Losing 5 lbs in one week?

Options
journey_to_me
journey_to_me Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been using this site for a while but only 'on and off', but have been using it religiously since last week. Last week I had a health check up and found out I weighed A LOT more than I thought (I don't own any scales). I weighed 178 lbs and I thought I had weighed 160 lbs according to my previous weigh in, which in fairness was quite a while ago.

Anyway, I told my doctor I was going to go in weekly to get myself weighed there and my second weigh in was yesterday. I found out I had lost 5 lbs. My weight now is 173 lbs. I thought a healthy loss was 1-2 lbs a week?

I have been eating more or less 1200 calories a day but haven't been exercising apart from the walking whenever I go out, does anybody have an explanation for this? Thank you :)

Replies

  • bmqbonnie
    bmqbonnie Posts: 836 Member
    Options
    It is a bit much but it happens sometimes, especially if you suddenly make sudden changes which a cutback to 1200 cals probably is. Don't be too bummed if your weight loss stalls a little soon-sometimes your body can go OH NOOOOES when you lose that quickly. I aim to average 1-2 lbs a week but on a week to week basis sometimes it's more, sometimes it's nothing, sometimes I even gain but overall I still weigh less than I did and that's what counts.
  • msjac23
    msjac23 Posts: 140 Member
    Options
    Your first week weigh loss is always more because your are also losing water.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
    Options
    Usually the first couple of weeks are larger drops in weight but you should eat at least 1200 calories Good luck
  • robinso5
    robinso5 Posts: 310 Member
    Options
    So true its probably a lot of water weight also! when y ou rbody shocks itself into realizing what you have done, you will hae to shock it into YEAH I AM THE BOSS OF ME mode!
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    Options
    Yep, I agree with the others. The first weeks will be bigger losses. then it will go down to 1-2 pounds. just go with it! Good job! :)
  • homeport51
    homeport51 Posts: 198 Member
    Options
    Not unusual at all. I lost 8 lbs my first week. It has settled into around 2 lbs a week now. Keep going!
  • sherab69
    sherab69 Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    Losing 5lbs in the first week is pretty typical. Your body is getting rid of all the extra water you have stored. It will slow down and you should be losing 1-2lbs after this first week.
  • hosment
    hosment Posts: 12
    Options
    At the beginning of a diet for some people the weight loss is quite steep but it often plateaus later so don't be disheartened as it slows down. I have lost half a stone (7lbs) in the first week of a diet before (did put it all back on but that's from not sticking to the diet ). Sometimes it is water retention lessening and the body adapting to a new diet, especially if you have reduced your normal calorie intake by quite a bit. It is fine as long as your weight doesn't dip below the healthy weight range. Make sure you eat at least most of the calories burned in exercise. Good luck :)
  • DiamondRubyMom
    DiamondRubyMom Posts: 147 Member
    Options
    It's hard to say without looking at your food dairy but a drasric chance in your diet could result in a sudden drop. I suspect it will slow down in the coming weeks. God's blessings on your journey to a healthier you.
  • persian_star
    persian_star Posts: 197 Member
    Options
    Don't forget that your body fluctuates naturally by 2-4 lbs for reasons that aren't long lasting - things like time of the month (water retention makes you heavier), whether you've been to the loo *ahem*, whether you've eaten a particularly heavy-calorie meal (chinese takeaway pushed me up by 3 lbs in one day, but I was back down again the next) or vice versa - not having much food in the system of course will make you lighter (and I always find when hungover or ill I weigh less - but my body always compensates afterwards). So it may well be that somewhere in the middle is you current 'actual' weight, this will become clearer as the weeks go on and you see a pattern emerging. Patience is the key.

    However, as the others have said, it may also be that having radically changed your diet your body is responding in kind - especially if you have a lot to lose - and sadly it gets harder the nearer your goal weight you get.

    Hope that helps and keep up the good work!
  • ajfranzen77
    ajfranzen77 Posts: 118
    Options
    Like everyone else, I saw big drops when I started. However for me I have lost 40lbs in about 4 months. I have been in my new lifestyle change for 6 months but in June I had knee surgery and in May it was so bad that I couldn't work out. Until about 2 weeks ago I couldn't really do anything( maybe a short walk around the block) and gained 5 lbs back. But in the 2 weeks I have been back at it I have lost almost 10 lbs. I had been on track to hit a certain weight by Oct 1st and am now pushing myself to get as close as I can to that.
    Don't get upset though when you start to tapper off after a few weeks. It does happen to everyone and is normal and healthy.
  • journey_to_me
    journey_to_me Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    Thank you everyone for your replies! :) I had no idea during the beginning of a diet you lose more weight! :o I'll try not to become dishearted if/ when it begins to slow^^

    Also, thank you for all your positive comments. I wish you all the best luck in your journeys too! :)
  • jjs22
    jjs22 Posts: 156
    Options
    A couple of comments.

    I'd say you should probably buy yourself a scale. A decent digital one costs maybe $35 new. The thing about your weight is that it goes up and down throughout the day as you take things in and, well, you know. The best way to get a consistent reading that will show you the underlying trends is to weigh yourself when you get up in the morning, after you pee, with no clothes on.

    Also, doctors usually use a mechanical balance type scale (where you slide the little weight back and forth). That type of scale is very accurate *if* you perform the measurement carefully. But usually its done by a nurse with 87 other things to do, and they know that just being within a few pounds is all that matters to the doctor. I had one doctor tell me I weighed 233, and another tell me 225, with no diet or exercise in between.

    And if you are new to dieting (like me) the very best thing you can do is RECORD YOUR CALORIES ! It helps you learn how many calories are in each serving of the foods you eat, so you can make better decisions. It lets you see at the end of a day or a week where you stand in relation to your target calories. And I find that just the tedium of firing up MFP to enter the calories can be enough for me to decide I don't really need that mini-snack right now.

    Anyway, good luck to you !
  • journey_to_me
    journey_to_me Posts: 27 Member
    Options
    The reason I don't own a scale is because I know it wouldn't be good for *me*. I was borderlining an eating disorder a few years ago and one of my bad habits was weighing myself pretty much everytime I was in or near the bathroom. My parents ended up taking the scales away. So, I feel it's best for me not to own one and just get weighed weekly.

    Also, I've never encountered one of these 'slide-y weight scales' before! :o My nurse just uses a regular digital scale and weighs me in kg's. :)

    I have the MFP app on my Blackberry so I can record my calories each day, when and where ever I am^^

    Thank you for your comments and good luck to you too! :)

Categories