Is it a *Woosh* or unsustainable weight loss?

MercuryForce

Just wondering if there was any advice on how to tell if something is a *woosh* or unsustainable loss? According to Libra my long term weight loss rate over the last 6 months is .6 lbs a month, but my 7 day weight loss is 2.7 lbs. The first couple days I stepped on the scale I just figured it was a *woosh*, and I'm used to those. But, now it keeps going down. I haven't changed my calories, about 1400, though I think since I've been doing more eating and cooking at home I'm probably being more accurate with my logging.

So, is there a general time limit where you go "this is not sustainable"? Like, when you are first starting and you basically thrown out the first month of results.

spiriteagle99

Not eating out as much may be what is making the difference. Restaurant meals tend to be high in salt and fat, so more calories plus more water retention. Have you changed your level of exercise? That can also affect your water retention.

Maxxitt

If you're otherwise feeling good --sleeping ok, not terribly hungry, enough energy--you could go another week and check your data. That would be long enough for water weight to stabilize (depending on the time of the month if you are menstruating). If you're still shedding at a rapid clip, up calories.

MercuryForce

Water weight would make sense, for lunch I was eating a lot of frozen meals. Eating things I make are similar in calorie counts, but the sodium levels are probably a lot different.

My exercise has gone from spin and yoga to just walking (maybe in my boredom I'll try running), so I don't think that would change much.

I'll keep an eye on things for another week and see how it goes. If I'm still losing at this rate, I'll up things a little.

NovusDies

virginiajharris wrote: »

Water weight would make sense, for lunch I was eating a lot of frozen meals. Eating things I make are similar in calorie counts, but the sodium levels are probably a lot different.

My exercise has gone from spin and yoga to just walking (maybe in my boredom I'll try running), so I don't think that would change much.

I'll keep an eye on things for another week and see how it goes. If I'm still losing at this rate, I'll up things a little.

As long as you do not start feeling fatigued aim for watching it over the next month. It is hard to get an accurate picture of rate of loss with less than a month's data and even that is not always enough.

MercuryForce

That's why is crazy about this. Over the last few months I've been pretty consistent, and now it seems like it has hit a bit of a freefall, I'm used to fluctuation, not each day weighing less than the day before. I'll try to hold out a month before making changes, but I'm also not entirely comfortable if my weight stays at this rate of loss for more than a couple weeks.

NovusDies

virginiajharris wrote: »

That's why is crazy about this. Over the last few months I've been pretty consistent, and now it seems like it has hit a bit of a freefall, I'm used to fluctuation, not each day weighing less than the day before. I'll try to hold out a month before making changes, but I'm also not entirely comfortable if my weight stays at this rate of loss for more than a couple weeks.

There is more reason to suspect it is a temporary drop from a change in sodium consumption than to believe it is an acceleration. In any event you will know soon-ish. If it turns out to be an acceleration from a change in exercise or NEAT it would be good if you can nail down what has changed so that if it changes back you can revert your calories accordingly.

MercuryForce

I do like the sodium theory. If it is a calorie thing, it is going to be less a difference in NEAT and more a difference in that I'm now weighing everything. I didn't have a scale or most of my measuring cups at work. So at home I know I put in 2 TBSP of creamer. At work it would be about 2 TBSP. At work it was "I ate 27 crackers" at home it is "I ate 30g of crackers".

Ultimately I hope it is a combo of the two. That this big loss is a bunch of water weight from less sodium, and then the more accurate tracking will overall take me from the ~0.6 lb a week to a nice comfortable 1 a week.

AnnPT77

I'd add to previous observations that 2.7 pounds in one week, compared with 0.6 pounds per week, would mean you'd have to have created something in the vicinity of 1000 daily calories of additional daily deficit, in order for all of it to be fat loss.

Granting that that could be a combination of increased NEAT and decreased intake, that's still a really big number, when you've been eating around 1400 calories. It seems like you'd notice 1000 calories.

My intended implication is to reinforce your thinking that it's more likely primarily about water weight shifts, in some form, for some reason. Let us know how this works out, OK?

Best wishes!

MercuryForce

That's why it's so baffling. Like if I was just starting out I'd be like "oh, this is just things leveling out". But I've been consistent for nearly 6 months and now suddenly this is happening. I guess I should be glad, but I'm mostly confused.

It's a little funny, I "gain" 8 lbs overnight and I just kind of shrug (it was after a day of cross-country skiing and then eating a sodium bomb sandwich). But losing two extra lbs in a week and I've got myself over thinking it. 🙂

cupcakesandproteinshakes

virginiajharris wrote: »

That's why it's so baffling. Like if I was just starting out I'd be like "oh, this is just things leveling out". But I've been consistent for nearly 6 months and now suddenly this is happening. I guess I should be glad, but I'm mostly confused.

It's a little funny, I "gain" 8 lbs overnight and I just kind of shrug (it was after a day of cross-country skiing and then eating a sodium bomb sandwich). But losing two extra lbs in a week and I've got myself over thinking it. 🙂

That’s what you’re doing, over thinking. Our bodies can be unpredictable. You may be fighting an infection - that causes me to retain water. Others have suggested water weight of some sort is main culprit. They’re probably right. I think you just need to wait a few days.

cupcakesandproteinshakes

Sorry I meant when I’m ill with a fever and cold I get dehydrated which shows up on scale as a brief dip down.

MercuryForce

I waited a week before wondering what was going on. I usually hit a new low, got a back up and then take another week before hitting that low again. This time I haven't gone back up, I just keep hitting new lows. Basically my 7 day stats show me losing more than I did the entirety of last month.

But, I did look at my stats and in the last week I've had at least 1000 mg less sodium than I did in previous weeks. I didn't realize how much water that caused me to retain. I did have a sodium bomb sandwich with chips for dinner though, so it will be interesting to see how tomorrow looks.

gallicinvasion

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

Not eating out as much may be what is making the difference. Restaurant meals tend to be high in salt and fat, so more calories plus more water retention. Have you changed your level of exercise? That can also affect your water retention.

If, like many of us, you’ve been eating more home-cooked meals due to the shelter-in-place restrictions, I agree that it’s most likely a change in sodium levels. I’ve seen a drop in average weight in the past week or two as well, and I’m almost certain this is the culprit.