I’m New(sort of)

ljlehmkuhl

I became an active member of my fitness pal 10 days ago and have been religious in logging and following. At present, the scale shows no consistent sign of moving -it may go down .2 then up .4 even though I have increased my steps, increased my activity, and I am staying within the recommended calories. Today my weight was the same as when I started 10 days ago. I know it’s going to take a while to lose the 15 pounds that I need to get off. However, I need to stay motivated, which is somewhat difficult when the scale isn’t showing my hard work. If a subjective feel is measurable, I do feel lighter.

AnnPT77

Congratulations, you're normal!

(Also, hello and welcome ).

Fat loss - the thing most of us want - happens very gradually, just a few ounces per day, even if losing "fast".

However, since our bodies can be up to 60%+ water, our water retention can change by multiple pounds from one day to the next. (Water weight fluctuation is part of how a healthy body stays healthy. The body knows what it's doing, so don't try to game it.) If you still have menstrual cycles, that's another water weight wild card: Though it's not the most common pattern, some women only see a new low weight once a month.

On top of that, we have different amounts of food/fluid in our system on any given day, and that can also differ by pounds from one day to the next.

Against that backdrop, it can take the small, gradual fat loss quite a while to show clearly on the bodyweight scale.

In your case, you've increased exercise, and that will tend to increase water weight at first (for muscle repair) even if the exercise isn't super intense - even just increased steps can do it.

As someone with only 15 pounds to lose, your most health-promoting choice would be slow loss, like half a pound a week. That will take even longer to show up on the scale.

I see you joined MFP quite a while back, so I'll note that our weight fluctuation patterns can change over time. Mine are not the same as when I was first losing weight (2015-16), nor in the early stages of maintenance, vs. now (long term maintenance). They still happen for sure, but the patterns have varied. Bodies are weird.

Until you have 4-6 weeks of data (comparing weight at the same relative point in at least two different menstrual cycles, if applicable), it's really going to be hard to tell whether your plan is working or not. Ten days is for sure not enough, especially with changes in activity/exercise in the mix. Hang in there - that time is worth the investment. Impatient people who switch things up fast often don't learn much about their own patterns or calorie needs. Patience is rewarded. It's like a fun, productive science fair project for grown-ups.

Best wishes!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

The guidelines are based on population averages and an individual may have an higher or lower metabolism. Still, figuring out how to log is a great start. You have given yourself a good idea of what you need to maintain your weight, which is very useful to know.

You probably need to adjust your plan down. Try omitting an additional 250kcals. You can look over your daily plan and take it out of each meal, or you can experiment with one of the various intermittent fasting plans, meaning skip a meal or snack or replace it with a very small version. I find this easiest to do with breakfast, but everyone is different.

Of course, your logging has to be good and it takes practice. Last night I cooked just for myself. I weighted out 2oz of dry pasta and boiled it up. It looked very lonely in the pot, but with some added left-over ground turkey and vegetables it made for a nice small meal. My point is that you need to use a food scale and cup measures for everything with significant calories. The more calorie dense, the more care you have to take.

Best of luck!