Levelling Off?

Hello!
A lot of people see a drastic drop in weight when they first start, most of which is water weight. 5 lbs since December 28th is still a great loss! As you continue, you should expect that your losses will be slower, more gradual, and less linear (meaning that your weight might jump around a little bit day to day, which is totally normal).
Now you just have to be patient and keep doing what you're doing. You will get there.

Nice!! Thanks for the information. I actually started at 258.8 pounds. I am now down to 249.9, though only started my weight with the app at 255. So I'm closer to the 10 pounds loss. I'm 6"4.

How much levelling did you find you had? Would you still see a loss per week? I am running 4 miles a day so that is helping substantially as well.

Congrats on your losses so far , you are doing some amazing work.

Some weeks I see a loss and some I don't. Sometimes I see a loss every day for a few days and then nothing for a week or more. Sometimes I gain 3 lbs in a day! lol So it definitely jumps around a lot, especially as you get closer to your goal. There are lots of reasons why you might maintain or even gain weight at times, but it all evens out over time as long as you're in a deficit.

When you initially cut calories you lose a lot of water and more accurately, glycogen (your instant energy)...it's pretty normal to have some big losses early on (even more water loss if you drastically cut carbs)...then you come back down to reality...it's a slug fest and very slow process. Fat loss takes time and your body can only oxidize so much of it in a 24 hour period.

Also, your weight loss will not be in any way shape or form linear...you will have weeks with bigger losses and weeks with smaller losses and weeks with no losses and weeks with even some gain due to water retention/hormones, etc. Your weight loss is a trend over a much longer period of weeks and month...it is not a linear function. When I was losing I would often go a couple weeks with very little to no loss...and then whoosh, I'd drop like 3 Lbs. Just watch your trend and understand that there will be ups and downs.

If you've ever calculated your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), some of the online calculators say to recalculate your TDEE with every 5 lb loss. In reality that's probably true if you are close to goal and maintenance but it's something to be aware of to remind you that when you lose weight, your body mass is less and will need less calories to maintain your TDEE.

In your case, it's also good to calculate your TDEE just so you have an idea of where you should really be. It's probably the most important number that I track to on a daily basis besides a good gold standard body fat % test I try to do every year.

This message board is full of great info on TDEE and my favorite online calculator is this one...

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

More info on TDEE from a fabulous post that I have forwarded on countless times to my clients and friends (I am a fitness instructor).

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

Good luck on your journey and take it one week at a time. Set little goals and move on. Remind yourself that a lb of fat is like a 16 oz crock of butter spread. Even losing a half lb of that volume from your body is progress!! And you just lost 5 of them.

I'd also like to add that while running 4 miles regularly is great (make sure you mix up your speeds and terrain to keep progressing), you want to add some strength training and possibly a HIIT class or routine if you can. I've been teaching fitness classes for years on years and recently gave up a couple of hour long spin classes so I could teach 2 45 minute HIIT classes where I combine big moves like squats, lunges, pushups, core work with plyometrics and old school like mountain climbers and burpees. It's the first time in years I've seen noticeable changes to my physique in such a short time. Cardio is good but strength training is absolutely key IMO. I ran half marathons and did triathlons for a decade...was always in better overall shape when doing tris than when I was just running. That being said...do something but the key is to keep mixing it up and keep the body guessing. Every 6 weeks you should be adjusting your routine and reassessing your workout plans. Will keep you from getting bored too

You can expect dramatic losses at the start, and it will mainly be water. As you continue to make progress the rate loss will slow up. I'd recommend you try to aim to lose about 1-2 lbs a week. It's not a race, and as you get closer to your goal things can really slow up. I've plateaued for about six months, partly because I lost some focus. But I will get there. Good luck on your journey.