Stick with it. 7 pounds is not bad and yeah, if your sodium was high water retention is likely. You know a gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds? Hang in there.

Have patience.

Will you only accept your weight loss if it happens fast? No? Then don't stress about it.

I lost 3.5 pounds the first week, maybe 1.5 the second week, and then a pound or less per week after that. Which is exactly what the guidelines say.

But I've still lost 21 pounds, weight that was glued to my body before March.

It's gone. So what does it matter how slowly I've lost it? The scale has gone steadily downward. It might have gone faster if I'd been more disciplined, but if I was known for discipline, I probably would never have been overweight in the first place, and I wouldn't have needed this program.

I'm pretty proud of myself that the scale has not climbed during that time. (And by 'climbed', I mean *actually* gone up - the raise of a pound or even two, if it's that TOM, or if I went off-plan the night before, or whatever....that doesn't 'count', for me, because you don't gain multiple 'pounds' overnight - I consider that 'maintenance' at wherever I'm at, because I get back on-plan, and the weight goes back down.)

Don't panic, just keep plugging along. My recommendation would be for you to try to not even look at the scale for a week or so - just stay strictly on-plan, weighing/measuring everything, not adding extra condiments or snacks. Because weight loss is a *process* for the body. It comes from healthy habits - not from any kind of 'quick-fix' - and if you're checking your weight every day, or more often, then you're in a quick-fix mindset, and that's only going to mess you up. Get yourself into the groove of these healthy habits, without constantly 'checking' - and then *glance* in a week or two.

Ultimately, the loss of extra weight is simply a result of healthy habits. It's secondary, as strange as that might sound. Put it second, where it belongs, and it *will* happen...and with a lot less worry on your part. :-)

Hang in there. I had the same goal as you and I am almost at goal now. Make sure you are getting enough water. I drink at least 12 glasses a day. Also be sure you are weighing your food correctly too. I found when my weight loss slowed that I was having too much sodium from eating out and not weighing my food properly and not getting enough water. You will get there! Hang in there.

I lost 75lbs. It took me 10 months (or so). I lost a lot at the very beginning and then it slowed down. There were weeks that I lost nothing and weeks I gained 2 or three pounds. I stayed on the program 100% the whole time. I have Hashimotos disease and the way I saw it I was happy with any weight loss. I think weighing myself every day would have messed with my head. If you work closely with your coach and really delve into the Habits Of Health it will keep your head in the game.