1 pound in 1 week??? What the heck happened?

Shan1206
Shan1206 Posts: 8 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to fitness pal and I have been exercising everyday and eating between 1000 and 1500 calories a day. Today was my first weigh in since I started a week ago and I have only lost 1 pound. Is this normal? Will it change? Has anyone lost weight after the first week?

Replies

  • momma4two
    momma4two Posts: 2
    It is not really that healthy to loose more than a pound a week...if you keep this up, you'll do great :) I'm new here too!
  • CrisUndies
    CrisUndies Posts: 40
    The first week I didn't lose weight but then by week two I had lost three pounds. Only weigh yourself at one or two week intervals and you will probably see more results.
  • kdao
    kdao Posts: 265
    A pound is great, congrats! Sometimes it does take our bodies a while to adjust to the new routine.
  • Shan1206
    Shan1206 Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you, today I got very discouraged and I skipped lunch.....I wish I could lose more because I've worked so hard this week. I thought I would lose at least 5 pounds.
  • aladd2
    aladd2 Posts: 70
    Yes, that's normal. You shouldn't lose more than 1-2 pounds a week. Otherwise it's probably just water weight and will come back eventually. Remember that losing weight slowly is a good way to make sure it stays off :)
  • I haven't yet but I can tell my cloths are fitting better. Just don't give up!
  • Pril2000
    Pril2000 Posts: 254 Member
    You can't lose 5 lbs in 1 week. It's totally unrealistic and unhealthy to try. Keep your net calories over at least 1200 and keep exercising. You'll lose 1-1.5 lbs a week and that's a great weight loss. Some people can't lose consistently. I know I couldn't. I would get stuck at various weights for weeks and then finally break the plateau.

    You will be fine if you keep doing what you're doing and don't skip meals!!! Skipping meals will stall your weight loss.
  • kdao
    kdao Posts: 265
    Don't skip meals either, it messes up your metabolism. Just keep at it, you will see results....promise.
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
    i agree that 1-2 lbs is a good number, if you are losing more its possible it could be muscle mass. but you should def be taking in more the 1200 since you are a woman, less could put your body into starvation mode and cause you to not lose weight and even gain weight! also, going below that number isnt good unless your being monitored by a doctor or nurse. and i personally think you should be taking in much more if you are very active, your body needs fuel trust me... ive been where you are and when i joined this site i realized the harm i had been doing to my body... its no good...
  • lclarkjr
    lclarkjr Posts: 359 Member
    It really depends on what you're wanting to do. I mean my goal is to lose 1 lb per week. But when you break it all down, a pound of fat = approximately 3500 calories. So in order to lose a pound a week you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories during the week through diet and exercise. So to lose 5 pounds, you would need to work out a lot (17,500 calorie deficit!) and maintain a balanced diet. If you have loads of time to spend at the gym exercising, it is possible to lose 5 lbs a week, but by doing so you risk burnout or overuse injuries.
  • Shan1206
    Shan1206 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks everyone, I have never been on a diet before. I have always been between 127 and 130 pounds, however last year I gained 20 pounds! I just really want my body back. Early last year I could fit this swimsuit in my picture, last week I put it on and as you can see my stomach is way over..... Hopefully this site can help me to reach my goals by this summer
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    1 pound is a good thing. First of all, if that is you in your picture, you do not have that much weight to lose (definitely not 50+ or something like that) so the weight is going to come off slower than someone who is more overweight.

    I read this a long time ago and when I get discouraged about how much weight I've lost in a week or over a period of time, I re-read it:

    "Hello! Do you know me? If you don't, you should. I am ONE POUND OF FAT, and I am the happiest pound of FAT that you would ever want to meet! Want to know why? It's because no one ever wants to lose me! After all, I am only ONE POUND OF FAT. Just ONE POUND. Everyone wants to lose 3 or 5 or 15 pounds, but never ONLY one. So, I just stick around and happily keep you. Then I am free to add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice... That is, until I have grown to 10, 20 or even 30 pounds in weight... YES... it is fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT... left to do just as I please.
    So, when you weigh in, go ahead... just keep on saying, "Oh I only lost one pound." (As if that is so terrible.) For you see, if you do this, you will encourage others to hang around me because they will think that I am not worth losing. And I LOVE being around you... your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips, and every other part of you. HAPPY DAYS! After all, I am ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!"
  • Shan1206
    Shan1206 Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks! 12by311, that poem is very motivating!
  • lexiwho
    lexiwho Posts: 178 Member
    A pound a week is an extremely healthy way to lose weight. It's been said that losing weight slowly makes it more likely that you will keep it off. If you're working out as part of your weight loss goal be sure to remember that muscle is more dense than fat. You can lose fat but gain muscle and the scale will show a "low" loss or even a gain. This is why it's also important to take measurements or pay attention to the way clothes are fitting. :smile:

    Edited to change my wording on muscle vs fat.
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