I have not lost much weight in 3 weeks!

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Freeborn111
Freeborn111 Posts: 11 Member
edited November 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
I have not lost much weight in 3 weeks and it is really disappointing! I have lost 7lbs so far in 7.5 weeks. Initially, when I first started, I was losing 1lb for the first couple of weeks, then it seems to have dropped down to half a lb per week, and now I am not losing much (if any) at all. To make matters worse, I am not seeing much in terms of inch loss either...I would estimate I've only lost a total of 1 inch on my overall entire body. Could I have hit a plataeu already?

- 1200 diet. I have been eating within my range.
- Cardio exercise with some HIIT on some days, 5-6 days a week
- I use a HRM, so I have a fairy accurate count of how many calories I burn
- I weigh myself once a week on Friday mornings, before eating.

What could I be doing wrong?
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Replies

  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Congrats!

    Honestly, just keep measuring and logging your food. Make sure you aren't having too many "cheats", you are drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Keep on going. Sometimes your body just takes a bit more time to lose that next pound. Time of the month could effect the scale (everyone sees different amounts at different times of their cycle - but you could see up to a 2-3 pound gain which could be masked as no gain on the scale).

    I'd give it another two weeks, and if the scale still hasn't gone down you may need to dig deeper. In my experience a 2-3 week stall is normal throughout a long weight loss journey.

    Best of luck!!!
  • Freeborn111
    Freeborn111 Posts: 11 Member
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    esjones12 wrote: »
    Congrats!

    Honestly, just keep measuring and logging your food. Make sure you aren't having too many "cheats", you are drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Keep on going. Sometimes your body just takes a bit more time to lose that next pound. Time of the month could effect the scale (everyone sees different amounts at different times of their cycle - but you could see up to a 2-3 pound gain which could be masked as no gain on the scale).

    I'd give it another two weeks, and if the scale still hasn't gone down you may need to dig deeper. In my experience a 2-3 week stall is normal throughout a long weight loss journey.

    Best of luck!!!

    Thank You! I guess I need a bit of encouragement but it is just so discouraging to see the numbers remain stagnant. I haven't really been cheating aside from having one day out of the week where I go over my calories by 200-300 (purposely). I don't think I have been drinking enough water, but I find it difficult to do so. I will try to improve upon my water intake.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    7 pounds in 7 weeks is a good rate of loss, well done!
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I don't know how many pounds you're trying to lose, but 7 pounds in 7 weeks sounds pretty good to me.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    You dont give your details, so its hard for people to comment.
    The first place you should look at is the accuracy of logging and weighing.
    Less weight you have to loses the harder it is to shed.
    7lbs isnt bad.
  • blessingswilliams
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    That's sound like you are doing an awesome job but I know how you feel. I am stuck at a 10lb loss since September. I see a nutritionist and work out at least 4 days a week 1 hour or sometimes two a day. what do you eat for breakfast and snacks. My nutritionist says that you should have a carb and protein at every meal.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited November 2014
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    You should see my graph in the "Reports" section. It looks like the kind of steps you see leading up to public buildings set on a hill: several steps of roughly equal size, then a long flat space, then another series of steps, then another long flat space. I don't know what causes the stalls but I know that they are a part of weight loss (and for some reason, mine have all lasted 3 weeks each). As long as you are eating at a deficit, the losses will start up again. I have had a few stalls since Feb and I expect to have more before I am done. Accept them and just keep doing what you are doing.


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  • barbz2119
    barbz2119 Posts: 124 Member
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    Well done on the progress so far. Are you sure you are accurately measuring. I have done both weighing and cups and weighing is much more accurate. If you are measuring with cups, keep doing what you are doing for a few more weeks and if you see no change I would buy some scales and try that.
  • palwithme
    palwithme Posts: 860 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    You dont give your details, so its hard for people to comment.
    The first place you should look at is the accuracy of logging and weighing.
    Less weight you have to loses the harder it is to shed.
    7lbs isnt bad.

    Thanks so much for this! Initially I lost 2lbs a week. Now that I have only 40 more to lose it has slowed to one pound a week or less. Makes perfect sense now.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Do you use a food scale?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    You should see my graph in the "Reports" section. It looks like the kind of steps you see leading up to public buildings set on a hill: several steps of roughly equal size, then a long flat space, then another series of steps, then another long flat space. I don't know what causes the stalls but I know that they are a part of weight loss (and for some reason, mine have all lasted 3 weeks each). As long as you are eating at a deficit, the losses will start up again. I have had a few stalls since Feb and I expect to have more before I am done. Accept them and just keep doing what you are doing.


    58841349.png

    It's interesting that you mention this pattern - when I look at my own graphs I see the same thing. I never thought to see them as normal mini stalls in the loss progress, but when I looked back I was still losing 3-5lbs a month even with the stalls. I might be in one right now.... going to have to remember to just wait it out!
  • Freeborn111
    Freeborn111 Posts: 11 Member
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    999tigger wrote: »
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    You dont give your details, so its hard for people to comment.
    The first place you should look at is the accuracy of logging and weighing.
    Less weight you have to loses the harder it is to shed.
    7lbs isnt bad.

