Rate of weight loss- consistant or weird ??

tabinmaine

How do you find you are losing the weight ? 1lb a week consistantly, or every 2 wks or every few days ??

I am starting to see a pattern here with my weight loss, I seem to go 2wks with hardly a budge on the scale and then the 3rd week I find I will loose like 3-5lbs over a period of 5 days or so.... seems to come off every 3 wks ..( thankfully I am almost about to see more loss again ) haha

Anyone else like that ? It's hard to handle some times because you get discouraged those 2wks and then you have a "high" the 3rd week.

kimstwin

I seem to have a maintain week every other or every third week, then a good 2-4 pond drop. I feel the same, but determined to keep at it.

There is a part of me that feels cheated after exercising and counting every calorie that crosses my lips and there is no loss that week.

katkins3

My weight loss has been surprisingly steady.
My graph is pretty straight down with only a few weeks where I didn't weigh in.
My theory is that I'm not affected very much by the usual cycle because I am 61 and my cycle stopped 10 years ago. Even now I get a small monthly boost in water retention and sweets craving.

pigwidgeon82

Maybe you should try weighing in every 3 weeks? That way you don't have to feel discouraged by the two weeks of non-movement.

LorinaLynn

Mine was "willy nilly." I averaged one pound a week, but it would be more like one pound a week, then nothing, then a pound and a half, then a half, etc. It's not linear.

huntindawg1962

Its been anything but a straight line for me too. I do daily weigh-in's (sometime multiple times per day) - and what I see is three things:

1 - for me, when I try to keep each meal about 1/3 of the daily calories it works better on a day over day basis than when I eat two smaller and one larger meal.

2 - General variations in sodium levels on any given day (or just not drinking enough water on days when there is more sodium, seems to stall the daily weight loss averages.

3- If I see one day with a larger loss number, I can expect that the next day or two will be minimal to no loss. If there are two days with nice looking drop numbers, then I am sure day three will be low to a small gain back. Then it moves on from there again, in the same way.

temp666777

It is definitely erratic. It's a huge issue. The issue is being studied at the moment, and nobody has any answers.

The question is, if calorie restriction works WHY wouldn't you lose weight every day evenly?

One big problem (if it's a problem) is "plateaus". it is very common that you will lose weight straight for say 10 weeks, and then for ten weeks you will mysteriously remain the same, and then the next ten weeks straight down, and then another plateau.

The only problem is it could be frustrating. It just seems to be, absolutely, part of the process so just keep going. Weigh yourself every DAY scientifically and track it really carefully.

Don't forget of course there are at least four issues to begin with:

WATER WEIGHT: this can make you vary hugely, by 2 kg either way. if you simply go for a 10km run, you'll easily "lose" a KG of weight or much more, but that's nothing more than sweat. It has no bearing on the fat in your body.

DAILY WEIGHT VARIATION: Don't forget!!! it is completely and totally normal that your weight varies by about 2kg during the course of the day!! That is a huge variation during the day.

FOOD WEIGHT: don't forget! if you simply drink one pint of water, that weighs one pound! your scale weight will go up by a pound. Similarly you mist weigh yourself in the morning after you get up and about and completely go to the bathroom, obviously going to the bathroom can change your weight considerably.

FAT VERSUS MUSCLE: Here is some great news. If you have a lot of fat to begin with. As you lose fat, YOU WILL ALSO GAIN A HUGE AMOUNT OF MUSCLE. If you have lost say 20 pounds on the scale, it is very likely you have lost FAR more fat than that, maybe 30 pounds or even more. But your muscle has increased tremendously. So you should always feel good about any weight you lose, since you are generally losing MUCH MORE actual FAT than that.

Again, PUTTING ASIDE the four issues mentioned, researchers are indeed finding that fat loss is wildly erratic. Your body seems to be "dealing" with stuff as it goes along. There is a period of fat loss, and then a plateau, and then another period of fat loss.

SOME SAY that when you enter a plateau, push yourself a little bit: fast for one day, cut carbohydrates further for a couple of days, and so on. No need to waste a long time in a "plateau" if it can be avoided! Nevertheless, it does seem to be the case that plateaus are very real and a (for now) totally mysterious part of the carbohydrate-calorie-fat equation.

I urge you to read Dr. Lutz book "Life Without Bread" for very much more details. Hope it helps! If you are "stuck" on a plateau just keep at it and remember IT IS VERY MUCH PART of fat loss! That just seems to be how it is. And don't forget you are likely still GAINING muscle weight, so you are likely actually losing fat weight even though the scale weight stays the same.

