Weight loss slowed to a trickle...

Hello all. So good news is I’ve lost 30lbs since mid June. 😁👍🏽 Very excited about that.

So here’s the so-so part. I have my calorie deficit set at 2lbs per week. I’m not expecting to lose 2lbs every week but I figure between 1-1.5lbs would be good. But I’m noticing my weight loss is slowing down to a trickle.

To answer the questions I know are coming 😉. Yes I weigh about 95% of my food on a scale in oz. I always add an extra 100 calories to account for anything I may have tasted while preparing food. I go over my daily calorie intake maybe 2x per month. I usually drink water but on the occasion I have an iced tea I weigh that out too. I HATE exercise but I do walk approx 3 miles 5x per week and although I work from home I’m up and down stairs 1/2 the day so I usually get my 10k steps in.

Now, although I’m at or under calories each day, I probably can work on the actual macros about carbs/protein/veg. My job can be a bit stressful at times (teacher) and I’m also taking care of a sick parent so that can add onto my stress. Dr checkup went well...nothing alarming.

Sooooo...is it just my body being stubborn for a while & it doesn’t want to let go of the weight? I’m currently 258 (5’9”) and I’ll be happy at 225...I’m not even looking to hit onederland (tried that before and it was a hot mess). I’m not giving up...and if it takes a while so be it but when a bunch of things in your life are all over sometimes something being somewhat on schedule can help keep the calm.

Be gentle 😉

Thanks!

Replies

  • B_Plus_Effort
    B_Plus_Effort Posts: 311 Member
    first congrats, second scale weight is only one of many indicators, do you also monitor your body fat with one of these gizmos? if you don't have one then use a pair of jeans, at first you will have a muffin top, then they will fit, then they will fall off, ha ha, or watch the holes on your belt, and finally there is nothing wrong with plateauing for a while, as long as you're not gaining back the weight you lost, let your body adjust, our bodies are way more complex than we think

    nrsj4l6kq6wb.jpg
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Congrats on your success so far! When you say your loss had slowed to a trickle, can you share how much you lost each week for the last 4 weeks? That info would provide a valuable perspective to those wanting to support you.
  • Steelkid
    Steelkid Posts: 74 Member
    nyctina wrote: »
    Hello all. So good news is I’ve lost 30lbs since mid June. 😁👍🏽 Very excited about that.

    So here’s the so-so part. I have my calorie deficit set at 2lbs per week. I’m not expecting to lose 2lbs every week but I figure between 1-1.5lbs would be good. But I’m noticing my weight loss is slowing down to a trickle.

    To answer the questions I know are coming 😉. Yes I weigh about 95% of my food on a scale in oz. I always add an extra 100 calories to account for anything I may have tasted while preparing food. I go over my daily calorie intake maybe 2x per month. I usually drink water but on the occasion I have an iced tea I weigh that out too. I HATE exercise but I do walk approx 3 miles 5x per week and although I work from home I’m up and down stairs 1/2 the day so I usually get my 10k steps in.

    Now, although I’m at or under calories each day, I probably can work on the actual macros about carbs/protein/veg. My job can be a bit stressful at times (teacher) and I’m also taking care of a sick parent so that can add onto my stress. Dr checkup went well...nothing alarming.

    Sooooo...is it just my body being stubborn for a while & it doesn’t want to let go of the weight? I’m currently 258 (5’9”) and I’ll be happy at 225...I’m not even looking to hit onederland (tried that before and it was a hot mess). I’m not giving up...and if it takes a while so be it but when a bunch of things in your life are all over sometimes something being somewhat on schedule can help keep the calm.

    Be gentle 😉

    Thanks!

    Like someone else said, the scale is only one factor. My weight loss has slowed and it will slow down the more you lose which is what it's supposed to do, but I had to buy a new belt cause my pants are starting to fall off. Working out 6 days a week and eating 6 small meals has me losing inches all over. That won't show up on the scale. Are you doing any strength training? You could be building muscle. Muscle and fat weigh the same, but muscle takes up less space but will show the same weight on the scale.
  • nyctina
    nyctina Posts: 24 Member
    Appreciate the feedback and encouragement. I’m seriously thinking about starting some weight training...I know that will help and perhaps I’ll start measuring inches...have to use everything to stay motivated. 😊
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    It’s fairly normal for weight loss to be regular and predictable at first then become irregular after 4 to 6 months. Many people start seeing a cycle where loss is periodic, they will go for weeks without losing anything, then drop several pounds overnight. This has to do with the way fat is stored - the body temporarily replaces the fat in the fat cells with water, then flushes the water out all at once.

    This may or may not be what’s happening to you! But if you have been stuck on a plateau for fewer than six weeks, and you are confident in your logging, just keep going and see if you have a drop within the next couple of weeks.

    Other possibilities: is your period coming soon? Have you changed how much sodium you eat, or started working out a lot harder, or anything else which might cause you to retain water and mask your fat loss?
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,281 Member
    how long has the weight loss been at the slower pace?

    Is 2lb per week a realistic goal?


  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    How many calories are you eating daily, on average? What is your current weight loss trend over the past 4-6 weeks?

    Common logging errors - check to make sure you're using accurate entries from the database. Compare against USDA or other online sources. Check food labels as well - sometimes things get updated.

    You mention weighing 95% of your intake in ounces. Does your scale do grams? Or does it show ounces in decimals? I'm trying to figure out if something is 2.4 ounces, does your scale round down to 2? If so, that is a potential problem.

    Do you even weigh 'each' items like bananas, chicken breasts, slices of bread? They're not all the same.

    How often do you eat food made by others? Whether family, friend or restaurant: this all leads to estimation. Less estimation would be better if you're not happy with your results.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    muszyngr wrote: »
    first congrats, second scale weight is only one of many indicators, do you also monitor your body fat with one of these gizmos? if you don't have one then use a pair of jeans, at first you will have a muffin top, then they will fit, then they will fall off, ha ha, or watch the holes on your belt, and finally there is nothing wrong with plateauing for a while, as long as you're not gaining back the weight you lost, let your body adjust, our bodies are way more complex than we think

    nrsj4l6kq6wb.jpg

    Those things measure the fat content from one arm shortest way through your chest and back through the other arm. And the results are unreliable and can change a lot with hydration and other things. I had such a 'test' at the beginning of the year and was told I have a fat content of 43%. Mind you, I had a BMI of 21. Yeah, I guess this thing also measured the fat content of my breasts or something else odd was going on. Don't trust those things. They don't work.

    TO, we need some more information.
    What's your current weight and goal weight
    body size
    gender
    age.

    it's possible that your weight loss goal is simply not realistic.
    Also for how long has the loss slowed down?