Disappointed 1st weigh in
kimjschroeder
Posts: 35 Member
I am the biggest i've ever been, and in the past on weight watchers or watching calories/fat I've lost almost 10 lbs the first week of water weight. I just weighed in for my first week on Keto and only lost 5 lbs. I'm so disappointed. I guess I expected too much. I did everything right and drank tons of water. I just dont understand how I only lost 5 lbs. I have 2 friends who recently started this (thats why i started) and 1 lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks, the other lost 23 lbs in 3 weeks. I feel like a failure. How did you do 1st week? Any encouragement? btw, sw 229/cw 224/gw 150
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Replies
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Typically 5lbs in the first week, most ever was 7. It's too bad you're disapointed with that, it just means you didn't have that much extra water weight to lose. Many people tend to have a last binge before starting a diet, like a weekend of gorging or emptying the cupboards...this will dramatically increase short term water weight which helps of course with the illusion of a big drop in the first week.
Stay with it, you're doing the right things if you dropped 5lbs(many people see no drop or sometimes an increase).5 -
5 lbs is healthy. The way we eat should not just be about a number on a scale. It is about making our bodies healthier. In that regard, there are hundreds of different hormones in the body and dozens specifically related to weight, hunger, fat storage/metabolism, etc.
This is a dramatic change in diet which will affect your metabolism significantly including those hormones. It takes anywhere from a few days to to several weeks for your body to become adapted to burning fat and ketones for energy instead of glucose (carbs).
Women tend to have more hormone re-balancing that needs to occur than men do. I don't think my wife is the only one to get frustrated when she and I can make the exact same change in diet and I lose two or three times as much as she does out of the gate. That should change in about 3 months or so.
What I would suggest is taking measurements of those areas where you retain fat (hips, waist, thighs, etc.). It is also common to lose inches before pounds. This is do to white fat converting to brown fat. Brown fat is actually better. It is denser and actually burns energy. Because it is denser, you can lose size without weight. You can get lots of details about it if you google it.
While this is happening, make sure you are getting enough sodium. If you are drinking "tons of water," you are probably excreting much of that water and electrolytes are going with it. Water is important, but don't feel like you have to drown yourself.
Finally, if you haven't already, check out the launch pad for this group. There is a ton of good information to keep you from making common mistakes.
Don't get frustrated. Again, losing 5 lbs in a week is great. Losing too fast is not sustainable and will leave you too prone to rebound. Long term, if you want success, 2-4 lbs a week should be your goal - and it won't be a straight line. It will look more like a chart of the stock market during an economic downturn with ups and downs but trending down.3 -
5 lbs in one week is not that bad, don't get discouraged.
One thing I always keep in mind is that I didn't get overweight in a week or a month it crept up on me gradually over many years. So with that in mind I look at my weight loss in the same light. I might have weeks were I drop 5 lbs but gain back 2 lbs then drop another 3 lbs the next week its variable in that respect and it will happen its just the way my body works. Now looking at the overall trend since March when I started working out and then June when I got serious about low carb I've dropped 35 lbs and probably gained much more lean muscle mass than I had in my 30s. I still have 20-25 lbs left to lose and I will do that but I don't compare my weight journey to others except for maybe seeing what they are doing that I might incorporate into my life. If it works I adopt it if it doesn't I keep on with what works for me.
You've decided you want to make a change in your lifestyle and lost 5lbs in the first week in doing so. In my book that is not a failure. It might take some time for your body to adjust and give it that time. Eat right add in some exercise (I walk a lot) and things will start moving in the direction you want. Be patient this isn't a sprint its a marathon. Also remember everyone is different, your friends might lose a lot of weight fast but then plateau for a long period of time while its possible you might lose weight more gradually but never hit a major plateau.
One other thing that I have noticed is that my scale may not move the entire week but physically my body has changed. My clothes fit better or I may go from the last hole on my belt to the third or my face starts to look leaner. I have to buy new clothes because I am swimming in my old ones. My strength, endurance, and energy levels increase. I am overall more positive, creative, and can deal with stressful situations better. Those things are important, if not more important that how much the scale moves.
I set out a goal to be 200 lbs by the time school started I made it to 204 lbs and while I didn't make it to my goal I just set a new goal that by my next doctor check in (November) I would like to be 200 lbs or below. It's completely doable when I think about the 35 lbs I lost trying to get to 200 lbs before school. Make yourself some mini achievable goals that all lead to your main goal and before you know it you will be where you want to be. Then the challenge is to maintain.
I think you can achieve your goals. What matters most is if you think you can achieve them too.3 -
I agree. Five lbs is great. My first week I lost 7 then the 2nd week 1 (which was disappointing). Each week I seem to fluctuate. However since July 3rd have lost about 22 lbs which is encouraging. Trying to keep my eye on the big picture and putting one foot in front if the other. Wins are great - negatives I try to ignore.4
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My first week I lost 6.4 pounds. I started on 7/30/17 and yesterday I was down a total of 10.2 pounds. For the past couple of weeks, I have been slipping in and out of ketosis...not totally out I suppose, as my ketostix register trace amounts, but I keep fluctuating losing and gaining the same 3 pounds since then. I'm not all THAT worried about is as long as the general trend is down. And although I was hoping for these massive losses each week, I found I really am ok with losing a little slower, mainly because I feel good, what I eat is more sustainable for me, and there are noticeable differences in how my clothes fit/energy level/etc.1
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I had to go back to 2013 and look. 6 pounds. Low carb versus keto.
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Typically 5lbs in the first week, most ever was 7. It's too bad you're disapointed with that, it just means you didn't have that much extra water weight to lose. Many people tend to have a last binge before starting a diet, like a weekend of gorging or emptying the cupboards...this will dramatically increase short term water weight which helps of course with the illusion of a big drop in the first week.
Stay with it, you're doing the right things if you dropped 5lbs(many people see no drop or sometimes an increase).
I think the bolded is probably it; you just had less water weight to lose. You probably lost a similar amount of fat as your friend but lost less water. But it was just water.
Water weight is going to vary. I am a fear pounds heavier today after a BBQ in hot weather with more carbs than I would normally eat (in 3 days
) while pms'ing, so I am SURE I am a few pounds heavier today. It is just water though. I know my calories were not in excess of 10,000 yeaterday. I just need to be patient and it will go.
Be patient. Five pounds is a great start. If you continue to lose 2 lbs a week, you'll be at your goal weight before spring.
Keep going!
ETA, I think I lost about 4-5 lbs in my first week. My biggest loss came after I had been dieting a few months. I had a "whoosh" and lost 8 lbs in 3 days. And it stayed gone. Weight loss is not often linear. Darn it. 2 -
Thanks everyone, I do appreciate the feedback. I was just so hopeful to be like my friends. Guess I need to stop comparing.
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This is a much healthier way to lose weight, imho. I see other members, MFP Friends, who lose 0.2 one weigh in and then 1.4 another weigh in, but then I see the total weight loss they have….like 42 pounds, etc. All those little losses add up to reaching your goal. You aren't just losing weight. Your body is healing too.
When I first started keto I was hoping for instant wowsers, lol. It's better to think of LoCarb as a marathon rather than a sprint. And btw, WELCOME!! 1 -
Bottom line..you had less fluid retention..be thankful..coming from a person who has struggled with this problem for years..focus on the positive things that you notice..such as..clearer, softer, smoother skin..etc.0
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Also, you can lose fat without losing scale weight.
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everyone please add me Im just starting my keto diet and need friends who is following this lifestyle0