And of course, don't forget the at least four factors that can vary your measurements, really wildly, mentioned above. I hope it helps.

shortygurl0815

My experience (with Fitness Pal and prior) is that weight loss is not linear. I would see weeks where I lost 2-3 lbs when I thought I had done horrible, weeks where I'd gain a pound when I thought I did well, and no movement when I knew I was sticking to it. As long as I kept as it, I knew I'd see the scale go down the next week. Remember also that women go through cycles of maintain more water weight and then losing it, which has nothing to do with the number of calories you're taking in. Even when the numbers seem frustrating for that week, just remember to keep at it, you're doing great Maybe it would help you to try something new for exercise or, if you're staying to the same foods to meet your calories, mix it up and find another combination that gives you the same numbers. I swear sometimes my body just wants to tell me it's bored!

tabinmaine

thanks for your responses everyone !! I see it's not just me and everyone loses weight differently. I am starting to see this pattern like I mentioned above and as long as I know that's the way it's going to be I can live with it because that 3rd week is so very rewarding haha

Funny though, this 3wk cycle has nothing to do with my monthly cycle, in fact I find I lose the weeks you would think I was bloated or gaining water lol

Giggles625

I think this is me.....I think I need to stay away for the scale but I like seeing the number go down but it doesn't I get disappointed. I just need to remember to keep doing what I'm doing.

rileysowner

Not consistent, but when I eat well it was always down. Sometimes slowly, sometimes fast. There would be weeks when I would lose a pound. Then weeks where I would drop 3 or 4.

mtsugirl1020

I have lost 23 pounds so far and now the scale will not budge! I am following everything to the letter! What should i do!? Help!

fatbegone8488

I went a while without losing so this week I really cut my calories down and then next week I am going to go back up to the normal amount... Trying to shake things up.... If I lost what fitness pal told me I would in 5 weeks I would be happy but NOT SO MUCH!!!

jaxCarrie

My loss is erratic - so it's good to read that I'm in the same boat as a lot of you, but with that said, I keep up what i'm doing, knowing the scale will 'eventually' fall in my favor. I also try not to weigh myself the day after a really hard workout/long run...I think the body holds onto the water to help 'heal' muscles...

mtsugirl1020

It is just so frustrating...and discouraging...

sophjakesmom

I am kind of on a plateau now, but even when I was losing consistently for 9 months, I would lose for 2 weeks, then stay put or gain a little then lose again. Once I recognized my body's pattern, I didn't stress about it.

shakybabe

I was dropping each week to start with but then last few months I only had a big drop just after monthlies ended and water came off so like if put 4lb on temp water gain, that would come off plus 2-3lb, then I don't lose anything for another few weeks.. sometimes I lose a pound just before the temp water goes back on, so now about 2-4lb a month! .. but haven't got far to go now so should still make my goal date even with 2lb a month!

tabinmaine

I was dropping each week to start with but then last few months I only had a big drop just after monthlies ended and water came off so like if put 4lb on temp water gain, that would come off plus 2-3lb, then I don't lose anything for another few weeks.. sometimes I lose a pound just before the temp water goes back on, so now about 2-4lb a month! .. but haven't got far to go now so should still make my goal date even with 2lb a month!

that's awesome, happy for you that you are so close to your goal, I have a ways to go yet lol like next fall !!

alabughosh

I've been trying to figure this out too. I've been slowing down a bit the last couple weeks and after looking at my dairy and evaluating my sleep patterns, I think that the way to speed things up again is to eat more fiber, drink more water, and get more sleep. So.... I'll keep you posted on that! But yeah, in the past it has seemed to fluctuate quite a bit.

hcs82

Yes, exactly this post!

I am ready to cry each morning when the scale doesn't move down, or worse goes up. I eat 1400 calories a day (sometimes less) and I kickbox train three times a week, sometimes four, which burns about 1000 an hour. It makes no sense that this morning I weighed a pound more than yesterday even though I had class last night and stayed at 1300 calories, and about 30 grams of fat.

I've been counting calories since December 6, and now I'm nearing the three month mark and just about 20 lost. I wanted 10 a month so I am very off track and it makes me upset and sad. Nearly ready to give up sometimes. I just went through a three week plateau that I thought I finally finished until yesterday went flat.

SIRISH1983

I have only been on MFP for 15 days, in the first 10 days I lost 5lbs (probably water weight), the last 5, I have been staying the same. I was getting discouraged too, I like to see a steady drop, even if its only 1 pound per week. I am going to start weighing in weekly, or even biweekly. Thanks for asking this question!

atjays

After my first 15 lbs fell off, it started getting really inconsistent. I'd gain a pound or two for a week and then lost 4 suddenly. The only thing that is consistent are my measurement changes in the mirror. I haven't budged more than a pound in the last two weeks but my chest and midsection are a lot more defined. Scale makes it really hard to judge progress on any sort of weight lifting program

Di3012

How do you find you are losing the weight ? 1lb a week consistantly, or every 2 wks or every few days ??

I am starting to see a pattern here with my weight loss, I seem to go 2wks with hardly a budge on the scale and then the 3rd week I find I will loose like 3-5lbs over a period of 5 days or so.... seems to come off every 3 wks ..( thankfully I am almost about to see more loss again ) haha

Anyone else like that ? It's hard to handle some times because you get discouraged those 2wks and then you have a "high" the 3rd week.

