Didn't lose any weight my first week?

megholzer

Hey guys! So i'm not new to fitness/diet and losing weight. 5-6 years ago i lost 30 pounds and kept it off till about 6 months ago. I gained about 20 pounds due to a lot going on in my life. I went back on my strict diet, cut out 95% of alcohol consumption, started doing the insanity workout, and have been drinking 1+ gallons of water a day (i have an infuser water bottle and put green tea bags into my water). I haven't lost any weight my first week of doing this. Anyone know why? when i lost the weight years ago i had that huge weight drop the first week before it slowed down to 1-2 pounds a week.

Silentpadna

megholzer wrote: »

... started doing the insanity workout...

Your body retains water - a lot of it during a new workout regimen. Especially if it's been awhile. You have not mentioned your stats or deficit either.

nowine4me

You don’t mention calories or deficit. The key components to weight loss. And patience, grasshopper.

megholzer

I eat roughly 1000-1200 calories per day give or take. 5'2 and 130 right now. trying to get back to 107-110.

Silentpadna

megholzer wrote: »

I eat roughly 1000-1200 calories per day give or take. 5'2 and 130 right now. trying to get back to 107-110.

Sounds like that might be too aggressive. What does MFP say you should lose and how fast are you trying to lose it?

Should also mention that 1 week is an extremely small window. You need to give the process time.

megholzer

what part sounds too aggressive? ideally would like to lose it by mid april cuz im going on vacation but its not a necessity to me. and yes i know it's a small window and it needs time. I was just wondering because the first time i lost weight i had a huge drop the first week and dont seem to be getting it this time.

wmweeza

That's because you had more weight to lose the first time. Also you might be losing fat but gaining muscle, therefore the scale won't show anything but you'll see a difference in your clothing soon

nowine4me

Perhaps the gallon of water a day is hiding any loss....

Silentpadna

megholzer wrote: »

what part sounds too aggressive? ideally would like to lose it by mid april cuz im going on vacation but its not a necessity to me. and yes i know it's a small window and it needs time. I was just wondering because the first time i lost weight i had a huge drop the first week and dont seem to be getting it this time.

Usually the initial drop is water weight - that especially happens for those who do keto. Since you started Insanity at the same time this time, my guess is that you didn't lose the water weight like you did the first week last time. There are many variables at work here, so that's just an educated guess.

In terms of aggressiveness, you body can only metabolize so much fat before getting fuel from muscle. Too aggressive of a deficit compromises body composition, which is not something I think you want. If you have a lot to lose being aggressive is fine. You don't have as much to lose. Probably 1 pound per week at best, maybe up to 1%, but even that may be pushing it.

Healthy is better.

Silentpadna

wmweeza wrote: »

That's because you had more weight to lose the first time. Also you might be losing fat but gaining muscle, therefore the scale won't show anything but you'll see a difference in your clothing soon

You won't gain muscle in a deficit. You can preserve it, but without the building blocks (a calorie surplus), you can't build. A deficit can help reveal the muscle you have because of fat loss, but as I mention above, you can short circuit that if your deficit is too big because your muscle becomes a fuel source too.

In fact, no body is perfectly efficient at either by itself. In a deficit you'll burn fat and some muscle. In a surplus you'll gain muscle and some fat. The smaller the deficit, the less muscle you will lose. The smaller the surplus, the less fat you will gain.

callsitlikeiseeit

AnnPT77

Silentpadna wrote: »

wmweeza wrote: »

That's because you had more weight to lose the first time. Also you might be losing fat but gaining muscle, therefore the scale won't show anything but you'll see a difference in your clothing soon

You won't gain muscle in a deficit. You can preserve it, but without the building blocks (a calorie surplus), you can't build. A deficit can help reveal the muscle you have because of fat loss, but as I mention above, you can short circuit that if your deficit is too big because your muscle becomes a fuel source too.

In fact, no body is perfectly efficient at either by itself. In a deficit you'll burn fat and some muscle. In a surplus you'll gain muscle and some fat. The smaller the deficit, the less muscle you will lose. The smaller the surplus, the less fat you will gain.

Yup.

I'd add that under ideal conditions, which include that calorie surplus and a progressive (and aggressive) well-designed weight training program, a very excellent result for a woman would be gaining a quarter pound of new muscle mass per week, on average (half a pound for a man). Losing a quarter pound of fat per week, on the other hand, would be practically invisible amongst daily fluctuations, only visible after weeks, and probably then only with a weight trending app.

OP is in a calorie deficit, and Insanity - while a good, intense workout, and will help retain muscle during weight loss - is far from a "progressive (and aggressive) well-designed weight training program".

The idea that any realistic amount of muscle gain is going to outpace any observable/satisfying rate of fat loss . . . is sadly inaccurate. Sometimes people believe it can happen because they're getting smaller, or getting stronger . . . neither of which require weight loss in order to be true.

P.S. I disagree with the PP on one minor quibble. Sometimes people completely new to weight training can gain a tiny bit of muscle while in a calorie surplus, especially if seriously obese. It's still going to be a much smaller amount than under ideal conditions, and definitely isn't going to outpace weight loss.