Weight Loss Terraces..

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Now that I have been watching what I eat for just over 2 months, I am seeing a very noticeable pattern that I don't quite understand. I will lose rapidly for about a week or so, then I will level off and not lose anything for a week or two. Then all of a sudden I will drop 3 pounds in a day or two and start losing again. This has happened four times. The most recent time, I had gotten frustrated that I had lost nothing in almost two weeks, then I even slipped and went over budget by 500-1000 calories for 2-3 days. I didn't weight those days and for 3 more, but then today I get on the scale and I have lost 5 pounds!

Something is going on, but I just don't get it. It's like my body will only lose weight when I stop weighing for a couple days. lol

Replies

  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear.

    2v0dai8.jpg

    Congrats on your success so far. :drinker:
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear.

    2v0dai8.jpg

    Congrats on your success so far. :drinker:

    ^ This.

    That happens to me too. Just remember that any numbers that your weight goes down are GOOD numbers - no matter if it's a pound this week or 3 pounds next week.
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    I found that happened to me, too. Except my sudden drops were more like a pound (or occasionally a bit more or less). I was trying to lose 0.5 lb a week. And I also noticed that sometimes the most dramatic drops were a day or two after overeating!
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
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    Scales are fine for reference points, but not always great indicators of success. Lots of people here can tell you about their clothes getting looser while the scale refused to budge and seeing themselves trimming down while their weight went up. I recently gained back over five pounds in maintenance and dropped another inch off my waistband. Go figure.

    I wonder how many people a month or so into a calorie deficit plan who are actually making progress quit just because the scale doesn't budge for a couple weeks.
  • keithw1975
    keithw1975 Posts: 20 Member
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    I have found the waist size reduction keeps me going through the long spells where the scale isn't budging.
  • kerricus
    kerricus Posts: 165 Member
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    I have also noticed the dramatic weight drop after a day or two of going over my calorie goal.

    I, on the other hand, lose weight on the scale but do not lose inches around my waist.