at a new weight for quite a while, then go down again.

You can be doing everything right and not be able to see that on the scale right away. These things take patience!

lennonluvr

Thank you so much for this. Really I needed this.

I have stalled in weight loss, but then I measured myself. I have lost three inches in my waist and 2.25 inches in my hips.

It does show me that I am doing something even if the darn scale doesn't agree.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

jemhh

BFDeal wrote: »

• Focus on fat loss rather than weight loss. Consider doing some sort of strength training and eating an appropriate level of protein in order to maintain as much muscle as possible while losing weight. This will give you another aspect of fitness to focus on and is may help you get closer to the physique goals that you may have.
• Measure your progress by other means--use a tape measure to measure your waist, hip, thigh, etc. and then track the changes

.

So wouldn't your weight go down if you were losing fat? And if you're getting smaller measurement wise wouldn't your weight being going down? I never understand these statements though they're pretty common. I mean it can't be muscle gains in either case. All people do is say how you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The much repeated mantra that it isn't possible is false for "overfat" beginners, which describes most people who are starting out on MFP.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html/

KrunchyMama

Thank you, I really needed this today, and I'm going to write it out and put it up on my wall.

I_Will_End_You

Great post!

misskarihari

Thank you for your great post.

tracetraceau

Great post ! I'll have to keep that all in mind as I'm only back in Day 4 of my process .........

pixie_mills

well this post was a great big warm hug to me just what I needed. body is currently retaining rather a lot of what i assume to be water weight after my fiance's choice of meal out last night for Valentines (mmmm - sushi!) it's my first big gain in over 6 weeks but it will come off again *cue Chumbawumba's Tubthumping*

segacs

BFDeal wrote: »

So wouldn't your weight go down if you were losing fat? And if you're getting smaller measurement wise wouldn't your weight being going down? I never understand these statements though they're pretty common. I mean it can't be muscle gains in either case. All people do is say how you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

It could be slight muscle gains. But usually in fact what's happening is you're losing fat and gaining water weight at the same time -- due to what you ate, water retention, hormones, salty foods, whatever. Then the water weight comes off later and you see that "whoosh" effect on the scale.

subversive99

Bump so more people see this excellent post.

tephanies1234

bump

inchwormbyinchworm

Love this.

ogmomma2012

Very motivating!

ncfitbit

I totally agree! One way I remind myself of this truth is to admire my jaggedy progress graph on my phone app. It's definitely not a straight line, but it makes me very happy to see that it's going down! (I haven't figured out if you can view this graph on the desktop version of MFP, but maybe you can).

maccabee72

Fantastic! Congrats on your achievements. Thanks so much for sharing your weight loss log. I've been getting discouraged here recently, but I need to remember that, " The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."

Texalese

segacs

ncfitbit wrote: »

I totally agree! One way I remind myself of this truth is to admire my jaggedy progress graph on my phone app. It's definitely not a straight line, but it makes me very happy to see that it's going down! (I haven't figured out if you can view this graph on the desktop version of MFP, but maybe you can).

Sure, just go to "reports".

Barbs2222

This is a great post. Thank you

steampunkedtardis2015

I've only just finished my second week of healthy eating with MFP. I have been on many different plans over the years . Last week I lost 5 pounds, this week nothing but I expected it. I always say if I lost the week before the next week the body is "rearranging" itself (hence the waistline reduction but no weightloss) and the combination of weightloss one week, then the rearrangement is all part of the loss cycle. It may not stay as hard and fast as that but it is always a downwards trend in the big picture. I hope that makes sense!

spamarie

Thank you for this. It is sometimes difficult to feel okay with my rate of progress because even when I see a new lowest weight (hurrah!) I know this will go back up as this is the pattern I have. I am my own worst enemy sometimes. I convince myself I am plateauing and will never lose weight and get really annoyed about it (which may or may not involve chocolate), yet when I look at my 180 days report I can see there is a downward trend overall. You are correct, correct and correct again!

Angiefit4life

What a great post!!!!!

Foodiethinking

(Y) Great post and well-timed I think for some!

jemhh

steampunkedtardis2015 wrote: »

I've only just finished my second week of healthy eating with MFP. I have been on many different plans over the years . Last week I lost 5 pounds, this week nothing but I expected it. I always say if I lost the week before the next week the body is "rearranging" itself (hence the waistline reduction but no weightloss) and the combination of weightloss one week, then the rearrangement is all part of the loss cycle. It may not stay as hard and fast as that but it is always a downwards trend in the big picture. I hope that makes sense!

I like the "rearranging" part of this and have sometimes thought the same thing.

segacs

Bumpity.

JAT74

It's good to read this in order to remind ourselves that this is the case! Having said that, after a week of exercising daily, sticking within a 500 calorie deficit and increasing steps with my new Fitbit it's really hard when my weight goes up a pound (like it has done over the past few days).

I tend not to log any gains on the scale and wait until the next loss shows up, though I know that the fluctuation could be down to sodium or water levels, not having been to the loo or other factors.

This week I'm starting 5:2 so I'll have two days a week of 500 calories and the other days probably between 1400-1500. I know that the scales will be up and down even more than normal so I'll try to ignore it and pick a day 2-3 days after my previous Fast day to weigh myself each week and hopefully I'll continue to see a loss.