Weight loss stall - 1 week in!
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Hattifattener89
Posts: 4 Member
Hi all
I am very overweight (>100lbs) and all my diets in the past have involved some severe calorie restriction. I've had short term success loosing quickly & very reliably, but of course piled it all back on and much more when I couldn't sustain it for more than a few months.
Hoping to do it properly for once, a little under 2 weeks ago I embarked on a plan of eating very clean (veges, grains, vegetarian proteins, bit of fruit), around 1200 kcals during the week and 1600-1800 at the weekend (for sustainability), for an overage of about 1400 kcals per day (this should be a good deficit for someone my weight). I hoped to loose 1kg per week, after the initial high loss period. I am normally very sedentary so I started with a bit of exercise twice a week.
First week went well - lost reliably in the week (pretty much 0.5kgs per day - I'm well aware this is all just water from glycogen stores but at least it shows I'm creating a deficit) and didn't gain it back at weekend.
Second week I've lost nothing. I've been doing 1200 kcals for the past 4 days and I'm actually 0.4kgs up from my low of last week! Each of the last 5 days weigh ins I've either lost nothing or increased a bit (like 0.1kg). I know many people will say don't weigh every day, give it a couple weeks, stalls happen etc - but I am normally able to lose consistently, and yes stalls happen but normally after like 6 weeks not 1-2 weeks! With daily weigh ins I might expect a day or two of not loosing due to water retention but not 5!
What could be going on?? My scales seem fine. Of course I will keep at it for a while but I really don't know what to do if 1200 kcals is not enough for me to loose weight. I know all too well that I have messed up my metabolism a little bit from poor dieting in the past, that's part of the big weight regains, but there's no way someone my size doesn't have a BMR well above 1200-1400 ... Surely?!
I feel so perplexed and disheartened.
I am very overweight (>100lbs) and all my diets in the past have involved some severe calorie restriction. I've had short term success loosing quickly & very reliably, but of course piled it all back on and much more when I couldn't sustain it for more than a few months.
Hoping to do it properly for once, a little under 2 weeks ago I embarked on a plan of eating very clean (veges, grains, vegetarian proteins, bit of fruit), around 1200 kcals during the week and 1600-1800 at the weekend (for sustainability), for an overage of about 1400 kcals per day (this should be a good deficit for someone my weight). I hoped to loose 1kg per week, after the initial high loss period. I am normally very sedentary so I started with a bit of exercise twice a week.
First week went well - lost reliably in the week (pretty much 0.5kgs per day - I'm well aware this is all just water from glycogen stores but at least it shows I'm creating a deficit) and didn't gain it back at weekend.
Second week I've lost nothing. I've been doing 1200 kcals for the past 4 days and I'm actually 0.4kgs up from my low of last week! Each of the last 5 days weigh ins I've either lost nothing or increased a bit (like 0.1kg). I know many people will say don't weigh every day, give it a couple weeks, stalls happen etc - but I am normally able to lose consistently, and yes stalls happen but normally after like 6 weeks not 1-2 weeks! With daily weigh ins I might expect a day or two of not loosing due to water retention but not 5!
What could be going on?? My scales seem fine. Of course I will keep at it for a while but I really don't know what to do if 1200 kcals is not enough for me to loose weight. I know all too well that I have messed up my metabolism a little bit from poor dieting in the past, that's part of the big weight regains, but there's no way someone my size doesn't have a BMR well above 1200-1400 ... Surely?!
I feel so perplexed and disheartened.
5
Replies
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And just to add incase you are wondering - I'm not guessing at kcals, absolutely everything is weighed, measured and logged.1
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It can be frustrating, but even if you are doing everything right weight loss still isn't linear. Keep the focus and you'll see the results.11
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You just need to be patient and plow forward for the first six weeks. There's a lot of water rebalancing and other things going on at first. Many people (myself included) experienced a dramatic initial weight loss followed by a flatline then followed by slow but steady loss, at the beginning of their diets. It does take 6 weeks for a picture to emerge and you have to kind of roll with it during that time and be patient.
A really good step for you would be to go to the MFP goals tool, enter your stats (age, gender, height, weight, etc.), and tell it how much weight you want to lose, e.g. 1.5 or 2 lbs per week (for 100 lbs to lose, it'll probably be one of those two). MFP will tell you how many calories to eat based on that input data. Eat that amount of calories, no more or less, no cheat days or off meals, every day for the first six weeks. You WILL repeat WILL lose that amount of weight, +/- 10 %. You will not have to be disheartened or filled with doubt or wonder if you're on the right track, because you will be on the right track. Then you can relax and lose the weight.11 -
As long as you are weighing and measuring everything properly the weight will come off. Unfortunately it isn’t an exact science, sometimes you will go a week or two with little/no loss and then you have a “woosh” and lose several pounds on the scale in just a few days.
