Those that lose only once a month?

jelleigh

Hello all

I've seen in some posts that some people (women especially) only see losses on the scale once per month due to water retention/ TOM etc. Can anyone who had this experience elabotate a bit for me? Do you bounce around a few pounds and then all of a sudden wake up one day with that months loss gone off the scale? Do you show gains during the month? Does it all woosh over a few days? Is there a specific time in your cyclethat you see it?
I ask because I am very carefully tracking my intake and weighing everything for two weeks and seeing no progress but I'm wondering if I'm one of those once a month people. I'd just like to know what to look for.

dhiammarath

I've gotten to where I see my biggest losses once a month during my "magic week". The rest of the month I tend to slightly trend down, but day-to-day I usually see little ups and downs depending on what I've been eating (+/- carbs, +/- sodium, +/- big meals, etc).

When "magic week" starts for me, I start losing slowly. It doesn't just drop off: I don't wake up having lost my butt, per se. It's that I'll start peeing more and then the weight drops off over about 7 days or so. Throughout the *month*, I see fat loss, but it's hidden by water. Then during magic week, all that water is shed from the "water dance" as I call it, and I can see what my new "low" is. Then my cycle starts and it all starts over again, but the beginning of each month is a bit lower than the beginning. So month-over-month, I see losses. Day-over-day, I fluctuate.

Happy Scale does a good job at telling me that I'm trending down as I should be!

lorrpb

Track your weight daily for 2-3 months to see any trends. Two weeks is not enough time. You can use a trending app like happy scale that will smooth out the ups and downs for you. I saw a new low about twice a month and a lot of bouncing around in between. Even in maintenance it’s like this. I have 5 years of data and graphs to remind me of my patterns.

bjkoziara

I use Libra to track every day. So far it was fairly consistent in trending down, then I reached my lowest weight so far, then during my period it did this arc over 5 days. I slowly saw it go up about 6 pounds and come back down. I'm at the other end of the arc now and my weight was exactly the same as the first day or the arc. Very curious to know what my weight will look like tomorrow and if I'll see an arc again next month.

alondrakar

My last low weigh in was 5/13. I only see low weigh ins about 1x a month and it is to be expected since I am very close to my goal weight. Also, I didn't start off with a lot of weight to lose.

The weight definitely fluctuates throughout the week. It depends on the types of food I intake (even if I am under my daily cal goal) as well as my TOM. It sucks, but its my reality and I am learning to deal with it. For me, it makes those low weigh in days extra exciting because of how less often they happen! It is, however, difficult to stay motivated with slow progress so dedication is key.

As long as the trend is going down I am happy.

tinkerbellang83

jelleigh wrote: »

Hello all

I've seen in some posts that some people (women especially) only see losses on the scale once per month due to water retention/ TOM etc. Can anyone who had this experience elabotate a bit for me? Do you bounce around a few pounds and then all of a sudden wake up one day with that months loss gone off the scale? Do you show gains during the month? Does it all woosh over a few days? Is there a specific time in your cyclethat you see it?
I ask because I am very carefully tracking my intake and weighing everything for two weeks and seeing no progress but I'm wondering if I'm one of those once a month people. I'd just like to know what to look for.

I tend to bounce up and down the same couple of pounds throughout the month and then the week following my period I have a reasonably big drop. My initial weight loss was far from linear. I retain water during ovulation and my period and tend to increase carbs just before my period to manage my craving so basically have excess water for those 3 weeks of my cycle.

sammidelvecchio

I seem to be losing this way but I have no idea why. Usually 1 week a month I will see weight loss once, twice, or even three times in a week and then not again for another month.

This month I have fluctuated 10 lbs from my lowest and highest, but have been steadily about 2 lbs higher than my lowest weight recorded this month. I am just trying to accept that my body is going to do whatever it wants and a downward trend is all I can ask for !

etherealanwar

I usually stay within the same weight for most of the week and then see a drop within the last 2 days of the week.

LisaLethal

Typically the week after my period I will see a decent amount of weight lost, and then I will stall for the remainder of the month. It was really tough the first month because I thought I was doing everything all wrong, but I stayed consistent and then had a good drop. It has been consistently this way the last couple of months. I've just decided my body really likes to cling on to water.

jelleigh

Thanks so much for the replies everyone! I'm really trying to change my mindset about weight loss and commit to a long term plan and its hard to do when you don't see results. But if I can adjust my expectation, then I'm hoping it will be easier.
I guess I'm afraid that I'm somehow doing something wrong and that it will take me like 6 weeks to realize it and I will have "wasted" that time. Which is silly because I'm trying hard to not have any time lines in mind but I'm just so tired of being this unhealthy size I want to feel like I'm at least moving in the right direction!

jenny3073

I didn't realize it could possibly be only once a month or so but that would explain it! I've been eating soooo much better for about 3 weeks and have not seen any real changes on the scale, it's incredibly frustrating! I have gotten very comfortable with my food changes though so the stubborn scale is not enough to catapult me into my old habits like it used to. No matter the number, I do feel better overall and my blood sugar is crazy steady now with 75% less diabetic meds, so I guess that could be an NSV! Thanks for the post, now I know it's possible to not see anything for 3-4 weeks. Best of luck to you and congratulations for making changes for the better!

kami3006

I lost 25 lbs. at an average rate of a half pound per week, but the scale only dropped every three weeks. The rest of the time, I fluctuated around my current lowest weight. But, like clockwork, every third week I would have a new low that was 1.5 lbs. down.

That was throughout the entirety of my weight loss.

