Need support (please be nice)

ClaireLK1987

Hi all,

So, I need some support/advice/comfort. Please don't be horrible to me I am quite vulnerable/down.

I started this weight loss journey 4 weeks ago this coming Saturday.

Here are my losses:

W1: -7 lbs
W2: -5 lbs
W3: -2 lbs

Wk 4 weigh in is this Saturday, but as of today I am down just one lb in total this week. I know you are thinking this looks great, but surely my weight loss shouldn't be slowing down this much already? I have a lot to lose; to get to the upper weight limit of my BMI I would have to lose just under 6 stone. I actually want to lose 4 stone.

I exercise for an hour 3 times per week (HIIT/kettlebells) and the other days I do aerobics/power walking. I always get my 10,000 fitbit steps at the very least.

I am eating 1200 calories (give or take 30) every day and not eating back exercise calories. Instead I save them up so that Saturday evening I can have some time off the diet - not counting. This is important to me (I actually have counted it up the next day and I am still netting low calories for the week overall).

I know I can't expect to lose 7/5/3/2 lbs every week, but also I feel I am doing everything I can and it is now slowing down so what will it be like when I have lost more weight? Even harder?

About 4 years ago I did a low gi diet where I was eating a LOT more calories (started at 1800 and gradually decreased) and I lost weight really quickly. It was my first ever diet though and I was about 2 stone heavier than when I started this time. I didn't keep this up and put the weight back on. Then in 2013 I did a VLCD and consumed 650 calories per day for months. I lost 5 stone, got married, put it all back on and MORE. Since then I have yo-yoed and I am wondering if I have 'damaged' my body somehow. Why am I unable to lose weight at the rate I was before (the low gi diet)?

I know I have done great to lose a stone in 3 weeks but is it going to get even harder from here?

I do have an underactive thyroid but am on a relatively high dose of thyroxine so this shouldn't be a factor.

Thanks in advance.

melonaulait

Generally after the first 1 or 2 weeks, nobody should be losing more than 1 - 2 lbs per week. 2 lbs/week is regarded as the healthy max speed for weight loss.

cityruss

Initial loss of water weight, which has now slowed to give a reasonable rate of weight loss. Weight loss is also not linear.

I'd also take a general guess that at your weight and purposeful exercise you can consume more that the obligatory '1200' calories and still continue to lose.

Saving up your exercise calories for a bigger day is a good tactic. It's all about overall calorie balance.

There's no panic here.

yarwell

An open diary may provide more insight, but I would be concerned about the Saturday evening blowout.

2 lbs/week or ~half a stone a month equates to a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (7,000 a week). You've done well so far but those initial weight reductions from depleting your body's stores are a bit of a one-off.

How tall are you and current weight ? I'm guessing you're 29 & Female.

TavistockToad

you're being impatient, you've lost 15lbs in a month!

1-2lbs per week is a normal healthy rate of loss.

elsinora

Congrats on your losses firstly. There are a few points I would make before people start posting the chart but:

1. Do you weigh and log absolutely everything? The only way you lose weight is by having a calorie deficit.
2. If you're logging correctly - You are eating too little - if you are this overweight, 1200 calories is way too low and unsustainable meaning yes - it will get harder to lose.
3. The weight drop in the first couple of weeks is always higher than normal as it's a lot of water weight and a shock to the system.
4. The under active thyroid will be an issue but if you're under care of a doctor, check in on this.

Above all, I'd be interested to know if you're accurately logging your food as usually that's the issue.

ClaireLK1987

cityruss wrote: »

Initial loss of water weight, which has now slowed to give a reasonable rate of weight loss. Weight loss is also not linear.

I'd also take a general guess that at your weight and purposeful exercise you can consume more that the obligatory '1200' calories and still continue to lose.

Saving up your exercise calories for a bigger day is a good tactic. It's all about overall calorie balance.

There's no panic here.

Thank you! The thing is I am scared to up my calories, because I feel if I am only losing 1 lb on 1200 calories (which it looks like I will this week) then surely I will lose even less on more calories?

ClaireLK1987

yarwell wrote: »

An open diary may provide more insight, but I would be concerned about the Saturday evening blowout.

2 lbs/week or ~half a stone a month equates to a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (7,000 a week). You've done well so far but those initial weight reductions from depleting your body's stores are a bit of a one-off.

How tall are you and current weight ? I'm guessing you're 29 & Female.

Why would you be concerned about it? It's not really a 'blowout' - I just have a nice meal of my choosing, one item of chocolate and some alcohol (usually gin, with some wine). I don't go overboard at all and am very conscious of not doing so. In fact, I eat very little before the Saturday evening so I don't have to be worried.

I am 28, female yes. Why did you guess that?!

yarwell

Why did I guess - to consider what your TDEE might be (hence the height & weight question). Otherwise the 1200 calorie intake lacks context.

