Already stalled, why?

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kkelley338
kkelley338 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my diet on Feb 1st. I was eating slot I don't know the exact calorie intake but it was probably anywhere from 2500-3000 ish. Well I have cut my calories back to 1200-1400 a day and I usually ride my stationary bike for about 30 minutes a day. Well I have lost 10.5 lbs but now for 4 days I have just completely stopped haven't lost an ounce but have gained .2-.8 what is going on. I watch my sodium and drink about 4-6 bottles of water a day. Im getting very discouraged. Anyone know what's going on or have had this happen to them?

Replies

  • catgerm
    catgerm Posts: 44 Member
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    I lost a lot in the beginning too. From reading on here, most was water weight. The fat comes off next and will be a slower process. Just keep up what you are doing!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited March 2017
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    I started my diet on Feb 1st. I was eating slot I don't know the exact calorie intake but it was probably anywhere from 2500-3000 ish. Well I have cut my calories back to 1200-1400 a day and I usually ride my stationary bike for about 30 minutes a day. Well I have lost 10.5 lbs but now for 4 days I have just completely stopped haven't lost an ounce but have gained .2-.8 what is going on. I watch my sodium and drink about 4-6 bottles of water a day. Im getting very discouraged. Anyone know what's going on or have had this happen to them?

    A lot of initial weight loss is a combination of water loss and less inherent waste in the system...after that, it levels off. Also, weight loss isn't a linear process after that initial loss...you will have weeks with bigger losses, smaller losses, no losses, and gains. This is due to the fact that body weight isn't static...you always have water fluctuations as well as varying degrees of waste in your system...all of this will play with the scale. These fluctuations aren't a result of you doing anything "bad" or wrong...last night I did a 40 minute sprint/tempo interval session on my bike trainer with the tail end of the workout being quite brutal...I cycle a lot, but my legs were shot and sore this morning...I was up 5 Lbs from yesterday due to the inflammation and associated water...I'd bet money I'll be down at least 3 Lbs tomorrow from today.

    Weight loss and weight management in general is about long term trends. It also sounds like you're weighing in daily...if you do that, you need to expect to see quite a bit of fluctuation day to day.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Probably pms or ovulation. Could also be water retention for muscle repair if you started a new workout or going over your sodium. It'll pass.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    4 days? Pshaw. :)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited March 2017
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    This may be worth a read for you:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
  • kkelley338
    kkelley338 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.

    I have weighed every day for 12 years. So I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

    But it's quite normal to stay the same weight for many days, even weeks, when trying to lose. Just keep at it.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.

    Please take a look at the thread @Anvil_Head posted. You are not going to lose every single day, or even every week, especially as a woman of age. Your best bets are to either download a weight tracker app that will allow you to look past these fluctuations, or if seeing the ups and downs get you down, cut your weigh-ins down to once a week max.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Please take a look at the thread @Anvil_Head posted. You are not going to lose every single day, or even every week, especially as a woman of age. Your best bets are to either download a weight tracker app that will allow you to look past these fluctuations, or if seeing the ups and downs get you down, cut your weigh-ins down to once a week max.

    Oh dear. She is 25! What are you trying to say - that she is old?? :/
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    edited March 2017
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.

    A weight trending app can definitely help if you weigh everyday. You can see how all the fluctuations fit together and where the trend is heading and at what rate on average. It also allows you to see clearly patterns like hormonal spikes or whooshes so you don't panic when you see them again.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.

    Nothing wrong with weighing every day! I do, too, and track it in the Libra app. It's a very useful way to track your trends, but it only works if you don't get hung up on the day to day fluctuations. I weighed 1.5 pounds more this morning than yesterday. I also had Chinese takeout last night, so I know it's water and it'll go way within a day or two. I also always retain some water at specific times in my menstrual cycle, but from tracking daily I know if I just stay the course and don't throw my hands up and eat everything in sight because I'm 'gaining weight anyway so why bother,' I'll see it all come back off the following week.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    kkelley338 wrote: »
    Thank y'all. I am weighing everyday. It's hard not to I can't help myself. Lol. I was losing "something" everyday so now that this has happened I guess it just worried me that I have already stalled. I have 60 more lbs to lose so that was a bit upsetting that I could of already got stuck.