Moxie42

I think the most difficult thing about losing weight is the patience it requires. If you can accept that there will be gains, and stalls, and days you don't make great choices...the whole process will be easier and less stressful. It's okay to feel frustrated of course, but try not to feel defeated, and don't beat yourself up. If you're in a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight, but it will happen over time and with persistence. The only way to "fail" is to give up.

Regarding weight fluctuations during the month, yep, it happens. It happens for everyone but women (some more than others) have the added "complication" of TOM when you're more likely to retain water. I definitely stall, or sometimes gain, during that week, and I feel more bloated even if I'm eating the exact same things I ate before. But I remind myself that it's water weight, not fat, and that as long as I keep doing what I'm doing, the weight will come off. Drinking a lot of water helps too.

If the scale is driving you crazy, maybe stay off it for a month and see what happens. I know that can be hard because we all would love to see immediate results, right? But it helps me when I get frustrated because when I eat healthy, I feel better physically and mentally. Taking a break from the scale lets me actually enjoy the feeling of being healthier, even though I'm still obese. That, in turn, makes it easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle even when I'm frustrated with the scale. I might not be losing as fast as I'd like (I've been in a stall for two weeks) but I definitely don't want to go back to feeling bloated, tired, and icky all the time from over-eating junk food.

You ARE moving in the right direction because you're here Think about what you would tell a friend who shared the same frustrations with you, and be nice to yourself.

seltzermint555

I definitely experience this now. In my initial year of consistent loss (90 lb) I didn't see this happening as much. I just lost 1-2 lb per week pretty consistently for the entire year. But as I approached my goal and now as I have been maintaining in a certain range (up and down about 5-7 lb throughout each year but rarely up/down by 10 lb), I definitely see its ties to my TOM. I weigh daily. I am ravenous when ovulating and eat more - then see a whoosh downward during the luteal phase. It's kind of opposite to some of my friends who battle premenstrual cravings. I don't have as much appetite during PMS or menstruation. Because of this I tend to see my weight going down right before my period instead of right after. For me it seems like the follicular phase is when my weight just stays the same for a week plus...right in the middle of my high/low range.

Spadesheart

seltzermint555 wrote: »

I definitely experience this now. In my initial year of consistent loss (90 lb) I didn't see this happening as much. I just lost 1-2 lb per week pretty consistently for the entire year. But as I approached my goal and now as I have been maintaining in a certain range (up and down about 5-7 lb throughout each year but rarely up/down by 10 lb), I definitely see its ties to my TOM. I weigh daily. I am ravenous when ovulating and eat more - then see a whoosh downward during the luteal phase. It's kind of opposite to some of my friends who battle premenstrual cravings. I don't have as much appetite during PMS or menstruation. Because of this I tend to see my weight going down right before my period instead of right after. For me it seems like the follicular phase is when my weight just stays the same for a week plus...right in the middle of my high/low range.

If I had to guess, it probably has something to do with body fat percentage. The body probably panics when it gets to a certain range that could adversely affect other systems. My weight loss was consistent for the first 40, but the water retention over the last 15 has been annoying.

TanyaHooton

I am 10 lbs away from goal so weight loss is slow. I'm lucky if it's 2 lbs per month. Usually it's 1-1.5 lbs.

A few days after my period ends, I have a day where I pee nonstop. And the pee seems different...thicker, maybe? Sorry if that's gross. Then i step on the scale and magically it's lower. I'll stay at that new low for a week maybe, then start to trend up due to ovulation, water retention, higher food waste in my system bc I'm ravenous, etc. Then period comes and ends and the whole circle starts over again.

I've learned to be patient and that the results will come in a week or two.

jelleigh

Thanks everyone! It's actually very helpful.
I went back and charted all my intake, weight changes, and cycle on top of each other and have already seen some correlation between spikes and hormone changes. So that's helpful. So now I keep telling myself to expect the scale to weigh in a bit higher next week or w/e so that I'm mentally prepared and not disappointed. Here's to sticking to something!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

yirara

I use the pill on longterm cycle, thus TOM doesn't play a role for me. I'm still a whoosher. Plus I see natural weight fluctuations throughout the week. From Tuesday morning to Saturday morning my weight slowly goes up, then down again until Monday morning. I guess I hold onto a bit more water, having an office job and not sitting at a desk during the weekend.

xxzenabxx

Wow I needed to see this thread. After being in a deficit for 2 weeks now I’m seeing visible fatloss but the scale has gone up 5 lbs! I blame DOMS, constipation and TOM. It’s frustrating because I’m going on holiday in 4 days for 1 week to Turkey so I won’t see the scale drop for another 2-3 weeks! I’m aiming for a 500 calorie deficit. TDEE is 2300-2400 calories and I’m 155 lbs (but 160lbs due to water retention). 26lbs to lose. I guess I just have to live with the fact that the scale will only go down after my period finishes. Still find it frustrating though.

LivingtheLeanDream

TanyaHooton wrote: »

A few days after my period ends, I have a day where I pee nonstop. And the pee seems different...thicker, maybe? Sorry if that's gross. Then i step on the scale and magically it's lower. I'll stay at that new low for a week maybe, then start to trend up due to ovulation, water retention, higher food waste in my system bc I'm ravenous, etc. Then period comes and ends and the whole circle starts over again.

I've learned to be patient and that the results will come in a week or two.

Yep same here and I'm in maintenance - I stay at the higher end of my weight range for around 2 weeks of my cycle before dropping to the lower end. Seems to be pretty normal when at a healthy weight/lower bf%

bluesheeponahill

Yep. I get my biggest drops after ovulation and just before TOM. Then everything just flip flops for the rest of the month. However, my trend is still down. I’m losing an average of 1.5kilos a month, and that’s all that matters to me! I’m losing something!