ClaireLK1987

elsinora wrote: »

Congrats on your losses firstly. There are a few points I would make before people start posting the chart but:

1. Do you weigh and log absolutely everything? The only way you lose weight is by having a calorie deficit.
2. If you're logging correctly - You are eating too little - if you are this overweight, 1200 calories is way too low and unsustainable meaning yes - it will get harder to lose.
3. The weight drop in the first couple of weeks is always higher than normal as it's a lot of water weight and a shock to the system.
4. The under active thyroid will be an issue but if you're under care of a doctor, check in on this.

Above all, I'd be interested to know if you're accurately logging your food as usually that's the issue.

Thank you!

1. Yes, absolutely. Hand on heart! I have digital scales and weigh everything to the gram. Obsessively so. The only things I don't weight are ready meals.
2. I know I am eating too little tbh. But I told myself that after another stone I would up my calories to 1400 per day.
4. I am on quite a high dose, tbh it's probably too high as my last blood test showed me to be slightly hyperthyroid! But I begged them not to lower it as that would make it EVEN harder to lose weight.

I really am logging accurately. I promise! Thank you.

ClaireLK1987

Oh and I am very short - 5 ft 1.5.

TavistockToad

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

yarwell wrote: »

An open diary may provide more insight, but I would be concerned about the Saturday evening blowout.

2 lbs/week or ~half a stone a month equates to a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (7,000 a week). You've done well so far but those initial weight reductions from depleting your body's stores are a bit of a one-off.

How tall are you and current weight ? I'm guessing you're 29 & Female.

Why would you be concerned about it? It's not really a 'blowout' - I just have a nice meal of my choosing, one item of chocolate and some alcohol (usually gin, with some wine). I don't go overboard at all and am very conscious of not doing so. In fact, I eat very little before the Saturday evening so I don't have to be worried.

I am 28, female yes. Why did you guess that?!

Your user name is Claire and you have a year in it presumably when you were born...

ClaireLK1987

TavistockToad wrote: »

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

yarwell wrote: »

An open diary may provide more insight, but I would be concerned about the Saturday evening blowout.

2 lbs/week or ~half a stone a month equates to a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (7,000 a week). You've done well so far but those initial weight reductions from depleting your body's stores are a bit of a one-off.

How tall are you and current weight ? I'm guessing you're 29 & Female.

Why would you be concerned about it? It's not really a 'blowout' - I just have a nice meal of my choosing, one item of chocolate and some alcohol (usually gin, with some wine). I don't go overboard at all and am very conscious of not doing so. In fact, I eat very little before the Saturday evening so I don't have to be worried.

I am 28, female yes. Why did you guess that?!

Your user name is Claire and you have a year in it presumably when you were born...

Yes, fair point!

yarwell

TavistockToad wrote: »

ClaireLK1987 wrote: »

yarwell wrote: »

An open diary may provide more insight, but I would be concerned about the Saturday evening blowout.

2 lbs/week or ~half a stone a month equates to a 1,000 calorie deficit daily (7,000 a week). You've done well so far but those initial weight reductions from depleting your body's stores are a bit of a one-off.

How tall are you and current weight ? I'm guessing you're 29 & Female.

Why would you be concerned about it? It's not really a 'blowout' - I just have a nice meal of my choosing, one item of chocolate and some alcohol (usually gin, with some wine). I don't go overboard at all and am very conscious of not doing so. In fact, I eat very little before the Saturday evening so I don't have to be worried.

I am 28, female yes. Why did you guess that?!

Your user name is Claire and you have a year in it presumably when you were born...

LOL. I took that as "how" not "why".

cristalball

You are doing so great! I imagine knowing that you have far to go creates a lot of impatience and frustration. Try to take the long perspective, though. Wouldn't it be better to lose slower (at a healthy and reasonable rate) than diet and gain it back as you have in the past? Setting your goal at one pound a week as the trend (knowing that some weeks you won't even lose that because your body is not on the artificial week to week schedule your mind has determined), and psychologically accepting a slower trend of weight loss as success- because it is! - would be so much better for your long term prospects and short term happiness. Don't let yourself sabotage your good start and your determination to reach your goal by setting unrealistic expectations.

CollieFit

TavistockToad wrote: »

Your user name is Claire and you have a year in it presumably when you were born...

You should be a forensic profiler. ;-)

LivingtheLeanDream

weight loss slows down so 2lbs a week is excellent progress - keep up the good work

willworkoutforwine

I understand your frustrations after a pretty big loss in your 1st two weeks. It sounds like you're doing great! I have experienced similar frustrations and have found that some weeks I lose more than others, even though I feel like I've been eating similar amounts of calories and doing similar amounts of exercise. I'm on my third month of losing and I think it's important to keep the long term goal and overall habits in mind -- that is what will matter most. I'm just now to the point where I'm dropping a size in clothing and people are noticing my weight loss, and that helps a lot! I've definitely felt the way you are feeling along the way.