And if you are a female with a menstrual cycle your hormonal fluctuations can cause water retention of several pounds at different points in your cycle.
Hang in there, the results will come!7 -
Thanks everyone - I will try and be patient and see where I am in a couple weeks. It's just frustrating because I know I do normally loose most in the initial weeks, and the of course it gradually flattens off over time. Maybe I'll post an update in this thread to see if there are any other ideas if things haven't moved.
To Igfrie who mentioned about MFP goals, I did do that already - it gives me 1450, I changed it to 1430 for no other reason than that was my past MFP goal and I wanted to keep it consistent, and my average over the past 7 days is 1412.1 -
Hattifattener89 wrote: »I'm well aware this is all just water from glycogen stores
Just to encourage you....
No it's not ALL water and glycogen stores - you will have lost fat too.
You don't burn glycogen and then fat, you are burning both fuels 99.9% of the time.
Yes people's initial weight loss is artifically boosted by water related losses but be happy you lost fat too.
With 100+ lbs to lose you are going to have to cultivate a much longer term view of this process. You will have bad days, bad weeks, maybe even a bad month. That's when you have to trust the process and not fall into the trap of thinking it's not working, not worth the effort, my metabolism is messed up....
In 6 months or a year's time how much will it matter that week 2 was disappointing?
Conversely in 6 months or a year's time how much will it matter that you gave up trying to lose weight because for a short time period results didn't match expectations?19 -
I was the same as you. In my previous weight loss attempts I've always lost 5-6lbs in the first week. This time I didn't. It was disheartening. It's going slower this time, and I don't really know why. I am putting it down to my age maybe, being in my 30's maybe I'm not losing as much/ quickly as I would when I tried in my 20's. But who knows? Bodies are strange.
I think the only thing to do is just keep at it - you know that you are doing everything right, so it WILL come off, you just need to give your body some time. I have now lost a good amount in my first month... true, it's what I previously would have lost in my first week of a diet... but it's still a loss, so I know it's working, it's just taking a while.
Focus on your loss over 4-6 weeks rather than the first fortnight. Give it some time. Good luck
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Thanks Spyro - I'm in my 30s now too. It's good to hear you went on to have a good loss in the first month anyway. Let's hope it's not just age or by our 50's we'll need to be eating negative calories to maintain
Thanks to everyone one for replying, I'll take the advice and be more patient!2 -
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Hattifattener89 wrote: »Thanks Spyro - I'm in my 30s now too. It's good to hear you went on to have a good loss in the first month anyway. Let's hope it's not just age or by our 50's we'll need to be eating negative calories to maintain
Thanks to everyone one for replying, I'll take the advice and be more patient!
It’s not age. There are a lot of people here who have lost weight in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I myself lost over 1/2 by body weight at age 60. All it takes is eating less calories than your body burns, consistency, determination, perseverance and the will to succeed. It’s not easier, or harder at any age.13 -
You mentioned working out also. Are you doing cardio or weights or both? Lifting weights will cause DOMS and additional water retention especially when you first start as many of us are more sore in the beginning as our bodies adjust to the new normal.
Give it time, keep doing what you’re doing. I panic if I weigh daily, so I force myself to only weigh on Saturday before breakfast. If daily weighing works for you, do it. If it’s going to cause you to doubt yourself, switch to weekly.
I recommend measuring yourself also. I measure once a week on Wednesdays. Last week I lost less than a lb and I was discouraged. I measured on Wednesday and had lost 1.5 inches on my massive hips and .5 inches on my waist, so even though the scale didn’t move much, I can see that my body is indeed shrinking. 😁2 -
missysippy930 wrote: »Hattifattener89 wrote: »Thanks Spyro - I'm in my 30s now too. It's good to hear you went on to have a good loss in the first month anyway. Let's hope it's not just age or by our 50's we'll need to be eating negative calories to maintain
Thanks to everyone one for replying, I'll take the advice and be more patient!
It’s not age. There are a lot of people here who have lost weight in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I myself lost over 1/2 by body weight at age 60. All it takes is eating less calories than your body burns, consistency, determination, perseverance and the will to succeed. It’s not easier, or harder at any age.
QFT5 -
missysippy930 wrote: »
It’s not age. There are a lot of people here who have lost weight in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I myself lost over 1/2 by body weight at age 60. All it takes is eating less calories than your body burns, consistency, determination, perseverance and the will to succeed. It’s not easier, or harder at any age.
Well, of course it's true that you can lose at any age, but I think there is something to be said for having a higher metabolism when you are young and it maybe being easier or quicker to shift the pounds.
I have heard quite a few people say they used to be able to lose weight faster when they were younger, for whatever reason.1 -
missysippy930 wrote: »
It’s not age. There are a lot of people here who have lost weight in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I myself lost over 1/2 by body weight at age 60. All it takes is eating less calories than your body burns, consistency, determination, perseverance and the will to succeed. It’s not easier, or harder at any age.
