Weight Loss is Not Linear

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24

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  • rabt6f
    rabt6f Posts: 37 Member
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    Thanks for posting this. I keep going up 1 or 2 lbs every 1 1/2 weeks and then will all of a sudden drop the lbs I added and lose a lb or 2 more. I was just thinking this morning, "I wonder if gaining and loosing so often is normal?" Especially because I eat the right amount of calories, sometimes 10 more than I'm supposed to. Thanks
  • DinaLKeil
    DinaLKeil Posts: 95 Member
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    Just what I needed to see :)
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Awesome post. Thanks!

    Totally agree !!
  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
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    Great post. I really needed to see this today! Thank you :)
  • Andaw
    Andaw Posts: 35 Member
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    Brilliant post - thank you for sharing it. You had a real plateau there in the middle and you did so well to keep at it and persevere. Good luck with the rest of your journey!
  • Whatamilike
    Whatamilike Posts: 51
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    Fantastic post - thank you!

    For those that have an Android phone there is an App called Libra that is fantastic. You input your weight every day and it will calculate your TREND for you - and predicted goal weight date. It smooths out all the daily fluctuations...

    https://market.android.com/details?id=net.cachapa.libra&hl=en

    Unfortunately I don't think there's an iPhone version yet.
  • Texaganian
    Texaganian Posts: 67
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    Absolutely true and a point I make to people constantly here.

    Unfortunately, the graphing function here doesn't do much to help people (and I've given up on thinking it will ever improve... improvements to this site are achingly slow in happening).

    The Hacker's Diet Online (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/online/hdo.html) has a GREAT trending graph which will really help you with seeing what the overall trend is.

    There are probably others online that do the same but Hackers Diet is the one I use.

    On my Android phone I use an app called Libra. Does the same thing very nicely. And gives you an up-to-date realistic estimate of when you should reach your weight goal.
  • Debbiepearce20
    Debbiepearce20 Posts: 25
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    You are awesome, that post just made my day and absolutely gave me what I desperately needed to hear. Thank you xoxo
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
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    Great post.

    I know one of my fitness friends in particular is a scale junkie and she freaks when it goes up day to day despite knowing how weight can fluctuate like crazy. She's so obsessed with the number the scale tells her that even if she's feeling bloated, fat and has tight pants it doesn't matter as long as the number on the scale is lower :huh: To me, the scale can say whatever it wants as long as my clothes fit well and I'm feeling good about my body.
  • janet0101
    janet0101 Posts: 34 Member
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    Great post! Thanks!
  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
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    3977475_9226.jpg

    This is a year of daily weighing. I love the graph, because it makes it easier to think in the big picture.
  • btdublin
    btdublin Posts: 250 Member
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    3977475_9226.jpg

    This is a year of daily weighing. I love the graph, because it makes it easier to think in the big picture.

    Cool graph, where is that from?
  • hollyberry2012
    hollyberry2012 Posts: 253
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    What a PERFECT visual for the beginner like me! Thank you so much! You might feel like you are walking up a mountain, but you are meandering down a lovely hillside as you go. When you plateau you are just stopping to smell the flowers, bending and stretching and breathing the fresh air, when head down again, you are running and laughing or walking and whistling. Sometimes you see something exciting just up a rise and you travel up to catch a better glimpse, It's a bunny rabbit !!! you stay for a bit, and then carefully step your way back down to the trail. And so it goes. This is a beautiful life. Not a daily grind.
  • efarester
    efarester Posts: 158
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    Such a great post! Thank you :)
  • blondejillie
    blondejillie Posts: 305 Member
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    Your post is perfect timing...I was bummed when I got up and weighed in 1 pound heavier this morning (I do weigh in wednesdays). The good news is, my waist is down a half inch. So....will keep slogging away!
  • EroseT23
    EroseT23 Posts: 74 Member
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    Wow! You are all amazing. When I went to bed last night, I think this only had 5 replies and I was prepared to let it get pushed aside. Thank you all so much for your responses! For those of you that also posted graphs, well done! I love having a visual to see the overall effect. It's very encouraging. For my graph, I went to www.chartgo.com and input my numbers manually.

    What a PERFECT visual for the beginner like me! Thank you so much! You might feel like you are walking up a mountain, but you are meandering down a lovely hillside as you go. When you plateau you are just stopping to smell the flowers, bending and stretching and breathing the fresh air, when head down again, you are running and laughing or walking and whistling. Sometimes you see something exciting just up a rise and you travel up to catch a better glimpse, It's a bunny rabbit !!! you stay for a bit, and then carefully step your way back down to the trail. And so it goes. This is a beautiful life. Not a daily grind.


    THIS is beautiful! I love this description. :happy: Thank you so much for sharing!
  • tradingfoods
    tradingfoods Posts: 64 Member
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    hi that's so true and great to see that. thanks for posting
  • ImaSongbird
    ImaSongbird Posts: 126 Member
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    delete-chart-1.jpg
  • Mom2M_and_O
    Mom2M_and_O Posts: 214
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    ProgressChart-2-1.png?t=1330415645



    There are always new posts every day about people who haven't lost weight -- or even gained -- despite doing everything right. They think that since they set their goal at 1.5lbs/week, they should lose a steady 1.5/lbs a week. But even if you meet all your calorie and macro goals and manage to workout a decent amount of time, that is NOT a guarantee that the weight will come off THAT WEEK. Sometimes you gain due to water retention. Maybe you need a food scale or HRM to really, REALLY make sure you're calculating everything right. Maybe you aren't getting enough sleep or drinking enough water. Or maybe there isn't really an explanation you can find. Our bodies are individual things and don't always adhere to the guidelines and goals we set out. My body doesn't do what someone else's does. That's okay.

    The graph above is a chart of my personal weight loss progress since August 24. As you can see, sometimes I lose a little weight, sometimes a lot, and sometimes I even gain. I cut out most of the ones where nothing changed just because it took up too much space on the graph. But the TREND is always down. That's the part to focus on. The big picture.

    This is a long, long process, and that's okay. When you get frustrated at the scale, think about the trend. And maybe even forget about that number for a bit and consider all the things you do every day that point you in the right direction. For example, I make it a point to eat fruits and/or veggies at every meal, and I always aim to get my 5-9 daily. I try to workout at least 4 times a week. I'm *almost* a US size 12, and I fit into medium tops and dresses for the first time since junior high. That's big news.

    So try not to freak out when you don't see the numbers you were hoping for. Just breathe, log it, and keep moving forward. You'll get there in time. It's okay. :flowerforyou:

    Most excellent! I only track my losses on MFP but I do keep track of my daily weight in another app, and you're right, seeing all the various ups and downs among the overall downward trend helps tremendously! It also helps you learn your own body. Now I know that for two weeks as my body deals with PMS and TOM that losing weight is out of the window -- at least it ain't gonna show on the scale. But when I look at the overall month, there's always a 3-4 lb loss.

    It helps you forgive your body for not obeying exactly the way you want it to. It also removes the stress of wanting to see a particular number by a particular date. Some things we just can't control. Just keep on keeping on!
  • back2stacey
    back2stacey Posts: 2
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    Thank you for this reminder post. I just weighed myself and after working out 6 days and following calorie guide lines, I went up 2 pounds this week. Then I read your post and I will not focus on this number today. It is all about the big picture.

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