Also, I try to only get on the scale once a week, on my weigh-in day. My weight fluctuates a lot during the week and I drove myself nuts getting on the scale every day or every other. Saturday is my weigh-in day; last week I got on the scale on Friday and hadn't lost an ounce but Saturday morning I was down 2.6lbs! It wasn't the first time I've experienced this. I have also lost weight on weeks when I was sure I wouldn't for one reason or another.

Focus on your successes, keep doing what you're doing, and you'll get to where you want to go! If you find you don't lose for a couple of weeks, change something up and see what happens.

brb_2013

TavistockToad wrote: »

you're being impatient, you've lost 15lbs in a month!

1-2lbs per week is a normal healthy rate of loss.

I agree, you need to relax. As someone who got WAY too wrapped up in weighing, logging, and obsessively tracking progress, I can tell you that right now, any loss is an amazing step. Your body is working on it, you just have to give it time. Also, weight loss will never be linear. Even if you are sure your Saturday evening is within your weekly limit, your body is going to hold onto water for random reasons for random times. I would say such a significant deficit for the whole week, followed by a big feed alone could cause water retention. Do you weigh just before your big eating day? I would, and make sure you always weigh on that same day. I chose Thursdays, because I have a nice deficit on work days, and eat more on weekends too. By Friday I think I'd show a bigger loss, but I'd rather compare a more mid-week day. I found Wednesdays usually didn't show any progress, or very little, SO Thursday became my sweet spot. Though I'm skipping this weigh in today because I'm having my period and don't want to get upset over any water retention.

Please relax, and view this in the longer term. There will be weeks with no loss at all, things will come up, you'll get sick and need a break. All that matters is that you're now "awake" and aware of your intake and expenditures, and you get back to your plan. Life is too short to get so upset over weight loss. It will happen when your body is ready, all you can control is outside the body. You control what goes in and how you use it but the body itself decides when and where to let go of reserves. Positive thinking will really honest and true, take you so far. I know it's hard. I myself just took a month or more completely off of logging or counting because I'd gotten into a really poor mental state from all my negative thinking. Anything less than a massive drop felt like a failure and I was steering myself into an ED. Please take a pause and take care of yourself.

cbihatt

Even if you "only" lose 1 pound this week, it doesn't necessarily follow that the same will be true in subsequent weeks. Two weeks ago, I had a gain of 2 pounds. Last week, I showed a loss of 4 pounds. This is unusual for me, but not completely unheard of. It was most likely bloating that resolved itself.

Given that you aren't eating back any exercise calories, you should be fine to raise your calorie intake. You may see a small spike initially, but it will go away as long as you stick to your plan. I have raised my calories twice (up to 1560 now) and I am still losing. I am 5'3" with at least 40 more pounds to lose and I don't eat my exercise calories, either.

snowflake930

cityruss wrote: »

Initial loss of water weight

I have always kind of wondered about this statement (I have lost 160# and been maintaining for over 2 years).
The average human body is 50-60% water. Doesn't it stand to reason, that 50-60% of weight loss is water then?
Just wondering.

OP there are a lot of factors that enter into weight loss. Could be sodium consumption, which contribute to retaining water, hormones, accuracy of weighing and measuring foods, or other reasons, and everyone can be different. There are no cut and dried reasons.

I would not be too concerned, you are losing, and something we have to keep in mind is a loss is a loss. We did not put the weight on in a few days, and we will not take it off in a few days.

brekober

It took a lot longer than a few weeks to gain weight and it will take a lot longer than a few short months to lose it all.
1-2 lbs a week is normal. And still a great pace. The weight you lost at first was probably mostly water retention.
There is no easy way out after putting your body through weight gain. Just time and patience.

MostlyWater

Why would we be mean? That's not why we're here!

What dose of thyroid medicine do you take and when did you last have blood work done?

ajgonzo1123

Claire, Great job so far. The good news is that this is completely normal. As others have noted i'm guessing this was "water weight," try not to focus on your LBS but more on how you feel, and how much energy you have.

MsSantiago1973

Claire, you are going to do so well. Enjoy the journey. You are eating better and aware of your boundaries. Stress can also make you hold on to weight so enjoy life while you journal and eat better. Much love!

missblondi2u

You're doing great! Like others said, those initial big numbers included excess water weight, and you have to be prepared for it to slow down. Remember, your body can only metabolize a certain amount of fat in any given time period. If you lose too fast, you will end up losing a good deal of muscle along with the fat, which is not what you want. Take it slow, and keep in mind that slow weight loss is sustainable weight loss.

I'm a shortie too (5'2"), and I started out at 206 lbs last June. I've lost about 52 pounds (so around 25% of my body weight) since then. There were weeks at a time that I didn't lose anything or that I even gained a bit, but I just trusted the process and kept at it. It works, believe me!

Feel free to add me, and best of luck!