Well, of course it's true that you can lose at any age, but I think there is something to be said for having a higher metabolism when you are young and it maybe being easier or quicker to shift the pounds.
I have heard quite a few people say they used to be able to lose weight faster when they were younger, for whatever reason.
I don't think this usually refers to the difference between 20s and 30s, though. 30-something is still young!8 -
Flip the Switch. There's no such thing as the Finish Line.
I lost 100 pounds the first time and ate it all back. I've released 100 pounds this time because I have no intention of finding them again. I want to throw myself on the ground when I think about it but my time is better spent living in the present. You've gotten some great advice here. I want to suggest you take a hard look to make sure it isn't mostly a huge rationalization. It sounds really familiar to me. Hmmm, where have I heard that before Oooo yeah....me.
Virtual hugs for the challenges you will face. You'll have to get used to the rollercoaster ride if you want your health to be a priority. Many of us have ridden that merry-go-round-all the horses' saddles are worn smooth. You're going to have to create strategies for breaking all of those old cycles with food.
Right out the chute you don't want to be caught between completely overreaching and totally underachieving.
Start a journal. Plus it will keep your hands and mind busy during the inevitable rough patches. Keep engaging. Connection matters.
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missysippy930 wrote: »
It’s not age. There are a lot of people here who have lost weight in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I myself lost over 1/2 by body weight at age 60. All it takes is eating less calories than your body burns, consistency, determination, perseverance and the will to succeed. It’s not easier, or harder at any age.
Well, of course it's true that you can lose at any age, but I think there is something to be said for having a higher metabolism when you are young and it maybe being easier or quicker to shift the pounds.
I have heard quite a few people say they used to be able to lose weight faster when they were younger, for whatever reason.
My reason is that I had active jobs/lifestyle when I was younger but a desk job since my late 30's.
The decrease is metabolism from decade to decade is actually very small, and usually is compounded by decreased activity.11 -
Dogmom1978 wrote: »You mentioned working out also. Are you doing cardio or weights or both? Lifting weights will cause DOMS and additional water retention especially when you first start as many of us are more sore in the beginning as our bodies adjust to the new normal.
Give it time, keep doing what you’re doing. I panic if I weigh daily, so I force myself to only weigh on Saturday before breakfast. If daily weighing works for you, do it. If it’s going to cause you to doubt yourself, switch to weekly.
I recommend measuring yourself also. I measure once a week on Wednesdays. Last week I lost less than a lb and I was discouraged. I measured on Wednesday and had lost 1.5 inches on my massive hips and .5 inches on my waist, so even though the scale didn’t move much, I can see that my body is indeed shrinking. 😁
Yes, when I started lifting weights again my scale went up 7 pounds!
But thanks to having read about this here I didn't freak out about it, and it came off, plus more, over the next few weeks.4 -
I think it is fine to weigh daily if you like that, I do! I'd suggest you use a trending app such as happy scale or libra. I'm one that loses and then jumps up for 5-6 days. This month I was the same weight on 8/11 and 8/23 with the numbers jumping up between those dates. Then I lost 2 lbs...which puts me on track for my 2-3lbs/month. I could see in the trending app that I was still losing at the rate I wanted. I like the data I have by weighing daily and don't get hung up on the ups and downs. Good luck.3
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If you are in a calorie deficit you fat loss NEVER stalls. It can't. Your body needs energy and if you do not supply it enough in food it absolutely must used stored energy or you cease to live. This is the truth that you need to remind yourself of when the scale plays its roller coaster games.
Throughout most of my weight loss the scale either in part or full only caught up with my fat loss about once every 3 weeks. The scale currently owes me 1.8 pounds but my sore hamstrings means that I probably won't collect it right now. I know I will get it though. 2.5 years and over 250 pounds of losing have taught me. That said, I still have irrational thoughts about stalling, eating too many exercise calories back (this one is my main one), gained more than I thought I did on my last diet/deficit break, or gremlins. It is human nature to doubt I suppose but I make sure my rational side stays in charge and the noise stays in the background. My logging habits are good and the amount I have to guess at (restaurant, etc) is small so my deficit is assured.
Trust the process. Never quit for any reason. You cannot blow your diet with mistakes or weak moments. You can only blow it if you stop. Keep refining your process so it is as easy as it can be. The scale will eventually give you the news you want but look for NSVs, take pictures, and take measurements so the scale is not your only source of positive news.13 -
Weight loss is never consistently in one direction day-after-day-after-day. All sorts of things change the amount of water your body is holding on to. It could be minor variations in salt consumption, the state of your digestive cycle, your hormones, stress, weather, you name it. Look at what the trend is over weeks/months not days/weeks.5
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