Why did I only lose 0.2lbs?!

maplesyrup10
maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
in Motivation and Support
My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

Replies

  • tmbg1
    tmbg1 Posts: 1,434 Member
    This happens to me a lot....check your portion sizes. Sometimes I will log a food in and then later realize that the portion size on MFP said "2 oz" when I clearly had more than that. I've been using MFP for a long time and I still make that mistake.
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
    There are a number of reasons. Water retention, eating too many calories (which isn't likely the case), etc. Weight loss isn't uniform. Some weeks you will lose more, some weeks you will lose less. Even though MFP says you should lose X amount of weight, it doesn't mean you will always lose that much and sometimes you may lose more. 0.2 lb loss is still a loss, keep being consistent and you will accomplish what you're wanting to accomplish.
  • Isabelle_1929
    Isabelle_1929 Posts: 233 Member
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

    I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

    This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

    Well that's an average of 0.7lbs per week. This is what you should expect, it's actually good, don't you think?
    What would be a good result for you?
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Because you don't lose exactly X Lbs per week or whatever...it's not a linear process...and yes, it's slow...particularly if you're already at acceptable and healthy levels of BF.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    You're not going to lose X amount every week. There will be some weeks where you will go up, or stay exactly the same, and then overnight you may lose 1.4 pounds.

    It's not linear. The human body just doesn't work that way. It's the overall trend that matters.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    emdeesea wrote: »
    You're not going to lose X amount every week. There will be some weeks where you will go up, or stay exactly the same, and then overnight you may lose 1.4 pounds.

    It's not linear. The human body just doesn't work that way. It's the overall trend that matters.

    this, and if you just increased your calories you are probably retaining a little more water weight from glycogen replenishment….
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
    Isabelle_1929 wrote: »
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

    I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

    This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

    Well that's an average of 0.7lbs per week. This is what you should expect, it's actually good, don't you think?
    What would be a good result for you?

    I was expecting no less than half a pound per week. A loss is a loss, so I'm glad I didn't gain at least
  • Wysewoman53
    Wysewoman53 Posts: 582 Member
    I've been at this since Nov and believe me, you will have ups and downs along the way. The key words are patience and perseverance! Hang in there...your program will work, just not overnight!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

    I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

    This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

    Weight loss is not linear. One week a lot, the next little, the next maybe a lot or even a slight gain. Weight is not just a measure of fat, it is a measure of body fat, lean body mass, water weight, food in your digestive track. That means weight is far from the best measure of progress. Take body measurements and pictures, but realize they are only useful longer term say monthly. If it bothers you that weight loss is not linean, you may be better served by weighing yourself less often once every two week or once a month. Definitely don't be constantly changing your calorie goal, that is no help at all in determining anything. You really need to stick to a goal for 3-4 weeks to see how your body is responding to it.

  • jennyloie1
    jennyloie1 Posts: 35 Member
    Take a before and after pic each week, measure your inches and only weigh yourself twice a month.
  • Isabelle_1929
    Isabelle_1929 Posts: 233 Member
    edited March 2016
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    Isabelle_1929 wrote: »
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

    I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

    This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

    Well that's an average of 0.7lbs per week. This is what you should expect, it's actually good, don't you think?
    What would be a good result for you?

    I was expecting no less than half a pound per week.A loss is a loss, so I'm glad I didn't gain at least

    Well, this is what you got ! Even more !

    You know, the "per week" thing has nothing to do with the human body. We are used to organize our lives per day, per week, per month, etc. This is why "one week" is a convenient unit used for measurements and tracking one's weight loss.

    But you absolutely have to calculate the average of your losses, over a month. That will tell your the real story. And this is especially true for us women!
  • caubel
    caubel Posts: 9 Member
    I would check your macros in the nutrition tab to make sure you are staying in your %. That helps me see more success.
  • marty_smith
    marty_smith Posts: 102 Member
    What is you calorie deficit? Maybe you should lower it 250 calories?
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
    marty_smith wrote: »
    What is you calorie deficit? Maybe you should lower it 250 calories?

