“Whoosh effect”

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takemetosingapore19
takemetosingapore19 Posts: 86 Member
edited March 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering why this happens? If anyone knows? I was losing 3lb a week for 3 weeks then had a 1 week stall, and now I’m magically 5lb less than I was a week ago. I still have to weigh in and log that weight tomorrow although I got on the scale today at an unplanned time and that is how I discovered this sudden loss.

Sorry for any typos. English is not my first language.

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  • takemetosingapore19
    takemetosingapore19 Posts: 86 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I’m eating enough I eat 1800 calories a day. :) so I’m not sure why the loss is so much.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Starting weight?
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Perhaps this may help with some of the mechanisms, but the underlying reason is what has been stated, that scale weight loss is not linear and water retention/loss can affect scale measurements.

    https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
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    takemetosingapore19 wrote: »
    I’m eating enough I eat 1800 calories a day. :) so I’m not sure why the loss is so much.

    You must be super active ?
  • mazcor536
    mazcor536 Posts: 115 Member
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    I’ve had a whoosh this week too! 4 lb’s down in 7 days instead of the typical 1.5-2lbs. I retain water in the lead up to a period though, and whoosh spectacularly during/just after.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    anubis609 wrote: »
    Perhaps this may help with some of the mechanisms, but the underlying reason is what has been stated, that scale weight loss is not linear and water retention/loss can affect scale measurements.

    https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/


    Great link, thanks :smile:
  • tess5036
    tess5036 Posts: 942 Member
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    Yes, I get whooshes. I have been eating at a deficit and exercising hard, but stayed at same weight for about 5 week. Then, for a few days I'll end up making more tips than usual to the bathroom, and getting rid of a lot if liquid, and my weight drops noitcably. It doesn't happen all the time, but it has happened several times.
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    edited March 2018
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    .
  • cadien907
    cadien907 Posts: 2 Member
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    Isn't losing 3 pounds a week different than trying to lose three pounds a week? If someone has just started cutting back and is eating less junk, water loss would easily be that amount.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    cadien907 wrote: »
    Isn't losing 3 pounds a week different than trying to lose three pounds a week? If someone has just started cutting back and is eating less junk, water loss would easily be that amount.

    Water loss only goes on for so long. Talking maybe 10 lbs.

    My first three months I averaged ~15 lbs per month, but was morbidly obese. So from 330 to about 285 in 3 months and then things slowed down. The downside is that I was at greater risk for gallstones based on losing that fast and, in hindsight, I don't think it was a good idea.
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I had the same issue when I was in my cutting phase (aka fat loss phase). I had managed to go from 180 to 160 lbs, at 160 lbs I was lean, but I decided to go for another 5 lbs, but it was tough as well. I was stuck at 158-160 lbs until I did a reverse diet to maintenance and I lost those 5 lbs with ease after that despite eating slightly more calories, I was probably retaining too much water or something like that and when I did my reverse diet, I was still in a caloric deficit, but I guess it triggered something in my body which probably help ease the weight loss.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,978 Member
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    tyrindor wrote: »
    I've heard this is why....

    When your body consumes fat, it is initially replaced with water (not the fat cells themselves, just the surround areas). That water stays in you for awhile, which is why fat can start to feel really squishy.

    I'm going to have to look into that, as I've noticed this with myself - the "hard/firm" fat starts to get squishy, then in a "woosh" tends to drop away. I was never quite sure why, but that squishy thing was really obvious.

    This week I'm in a big "woosh" - actually the last two weeks. Started with my deload training week, and this week I have a cold so most of my workouts have been a lighter (avoiding the gym so I don't spread my yuck). While I'm sure a lot of it is water weight of some variety, the reality is that for the past 5 weeks or so the scale didn't budge, but my measurements and pictures showed otherwise. Now, the scale is rapidly starting to match the progress I was seeing in other ways. Literally 3 pounds down in less than 2 weeks after over a month of about .1 lbs/week, and not feeling hungry at all.
  • mlsh1969
    mlsh1969 Posts: 138 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Because weight loss is not linear. You were losing fat, but retaining water for one or many reasons.

    That said, unless you have a few hundred pounds to lose that is a pretty aggressive loss.

    This, 100%

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