I only weigh myself once per week and the weightloss seems to have been pretty consistent.

llkilgore

My weight loss has been surprisingly steady.
My graph is pretty straight down with only a few weeks where I didn't weigh in.
My theory is that I'm not affected very much by the usual cycle because I am 61 and my cycle stopped 10 years ago. Even now I get a small monthly boost in water retention and sweets craving.

I was going to write almost the same thing, except that I'm 3 years younger and my rate of weight loss did bounce around during the early weeks of the C25K program. The line was very smooth otherwise, and the average weekly loss was fairly constant even during the first month of running. I'm assuming the fluctuation had less to do with fat burning than with my body's reaction to the switch from low impact (elliptical) to high impact aerobics.

delvir

Thank You finally someone has answered a question i have had for 2 weeks. i lost 42 lbs, and then in the last week have gained 3 and yet i am more defined and have kept calories between 1200-1320 just for a steady drop so was suprised when working out harder and actually weighing all meals that i gained. Will keep at it as i know the loss is coming........Thank You for your insight...............:)) whew........

dhayes413

I agree with all of what has been said. there is no magic pattern but you should expect irregularities. I read a book, "made to crave" and the section I love talked about before you step on the scale you need to ask yourself four questions..while I can't quote them exactly it had to do with did you eat healthy this week? Did you sneak food when no one was looking? Do you feel better about your body? If you feel good about how you did the weight on the scale should not influence your motivation. As others have said there are many factors (water weight, muscle gain, time of the month, etc.). Tracking your actual measurements may be a good way to evaluate when the lose is not seen on the scale or just trying on a pair of jeans that were too tight when you started. I only joined about five weeks ago but was counting calories a week or two prior to that on my own. I'm averaging about a pound or so a week. It seems I have been on a diet for the last 25 years so I realize diets do not work. You have to make a life change in how you eat and to maintain the weight loss your progress may be slow. I would love to lose 10 pounds in a month but I also am wise enough to know that if I deny myself a girl scout cookie or two (or three) than I'll be binging later. Better to make slow and steady changes now and maintain in the long run. I do not know how true this one is but I've heard starting your day with a cup of warm water with a half a lemon squeezed in it works to start your day of burning calories. I tried it but could not handle the taste so I'll leave this research to you all.

tabinmaine

Yes, exactly this post!

I am ready to cry each morning when the scale doesn't move down, or worse goes up. I eat 1400 calories a day (sometimes less) and I kickbox train three times a week, sometimes four, which burns about 1000 an hour. It makes no sense that this morning I weighed a pound more than yesterday even though I had class last night and stayed at 1300 calories, and about 30 grams of fat.

I've been counting calories since December 6, and now I'm nearing the three month mark and just about 20 lost. I wanted 10 a month so I am very off track and it makes me upset and sad. Nearly ready to give up sometimes. I just went through a three week plateau that I thought I finally finished until yesterday went flat.

If it makes you feel any better I have been at this since Nov 26th so longer than you and I am only down 17lbs. Oh and I have the same amount to lose as you.
Don't give up, I think as we strain and work muscles, kickboxing or swimming or lifting weights the muscles retain water to heal and that makes us heavier.
I have also found that I always seem to lose after a "rest day" hahaha, never the morning after a hard workout.

tabinmaine

I also need to add that I am tracking my measurement as well, I have lost about 6" in the past 7wks alone
Please don't think I am not happy with my weight loss, I am , I just started to see a pattern and wanted to know what other people's body's do when it comes to dropping the weight.

shvrngrl

I think this is very interesting and affirming. My loss is inconsistent also. I've resorted to weighing myself only when I'm "feeling" like I lost. I think there are alot of factors that play into what the scale says. I know that after my cycles starts again I drop tons. I think those two weeks leading up I'm ravenouse and tired. And I too have noticed after a rest day I weigh less. I think that has to do with water weight due to inflammation from you body trying to recover. I thnk if you can look at your one month report and see the overall graph consistantly moving downwards your doing fine. Cheers.

teacherbarb

Don't give up. That is the thing. As long as you keep working and keep counting the calories, you will drop the weight. It is just a matter. of time. You will see the weight come off.

Graciecny

OP, thank you for asking this! Thus far, in my short time here, I've had weeks with no loss at all, and some with 3 pounds. I just don't get it, but clearly it isn't going to be consistent. I feel so much better that I'm not the only one.

FWIW, I've been eating back exercise calories (trying to be conservative about how many I earned) but I finally bought a heart rate monitor to be sure I'm not eating back anything I haven't actually earned. I'm really concerned that might be the cause of my issues (or one of them at least...the other is that my diet is definitely not what it should be. It is better than it ever has been, but still has a loooong way to go!).