    I already lowered it from 1,505 to 1,438
  • 150FNG
    150FNG Posts: 18 Member
    Isabelle_1929 wrote: »
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    Isabelle_1929 wrote: »
    maplesyrup10 wrote: »
    My first week using MFP, I lost 1.2lbs. My second week I lost 0.2lbs. Should I always expect my results to be so low? I'm 25, female, 156.4lbs and athletic. I workout regularly, at least 3xweek.

    I started my calorie intake as 1,505 and lost the 1.2lbs. Half way through my second week I recalculated and it showed I needed to have 1,438 calories so I switched. I was able to stay under calorie and still be comfortable (not hungry all the time). How did I only lose 0.2lbs this week?

    This is why I never am able to stick with weight loss. I get extremely discouraged by my results and nonexistent progress. Anyone in the same boat or have encouragement or advise?

    Well that's an average of 0.7lbs per week. This is what you should expect, it's actually good, don't you think?
    What would be a good result for you?

    I was expecting no less than half a pound per week.A loss is a loss, so I'm glad I didn't gain at least

    Well, this is what you got ! Even more !

    You know, the "per week" thing has nothing to do with the human body. We are used to organize our lives per day, per week, per month, etc. This is why "one week" is a convenient unit used for measurements and tracking one's weight loss.

    But you absolutely have to calculate the average of your losses, over a month. That will tell your the real story. And this is especially true for us women!

    Absolutely, I see nothing wrong here at all. Great progress.
  • Obnoxa
    Obnoxa Posts: 187 Member
    I'll add one more "weight loss isn't linear" because it can't be said enough.
    I've lost 88 lbs since July; some weeks the scale didn't move, other weeks I'd whoosh 4 or 5 lbs across a few days but it has never done the static 2 lbs each and every week.
    You're good :)
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    marty_smith wrote: »
    What is you calorie deficit? Maybe you should lower it 250 calories?

    For one week of slower loss there is NO REASON to reduce ones calories goal. Weight loss is never a straight line. That has been said repeatedly here. Stick to your calorie goal, measure food as accurately as you can (ideally a scale for solids), and look it making sure that the item you are using matches what you have eaten. If weight loss stops for 4 weeks (note, stops, not simply slows down a bit) and you are sure you are measuring your food as accurately as you can and not sneaking in anything else without logging, then consider lowering calories.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
    Somewhere in the weight loss forum is a message I posted with my daily weight graph. It goes down and up and down and up &c&c -- but the overall trend was down. I went from 213 to 140-145, where I've been since November.
  • JanetMMcC
    JanetMMcC Posts: 410 Member
    I wasn't able to copy the url, but the subject is something like "weight loss chart - it's an up and down thing."
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    Are you using a scale to weigh your food? If not, you might want to consider it. Many people are very surprised at how much more they are eating than they think they are when they start weighing.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Focus on the trend over time. Bigger loses and smaller losses will happen, along with the occasional gain. That is just the reality of the way this works. This is my progress since October, daily weights, but you can clearly see the up and down, along with the overall downward trend:

    yavaubye9d7b.png
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Focus on the trend over time. Bigger loses and smaller losses will happen, along with the occasional gain. That is just the reality of the way this works. This is my progress since October, daily weights, but you can clearly see the up and down, along with the overall downward trend:

    yavaubye9d7b.png

    Nice!!
  • Jen2133
    Jen2133 Posts: 95 Member
    Yup. I describe weight loss as being like a ping pong ball bouncing its way down a set of hardwood stairs. My graph looks just like nutmegoreo's!

    You're doing great maplesyrup10!
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
    You're doing just fine. It will really mess with you if you expect a particular amount of loss consistently every week. If you look at it from a longer term, like a monthly thing it might make things easier. This week I lost 1.4 pounds, last week .6 pounds, the week before I lost nothing. But if I look at it for a longer term, I've lost 17 pounds in 11 weeks, 38 since September. It adds up if you are patient and consistent.
  • maplesyrup10
    maplesyrup10 Posts: 52 Member
    You guys rock

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