    You're definitely going to have to get your mind set for the long haul...true weight (fat) loss is a pretty slow process.

    Weighing every day isn't necessarily bad--personally I like to see the trends (especially around TOM, ingesting excess sodium). But you do have to manage your expectations--eventually it will slow down, there will be ups and downs, but as long as the overall trend is down, you're good.
  • kkelley338
    kkelley338 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have the lose it app and I keep track of my foods and weight everyday. The thing is that they say a pound is 3500 calories and if I decreased my intake by at least 500 and excersise everyday the I would think that I would lose something in 4 days. And at the problem of the lose it app when you track your weight it tells you when you first start what day you should reach your goal and I've been losing and that date has been getting shorter but past days it's been tacking on extra days. Just discouraging. But I mostly thought I was stalled and I was going to have to cut MORE calories and start burning more already. But seems that's what no one thinks so that is a relief. It was just my concern. I know eventually I will have to change things up but I just started and have 2 kids so I hardly have the time now. But as long as I'm not stalled already I'm OK with the wait. Not the weight, lol.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    kkelley338 wrote: »
    I have the lose it app and I keep track of my foods and weight everyday. The thing is that they say a pound is 3500 calories and if I decreased my intake by at least 500 and excersise everyday the I would think that I would lose something in 4 days. And at the problem of the lose it app when you track your weight it tells you when you first start what day you should reach your goal and I've been losing and that date has been getting shorter but past days it's been tacking on extra days. Just discouraging. But I mostly thought I was stalled and I was going to have to cut MORE calories and start burning more already. But seems that's what no one thinks so that is a relief. It was just my concern. I know eventually I will have to change things up but I just started and have 2 kids so I hardly have the time now. But as long as I'm not stalled already I'm OK with the wait. Not the weight, lol.

    Your weight is affected by the calories in what you eat, the weight of what you eat/drink (weigh yourself immediately after eating an 8 oz steak and your weight will have increased by 8 oz), your hormones (especially as a female), and fluctuations in water weight (often caused by changes in the amount of carbs and/or sodium that you eat.) You absolutely cannot assume that you are going to lose 1 pound every time you incur a 3500 calorie deficit as that figure is only a rounded estimated of the number of calories it takes to burn off one pound of fat.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Please take a look at the thread @Anvil_Head posted. You are not going to lose every single day, or even every week, especially as a woman of age. Your best bets are to either download a weight tracker app that will allow you to look past these fluctuations, or if seeing the ups and downs get you down, cut your weigh-ins down to once a week max.

    Oh dear. She is 25! What are you trying to say - that she is old?? :/

    I meant going through her cycle
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    For context, I just got through a "minor" plateau. Feb 18th to 2 days ago I could not get under 258 and stay there. I hit 258 on the 18th, and went back up then kept bouncing around. Was a bit under the last 2 days and today was 255.5. Being under 258 was my mini-goal for Feb., so not hitting it was really pissing me off. Plus it would mean my BMI was under 35.

    It sucks. I hate it and it is just life. And I can't even blame it on female issues (cuz I'm a guy). You'll have to get used to it (unfortunately) and accept it as the way bodies work.

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    For context, I just got through a "minor" plateau. Feb 18th to 2 days ago I could not get under 258 and stay there. I hit 258 on the 18th, and went back up then kept bouncing around. Was a bit under the last 2 days and today was 255.5. Being under 258 was my mini-goal for Feb., so not hitting it was really pissing me off. Plus it would mean my BMI was under 35.

    It sucks. I hate it and it is just life. And I can't even blame it on female issues (cuz I'm a guy). You'll have to get used to it (unfortunately) and accept it as the way bodies work.

    See below for a screenshot of my progress over the last 12 months from Trendweight.com. The gray line is actual scale readings (I weigh daily) and the red line is the overall trend. Notice all the ups, downs, plateaus and 'whooshes' over the course of 12 months. Notice the spikes in the gray line, where the weight fluctuates (sometimes several pounds) from day to day. It's far from a linear process.

    qxr7h8uzjaq2.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,011 Member
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    I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr

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