How do you lose weight? Consistantly or in chunks?

jlbeals

I've heard it said before that some people lose weight in chunks and some see consistent loss. For myself - I seem to plateau for nearly 2 weeks, then suddenly at the end of the cycle, lose anywhere between 3-5 lbs over the course or 3 or 4 days. What's your experience? Anyone else do this? I'm curious.

amann1976

i average 2lbs a week... some weeks i lose a couple ounces and some weeks a lose 4 or 5lbs but it still works out to an average of 2lbs a week

Sweetsugar0424

This seems to be how it's been for me, just when I get mad at seeing no real movement, it drops about 1 lb for 3 days in a row. Not sure if that's going to continue as I get closer to my goal though.

amann1976

This seems to be how it's been for me, just when I get mad at seeing no real movement, it drops about 1 lb for 3 days in a row. Not sure if that's going to continue as I get closer to my goal though.

stop weighing yourself everyday... that is just a change in weight you are seeing

Sweetsugar0424

This seems to be how it's been for me, just when I get mad at seeing no real movement, it drops about 1 lb for 3 days in a row. Not sure if that's going to continue as I get closer to my goal though.

stop weighing yourself everyday... that is just a change in weight you are seeing

That is just a change in weight? Isn't that precisely the goal?

I weigh myself every day to track more than just my weight loss (TOM, too much sodium and so on). I get that there will be fluctuations daily and am fine with that, it doesn't bother me until I go more than 2 weeks without going down below my previous low. There is more to it than that, but I am not looking for tips as I have been successfully losing for 10.5 months and am ok with what I'm doing.

If I make a post asking for tips on what I'm doing wrong, then I will gladly accept your thoughts on what I am doing 'wrong', but this is not my post and I wasn't asking for advice, simply agreeing with the OP.

topshopperwantabe

I only weigh myself once a week, every Friday morning. I originally had my goal set as 2 pounds a week but found it too restricting, so I upped my calories and a little over one pound a week has been fine for me. I have consistantly lost weight even during a two week vacation, eating out every meal. I think the holidays will be a true test. Wish me luck

alaskaang

Intentionally in chunks. I restrict calories more severely for two to three weeks to drop 5 to 10 pounds, then up calories and maintain that new weight for awhile, then cut again. Works better for me than continual restriction.

ETA - I weigh daily and track the normal fluctuations.

kestrel359

I lose exactly 2 lbs every week, except for the first week. Based off of what everyone else has posted, I guess that makes me the odd one

maricash

I've heard it said before that some people lose weight in chunks and some see consistent loss. For myself - I seem to plateau for nearly 2 weeks, then suddenly at the end of the cycle, lose anywhere between 3-5 lbs over the course or 3 or 4 days. What's your experience? Anyone else do this? I'm curious.

That's been my experience exactly. I've recorded my weight daily since March. Based on the data, I'd say there's a cycle of water retention throughout the month that masks the true loss. So probably I am losing a pound each week, but water retention is hiding those losses, when the water goes away, it shows up in one dramatic loss. I'm averaging a pound a week, but when I record it on MFP (I only record a new low), it's a 3-5 pound loss one week, then nothing, then another 3-5 pounds.

sallydurkin

I lose inconsistantly too, in chunks go for 2 weeks then drop 2lbs and then drop another the next day adn then maybe one or 2 more.... then nothing for 2 weeks or so... it doesn't bother me as I have become use to it. Stepping on the scale every day does not bother me at all, I know I am going in the right direction. So its all good. Glad to hear there are other like myself.

like_milk

I lose in chunks. I can go 1-2 months without losing any weight and then suddenly 3-4lbs will drop off... but then I was eating at a very small deficit.

moonmistmm

I always see a lower weight during the weekend, so my loss is pretty consistent. It's about a pound to a pound in a half a week. I think since I sleep in on weekends my body has time to *ahem* get rid of extra waste a bit. Then I weigh the exact same all week more or less and it's lower again the next weekend.

P05T5CRIPT

For the first 50lbs I consistently lost 2-3lbs a week but now it's slower and I'm losing 1.5-2lbs a week. I've had a few weeks of losing nothing then suddenly drop 3-4lbs, but it's usually pretty consistent.

divacat80

I go up and down in chunks (and I'm consistent!). The true weightloss only shows right after my period is gone every month, then I go up and down in 2 pounds chunks. I had a consistent weightloss at the beginning but this year I can't seem to get off the tallest weightloss rollercoaster, and I don't lose more than 3 pounds per month.

cedarghost

We just had a thread on this the other day if you are interested:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/795382-anyone-else-lose-weight-monthly-instead-of-weekly?hl=lose+weight+monthly#posts-11865817
I have been researching some on this and I am pretty sure it is because of the "whoosh" effect, or dieter's edema as doctor's call it. Basically your body fills up your fat cells with water instead of getting rid of them. This is because the body had to work to create those cells and is thus reluctant to let them go. Eventually, as your body realizes that you are making permanent changes through diet or exercise, it will release the water and eventually whats left of the fat cells.
This why the scale is not the best tool to measure progress. It is very common fir people to burn fat, yet remain the same weight. You may even see a reduction in inches as pound for pound, water has a lesser volume per pound than fat.
The amount of time it takes to see the whoosh effect can be anywhere from two weeks up to 6 weeks or more depending on your body composition.
Many dieters make the mistake of giving up because they aren't seeing the weight fly off like it can do in the first couple of weeks and even changing calorie intake doesn't affect weight loss. In reality it does affect weight loss, you just aren't seeing it instantly. Add in fluctuations in diet, like sodium intake, changing macros, switching from whole to processed food and edema can be unpredictable.
All that being said, I'm no expert. That's just the stuff I read while researching this and it makes sense to me.
Oh...I almost forgot, you can force the "whoosh" effect by doing high rep full body workouts to empty your muscles of stored Glycogen and then overload on carbs or something like that. lol Better look that up yourself if you are interested. I wasn't so I skimmed over it. :P

verdemujer

Consistency doesn't exist. Wish it did. :grumble:

rcharlee

For me it's both. When I start a new exercise program, I lose rapidly. By the end it's a slow but steady .5-1lb a week. I know a lot of my loss is heavily dependent on how aggressive my exercise is, and if I've been beer and sodium happy.