Every other week weight loss plateau

SaSiff
SaSiff Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing my MFP consistently for the last three months. I workout at the gym with mostly cardio anywhere from 5-7 days a week depending on what I have going on in the week. I have noticed that I will not lose any weight one week but then drop three pounds the next week. My diet and exercise are consistent between weeks. I am very careful about what I eat and I do not do cheat meals at this point in my weight loss ( I want to be closer to my goal before I do that). Does this every other week plateau happen to anyone else? and any advice to make the weight loss be consistent? I have lost almost 25 pounds in three months, so it is working, I am just confused as to why it happens every other week and not weekly.

Replies

  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Maybe it is related to your hormones? I believe this to be the case for me. In 16 months that I have been on MFP, I've weighed daily and when losing 6 lb per month (for example...I don't lose quite that much as I get close to goal) it was ALWAYS a "plateau" the week of my period and then maybe 0.5 lb the week after my period...then 1-2 lb the following week, and at least 2-3 lb loss leading up to my next period.

    That's the pattern it still follows, except instead of a 3-5 lb drop right before menstruating, it's now 2 lb most months (I am set to lose 1 lb/week).
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Oh and I don't know any way to make it more regular or linear. I suggest trying to view it more as a monthly target you want to hit, instead of getting bogged down by weekly losses. That is what I do. In the past I tried to lose 6 lb/month and now I aim for 3-4 lb/month.
  • SaSiff
    SaSiff Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you! Changing my perspective to monthly as opposed to weekly, may make me feel like I have accomplished more as opposed to feeling like I am doing well some weeks and not others.
  • ruby_red_rose
    ruby_red_rose Posts: 321 Member
    Another approach that may be helpful is to consider a week good when you have done everything you could well. E.g. I consider a week good if I have eaten at my calorie range and been active. I try not to associate weight loss/gain with my week being good/bad. This is because I don't have direct control on how much I lose. I do have direct control on what I eat and how much I move, so I try to associate these with whether I should consider my week good/successful or bad/unsuccessful.
    When I first made the attitude adjustment mentioned above, I found it very freeing. It has really cut down how much I used to stress about my weigh-ins.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Thank you! Changing my perspective to monthly as opposed to weekly, may make me feel like I have accomplished more as opposed to feeling like I am doing well some weeks and not others.

    I hope so!! At first I drove myself crazy with that...I kept reading too much into it, in my opinion...like "Oh last week I ate a piece of pie and I didn't lose at all" hehe
  • KrzyGal
    KrzyGal Posts: 139 Member
    I agree with the monthly progress checks. It can get frustrating with the way some of us fluctuate weekly but monthly progress checks may give you boost with seeing better results. Good luck!!
  • akgreen324
    akgreen324 Posts: 74 Member
    I would also change up your workouts. My friend who is a certified PT told me that the more and more cardio you do, you're body holds onto the stress hormone. Try and do a good balance of weight training and cardio and things may be a little more consistent than lose no weight and drop vice versa. Also, drink a lot of water!!!

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