It is unlikely that you will lose weight consistently (i.e., weight loss is not linear)

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  • emmavagg
    emmavagg Posts: 27 Member
    Excellent post thank you :)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    techreyes wrote: »
    I am only a few weeks into this particular journey but this one post has really put things in perspective at the most crucial moment. Its the moment of the first time a child on a long journey says: "Are we there yet? When are we gonna get there?". I have decided to be patient. I am also going to bookmark this post for when I want to ask those same questions again. Great words. Thanks.

    I'm glad that you found it helpful. Keep on plugging along and you can do it.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Very true. I've been doing this for several years and my weight loss has sort of a scalloped pattern--I lose 8-10 pounds, maintain at a new weight for quite a while, then go down again.

    You can be doing everything right and not be able to see that on the scale right away. These things take patience!
  • lennonluvr
    lennonluvr Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you so much for this. Really I needed this.

    I have stalled in weight loss, but then I measured myself. I have lost three inches in my waist and 2.25 inches in my hips.

    It does show me that I am doing something even if the darn scale doesn't agree.
  • Unknown
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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited February 2015
    BFDeal wrote: »
    • Focus on fat loss rather than weight loss. Consider doing some sort of strength training and eating an appropriate level of protein in order to maintain as much muscle as possible while losing weight. This will give you another aspect of fitness to focus on and is may help you get closer to the physique goals that you may have.
    • Measure your progress by other means--use a tape measure to measure your waist, hip, thigh, etc. and then track the changes
    .
    So wouldn't your weight go down if you were losing fat? And if you're getting smaller measurement wise wouldn't your weight being going down? I never understand these statements though they're pretty common. I mean it can't be muscle gains in either case. All people do is say how you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The much repeated mantra that it isn't possible is false for "overfat" beginners, which describes most people who are starting out on MFP.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html/
  • KrunchyMama
    KrunchyMama Posts: 420 Member
    Thank you, I really needed this today, and I'm going to write it out and put it up on my wall.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Great post!
  • misskarihari
    misskarihari Posts: 104 Member
    Thank you for your great post. :)
  • tracetraceau
    tracetraceau Posts: 11 Member
    Great post ! I'll have to keep that all in mind as I'm only back in Day 4 of my process .........
  • pixie_mills
    pixie_mills Posts: 103 Member
    well this post was a great big warm hug to me :D just what I needed. body is currently retaining rather a lot of what i assume to be water weight after my fiance's choice of meal out last night for Valentines (mmmm - sushi!) it's my first big gain in over 6 weeks :( but it will come off again *cue Chumbawumba's Tubthumping*
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    BFDeal wrote: »
    So wouldn't your weight go down if you were losing fat? And if you're getting smaller measurement wise wouldn't your weight being going down? I never understand these statements though they're pretty common. I mean it can't be muscle gains in either case. All people do is say how you can't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

    It could be slight muscle gains. But usually in fact what's happening is you're losing fat and gaining water weight at the same time -- due to what you ate, water retention, hormones, salty foods, whatever. Then the water weight comes off later and you see that "whoosh" effect on the scale.
  • subversive99
    subversive99 Posts: 273 Member
    Bump so more people see this excellent post.
  • tephanies1234
    tephanies1234 Posts: 299 Member
    bump
  • inchwormbyinchworm
    inchwormbyinchworm Posts: 180 Member
    Love this.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Very motivating!
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    I totally agree! One way I remind myself of this truth is to admire my jaggedy progress graph on my phone app. It's definitely not a straight line, but it makes me very happy to see that it's going down! (I haven't figured out if you can view this graph on the desktop version of MFP, but maybe you can).
  • maccabee72
    maccabee72 Posts: 6
    Fantastic! Congrats on your achievements. Thanks so much for sharing your weight loss log. I've been getting discouraged here recently, but I need to remember that, " The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."
  • Texalese
    Texalese Posts: 26 Member
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    ncfitbit wrote: »
    I totally agree! One way I remind myself of this truth is to admire my jaggedy progress graph on my phone app. It's definitely not a straight line, but it makes me very happy to see that it's going down! (I haven't figured out if you can view this graph on the desktop version of MFP, but maybe you can).

    Sure, just go to "reports".
  • Barbs2222
    Barbs2222 Posts: 433 Member
    This is a great post. Thank you :)
  • steampunkedtardis2015
    steampunkedtardis2015 Posts: 7 Member
    I've only just finished my second week of healthy eating with MFP. I have been on many different plans over the years . Last week I lost 5 pounds, this week nothing but I expected it. I always say if I lost the week before the next week the body is "rearranging" itself (hence the waistline reduction but no weightloss) and the combination of weightloss one week, then the rearrangement is all part of the loss cycle. It may not stay as hard and fast as that but it is always a downwards trend in the big picture. I hope that makes sense! <3
  • spamarie
    spamarie Posts: 2,825 Member
    Thank you for this. It is sometimes difficult to feel okay with my rate of progress because even when I see a new lowest weight (hurrah!) I know this will go back up as this is the pattern I have. I am my own worst enemy sometimes. I convince myself I am plateauing and will never lose weight and get really annoyed about it (which may or may not involve chocolate), yet when I look at my 180 days report I can see there is a downward trend overall. You are correct, correct and correct again!
  • Angiefit4life
    Angiefit4life Posts: 210 Member
    What a great post!!!!!
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    (Y) Great post and well-timed I think for some!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    steampunkedtardis2015 wrote: »
    I've only just finished my second week of healthy eating with MFP. I have been on many different plans over the years . Last week I lost 5 pounds, this week nothing but I expected it. I always say if I lost the week before the next week the body is "rearranging" itself (hence the waistline reduction but no weightloss) and the combination of weightloss one week, then the rearrangement is all part of the loss cycle. It may not stay as hard and fast as that but it is always a downwards trend in the big picture. I hope that makes sense! <3

    I like the "rearranging" part of this and have sometimes thought the same thing.

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Bumpity.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    It's good to read this in order to remind ourselves that this is the case! Having said that, after a week of exercising daily, sticking within a 500 calorie deficit and increasing steps with my new Fitbit it's really hard when my weight goes up a pound (like it has done over the past few days).

    I tend not to log any gains on the scale and wait until the next loss shows up, though I know that the fluctuation could be down to sodium or water levels, not having been to the loo or other factors.

    This week I'm starting 5:2 so I'll have two days a week of 500 calories and the other days probably between 1400-1500. I know that the scales will be up and down even more than normal so I'll try to ignore it and pick a day 2-3 days after my previous Fast day to weigh myself each week and hopefully I'll continue to see a loss.
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