    According to this, I have been losing at the rate I should be. But initially, I had started off losing 1lb a week, I suppose now it is slowing down to "balance" out and make up for the quicker losses I was making when I first started?
    That's sound like you are doing an awesome job but I know how you feel. I am stuck at a 10lb loss since September. I see a nutritionist and work out at least 4 days a week 1 hour or sometimes two a day. what do you eat for breakfast and snacks. My nutritionist says that you should have a carb and protein at every meal.

    Thank you! I do usually have a protein with carb. For instance, oatmeal and a fried egg and/or sausage on the side, or some toast with egg.

    @Earinabby: Great observation and point made about the graphs. Mine does appear to looks similar to what you have described. I suppose the stall is just normal and I will eventually get past it (if I am not doing anything else wrong)
    Do you use a food scale?
    and @barbz2119:

    I do not use a food scale, but I certainly do plan to invest in one.


    Thanks to everyone!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    You should see my graph in the "Reports" section. It looks like the kind of steps you see leading up to public buildings set on a hill: several steps of roughly equal size, then a long flat space, then another series of steps, then another long flat space. I don't know what causes the stalls but I know that they are a part of weight loss (and for some reason, mine have all lasted 3 weeks each). As long as you are eating at a deficit, the losses will start up again. I have had a few stalls since Feb and I expect to have more before I am done. Accept them and just keep doing what you are doing.


    58841349.png

    It's interesting that you mention this pattern - when I look at my own graphs I see the same thing. I never thought to see them as normal mini stalls in the loss progress, but when I looked back I was still losing 3-5lbs a month even with the stalls. I might be in one right now.... going to have to remember to just wait it out!

    Yeah. My first one was a bit frustrating. I made sure I was eating at the proper deficit and decided to just wait it out. Sure enough, 3 weeks later I had a larger than usual loss and was steady for about 2 months before the next one where the pattern repeated itself. I don't like them, but I am not freaked out any more by them.

  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    as others have said 7lbs in 7.5 weeks is almost a pound a week. that sounds pretty good and normal.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    and for me it takes me about 10-15lbs to see a loss of a inch.
  • cbr908rr
    cbr908rr Posts: 6 Member
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    I've had about 2 weeks of no movement on the scales, and I've been really going for it at the gym and keeping to a 1000-1500 calorie a day deficit. However although the number on the scales don't look too good, I've noticed in the mirror I do, well relatively. So make a list of other things you can measure as well. e.g.

    1) How far or fast do you need to walk to get out of breath?
    2) Do you feel or legs hurt when you stand on them?
    3) Are you sleep better?
    4) Are you wanting to comfort eat?
    5) Does a tight pair of jeans or your belt fit better
    6) Do you need to nap in the afternoon or feel exhausted at any point in the day
    .... oh and the list can go on.

    Put you weight as just one of these and you'll soon see you are getting fitter and happier each day.



  • Freeborn111
    Freeborn111 Posts: 11 Member
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    and for me it takes me about 10-15lbs to see a loss of a inch.

    I think this may be the case for me as well. I was always amazed by people who say they have lost 10" total in two weeks or something to that effect...I just don't understand how that would be possible, because it is difficult for me to lose an inch in total so quickly.
    cbr908rr wrote: »
    I've had about 2 weeks of no movement on the scales, and I've been really going for it at the gym and keeping to a 1000-1500 calorie a day deficit. However although the number on the scales don't look too good, I've noticed in the mirror I do, well relatively. So make a list of other things you can measure as well. e.g.

    1) How far or fast do you need to walk to get out of breath?
    2) Do you feel or legs hurt when you stand on them?
    3) Are you sleep better?
    4) Are you wanting to comfort eat?
    5) Does a tight pair of jeans or your belt fit better
    6) Do you need to nap in the afternoon or feel exhausted at any point in the day
    .... oh and the list can go on.

    Put you weight as just one of these and you'll soon see you are getting fitter and happier each day.

    That is a good point. We should be looking at other ways to measure our fitness and progress other than relying on the scale (or even the tape measure perhaps?). I do notice some slight differences in how my pants fit, and I know that I have improved in my fitness as well in terms of endurance.
  • darman
    darman Posts: 269
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    one day 400 cal's over and I gain 5 pounds? worked my but off all week - feeling pretty disappointed - lost 3 pounds first week and gained it right back - under goal all week, exercised my but off...for nothing...
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I was always amazed by people who say they have lost 10" total in two weeks or something to that effect...I just don't understand how that would be possible, because it is difficult for me to lose an inch in total so quickly.
    Total inch loss is meaningless, without context. You might be referring to an inch on ONE measure (say your waist) and the other person referring to 100 measurements done all over their body and each loss summed. Your 1" loss could be more significant than their 10" loss.

  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    darman wrote: »
    one day 400 cal's over and I gain 5 pounds? worked my but off all week - feeling pretty disappointed - lost 3 pounds first week and gained it right back - under goal all week, exercised my but off...for nothing...

    No, you didn't gain four pounds of fat if you ate at a deficit all week, even with that 400 calorie overage one day. Most likely it is water weight which will leave. Try not to fret. Drink a bit more water each day for 3 days and keep on eating at your calorie goal.

    OP, I'm guessing you don't have a lot to lose so after the first good losses, your body is slowing down. Once you get a food scale you'll be able to track more accurately and then your weight loss will pick up again. Its really hard to estimate how much food weighs.

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